Public health officials are urging Connecticut residents to continue to wear masks and social distance as COVID-19 cases have flared up, particularly among younger people, and as variants of the virus are circulating in the state.

In an alert Saturday, the state Department of Public Health said the total number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 had reached 456, after climbing over the past week.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Saturday the city is monitoring the situation locally and throughout the region.

Anecdotally were noticing more people not wearing masks and gathering in groups, Elicker told Hearst Connecticut Media.

He offered a grim warning if people ignore the states COVID-19 guidelines.

We want to remind people that, while many people are getting vaccinated, we are far from out of the woods and could see another outbreak if people arent cautious and following guidelines, Elicker said.

According to DPH, cases among the oldest residents  those most likely to have been vaccinated, according to state data  have dropped, but new cases are trending younger.

While case rates have decreased among persons age 70 and older, they have plateaued or increased among all other age groups, the alert said. The age group with the highest case rates are 20-29 year olds.

New Haven County saw the highest case rate per capita, with 31.8 cases reported per 100,000 people. Towns with the highest case rates were located in the Waterbury and Naugatuck Valley region. In Waterbury, the case rate per 100,000 is 43.4, according to DPH.

Several towns that had falling or stable rates of COVID-19 have been moved back up to red alert status on the states color-coded map that tracks cases per capita in the states 169 cities and towns.

More than 90 percent of the states residents now live in a community marked as red on the map, meaning a case rate of at least 15 infections per 100,000 people.

On average, the states case rate per 100,000 is 25 meaning the state on the whole could be considered a red alert zone.

The alert urged residents to get the vaccine when they are eligible  the state will allow everyone 16 and up to get the vaccine by appointment beginning April 1  and noted that people are not fully vaccinated until 14 days after their final shot.

The warning comes as several variants of the virus that are of concern to researchers have been confirmed in the state.

In particular, DPH noted about 40 percent of new cases are thought to involve the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK. Researchers believe that strain of the virus can be passed more easily from person to person, and believe it could pose a higher risk of death, as well.

The alert pleaded with residents to continue masking up and social distancing. It also warned spring breakers to avoid travel.

Connecticut residents considering travelling during the upcoming spring break season are urged to review CDCs travel guidance, which continues to recommend against traveling at this time, it said.

During his pandemic news conference Thursday, Gov. Ned Lamont also warned about rising metrics in the state, noting the states 7-day positivity rate had risen 50 percent to 60 percent in the past two to three weeks.

The greater Northeast in general is Im afraid leading the country in many ways in terms of infections, the governor said.

The reported flare-ups come a week after Connecticut had lifted many of its capacity limits on businesses and venues. The states mandate that travelers either produce a negative test or quarantine upon arrival in Connecticut from most places out of state has also been replaced with an advisory.

The Department of Public Health is not the only one raising alarm about rising case levels.

This past week, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi told residents to avoid gathering, after the Fairfield County town of about 25,000 recorded 28 new cases in a day.

We now have the third highest new case rate in Fairfield County and I have to ask myself why? What are we doing wrong? Marconi said in a statement distributed by the towns Office of Emergency Management.

Please stop gathering. Keep to your small and controlled bubbles. Do not relax your efforts, Marconi said.
Shade uses offensive attack to take down Shanksville in D5-A semis
Actor Nichola MacEvilly who read about Sligo to audiences around the world on St Patricks Day in A Call from Sligo, organised by the Hawks Well theatre.

Sligo people from around the world connected on St Patrick's Day in A Call from Sligo.

Actor Nichola MacEvilly read literature about Sligo. from her home in Sligo, to audiences around the globe.

Audiences selected their favourite work and whether to receive call by zoom or telephone. The event was organised by Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo to celebrate St.Patrick's Day.

Work by Dermot Healy, Eithne Hand, & W.B. Yeats proved especially popular.

The actor read for audiences in Sligo and across Ireland to locations as varied as Canada, Finland & The United States.

Commenting after the day of performances MacEvilly said: "Today I reached across land and ocean to talk with the kindest souls.

"Souls missing the Ireland they love. One woman told me 'You could be in Paradise - but that's no good if you can't get home'.

"It reminded me that no matter how tired I get of the limits of my 5K in Sligo town there are families in Boston longing for their stroll along the Garavogue and 3rd generation Irish-Americans missing their annual life-affirming pint of Guinness in Foley's Pub on St Patrick's Day. "Sligo is a small town but our people live in every corner of the world."
Barclays Bank experts revealed the date when herd immunity in the European Union will develop. According to their estimations, the population will get herd immunity by autumn amid an improvement in the supply of vaccines.

"The European Union can reach the 70-per cent level of immunization by the end of September, Barclays Bank predicts, RBC informs.

It is noted that the volume of vaccines supplies in the EU should rise sharply in the second quarter of this year (about 360 mln doses compared to 98 mln in the first quarter). The bank noted that solving the problem of achieving the 70-per cent share of citizens fully protected from the virus by the end of September is quite realistic.

Now the share of those who received the first dose of vaccine in the EU is 10%, by the end of the first quarter of 2021, the EU will receive 59 mln doses of Pfizer vaccine, followed by 30 mln doses of AstraZeneca. Pfizer will supply another 200 mln doses to the EU in the second quarter.

The report notes that the pace of vaccination in the EU will grow due to the acceleration of the EU-derived vaccine's sales and approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the European regulator. According to the report, this vaccine does not need any special conditions during transportation, and only one jab is required.

In total, the European regulator registered four vaccines for use in the EU - AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

In addition, in early March, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) began an examination of the registration dossier of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. That became the first step in a process that could lead to its approval throughout the European Union.
Baylor to erect statues in honor of first black graduates

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Baylor University plans to erect two new statues on its Waco, Texas, campus in honor of its first African American graduates.

In an announcement on Tuesday, Baylor said the decision stemmed, in part, from the release of a report by its 26-member Commission on Historic Campus Representations.

The two statues will be of the Rev. Robert Gilbert and Mrs. Barbara Walker, both of whom graduated from Baylor in 1967, which was four years after the school integrated.

The Commission also recommended that Baylor in some way honor the memory of the unnamed slaves who helped to found the university during the Antebellum Era.

Another recommendation was to rename Burleson Quadrangle, an on-campus gathering place, as its namesake Rufus Burleson was not only a slave owner but a supporter of the Confederate cause.

Board Chair Mark Rountree said in a statement included in the announcement that he was appreciative of the Commission's work, calling their report a gift to Baylor University.

As we begin our important work in response to the Commissions report, let me state that we are proud of the name of Baylor University, stated Rountree, who wanted to commend their founder despite his moral shortcomings.

Baylor established the foundation for hundreds of thousands of students  which now include all races and creeds  to receive a unique educational experience that combines academic excellence and a Christian commitment. We will continue to recognize Judge Baylor for the founding of Baylor University, just as we commit to presenting a more complete history of the University.

The 94-page Commission report, which was initially written up last December and officially accepted by Baylors Board of Regents in February, was made available online here.

Baylor University must stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ in unequivocally acknowledging that the institutions roots in American chattel slavery  and its early leaders role in a Civil War fought to preserve it  require unflinching confrontation and intentional acts of repentance, reads the Introduction, in part.

We must, without reservation, acknowledge that our nations long history of enslavement, having evolved into structural racism and bias permeating our democratic and economic institutions, today requires the intentional practice of contrite reconciliation as a countermeasure.

Baylor was founded in 1845 after being chartered by the independent Republic of Texas, being named after co-founder, minister, and slave-owner Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor.

In 1963, about nine years after the U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, Baylor's Board of Trustees voted to racially integrate the school.

Previously, Baylor had allowed international students to enroll at its institution, with the first student from Africa taking classes at the Christian school in 1921.

Last June, Baylor leadership passed a Resolution on Racial Healing and Justice that acknowledged its ties to slavery and the Confederacy, as well as creating a commission to examine all buildings, monuments and statues on campus for their historical context and to advance racial reconciliation.
As work from home became a new normal amid pandemic, there were a lot of interesting terms that were regularly searched on Google. As per Google's annual Year in Search' report, terms like, work from home jobs, online course, how to sell online and certificate course  were among those recording the highest growth in India during 2020.

WFH jobs and e-courses have been the most searched keywords in the country, the report suggested.

Work from home jobs saw 140 percent growth in 2020 over 2019 across India, the phrase online course saw 85 percent growth. Searches for certificate course saw 50 percent on-year growth and how to sell online saw over 65 percent increase in searches.

The term work from home jobs'' witnessed the highest surge in Telangana, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, and Maharashtra. Also, in terms of cities, the internet users in Mira-Bhayandar made the highest number of searches for work from home jobs, followed by Secunderabad, Thane, Hyderabad, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ghaziabad, Bengaluru, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Mysuru.

As per Google,  demand for connected devices saw a massive surge with second-hand laptops recording a more than 60 percent rise in search queries YoY. These behaviours were coupled with increasing comfort with transacting online with more than 60 per cent YoY in searches for how to pay online, compared to being flat last year, it said.

Meanwhile, the search for online course rose during April, with the maximum interest coming from Thane, Salem, Noida, Kanpur, Gurgaon, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Coimbatore, Ghaziabad, Vadodara, and Navi Mumbai.
An Indian businessman, inspired by the actions of Saddam Hussein, poisoned his wife and her family with a rare chemical, reports The Telegraph.

New Delhi police had arrested Varun Arora on suspicion of murder after the death of his mother-in-law, and a forensic examination had showed that the woman had a high content of thallium in her body.

It was found out that Arora, 39, had preparing a family dinner and had added thallium to the dish, after which his wife had fallen into a coma in February, whereas her sister had died immediately.

Thallium is difficult to detect and leads to slow death, accompanied by lethargy, numbness, overall weakness, and hair loss.

After the death of Aroras wife, his father-in-law had reported to the police that he suspected his son-in-law for the murder.

Subsequent tests showed that Aroras wife and children had high levels of thallium in their bodies.

Investigators say Aurora had used his computer to search the Internet for a story about Saddam Hussein's use of the aforesaid chemical.

Varun Arora confessed to buying thallium and poisoning his wife and family to seek revenge because he thought he had been humiliated by them for a long time.

Thallium is a chemical that became known after being used by the secret police of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein against dissidents and opponents.
(CNN)-- Georgia's new sweeping elections law has a number of controversial provisions that will restrict access to voting.

But one in particular has some people shaking their heads.

Under the bill, signed into law Thursday night by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, it's now illegal to hand out food or water to people standing in line to vote.

"No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector," the new law states.

The law applies within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter at a polling place. Violators are guilty of a misdemeanor.

But some observers see the provision as an attempt to curb voting by urban voters and people of color who lean Democratic and whose precincts often have long waits to cast ballots.

One influential Black pastor said he thinks the new law is unreasonable and that his church will use it to fire up voters.

"We will make a movement out of that," said the Rev. Tim McDonald, senior pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in Atlanta. "You know something is wrong when you can't give grandma a bottle of water and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

McDonald told CNN he is already planning to test the law with some civil disobedience. He said that at a future election his church will dare the police to arrest someone giving water to an elderly person waiting to vote.

Attorney Walter Shaub, former director of the US Office of Government Ethics, also has criticized the measure as an attempt to target voters of color.

"Georgia's bill would make it a crime to give free food or water to voters standing in line for hours and hours. But we know who these politicians force to stand in line all day long," Shaub said earlier this month on Twitter. "I've never once stood in line for even five minutes where I get to vote. This racism is thorough."

Republicans have defended the measure, dubbed Election Integrity Act of 2021, saying it's required to boost confidence in voting after last year's election. Kemp said the law will "ensure elections in Georgia are secure, fair, and accessible."

Georgia, long seen as a politically red state, turned blue in this past election as President Joe Biden and two Democratic senators won narrow victories, boosted partly by heavy turnout among Black voters.

Georgia's bill is part of a broad effort by GOP-led legislatures across the country to pass restrictive voting measures in battleground states such as Arizona, Michigan and Florida.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, vowed last December -- a week before the state's runoff election -- that the state would crack down on "line warming," or handing gifts to voters in line as a way to "inappropriately influence voters in the crucial final moments before they cast their ballots."
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The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, on Saturday paid a condolence visit to the family of a man shot dead by an officer at Ogombo, in the Sangotedo area of the state.

Jelili Bakare was fatally shot on March 18 by the police inspector, identified as Jonathan Company, following an argument between them.

The incident occurred at Quinox lounge at Sangotedo, Area of Lagos State, about 11.30 p.m. when the policeman, attached to the Mounted Troop, Force Animal Branch of the Nigeria Police, had an argument with the deceased and shot him dead, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson said.

Immediately after the incident, the Inspector fled but was eventually arrested by the Divisional Police Officer Ogombo Division, Lagos State.

The suspect, Jonathan Company, has been moved to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigation on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, Mr Adejobi said.

Mr Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said the Lagos police command paid their last respect to the deceased by visiting his family at Ajiran land, Eti Osa area.

He said the commissioner, Mr Odumosu, and the entire management team of the command was received by the head of the Bakare family, Yekini Olawale; the mother of the deceased, his wives and children.

The team also paid a visit to the Oba of Ajiranland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Tijani Akinloye, in his Palace and expressed their heartfelt condolences on the demise of one of his subjects, the spokesperson added.

The statement said the commissioner of police ordered that the inspector be tried in an orderly room and charged to court, assuring the family of the deceased that they will get justice on the matter.

The police boss, Mr Odumosu also assured the general public that the command will uphold the core values and principles of policing and continue to protect lives and property in the state.
People load the body of 18-year-old Hein Thant, who was shot in the head during a protest against the military coup, into the back of a truck in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 27. EPA



As Myanmar's military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country's capital, soldiers and police elsewhere reportedly killed dozens of people as they suppressed protests against last month's coup.



A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total killed by late Saturday afternoon at 74, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. That would make it equal to the deadliest day since the coup.



Figures collected by the researcher, who asked not to be named for his security, have generally tallied with the counts issued at the end of each day by the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which documents deaths and arrests and is widely seen as a definitive source. The Associated Press is unable to independently confirm the death tolls.



The killings quickly drew international condemnation, with multiple diplomatic missions to Myanmar releasing statements that mentioned the killing of civilians Saturday, including children.



''This 76th Myanmar armed forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour,'' the European Union's delegation to Myanmar said on Twitter. ''The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts.''





Family members cry in front of a man after he was shot dead during an anti-coup protesters crackdown in Yangon, Myanmar, March 27. Reuters



The death toll in Myanmar has been steadily rising as authorities grow more forceful with their suppression of opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup reversed years of progress toward democracy after five decades of military rule.



Up through Friday, the Association of Political Prisoners had verified 328 people killed in the post-coup crackdown. The highest daily death toll had been at least 74 people on March 14, but on that occasion all but a handful of deaths were in Yangon, the country's biggest city.



Junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing did not directly refer to the protest movement when he gave his nationally televised Armed Forces Day speech before thousands of soldiers in Naypyitaw. He referred only to ''terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and social security,'' and called it unacceptable.



This year's event was seen as a flashpoint for violence, with demonstrators threatening to double down on their public opposition to the coup with more and bigger demonstrations. The protesters refer to the holiday by its original name, Resistance Day, which marks the beginning of a revolt against Japanese occupation in World War 2.





Military personnel in tanks participates in a parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27. Reuters
Fire fighters battled gorse fires on Ballyremon Commons throughout Friday night (19th), in the area between the Sugarloaf mountain and Powerscourt.

'This weekend the illegal destruction of habitat and biodiversity continued on Ballyremon Commons,' said a spokesman for Wicklow Fire Service. 'We put the fires out, we leave, and they come back and burn again.'

Chief fire officer Aidan Dempsey said that the fires occurred on the Sugarloaf mountain itself and on the commonage. There is no owner as such and the area is used for grazing by a number of people. The activity of burning off gorse is a historical activity engaged in by a 'small minority' of people in agriculture in the belief that it will improve grazing, according to Mr Dempsey. 'The experts would disagree and say it doesn't,' he said. 'There may be a small short term effect but it destroys the area in the long term.' He said that crews attended to extinguish fire on Friday, then were called back a few hours later to once again extinguish a blaze very close to the first.

Because crews were alerted early, the area involved was less than an acre on this occasion. 'Large areas of the Sugarloaf have been burnt before, and a huge area of Scarr mountain on March 9,' said Mr Dempsey. Large areas of Bray Head, an area of similar habitat and vegetation, have also been burnt in past years.

Mr Dempsey said that Wicklow Fire Service is going to participate in a project with UCC, using satellite imagery, historic fire service records and weather reports, to identify patterns as well as assess the cost of fighting the fires. They will be assessing damage caused to biodiversity and identifying areas where fires occur. One of their areas of study will include the damage caused to people by smoke being burnt. They believe they will be able to spot trends to assist the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the fire services and gardai, who can monitor the areas most likely to be set on fire.

Another area of research will be the potential effects of the earth burning into peat which could release carbon into the atmosphere.

Expand Close A second fire tackled by the fire fighters / Facebook

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In terms of biodiversity, the burning of the area means the strongest plants will come back first and stop the other plants from growing. So instead of a mix of heathers and mosses there would be mostly ferns, as is the case at Lough Bray where fires occurred in previous years and the area is now covered in ferns with very little underneath. The range of different plants work as an ecosystem for wildlife and pollinators.
EV

The Chinese firm has been working on its EV plans for quite some time, and according to a Reuters report, it has already found someone to build the car. Its Great Wall, the company that hasnt served as a contract manufacturer before but which is ready to help Xiaomi step into themarket rather sooner than later.Whats more, Great Wall also wants to offer engineering consultancy to Xiaomi, all in an attempt to bring the car to customers faster.According to the report, Xiaomi wants its EVs to specifically target the mass market, so in theory, they shouldnt be as expensive as a potential Apple Car. But on the other hand, just like Apples ambitious EV project, Xiaomi would bet big on the tech side of the car, something that would rather position it as a competitor to Tesla rather than an alternative to traditional automakers.Neither Xiaomi nor Great Wall commented on the report, but an announcement could be made in early April, with the production model of the EV to go live in 2023.At the first glance, Xiaomi has managed to do what Apple has been struggling with for several months: finding a carmaker to build its EV.Apple has reportedly discussed such collaboration with Hyundai, but the talks ended abruptly after the South Koreans spilled the beans on the project. Since then, Apple is believed to have been involved in similar negotiations with a series of other automakers, including Nissan.But Apples plan B , which the company seems fully prepared to use, is likely relying on a contract manufacturer like Foxconn, which is currently its number one partner for the iPhone. Foxconn is already making investments in EV production, and its believed it could also be the one to build the Apple Car beginning with 2024.
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For many Ethiopians, cloud seeding came as breaking news when PM Abiy Ahmed addressed Members of Parliament about the government's performance in the technology sector.

He said the rain that showered in the previous couple of weeks was the result of cloud seeding technology that the government introduced as part of the overall efforts to modernize various sectors and assist performance through modern technology. He recalled that the government has already enabled the country to possess two space satellites, efforts are also underway to apply Artificial Intelligence.

Though cloud seeding appeared to be a shocking surprise for many people here in Ethiopia, studies indicate that it has been applied for many years in various countries for various purposes.

For instance, according to Wikipedia, in 1891 Louis Gathmann suggested shooting liquid carbon dioxide into rain clouds to cause them to rain. During the 1930s, the Bergeron-Findeisen process theorized that supercooled water droplets present while ice crystals are released into rain clouds would cause rain.

Currently the largest cloud seeding system is in the People's Republic of China. They believe that it increases the amount of rain over several increasingly arid regions, including its capital city, Beijing, by firing silver iodide rockets into the sky where rain is desired.

In India, cloud seeding operations were conducted in the 1980s due to severe drought. In the years 2003 and 2004 Karnataka government-initiated cloud seeding. Cloud seeding operations were also conducted in the same year through US-based Weather Modification Inc. in the state of Maharashtra. In 2008, there were plans for 12 districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

In Jakarta, cloud seeding was used to minimize flood risk in anticipation of heavy floods in 2013, according to the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology.

Israel has been enhancing rain in convective clouds since the 1950s. The practice involves emitting silver iodide from airplanes and ground stations. The seeding takes place only in the northern parts of Israel. Since 2021, Israel stopped the rain enhancement project.

To counter drought and a growing population in a desert region, Kuwait is embarking on its own cloud seeding program, with the local Environment Public Authority conducting a study to gauge its viability locally.

Cloud seeding in the United Arab Emirates is a strategy used by the government to address water challenges in the country. The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries in the Persian Gulf region to use cloud seeding technology. It adopted the latest technologies available on a global level, using sophisticated weather radar to monitor the atmosphere of the country around the clock.

In the UAE, cloud seeding first began as in 2010 as a project by weather authorities to create artificial rain. The project, which began in July 2010 and cost US$11 million, has been successful in creating rain storms in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi deserts. Forecasters and scientists have estimated that cloud seeding operations can enhance rainfall by as much as 30 to 35 percent in a clear atmosphere, and by up to 10 to 15 percent in a turbid atmosphere.

In Southeast Asia, open-burning haze pollutes the regional environment. Cloud seeding has been used to improve the air quality by encouraging rainfall. Thailand started a rain-making project in the late-1950s, known today as the Royal Rainmaking Project. Its first efforts scattered sea salt in the air to catch the humidity and dry ice to condense the humidity to form clouds.

In the United States, cloud seeding is used to increase precipitation in areas experiencing drought, to reduce the size of hailstones that form in thunderstorms, and to reduce the amount of fog in and around airports. In the summer of 1948, the usually humid city of Alexandria, Louisiana, under Mayor Carl B. Close, seeded a cloud with dry ice at the municipal airport during a drought; quickly 0.85 inches of rainfall occurred.

Bulgaria operates a national network of hail protection, silver iodide rocket sites, strategically located in agricultural areas such as the rose valley. Each site protects an area of 10 sq. km, the density of the site clusters is such that at least 2 sites will be able to target a single hail cloud, initial detection of hail cloud formation to firing of the rockets is typically 7-10 minutes in its entire process with a view to seed the formation of much smaller hailstones, high in the atmosphere that will melt before reaching ground level.

Data collated since the 1960s suggests huge agricultural sector losses are avoided yearly with the protection system, unseeded the hail will flatten entire regions, with seeding this can be reduced to minor leaf damage from the smaller hailstones that failed to melt.

Cloud seeding began in France during the 1950s with the intent of reducing hail damage to crops. The ANELFA project consists of local agencies acting within a non-profit organization. The success of the French program was supported by analysis made by Jean Dessens based on insurance data; that of the Spanish program in studies conducted by the Spanish Agricultural Ministry. However, Jean Dessens's results were heavily criticized and doubt was cast on the effectiveness of ground generator seeding.

In Germany, civic engagement societies organize cloud seeding on a regional level. A registered society maintains aircraft for cloud seeding to protect agricultural areas from hail in the district Rosenheim, the district Miesbach, the district Traunstein and the district Kufstein.

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Project Cumulus was a UK government initiative to investigate weather manipulation, in particular through cloud seeding experiments, operational between 1949 and 1952. A conspiracy theory has circulated that the Lynmouth flood of 1952 was caused by secret cloud seeding experiments carried out by the Royal Air Force. However, meteorologist Philip Eden has given several reasons why "it is preposterous to blame the Lynmouth flood on such experiments".

In Australia, summer activities of CSIRO and Hydro Tasmania over central and western Tasmania between the 1960s and the present day appear to have been successful.[86] Seeding over the Hydro-Electricity Commission catchment area on the Central Plateau achieved rainfall increases as high as 30 percent in autumn. The Tasmanian experiments were so successful that the Commission has regularly undertaken seeding ever since in mountainous parts of the State.

In Mali, and Niger cloud seeding is also used on a national scale. In 1985 the Moroccan Government started with a Cloud seeding program called 'Al-Ghait'. The system was first used in Morocco in 1999; it has also been used between 1999 and 2002 in Burkina Faso and from 2005 in Senegal.
Police are hunting for a woman who wrapped a cat in a towel before throwing onto a railway line in Exeter.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Newcourt Railway Station on Saturday after the suspect was seen hurling the animal onto the tracks.

Fortunately the train driver was able to spot the bundled up cat and leapt from his cab to rescue it.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to Newcourt Railway Station on Saturday after the suspect was seen hurling the animal onto the tracks (file photo)

Officers said they were unaware if the cat had sustained any injuries but it was handed over to the RSPCA.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'We received a report around 11.30am that a woman threw a cat wrapped in a towel on to the railway tracks at Newcourt Station, Exeter.

'The train driver retrieved the animal - injuries unknown - to be given to the RSPCA.

'Enquiries regarding the owner of the cat are ongoing.'

A spokesperson for British Transport Police (BTP) has confirmed that they were called to the incident.

The RSPCA said that the animal was in the care of a local veterinarian.

There have been previous cases of crimes against cats, including by the infamous 'cat dumper' Mary Bale.

The bank clerk was caught on CCTV dropping a cat into a bin 'as a joke' in 2010.

Bale later admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was fined 250.
'Un-lockdown' preparations should include action to reduce CO2e emissions

Revealing time-lapse video shows the extent of London's pre-pandemic Energy Waste

70% of lights in the capital stay switched on overnight

Need for better ventilation could exacerbate energy waste

LONDON, March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of Earth Hour (Saturday, March 27th), Schneider Electric, the global energy management and automation firm, is calling on businesses to include CO2e reduction on their list of post-lockdown priorities. This year's event coincides with many companies dusting off their plans for a safe return to the office this summer. However, energy waste is the UK's third largest source of CO2 emissions, with at least 117 million tonnes generated by lost or wasted energy each year.1 When workers start to return to cities in more significant numbers, energy consumption, bills, and waste are likely to 'bounce back' to these startling pre-Covid levels, if not become even higher.

Schneider has released a revealing time-lapse video showing the true extent of energy waste in London pre-pandemic as a reminder of what is at stake. Before the first lockdown in 2020, the company captured 5,400 high-definition images of light levels across the London skyline, finding that between 8:00pm and midnight, the time when people typically head home and retire to bed, light levels across the capital only fall by 30 per cent and remained more or less constant until 4:00am the following morning. By depicting energy waste in London, Schneider Electric hopes to help change perceptions and encourage action.

A staggering 28% of all energy-related CO2 emissions come from commercial and residential buildings.2 During April 2020, more than half (57.2%)3 of workers living in London were working from home, which contributed to a 19 per cent fall in electricity consumption from commercial premises, public administration, transport, and agriculture in Q2 2020, to 17.34 TWh - down from 21.42 TWh in the same period in 2019.4

"Perhaps the most shocking thing about energy waste is that most of us don't even recognise it when we see it," commented Kelly Becker, Schneider Electric Zone President UK & Ireland. "Nighttime cityscapes make beautiful images that are more likely to be hung as art on walls or downloaded as wallpaper on electronic devices than viewed as a depiction of energy waste. It's too easy to leave the office without switching the lights off, and this is just the one aspect of energy inefficiency that in the long run also costs businesses money and makes buildings less healthy and comfortable places to work in. As the economy reignites and people head back to the office in greater numbers, wouldn't it be incredible if we could avoid returning to previous levels of pollution and emissions, while also supporting better standards of public health? We need to address all this if we are to avoid going back to the bad old ways and build a truly green recovery."

Light is by no means the only source of energy waste. Energy is lost or wasted at every stage of its journey to our homes and businesses, in generation, transmission and our day-to-day use. With more emphasis placed on ventilation post-Covid, there could be even greater inefficiencies with heat lost through open windows. Schneider Electric has found that 82% of the potential means to reduce energy waste in buildings alone remains untapped. It has calculated that if we reduce energy consumption in just half of the world's existing buildings by between 30-50%, and continue to electrify and decarbonise energy sources, we could halve global emissions by 2040.

The measures and technologies needed to reduce energy consumption and waste, while also ensuring sufficient fresh air circulation to mitigate the potential transmission of air-borne viruses such as SARSCoV-2, and make buildings safer and more comfortable, are already widely available. They range from insulation, double or triple glazing, LED lighting and smart energy devices, to technologically advanced HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and smart building control systems that adjust temperature and lighting according to actual occupancy levels. Businesses have an opportunity to leverage the power of these and other technologies to track and reduce carbon emissions, while following guidance on ventilation, reducing bills, and contributing to achieving Britain's long-term carbon emissions goals.

"Reducing energy waste doesn't always require lifestyle changes, large scale investment in infrastructure or development of new technologies, but it can make a huge difference to our carbon emissions. But it's too easy to leave the office or home without switching the lights off and investing in energy-saving measures frequently requires an upfront investment. Whilst the investment will pay for itself in the long run, many landlords, businesses and individuals either can't access the money needed or would prefer to spend it elsewhere. If we are going to curb energy waste, we need tighter building standards on both new builds and existing building stock," added Kelly Becker.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com/uk

Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Company Blog

Hashtags: SchneiderElectric LifeIsOn Sustainability RethinkEnergy EnergyExcellence ClimateAction

Notes to editors:

Schneider Electric's research was conducted during a 15-hour period from 1:00 pm Thursday 20th February to 07:00am UK time 21st February 2020.

CO2e was calculated as follows:

Energy lost in energy generation and transmission - 18.5%

Energy 'lost' - used by energy industry 6%

Total energy losses in primary demand = 24.5% (source: BEIS annual report on UK energy consumption July 2019)

UK emissions from energy consumption = 382Mt CO2e (source: https://naei.beis.gov.uk/reports/reports?report_id=981)

382 x 24.5% = 93.59 million metric tons CO2e

Reducing emissions in the UK's building stock (low carbon heat, insulation etc.) could save 23.6MtCO2 per year by 2030 through energy efficiency (source: https://www.ukgbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/UK-GBC-Aldersgate-Energy-Efficiency-Briefing.pdf)

93.59 + 23.6 = 117.19 million metric tons CO2e

UK sources of emissions ranking based on information taken from Page 8 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790626/2018-provisional-emissions-statistics-report.pdf

1 Schneider Electric Research, 2018

2 https://www.iea.org/reports/tracking-buildings-2020

3 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/coronavirusandhomeworkingintheuk/april2020

4 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electricity-section-5-energy-trends

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475359/London_by_night_source_Schneider_Electric_27March2021.jpg

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475360/SchneiderElectric_timelapse_03_No_Intro_LowRes.mp4
Who are you? This sounds like a simple question, but really it's just about the hardest question there is. Philosophers have wrestled with it for millennia, and have still not settled on a definitive answer...
A proposal to add Winnipeg police body cameras will be part of the citys 2022 budget talks.

A proposal to add Winnipeg police body cameras will be part of the citys 2022 budget talks.

Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said hell work on a potential plan that could add the technology, if funding is approved.

"We continue to hear pressure from the community and from the (police) board about really earnestly going down that road We will take a close look at it," said Smyth.

The chief said he supports the change, though the cost has been a roadblock to pursuing it. WPS had planned a pilot project to test out the devices in 2015 but that effort was cancelled. Last year, police estimated such a system could cost up to $10 million to implement for roughly 1,350 officers.

Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers asked Smyth to explore the idea Friday.

Chambers noted Altona police officers use cellphones equipped with software, which costs $60 per device monthly.

He said dedicated, non-cellphone cameras have also come down in price, indicating the change could be more affordable now and fit within budget levels.

Chambers said body-camera recordings could offer an objective look at policing, to address accusations of poor conduct.

"I am hoping that with body-worn cameras, therell be that increased accountability," he said.

Smyth said he expects Altonas system could lack the storage capacity for video that a much larger service such as Winnipeg would require. He said recent body-camera programs in Calgary and Toronto could offer a better path to follow, through a phased-in approach that spreads out the cost.

Smyth said he agrees cameras could improve transparency.

"It would just be another layer of information to validate either what our members have reported or validate what people in the community say they saw," he said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Something is happening along Americas southern border, and national leaders starting with President Joe Biden know they need to do something about it.

But our elected leaders in Washington are apparently determined first to have a months-long debate over how to describe the situation, and assign responsibility for it.

According to Republicans, were looking at a crisis of Bidens own making. A humanitarian crisis, according to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who along with his colleague John Cornyn led a delegation of 18 Republican senators to the Rio Grande Valley this week to see for themselves. Its also, according to Cruz, a national security crisis and a public health crisis.

According to Democrats, its something else  and not Bidens fault.

The people of south Texas, all of whom are on the front lines of a situation that has captured national attention, arent really preoccupied with the semantics.

On HoustonChronicle.com: President Biden addresses migrant surge at border as officials head to Texas

This is a surge, said Ruben Villarreal, executive director of the La Joya Housing Authority, who served as mayor of Rio Grande City from 2008 to 2015. And this is absolutely a crisis, no doubt.

Its an un-unique crisis, he noted, in the sense that the border is always in flux and has experienced similar surges intermittently for decades. Since 2014, in particular, there have been large numbers of family groups and unaccompanied minors arriving along our southern border seeking asylum, the majority of them from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador  Central American countries ravaged by crime and violence.

Since conditions in those countries remain dire, Villarreal continued, the current surge shouldnt surprise anyone: We saw it coming from a hundred miles away on a dark evening. And, he added, we should expect it to get worse: Were in the month of March still, and you know and I know that the peak months are coming up.

This is the kind of perspective that should be kept in mind as politicians continue their sparring and south Texas photo ops.

You can see theres three smugglers right there, standing on the Mexico side, looking at us, Cruz said in a video clip he tweeted Thursday night, filmed on the north bank of the Rio Grande looking south. Theyve been shining their flashlights at us, theyre yelling at us.

Did any of the hecklers yell any questions about Cruzs ill-timed trip to Cancun last month, or his role in perpetuating former President Donald Trumps lies about widespread voter fraud prior to that? A missed opportunity, if they didnt.

In any case, that there has been a surge in border crossings since January is not in dispute. Along with it have come reports of grim conditions for migrant families in Customs and Border Patrol custody  in some cases similar to those that riveted the nation during the Trump administration.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from south Texas who has been critical of Bidens handling of the situation, provided the website Axios with pictures of conditions inside one such facility in Donna: women and children crowded into rooms with plastic walls, some of them trying to rest on thin pads, under foil blankets.

Biden this week acknowledged serious spikes in the number of migrants arriving at the southern border. He also announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will serve as point person for the administrations response.

At a White House press conference Thursday, his first as president, Biden fielded a number of questions on the subject, and expressed sympathy for the families seeking shelter for themselves, or their children, in the United States.

But he rejected the suggestion that his campaign pledge to end the draconian approach of Trump  which at one time included the cruel policy of separating children from their parents  explains the surge.

I guess I should be flattered, Biden said of suggestions that his humanity were to blame for the current crisis. He noted, though, that there was a surge in apprehensions in 2019, also, the penultimate year of Trumps presidency.

The truth of the matter is, nothing has changed, Biden said. It happens every single solitary year. There is a significant increase in the number of people coming to the border in the winter months of January, February, March  it happens every year.

By the way, Biden added, does anybody suggest that there was a 31% increase under Trump because he was a nice guy and he was doing good things at the border? Thats not the reason theyre coming.

Theres something to that, according to political scientists Tom K. Wong, Gabriel De Roche and Jesus Rojas Venzor, of the University of California San Diego. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, the trio argue that the increase in apprehensions during the first months of Bidens presidency is in line with historical trends, if you put an asterisk on the figures from 2020, when the border was largely closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year looks like the usual seasonal increase, plus migrants who would have come last year but could not, the trio wrote.

And Biden has moved aggressively to undo Trumps policies, allowing unaccompanied minors into the country and ending the Remain in Mexico policy of returning asylum seekers and making them wait across the border for cases to be decided. He has also proposed a sweeping immigration overhaul that would create a pathway to citizenship for those in the country without authorization.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Crisis developing at the border also merits Biden's attention

The debate over why so many migrants are arriving  whether its the usual seasonal increase or a disaster resulting from Bidens avuncular determination to be decent  is arguably a distraction

Heaven forfend we suggest that there are ultimately some limits on the powers of the president, whether it be a Democrat or a Republican, sympathetic to the plight of migrants or not. The current situation is one that predates both Biden and Trump.

The key fact at hand, which is that a surge in arrivals, especially of unaccompanied minors, has strained local resources in south Texas and necessitates a robust federal response.

Addressing the root causes of these surges isnt a task that can be accomplished overnight, or via finger-pointing and Twitter spats.

Biden told reporters, Im ready to work with any Republican who wants to help solve the problem and make the situation better. Congressional leaders should take him up on his offer.

erica.grieder@chron.com
QUINCY, Mass., March 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Rhode Island Department of Health, today announced that select Rhode Island pharmacy locations have been approved and will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccination this week. Per the state of Rhode Islands distribution plan, eligible individuals include healthcare workers, first responders, congregate settings, adults 60 and older, Pre-K-12 teachers, staff and licensed childcare providers as well as people age 18 to 64 with underlying health conditions. Starting this week, select Stop & Shop locations will begin accepting online vaccination appointments for these populations. Stop & Shop expects all 14 of its pharmacy locations in Rhode Island to be administering either the two-dose vaccine series from Moderna or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by next week.



The state of Rhode Island will determine vaccine eligibility, and customers can visit their website at covid.ri.gov/vaccination for information on whether they meet the current criteria. Current eligible individuals must live, work or attend school in Rhode Island, and eligible customers can schedule their vaccination via Stop & Shops Online Vaccine Scheduling System. Customers are urged to visit www.stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine to schedule an appointment and view the most recent COVID-19 vaccine updates. Customers should not visit or call Stop & Shop stores for vaccine updates or appointments as all pertinent information and appointment requests will be provided online only. The COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to Stop & Shop customers who are eligible at no out-of-pocket cost.

The following Rhode Island Stop & Shop locations are expected to offer the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine only. All other Stop & Shop Pharmacy locations are expected to offer the Moderna vaccine:

622 George Washington Highway, Lincoln

595 Smithfield Road, North Smithfield

2470 Warwick Avenue, Warwick

1925 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence

Of note, although individuals age 16 and older with underlying health conditions are eligible in the state, Stop & Shop Pharmacy locations will only be able to vaccinate individuals 18 and older as the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have only been authorized for use in individuals who are at least 18 years of age.

Stop & Shop is very proud to continue to do its part in the fight against COVID-19, shared Katie Thornell, Director of Pharmacy Operations at Stop & Shop. Were committed to being a trusted health resource in the state of Rhode Island, and we are excited to start helping members of the community protect themselves against COVID-19, while continuing to provide a safe shopping experience for your familys everyday grocery and pharmacy needs.

Stop & Shop and its pharmacists are eager to do their part to assist the community by providing the COVID-19 vaccine in a safe and sanitized environment. During immunization, customers will be required to wear PPE and pharmacists will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields. The pharmacy team utilizes the same thorough disinfection protocols for all patients, disinfecting and sanitizing between each patient to ensure the health & safety for all patients.

Flu, pneumonia, shingles and other immunizations are currently available to customers at all Stop & Shop Pharmacy locations. To find your nearest Stop & Shop pharmacy, visit www.stopandshop.com/pharmacy. For more information on Stop & Shops rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine.

About Stop & Shop

A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop offers a wide assortment with a focus on fresh, healthy options at a great value. Stop & Shop's GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose how and where they want to shop - whether in-store or online for delivery or same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger, supporting our troops, and investing in pediatric cancer research to help find a cure. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
KOICA President Sohn Hyuk-sang speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in his office in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, March 22. Courtesy of KOICA





By Kang Seung-woo







Korea is a "unique" player in the official development assistance (ODA) landscape.







Following the 1950-53 Korean War that devastated its economy, Korea fell into the abyss of poverty, becoming heavily dependent on international emergency relief. But on the strength of its remarkable economic development, the country has been giving back what it once received from the global community.







Plus, it became a member state of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2010, an international forum of the 30 largest providers of aid. Korea is the 15th-largest donor country, with its ODA spending reaching $2.5 billion (2.84 trillion won) in 2019.







Its case of jumping from the rank of the least developed countries (LDCs) to a significant donor status is unprecedented in the global ODA scene.







Despite the recognition, some feel Korea still has a long way to go before becoming a bona fide donor. The nation is attempting to change such impressions through recent activities led by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).







"More than anything else, Korea can play a role as a bridge between developed and developing countries based on its successful development experience from an LDC to a donor country," KOICA President Sohn Hyuk-sang said in an interview with The Korea Times.







The foreign aid arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, established in 1991, provides bilateral grants and technical cooperation, with 44 country offices.







According to the president, KOICA's aid efforts earned recognition last year when the COVID-19 pandemic grew to affect nearly every country in the world. KOICA gave its full support to developing countries to effectively deal with the deadly virus.







A COVID-19 diagnostic booth, donated by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is set up in Mozambique. Courtesy of KOICA





"Given that Korea has a wealth of knowhow on the ODA and a system enabling a rapid response, as part of the government's ODA Korea: Building Transparency, Resilience, Unity, and Safety Together (TRUST) initiative, KOICA introduced its Agenda for Building Resilience against COVID-19 through Development Cooperation (ABC) Program as its COVID-19 response mechanism," Sohn said.







Under the program aimed at overcoming COVID-19 with mutual development cooperation, KOICA assisted 38 million people from 116 countries by spending $150 million.







Sohn, who took office in December 2020, said KOICA's efforts to overcome COVID-19 will continue this year, but its focus will shift to helping developing countries strengthen healthcare capabilities in preparation for the post-coronavirus era, as evidenced by KOICA-nurtured Cambodian epidemiological investigators playing a key role in the Southeast Asian country's fight against the coronavirus by conducting contact tracing and finding infection cases.







"Along with the aid helping countries rapidly respond to the coronavirus, we plan to work on boosting their comprehensive healthcare capabilities against infectious diseases that will help them manage and respond to infectious diseases," the president said.







"In addition, the impact of climate change has to do with human infectious diseases, so we established the Climate Crisis and Pandemic Response Department to deal with the issue."







Marking its 30th anniversary in 2021, Sohn unveiled three goals for this year: Green and Digital New Deal ODAs and integrated ODA.







"The Green New Deal is a key part of the Korean New Deal for the post-coronavirus period and it also has to do with the outbreak of infectious diseases. In that respect, KOICA plans to push for the Green New Deal ODA as a signature project in response to the climate crisis," Sohn said.







To this end, the president said the agency will seek to form a partnership with relevant local organizations, while strengthening its cooperation with global bodies, including the Green Climate Fund and the Global Green Growth Institute.







"As part of KOICA's digital transformation, we are seeking to raise the rate of using digital technology in new projects to 80 percent by 2023," Sohn said.







KOICA will seek to maximize impact by linking development cooperation to the government's ongoing policies.







People remove landmines in Laos. Courtesy of KOICA





"In line with the government's New Southern and Northern Policies, KOICA will try to increase the effectiveness of development cooperation by strengthening synergies," he added.







The New Southern and New Northern Policies center on expanding trade ties with emerging nations and reducing Korea's reliance on China and the United States, which account for roughly 40 percent of annual exports.







Despite its short history, KOICA has established itself as a solid ODA player by respecting international norms, according to Sohn, and he believes it is now at an important inflection point over its future goals.







"Our strength is to accept and follow international norms without creating a conflict, but now it is time to take a step forward on the way to becoming a global leading aid agency," Sohn said.







"The yardstick determining whether we are a leading agency is how to review and develop local demand from developing countries to new projects and put on a strong performance, a sector KOICA needs to improve."







He added: "So far we have executed what recipient countries wanted, but now we should think about how to maximize development impact beyond their needs. If that happens, we will be benchmarked and earn respect as a global leader."


Goose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low around 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low around 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Microsoft is offering massive monetary rewards for people who can hack Teams and other applications from Microsoft's suite under its Bounty Program that aims to determine app weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Most software and online companies uphold this program with the same goal of determining its vulnerable areas on its technology.

Microsoft's Bounty Program for Hackers

Before this, Microsoft also upheld a program for people to present hacking procedures to the company and also have rewards and compensation for successfully achieving the breach against the company. According to Microsoft Security Response Center's (MSRC) blog post on Wednesday, March 24, it is offering a sum of $500 to $30,000, depending on the level of attack.

The attack is mostly centered on Microsoft Teams, especially as it became one of the most used online tools for collaboration during this pandemic, and has been a close competitor of the popular "zoom" video conference. The Redmond software giant wants to know what is still needed to be changed in the collaboration tool that is meant for massive corporations.

While Microsoft is highlighting Teams on this program, the company still opens its doors to other hacks and attacks from the different hackers worldwide, and that also includes the Microsoft Office and 365 cloud applications. Hackers need to submit the procedure, steps, and tools they used to assess this claim and receive their rewards.

Read Also: Google Apps Android Server Down: Early Reports of YouTube, Gmail, and MORE Are Unresponsive-How to Fix?

Microsoft Application Bounty Program

Under the MSRC, the company's Microsoft Application Bounty Program aims to determine the technical vulnerabilities of its software and product so that it would be ready for future attacks and have its systems protected. The program is like a vaccine for technology and the company, getting to know the problem and looking at ways to avoid it next time.

The Redmond giant is offering a free one-month trial for Microsoft Teams specifically for this venture and hack so that the threat actors who would participate would have full access to the suite of the application. It is important to note that Microsoft aims to determine new vulnerabilities, and would only accept a new angle or vulnerability that is yet unknown to Microsoft.

The hack is divided into two programs, and that is General and Scenario-based hacks to determine the bounty that would be given to the person or team who performed the systems breach. The Scenario-based Bounty starts from $6,000 and rewards up to $30,000 as it specifically targets or highlights a vulnerability among the system.

On the other hand, the General bounty offers a lower reward starting from $500 to as much as $15,000 for valid vulnerability reports that do not dive into specifics that would pinpoint the problem.

Related Article: Microsoft is Nearing its Discord Acquisition, Already Exclusive with a $10 Billion Deal To Complete in April

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Alonzo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Mohammed Mubarak has revealed how he got the name Ras which has stayed for years.



According to him, he earned the name just when he started growing his locks back in the days he worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).



The name Ras, he said represented rasta.



Ras Mubarak explained that he decided to grow his hair to defy the norm when he realized people with dreadlocks were discriminated against.



The former legislator continued that his locks were to solidarize with Rastafarians who have been persecuted because of their dreadlocks.



Due to his intention to be associated with the Rastafarian group at the time, he cared less about what people said behind his back.



Narrating this on Metro TVs Inside pages show on Saturday, March 27, 2021, the former legislator said, I got into GBC in the 90s. 1997 to be precise. During my time in GBC, I saw a certain trend that had to do with discrimination against even artistes who had dreadlocks and who were trying to get us to play their music. Alon the line, I just could not stand the discrimination that persons with dreadlocks were feeling or undergoing in our society so I decided to grow my locks as a symbol of defiance in solidarity with persons who are persecuted by virtue of the fact that were have dreadlocks.



"I think a lot of it boils down on ignorance and so I grew my locks for some time until I began bawling. Thats how come I got the name Ras because colleague would call me rasta ras rasta and it kinda got stuck but my real name is Mohammed Mubarak, he added.



He held the view that no Ghanaian should be discriminated against because of their belief.



Under no circumstances should any Ghanaian or African be discriminated against because of their decision to uphold and to keep their African tradition.



His comments come on the back of controversies surrounding Rastafarian students who were denied admission into Achimota School.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Turkish President's spokesman Ibrahim Kalyn held talks with US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Istanbul, Anadolu Agency reports.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the situation in Afghanistan, as well as preparations for a conference to resolve the conflict in the country. The hope was expressed that the meeting in Istanbul will give a new impetus to the peace process, contributing to the process of the inter-Afghan dialogue in Doha.
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The first farmer from the south of the county to be elected as Wexford IFA chairman has hit the ground running with several initiatives being rolled out over the coming months to address quietly devastating issues within rural Wexford.

Jer O'Mahony, from Ballingly, Wellingtonbridge, is a beef and tillage farmer with a background in technology. The former Wexford IFA secretary was elected to the role earlier this month on a virtual meeting, when 40 of the county's 53 branches voted him into the role for the next four years.

Born and raised on the family farm, Jer attended Ballymitty NS and did a Masters in Electrical Engineering in Waterford 'Regional' College, before getting a job with Hewlett Packard which took him all over the world.

He took over the family farm when his father Patrick died, while also working, initially in the computer sector, but latterly in Nick Gore's tractors in Duncormick.

He said it's a case of adapt or die out for farmers.

'Technology is a must. It's not even an option anymore. The Covid space has changed everything. It was coming but it would have been another ten years of pushing and shoving but Covid has brought us Teams and Zoom and all online meetings and ways of doing business.'

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Whatsapp Jer OMahony at home on the farm at Ballingly, near Ballymitty

Jer wants courses to up-skill people living in rural Wexford in technology.

'As a society we have become insular. There are more locked and electric gates in the countryside than ever before. The days of the back door being open and come on in have died off completely and the virus will have killed it off altogether. The older generations have lost all of their comfort zones: banks are disappearing, post offices are disappearing. Pubs have closed and a lot of them will probably never reopen. Thrashing on farms 30 to 40 years ago took 20 to 30 people, now one man and a combine harvester can do the job. That was where all of the news was shared and brought back to homes across the county.'

An issue that hit the airwaves last week concerning farm succession is one which needs to be addressed, Jer said. The issue is indelibly linked with mental health and is one which the IFA will be raising this year.

'The average age of a farmer in Co Wexford is now in the late sixties and into the seventies. In a lot of cases farmers have become slaves to their land. People say "he owns that land" but we are all only custodians of the land. I am one and my son will be a custodian after me. If you regard it as yours alone you will find it very hard to release it to your next of kin. People think John B Keane's The Field is fiction but there is a Bull McCabe in every parish.'

Around 400 people attended a meeting on farm succession in Enniscorthy around 18 months ago. What surprised Jer was the number of families in attendance.

'It's a huge elephant in the room. I know people who will not sign a will because then they'd actually have to admit that they are mortal and that they will die. There are some cases that will never be changed and every situation has to be handled in a different way. Over 50 years ago there were large farm families because it meant cheap labour. Farmers didn't have to adapt to technological change or pay hire. Life has changed but honestly believe it hasn't gotten any better. We have a lot more technology but no time.'

Jer describes succession as a lock that is very hard to pick.

'It's a really slow process. Every person, every farm and every situation is different. Sometimes you have to point them in the right direction.

He said all farmers suffer from loneliness and isolation, adding that a countywide mental health initiative is being formulated this month to improve the wellbeing of farmers.

'Matty White in Bannow is a shining light into corners where people don't wish to go. He is unique in that respect. It's well known that farmers, in general, are not very good at expressing their feelings or their fears and it certainly leads to tragedies and affects rural communities.'

Opening up the IFA to more women in key roles is planned and is something Jer welcomes.

'The IFA have a diversity committee and new rules are being brought forward regarding how the IFA is run. If more females are coming forward it can only be good for the association and for the good of people in general. It's empowering for people to speak; it's probably one of the best things a person can do. If people can actually say a few words at a meeting with their peers present and people nod their heads it's far better than taking pills or going to a psychiatrist. It's recognition that they are actually a person.

'In the modern world the keyboard warrior is king and everything gets labelled, including farmers in the environmental sphere. We get blamed for slurry and farm emissions. What has to be borne in mind is that on my farm as on all farms there is grass, trees and hedgerows, providing acre upon acre of greenery which sequesters carbon for this country. There is very little of that inside the M50.'

A change of attitude is needed, he said. 'The point the finger culture isn't working. Farmers are beaten down by prices, higher input costs and by social isolation. Wexford is called the Model County for a reason. It's not called that for our sporting prowess or our politics; it's for our agricultural practice.'

Decrying the attitude of visitors to the county who get frustrated when they have to wait behind a tractor on their way to their holiday home, Jer said this extends to people calling the guards because of farm noise on summer nights.

'We have a disconnect between communities. People want to look out at the calves and the lambs in the green fields and yet they are willing to let their dogs out. Last weekend, heavily pregnant ewes were killed in Inch.'

On the business front, Jer has several ambitions and bugbears.

'I hope we can make big inroads into the price of beef, grain and the cost of manure. These will always be an issue but the items that are much quieter and a lot more devastating need to be tackled now.'

He and the Wexford IFA top brass plan to meet with the county's TDs and councillors over the coming weeks via Teams.

Jer has met his neighbour MEP Mick Wallace in Brussels, highlighting issues.

He said: 'Mick often has an unpopular thing to say but the thing about Mick is he will say it anyway. He is passionate in his beliefs and you can't take that away from him.'

Green energy is the way forward for farms in Ireland, Jer said.

'I have a wind turbine eleven years now and solar panels on my roof the past eight years. I have embraced technology and it has made a huge difference to my life. Having four children in the house, you literally can't believe how many showers they take! The initial outlay for solar is higher but it pays for itself over the to 15 years.'

He said the IFA will be launching a campaign promoting greener farming.

'It will be a renewal type scheme. Putting panels on hay sheds as every one of them face south or south west. Farmers have to change the way they work; how they work it is the question.

The Mercosur deal between the EU and South America is another issue Jer is happy to weigh in on.

'They want to sell their beef to us in what is an already saturated market and European countries want to sell cars to South America. People say they are all about the environment and yet the Bolsonaro government are happy to burn down the Amazon and have cattle with no ear tags. I think there needs to be a European agency to look into this.'
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today condemned the Congress government for delaying the wheat procurement season by ten days to April 10 and demanded that it start from April one. It also castigated the Congress government for playing a fixed match with the centre to teach a lesson to the protesting farmers of the State by not protesting in time against the deliberate tightening of specifications for procurement of food grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Addressing a press conference here, senior SAD leaders Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the very fact that the Punjab government had delayed the procurement season was proof that it was playing into the hands of the central government. Delay in the procurement season will cause hardship to farmers who will have to stock their harvested crop in the fields for ten days besides leading to the extension of the procurement season and late sowing of the forthcoming paddy crop.

Daljit Singh Cheema

Prof Chandumajra and Dr Cheema said as per the decision of the party core committee meeting held under the presidentship of Sukhbir Singh Badal last night, the SAD would take up this issue with Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore on March 30 and demand that procurement of wheat be started from April 1.

We will also bring to the Governors attention that the Congress government has compromised the interests of the State by presiding over a huge paddy procurement scam under which paddy purchased at Rs 800 per quintal from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh was brought to Punjab and purchased at Rs 1900 per quintal. This is the reason why against a likely purchase of 164 lakh tonne, the actual paddy purchased in the last season was 218 lakh tonnes. While Congress legislators and ministers minted crores, the farmers of Punjab will have to suffer now because there is no space to keep the coming wheat crop. The SAD legislators said they would demand a high level independent probe into the entire scam.

The leaders also highlighted how the Congress government was in slumber with the chief minister only now thinking to write a letter to the Prime Minister on the unrealistic tightening of specifications for purchase of wheat vis a vis the moisture content and shriveled grain count.

It is clear that the central government is trying to renege on payment for food grains on MSP and the State government is becoming a tool in fulfilling this nefarious agenda. They also disclosed that the centre was dominating the State government to such an extent that the Congress government had not even forcefully asked for Rs 800 crore remittances due to it on account of the Rural Development Fund (RDF).

SAD Prof Chandumajra and Dr Cheema also announced that the SAD would hold constituency level protests on April 5 to expose the treachery of both AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal and its Punjab unit head Bhagwant Mann who sold off the interests of farmers by giving their assent to the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2021. They said the treachery was exposed when it came to light that Bhagwant Mann attended the meeting of the Standing Committee on food and consumer affairs which discussed the implementation of the amended Act.

Bhagwant Mann has tried to befool Punjabis by releasing an audio tape of him speaking about the rise in prices of essential commodities but has not come clean and told if he submitted a dissent note to the committee when it took up the issue of recommending implementation of the new Essential Commodities Act.

The leaders said as per the report of the Standing Committee, from which they also quoted, Bhagwant Mann gave his assent to the recommendation of the Committee that the new Act be implemented without any amendment or modification. This proves the double face of the AAP party also. Earlier AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal also gave his assent to implementation of the three Agricultural laws in Delhi but did a big tamasha of being against them in his rally in Baghapurana, the leaders added.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky canceled presidential decree No. 256 of May 14, 2013 on the appointment of O. Tupytsky as a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

The corresponding decree on some issues of ensuring the national security of Ukraine was signed on March 27, according to the website of the head of state.

By the same decree, Zelensky canceled presidential decree No. 513 on September 17, 2013, on the appointment of O. Kasminin as a judge of the Constitutional Court.

The decree comes into force on the day of its publication.

According to the text of the document, the decree was signed with the aim of guaranteeing the Constitution of Ukraine, human and civil rights and freedoms, ensuring state independence and national security.

It is also noted that the head of state was guided by the national interests of Ukraine in accordance with the law on National Security of Ukraine, according to which a democratic constitutional system is one of the fundamental national interests.

He also took into account the statement of the Verkhovna Rada in connection with the seventh anniversary of the Euromaidan and the events of the Revolution of Dignity, approved by the parliamentary resolution of February 17, 2021, which emphasized that the usurpation of power in 2010-2014 by Viktor Yanukovych led to undermining of the foundations of national security and defense, as well as violation of human rights and freedoms.

The decree notes that "certain judges of the Constitutional Court appointed by Viktor Yanukovych, while continuing to exercise their powers, pose a threat to the state independence and national security of Ukraine, which violates the Constitution of Ukraine, human and civil rights and freedoms."

The decree on the cancelation of the appointments of Tupytsky and Kasminin as judges of the Constitutional Court was signed in accordance with Part 2 of Article 102, Paragraphs 1 and 17 of Part 1, Part 3 of Article 106 of the Constitution, and Articles 3 and 13 of the law on National Security of Ukraine.

Part 2 of Article 102 of the Constitution stipulates that the President of Ukraine is the guarantor of state sovereignty, territorial integrity, as well as observance of the Constitution, human and civil rights and freedoms.

Article 106 of the Constitution stipulates that the President ensures the independence and national security of the state. This article also stipulates that the President, on the basis of and in pursuance of the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine, issues decrees and orders that are binding on the territory of Ukraine.

As reported, on October 27, 2020, the Constitutional Court recognized as unconstitutional a number of provisions of the law on prevention of corruption and criminal liability for declaring false information. This decision drew criticism from Ukraine's international partners and creditors.
Around the world in March, millions died from Coronavirus, cancer, and the many maladies we dont seem able to prevent or cure. And with our new irrational rejection of vaccines, including the ones that have conclusively, over centuries, helped eradicate disease, millions more will perish. But, after rampaging diseases, our single biggest problem is male violence, surely, whether it manifests itself in full-scale warfare, environmental degradation, or the brutalisation of the vulnerable, including women?

This month (and every other in my long career as a woman), I have despaired over the widespread murder of women. As I lament the loss of Londons Sarah Everard, the six Asian women gunned down in Atlanta, and the rising tide of femicide of the past weeks in India, I am gripped by a terrible deja vu.

Weve all been here before; reassured by our leaders that theyll take firm steps to protect women, we watch history repeating as they blithely fail. And like a cracked record I find myself railing against our mistreatment again; fitfully hopeful that speaking up might make a tiny difference. Didnt the Suffragettes dissent eventually garner votes for British women? Didnt the recent Indian Farmers Protest, especially the tenacity of its women, focus the worlds attention on their predicament? Yet, over time, so little has changed for the better in mans treatment of man, and indeed, WOman, that my faith in our voices being heard has been shaken.

What would our sagacious leaders suggest we do instead?

1) Talk less, say Japanese Olympics chiefs Mori and Sasaki. If women stopped airing their concerns, according to them, womens problems would simply evaporate (so negligible are they). And isnt it a fact, such men point out, the moment women stop nagging, nobody hears about these issues again?

Proving they never actually existed. All it requires then to solve womens problems, is for women, or nags, hags, and Olympigs, as Sasaki would have it, to keep quiet.

2) Be seen less, spouts the Uttarkhand CM, in charge of an Indian state of around 5 million women. Bare female knees, sayeth he, will be the undoing of society. Leading to the collapse of morals, sense, and civilisation, ultimately. Havent we heard that (and similar) from the patriarchy, times without number? Nor can it be wrong, surely, if so many men agree? Women revealing anything at all, including their capabilities, are immoral, dangerous and destructive. The only women worth respecting are the ones you cant see. Or hear. Because quiet, retiring women, whether locked in their homes, muzzled, or DEAD, cant upset our perfectly inequitable planet.

3) Walk less too, were told often. Women shouldnt go anywhere on their own, except in a straight line between work and home. Not that every place of work is acceptable! If you work in a spa for example, you might get bumped off by frustrated men, and the fat-cat-owned media will slaver over it, but have no sympathy to spare. And even less action will be taken. Taking the path that suits you  literally and figuratively as well  is not for women, you expect Dark Age patriarchs to proclaim. But no, this is the message from our modern judiciary and police: guardians of our wellbeing. In Britain this month, not only was it revealed that a policeman had murdered homeward-bound-after-sundown Sarah Everard, they then stymied multiple vigils to mourn her in the name of Lockdown. Like all stalwarts of the status quo, I suspect theyd suggest a womans place is at home if they could. The necessary Lockdown mantra of stay home, stay safe has never been just a pandemic-protection slogan when it comes to women, but imposed rules to live by through history. It kept us so safe sometimes, we never felt pain again: as the reality of 137 women killed around the world DAILY by men intimately known to them attests.

But if staying home, staying covered, staying silent, hasnt spelt safety for us, what will? Unlike the prized collection of exotic birds were sometimes perceived to be, safety is only a small part of our needs. We must continue to educate. Teaching women early to be free, to aspire to every wonderful opportunity this world has to offer, and young men to respect these same freedoms and aspirations in women, is key. But as the mother of both a son and a daughter, Ive discovered that this is harder to achieve than Id imagined. We encourage, support, and role-model the right behaviours for both, yet find that the occasional stereotype, or mild sexist trope, still wends its way home. Through conversations with our children, their friends and teachers, its become obvious that this is the influence of playground chatter, media and the Internet; as much of which we vet as possible, like all concerned parents. Yet, the trickle that filters into their lives is proof of the pervasive nature of prejudice, and how impossible that is to eliminate entirely. And is shielding from reality the right approach anyway? So, we discuss inequities with them instead, explain why theyre wrong, where they come from, and how best to address them. Thus teaching them both NOT to know their place.

That isnt a complete solution either, is it? Just like protecting ourselves isnt enough, nor protesting. Whats required, of course, is a major overhaul; systemic change that runs deep and wide through society, and belongs to us all. The answer then, though neither original nor revolutionary, lies in connecting the dots  literally! Because dots, funnily enough, is what middle-class India calls its daughters. Our political leaders and corporations dont want upheavals, and activist organisations sometimes grow too big to make a deep-rooted difference. But if we can join, in small but ever-widening circles, our young women (and many peaceable men)  the dots  to work towards change, whilst providing support and the benefit of our experience, theres hope yet. The possibility even of societal transformation. Then, no matter what our sex, sexuality, class, caste, colour, age or creed, we might finally walk, in darkness and in light, bare-kneed or bare anything-at-all, any which way we please.
(Newser)  Popping bubble wrap is a source of satisfaction for many people. For a man in Canada, however, it may be the source of legal troubles. Police in Vancouver are asking for tips from the public as they work to track down the unidentified man shown in a video damaging a piece of art at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Sun reports. The piece, titled Delta Trim, is crafted from moose hide, Velcro, zip ties, reflective tape, and bubble wrap. The video, which was posted to TikToc earlier this year, reportedly shows the man popping some of the bubble wrap. The artist behind the piece, Maureen Gruben, tells the Globe and Mail that it is inspired by a parka owned by her late mother. It speaks about the memory of love and care from your mother, the Indigenous artist says. Thats what Inuit women do for their children, out of necessity but also out of love.

story continues below

It is very upsetting to see the blatant disregard towards the artists time, energy and creative expression that it took to create this piece of art, a Vancouver police spokeswoman said, per Global News. The cost to repair the damage to the $14,000 piece could top $6,500, because more than 20 feet of bubble wrap will need to be replaced. Its all one roll; its not like you could take a section out, Grubens gallerist, LaTiesha Fazakas, tells the Globe and Mail. That would be super labor-intensive. The vandal is described as being between 19 and 23 years old, with dark skin, brown eyes, and black, shoulder-length curly hair. Initially, Fazakas thought the damage may have been accidental. But then the TikToc video emerged: He was super smug about it and thought it was really funny and saw it as an opportunity to create a social-media post, she says. (Read more vandalism stories.)
One of the scourges of the 21st century is the rise of corporations that feel compelled to make political statements. In an ideologically diverse country, corporations should stick to selling their product or service without wading into divisive issues that will alienate half of the customer base (and should, ideally, trigger shareholder lawsuits). Last month, Coca-Cola went woke for BLM, causing conservatives to abandon it. This month, Coca-Cola is facing outrage from leftists for failing to fight Georgia's new anti-fraud voting laws. It couldn't happen to a more deserving woke corporation.

In February, consumers learned that Coca-Cola had made a hard left turn when Karlyn Borysenko posted material from a Critical Race Theory program that Coke had forced employees to attend. If you haven't watched the video before, you need to watch it now because it perfectly encapsulates the highly racist propaganda infecting corporate America  and now, thanks to Biden, being encouraged within the government bureaucracy:

For going woke, Coke was deservedly castigated among people who are not crazy, are conservative, and are not racist. As for me, while I once decried the leftist habit of boycotting everything, I've changed my tune in 2021. I feel that every thinking person who opposes racism should refuse to buy any Coke products. Just so you know, the boycott will save you a lot of money, because these are the brands that Coke fully or partially owns  and all of them are fancy water, sugary drinks, or artificially sweetened drinks. Your life will be better without Coke.



Still from a vintage Coca-Cola promo when Coke sold a product, not politics.

The problem with going woke is that "woke" is a moving target. Conservatives have fixed values. They mostly tie back to the rules in the Bible (whether or not any given conservative is religious). They also look to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. With fixed principles, once you've declared yourself, you don't have to worry that in a month or two, you'll already be labeled a dangerous regressive and targeted for destruction.

That's essentially what happened to Coke.

As you know, long after the barn door was left open and all the electoral horses escaped, Georgia finally enacted an election bill that will help prevent voter fraud. The Coca-Cola company, because it waded into politics, found to its chagrin that it was expected to continue wading into politics regarding this bill. When it failed to do so, suddenly it was in the left's boycott crosshairs:

Activists are organizing a boycott of major Atlanta-based corporations such as Coca-Cola over their apparent refusal to condemn a GOP-backed elections bill making its way through the Georgia legislature. The AME Sixth Episcopal District said it would be calling for a statewide boycott of Coca-Cola until it expressly comes out against the legislation. Bishop Reginald Jackson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that if "Coca-Cola wants Black and brown people to drink their product, then they must speak up when our rights, our lives and our very democracy as we know it is under attack."

This is devastating news for Coke, which is highly dependent on minorities for its sales  and it wouldn't be having this problem if it had just stuck to its brand. Now it has no way out. It's offended everybody. Its best bet at this point is to fire a whole swath of upper- and middle-level management and to promise its company, its shareholders, and the world at large that it will, in future, stay in its lane and sell beverages.

Image: Vintage Coca-Cola promo. YouTube screen grab.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 03:52:02|Editor: huaxia

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Volkan Bozkir, president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), addresses the informal meeting of the UNGA plenary on the Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines at the UN headquarters in New York on March 26, 2021. The Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, which was drafted by Lebanon's ambassador to the United Nations Amal Mudallali, has won the support of 181 member states, a UN spokesman said on Friday. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, which was drafted by Lebanon's ambassador to the United Nations Amal Mudallali, has won the support of 181 member states, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

Brenden Varma, spokesperson for UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozkir, told Xinhua that the declaration, aimed at providing equitable access to the coronavirus vaccines across the world, was not "adopted" as it is not an official General Assembly document, but was "signed on to" by more than 180 member states.

The initiative reportedly aimed to raise awareness of the need to work together to defeat the pandemic while raising awareness of the low availability of vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

"In this regard, we welcome the efforts of countries which have donated COVID-19 vaccines and actively encourage further sharing of vaccine doses from all countries in a position to do so, to low- and middle-income countries and other countries in need, particularly through COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access), including on the basis of the WHO (World Health Organization) allocation framework, for fair access and equitable allocation of COVID-19 health products," the declaration read.

The declaration acknowledged the initiatives undertaken by the G20 since the outbreak of the coronavirus, and it encouraged more collaboration with the world body and the international community to "upscale support and funding for vaccine production and distribution."

Despite initiatives and international agreements, there is an uneven distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. The declaration pledges to treat vaccination efforts as a "global public good" by ensuring equitable access to vaccines for all, "with COVAX being the appropriate mechanism to guarantee it."

Stockpiling vaccines was condemned in the declaration, and member states were implored to up their support for COVAX contracts with vaccine producers rather than strictly look at bilateral contracts between nations.

The president of the 75th session of the UNGA, Volkan Bozkir, applauded the commitment pledged by the international community to increase production, distribution and access to COVID-19 vaccines.

In his closing remarks at the informal meeting of the UNGA plenary on the Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, the UNGA president hailed the commitments pledged by member states, including that to forging robust partnerships "to increase production, distribution and access to COVID-19 vaccines."

Bozkir echoed other commitments of the member states including treating COVID-19 vaccination as a global public good by ensuring affordable, equitable and fair access to vaccines for all; tackling misinformation and addressing vaccine hesitancy; and strengthening vaccine preparedness, including ensuring efficient supply chains and logistics, to overcome challenges related to vaccine storage, distribution, and management. Enditem
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Limited License: Subject to your compliance with the Terms herein, the Company hereby grants you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, freely revocable license to use the Gaana Service for the personal and non-commercial viewing of videos only. Except for the foregoing limited license, no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you. Content on the Site/Gaana Application and/or Gaana Service is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only and may not be used, copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any other purposes whatsoever without the prior written consent of the respective owners. We reserve all rights not expressly granted in and to the Site/ Gaana Application and/or Gaana Service and the Content. You agree to not engage in the use, copying, or distribution of any of the Content other than expressly permitted herein. Any unauthorized use of the Contents or Gaana Service will result in termination of the limited license granted by the Company and cancellation of your membership. Use of Site or Gaana Service for any other purpose may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. The Company does not promote, foster or condone the copying of Content, or any other infringing activity. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible.

Subject to your compliance with the Terms herein, the Company hereby grants you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, freely revocable license to use the Gaana Service for the personal and non-commercial viewing of videos only. Except for the foregoing limited license, no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you. Content on the Site/Gaana Application and/or Gaana Service is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only and may not be used, copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, broadcast, displayed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any other purposes whatsoever without the prior written consent of the respective owners. We reserve all rights not expressly granted in and to the Site/ Gaana Application and/or Gaana Service and the Content. You agree to not engage in the use, copying, or distribution of any of the Content other than expressly permitted herein. Any unauthorized use of the Contents or Gaana Service will result in termination of the limited license granted by the Company and cancellation of your membership. Use of Site or Gaana Service for any other purpose may result in severe civil and criminal penalties. The Company does not promote, foster or condone the copying of Content, or any other infringing activity. Violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible. The Content: The content on the Gaana Service including, without limitation, videos, software, text, graphics, interactive features, logos, photos, music and all other audible and visual materials, as well as the selection, organization, coordination, compilation and overall look and feel of the Site / Gaana Application (collectively, the "Content") are the intellectual property of the Company, its licensors and its suppliers. The Content is protected by copyright, trade dress, patent, trademark and other laws, international conventions and proprietary rights and all ownership rights to the Content remain with the Company, its licensors or its suppliers, as the case may be. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are proprietary to the Company or its affiliates and/or third party licensors.

YOUR OBLIGATIONS

You hereby agree and assure the Company that the Site, Gaana Application and/or Gaana Service shall be used for lawful purposes only and that you will not violate laws, regulations, ordinances or other such requirements of any applicable Central, State or local government or any other international laws. You further concur that you shall not:

circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any of the content protections in the Site / Gaana Application or Gaana Service.

either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means copy, download, stream capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, distribute, upload, publish, modify, translate, broadcast, perform, display, sell, transmit or retransmit the Content unless expressly permitted by the Company in writing;

either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms

use the Site/ Gaana Application or Gaana Service in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair and not to undertake any action which is harmful or potentially harmful to any the Companys servers, or the network(s), computer systems / resource connected to any the Company server, or interfere with any other partys use and enjoyment of the Site/ Gaana Application or Gaana Service;

obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available through the Site /Gaana Application /Gaana Service;

perform any activity which is likely to cause such harm;

carry out any "denial of service" (DoS, DDoS) or any other harmful attacks on application or internet service or;

use the Site/ Gaana Application or Gaana Service for illegal purposes;

disrupt, place unreasonable burdens or excessive loads on, interfere with or attempt to make or attempt any unauthorized access to any the Company website or the website of any the Companys customer;

forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any content transmitted through the Site/ Gaana Application or Gaana Service

attempt to gain unauthorized access to Gaana Service, other accounts and computer systems through hacking, password mining or any other means. You shall not obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available through the Site/ Gaana Application or Gaana Service;

incorporate the Content into, or stream or retransmit the Content via, any hardware or software application or make it available via frames or in-line links unless expressly permitted by the Company in writing;

create, recreate, distribute or advertise an index of any significant portion of the Content unless authorized by the Company;

use or launch any "robots", "spiders", "offline readers" etc. or any other automated system, that accesses the Site/ Gaana Application and / or Gaana Service in a manner that sends numerous automated requests to Gaana Application /the Sites servers in a given period of time, which a human cannot reasonably send in the same period by using conventional web browsing application or tool(s) for similar purposes.

In addition, you are strictly prohibited from creating derivative works or materials that otherwise are derived from or based ,on the Content in any way, including montages, mash-ups and similar videos, wallpaper, desktop themes, greeting cards, and merchandise, unless it is expressly permitted by the Company in writing. This prohibition applies even if you intend to give away the derivative materials free of charge.

The Site may permit you to post user submissions including but not limited to reviews of Content available through the Gaana Service, comments on such Content, etc (User Submissions). You understand that these User Submissions, once posted by you, are visible to all members since it is a public forum.

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

You agree not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store update or share any information or User Submissions which

belongs to another person and to which you do not have any right ;

is harmful, harassing, blasphemous defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of another's privacy, including bodily privacy, insulting or harassing on the basis of gender, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise inconsistent with or contrary to the laws in force;

is harmful to child ;

infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights;

violates any law for the time being in force;

deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message or knowingly and intentionally communicates any information which is patently false or misleading in nature but may reasonably be perceived as a fact;

impersonate another person;

contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer resource;

threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order or causes incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting other nation;

is patently false and untrue, and is written or published in any form, with the intent to mislead or harass a person, entity or agency for financial gain or to cause any injury to any person.

Any content uploaded by you shall be subject to relevant laws and may disabled, or and may be subject to investigation under appropriate laws. Furthermore, if you are found to be in non-compliance with the laws and regulations, these terms, or the privacy policy of the Site, Gaana Application we may terminate your account/block your access to the Site/ Gaana Application and we reserve the right to remove any non-compliant content uploaded by you. Additionally, unlawful content will be removed on being notified by a by the appropriate Government or government agency or by an order of any court or as required under applicable laws.

If you are found to be in non-compliance with the laws and regulations, these terms, or the privacy policy of the Site/Gaana Application, the Company shall have the right to immediately terminate/block your access and usage of the Site/Gaana Application and the Company shall have the right to immediately remove any non-compliant Content and or comment, uploaded by you subject to retaining and preserving such information and associated records for the term as required under applicable laws and shall further have the right to take recourse to such remedies as would be available to the Company under the applicable laws. Gaana reserves the right to preserve records of content transmitted by it for the term as required under applicable law.

You understand and agree that the Company may, but is not obligated to, review the User Submissions and may delete or remove it (without notice) in its sole and absolute discretion, for any reason or without assigning any reason. More specifically, when you review / rate any Content available on the Gaana Service (as per functionality made available on the Site/Gaana Application), you give the Company express rights and consent to display your rating / review in relation to the relevant Content on the Site/Gaana Application, including making it available to other members for viewing. If you do not want your User Submissions / reviews / ratings to be shared in a public forum, do not use these features.

More specifically, when you review / rate any Content available on the Gaana Service (as per functionality made available on the Site), you give the Company express rights and consent to display your rating / review in relation to the relevant Content on the Site, including making it available to other members for viewing. If you do not want your User Submissions / reviews / ratings to be shared in a public forum, do not use these features.

These features may change without notice to you and the degrees of associated information sharing and functionality may also change without notice.

the Company is free to use any comments, information, ideas, concepts, reviews, or techniques or any other material contained in any communication you may send to us ("User Feedback"), including responses to questionnaires or through postings to the Gaana Service / the Site/Gaana Application and User Submissions, without further compensation, acknowledgement or payment to you for any purpose whatsoever including, but not limited to, developing, manufacturing and marketing products and creating, modifying or improving the Gaana Service. By posting / submitting any User Feedback / User Submission on the Site/Gaana Application, you grant the Company a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free irrevocable, sub-licensable license and right in such User Feedback / User Submission to the Company, including the right to display, use, reproduce or modify the User Feedback / User Submission in any media, software or technology of any kind now existing or developed in the future.

Operators of public search engines have the permission to use functionalities like spiders to copy materials from the Site/Gaana Application for the sole purpose of creating publicly available searchable indices of the materials, but not caches or archives of such materials. We reserve the right to revoke these exceptions either generally or in specific cases, in our sole discretion. You agree not to collect or harvest any personally identifiable information, including account names, from the Site/Gaana Application, nor to use the communication systems provided by the Site/Gaana Application for any commercial solicitation purposes. You agree not to solicit, for commercial purposes, any users of the Site/Gaana Application with respect to its User submissions.

You shall be financially responsible for your use of the Gaana Service (as well as for use of your account by others, including without limitation minors living with you). You undertake to supervise and be responsible for all usage of minors of the Gaana Service and access of the Site/Gaana Application under your name or account and absolve the Company from any liability on this account. You also warrant that all information supplied by you or members of your family for using the Gaana Service and accessing the Site/Gaana Application, including without limitation your name, email address, street address, telephone number, mobile number, credit card number is correct and accurate. Failure to provide accurate information may subject you to civil and criminal penalties.

You shall be responsible for obtaining and maintaining any equipment or ancillary services needed to connect to, access the Site/Gaana Application or otherwise use the Gaana Service, including, without limitation, modems, hardware, software, and long distance or local telephone service. You shall be responsible for ensuring that such equipment or ancillary services are compatible with the Gaana Service.

You agree that the Company may directly or through third party service providers send information to you about the various services offered by the Company from time to time.

ADVERTISING MATERIAL

Part of the Site/Gaana Application or the Gaana Service may contain advertising information or promotion material or other material submitted to the Company by third parties. Responsibility for ensuring that material submitted for inclusion on the Site/Gaana Application complies with applicable international and national law is exclusively on the party providing the information/material. Your correspondence or business dealings with, or participation in promotions of advertisers including payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such advertiser. Before relying on any advertising material, you should independently verify its relevance for your purpose, and should obtain appropriate professional advice. The Company shall not be responsible nor liable for any loss or claim that you may have against an advertiser or any consequential damages arising on account of your relying on the contents of the advertisement.

COLLECTION AND USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

For information about the Companys policies and practices regarding the collection and use of your personally identifiable information, please read the Privacy Policy as available on the Site/Gaana Application. The Privacy Policy is incorporated by reference and made part of these Terms. Thus, by agreeing to these Terms, you agree that your presence on the Site/Gaana Application and use of the Gaana Service are governed by the Companys Privacy Policy in effect at the time of your use.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY

You understand and agree that the Company provides the Gaana Service on an 'as-is' 'with all faults' and 'as available' basis. You agree that use of the Site/Gaana Application or the Gaana Service is at your risk. All warranties including without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, for the title and non-infringement are disclaimed and excluded.

No representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever are made by the Company as to the (a) accuracy, adequacy, reliability, completeness, suitability or applicability of the information to a particular situation; (b) that the service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; (c) the quality of any services, content, information, or other material on the website will meet your expectations or requirements; (d) any errors in the Site/Gaana Application will be corrected; (e) warranties against infringement of any third party intellectual property or proprietary rights; or (f) other warranties relating to performance, non-performance, or other acts or omissions of the Company, its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors, or suppliers.

The Company does not warrant that any of the software used and or licensed in connection with the Gaana Service will be compatible with other third party software or devices nor does it warrant that operation of the Gaana Service and the associated software will not damage or disrupt other software or hardware.

The Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns, and each of their respective investors, directors, officers, employees, agents, and suppliers (including distributors and content licensors) shall not be liable, at any time for any, direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential, damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of Site or the Gaana Service, whether based in contract, tort, strict liability, or other theory, even if the Company have been advised of the possibility of damages.

In the event any exclusion contained herein be held to be invalid for any reason and the Company or any of its affiliate entities, officers, directors or employees become liable for loss or damage, then, any such liability of the Company or any of its affiliate entities, officers, directors or employees shall be limited to not exceeding subscription charges paid by you in the month preceding the date of your claim for the particular subscription in question chosen by you.

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless, the Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns, and each of their respective investors, directors, officers, employees, agents, and suppliers (including distributors and content licensors) from and against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, including legal fees and expenses, arising out of:

any claim due to or arising out of your violation of these Terms, including but not limited to a claim arising out of a breach of your representations or warranties made hereunder;

your use or misuse of or access to the Site/Gaana Application or the Gaana Service;

your violation of any law, regulation or third party right, including without limitation any copyright, property, or privacy right; or

any claim that you have caused damage to a third party.

The Company reserves the right, at its own expense, to employ separate counsel and assume the exclusive defence and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, and you agree to cooperate with the Companys defence of these claims.

If youre being shown as a Gaana Plus* user, download of certain songs may not be available to you

TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT, SUSPENSION OR DISCONTINUATION OF GAANA SERVICE The Company reserves the right to change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently, some or all of the Gaana Service (including the Content and the devices through which the Gaana Service are accessed), with respect to any or all users, at any time without notice. You acknowledge that the Company may do so in its sole discretion. You also agree that the Company will not be liable to you for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Gaana Service, although if you are a Gaana Services paid subscriber and the Company suspends or discontinues the Gaana Service, the Company may, in its sole discretion, provide you with a credit, refund, discount or other form of consideration (for example, the Company may credit additional days of service to your account). However, if the Company terminates your account or suspends or discontinues your access to the Gaana Service due to your violation of these Terms, then you will not be eligible for any such credit, refund, discount or other consideration. However, upon termination, suspension or discontinuation of the Gaana Services, Gaana shall retain and preserve such information and associated records for the term as required under applicable laws.

GENERAL TERMS

Grievance Redressal Redressal Mechanism: Any complaints, abuse or concerns with regards to content and or comment or breach of these terms shall be immediately informed to the designated Grievance Officer as mentioned below via in writing or through email signed with the electronic signature to legal@gaana.com or

Ms. Shivani Singh ("Grievance Officer")

Gamma Gaana Ltd

Express Building, 9-10 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002

legal@gaana.com

Notice of Copyright Infringement:

Our policy is to comply with all Intellectual Property Laws and to act expeditiously upon receiving any notice of claimed infringement. If you believe that any work has been reproduced on this website in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, please provide a notice of copyright infringement containing all of the following information:

A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner for the purposes of the complaint.



Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.



Identification of the material on our website that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity.



The address, telephone number or e-mail address of the complaining party.



A statement that the complaining party has a good-faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.



A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice of copyright infringement is accurate, and that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the right that is allegedly infringed.

All notices of copyright infringement should be sent to feedback@gaana.com and mail to:-

Ms. Shivani Singh ("Grievance Officer")

Gamma Gaana Ltd

Express Building, 9-10 Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, 110002

Relationship

None of the provisions of the Terms shall be deemed to constitute a partnership or agency between you and the Company and you shall have no authority to bind the Company in any manner, whatsoever. This agreement is solely for your and the Companys benefit and not for the benefit of any other person, except for permitted successors and assigns under this Agreement.

Assignment

You may not transfer to anyone else, either temporarily or permanently, any rights to use the Gaana Service or any part of the Gaana Service. Any attempt by you to do so is void. the Company may assign, transfer, delegate and/or grant all or any part of its rights, privileges and properties hereunder to any person or entity.

Force Majeure

Neither Party shall have any liability for any interruption or delay, to access the Site/Gaana Application due to Force Majeure Event. For the purposes of this clause, Force Majeure Event means any event or circumstance or combination of events and circumstances which is reasonably beyond the control of the party affected thereby and which causes or results in default or delay in performance by such affected party of any of its obligations under this agreement and includes an act of God, war, hostilities, civil commotion, strikes, lockouts and other industrial disputes.

Applicable Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with, the laws of India without giving effect to principles of conflict of law. In the event of any dispute or claim by you against the Company, you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts at New Delhi.

Limited Time To Bring Your Claim

You and the Company agree that any cause of action arising out of or related to use of the Site/Gaana Application or the Gaana Service must commence within one (1) year after the cause of action accrues otherwise, such cause of action will be permanently barred.

Survival

Rights and obligations under the Terms which by their nature should survive will remain in full effect after termination or expiration of the subscription.

Non Waiver

Any express waiver or failure to exercise promptly any right under this agreement will not create a continuing waiver or any expectation of non-enforcement.

Disclaimer

GAANA Services may allow the User(s) of Gaana App to play/stream legal music stored locally on their respective devices. By way of the aforesaid feature GAANA provides music player functionality to the User(s) to access the music legally stored on their devices and does not in any way provide for the storage of such music on the Gaana App/Gaana Sites or servers. User(s) understands, agrees and confirms that only legitimate and legally procured music is to be played/broadcast/streamed through their device for the use of the Music on my phone feature. User(s) assume total responsibility of the source and legitimacy of the music played through the Music on my phone feature.

Furthermore, the User(s) hereby waive any liability or responsibility of Times Internet Limited and/ or Gamma Gaana Limited and/ or their associate companies for any music related licenses or permissions for any music played by the User(s) through the Music on my phone functionality. User(s) further represent and warrant to remain solely responsible for any and all claims in relation thereto and shall without any contestation and demur, fully indemnify and keep indemnified Times Internet Limited and/ or Gamma Gaana Limited and/ or their associate companies, directors and/or employees for any claims, royalties or penalties.

Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and replaces all prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements, written or oral, regarding such subject matter.

Copyright Notice



 Gamma Gaana Ltd. 2021. All Rights reserved.



This disclaimer/terms of service notification is subject to change without notice.
UTICA, N.Y. ---- Congresswoman Claudia Tenney joined other GOP lawmakers in visiting our nation's southern border on Thursday. U.S Customs and Border Patrol agents are reporting a record number of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States.

The situation is being called a humanitarian crisis that Tenney wanted to see first hand. Tenney was able to tour the facilities in El Paso, Texas that house the immigrants. Tenney said she was impressed with how well the migrants were being treated.,

"I have to say that I was really impressed with how the customs and border patrol agents were handling the children in terms of the cleanliness of the facility. The kids were not on top of each other, it was very organized and very clean," said Tenney.

Tenney is still calling on the Biden administration to be more transparent in terms of the border crisis. Tenney said the Biden administration has not allowed any media inside of the facilities to view how migrants are being treated. Tenney is also concerned about our nation's border wall.

Shortly after becoming President, Biden ordered production on the wall be stopped immediately. After speaking with border patrol agents that man the front line of this crisis, Tenney said the agents agree the wall does prevent people from crossing in. Tenney said the current holes within the wall present a major problem for border patrol agents.

"Not just the humanitarian crisis, but there is a major uptick in illegal and illicit drugs that are coming across the border, not just in the southern border and northern border," said Tenney.

Tenney said congress needs to work together to solve this issue at the border. She is calling for legislation that provides more funding for border patrol agents, resuming production of the wall, and reforming our immigration laws to ensure people cross into our border the legal way.

"We need to continue to provide a legal solution but we cannot continue to encourage people to break the law, risk their lives, put their children in the hands of human smugglers and drug traffickers in such unsafe and difficult conditions," said Tenney.

Tenney will return from El Paso on Saturday.
Protesters board an LAPD bus Thursday after being arrested in Echo Park. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Reporters and legal observers who were detained or arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department during a mass arrest of protesters in Echo Park on Thursday night were sounding alarms Friday  accusing the LAPD of ignoring their legitimate role in monitoring such events on the ground.

They also accused the LAPD of issuing confusing directives and attempting to force media members into a designated observation area that would not have allowed them to see the protest or the arrests that followed.

While some detained reporters and observers were released without being arrested, others  including reporters for less-established media brands  were held for hours and then formally charged, raising additional questions about police picking and choosing which outlets to acknowledge as legitimate.

"It's an absurd conflict of interest," said Jonathan Peltz, who was arrested while covering the events for Knock LA, a nonprofit newsroom affiliated with the progressive activist group Ground Game LA. "It should just be widely accepted that [police] are not the people who decide who is a journalist or where a media pen is."

Julian Andrews, a TV cameraman who was in the field with Spectrum News reporter Kate Cagle and another colleague, said the actions of the LAPD  who led Cagle away and zip-tied her hands minutes before a planned live shot  were "unbelievable."

"They knew she was a reporter. We were cameramen trying to do a story. We weren't causing any disruption," Andrews said. "I was honestly shocked. I couldn't believe it."

Cagle was later released without arrest, as was James Queally, a reporter for The Times who also was detained while covering the protest. Queally called the experience "maddening."

Peltz said at one point, he was sitting next to Queally, both of them in zip ties, commiserating about the LAPD's actions.

"What is this, arrest a journalist night?" Queally quipped.

Story continues

The LAPD said Friday that officers had made "extraordinary efforts" to allow the protest to play out peacefully, but ultimately arrested 182 people after declaring the gathering near Lemoyne Street and Park Avenue unlawful and issuing a dispersal order. They cited the alleged use of strobe lights by some in the crowd as the reason for the order, saying attempts to extract only those responsible for the lights had been rebuffed by the larger crowd.

"Once the decision was made to initiate arrests, the crowd was surrounded and individually taken into custody without incidence of force or injury," the LAPD said. It also said two officers suffered minor injuries, and that officers fired 10 hard foam or bean bag projectiles during the course of the protest "in response to projectiles thrown at officers."

The department said three people among those detained identified themselves as members of the media, while others identified themselves as legal observers with the National Lawyers Guild, and that those people were "released at scene without further action."

Not everyone who said they were a reporter was released, though. Among those who went to jail were Peltz and his Knock LA colleague, Kate Gallagher.

Peltz said he had heard the LAPD make an announcement about the media, but couldn't make it out fully. It just sounded as though they were telling media to leave, which didn't sound legitimate to him, he said.

"Nobody knows how to take that. It doesn't sound legal. I've never heard that at another protest," he said. "There seems to be a willingness on the part of the police force to not have any consistent rules or laws for people to follow, yet their excuse for arresting people is they weren't following the rules."

Once Peltz was detained, he said he told police he was press but was ignored.

"You just got the feeling that you either weren't believed, or it didn't really matter," he said. When he later found out that reporters with LAPD-issued credentials from larger outlets were released, he was frustrated, he said.

"Why are they the ones giving out these credentials?" he said of police. "Why are they the ones deciding, especially when they are the ones being written about?"

Peltz's editor, Liam Fitzpatrick, said he spent a frantic few hours trying to find out where Peltz and Gallagher had been taken, which ended up being the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown.

"I called the Metro Detention Center asking if they'd been booked, and whatever, they gave me that cop run-around thing like, 'Well they're not in the system yet so we can't say where they are,'" Fitzpatrick said. "We couldn't find where anybody was. We called and left messages for the media relations officers. Didn't hear anything."

In a statement, the National Lawyers Guild denounced the actions of the LAPD, including the detention of its members and members of the media, as "unlawful and shameful" and reflective of tactics that have been the subject of legal settlements against the department in the past.

It did not say how many of its members were detained, but called on City Attorney Mike Feuer to drop all charges stemming from the protest.

The ACLU of Southern California condemned the LAPD's actions as a misguided attempt to hide from scrutiny the "militarized action" its officers were taking to clear Echo Park Lake.

"Mass arrests of protesters, legal observers and journalists will not keep the citys brutal, ill-conceived actions from being known," the ACLU said. "The city leaders who approved this approach should be held accountable."

Andrews, the TV cameraman who filmed his Spectrum News colleague Kate Cagle getting plucked out of the crowd by officers, said he questions what motivated police to detain her, even if they did eventually let her go.

Andrews said Cagle had told him to start recording as she stepped forward to prepare for her live shot, just in case she was arrested. He said he had laughed in response, thinking the idea ridiculous, but started recording anyway.

Then it happened. Cagle, square in the frame of his camera, was approached by several officers, grabbed and pulled away, even though it was absolutely clear she was a reporter, Andrews said.

"They came for her, right when she was out in the open," he said. "I can't believe it."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Crucial support for pregnant women with severe foetal defects is on hand in Polish perinatal hospices but many people are unaware of them

Video Transcript

- The results of this medical test can change the life of an expectant mother. Doctors at this perinatal hospice in Warsaw detect fetal heart defects. Parents whose babies are unlikely to survive can request medical and psychological support. A few weeks ago, this cardiologist and founder of the NGO-run hospice met with the woman who chose to deliver a baby with a fatal condition.

JOANNA SZYMKIEWICZ: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: After leaving the hospital, the mother came by to have me examine her newborn's heart. She wasn't sitting here, and she said, I know this might sound stupid, given that my child is terminally ill, but I feel like a real mother because I took my baby home from the hospital.

JOANNA SZYMKIEWICZ: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: The baby only survived another day-and-a-half at home, held by its mom and dad.

JOANNA SZYMKIEWICZ: [SPEAKING POLISH]

- Kamila also chose not to abort. A couple of years ago, after two healthy pregnancies, she and her husband learned that their third child had Edwards Syndrome, or Trisomy 18. Most babies with the condition die before or during birth.

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: Honestly, it didn't change anything for me.

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: When the doctors kept asking if I wanted to abort, I felt the anger rising in me over how often the question came up.

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

- While pregnant, she was referred to the Warsaw Perinatal Hospice. Her baby never made it to birth-- heartbreaking for the parents. A grief support group run by the hospice helped them recover. Kamila is now pregnant again with the healthy baby boy.

ADAM NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: A huge benefit of this hospice is that women who decide to keep the pregnancy, which might sound absurd from a modern European perspective, have the option to choose, can carry the pregnancy to term and can part with their child in their own way without having to feel like murderers.

Story continues

ADAM NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

- Polish women no longer have the right to choose. Late last year, the Constitutional Court ruled against abortion in cases of fetal abnormalities, or 90% of Poland's legal terminations. Now, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape or incest and when the mother's health is in danger. Poland's stance on abortion is one of Europe's most restrictive. For months now, women's rights activists have been holding protests.

- [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: The Constitutional Court verdict has maybe no longer want to have children in Poland because I want the right to choose and I don't want to risk having to watch my baby die in excruciating pain or to have to deliver a dead baby.

- [SPEAKING POLISH]

- Women like Kamila, who have gone through the experience, believe it is unreasonable to impose the ordeal on anyone.

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: You can't force anyone to be heroic--

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

INTERPRETER: 'Cause that's what it amounts to, no? The ban on abortions in cases of fetal defects. I'd be in favor of letting the woman decide in difficult cases like mine.

KAMILA LEWANDOWSKA-NOWAK: [SPEAKING POLISH]

- Activists worry that now even more women will abort illegally, as many do not have the means to travel abroad for terminations. An anti-abortion groups spend several million euros on posters and billboards in Poland, encouraging women to opt for perinatal hospice care. Hospice officials say they were not consulted on the massive campaign, and that it has not led to an increase in women seeking their help. But the amount of graffiti on the posters shows that it is a sensitive issue for Poles.
HARTFORD  A group of Connecticut residents will gather Sunday to protest the United States economic blockade with Cuba.

The group, organized by the Greater Hartford Cuba Solidarity Committee, is assembling a car caravan that will meet at the Stop & Shop Plaza on New Park Avenue at noon and travel to the U.S. federal building on Main Street for a rally, according to a press release.

The participants are rallying opponents of the U.S. embargo with Cuba. They are calling on President Joe Biden to amend sanctions, such as lifting the restriction on remittances Cuban Americans send to their relatives.

Additionally, the group is advocating for American airlines to fly to more Cuban cities beyond Havana and for the U.S. government to remove the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, according to the release.

Committee spokesperson Alex Koskinas said the sanctions have cost the Cuban economy billions.

But establishing normal relations between the U.S. and Cuba requires that Congress end completely the U.S. economic, financial, and commercial blockade of Cuba, lift all restrictions on travel by US residents to Cuba, close the US Naval base and prison at Guantanamo Bay and return the land to Cuban sovereignty, and end all US-sponsored regime change programs directed against Cuba, Koskinas said in the release.

The caravan is part of an initiative launched by Miami Cuban-Americans in 2020 who struggle to visit or send funds to their Cuban relatives because of the policies, according to the release.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 22:45:44|Editor: huaxia

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Key takeaways from Biden's first press conference since taking office:

-- "My predecessor, I miss him."

-- 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Americans in first 100 days.

-- It would be hard for the U.S. to meet the May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Public opinion polling shows that vaccine hesitancy remains prevalent and diverse in Texas, even as the number of Texans vaccinated against COVID-19 climbs. Perhaps the most important lesson after a year of extensive polling is that although there are well-documented partisan differences in the stated intention to get vaccinated among Texans, hesitancy is not only a Republican problem.

More Republicans than Democrats did express hesitancy or outright refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but 1 in 4 Texas Democrats (27 percent) also expressed reluctance in a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. This is representative of a broader underlying problem: Skepticism about vaccines exists among a broad array of Texans.

To separate perceptions of vaccines as a medical procedure from partisan impulses that many Texans may harbor, we separated considerations of vaccines in general from the COVID-19 vaccine in particular in our polling. We asked Texans whether vaccines are generally safe and, in a separate item, whether they are generally effective, before we asked their opinions on COVID-19 and the vaccine.

Asked this way, only 56 percent of Texans expressed that vaccines are generally both safe and effective. So nearly half of Texans, 44 percent, would not commit to what has been an implicit or explicit feature of vaccine messaging: the assumption that most people trust vaccines, or at least dont experience much internal conflict in concluding that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risk, even if they harbor concerns about coronavirus vaccines.

Texans who view the coronavirus as less than a significant crisis, as indicated in previous polls, are unsurprisingly more likely to express hesitancy about getting vaccinated. Although Texas Republicans make up a large share of this group, it is by no means an exclusively Republican group. More than 1 in 4 voters who dont view the virus as a significant crisis identify as Democrats or political independents.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

A relatively high degree of reluctance to obtain the vaccine among Black Americans has already been widely noted and continues to be aggressively addressed by Black opinion leaders and public health officials. Texas is no exception. African Americans, a largely Democratic group, do appear to be less inclined than white Texans to say that they will definitely get a COVID-19 vaccine: 38 percent of white Texans say they will do so, but only 28 percent of Black Texans.

Education and age also matter. Texans without a college education, a group made up of similarly large shares of registered voters in both parties, are more reluctant than Texans with bachelors or postgraduate degrees to say they will get vaccinated, as are younger Texans compared with older  again, a group not uniformly Democratic or Republican.

Yes, partisan perceptions are informed and reinforced by messages sent by the parties leaders. As president, Donald Trump spent a lot of his time politicizing the virus as an overblown threat, then did the same when he used a promised vaccine as a Hail Mary campaign prop. Gov. Greg Abbotts promotion of vaccines and their availability habitually includes subtweeting reminders like Vaccines are always voluntary, never forced or simply Always voluntary.

But while 52 percent of Republicans expressed skepticism about vaccinations in general, so, too, did nearly 1 in 3 Texas Democrats (30 percent).

Elected officials of both parties need to send clear signals about vaccination without partisan pandering. Relentless promotion of COVID-19 vaccination strategically targeted at skepticism  wherever it resides  will both address the public health crisis posed by the pandemic and spur economic recovery. And in doing so, it can overcome the false dichotomy between the two that partisan politics have propagated.

Resting the explanation for vaccine hesitancy on partisanship alone does Texas and the country a disservice. It reinforces an already costly, dangerous and deadly manifestation of partisan polarization. Achieving herd immunity requires addressing Republican skepticism toward the coronavirus and the vaccines, but it will also take turning collective public health attention toward the many other Texans who are less certain about vaccines than is often assumed.

Jim Henson is director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Joshua Blank is the research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Draghi government is working on the Dpcm which will come into force on 6 April. There are two opposing forces in the majority: those who push to reinsert a "reinforced yellow" area in the map of the regions and those who would like to keep the current state for the whole month of April, therefore only orange and red bands.

In Sardinia, the latest data emerging from the control room certify that the white zone is moving away but that the island does not "deserve" the orange band, having a pandemic trend from a "former yellow zone".

"We strongly asked - underlines the President of the Region, Christian Solinas - and offered the Government a different methodology, which envisaged more rigid measures for the areas of Sardinia that have negative indicators, therefore with the creation of limited 'red areas'. Sin from the beginning we have argued that it is not correct for a whole Region to pay, in full, for a few isolated and limited cases. My pain is for the many traders and for the productive activities, bars and restaurants, which are prisoners of this 'waltz' colors, on the basis of which it opens and closes without being certain ".

If the line of the reinforced yellow zone were to pass, in territories where the epidemiological curve shows a descent or is below the orange threshold, such as Sardinia, those categories most penalized by the beginning of the pandemic such as the managers of bars and restaurants.

In fact, the opening of the premises for lunch is requested, albeit with reduced hours, maximum up to 16. However, maintaining the prohibitions of the orange band at the weekend and the lockdown for that of May 1st. Experts and part of the majority instead ask that the yellow areas be canceled until April 30, confirming the measures in force today (only orange and red bands).

(Unioneonline)

All the details on L'Unione Sarda on newsstands today
Only a fifth of global climate finance contributions have so far gone towards adaptation, with most support focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries.

* COP26 President Alok Sharma visits Kenya slum to highlight climate adaptation

* DARAJA project provides easy-to-understand weather forecasts to residents in local languages

* Residents say they need more funds to cope with climate shifts

NAIROBI, March 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Rich countries must provide more finance to help the poor cope with the impact of global warming, residents of Kenya's biggest informal settlement told the president of the COP26 global climate talks as he visited on Friday.

Alok Sharma, president of the United Nations conference, was visiting a community-led project in Nairobi's flood-prone Kibera settlement that provides easy-to-understand weather forecasts via SMS, WhatsApp and radio.

"The climate has changed a lot. We experience heavy rains more and this brings flooding which damages houses, brings diseases to our children and causes deaths," said Faith Ondiek, a weather forecast provider or 'Mtaani' with the DARAJA project.

"The message we want the president to take back to global leaders is that we are doing what we can to deal with climate change, but we need help. The rich nations must contribute some funds so we can improve our lives in the face of this threat."

Sharma said Britain would place adaptation and resilience "front and centre" during its presidency of COP as he praised the forecasting project.

"Globally as extreme weather events become more frequent and more severe we need to build resilience among the most vulnerable communities," Sharma said in a statement.

Governments will submit updated national action plans to reduce planet-warming emissions and adapt to a hotter climate ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November.

Sharma's visit aimed to show that COP26 was not just focused on the West bringing down their carbon emissions, but also on garnering the finance so that countries like Kenya could adapt, said a British official.

Ministers from a number of countries will meet virtually next Wednesday ahead of the summit to identify practical next steps for climate vulnerable communities.

BUILDING RESILIENCE

Developed countries agreed at the United Nations in 2009 to jointly contribute $100 billion each year from 2020 in climate finance to poorer countries, many of which are grappling with rising seas, storms and droughts made worse by climate change.

But only a fifth of global contributions have so far gone towards adaptation, with most support focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries.

Adaptation action includes everything from expanding green space in cities to prevent floods and moving coastal communities to safer places to capturing rainwater, providing storm warnings and giving farmers weather and crop advice via mobile phones.

In Kibera, a sprawling informal settlement housing more than 200,000 people living cheek-by-jowl in makeshift homes, the change in weather patterns - in particular increased rainfall over a shorter period of time - has had a devastating impact.

Due to poor drainage and garbage collection, floods are a common occurrence - not only destroying homes and possessions, but also contaminating drinking water and even causing deaths through building collapses, electrocutions and drownings. DARAJA provides localised weekly forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department, which are translated into Kiswahili and local slang Sheng and sent out daily via SMS, WhatsApp and radio.

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The forecasts provide actionable information, telling residents to avoid a particular route as it may be flooded, or advising parents not let children play near the river as heavy rains are expected.

The Mtaani leaders also organise clean-ups of the river and drainage areas, ensure electrical cables are out of harm's way, and advise residents to add waterproofing materials to their homes when heavy rains are forecast.

"The DARAJA project has been an effective way to get the information out," said Pascaline Chemaiyo, principal meteorologist at the Kenya Meteorological Department.

"The project has formally finished, but the team members are still continuing the work as the community have found it very helpful and it has helped to make them more climate resilient."
Rating Action: Moody's affirms BMW Bank of North America's ratings (long-term deposit Aa3) and changes outlook to stable from negative, following similar actions on parent's ratingsGlobal Credit Research - 26 Mar 2021New York, March 26, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") affirmed its ratings for BMW Bank of North America (BMW Bank), including its long-term bank deposit rating at Aa3 and issuer rating at A3. The bank's baa2 baseline credit assessment (BCA), and all long-term ratings were also affirmed. The bank's Prime-1 short-term bank deposit rating was affirmed. The outlook was changed to stable from negative.The rating actions follow similar actions on the ratings for BMW Bank's parent Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW, A2 issuer rating, stable). Please see separate press release dated 26 March 2021.Affirmations:..Issuer: BMW Bank of North America....Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed a2....Baseline Credit Assessment, Affirmed baa2....LT Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed A1(cr)....ST Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed P-1(cr)....LT Counterparty Risk Rating (Local Currency), Affirmed A2....LT Counterparty Risk Rating (Foreign Currency), Affirmed A2....ST Counterparty Risk Rating (Local Currency), Affirmed P-1....ST Counterparty Risk Rating (Foreign Currency), Affirmed P-1....LT Issuer Rating, Affirmed A3, Stable from Negative....LT Bank Deposits, Affirmed Aa3, Stable from Negative....ST Bank Deposits, Affirmed P-1Outlook Actions:..Issuer: BMW Bank of North America....Outlook, Changed To Stable From NegativeRATINGS RATIONALEBMW Bank's baa2 baseline credit assessment is based on the company's good asset quality and solid historical profitability, benefitting from its practice of selling lower quality auto loans to its immediate parent, BMW Financial Services NA, LLC (BMW Financial Services). Moody's also expects the bank to maintain a substantial capital cushion, protecting creditors against unexpected losses. BMW Bank's tangible equity to tangible risk-weighted assets capital was 14.9% at 31 December 2020 and Moody's expects will remain in the same range over the next 12-18 months.Moody's believes that, consistent with its expected improvement in new car sales in the US of approximately 5% in the US in 2021, BMW Bank's loan portfolio will increase in low single digits percentages. Moody's recognizes, however, that BMW Bank has the ability to purchase more loans from BMW Financial Services to manage its current asset base ($11.5 billion at 31 December 2020) to its target level. The lack of core deposits and dependence on confidence-sensitive brokered CDs, are additional constraints on the bank's credit profile. Moody's assessment of a very high probability of affiliate support raises BMW Bank's baa2 BCA by three notches to an adjusted BCA of a2.The stable outlook on BMW Bank's ratings reflects the outlook on the ratings for its ultimate parent BMW. BMW's improved credit profile will have positive implications for BMW Bank's access to funding and its financing volumes. Moody's ratings of BMW Bank reflect a very high expectation of support from BMW because that BMW Bank plays an important role in helping BMW achieve its sales objectives in the key US auto market. Moody's assessment of very high affiliate support assumptions is supported by agreements from BMW Financial Services, BMW Bank's immediate parent, to indemnify the bank for certain auto portfolio losses.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSBMW Bank's ratings could be upgraded if the ratings for its parent BMW are upgraded. BMW Bank's BCA could be upgraded if the bank were to strengthen its liquidity profile; however, a higher BCA would be unlikely to result in a ratings upgrade absent an upgrade of the ratings for the parent.A downgrade of ultimate parent BMW or a deterioration of Moody's assessment of the probability of affiliate support would likely result in a downgrade of BMW Bank's ratings. BMW Bank's BCA could be downgraded if Moody's were to assess a high probability of stark deterioration in credit quality, if capitalization and profitability were to weaken materially from their current strong levels, and if the bank's funding and liquidity profile were to deteriorate. However, a lower BCA is unlikely to result in a ratings downgrade absent a downgrade of the ratings for the parent.The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks Methodology published in March 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1261354. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.BMW Bank of North America, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Financial Services. BMW Bank of North America is a part of BMW's financial services arm in the US, which offers leasing, retail and dealership financing to customers acquiring BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce brand vehicles. As of 31 December 2020, it had $11.5 billion in total assets.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1243406.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Inna Bodeck Vice President - Senior Analyst Financial Institutions Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Ana Arsov MD - Financial Institutions Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653  2021 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. 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Byron Bay anti-vaxxers have tried to claim an intensive care doctor who posed for a photo with her thumbs up after receiving a Covid jab fell into a coma shortly after and 'will not recover'.

The blatant lie was posted on Facebook in a bid to spread misinformation about the rollout of Australia's coronavirus vaccines.

But the woman at the centre of the bizarre episode, Dr Rachel Heap, told The Daily Telegraph she's 'very much alive' and has experienced very little side effects since getting the jab last Monday.

Front line hero Dr Rachel Heap is snapped in a photo after receiving a coronvirus vaccine jab

The frontline worker who is a founding member of the Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters Facebook group, said she's not surprised by the misinformation spewing on social media.

'I've been doing this for nine years and what I see in the anti-vax movement is they lie and lie over and over again,' she said.

The Byron shire has been a hotbed for immunisation misinformation over the past number of years.

But since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over 2.74 million people worldwide, dubious claims about vaccines have spread like wildfire on the north coast of New South Wales.

After Dr Heap posted a photo of herself receiving the Covid jab a Facebook user from the glamorous beachside community took to the comments section to peddle an alternative narrative.

'Sadly, moments after her vaccination, this lady passed out and fell into a coma  she is still not conscious  doctors fear she will not recover,' the person wrote.

Byron Bay anti-vaxxers have tried to claim an intensive care doctor who posed for a photo with her thumbs up after receiving a Covid jab had died shortly after

Dr Heap said the flurry of misinformation online at the moment is utterly overwhelming 'like a tsunami'.

'The money and the power behind the misinformation campaigns is immense and it is endless. It feels like we are just putting on a Band Aid we need to turn off the tap on misinformation at the source,' she said.

The heroic health worker explained that every year she gives care to patients dying from illnesses like influenza - which can be vaccinated against.

'I did time in a kid's ICU and I looked after two babies with whooping cough  one did survive but very nearly didn't, and the second baby sadly didn't survive,' Dr Heap said.

She is urging everyone in Australia to get vaccinated against Covid as soon as possible.
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This privacy policy (Policy) explains the policy regarding the collection, use, storage, disclosure and transfer of your information by Gamma Gaana Limited and/or its subsidiary(ies) and/or affiliate(s) (collectively referred to as the "Company"), which operates various websites, including sub-sites, applications m-web platforms and other platforms (collectively referred to as Sites) for delivery of information, products, offerings and content via any mobile or internet connected device or otherwise (collectively the "Gaana Services"). This Policy forms part and parcel of the Terms of Use and other terms on the Site (Terms of Use). Capitalized terms which have been used here but are undefined shall have the same meaning as attributed to them in the Terms of Use.

This Privacy Policy is applicable to persons who access, browse or use the Site /Gaana Services (User). For the purpose of this Policy, wherever the context so requires "you" or "your" shall mean User and the term "we", "us", "our" shall mean Company.

As we update, improve and expand the Gaana Services, this Policy may change, so please refer back to it periodically. By accessing and using the Sites or otherwise using the Gaana Services, you consent to collection, storage, and use of the personal information you provide (including any changes thereto as provided by you) for any of the Gaana Services that we provide. The Company respects the privacy of the Users of the Gaana Services and is committed to protect it in all respects. The information about the User as collected by the Company is: (a) information supplied by Users and (b) information automatically tracked while navigation (c) information collected from any other source (collectively referred to as Information).

INFORMATION RECEIVED, COLLECTED AND STORED BY THE COMPANY

INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY USERS Registration data: When you register on the Sites for the Gaana Service, we ask that you to provide basic contact information such as your name, sex, age, address, pin code, contact number, occupation, interests and email address etc. When you register using your other accounts like on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail etc. we shall retrieve Information from such account to continue to interact with you and to continue providing the Gaana Services. Subscription or paid service data: When you choose any subscription or paid service provided as part of our Gaana Services, we or our payment gateway provider may collect your purchase, address or billing information, including your credit card number and expiration date etc. However, when you order using an in-app purchase option on any of the applications of the Company, same are handled by such mobile operating system platform providers. The subscriptions or paid Gaana Services may be on auto renewal mode unless cancelled. If at any point you do not wish to auto-renew your subscription, you may cancel your subscription before the end of the subscription term. Voluntary information: We may collect additional information at other times, including but not limited to, when you provide feedback, comments, change your content or email preferences, respond to a survey, or any communications with us.

INFORMATION AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTED/ TRACKED WHILE NAVIGATION Cookies To improve the responsiveness of the Sites for our Users, we may use "cookies", or similar electronic tools to collect Information to assign each visitor a unique, random number as a User Identification (User ID) to understand the User's individual interests using the identified computer or device. Unless you voluntarily identify yourself (through registration, for example), we will have no way of knowing who you are, even if we assign a cookie to your computer or device. The only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply. A cookie cannot read data off your hard drive or device. Our advertisers and network partners may also assign their own cookies to your browser (if you click on their ads etc.), a process that we do not control. We receive and store certain types of Information whenever you interact with us via Site or Gaana Service though your computer/laptop/netbook or mobile/tablet/pad/handheld device etc. Opting out If a User opts out using the Ads Settings, the unique DoubleClick cookie ID on the User's browser is overwritten with the phrase "OPT OUT". Because there is no longer a unique cookie ID, the opt-out cookie can't be associated with a particular browser. Log File Information We automatically collect limited information about your computer's connection to the Internet, mobile number, including your IP address, when you visit our site, application or service. Your IP address is a number that lets computers attached to the Internet know where to send you data -- such as the pages you view. We automatically receive and log information from your browser, including your IP address, your computer's name, your operating system, browser type and version, CPU speed, and connection speed. We may also collect log information from your device, including your location, IP address, your device's name, device's serial number or unique identification number (e.g. UDiD on your iOS device), your device operating system, browser type and version, CPU speed, and connection speed etc. Clear GIFs We may use "clear GIFs" (Web Beacons) to track the online usage patterns of our Users in an anonymous manner, without personally identifying the User. We may also use clear GIFs in HTML-based emails sent to our Users to track which emails are opened by recipients. We use this information to inter-alia deliver our web pages to you upon request, to tailor our Sites or Gaana Service to the interests of our users, to measure traffic within our Sites to improve the quality, functionality and interactivity of our Sites and let advertisers know the geographic locations from where our Users come without personally identifying the Users.

INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES: We may receive Information about you from other sources, add it to our account information and treat it in accordance with this Policy. If you provide Information to the platform provider or other partner, whom we provide services, your account information and order information may be passed on to us. Demographic and other information: We may reference other sources of demographic and other Information in order to provide you with more targeted communications and promotions. We use various services including Google Analytics and many others, to track the user behaviour on our Sites. Google Analytics specifically has been enabled to support display advertising towards helping us gain understanding of our users' demographics and interests. The reports are anonymous and cannot be associated with any individual personally identifiable information that you may have shared with us. You can opt-out of Google Analytics for display advertising and customize Google Display Network ads using the Ads Settings options provided by Google. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY SITES / AD-SERVERS The Sites may include links to other websites or applications. Such websites or applications are governed by their respective privacy policies, which are beyond our control. Once you leave our servers (you can tell where you are by checking the URL in the location bar on your browser), use of any information you provide is governed by the privacy policy of the operator of the application, you are visiting. That privacy policy may differ from ours. If you can't find the privacy policy of any of these sites via a link from the application's homepage, you should contact the application owners directly for more information. When we present Information to our advertisers -- to help them understand our audience and confirm the value of advertising on our Sites -- it is usually in the form of aggregated statistics on traffic to various pages / content within our Sites. We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Sites. These companies may use Information (excluding your name, address, email address or telephone number or other personally identifiable information) about your visits to this and other websites or application, in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. We do not provide any personally identifiable information to third party websites / advertisers / ad-servers without your consent.

INFORMATION USE BY THE COMPANY The information as supplied by the users enables us to improve the Gaana Services and provide you the most user-friendly experience. In some cases/provision of certain service(s) or utility(ies), we may require your contact address as well. All required Information is service dependent and the Company may use the above said user Information to, maintain, protect, and improve the Gaana Services (including advertising and personalisation on the Sites) and for developing new services. We may also use your email address or other personally identifiable information to send commercial or marketing messages about our Gaana Services and/or such additional updates and features about third parties products and services with an option to subscribe / unsubscribe (where feasible). We may, however, use your email address for non-marketing or administrative purposes (such as notifying you of major changes, for customer service purposes, billing, etc.). Any personally identifiable information provided by you will not be considered as sensitive if it is freely available and / or accessible in the public domain like any comments, messages, blogs, scribbles available on social platforms like Facebook, twitter etc. Any posted/uploaded/conveyed/communicated by users on the public sections of the Sites becomes published content and is not considered personally identifiable information subject to this Policy. In case you choose to decline to submit personally identifiable information on the Sites, we may not be able to provide certain services on the Sites to you. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the same at the time of opening your account. In any case, we will not be liable and or responsible for the denial of certain services to you for lack of you providing the necessary personal information. When you register with the Sites or Gaana Services, we contact you from time to time about updating of your personal information to provide the Users such features that we believe may benefit / interest you.

INFORMATION SHARING The Company shares your Information with any third party without obtaining the prior consent of the User in the following limited circumstances: a) When it is requested or required by law or by any court or governmental agency or authority to disclose, for the purpose of verification of identity, or for the prevention, detection, investigation including but not limited to cyber incidents, or for prosecution and punishment of offences. These disclosures are made in good faith and belief that such disclosure is reasonably necessary for enforcing these Terms or for complying with the applicable laws and regulations. b) The Company proposes to share such Information to conduct its business and to share such Information within its group companies and officers and employees of such group companies for the purpose of processing personal information on its behalf. We also ensure that these recipients of such Information agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. c) The Company may present Information to our advertisers and third parties - to help them understand our audience and confirm the value of advertising on our Sites  however it is usually in the form of aggregated statistics on traffic to various pages within our site. d) The Company may share your Information regarding your activities on Sites with third party social websites to populate your social wall that is visible to other people however you will have an option to set your privacy settings, where you can decide what you would like to share or not to share with others. e) We may share your Information to enforce or protect our rights or any or all of its affiliates, associates, employees, directors or officers or when we have reason to believe that disclosing Information of User(s) is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing interference with our rights or our Sites, whether intentionally or otherwise, or when anyone else could be harmed by such activities. We may share or disclose your personal information with our service providers, partners. For example, providing SMS and E-mail related services such as marketing newsletters, promotions and offers. f) In order to carry out your requests, services and content available to you through the Sites, and to respond to your queries, we may share your information with our affiliates, trusted businesses, third parties that perform functions such as companies/entities who process payments; analyze data; provide customer service; operate the technical infrastructure; sponsors, advertisers or other third parties. g) Your information may also be used by us or shared with our sponsors, partners, advertisers, advertising networks, advertising servers, programmatic partners and analytics companies or other third parties in connection with marketing, promotional, and other offers, as well as product information, and for such third partys advertising, analytics and market research. h) These advertisers, advertising networks, advertising servers, and analytics companies use various technologies to collect data in order to send (or serve) relevant ads to users on the Sites, or on platforms or websites operated by third parties. Use of Your information collected by such third-party platform will be governed by the privacy policy in such third-party platform. Such websites or applications are governed by their respective privacy policies, which are beyond our control.

ACCESSING AND UPDATING PERSONAL INFORMATION When you use the Gaana Services or Sites (or any of its sub sites), we make good faith efforts to provide you, as and when requested by you, with access to your personal information and shall further ensure that any personal information or sensitive personal data or information found to be inaccurate or deficient shall be corrected or amended as feasible, subject to any requirement for such personal information or sensitive personal data or information to be retained by law or for legitimate business purposes. We ask individual users to identify themselves and the information requested to be accessed, corrected or removed before processing such requests, and we may decline to process requests that are unreasonably repetitive or systematic, require disproportionate technical effort, jeopardize the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup tapes), or for which access is not otherwise required. In any case, where we provide information access and correction, we perform this service free of charge, except if doing so would require a disproportionate effort. Because of the way we maintain certain services, and due to the requirements under applicable laws for retaining and preserving information after you delete your information, residual copies may take a period of time before they are deleted from our active servers and may remain in our backup systems.

INFORMATION SECURITY We take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures, including appropriate encryption and physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data. All information gathered on Site is securely stored within the Company controlled database. The database is stored on servers secured behind a firewall; access to the servers is password-protected and is strictly limited. However, as effective as our security measures are, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the security of our database, nor can we guarantee that information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet. And, of course, any information you include in a posting to the discussion areas is available to anyone with Internet access. We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit or use our Sites or Gaana Services. These companies may use information (excluding your name, address, email address or telephone number or any personally identifiable information) about your visits or use to particular website, mobile application or services, in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.

UPDATES / CHANGES The internet is an ever evolving medium. We may alter our Policy from time to time to incorporate necessary changes in technology, applicable law or any other variant. In any case, we reserve the right to change (at any point of time) the terms of this Policy or the Terms of Use. Any changes we make will be effective immediately on notice, which we may give by posting the new policy on the Sites . Your use of the Sites or Gaana Services after such notice will be deemed acceptance of such changes. We may also make reasonable efforts to inform you via electronic mail. In any case, you are advised to review this Policy periodically on the Sites to ensure that you are aware of the latest version.
Lord Pabitey, a Disease Control Officer of La Bawaleshie Polyclinic who absconded after allegedly stealing and selling 26 Vials of COVISHIELD has been arrested.



Pabitey who appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Friday has been remanded into lawful custody to reappear on April 1.



Last week, the National Security arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in the stealing and sale of COVISHIELD vaccines belonging to the Government of Ghana.



Stephen Dzisenu, a 37-year-old Disease Control Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital is said to have stolen 36 vials of COVISHIELD and Lord Pabitey, a Disease Control Officer of the La Bawalashie Polyclinic, also allegedly stole 26 vials of COVISHIELD.



Cosmos Allotey a 42-year-old Occupational Health and Safety Officer, is said to have received the stolen COVISHIELD from Pabitey and Dzisenu.



Allotey allegedly administered the vaccines at a cost of GHS200.00 per jab.



Joseph Knight Gaisie, a Project Assistant and a former Laboratory Technician at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital is also being held for abetment of crime.



Dzisenu, Gaisie and Allotey  were on March 19, remanded into lawful custody by the same court to reappear on April 1.



During todays sitting, Police Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu said they were in court for Pabitey to be remanded pending further investigations.



On March 19, this year, Police Detective Sergeant Frederick Sarpong, the prosecutor, prayed to the Court presided over by Mrs Afua Owusuaa Appiah, not to take the pleas of the accused persons as investigations were ongoing and efforts were underway to arrest other suspects.



The accused charges were not read out to them. However, the facts of the case were read out in open court.



Police Detective Sergeant Sarpong said accused persons, when granted bail, may not only interfere with investigations but other witnesses.



He said from the facts, other persons involved were yet to be arrested and prayed the Court to remand them.



Lawyers of the accused persons prayed for bail, saying their clients were servants of the Republic and they would not interfere with investigations.



The facts as presented by the prosecution were that the complainants were National Security Operatives.



The prosecution said during the first week of March this year, the operatives received intelligence that some health officials had been stealing and selling the COVID-19 vaccines brought in by the Government of Ghana.



Detective Sergeant Sarpong said through intelligence, Alloteys name was mentioned and his phone number obtained as the one who injects the COVID-19 vaccines for a fee.



He said the complainant contacted Allotey and feigned interest in buying some of the COVID-19 vaccines, so he charged the complainant GHS200.00 per vaccination.



The prosecution said on March 16, 2021, Allotey was arrested when he was invited to Labone in Accra to inject the complainant at a fee of GHS200.00.



He said when Allotey was searched, eight COVISHIELD vials, eight used COVISHIELD, 173 pieces of 0.5 ml unused injection syringes and cotton were found on him.



The prosecution said during interrogation, Allotey mentioned Dzisenu and Pabitey as his source.



He said Allotey led the National Security operatives to arrest Dzisenu and Gaisie.



The prosecution said Allotey, in his investigative cautioned statement, admitted buying 36 of the vials of government procured COVISHIELD vaccine at the cost of GHS18,000.00.



According to him, Allotey further said that, he sold 20 of the vials of COVISHIELD at a cost of GHS16,000.00 and later returned 15 vials to Dzisenu.



The prosecution said Allotey said he also bought 26 vials of the COVISHIELD from Pabitey at the cost GH4,800.00.



Mr Sarpong said Dzisenu in his cautioned statement, mentioned Gaisie as the one who aided and facilitated the sale of the stolen COVISHIELD vaccines to Allotey.

Source: GNA









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Commanding General of D.C. National Guard Major Gen. William J. Walker speaks at a hearing in Washington, on March 3, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool via REUTERS)

National Guard Commander Nominated to Lead House Security as Sergeant-at-Arms

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has announced the appointment of a Washington military commander to serve as sergeant-at-arms, the chambers top law enforcement officer.

It is my honor to appoint District of Columbia National Guard Major General William J. Walker to serve as the 38th Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Representatives, Pelosi said on March 26 in a statement, in which she touted Walkers 39 years of decorated military service, including as current commander of the D.C. National Guard.

During the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, Walker deployed the D.C. National Guard to back up the Capitol Police, who were unable to prevent the breach of the security perimeter that led to the Capitol being overrun and lawmakers evacuated.

Walker testified at hearings into the circumstances surrounding the breach and was critical of how long it took for the Pentagon to approve his request to deploy his troops to the scene.

The position of sergeant-at-arms hasnt been permanently filled since Paul Irving resigned from the role following the Capitol breach, with Timothy Blodgett serving in the interim since Irvings resignation.

Pelosi noted that Walkers appointment was historic in that hes the first African American to serve in this role.

As House sergeant-at-arms, Walker would oversee security and protocol. His appointment is subject to a House confirmation vote, although this is expected to go smoothly given Democrat control of the chamber and the Republican leader in the House signaling his approval.

Every member, staffer, employee, and visitor to the Capitol should feel safe with Maj. Gen. Walker at the helm of Sergeant at Arms operations, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a statement praising Walkers appointment. We are thankful for his continued service to our country, and I look forward to working with him as he transitions to this new role.

McCarthy used the occasion to bring up a long-standing Republican peevethe fencing and other heightened security measures deployed after the Jan. 6 incident.

It was welcome news when a week ago, the barricades around the Capitol complex started to come down, McCarthy said. Without credible security threats, we can no longer justify keeping this institution closed off to the American people whose tax dollars not only fund Congress, but as citizens also deserve access to their legislative chambers.

Our goal should be to continue this path to fully reopening by allowing our National Guard troops to return home and taking down the remaining barriers.

Republicans have complained about the fencing and continued troop presence, arguing that they have remained in place not out of any security imperative, but as political theater.

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said in late February that the strict security measures were part of a narrative to cast Republicans as domestic terrorists.

This is a Hollywood production scene, he said in an interview on Fox News. This is all about narrative building. What they want to do is they want to label every conservative and Republican across this country as some type of dangerous domestic terrorist threat.

Days ago, the Capitol Police announced that all fencing around the outer perimeter of the Capitol complex had been removed, citing no credible threat to justify its further use.

At the same time, the Capitol Police said that the inner perimeter fencing and National Guard troops would remain in place for now.
Kourtney Kardashian posed for a sexy snowy photo shoot on Saturday as she spent some time in Aspen, Colorado.

Instead of bundling up in ski gear, the 41-year-old took a moment to strip off, wearing just a tiny silver bikini, snow boots and a cowboy hat.

'How's your Aspen' Kourtney cheekily captioned a set of three snaps she shared to Instagram after she returned back to Los Angeles.

Snow bunny: Kourtney Kardashian showed off her figure in a skimpy silver bikini in throwback snaps she shared from Aspen on Saturday

In one snap the mother-of-three showed off her derriere as she turned away from the camera and looked back over her shoulder.

Two other images showed the Poosh founder in a padded winter coat which she left open to display her toned figure.

The reality star's mountain getaway took place earlier this week and she also made sure to share photos from a ski session she enjoyed with her kids.

Kourtney was also seen wearing the same metallic string bikini as she reclined by a pool at her luxury Aspen resort.

Meanwhile, Kourtney's sister Khloe Kardashian blasted her former boyfriend Younes Bendjima as 'toxic'.

Kourtney - who is currently dating Travis Barker - previously had an on/off relationship with Bendjima, 27, but her sibling is not a fan of the toyboy.

Howdy cowgirl: Two other images showed the Poosh founder in a padded winter coat which she left open to display her toned figure

For the 'gram: Instead of bundling up in ski gear, the 41-year-old took a moment to strip off, wearing just a tiny silver bikini, snow boots and a cowboy outside in the snow

Just chilling: Kourtney appeared to be wearing the same bikini in this photo she shared from the trip earlier this week

She tweeted: 'He was sooooooo toxic and negative for Kourt #KUWTK.'

Khloe also referred to him as 'what's his name' during a recent episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and asked Kourtney if she had found him negative.

She said: 'Do you look back and think he might have been a bit negative for you?' and Kourtney replied: 'Yeah. He will text me once in a while,' but insisted she doesn't think about him anymore.

Meanwhile, Travis, 45, recently paid tribute to Kourtney - who has kids Mason, 11, Penelope, eight, and Reign, six, with her ex-partner Scott Disick - explaining that he loved dating someone who understands what it's like to be a parent.

Family trip: The mother-of-three did hit the slopes on the trip which she took with her kids. She's seen here with daughter Penelope earlier this week

He said: 'Up until now, I would date girls who didn't have kids, and I find it kind of hard, because I think they would have trouble understanding, like, "why don't you want to go to dinner every night with me? Or why don't you want to see me every night?"

'And now, I'm spending time with a woman who's a great mom, who's a great friend, and you don't have to worry about any of those things. It just comes natural.'

Travis has children Landon and Alabama with his former wife Shanna Moakler and he has remained close to his stepdaughter, Atiana Cecilia De La Hoya, who is Shanna's daughter with ex-fiance, boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
Sen. Steve Daines was trying to make a point. But the senator from Montana appears to have lost it and ended up sounding quite a bit nostalgic about the days when his state had its own homegrown methamphetamine before Mexican cartels moved in and took the market from hardworking Americans who made a drug that was less harmful. By the way he phrased it, many thought it sounded like the senator was pining for the days when meth was made within the countrys borders.

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Twenty years ago in Montana, meth was homemade. It was homegrown. And you had purity levels less than 30 percent, Daines said alongside other Republican seantors who had traveled to the southern border. Today the meth that is getting into Montana is Mexican cartel. It has purities north of 95 percent. Far more dangerous, far more addictive, and its less expensive.

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Sen. Steve Daines: Twenty years ago in Montana, meth was homemade. It was homegrown. And you had purity levels less than 30%. Today the meth that is getting into Montana is Mexican cartel. pic.twitter.com/Xtu1geaVxJ  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 26, 2021

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Watch Sen. Mike Lee's reactions & expressions as Sen. Steve Daines speaks his nonsense promoting Montana-made meth. @MikeLeeforUtah knows how ludicrous @SteveDaines sounds and looks extremely uncomfortable.



Sen. @RonJohnsonWI, on the other hand, is oblivious. No surprise there. pic.twitter.com/XdGf4KhTSR  K Bedmas (@Mathematasian) March 27, 2021

In an interview with CBS affiliate KTQV before his trip, Daines had made a similar point. We are seeing a flood of Mexican heroin, Mexican meth, and Mexican fentanyl coming into Montana. The purity level that these Mexican cartels with methamphetamine is close to 90 percent. Years ago, it was homemade meth in Montana that had purity levels of less than 30 percent, Daines said. The senator blamed undocumented migrants for the surge in drug trafficking saying that Border Patrol agents are so occupied with migrants that they cant focus on stopping drugs from flowing into the country.

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Make American Meth Great Again



There's a @SethAMandel joke in here but I can't quite get it https://t.co/d1DGO7jwmn  Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 26, 2021

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Steve Daines: Im here at the border to sound the alarm on the crisis of imported meth.



Whatever happened to meth thats MADE IN AMERICA, amiright? https://t.co/OZeDxBUzsP  Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) March 26, 2021

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The good ole days  back when we made our OWN meth. https://t.co/PXtmUgw26J  Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) March 26, 2021

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Many were quick to mock Daines on social media for what seemed to be a weirdly phrased bit of nostalgia. Some seemed to immediately realize Daines words may not sound exactly as he intended. Sen. Mike Lee who was standing with the group of Republicans at the news conference, appeared uncomfortable at what he was hearing and seemed to try his hardest to hide a smile, even looking down at some points in what some saw as an effort to disguise his facial expressions. The meth version of They Took Our Jobs, joked one user on Twitter. Journalist Erin Ryan joked along the same lines: My dad was a meth farmer, and his dad was a meth farmer, and thanks to cheap imports last year they had to declare bankruptcy and sell the meth farm.

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Steve Daines is upset that Mexico has usurped good old American meth with purer product. https://t.co/KppU002fyL  Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) March 26, 2021
GOVERNMENT has blamed budgetary constraints for its failure to fund independent commissions to carry out their constitutional obligations since they were established eight years ago.

The Constitution adopted in 2013 called for the establishment of the commissions such as the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.

Questions have been raised on the effectiveness of the commissions to fight human rights abuses and corruption among other vices amid claims that they were incapacitated due to low budgetary allocations.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi on Wednesday told Parliament that: Realising the gaps in fulfilling benefits of independent commissions management, the government since 2020 is now handling procurement and issuance of conditions of service vehicles to such levels. However, the process has been slow on account of budgetary constraints across the public service.

Ziyambi was responding to a question from Brian Dube (MDC Alliance, Gweru Urban), who wanted to know government policy on conditions of service for independent commissioners.

Dube said failure by government to capacitate the commissions undermined their integrity and importance.

Section 325 of the Constitution mandates the government to ensure adequate funding to commissions to enable them to function effectively.

Currently, government is in the process of trying to improve the compensation framework from the initial approved compensation framework for cash in lieu of vehicles to the affected members, including members from independent commissions, Ziyambi said. Newsday
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Vladimir Putin has hailed the Russian Navy after three of its nuclear ballistic missile submarines smashed through Arctic ice within feet of each other in a show of strength.

Navy chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Putin the exercise featured three nuclear submarines simultaneously breaking through Arctic ice and warplanes flying over the North Pole.

This week's drills were conducted around Alexandra Land, an island that is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago where the military has recently built a base.

Moscow has prioritised beefing up its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas.

A Russian nuclear submarine breaks through the Arctic ice during military drills. Russia, the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic

Vladimir Putin hailed the military's performance during recent Arctic drills, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its presence in the polar region

Mr Putin has in the past cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at 22trillion.

Russia, the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, as shrinking polar ice opens new opportunities for tapping resources and opening new shipping lanes.

As part of its efforts to project its power over the Arctic, the Russian military has rebuilt and expanded numerous facilities across the polar region in recent years, revamping runways and deploying additional surveillance and air defence assets.

As part of this week's manoeuvres, a pair of MiG-31 fighters flew over the North Pole, Adm Yevmenov said. A Defence Ministry video featured them being refuelled by a tanker plane.

Yevmenov said the sophisticated manoeuvre was carried out by submarines 'for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy.'

Moscow has prioritised beefing up its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas

The video also showed three nuclear submarines that smashed through the Arctic ice next to one another.

Mr Putin said the exercise was unprecedented for the military and praised its skills. He added that the manoeuvres have also proven the reliability of Russian weapons in polar conditions.

'I order to continue Arctic expeditions and research in the Far North to help ensure Russia's security,' the president told the navy chief.

The Russian military has expanded the number and the scope of its war games amid bitter tensions in ties with the West, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

A MiG-31 fighter of the Russian air force is refueled by an Il-78 tanker plane during Russian military maneuvers in the Arctic during military drills at an unspecified location

Putin said: 'The Arctic expedition... has no analogs in the Soviet and the modern history of Russia.'

It comes after a British spy plane monitored Russian war games in the Arctic where Moscow says it has completed initial tests on a new hypersonic missile, local media says.

An RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance jet flown by the RAF is said to have circled the skies near where the Kremlin's Admiral Gorshkov frigate sailed off Russia's northern coast this week.

The Gorskhov has carried out at least four test launches of the new 6,100mph Zircon missile, which is expected to go into service next year and which defence chiefs boasted had 'hit the bullseye' in testing.

Vladimir Putin sees the Mach 8 Zircon as his missile of choice to target US cities in the event of a nuclear conflict, it is claimed.
Blue Ocean Robotics, the manufacturer of the autonomous disinfecting robot UVD Robots equipped with UV-C light, has been selected by Gallup McKinley County Schools (GMCS) in New Mexico to supply 37 UVD Robots to the districts schools to help fight the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210326005133/en/

Students from GMCS Twin Lakes School participated in a naming contest for the robot to help with socialization and morale. The schools robot will now be known as Mr. Fox. UVD Robots were originally developed to fight Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) and are now deployed in more than 60 countries worldwide in the healthcare sector, the hospitality industry, office complexes and educational facilities, meeting new and heightened expectations for safety and cleanliness. (Photo: Business Wire)

COVID has taken an extraordinary toll on our community. The safety of our students and staff, developing a plan to bring them all back to school as safely as possible is our primary concern, said Gallup McKinley Superintendent Michael Hyatt. We wanted a larger, longer-term disinfection solution, adding a layer of protection that would disinfect surfaces and the air in our buildings and help fight COVID, colds, flu and infectious diseases for years to come.

GMCS covers a community with many rural areas facing infrastructure issues that make virtual learning a challenge, approximately 1,500 students have no internet at home. The district also educates many special education students who learn better in the classroom.

Unlike stationary disinfection robots, the UVD Robot is a fully autonomous robot. It integrates UV-C light to disinfect against viruses and bacteria on surfaces and the air, killing 99.99 percent of microorganisms within approximately 10 minutes in every room it disinfects, said Claus Risager, CEO, Blue Ocean Robotics.

We selected UVD Robots after rigorous review of numerous disinfecting robots, said Hyatt. UVD Robots delivered on all of our requirements including technical excellence, maturity and track record, quality of deployment, technical support and maintenance, and overall value.

We are excited to announce, what we believe is the largest deployment of autonomous disinfection robots in any U.S. school district, said Per Juul Nielsen, CEO, UVD Robots. We are honored to work with GMCS to go beyond COVID, bringing hospital-grade disinfection to the school district.

Press kit

About

UVD Robots is part of one of the world's leading groups in development of service robots, Blue Ocean Robotics, that includes brands GoBe Robots and PTR Robots. Blue Ocean Robotics is headquartered in Denmark and was recently included on Fast Companys Top 10 of Most Innovative Robotics Companies 2021.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210326005133/en/
The traditional view that women are unsuited to combat roles may have caused these deep-seated inhibitions about promoting women even when they are otherwise as qualified as men who take up a career in the armed forces. (Representational Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Courts verdict on petitions filed by women officers seeking a permanent commission in the Indian Army and Navy goes beyond the direction to grant the commission to eligible Short Service Commission (SSC) officers. The judgment is an indictment of a male-dominated society in which women are discriminated against in almost all spheres of competitive human activity. The clarion call for change as structures of our society are created by males for males is based on sharp insights into outright gender bias. It would serve society best if the armed forces, traditionally served by men, could be made to reform and present a level playing field and set a great example of the equality of the sexes.

An entrenched mindset shaped by history should not come in the way now of disbanding systematic and structural inequality. Men may freely acknowledge the heroic deeds of the great fighting women of history like Jhansi Rani but they would do nothing to give aspiring women warriors their due place in the modern forces. The traditional view that women are unsuited to combat roles may have caused these deep-seated inhibitions about promoting women even when they are otherwise as qualified as men who take up a career in the armed forces. The glass ceiling may have been broken by the likes of Gunjan Saxena, who became an IAF fighter pilot, but it is the systemic discrimination that works against women in the Army and Navy that must be dismantled.

The methodology of discrimination whereby evaluation criteria adapted by the Army to benchmark women officers with the lowest credentials of their male counterparts and to freeze their ACR evaluation at the fifth or tenth year of their service was found to be as irrational and arbitrary as the insidious patriarchal system of mankind down the ages. The Army was also pulled up for its attitude in not considering the womens eligibility despite an order of the Delhi high court. The heart of the matter, however, transcends the blame game situation. Equality should be upheld as a foundational principle governing modern life rather than just systemic correction in the forces. This is a transformational verdict and not mere rendering of justice in the specific cases of about 80 women who sued.

The professional environment is what has made the Indian military one of the most powerful forces in the world. A structural correction now would go some way towards enhancing the framework. Incidentally, the MoD decision to allow retired short service commission officers to use their ranks after leaving the Army may have been late by a few decades. It represents a change of thinking in recognising the contribution of SSC officers who could serve as long as 14 years these days. The continued use of their rank could make service more attractive to the youth even as it corrects another historical wrong of discrimination against a section of officers who serve in the same conditions as those permanently commissioned. It is a great sign that the Army is modernising in more ways than one.
A Roundwood man given between 24 and 48 hours to live after being infected with Covid is only now beginning to feel like himself again, a year after his initial diagnosis.

Mark Burke spent nearly four weeks last year in ICU in St Vincent's Hospital after being diagnosed with Covid.

His condition began to deteriorate rapidly and Mark was placed on life support, leading to his wife Joanne and four children being advised to say their final goodbyes as he would only survive for 24 to 48 hours.

However, Mark ended up stunning the medical team at St Vincent's by making a remarkable and unexpected recovery.

'I'm only really beginning to feel right again since after Christmas,' said Mark.

'It's in the last six to eight weeks that I have started to come good. I still run out of strength and stamina if I exert myself too much. If I pace myself and take things easy then I am generally alright, but I still run out of breath easily.

'I just have to key my eye on a few little things. My energy levels still aren't 100 per cent but realistically I shouldn't still be here.'

Mark appreciates how lucky he is to still be alive after being given only a 5 per cent chance of survival and has made some lifestyle changes as he continues to recuperate from his life-threatening ordeal.

'I don't stress as much as I used to and I'm a lot more laid back. If I was anymore laid back I might fall over! I used to be totally the opposite and was 100 per cent a stress-head. I have calmed things down quite a bit. Now you can't even get me into second gear.'

He remains eternally grateful to the medical staff who treated him, his family for their support, and the local Roundwood community who rallied around the family when it looked like mark wouldn't survive,

'I will never be able to thank everyone in a million years for everything they did, especially all the medical staff involved in my care. The local community offered great support to my family as well, which I will remember always. My family have been wonderful as well, and at the end of the day they were the ones who really suffered when I was in hospital and the outcome didn't look that great,' said Mark.

He also has a message to share with any Covid-deniers out there who dispute the authenticity of the virus.

'I'm afraid of my life that the virus will come back and get out of control here, similar to the surges we are seeing in Italy and France. I know we are being very strict in this country and the restrictions are brutally hard for everyone.

'You are always going to get people who think they know better or don't believe the experts. But they don't know how wrong they are. I don't think you really know how serious the virus is unless you or someone close to you contracts it. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.'

* Covid-19 in Wicklow, one year on: read our special section in the March 24th issue of The Wicklow People and Bray People newspapers
ORLANDO, Fla.  Angela Stanton-King, a pro-life advocate and the goddaughter of Alveda King, recently condemned the big abortion industry for targeting people of color and committing a black genocide in America.

The Atlanta, Georgia-native attended the movie premiere of Roe v. Wade held at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26 and had a message to share with her black brothers and sisters.

"I'm here today because it's important for us to make sure that we are speaking out and making sure that the black community is aware of this black genocide, how abortion has specifically targeted black life, Stanton-King told CP of why she wanted to attend the premiere of such a controversial film.

"When we are saying that 'black lives matter,' we have to acknowledge the fact that black life begins in the womb, she continued. So when we talk about white supremacy, the black community needs to understand that they're playing a role in white supremacy when they're aborting the black lives of their own children.

Source:The Christian Post
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 19:03:05|Editor: huaxia

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People listen to introductions about Chinese tea during an exhibition on Chinese lunar calendar at the National Museum of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 27, 2021. The exhibition is on display at the National Museum of Malaysia from March 23 to April 30. The exhibition introduces the relevant knowledge of the Chinese lunar calendar, and displays related customs of Chinese Lunar New Year and the Chinese zodiac through calligraphy and painting, daily items, and short films. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)
Former Cardinal Sean Brady has admitted that it never occurred to him to go to the police when a 14 year old Dundalk boy told him about the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the paedophile priest Brendan Smith.

In a new book about Catholicism in Ireland, Cardinal Brady told author Derek Scally: 'Hauled into a room with three fellows there, his father wasn't there, it was horrendous, really. That is only dawning on me now, really... his double victimisation.'

The former cardinal, who retired as archbishop of Aramgh and Primate of All-Ireland in 2014 on reaching the age of 75, was present as a note taker at interviews in 1975 with two boys who had been abused by Smyth.

One of the boys was Brendan Boland from Dundalk, who told in his book 'Sworn to Silence' published in 2014 how he had been sworn to secrecy and how his father hadn't been allowed accompany him when he was interviewed as part of the North's Historical Abuse Inquiry.

In this new book, The Best Catholics In The World, Scally questions Cardinal Brady about his role in the inquiry and why he didn't report the boys' allegations to the police.

'It didn't sink in how heinous it was, how premeditated. It wasn't treated in any of the textbooks except 'the worst sin of all'... [there were] no details of what effect it was having on children,' the Cardinal is quoted in his first interview since he appeared at the 2014 Historical Abuse Inquiry.

He says he remembers little about his meeting with Brendan Boland and said the secrecy was concerned with protecting the reputation of the church.

'There's a sadness, I suppose, a great sadness, a pain about the situation about Brendan Boland, that we weren't more enlightened at the time, that it didn't occur to me to go to the police or suggest someone else go to the police,

The interview failed on four fronts, the cardinal says now: 'Taking a legal approach intimidating to Brendan; separating him from his father; putting to him questions 'not respectful of the boy's dignity'; and shrouding proceedings in secrecy."

When Scally asked if he had ever considered going to the gardai with the information, Cardinal Brady replied it would have been 'conflicting'. Asked if he felt no additional moral obligation - beyond his legal duty - toward Boland in 1975, Cardinal Brady said: 'It's strange that it didn't cross my mind that I had the moral obligation to report it to the guards, you know.'

He 'assumed' the issue would be followed up, but according to Scally 'he didn't know that nothing happened. It's possible he decided it was not his place to ask.'
New Delhi:

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has been tough when it comes to dealing with criminals in the state. As per the official statistics, the UP police have carried out 420 encounters in the state so far. The police have reportedly killed 15 criminals in less than six months.

As per the report of Indian Express, while 15 criminals have been executed by the police, a policeman also lost his life in these encounters.

The policeman was identified as Jai Prakash Singh who was a sub-inspector. He died in an encounter which happened with criminals at Chitrakoot.

Numbers also reveal that a total of 88 policemen were also injured in the last six months of Yogi Adityanath rule.

The police operations have intensified in later part of the six months. As per report, 10 criminals were killed in last 48 days.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
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India will propose a law banning cryptocurrencies, fining anyone trading in the country or even holding such digital assets, according to Reuters. The bill would represent one of the worlds strictest policies against cryptocurrencies, penalizing possession, issuance, mining, trading and transferring crypto-assets, Reuters reported.

See: Why Investors Recommend Buying Cyclical Stocks Now

Find: Biden Is Weighing New Rules for Bitcoin Investors  Heres What Might Change

If the proposal becomes law, India would be the first major economy to make holding cryptocurrency illegal  making the conditions even more stringent than Chinas, which has banned mining and trading.

Ray Dalio, the founder of the worlds largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, chimed in on this issue. Dalio said in an interview with Yahoo! Finance that it could be possible for Bitcoin to be outlawed, just like when the U.S. government made it illegal to privately own gold.

See: What Is a Non-Fungible Token and Why Are They Booming?

Find: Square Hops on the Bitcoin Bandwagon with $170 Million Mega-Purchase

Every country treasures its monopoly on controlling the supply and demand. They dont want other monies to be operating or competing, because things can get out of control, Dalio told Yahoo! Finance. So I think that it would be very likely that you will have it under a certain set of circumstances outlawed the way gold was outlawed.

In the interview, Dalio also noted the benefits of Bitcoin, saying that it  has proven itself over the last 10 years. It hasnt been hacked. Its by and large, therefore, worked on an operational basis. It has built a significant following. It is an alternative, in a sense, storehold of wealth. Its like a digital cash. And those are the pluses.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: India Proposes Ban on Bitcoin  and the US Could Be Next
There has finally been some welcome news in the long-running saga over the refurbishment and expansion of Kanturk Community Hospital with the news that the first phase of the project has finally gone out to tender.

Back in 2016, funding of more than 9 million was allocated for the upgrading of both Kanturk and Millstreet Hospitals after reports issued by the Health and Information Authority (HIQA) highlighted major flaws in operating procedures and conditions at both HSE administered facilities.

The following year it was announced that a design team had been appointed to the Kanturk development and in September 2018 the HSE said it expected a planning application for the project to be lodged within a matter of months.

That application, which included provision for the construction of a new 31-bed extension and other significant structural works to the existing hospital building which was built in 1927, was finally lodged at the start of August 2019.

The following November it was given the green light by council planners, subject to 26 conditions covering a variety of issues including road/traffic safety, the prevention of water pollution and flooding of the public road, safeguarding local amenities and the to ensure orderly development.

Planners also ordered that the HSE pay Cork County Council a contribution 26,634.26 under the Development Contributions Scheme toward the costs of public works benefiting the development.

Full details of the proposed schedule of works and the conditions imposed by planners can be viewed on the planning section at www.corkcoco.ie.

Welcoming the latest development local county councillor John Paul O'Shea (FG) said it "marks the start of a new era for healthcare in Kanturk".

"The first phase of the project will increase the number of beds [from 33] to 43. I am also pleased to say the HSE has future proofed the site to extend the total number of beds at the hospital to 77 in future phases," he said.

Cllr O'Shea said he hoped the tender process would move forward rapidly, allowing work to get underway on the project this summer.

"There is wonderful care being given to all residents at Kanturk Community Hospital by the very dedicated staff and management there. It is important the facility is upgraded so this level of care can continue and we can enhance the number of beds available to the community of Kanturk and surrounding areas," he said .
The devastation feels too familiar for many of the communities affected by Thursdays tornado outbreak across central Alabama.

Ohatchee, which lost five people in Thursdays storms, was also devastated by wide-ranging tornadoes that scarred the state in 2011.

Brent and Centreville, impacted Thursday by a major long-track tornado that ran for miles from the Talladega National Forest to the Coosa River in Wilsonville, were almost wiped off the map by a tornado in 1973.

The National Weather Service archive said that 90% of the town of Brent was destroyed, by that 1973 storm.

It leads people to wonder whether there are areas cursed by geography or other forces to be more prone to tornado damage. However, leading tornado researchers say there just isnt enough evidence to point to anything other than random chance and bad luck.

Here is full coverage of the storms

Harold Brooks, a senior research scientist at NOAAs National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma, said the evidence mostly points to random chance as to why some communities are leveled and some are spared during these violent storms.

I use the dartboard analogy, Brooks said. If you throw, you know, a completely unskilled darts player, if you throw enough darts at the board, some are going to end up close to each other, just by random chance.

Its possible that there are physical reasons. But we cant, at this point, we cant distinguish them between just random chance.

Brooks said certain regions are more likely to have tornadoes at certain times of year, and that Alabamas risk of tornadoes is high in the spring months of March and April, but that beyond that, the evidence mostly points to random chance as to why some communities are leveled and some are spared.

Stephen Strader, a tornado researcher at Villanova University, said thats a question he is asked frequently, but one thats hard to answer because the data doesnt really show any trends.

These types of tornado events for the Southeast as a whole, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, are not uncommon, Strader said.

Weve seen these year after year, time and time again, but what happens is everybody remembers April 27, 2011. And thats very fresh in peoples brains. But this is the time of year, we expect the Southeast to have a little bit of a higher chance of tornadoes.

Strader said one difference in Southeastern states is that there is some risk of tornadoes almost year-round, while places like Kansas and Oklahoma very rarely experience tornadoes outside of the late spring or summer.

Alabama State Climatologist John Christy said that while the state experiences about 65 tornadoes a year on average, the actual area damaged by those storms is relatively small. Most of Alabamas tornadoes are weak and short-lived, though they can still cause significant property damage and endanger people.

With the exception of 2011, when there were 52 tornadoes rated F-2 or stronger, Alabama has seen fewer than 20 strong tornadoes each year. In 2003, there were no such storms reported, and just one in 2005.

Christy said that over the last 40 years, tornado data has gotten much better with the improvements and increased use of radar to identify and record tornadoes that otherwise may not have been reported.

Brooks said that major tornadoes have a relatively small sample size that makes it challenging to draw too many conclusions about why storms seem to impact certain areas more than others.

Even a place that gets hit often, thats still on the order of once a decade. Thats still relatively rare, Brooks said.

If we had 1000 years of data, we could probably answer those questions. We might be able to do more with a couple of 100 years than we can now, but with a few decades, we just dont have the data really, thats good enough to actually tell.

Brooks said that one factor about tornadoes in Alabama is that the rural areas of the state are still somewhat populated and developed enough that the tornadoes when they do occur, are more likely to cross houses and people.

Brooks said he once chased a tornado in Oklahoma that was on the ground for 60 miles that only hit two buildings. That probably wouldnt happen in central Alabama, where there are many towns and small cities spread across the area.

If you only hit two buildings, there just arent many people in the way, Brooks said. One of them was a barn. It killed some cows. But you know, if [the tornado] killed every person that was in the path, the death toll would have been zero. You just cant do that in rural Alabama.

Strader said that the terrain or geography of the area, whether its in a hill or a valley, might make a difference for smaller tornadoes, but not in the case of large-scale, major tornado events.

Tornadoes, as a whole, these supercell thunderstorms, have a ton of energy, he said. These storms like [Thursday] in the case of a tornado are going from a few hundred feet off the surface, all the way up to the top where we fly our commercial airliners.

Strader said that for a massive tornado like the one that tracked across Shelby County Thursday, that the affect of a hill or a valley, would be like a crack in the sidewalk to a person walking down the street.

In terms of the overall energy in the system, these big violent tornadoes that are produced, [hills and valleys] have a negligible effect, he said. Theres larger factors here that overpower any effect that a mountain will have, or any effect that a valley or river would have, specifically with these violent events.
militants have warned that they will resume attacks against foreign forces if they do not withdraw from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline, in response to US President Joe Biden offering an unclear timetable on when American troops would be pulled back.

"All responsibility for the prolongation of war, death and destruction will be on the shoulders of those whom committed this violation," dpa news agency quoted the insurgent group as saying in a statement on Friday.

The May 1 deadline is part of an agreement the US administration under former President Donald Trump signed with the in February 2020 in Doha.

It is now under review by the Biden administration.

Under the deal, the US promised to withdraw all US and forces from Afghanistan.

In return, the vowed to cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Since the signing of the deal, there have been no attacks on US-led NATO forces in the country.

However, the Taliban has intensified attacks against the Afghan government.

In addition, there is no tangible progress in ongoing peace talks between the representatives of the Taliban and the government that started in September 2020.

On Thursday, Biden said that he "can't picture" US troops still being in Afghanistan next year, but he did not offer a precise timetable.

The Taliban called Biden's remarks "vague" and emphasised that the Doha agreement is the best option to end the past 20 years of war.

The group added that it was committed to its part under the deal.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CDI

ESP

AWD

That company is Westfalia Mobil. Since 1951, when this company assembled its first VW van into a home for a British Forces officer stationed in Germany, theyve been focusing all their attention and energy on camper van conversions.All this experience is reflected in the vehicle you see here, the 2021 James Cook Classic. Now, like most other vehicles of this type, youd expect there to be more than one floorplan available. Thats kind of true here. Under the James Cook category, three vehicles area available. However, they are so different, that they cannot be considered variations of the same base and are sold as completely different vehicles.As for the Classic, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a 3142.1-liter and 143 hp (145 PS) is the shell for it all. If you feel thats not enough horsepower, just opt for a stronger engine, for an extra buck of course. Whichever you use, better know how to drive stick as the gearbox is manual.Due to the size of vehicles like these, a few safety features are included in the base package to help you get to your destination. Some of those features include adaptive, level two stabilization, vibration dampening, crosswind assist, hill-start assist, and Mercedes-Benz eCall.Cab features include keyless entry, airbags for both driver and passenger, heated and power-adjustable side mirrors, swivel seats, armrests, and adjustable steering wheel. An acoustics package, noise reduction, electric auxiliary heater, overhead control panels, and heat-insulating glass, all add to the interior comforts. Yes, there are cupholders too.But the cab isnt what brings people flocking to camper vans , its the living space and its amenities. Because I consider myself a big foodie, the first space I'd like to shine some light on is the kitchen. When I first saw the dining and kitchen setup, I was quickly reminded of RVs that come in nearly twice the size of a Sprinter.Set to one side of the van, the kitchen includes all the necessary features such as a two-burner gas stove with piezo ignition and a glass cover. To the right is a stainless-steel sink with folding faucet and another glass cover. Side by side, these two covers allow for a new countertop space to be created. Large amount of storage underneath the counter, and a 90-liter (23-gallon) fridge are all youre going to need for meals.To enjoy said meals, the dining area is comprised of a booth that sits against the bathroom wall and a removable dining table, accessible by up to up to four guests. Once youre nice and fed, youll probably want to take a nap or simply crash out for the night. To do that, the Classic is equipped with a double bed at the rear that extends on a slide-out in order to offer a larger space.As for the not so simple bathroom, its been rated the Best in Class, but it's not entirely clear by whom. But, upon seeing the interior and the features, the space, and just the overall taste with which it was completed, again, doesnt remind me at all of a camper van.For habitat and comfort controls, a diesel operated hot water heating system with boiler will make light work of your 100-liter (26.4-gallon) fresh water supply. A 78-liter (20.6-gallon) gray water tank is hidden under the floor, while a Westfalia control unit regulates all functions of heating, water, and electrical works, even the color and brightness of your light.Now, please remember that these are just some of the features found on the Classic . Optional features, which include everything from special paint to skylights, tire pressure monitoring system, blind spot assistance, and even, exist as well, including a couple of package options. But be warned, try and stick to the essentials and maybe just a few extras as the Classic version starts off at 77,000 ($90,804 at current exchange rates), meaning you could easily jump into the hundred thousand range.
Guwahati, March 27 : Over 77 per cent of Assam's 8,109,815 voters cast their votes on Saturday in the first phase of the state's Assembly polls which were conducted in 47 of the 126 Assembly constituencies, election officials said.

"The turnout of voters is estimated at over 77 per cent. The percentage may increase a bit after the final compilation of reports from all the returning officers," a senior election official told IANS over the phone on Saturday night.

In 2016 Assembly elections, in the entire Assam, 84 per cent voters had exercised their franchise. However, no major incidents have been reported so far from any of the poll-bound Assembly segments except some electronic voting machine (EVM) glitches in some polling stations.

Saturday's voting is being held in the Assamese heartland comprising the south and north banks of the Brahmaputra River.

After casting his vote at Sahitya Sabha Bhavan in Dibrugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Majuli, told the media that the BJP would get more than 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

Both the ruling BJP-led alliance and the opposition Congress led coalition are confident of winning maximum seats out of the 47 seats that went to polls on Saturday.

In the 2016 elections, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.

The first phase of polling in the BJP-ruled state will decide the fate of 264 candidates including state Presidents of four parties and 23 female aspirants.Besides Sonowal, the other prominent faces in the fray are state Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), state Congress chief Ripun Bora (Gohpur), Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), jailed Raijor Dal President Akhil Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).

Voting began across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam's 12 districts at 7 a.m and continued till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-induced situations.

A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, were eligible to cast their ballot.Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.

Election officials said that to avoid crowding, the number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of 1,000.

As a result, the number of polling booths has been augmented by 34.71 per cent to 33,530 from 24,890 in 2016.To avoid direct contact with the EVM, every elector is being given hand gloves.

According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.

The officials said that to maintain social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols and due to technical snags of the EVMs in some polling stations, the casting of votes caused little slow. No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where balloting was held very smoothly and peacefully.

In a unique gesture, the election officials donated saplings and Assam's traditional 'gamocha' to the aged, women and differently abled voters in the 128 model polling stations, which were decorated with colourful balloons, flowers, bamboo crafts and local items.

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases.

The other two phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats). Results will be declared on May 2.
After his appearance at the recent Cork city protest against the ongoing lockdown, a north Cork man has renewed his public opposition to the COVID-19 restrictions by commencing a series of Monday afternoon protests in Fermoy this week.

Kilworth's Peter O'Donoghue told The Corkman that the last proper funeral held in the parish was that of his 27-year-old brother who died of melanoma cancer on March 4 last year.

"My 60-year-old aunt was dying from cancer as well at the same time, she died three weeks later in the hospice but my mother who was just after burying her second son, was not allowed to see her sister in the hospice and never again got to see her.

"She only has two sisters."

These family tragedies form part of the backdrop for Peter's emergence as a rare voice against the lockdown, which the Government has put in place in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

"I just want to start off by saying I am not a left wing or a right wing nut.

"I am just an ordinary working family man.

"I started by saying this because the mainstream media has painted me and anybody who has expressed a counter opinion to lockdown in the past 12 months as some kind of crazy radical."

Peter has acknowledged that there are some crazy theories being put forward on some social media platforms about the virus but that his opposition is more grounded in what he sees around him.

"The mainstream media in the last twelve months in Ireland has only told us one side of a narrative that has been told over and over again without any counter argument or opinion to that narrative allowed.

"We who oppose lockdown have been muted in every way possible from voicing our opinions.

"Our voices have been shut off the airwaves on television, our writing shut off the mainstream newspapers and our accounts blocked, closed and deleted from social media.

"We only have one voice now and that is the voice of peaceful assembly and protest. This is why we protest."

When he stood out under Fermoy's Clock Tower on Monday evening with his hand drawn placard on rough cardboard, Peter said he got a lot of support from passers-by, people out walking or those in cars.

"There were also those who, it seemed to me, didn't approve of what I was saying."

While some on social media claim that the lockdown is part of some global plot to replace native workers with people who would do the same jobs for less, Peter distances himself from such opinions and states his case based on the views of medical experts, doctors and pharmaceutical company ex employees, who are not on the same page as most scientists and those in authority in Ireland on the issue of the lockdown.

"I don't deny Covid's existence.

"I recognise it is here.

"I recognise that it is a formidable disease and in some cases it can be fatal.

"I personally know many people who got it. An old friend of mine died from it."

While he acknowledges it is a dangerous disease, he also claims that the Government has exaggerated the figures of those who have died from the illness.

According to Peter, people who die from illnesses unrelated to COVID are put down by the authorities as having died of the virus.

"A statistic released from the Central Statistics Office on Friday, November 6, stated that 93 percent of people who died with coronavirus in the state had an underlying condition."

Peter went on to suggest that many of these people would have died of their underlying condition.

"I personally know of a woman who was 69, she suffered a brain aneurysm on Saturday died on Monday and she was put down officially as a Covid death."

He claimed also that there had been many people who had died from other illnesses or injuries but whose deaths had been recorded by the authorities as COVID-19 fatalities.

"The Government is trying to maximise the Covid numbers. Why are they doing this?" he asked.

According to the official CSO figures for the first nine months of 2020, there were approximately 23,367 deaths in Ireland. In the same period approximately 1,547 died from COVID - according to the figures contained on official HPSC website up to and including September 30.

The figures for the last three months of 2020 are not yet available as it can take three months to register a death in Ireland.

Peter cites the increasing burden of Ireland's national debt - up to 50 billion - due to the lockdown, the numbers of businesses shutting up for good, people losing their jobs, their mental health being compromised and a host of other ill-effects of the lockdown.

"I myself walked the River Blackwater for ten days in January looking for my neighbour who committed suicide.

"A woman who had her only social outlet taken from her, (her church). Many people have been driven over the edge because of unnecessary lockdown. Many families have been destroyed.

"Don't forget there has been multiple murder/suicides in our area in the last 12 months. Never before has this happened. Do not think for a second that lockdown didn't have a part to play in these tragic events."

Peter points to the shuttering of small businesses during lockdown and says that big businesses and corporations have benefited from the lockdowns.

He disputes the Government's 'we are all in this together mantra'.

"There are the rich in society who are going to prosper hugely from COVID lockdown.

"There are the middle people whom lockdown has affected very little financially, they still have their jobs and in some cases they might be even better off because of lockdown.

"Then there are the small business owners, the businesses who rely on tourism, the bar and restaurant owners, the construction workers, the hairdressers and barbers and the many other sections of society that are being financially ruined because of lockdown.

"To say we are all in this together is an insult to the people being ruined financially from lockdown."

As far as vaccines go, Peter says it should be up to each individual whether or not to take a vaccine. "I myself would not take a vaccine which has had only 7 months of research. The average vaccine takes 7 years of research before it can be given to the public."
Steve Ferro may be a New Jersey educator with nearly three decades under his belt, but deep down hes still a kid at heart.

It was in that spirit that preparing his school science lab for the resumption of full in-person classes turned into a fun  and COVID-friendly - group activity.

I couldnt find any shields specifically-built for the tall tables in our schools lab. I Googled, went to hardware stores and nothing. So I did it myself, said Ferro, who teaches science and woodworking at Highland School in Midland Park.

Ferro, a member of the schools coronavirus reopening committee, said students were taught fully remote to start with in September. Lower case counts and wider availability of vaccines prompted school leaders to kick off a mix of in-person and remote learning for the start of 2021.

The school soon announced that full in-person instruction would resume at the start of March.

Face masks would be required for faculty and the roughly 250 students returning  with another 50 or so opting to be taught at home. For those coming in, floor demarcations would ensure everyone traveled down hallways in a single direction. And signs would be posted to remind students and staff to wash their hands and socially distance.

But that didnt solve Ferros lab desk dilemma.

While regular (but much-shorter) desks could have been swapped into the science lab and then retrofitted with plexiglass shields, the 51-year-old teacher thought up his own design instead. The much more economical alternative that would preserve the feel of a true lab required white thermoplastic pipe, clear shower curtains, PVC glue and duct tape.

Im a very hands-on learner myself and when I spoke to [Principal Peter] Galasso about getting the kids to help, he nodded and agreed right away, Ferro said. It was awesome to see the kids work together to make this happen.

Before the full reopening, one student would be in class, while the students lab partner followed along at home on Google Classroom in order to guarantee six feet of distance. The eight custom shields make it possible for students to safely work with their partners, side-by-side.

Its nice to be working with our hands again and Ive always liked to build things, said Ella Kosak, 11, who said she one day wants to become a veterinarian in honor of her late dog, Stanley.

N.J. teacher builds a COVID-safe science lab with help from his 6th graders

Fellow 6th grader Jacob Junta, 11, says he wants to be sworn into the Midland Park Police Department like his dad when he grows up. But in the meantime, hell take any chance he can get to show his woodworking skills.

Its much better than sitting at home and being on a screen, said Junta. Were having actual conversations with real people and writing on paper instead of typing on a computer.

Ferro shared that the class recently also built mantel clocks and will soon complete a functioning gum ball machine.

Its always great to see teachers come up with these kinds of solutions to problems, said Galasso, who has been the principal at Highland School for seven years. Weve always encouraged creating learning opportunities, while of course being safe. Its a credit to teachers like Mr. Ferro.

Ferro says that the desk shields have worked like a charm so far. The class has learned about mass, physics and weather  once making it rain inside of a bottle.

He also knows also knows firsthand about the desk shields real-world implications, too.

Ferros daughter, Lizzy Ferro, 17, a junior at Ramapo High School, tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of the month.

New Jersey teacher Steve Ferro and his sixth-grade class designed and created a COVID-safe science lab.

While she didnt have serious symptoms, everyone at home self-quarantined for two weeks. That included Ferro, his daughter, and his wife, Melissa, who teaches at Ramapo High School.

It was important to do but it was tough for me to see the kids at their tables with the desk shields up through the computer screen, said Ferro. So, I was happy to be able to return last week after the quarantine. Im truly lucky to be able to do what I do.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Steven Rodas may be reached at srodas@njadvancemedia.com.
In view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, the state government has imposed a two-day lockdown in the city on Holi.

The district administration of Indore has ordered a lockdown on March 28 and March 29 (Holi) after discussing the concerns with the Crisis Management department over rising Covid-19 cases in the city on Thursday night.

Although this order was opposed by the leaders of both BJP and Congress party but Collector Manish Singh asserted that the order should be kept as it is.

Ritesh Kuril, a Holi merchandise retailer told ANI: "There has been a lot of difference due to the lock-down."

Despite the Covid-19 outbreak last year, merchandise worth Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 were sold daily, but this time even goods of Rs 400 to Rs 500 are being sold with great difficulty."

Pramila Sarwane said another Holi merchandise retailer said: "There will be a lot of loss due to the lockdown on Holi. Due to the lockdown on Sunday Monday, there will be a lot of difference in the sales. If we stock the colours for next year it will get spoiled and there may be risk of adverse reaction on skin if people use it. If the administration had given permission, there would have been no profit but our cost would have been removed."

Meanwhile, Om Prakash, who came to purchase colours, said, "The administration has taken a wrong decision at the time of the festival. Other things are exempt, but Holi is not. Holi will now be celebrated at the behest of the administration at homes."

On Friday the state government has imposed Sunday lockdown to Vidisha, Ujjain, Gwalior, Narsinghpur and Saunsar. The cities of Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Ratlam and Khargone were already observing Sunday lockdown.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wally the walrus has been spotted back in Wales after it went missing from British shores for six days.

The wandering walrus was sighted on the slipway of the RNLI boathouse in Tenby this morning, after it was last seen in Pembrokeshire on Sunday.

It had vanished for the second time, prompting locals to fondly call it 'Wally', in a reference to the children's puzzle book series Where's Wally?

Crowds gathered by the boathouse to take pictures as the walrus sunbathed on the slipway.

Wally the walrus has been spotted back in Wales after the meandering mammal was first spotted in Ireland

The wandering walrus was sighted on the slipway of the RNLI boathouse in Tenby this morning, after it was last seen in Pembrokeshire on Sunday

It was first seen on the coast of County Kerry in west Ireland on March 15 before making the 450km journey to Pembrokeshire in Wales on March 21.

The RSPCA were called out to check on the creature  which is 'underweight'  at the bottom of a cliff near Broad Haven South beach last week.

Experts believe the walrus is a young adult, but it is not possible to determine the gender, as both males and females have tusks.

They said the animal may have dozed off on a block of ice and drifted across the ocean in its trip to Ireland.

Crowds gathered by the boathouse to take pictures as the walrus sunbathed on the slipway

RSPCA animal rescue officer Ellie West told Radio 4's Today programme on Sunday said the creature is still an 'it' as rescue officers couldn't determine its gender before it swam off again.

Rumours about how the walrus made its way from the Arctic to Ireland have been swirling since the sightings.

Some claim that it fell asleep on an iceberg and ended up drifting across the Atlantic.

Welsh Marine Life Rescue's Cleopatra Browne was called to the Pembrokeshire coast to investigate the sighting last week and found the walrus 'sat there, chilling'.

Countless Twitter users rushed online to dub the creature Wally the Walrus - with Ms Browne saying it is 'Wally by name, Wally by nature'

She said 'it was about the size of a cow' adding: 'I've seen them on telly and the news but it was huge.'

She told BBC News: 'There is a tale going around that it fell asleep on an iceberg and ended up drifting across and woke up in Ireland - and then ended up in Wales on the way home.'

Countless Twitter users rushed online to dub the creature Wally the Walrus - with Ms Browne saying it is 'Wally by name, Wally by nature'.

On Sunday, Ms West said: 'Whilst it is a very unusual sight [...] it is quite a sad occurrence because we have to remember that this walrus is a very, very long way from where he should be.

'We're talking about a wild animal that's still very mobile. He's very big, we're talking about much bigger than our normal seals. This one, although he's of a large size he is a bit underweight.

'At the moment we don't know where he is, he swam away.'
Fort Collins, CO and Lincoln, NE, March 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NUtech Ventures, the technology commercialization affiliate at the University of NebraskaLincoln (UNL), is joining Innosphere Ventures University Partner Program, which supports the growth of university startup companies.

Innosphere aims to be a value-added extension of NUtechs commercialization process by facilitating introductions to corporate partners and helping faculty founders and CEOs achieve business milestones. NUtech and UNL currently offer a variety of business resources to their startup ventures, including a customer discovery program that helps campus researchers develop value propositions, learn about customer segmentation and interview prospective stakeholders.

Before forming a startup, university teams begin by licensing intellectual property, typically patents, from NUtech Ventures, before further developing the technology for commercial use. In 2020, for the third year in a row, the University of Nebraska System ranked in the top 100 academic institutions worldwide for issued U.S. patents.

University of NebraskaLincoln faculty are launching startup companies to bring their innovations to the marketplace, and were excited to partner with Innosphere Ventures to provide additional support services, said Brad Roth, Ph.D., executive director of NUtech Ventures. This support is tailored for faculty founders, who are addressing the unique challenges and opportunities associated with early-stage technologies.

Currently, UNL has startup companies related to cancer detection, organic weed control, conductive concrete, gut health, turfgrass management, and firefighting with drone technology, among others.

Were ready to start working with UNL faculty and licensing managers who are developing and commercializing cutting-edge research, said Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere Ventures. NUtech has a great mission of promoting economic development and improving quality of life. Theyre a great partner for Innosphere because they share our same goal of transferring technologies from the lab to the marketplace, with broad, real-world impact.

For many years, Innosphere has held partnerships with Colorados research universities and their technology transfer offices at Colorado State University (CSU Ventures), the University of Colorado Boulder (Venture Partners at CU Boulder), and the Colorado School of Mines Office of Research and Technology Transfer.

For more information on Innosphere Ventures University Partner Program, please visit innosphereventures.org/partners.

Attachments
At 2:00 p.m. PDT this Saturday, March 27, the West Coast Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees will meet to review the lessons of the teachers unions betrayals in LA and Oakland, discuss the situation throughout the region, and chart a fighting strategy for workers to save lives. Register and invite your co-workers and friends!

Numerous educators, parents and community members have taken to social media to denounce aspects of the agreement between the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) to reopen the second largest school district in the US. Under the terms of the agreement, which the union informed teachers they had no choice but to pass, elementary schools will begin returning to in-person learning on April 12, while secondary school students are scheduled to return later that month.

Parents and students line up to pick up school materials outside the Aurora Elementary School in Los Angeles [Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes]

The UTLA referred to the agreement as the gold standard of union-backed return-to-school plans. Among its promises were two doses of coronavirus vaccine for each teacher before they reenter classrooms. Also in the agreement was a refusal to return to class without a decline in cases countywide from the most dangerous purple tier to the slightly less dangerous red tier.

It also included provisions related to mandatory coronavirus testing each week, along with temperature screenings, six-foot distancing between students, personal protective equipment and other safety measures.

Despite the unions posturing, it is becoming increasingly clear that both the union and the district have no intention of even meeting these thoroughly inadequate provisions.

The vaccination provision, for example, was timed, according to the original tentative agreement, to allow teachers the chance to receive both the first and second doses of the vaccine while also allowing them a two-week recovery period after the second dose before returning to classrooms. After teachers were given an initial date for vaccine eligibility, this would have meant a return to school on April 19, the date initially provided in the tentative agreement.

However, on March 21, the same day that the union announced that teachers had voted in favor of the agreement, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced that scores of elementary schools would actually reopen on April 12, a full week earlier, cutting the promised recovery period short. Given recent vaccine shortages throughout Los Angeles County this week alone, it is likely that many teachers will not receive a second dose of the vaccine at all before returning.

As far as the re-categorization of countywide coronavirus cases into the red tier is concerned, this was made possible on the basis of the blatant manipulation of both the county and state coronavirus metrics to force through the LA reopening. The same day the tentative agreement was announced on March 9, LA County declared that the region had entered the red tier, based on increasing the classification threshold from seven cases per 100,000 residents to 10 cases per 100,000 residents.

It also claimed that because the state had vaccinated two million people out of its total population of 40 million, it was no longer necessary to stay under the red tier threshold for 14 consecutive days, and the county was then put into the red tier immediately.

A recent UTLA Facebook post addressed concerns among teachers that the county may reenter the purple tier once again as a number of states across the country are experiencing a new wave of coronavirus infections. The UTLA simply stated that reentering the purple tier would result in resumed negotiations, presumably of a completely nonbinding character. Knowing full well that LA County allows schools to stay open if infection rates move back into the purple tier, the UTLA made no promises to close schools in the event of a fourth wave of the pandemic.

Having been told there were adequate sanitation measures in place on campuses, teachers returning to schools early this week instead found that classroom sinks were deliberately turned off despite the agreement stating that every room with a sink would be stocked with soap, hand sanitizer and paper towels, presumably with running water.

Facebook posting showing sink shut off in elementary classroom

Teachers have also been told that weekly coronavirus testing at each school actually means getting the tests done on their own time. Ric, a fifth grade LAUSD teacher, told the World Socialist Web Site, One thing in the TA is that the district is requiring us to do COVID tests, but thats on us, on our own time. I myself cant do that. After work, I need to get home right away because I have an elderly family member Im taking care of. I cant stop somewhere on the way home and get a COVID test.

Frightened of putting their children and families at risk and understandably distrustful of the safety claims made by the district and the union, the majority of parents do not intend to send their children back to classrooms once schools reopen. The latest district survey of LAUSD households on Thursday found that only 49 percent of elementary, 35 percent of middle school and 25 percent of high school student respondents were planning to return to their classrooms on their designated dates. With non-respondents considered to be choosing remote learning by default, these figures drop to 37, 23 and 15 percent respectively.

The WSWS spoke to several teachers this week about their concerns over the return to school plan, as well as the tactics used by the UTLA on social media to prevent coordinated opposition from emerging. The union has blocked comments on its Facebook page opposing the latest agreement, especially from supporters of the WSWS and the West Coast and Los Angeles Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committees. Kirk, an LAUSD teacher, told the WSWS, I am disgusted by the UTLA Facebook groups use of shills and tactics to stifle debate.

Ric commented, After school we had a staff meeting with the principal that was demoralizing. We were told that only around 20 percent (around 100 out of over 500) of the students were returning, and they would have to sit through three hours of instruction without a break because her director had told her emphatically that there would be no recess.

There would be two cohorts, an AM and a PM. The issue was that so few students were returning that there would likely be no need for a PM cohort. This put lie to the notion the district was promoting that they were simply responding to a massive amount of parents clamoring for the reopening.

He added, The UTLA and the district also claimed they needed to reopen because many students were suffering emotionally from the isolation. No survey, that I am aware of, was conducted to determine how many students were indeed suffering academically. Those students could have been offered counseling services instead of forcing all the students and staff to return while COVID is still raging and only in the red tier because the metrics were manipulated for political purposes.

Another issue is staggered start and end times. The principal claimed that 100 students trying to enter the school at the same time would be too much, and the solution would be to start the older students at 8:30, which means teachers who normally end the day at 2:29 would now be working until 3:40. Miraculously, the union was claiming this only amounted to an extra 30 minutes of work, and it was paid at our hourly rate.

Lisa, an LAUSD elementary school teacher with 24 years, stated, Its a scary time we are living in and not giving teachers the choice that we are giving everyone else, feels so wrong to me. My child is doing school online for the rest of the year. I lost my sitter because she got another job, and I have no family out here to care for my child when I am forced back. I dont want to use day care centers or strangers to care for my child right now.

I wont be fully vaccinated yet because I had to wait after getting COVID three months ago. Most of us are just so angry with our union and feel like they didnt fight for us like they should have.

Lisa continued, I was told at our staff meeting today that even if we couldnt get an appointment for the vaccine or even if we werent fully vaccinated, we still had to report back to work when we fully reopen campus.

There is no transparency with UTLA, she said. They use scare tactics to get people to vote the way they want.

The WSWS and the Los Angeles Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee warned repeatedly that the UTLA would betray rank-and-file educators and force through a deadly deal to reopen schools. This committee is now the center of opposition to these policies, and we urge Los Angeles educators, parents and students to join and help build the committee and attend our meeting at 2:00 p.m. PDT this Saturday.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday pointed out the words of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which, according to him, clear any excuses from other participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the IRNA news agency reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2021) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday pointed out the words of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which, according to him, clear any excuses from other participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the IRNA news agency reported.

Speaking at the first cabinet session in the new Iranian year, Rouhani reminded the supreme leader's words that Iran will return to its JCPOA commitments if other countries return to the deal really and seriously.

In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union countries. The plan required that Iran scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption.

In 2018, the US administration of then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and began implementing hard-line policies against Tehran.

The President Joe Biden administration has vowed to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and use it as the basis for further negotiations on the outstanding issues concerning Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for militant proxies across the middle East. Nevertheless, the effort is impeded by neither of the sides willing to make the first conciliatory move.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the lawsuit against Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a complaint alleging that Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC violated various California labor laws. The lawsuit against Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, Case No. 21CV376396, is currently pending in the Santa Clara County Superior Court of the State of California. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC allegedly failed to reasonably accommodate PLAINTIFF for her physical disabilities. The injury described in the complaint would qualify as a physical disability, as defined under Cal. Gov. Code  12926(j) and 12926(m). DEFENDANT's termination of PLAINTIFF was allegedly in retaliation.

Additionally, Cal. Lab. Code  226 provides "that every employer shall furnish each of his or her employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing...the corresponding amount of time worked at each hourly rate." From time to time, DEFENDANT allegedly failed to provide wage statements to employees that identified the correct gross and net wages earned, which resulted in DEFENDANT allegedly violating Cal. Lab. Code  226.

For more information about the lawsuit against Suncrest Hospice San Jose, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

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The father of a 16-year-old girl who was raped by her schoolmate says her public high school failed to report the boys intimidating behaviour to police in the months before the attack.

He called on the government to establish a database of schoolboys that have been charged with rape, sexual harassment or intimidation to ensure schools know if they need to keep an eye on particular students.

The rape of our daughter was preventable, the father said. Four days before our daughter was raped, we met the principal and asked her why this boy had not been spoken to by police.

We had already written to the school asking them to report him and the other boys in writing to the police. They failed to do that and in doing so they utterly failed in their duty of care to our daughter. If the police had been properly brought in, this boy would not have dared go near our daughter.

A spokesperson for NSW Education said the department was investigating.
- By GF Value





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Story continues

IHS Markit Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

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IHS Markit Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

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Scotland's independence movement was rife with infighting today after a defector to Alex Salmond's new party was branded an 'embarrassment' by the SNP.

Kenny MacAskill MP this afternoon announced he was deserting Nicola Sturgeon to stand for the newly-launched Alba party in May's Holyrood elections.

Mr MacAskill, who has represented East Lothian in the Commons since 2019, insisted the switch would bolster, and not derail, the independence movement.

But rifts quickly opened up when the Nats Westminster leader Ian Blackford said his erstwhile colleague's departure was 'somewhat of a relief' and demanded he resign his seat to trigger a by-election.

Mr MacAskill shot back at Mr Blackford's 'dispiriting' attack - and accused him of damaging the independence cause.

The factionalism came after Ms Sturgeon herself fired the opening broadside earlier today, calling Mr Salmond a 'gambler' who has 'serious questions to answer'.

It marks the latest chapter in the long-standing feud between the former first minister and one-time deputy who he groomed to be his successor - but has since accused of orchestrating a plot to destroy him.

Kenny MacAskill MP this afternoon announced he was deserting Nicola Sturgeon to stand for the newly-launched Alba party in May's Holyrood elections

Nicola Sturgeon on the campaign trail today. She said Mr Salmond has 'serious questions to answer'

Alex Salmond has bagged his first high-profile defection after Westminster MP Kenny MacAskill (pictured together previously) quit the SNP to stand for Alba in May's Holyrood elections

Ex-SNP MP Corrie Wilson is also joining the former first minister, fuelling speculation more disillusioned nationalists could be primed to desert Nicola Sturgeon (pictured)

Alex Salmond yesterday announced that he is launching a political party after his civil war with Nicola Sturgeon

He is the first high profile SNP figure to jump ship after the former first minister launched his rival pro-independence party yesterday.

Announcing his move, he said: 'I will be joining the newly formed Alba Party to deliver that supermajority for independence through the list vote which I believe is essential to achieving our national independence.'

Mr Blackford, played down the gravity of the defection and said he was glad the party was shot of Mr MacAskill.

In a bitter swipe, he said: 'After yesterday's events this is the second least surprising news in Scottish politics. He has been an increasing embarrassment to many in the SNP and his departure is somewhat of a relief.

'That he is joining a party with serious questions to answer about his leader's suitability for public office is no surprise.'

He further called on Mr MacAskill to resign his Commons seat to allow his constituents to elect someone who will 'focus on their interests, rather than self-interest'.

Mr MacAskill, a former Scottish justice secretary under Mr Salmond, hit back live on Sky News: 'I think that's very dispiriting from Ian Blackford. The Yes movement encompasses not just the SNP, not just the Alba party, but people of no party. They support the cause of independence which transcends everything.

'I think that's what Ian Blackford should be fighting for, and not opposing those who are also fighting for that cause.'

He dismissed demands that he ought to resign from the Commons, saying he was seeking a dual mandate by standing in May's Scottish elections.

Sifts quickly opened up when the Nats Westminster leader Ian Blackford said his erstwhile colleague's departure was 'somewhat of a relief' and demanded he resign his seat to trigger a by-election

Tempers flared ahead of crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament where the First Minister hopes to win a majority to ramp up demands for another referendum.

Mr MacAskill yesterday hinted at his defection with an article defending the new party.

In an article for The Scotsman, he wrote: 'As a list party, Alba won't be seeking to win converts from those who oppose independence. They'll neither be pitching to them nor expecting backing from them.'

Ex-SNP MP Corrie Wilson is also joining the former first minister, fuelling speculation more disillusioned nationalists could be primed to leave Ms Sturgeon.

Scotland operates a version of proportional representation, and Alba is only fielding 'list' candidates rather than standing in the first-past-the-post constituency contests that could have inflicted more serious damage to the nationalists.

Pollsters say that means it is more likely to hurt opposition parties, who typically end up with most of the list seats.

Mr MacAskill, who was Scotland's justice secretary in Mr Salmond's government, yesterday hinted at his defection with an article defending the new party

Scotland operates a version of proportional representation, and Alba is only standing 'list' - or 'additional' MSP - candidates rather than running in the first-past-the-post constituency contests that could have inflicted more serious damage to the nationalists. Pollsters say that means it is more likely to hurt opposition parties, who typically end up with most of the list seats. The chart shows the result from the last Holyrood election in 2016

Mr Salmond used the statement to say he will stand as a candidate in the North East regional constituency and introduce three other hopefuls - including two who have also defected from the SNP.

They were Cllr Chris McEleny, laywer Eva Comrie, and businesswoman Cynthia Guthrie. The first two were expected to stand for Ms Sturgeon's party.

It prompted fury from the SNP - which Mr Salmond used to lead but is now estranged - amid fears that Alba will drag the election battleground onto second referendum territory, which could distract from other issues.

Ms Sturgeon was cleared of such accusations by a parliamentary committee this week.

Yesterday Mr Salmond launched his rival political party which he said would deliver a 'supermajority' of pro-independence MSPs.

'Today, Alba is hoisting a flag in the wind, planting our Saltire on a hill,' Mr Salmond said. 'In the next few weeks, we'll see how many will rally to our standard.'
Lafredrick Salis, 39, has been arrested in connection with a drug overdose that occurred on March 11, at a residence in the 2800 block of East 26th Street.

Salis is charged with second-degree murder, sale and delivery of drugs for resale, and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was booked at the Hamilton County Jail on Thursday.





On March 11, Chattanooga Police responded to a residence in the 2800 block of East 26th Street where Melton Brown, 18, was found dead from an apparent overdose.

Since the original call, narcotics investigators have conducted extensive follow-up investigation. Their efforts, along with assistance from CPD's Fugitive Unit and U.S. Marshalls Service, led to the arrest and second-degree murder charge of Sails.

Two others, Alan Horton, 38, and Laquishia Espey, 31, were also charged during the arrest of Sails on Thursday. Horton was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of ecstasy, disorderly conduct, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked at the Hamilton County Jail. Ms. Espey was issued a misdemeanor citation for marijuana possession.

CPD Narcotics officers continue the investigation on this case.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 18:12:11|Editor: huaxia

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Hundreds of people took to Auckland downtown to protest anti-Asian violence in the United States and calling on New Zealanders to speak up against racism on March 27, 2021 in New Zealand. (Xinhua)

The aim of the protest was not only to stand in solidarity with Asian Americans who have experienced extreme abuse and lived in daily fear, but to also create awareness of the pain that Asians in New Zealand face, said the organizer.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of people gathered in central Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday to rally for the "Stop Asian Hate" movement.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Aotea Square in Auckland CBD to speak out their anger against the racism towards Asians in the United States and New Zealand, before marching along the Queen Street.

The aim of the event was not only to stand in solidarity with Asian Americans who have experienced extreme abuse and lived in daily fear, but to also create awareness of the pain that Asians in New Zealand face, said the organizer on the event's social media page.

Hundreds of people took to Auckland downtown to protest anti-Asian violence in the United States and calling on New Zealanders to speak up against racism on March 27, 2021 in New Zealand. (Xinhua)

"What does the American shooting towards Asian people has to do with us Kiwi Asians? We share common skin color. We look at them, and we wonder, that could be us. It is our people. When people are attacked based on their skin color, we see ourselves there, we share that pain," said Steph Tan, one of the organizers.

New Zealand Member of Parliament Naisi Chen delivered a speech and led in the march.

Being a Chinese and Asian New Zealander, she talked about the painful feeling when she heard the news about racism against Asians in New Zealand.

"New Zealand is our home too," said Chen.

New Zealand Member of Parliament Melissa Lee and Auckland Councillor Paul Young also attended the event to show support.

Julia Liu, one of the organizers, was excited to see the support by New Zealand people during the rally.

Participants chanted "stop Asian hate", "love our culture, love our people" and "We belong to Aotearoa (New Zealand)" in their march along the Queen Street.

Hundreds of people took to Auckland downtown to protest anti-Asian violence in the United States and calling on New Zealanders to speak up against racism on March 27, 2021 in New Zealand. (Xinhua)

A research released by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission on February revealed that the Maori people along with the Chinese communities had reported the highest rates of discrimination since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the research, four in 10 respondents in New Zealand reported having experienced discrimination since the start of the outbreak, with higher rates for Maori people (55 percent), Chinese (54 percent), Pacific (50 percent), and other Asian (49 percent) respondents.
Hypersonic weapons could dramatically change the balance of conventional military power between the United States and its major competitors, Russia and China. Russia is investing heavily in hypersonic systems and is on the verge of deploying a variety of strategic and theater systems. The U.S. started behind its great power competitors but is racing to catch up. Deploying its own set of hypersonic weapons may be the second most important military modernization effort the Department of Defense (DoD) undertakes over the next two decades, coming just behind the modernization of the strategic nuclear deterrent.

Hypersonic weapons fly at least five times the speed of sound but retain the capability to maneuver in the atmosphere. There are two basic varieties of hypersonic weapons. The first, a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), is launched aboard a ballistic missile into the upper atmosphere. The HGV then uses the ballistic missile's speed to skip along the upper layers of the atmosphere with much greater maneuverability than traditional warheads. The second, a hypersonic cruise missile, maintains continuous thrust using either rocket power and/or air-breathing engines to reach the desired speed. What distinguishes hypersonic weapons from current types of ballistic and cruise missiles is their combination of speed, maneuverability, and the portion of the atmosphere in which they operate (between 80,000 and 200,000 feet).

Going forward, hypersonic weapons are likely to play a major role in Moscows military modernization efforts. They are a counter to current and prospective deployments of advanced air and missile defenses by the U.S. and its allies. Hypersonic weapons allow the Russian military to hold at risk critical U.S. and allied targets from the outset of a future theater conflict, possibly winning the war in the initial salvo.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu went even farther, declaring that precision weapons, primarily hypersonic, would form a critical element of Russias non-nuclear deterrent: The potential of the non-nuclear deterrent forces, primarily of precision weapons, is being strengthened. They will be based on hypersonic systems of various bases.

Russia is leading the world in deployed hypersonic weapons. It is developing multiple classes of hypersonic weapons. Uniquely among the great powers, Russia has developed a strategic nuclear hypersonic weapon. This is the nuclear-capable Avangard warhead, deployed on the RS-18 ICBM and, in the future, on the giant RS-28. The first Avangard equipped unit was declared operational in late 2019.

Russia also is developing at least two classes of theater-range hypersonic weapons: the ship-launched Tsirkon, with an estimated range of between 250-600 miles, and the aircraft-launched ballistic missile Khinzhal, which can be deployed on Russian fighters and bombers. The Khinzhal is assessed to have a range of approximately 500 miles. Both weapons are believed to be dual-capable, unlike U.S. theater hypersonic weapons currently in development.

Russian president Vladimir Putin may be looking at advances in military capabilities, particularly hypersonic weapons, to buttress his domestic political position. In a 2020 conversation with a leading Russian ballistic missile designer, Putin made clear the importance of the development of advanced weapons systems as a demonstration of Russias great power status:

. . . for the first time in our contemporary history, Russia has the most cutting-edge types of weapons that are far superior to all earlier and current weapons in terms of their power, capability, speed, and, which is crucial, precision. Nobody else in the world has this type of weapons, at least at the moment.

Meanwhile, the U.S. sees its investments in hypersonic weapons as a way to address the progressing loss of precision deep strike capabilities created by Russian and Chinese investments in Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Hypersonics will enable the U.S. military to rapidly respond to the initiation of hostilities, strike high-value targets from much longer distances, and offset the ability of Russia to conduct massed missile and aircraft strikes. As General John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observed, hypersonic weapons could enable responsive, long-range, strike options against distant, defended, and/or time-critical threats [such as road-mobile missiles] when other forces are unavailable, denied access, or not preferred.

Given this, the U.S. is making a serious investment in conventionally armed hypersonic weapons. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office estimated total Pentagon spending on hypersonics at $15 billion over the next decade. This number is likely to rise as competition from Russia in emerging military technologies intensifies. The Army, Navy and Air Force each have one or more programs to develop and deploy a hypersonic weapon.

The Navys effort is a program called Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS), which will be deployed first on the most advanced versions of the Virginia-class attack submarine in the early 2020s. In the future, this system could be deployed on Arleigh Burke and Zumwalt-class destroyers as well as a new Large Surface Combatant.

For the Army, hypersonics are but one element of its long-range precision fires program. The Army is focused on the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a mobile, canister-launched version of CPS, that will hold high-value targets such as air defense sites, military depots, and headquarters at risk at ranges of 1,500 miles or more. It would like to have an initial operating capability for the LRHW in 2023.

The Air Force is concentrating on an air-launched hypersonic weapon. The AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), is a rocket-powered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle. It is believed to have a range of nearly 600 miles and is small and lightweight enough to allow multiple weapons to be carried on strategic bombers and tactical fighters. The Air Force is also reported to be developing the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM). The ARRW would be employed against the highest value, most time-critical targets, while the HACM would be deployed in larger numbers to attack a wide range of A2/AD targets.

The development and deployment of U.S. hypersonic weapons is vital to the maintenance of conventional deterrence of Russian conventional aggression in Europe or the Indo-Pacific region. Hypersonic weapons on land, in the air and at sea, will provide a powerful and credible counter to Russian investments in theater forces.

Dan Goure, Ph.D., is a vice president at the public-policy research think tank Lexington Institute. Goure has a background in the public sector and U.S. federal government, most recently serving as a member of the 2001 Department of Defense Transition Team. You can follow him on Twitter at @dgoure and the Lexington Institute @LexNextDC. Read his full bio here.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 22:49:02|Editor: huaxia

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A citizen wearing a face mask walks on a street in Hong Kong, south China, March 27, 2021. Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Saturday reported six new COVID-19 cases and all were imported infections. This is the first time in more than four months that no local cases were recorded in Hong Kong. The new cases were from India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Indonesia. The total tally was taken to 11,445, according to the CHP. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) on Saturday reported six new COVID-19 cases and all were imported infections.

This is the first time in more than four months that no local cases were recorded in Hong Kong. The new cases were from India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Indonesia. The total tally was taken to 11,445, according to the CHP.

Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Saturday that although in the past month the epidemic situation in Hong Kong has become volatile again, it is gratifying to note that by continuously enhancing anti-epidemic measures, Hong Kong has successfully contained the spread of the virus in a short period of time.

Lam said the number of COVID-19 cases quickly came down to low levels in recent days and the virus variants that are plaguing the world have not entered the local community, hoping that the public can participate in the vaccination program more actively so as to build an immune barrier for Hong Kong as soon as possible.

Hong Kong launched a COVID-19 vaccination program on Feb. 26. A total of 429,500 people had received their first dose of vaccine as of March 26.

The HKSAR government announced on Saturday evening the initial investigation results regarding the packaging defects of BioNTech vaccine, saying there is no evidence indicating any safety risks of the BioNTech vaccines delivered to Hong Kong (batch no. 210102 and 210104) and people who have received the vaccines need not worry.

For the sake of prudence and as a precautionary measure, the HKSAR government announced on March 24 the suspension of BioNTech vaccination after being notified that there were problems with the vaccine's vial caps.

According to the investigations done by Fosun Industrial Co. Ltd. and German manufacturer BioNTech, so far it is not ruled out that the problem was caused by environmental factors during long-haul transportation.

The HKSAR government is actively following up with Fosun and BioNTech to strive to complete the investigation procedures within a week, and will also keep close liaison with the supplier on the supply of the remaining doses of vaccine, with a view to ensuring that implementation of the vaccination program in Hong Kong can be continued, said a press release of the HKSAR government Saturday. Enditem
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Stellantis NV and Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio became the latest carmakers to announce new production cuts as a result of a global chip shortage.

Stellantis said on Friday it will temporarily halt production at five North American plants next week because of the global microchip shortage: two assembly plants in Canada, one in Mexico and two in the United States. The production halts will start next week through early to mid-April.

The plants affected are the company's Toluca, Mexico facility, where it produces the Jeep Compass; Windsor Assembly in Ontario where it builds Chrysler Pacifica minivans; a plant in Illinois that builds the Jeep Cherokee SUV; a Michigan plant that builds the Ram 1500 Classic pickup and another Ontario plant that builds the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger.

Stellantis did not specify how long the shutdowns would last, but a union local in Windsor said the minivan plant would halt production for four weeks starting on Monday.

Motor Co said Friday it will halt production for two days starting April 1 at its Smyrna Vehicle and Canton Vehicle Assembly Plants and Mexico Aguascalientes plant. Normal production will resume April 6.

Nio, one the main challengers to Tesla, which dominates the electric vehicle (EV) market in China, said it would halt production for five working days at its Hefei plant and cut its first-quarter delivery forecast by as much as 1,000 vehicles.

Shares of Nio, which makes the ES8 and ES6 electric sport-utility vehicles, ended the day down 4.8% on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ford Motor, Honda Motor, General Motors and Volkswagen were among the automakers caught off guard by the shortage, forcing many to hold back production even as car demand picked up during the pandemic.

Chip shortages have cost the global auto industry 130,000 vehicles in lost production, research firm AutoForecast Solutions estimates, with the heaviest impact in North America, with 74,000 units lost, and Western Europe, with 35,000 lost.

The chip scarcity is also a result of an increased demand from the consumer electronics industry as people worked from home and played more video games during the crisis. Sanctions against Chinese technology have also played a role.

Nio, which also faces competition from homegrown rivals such as Xpeng Inc, now expects to deliver 19,500 vehicles in the first quarter, down from a 20,000 to 20,500 range previously.

Ford had warned the shortage could hit its 2021 profit by up to $2.5 billion, while larger U.S. automaker GM expects the crisis to shave up to $2 billion off its full-year profit.

Ford, which was until now assembled its highly profitable F-150 without certain parts, said on Thursday it would idle production of the trucks at a plant in Michigan through Sunday.

GM and Japan's Honda both said this week they would continue production suspension at plants in North America for the coming weeks.

Swedish truck maker Volvo AB, meanwhile, said on Tuesday the chip shortage would have a "substantial" impact on its second-quarter earnings, and it would implement stop days across its sites globally beginning in April.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Sarah Morland in Gdansk, Josh Horwitz in Shanghai, Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by Peter Graff, Arun Koyyur, Alexander Smith and Jonathan Oatis)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agent and Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office (CPSO) Deputy participated in a successful search and rescue mission in the Gulf of Mexico in Cameron Parish on March 26.

LDWF Senior Agent Matthew Perkins received a call around 3 p.m. about a shrimp boat that was taking on water off the coast of the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. Perkins responded immediately in a 32-foot vessel with a CPSO deputy.

Around 4 p.m., Perkins and the CPSO deputy found the shrimp boat and were able to rescue the three people on board. They transported them back safely to shore with no injuries around 5 p.m.

The seas were rough today and the boat took on water flooding the engine compartment. One of the people on board was able to call 911 for help. Perkins and the CPSO deputy found the people on board on top of the sinking vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard will be the lead investigative agency for this commercial boating incident.
The family of a Queensland mother who was brutally killed at the hands of her son are still searching for answers after authorities failed to locate her body.

Daniel Paul Heazlewood, 33, killed his mother Linda Sidon, 46, in their housing commission home on the Gold Coast, in June 2009.

He drove 30km to the Numinbah Valley with Ms Sidon's body in the boot of his car and then buried her in a shallow grave.

Heazlewood was charged with manslaughter in 2015 and was handed an eight year jail sentence in 2018.

He was released just 29 months later in February this year - despite Queensland's 'No Body No Parole' law and authorities still unable to locate Ms Sidon's body.

Daniel Paul Heazlewood, 33, killed his mother Linda Sidon (pictured), 46, in their Housing Commission home on the Gold Coast, in June 2009

The victim's sister Pamela McLaren told the Gold Coast Bulletin she felt 'physically sick' knowing her nephew had been released back into the community.

Under state legislation, a killer cannot be granted parole if the body of the victim remains undiscovered.

The Parole Board can however release a prisoner if they are satisfied they made genuine attempts to identify the victim's remains.

Ms McLaren, who does not believe her nephew properly assisted police with their investigations, slammed the exemption.

'I believe that Daniel is just carrying on as usual, making everyone look like idiots,' she said.

'I don't feel like it's safe for the community. I don't think it's right this is how you get away with (killing) your mum. You just say that you don't know where the body is and you get out of jail within a few years. It's a bit of a joke.'

Heazlewood (pictured) was charged with manslaughter in 2015 and was handed an eight year jail sentence in 2018. He was released just 29 months later in February this year

Around the time of the trial, Heazlewood took part in a re-enactment of his mother's death and took police to the place he believed he had buried her, though could not remember the exact location.

The Parole Board noted in a report that environmental factors made recovering the body 'impossible'.

'His delay in providing the information in a timely manner during the investigation removed the usefulness of his information,' the report stated.

Ms Sidon's other sister Pauline declared the law is 'broken' and needs to be rewritten.

The mum-of-two said the legislation was brought in to bring loved ones home 'and it's not happening'.

Pauline Sidon is adamant she will never forgive her nephew for taking her sister's life.

The sisters have conceded that it is unlikely Ms Sidon's body will ever be relocated.

Sisters of manslaughter victim Linda Sidon leave the supreme Court in Brisbane, Monday, May 14, 2018. Pictured: Pamela McLaren (right) and Pauline Sidon (left)

Heazlewood was arrested in 2015 after police had put surveillance on him as a suspect in his mother's disappearance.

A surveillance device capture Heazlewood talking about his mother as he was driving to Numinbah Valley, where it was revealed later he had buried her.

'She just pushed me too far one day, so I killed her,' he could be heard saying.

After her death, Heazlewood allegedly told a friend how he felt about his mother.

'I hate her. I can't stand the b****,' he allegedly said.

While being interviewed by police after his arrest, Heazlewood told detectives his mother had come into his room brandishing a steak knife and started to verbally abuse him.

He said she would abuse him about the fact he was still living at home, and that he had jumped up and grabbed her wrist before they both ended up on the floor.

Heazlewood drove 30km to the Numinbah Valley with Ms Sidon's body in the boot of his car and then buried her in a shallow grave

'We were on the ground but I grabbed her wrist and then we struggled, I don't know if I was saying anything,' he said.

'And then somehow we fell and I was in the frame of my bedroom, and then her head was on my chest and we were both facing the roof and I had her wrist and I had my forearm around her neck and we were struggling and I had pressure on there [her neck].

'And I don't think it was very long and then she wasn't moving.'

Heazlewood said he then 'scooted' away from her and went into the lounge room for a while before going back and moving her body to her bed. A 'day or two' later he decided to check on her and found she wasn't breathing.

'So then I sat around the house for another while wondering what to do, I remember at some point I went to Bunnings and I bought a shovel and a bag of lime, I remember hearing from a movie lime does something,' he said.

He said he then wrapped her in a blanket before moving her to the boot of her own car.

'Then that night I drove to pine creek road, and then I left the car and went into the bush a bit and dug a hole,' he said.

'And then I went back to the car and I remember trying to carry her, I couldn't, I kept dry reaching and vomiting when I tried to put her on my shoulder so I just dragged her.'

He said he dumped her body in the hole he had dug, covered it with lime and dirt and left.
In a matter of weeks, Alabama's mask mandate is set to expire.

We learned Friday that the Madison County mask mandate has the same expiration date. On Apr. 9, it'll be up to businesses and individuals if they mask up or not.

The topic of masks has always been a divided one, and that's still the case. We spoke with several people at Big Spring Park on Friday, and some were excited to hear about the mandate expiring while others were not.

At Thursday's Huntsville City Council meeting, several citizens chose to speak out against the mandate. That's when Mayor Tommy Battle announced the Huntsville-Area COVID-19 Leadership Team has made the decision to let the county-wide mask mandate expire when the state's does.

That decision was based off the current coronavirus-infection rate and the number of hospitalizations. We reached out to the mayor on Friday and learned city hall and municipal offices will still require masking. However, now, it's up to business owners if they will do the same, or let their customers choose.

Sandra Taylor, a Huntsville resident, said "it's just an act of respect, as well as an act of being concerned about your health."

Another Huntsville resident, Alex Keiningham, said "it's close to very good timing. Another week or two would be better, but at the end of the day, I think it should be up to businesses to really enforce it themselves."

However, one woman said she believes the decision should be entirely up to the individual and not the business.

"I don't necessarily think a business should tell me whether or not I should have to wear one. I feel like that's my own individual right and if someone else shopping in a store would like to wear one, I think absolutely if that makes you feel more comfortable," Brooke Sasso said.

Battle added if coronavirus cases begin to rise again, they can re-instate the mask order.

The biggest concerns among doctors we've spoken to in the past is that this could cause a spike in cases, since we haven't vaccinated enough people.

Only 24% of Madison County's population has received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. To reach herd immunity, doctors say it needs to be around 60 to 70%.

The City of Decatur has yet to make a decision of its own. It has a citywide masking ordinance in place right now.

Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling told WAAY 31 that the city council will likely discuss whether or not to lift it this upcoming Monday during a work session meeting.

Mayor Tommy Battle provided the following statement:

"The City of Huntsville supports the consensus of the Huntsville-area COVID-19 leadership team, which looks to our state and local health care experts for guidance. At this time, our community is doing a good job keeping the number of positive cases down, and the team believes we will be able to allow the mask order to expire. This does not mean wearing masks will end. We will continue to mask up in City Hall and municipal offices, and will ask the public to do likewise when coming in to do business. For the community, they will be able to use personal responsibility on whether to wear a mask in their places of business, worship, dining, and congregant settings. Should the number of COVID-19 cases start to rise again, our health care partners reserve the right to reinstate the mask order. We hope our residents will get the vaccine at their earliest opportunity and help keep us on the right track to getting this pandemic behind us."


Norwich church climate activists back Bill Norwich church climate activists back Bill

St Francis Church, Heartsease, Norwich, took part in the banner drop and twitter storm in support of the Climate and Emergency Bill earlier today (March 26).

This is a Private Members Bill, and supporters are hoping that it will travel the same journey as the 2008 Climate Act, which started as a Private Members Bill before being picked up by the Government. Activists from St Francis are asking Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, to back the Bill.



It is already ahead of expectations in that it has support from over 100 MPs, from eight different political parties. The banner drop was meant to coincide with the Second Reading, which was due to be on March 26 until the pandemic meant that Friday Parliamentary business was cancelled, but the action hwent ahead anyway.



The aim of the Bill is to enshrine the Paris Agreement in domestic law, by reducing global emissions to keep planetary heating within 1.5 degrees, with this country doing its fair share. This includes treating climate and nature together, and ensuring that global justice is built into the solutions. A Citizen's Assembly would have a central part in bringing in detailed policy.



The idea to support this at St Francis came through the Eco Church steering group, which realised that while there needs to be a change in church and individual lifestyle, that is not going to be enough without decisive government action.



Sue Green, co-ordinator of the St Francis Eco Church Steering group, said: I am encouraged that my local church is backing this Bill because I believe this country needs to cut carbon emissions much further and faster than is currently planned. In addition to this, the equally serious ecological crisis needs to be addressed. The CEE Bill does both of these things, making it a legal requirement that the Government act urgently.



I am also pleased to hear of other churches and Christians in the UK doing banner drops (as well as people representing other organisations) in order to try to gain more support from MPs across the country. Christians and Churches can be hugely influential in bringing about the changes we want to see happen.



St Francis vicar, Rev Janet Wyer, said: We are deeply grateful to Jim Green for getting to grips with making the banner and finding a way to display it safely  although a labour of love its been a lot of hard work. But to reverse the effects of climate change, much, much more hard work lies ahead for all of us - thats why it is so important to get things moving now.



Here at St Francis we are fully committed to doing all we can  and we want to give the Heartsease community the opportunity to join us in the push for change. We are hoping they will see the banner and the other initiatives we are launching and get involved. Together we can make a difference.



Pictured above is climate activist Jim Green with the banner at St Francis.






Guwahati, March 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, on Saturday urged voters of West Bengal and Assam to cast their votes in record numbers.

Modi tweeted: "Today, the phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections began. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers." "The first phase of elections began in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote." In the first phase, 30 of the total of 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal and 47 of the 126 Assembly seats in Assam went to polls on Saturday under a heavy security measures.

Among the Assembly polls in five states, West Bengal has the maximum number of seats and highest phases staggered into eight, while polling would be held in Assam in three phases. Along with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, results would be declared in five states on May 2.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Flor McAuliffe with his wife Catherine and daughter Claire loading up the calves in Kiskeam prior to departure for Listowel Mart for the Donate a Calf fundraiser which will benefit the Oncology Palliative Care Unit at Tralee General Hospital.

Ready for road: Kiskeam man Flor McAuliffe heading for Listowel Mart with the 17 calves he collected for the Donate a Calf fundraiser which will benefit the Oncology Palliative Care Unit at Tralee General Hospital. Photos by Sheila Fitzgerald.

It was a case of 'All together like Brown's Cows' as 17 calves were loaded onto a transporter in Kiskeam on Wednesday morning. The animals, bound for Listowel Mart, were given by local farmers as part of the 'Donate a Calf' fundraiser which is set to benefit the Oncology Palliative Care Unit at Tralee General Hospital.

The collection was organised by Kiskeam man Flor McAuliffe who was so touched when he read about the incredible care provided to Moyvane native John McGrath at the Unit while he battled oesophageal cancer in 2019. John subsequently passed away on January 26th last.

As John was from a farming background, his fiancee Erin Stack decided to set up the 'Donate a Calf' fundraiser and present the proceeds to the hospital, and she set about rearing 10 calves herself to get the ball rolling. "Palliative care is just amazing, it's not just about end of life, it's about symptom control, support for families etc. What they did for John during his last 13 months was amazing," Erin said, adding that she wanted to do something positive to remember John and raise awareness about cancer because it impacts so many people's lives.

Meanwhile, 'Donate a Calf' began to gain momentum with animals coming in from Cork, Carlow, Monaghan and Laois, as well as Erin's own County Kerry.

As local farmers rolled up with their calves in Kiskeam for collection, Flor McAuliffe said he was delighted with the response and said that even though the Calf Sale was on in Listowel on Wednesday, people can still donate money at www.gofundme.com/f/donate-a-calf-fundraiser-for-john-mcgrath
Historically, the Foreign Service has been a prestigious career field that offered U.S. citizens financial stability, the ability to travel and the chance to shape Americas relationship with the rest of the world.

Foreign Service officers  who undergo a rigorous selection process that includes written exams, oral assessments, security checks and medical clearances  pledge to be nonpartisan as they become the machinery of foreign policymaking that political appointees rely on for expertise and continuity between administrations. Very few who take and pass the test end up being offered a position, experts note.

But in recent years, as the opportunity to make significantly larger salaries in banking, consulting and technology have grown, the interest in the Foreign Service has started to dwindle, experts said. The Trump administrations hostility toward career diplomats exacerbated the decline, they added.

During Mr. Trumps tenure, his administration installed an America First policy, prioritizing domestic interests over foreign policy concerns and minimizing the importance of day-to-day diplomatic work.

Federal surveys showed that morale in the State Department dropped. Career officials were derided as members of a Deep State Department. Senior Foreign Service officers were pushed out of the agency. Marie L. Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, was subjected to a smear campaign and ousted from her job. Steve A. Linick was removed as the inspector general of the State Department amid investigations into Secretary of State Mike Pompeos potential misuse of government resources.

Battered and belittled, too many career officials have been tempted to go along to get along, William J. Burns and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, both longtime Foreign Service officers who are now in the Biden administration, wrote in an essay published in September in Foreign Affairs.

That undercuts not only morale but also a policy process that depends on apolitical experts airing contrary views, however inconvenient they may be to the politically appointed leadership, they added.
Abuja  President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday attributed insecurity in parts of the country to lack of employment opportunities in most rural communities.

The president, in a statement in Abuja by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, expressed concern that for decades, previous government policies focused on urban development at the expense of rural inclusion.

He said: "In the last four years, we have worked hard to bridge some of these economic imbalances through our various agricultural and financial policies to attract employment opportunities to rural areas. As we continue to expand our security operations to bring an end to these challenges, it is important to note that peace and prosperity can only be sustained if we collectively and actively support investments that take opportunities to our rural citizens.

"I therefore urge our governors, bankers, investors and entrepreneurs to look beyond our cities when it comes to investments. As we have seen from Nigeria's five-year fertiliser revolution, if investors are willing to endure the short-term 'start-up' pains, they will surely benefit from long-term sustainable and substantial gains."

The president, while playing host to a delegation of Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), stated that a new basic chemicals platform worth $1.3 billion, to produce ammonia and fertilisers in the country will soon be ready for inauguration.

He said the new plant, whose location he didn't disclose, would be built in partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco.

The federal government and the Kingdom of Morocco had earlier this month, signed five strategic Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to foster Nigeria-Morocco bilateral collaboration and promote the development of hydrocarbons, agriculture and commerce in both countries.

Under the agreement between OCP Africa, NSIA and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria will import phosphate from the Kingdom of Morocco and use it to produce blended fertiliser for the local market and export.

Nigeria will also produce ammonia and export it to Morocco.

As part of the project, Nigeria is to establish an ammonia plant in Akwa Ibom State.

Buhari said: "His Majesty, the King of Morocco and I have agreed to extend the current phosphate supply agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and Nigeria. We both believe that to consolidate and expand on the successes recorded thus far, we must secure raw material supplies for our blenders.

"Furthermore, to improve the balance of trade between Nigeria and Morocco, the two countries have signed an agreement to develop a $1.3 billion basic chemicals platform in Nigeria which will produce ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid and various nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilisers using Nigeria's gas reserves."

The president added that the new plant, when completed, would complement the those of Dangote and Indorama Chemicals facilities which produce urea, ammonia and other industrial raw materials.

"When we combine these projects with the existing 44 blending plants, Nigeria will indeed become a regional and global fertiliser power house," he said.

Commenting on the activities of the FEPSAN, Buhari expressed delight in the progress they have made over the past five years, saying despite the country going through recessions during the period, investments in the fertiliser and agricultural inputs sector continued to grow.

"Though many investors chose to take their monies out of Nigeria, you continued to invest. Today, we are seeing the fruits of your smart, long-term and patriotic decisions. This is why all Nigerians should be proud of the personal commitments and sacrifices you all made in getting us to where we are today.

"Another commendable trait worth mentioning is that all your investments have been balanced between urban and rural Nigeria. These are the types of investments needed to address the unemployment and security challenges our nation is facing today," Buhari stated.

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According to him, the federal government will continue to ensure a conducive business environment for investments to flourish.

The president also commended Jigawa State Governor, Mr. Badaru Abubakar; Mr. Thomas Etuh and his FEPSAN team, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), security and intelligence agencies and all federal and state government agencies for their collaboration in making the project possible.

Earlier, FEPSAN President, Etuh, had recounted that at their first meeting with the president five years ago, he committed the association to reduce Nigeria's reliance on import, enhance fertiliser availability and affordability and create jobs over a four-year period.

"Today, four years later, Mr. President, I am proud to inform Your Excellency, and indeed all Nigerians, that mission is accomplished," he said.

Etuh stated that from three blending plants operating at 40 per cent capacity in 2016, Nigeria today has 44 blending plants most of which are operating at full capacity.
Writer Susan Johnson discusses her upbringing, career and the men who have influenced her.

Susan Johnson: I see men as equally vulnerable, though I still think they are more powerful in politics and business. Its clear we still have a long way to go. Credit:Chrissa Fatsea

Occupation Writer

Age 64

Relationship status In a relationship

Best known for Her novel The Broken Book

Ive had a lot of good storytelling men in my life, like my father, John. He grew up in Queensland and became a cadet journalist while at university. Between journalism stints, he volunteered as a patrol officer in Papua New Guinea. In this quasi-policing role, the inexperienced 21-year-old assisted in operations to remove limbs.

Dad became a sales manger for 3M. He travelled a lot and returned from Japan with cans of chocolate-covered ants. He liked practical jokes and had a gorilla suit he brought back from the US. But at 40 he swapped corporate life for pineapple farming, and we moved from Sydney to outside Nambour, in Queensland. He was successful at it, despite a cyclone almost wiping him out the first year.
Investigations editor

Larry Parnass, investigations editor, joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant and CommonWealth Magazine.
Streetwise: Modern School Days

by Frank Dunnigan

June 2018

As the academic year wraps up, it is time to remember that local schools have changed significantly from the days when many of us were in attendance. A large number of institutions, both public and private, have closed or merged, and many brand-new schools have sprung up. This month we look at some of these changes to the local educational scene.

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is the seventh largest school district in California, educating over 57,000 students each year in 133 schools--though specific enrollment numbers are sometimes hard to come by. The district includes elementary schools (K-5), alternatively configured schools (K-8), middle schools (Grades 6-8), high schools (Grades 9-12), schools with Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and charter schools.

Public High Schools

Most people are familiar with San Francisco's long-established public high schools: Balboa, Galileo, Lincoln, Lowell, Mission, and Washington. In addition, there are newer ones that have undergone significant changes:

J. Eugene McAteer: Established in 1973 to replace Polytechnic High, McAteer began losing enrollment and experiencing a drop in graduation rates by the late 1990s. SFUSD voted in early 2002 to close the thirty-year-old school at the end of that academic year. In 1982, School of the Arts (SOTA) was established on the McAteer campus, separate from the original high school. SOTA relocated when McAteer was under renovation, and in 2010, it returned to Portola Drive as Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts at the McAteer Campus where it shares space with The Academy-San Francisco@McAteer.

Established in 1973 to replace Polytechnic High, McAteer began losing enrollment and experiencing a drop in graduation rates by the late 1990s. SFUSD voted in early 2002 to close the thirty-year-old school at the end of that academic year. In 1982, School of the Arts (SOTA) was established on the McAteer campus, separate from the original high school. SOTA relocated when McAteer was under renovation, and in 2010, it returned to Portola Drive as where it shares space with Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School: Founded in 1981 and named for the Swedish diplomat, the school operates with more than 600 students on the remodeled campus of the former Anza School near Masonic Avenue.

Founded in 1981 and named for the Swedish diplomat, the school operates with more than 600 students on the remodeled campus of the former Anza School near Masonic Avenue. Thurgood Marshall Academic High School: Founded in 1994 as a new academic college-prep high school, the campus occupies the former site of Pelton Junior High near Silver Avenue.

Founded in 1994 as a new academic college-prep high school, the campus occupies the former site of Pelton Junior High near Silver Avenue. Woodrow Wilson: Opened in 1964 on Mansell Street, the school was re-purposed as Philip and Sala Burton Academic High School twenty years later and currently serves 1,300 students.

In recent years, SFUSD has also opened several smaller, alternative high schools: Academy, City Arts and Tech, Civic Center Secondary, Downtown, Five Keys Independence, Gateway, Hilltop, Ida B. Wells, Independence, International Studies Academy, June Jordan School for Equity, Leadership, Life Learning Academy, San Francisco Flex Academy, and San Francisco International.

Public Charter Schools

Some of the district's charter schools--defined as publicly-funded independent schools established by teachers, parents, or community groups under the terms of a charter with a local school authority--include the following:

Creative Arts/Western Addition: Founded in 1994 as K-3, it expanded to K-8 in 1997, with two classes of students per grade level and is now located downtown at the site of the former Golden Gate Elementary School.

Founded in 1994 as K-3, it expanded to K-8 in 1997, with two classes of students per grade level and is now located downtown at the site of the former Golden Gate Elementary School. Gateway/Western Addition: Gateway High was established in 1998 as a college-prep institution, with a middle school added in 2011. Gateway operates alongside KIPP Academy in the 1913 building that once housed Girls High School and later, Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

Gateway High was established in 1998 as a college-prep institution, with a middle school added in 2011. Gateway operates alongside KIPP Academy in the 1913 building that once housed Girls High School and later, Benjamin Franklin Middle School. KIPP Academy/College Prep/Bayview & Western Addition: Part of a national network of 209 public charter middle/high schools that began operating in the 1990s.

Part of a national network of 209 public charter middle/high schools that began operating in the 1990s. Mission Preparatory, Mission: Opened in August 2011 with 50 kindergarteners, the school continues to expand each year by one grade level, and at full capacity will serve 450 students in grades K-8.

Opened in August 2011 with 50 kindergarteners, the school continues to expand each year by one grade level, and at full capacity will serve 450 students in grades K-8. One-Purpose, Bayview: One-Purpose is a TK-3 school serving children from high-poverty neighborhoods, with plans to grow into a TK-12 school.

One-Purpose is a TK-3 school serving children from high-poverty neighborhoods, with plans to grow into a TK-12 school. The New School of San Francisco, Potrero Hill: A K-3 school designed by educators, parents, and community leaders in 2015.

A K-3 school designed by educators, parents, and community leaders in 2015. Thomas Edison Charter Academy (TK-8), Mission/Noe Valley: Operating at the site of the old Edison School, this charter academy was established in 2001 as K-5, expanded to K-8 a few years later, and more recently, added Transitional Kindergarten.

Private Schools

There are 109 private schools in San Francisco, serving 25,643 students. Approximately 50% of these schools have a religious affiliation, most often Jewish, Lutheran, or Roman Catholic. Students of color represent 56% of enrollments. All schools are co-educational except as noted below. Annual tuitions range from about $8,000 to $40,000 per student, with financial aid (AKA sliding-scale/flex-tuition) often covering 25%-40% of students. Today, there are many private schools operating with 100+ students:

Adda Clevenger School (122 students) is an independent school for the arts, opened in 1980, with Grades 1-8, and TK/K added more recently. The school operates in the former St. James Boys' School building in the Mission.

(122 students) is an independent school for the arts, opened in 1980, with Grades 1-8, and TK/K added more recently. The school operates in the former St. James Boys' School building in the Mission. Bay School (346 students) serves students in Grades 9-12, and has been operating in the Presidio since 2004.

(346 students) serves students in Grades 9-12, and has been operating in the Presidio since 2004. Brandeis School (400 students) is a K-8 private Jewish day school, founded in 1963 and operating on Brotherhood Way.

(400 students) is a K-8 private Jewish day school, founded in 1963 and operating on Brotherhood Way. Cathedral School for Boys (265 students) is a K-8 institution founded in 1957 and affiliated with Grace Cathedral (Episcopal).

for Boys (265 students) is a K-8 institution founded in 1957 and affiliated with Grace Cathedral (Episcopal). Children's Day School (440 students) is a pre-K-8 school located on Dolores Street. Opened in 1983, the school has more than doubled in size since then.

(440 students) is a pre-K-8 school located on Dolores Street. Opened in 1983, the school has more than doubled in size since then. Chinese-American International School (520 students) opened in 1981, later and now operates as a K-8 at three locations.

(520 students) opened in 1981, later and now operates as a K-8 at three locations. Cornerstone Academy (924 students) opened as a pre-school on Lawton Street in 1975 and is now a pre-K-8 operating on three campus sites, including the old Simpson Bible College building on Silver Avenue.

(924 students) opened as a pre-school on Lawton Street in 1975 and is now a pre-K-8 operating on three campus sites, including the old Simpson Bible College building on Silver Avenue. Drew School (280 students) is an independent, college-prep high school that has been operating at its current site on California Street since 1911, with a significant campus expansion in 2001.

(280 students) is an independent, college-prep high school that has been operating at its current site on California Street since 1911, with a significant campus expansion in 2001. French-American International School (1,100 students) is a Pre-K-12 school, founded in 1963, operating in the Civic Center neighborhood.

(1,100 students) is a Pre-K-12 school, founded in 1963, operating in the Civic Center neighborhood. Hamlin School (404 students) is a private K-8 girls' school established by Sarah Dix Hamlin in 1898, with roots going back to 1863.

(404 students) is a private K-8 girls' school established by Sarah Dix Hamlin in 1898, with roots going back to 1863. Jewish Community High School (153 students) was founded in 2001 and now operates Grades 9-12 at its Western Addition neighborhood site.

(153 students) was founded in 2001 and now operates Grades 9-12 at its Western Addition neighborhood site. Katherine Delmar Burke (402 students) is a private K-8 girls' school in the Sea Cliff neighborhood. Founded in Pacific Heights in 1908, the school included a high school division until 1975.

(402 students) is a private K-8 girls' school in the Sea Cliff neighborhood. Founded in Pacific Heights in 1908, the school included a high school division until 1975. KZV Armenian School (122 students) was established in 1980 as a pre-K-Grade 1 school on Brotherhood Way, with additional grade levels added annually until it became K-8.

(122 students) was established in 1980 as a pre-K-Grade 1 school on Brotherhood Way, with additional grade levels added annually until it became K-8. Lick Wilmerding (490 students)--See http://www.outsidelands.org/streetwise-lick.php

(490 students)--See http://www.outsidelands.org/streetwise-lick.php Lisa Kampner Hebrew Academy (107 students) opened as a pre-K-3 school in the Richmond District in 1969, later expanding to K-12, and graduating its first high school class in 1980.

(107 students) opened as a pre-K-3 school in the Richmond District in 1969, later expanding to K-12, and graduating its first high school class in 1980. Live Oak School (266 students) was established in 1971 as a K-5 school and expanded to K-8 in 1992. The school now operates on Potrero Hill.

(266 students) was established in 1971 as a K-5 school and expanded to K-8 in 1992. The school now operates on Potrero Hill. Lycee Francais de San Francisco (1,000 students) was founded in 1967, and operates pre-K-5 at the old St. Agnes School on Ashbury Street (acquired-1996), and grades 6-12 at the former San Francisco Conservatory of Music (acquired-2005) on 19th Avenue.

(1,000 students) was founded in 1967, and operates pre-K-5 at the old St. Agnes School on Ashbury Street (acquired-1996), and grades 6-12 at the former San Francisco Conservatory of Music (acquired-2005) on 19th Avenue. Marin Preparatory Academy (200 students) is a TK-5 school, founded in 2008 and currently operating at the site of the former Most Holy Redeemer School in the Castro.

(200 students) is a TK-5 school, founded in 2008 and currently operating at the site of the former Most Holy Redeemer School in the Castro. Presidio Hill (200 students) is the oldest K-8 progressive school in California, established in 1918 and operating in Pacific Heights.

(200 students) is the oldest K-8 progressive school in California, established in 1918 and operating in Pacific Heights. Presidio Knolls (207 students) was founded in 2008 as a Mandarin-language immersion school, operating at the old St. Joseph School site South-of-Market.

(207 students) was founded in 2008 as a Mandarin-language immersion school, operating at the old St. Joseph School site South-of-Market. San Francisco Day School (396 students) began in 1981 as a private K-2 school and expanded to K-12 after acquiring/remodeling the former Carew & English Mortuary at Golden Gate and Masonic Avenues in 1985.

(396 students) began in 1981 as a private K-2 school and expanded to K-12 after acquiring/remodeling the former Carew & English Mortuary at Golden Gate and Masonic Avenues in 1985. San Francisco Friends School (400 students) is located in the Mission District and began operating in 2002, following traditional Quaker teachings.

(400 students) is located in the Mission District and began operating in 2002, following traditional Quaker teachings. San Francisco School (275 students) was founded in 1966 as Montessori in the Portola neighborhood, and is now K-8 with two classes at each grade level.

(275 students) was founded in 1966 as Montessori in the Portola neighborhood, and is now K-8 with two classes at each grade level. Stratford School (300 students) was founded in 1999 and operates as a K-8 school at 3 sites, including the former Corpus Christi and St. Emydius schools.

(300 students) was founded in 1999 and operates as a K-8 school at 3 sites, including the former Corpus Christi and St. Emydius schools. Sterne School (158 students) was established in 1976 for Grades 4-8 students who were not finding success in regular classrooms, and now operates from the former site of St. Mary's School.

(158 students) was established in 1976 for Grades 4-8 students who were not finding success in regular classrooms, and now operates from the former site of St. Mary's School. Town School for Boys (400 students) is a K-8 school in Pacific Heights, founded in 1939, with two classes per grade level.

(400 students) is a K-8 school in Pacific Heights, founded in 1939, with two classes per grade level. University High School (410 students) is a college-prep school established in the 1970s in Pacific Heights, with numerous expansions over the years.

(410 students) is a college-prep school established in the 1970s in Pacific Heights, with numerous expansions over the years. The Urban School (420 students) is a college-prep school, founded in 1966, and operating at two sites in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

(420 students) is a college-prep school, founded in 1966, and operating at two sites in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Waldorf School (462 students) operates as pre-K-12 at two sites: grade school in Pacific Heights and high school on West Portal Avenue at Sloat Boulevard.

(462 students) operates as pre-K-12 at two sites: grade school in Pacific Heights and high school on West Portal Avenue at Sloat Boulevard. West Portal Lutheran (500 students) was founded in 1951, with two campus sites today: Grades K-3 at 37th Avenue & Moraga (site acquired in 1974 and later rebuilt) and Grades 4-8 at the original 19th Avenue & Sloat site.

(500 students) was founded in 1951, with two campus sites today: Grades K-3 at 37th Avenue & Moraga (site acquired in 1974 and later rebuilt) and Grades 4-8 at the original 19th Avenue & Sloat site. Zion Lutheran (153 students) is a K-8 school that has been operating in the Richmond District since 1947.

Catholic Schools

Come back next month to read a full updated column on ALL of San Franciscos Catholic elementary and high schools.

Today, with rising housing costs and a shrinking number of school-age children, it is very likely that many more changes lay ahead for all San Francisco schools.

Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places!
Every year, the Hyundai brand offers a wide range of available sales events. Specifically, the Spring Sales Event is one of many times in March when citizens looking for a new vehicle can find select specials at Hyundai dealers. Those in the Muskogee, OK area can find such options at James Hodge Hyundai, who is a participating dealer in the event. The sale includes offers on APR financing rates as well as cash offers on popular 2021 Hyundai models.

Well-qualified buyers can utilize a special financing offer upon purchase of a new Hyundai model. Those who are eligible can receive up to zero percent APR financing for 60 months for select 2021 models. Plus, customers can receive zero payments for 90 days when financing at said rate on a 2021 Hyundai vehicle. Such offers can be applied to models such as the 2021 Hyundai Kona or the 2021 Hyundai Tucson. However, the two popular options can also receive up to $3,500 in total savings in replacement of the financing offer.

Beyond financing offers, James Hodge Hyundai has cash specials for various 2021 models in its inventory this month. During the event, qualified buyers can receive cash offers on many 2021 and 2020 Hyundai models. The highest cash offer can be added to 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe models, which can receive $4250 off its initial price. A complete list of cash offers available and eligibility can be found on their sales page.

Customers in the Muskogee area looking to utilize the Spring Sales Event have until March 31 to reach an agreement. Those with questions on any specials or models available are welcomed to contact James Hodge Hyundai directly. An associate can be reached over the phone at 833-331-0067 or in-person at 1330 North Main Street in Muskogee. Otherwise, those looking to view the inventory online can do so at https://www.jameshodgehyundai.com/.


Uranium Energy Corp\-\-s Executive VP Scott Melbye Testifies at the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy&Natural Resources

Posted by Publisher Internet

Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE American: UEC, the ?Company? or ?UEC?  https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/scott-melbye-uranium-market-fundamentals-are-very-bullish/) is pleased to report our Executive Vice President Scott Melbye, and current President of the Uranium Producers of America, presented testimony at the Full Committee Hearing on Nuclear Energy for the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources on March 25, 2021.

A link to watch the video of Mr. Melbye?s testimony and the full text are below:?https://www.uraniumenergy.com/usuranium/

?It is an honor to testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.? I am a second-generation American uranium miner, current President of the Uranium Producers of America and Executive Vice President of Uranium Energy Corp, with operations Texas and Wyoming.

I have 36 years of experience in every facet of the international nuclear fuel cycle from the production and global marketing of uranium to its use as clean-energy fuel in the Palo Verde Nuclear Station near Phoenix, Arizona.?

This is an exciting time for nuclear, which is already providing electricity to 1 in 5 American homes and over half of our nation?s carbon-free power.? Nuclear power can work hand in hand with other green technologies, like wind and solar, to help advance the American clean energy revolution.? But the United States must re-establish its global nuclear leadership, including a robust nuclear fuel cycle that has been eroded by Russia, China, and state-owned uranium entities in recent years.

America is dangerously close to losing our uranium fuel industrial base:

We lack a domestic enrichment capacity free of control by foreign powers;

The sole U.S. conversion facility in Illinois has been idle since 2017 and will restart operations in 2023;

we are nearly completely dependent on foreign uranium imports ? state-owned entities in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan are supplying almost half of the fuel used by America?s reactor fleet.

Chinese state-owned entities are capturing large portions of global uranium mining capacity, taking supply out of the free-market and putting it under Beijing?s control.

Uranium is also required for naval propulsion and nuclear deterrence, the pure essence of what it means to be a critical mineral.? The 93 small modular reactors in our fleet of 82 aircraft carriers and submarines have defended our interests safely and reliably since the 1950?s.? These reactors must rely on U.S. origin uranium which is unobligated to the controls of foreign nations and we need to retain our ability to independently refuel them.? TVA?s tritium production and Department of Defense micro-reactors have similar domestic uranium requirements.? Absent a renewed commitment to America?s nuclear fuel cycle, we are jeopardizing our defense capabilities and our clean energy goals.?

Russia and China fully leverage energy dominance to their geopolitical advantage.? They are playing a long game in a way America is not, using their nuclear energy clout to strengthen geopolitical ties with energy-starved countries around the world.? America is also risking its seat at the global nonproliferation table.

The similarities to our rare earth mineral dependance on China are startling, but it doesn?t have to be this way and it isn?t too late.? We have over one billion pounds of uranium in known and likely deposits in the United States.? With 21st century conventional mining practices and environmentally friendly in-situ uranium recovery technology, the modern uranium mining industry is very different than was the case in the 1950?s. We are highly regulated, and embrace (for many reasons) the world?s highest health, safety, and environmental protection standards.? We are cost-competitive globally but for the price undercutting tactics of state-owned companies.

With swift action to implement the strategic uranium reserve, the Department of Energy can take advantage of the licensed infrastructure and human resources we still have on standby.?

Congress recently appropriated 75 million dollars for the uranium reserve on a bipartisan basis and with the support of nuclear utilities.? It is crucial the Department move quickly to begin purchasing uranium this year.? This will preserve the industrial base, guard against global supply disruptions, and create a source of U.S.-origin uranium for defense needs.? We urge Congress to grant the full funding recommended over the next ten years by the interagency Nuclear Fuel Working Group led by the Department of Energy.? 150 million dollars a year is a modest investment considering it will preserve the nuclear fuel cycle in the U.S. instead of ceding it to Russia, China, and their allies.?

In closing, I applaud this Committee for exploring ways to advance America?s nuclear leadership and capabilities in support of clean energy goals, national security, and our global competitive presence.? I look forward to taking any questions that you may have.?

About Uranium Energy Corp

Uranium Energy Corp is a U.S.-based uranium mining and exploration company. As a leading pure-play American uranium company, UEC is advancing the next generation of low-cost and environmentally friendly In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining uranium projects.? In South Texas, the Company?s hub-and-spoke operations are anchored by our fully-licensed Hobson Processing Facility which is central to our Palangana, Burke Hollow, Goliad and other ISR pipeline projects. In Wyoming, UEC controls the Reno Creek project, which is the largest permitted, pre-construction ISR uranium project in the U.S. Additionally, the Company?s diversified holdings provide exposure to a unique portfolio of uranium related assets, including: 1) major equity stake in the only royalty company in the sector, Uranium Royalty Corp; 2) physical uranium warehoused in the U.S.; and 3) a pipeline of resource-stage uranium projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Paraguay. In Paraguay, the Company owns one of the largest and highest-grade ferro-titanium deposits in the world. The Company?s operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes \forward-looking statements\ as such term is used in applicable?United States?and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as \expects\ or \does not expect\, \is expected\, \anticipates\ or \does not anticipate\, \plans, \estimates\ or \intends\, or stating that certain actions, events or results \may\, \could\, \would\, \might\ or \will\ be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as \forward-looking statements\. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, market and other conditions, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company\-\-s ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company\-\-s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For?forward-looking?statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor?for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.
Embattled Liberal National Party MP Andrew Laming has been given a second dressing-down by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in three days after it was revealed he had bullied two women online.

Brisbane woman Alix Russo told Nine News Brisbane on Thursday the MP had falsely accused her of misappropriating money, while separately Brisbane woman Sheena Hewlett claimed the MP had hidden in bushes and photographed her in a park in 2019 - which she reported to police.

Liberal MP Andrew Laming in Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Ms Russo, a charity worker, told Nine News: I dont want to be attacked anymore and that she had reached a point where she was suicidal following the MPs comments, which included a post that unfortunately for you, I make the rules and you follow them.

That prompted Mr Laming to issue an unreserved apology to both women in parliament late on Thursday after a meeting over what Mr Morrison described as disgraceful behaviour.
Roughly 1,000 people rallied against anti-Asian racism Friday in Southeast Portland, marking the citys latest Stop Asian Hate event.

The crowd gathered at Harrison Park for an event featuring speakers and performances, as well as an array of tents where people offered resources, information, Asian food and pizza.

The event came the week after a series of shootings at three Atlanta-area spas. Of the eight people killed, six were Asian American women.

About 200 people gathered last weekend along Portlands waterfront to honor the victims.

Hate crimes targeting Asian people in major U.S. cities rose by nearly 150% in 2020, even though hate crimes overall decreased by 7%, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks and reports bias crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, tallied nearly 3,800 incidents from March 19, 2020, to the end of last month nationwide.

Bias crimes against Asian American women comprised 68% of the reports. Thirty-five percent of them happened in businesses.

The report noted 40 racist incidents in Oregon.

 Mark Graves

Jaimie Ding of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.
Arkansas Governor Signs Law Protecting Conscience Rights for Health Care Providers

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed into law on March 26 a measure that protects health care providers from discrimination if they refuse to provide medical services for religious or moral reasons.

The bill, known as the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, states that doctors and other health care workers have the right to not participate in a health care service if it violates their conscience. The law seeks to protect the right of conscience and prevents others from discriminating against a medical practitioner who exercises his or her conscience rights.

However, it carves out an exception that prevents health care workers of faith from denying emergency medical care.

I weighed this bill very carefully, and it should be noted that I opposed the bill in the 2017 legislative session. The bill was changed to ensure that the exercise of the right of conscience is limited to conscience-based objections to a particular health care service,' Hutchinson said in a statement.

Hutchinson opposed a similar measure in 2017 that failed before a House committee. But he said the law he signed was narrower and limits the objections to particular health care services, not treating specific types of people.

I support this right of conscience so long as emergency care is exempted and conscience objection cannot be used to deny general health service to any class of people. Most importantly, the federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, and national origin continue to apply to the delivery of health care services, he said.

The law also creates a pathway for health care workers who have been discriminated against to sue for damages due to a violation of the law.

Opponents of the law, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union, have said it will allow doctors to refuse to offer a host of services for LGBTQIA+ patients. The state Chamber of Commerce also opposed the measure, saying it sends the wrong message about the state.

They also argue that types of health care that could be cut off include maintaining hormone treatments for transgender patients needing in-patient care for an infection, or grief counseling for a same-sex couple. Theyve also said it could also be used to refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control, or by physicians assistants to override patient directives on end-of-life care.

ACLU of Arkansas Executive Director Holly Dickson criticized the measure but didnt indicate whether the organization intends to challenge the law.

A day earlier, Hutchinson signed into law a bill that would bar biological males from participating in womens sports. While he has since been accused of targeting the LGBTQIA+ community, the governor has also made it his priority to pass a hate crimes bill that aims to protect individuals who have been targeted because of their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. However, efforts to pass the bill have stalled in the Republican-majority legislature.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Narcotic Control Bureau's (NCB) Mumbai unit has recovered drugs worth Rs 15 lakh from a parcel of a courier agency, which was meant to be dispatched to New Zealand, an official said on Saturday.

Based on a tip-off, a team from the NCB conducted a raid at an undisclosed location late on Friday and seized a parcel, which contained 122 gm of amphetamine, the official said.

The drug, valued at Rs 15 lakh, was concealed in the cover of a hard disk, he said, adding that the package was meant to be shipped to New Zealand.

Amphetamines are used to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) and are used for recreational purposes. They are addictive, the official added.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
It is bright, it is lit, and as of today, Qaumajuq is open.

It is bright, it is lit, and as of today, Qaumajuq is open.

Blessings and prayers from elders representing the Inuit and Treaty 1 First Nations in Manitoba put the ultimate finishing touches on the Winnipeg Art Gallerys new $65-million home for Inuit art Friday evening.

Elder Martha Peet lit a quilliq, a traditional Inuit lamp to begin the ceremony that was filmed at Qaumajuq and livestreamed on the internet. Qaumajuq is pronounced "kow-ma-yourk" or "how-ma-yourk and means "it is bright, it is lit," in Inuktitut.

Separate smudging ceremonies performed by Indigenous elders from First Nations in Manitoba welcomed Qaumajuq to Treaty 1 territory, on which the gallery sits, and blessed its galleries and artworks.

"On behalf of the Treaty 1 people, we are so honoured to have the Inuit art gallery to be hosted in our traditional territory," said Dennis Meeches, chief of Long Plain First Nation.

The 35-minute presentation included a star-blanket ceremony with members of the WAGs Indigenous advisory circle, whose work has helped transform the gallerys colonial past into an artistic future that embraces Indigenous art and culture from the north and south.

"Qaumajuq exists because of the wisdom and counsel offered so generously by the elders, members of the Indigenous advisory circle and the artists, curators and collectors who have created, cared for and shared these artworks over the decades," said Stephen Borys, WAGs director and chief executive officer.

The livestreamed opening ceremony replaced an in-person gathering that was unable to proceed, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. It acknowledged the importance of Indigenous representation by splitting the presentation into two parts. The first focused on the Indigenous aspect of Qaumajuq; the second was a long list official statements, warm wishes and greetings from politicians, businesses, artists and other dignitaries.

"Qaumajuq, meaning it is bright, it is lit, in Inukitut, will not only showcase the worlds largest collection of contemporary Inuit art, but it will also highlight the Inuit language and culture and it will help promote Inuit artists and their stories in the true spirit of reconciliation," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the recorded opening ceremony. "Together, we can build a better Canada that is fairer and more equal for everyone."

"Inuit art's an iconic symbol of our nation, and our new art centre is going to put many unique and special pieces on public display, highlighting the remarkable talent and vision of Inuit artists," says Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister.

Manitoba Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon honoured visionary leaders who helped make Qaumajuq possible.

"This new art centre is an open window that lets light into the soul of our city," said Filmon.

The ceremony is part of a three-day opening for Qaumajuq. The first began yesterday with another livestreamed video, where Borys acted as a tour guide inside of the 40,000-square-foot gallery and introduced some of the curators who have been key to the project and its inaugural exhibition.

Quamajuq opens today to the general public but attendance for today and Sunday is already sold out. Provincial pandemic regulations restrict capacity of museums and galleries to 25 per cent capacity and the WAG launched an appointment-based timed-ticketing system to prevent crowding.

alan.small@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter:@AlanDSmall
Do you want the good news or the bad? We know we should be grateful that scientific innovation and ingenuity has led us to the point where we have several approved vaccines for Covid-19, all safe and effective, and many more in various stages of the pipeline.

But with every week that passes as the virus continues to rage, its difficult not to feel frustrated about production delays and supply issues, never mind the political wrangling that has become a hallmark of the global vaccine rollout.

The reality is that not only has the ultra-speedy development of the vaccines been something of a miracle, but the manufacture of so many doses so quickly is a feat in itself. Developing the vaccines was only half the battle  making enough for the worlds population was always going to be the hard part.

This is not like making a simple tablet, where raw ingredients are synthesised into a poppable pill. Vaccine production is a timely, sensitive and highly complex process, particularly when dealing with the kinds of numbers that would have seemed unthinkable a little more than a year ago.

People dont understand, manufacturing vaccines is extremely complicated, AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said at a recent news conference. Its not like [making] orange juice.

The problem is that when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines, the juice is more than worth the squeeze. Companies have reneged on supply commitments as production problems bite. And with the whole world clamouring for vaccines, it was inevitable that some countries would be edged out of the queue. Developing countries have yet to receive meaningful deliveries and are also being charged higher prices, which makes the EUs situation look like a true first-world problem.

The misalignment of targets and supply is a problem for politicians and public alike as we battle to return to normality, whatever that might look like. We are promised that we will eventually have more vaccines than we can use, but that seems like a pipe dream right now.

Typically, scaling up manufacture of a particular vaccine would take a few years. The pandemic has truncated that timeline to just a few months. Companies have been making the vaccine since before they received approval from regulatory authorities, so that they could hit the ground running. A truly global pandemic means the numbers involved are staggering and not ones historically associated with vaccine production. Pfizer/BioNTech has promised 2 billion doses in 2021, while AstraZeneca hopes to make up to 3 billion this year.

This level of vaccine discovery and production just hasnt been seen before  everyone is trying to learn to fly the plane while they are up in the air, said one executive working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Another pharmaceutical industry insider tells Review that vaccine production is complicated at the best of times. And because of the nature of the pandemic, the companies involved have had to scale up at such a rapid speed, it was never going to be as fast as people wanted it to be. You have huge public expectation coupled with intense political pressure.

They [the manufacturers] made certain commitments to governments around the world in terms of the exact supply of vaccines and havent been able to meet them. But in some cases, it is out of their hands. For example, the AstraZeneca vaccine is inherently difficult to produce because of its biological composition.

The same insider criticised the prospect of the European Union imposing restrictions on the export of vaccines and raw materials, saying it was taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Putting up barriers to the flow of goods and ingredients across borders, that will slow the process down.

As Taoiseach Micheal Martin said this week, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine alone includes 280 different components, involving 86 suppliers based in 19 countries and Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen had expressed concerns that export restrictions would impair their supply chains.

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But it was really just a sign of just how desperate the EU is, having placed most of its eggs in the AstraZeneca basket without realising that Oxford University had signed an agreement with the UK government to prioritise them when it came to their vaccine production.

Meanwhile, calls for the repurposing of other pharmaceutical facilities to vaccine manufacturing  including in Ireland  have been met with grimaces from those in the industry.

You cant just turn a plant into a vaccine production facility, the source said. A limited number of suitable facilities exist and the fully approved vaccine production facilities worldwide are busy so even standing still, these places are full up.

Very few of the manufacturing plants that make regular medicines are suitable for being upgraded for vaccine production; they must meet a range of specific and onerous criteria. For example, the European Medicines Agency announced it would be inspecting production sites for the Russian Sputnik V vaccine before it could approve it.

Indeed, a survey by the IDA of all the biopharmaceutical manufacturing sites across Ireland, based on European Union criteria, concluded that none of them were suitable for the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines.

Bernard Mallee, director of communications and advocacy at the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, stresses the scale of the achievement when it comes to the availability of Covid-19 vaccines.

The research-based biopharmaceutical industry has brought forward scientific breakthroughs on Covid vaccines in record time, he tells Review. That effort has been super-charged by unprecedented global collaboration without compromising on safety or quality. What usually takes years, maybe even decades, this time took months.

Increasing production so that billions of vaccines doses are ready for the world is complex and takes time, he adds. Fluctuations in supply are usually a feature of manufacturing complex biological products. As more safe and effective vaccines are approved, the yield drop in one plant can be offset by a rise in another.

Mallee points out that just five or six biopharmaceutical groups globally  the big boys  are capable of making Covid vaccines at the pace and scale the pandemic requires.

Globally, there are around 60 manufacturing sites equipped to produce Covid vaccines, he says. Building a new medicines manufacturing plant can cost between $500m and $700m. It takes between five and 10 years to build, validate and certify one. There is no quick fix.

He also stresses that Irelands manufacturing base specialises in the manufacture of essential, life-saving complex biological medicines for many diseases such as cancer, HIV, immunological disorders and rare conditions. Pivoting towards vaccine production is not an option for these busy facilities, even if they were suitable. Medicines manufacturing for other diseases must continue, he says. We should not forget the importance of non-Covid care.

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Collaboration between historical competitors, however, has been a welcome hallmark of the vaccine endeavours. Mallee says that some companies, such as Novartis, Bayer, Sanofi and GSK, are working with others on sharing manufacturing capacity to boost supply: Manufacturing sites across the world are working around the clock.

Some have called for a sweeping waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights for Covid vaccines, arguing that the move would boost supply. The case makes no sense, Mallee says. The challenge is not IP; what holds us back from scaling supply is production capacity and process complexity. There is already near-complete utilisation of qualified production facilities across the world for vaccine production. Just as countries are not under-using Covid vaccines, there is no untapped pool of vaccine manufacturing facilities.

The good news is that manufacturers have big plans to ramp up production by the end of the year. They are also aware of the long game; the nature of the virus means that booster shots are likely to be needed each year. Vaccines will also need updating so that they can deal with emerging variants.

As the virus continues its rampage, however, its hard to envision a time when we might have more vaccines than we need. But Mallee urges patience: People are understandably frustrated at the pace of the rollout of Covid vaccines. We get that. But as supply catches up with demand, Covid vaccinations will accelerate over the coming months.

Jab by jab: Who is producing what, where and how quickly

As of now, there are four approved vaccines for Covid-19 approved for use in adults in the EU.

Pfizer/BioNTech

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine manufacturing network depends on six facilities split between Europe and the US. The companies promised at least 2 billion doses in 2021, with Pfizer sites in the US and Belgium making about half of those, and BioNTech the other half. An upgrade at Pfizers Belgian facility paused production for two weeks early this year but its promised supply has not been hampered significantly. It has agreed to supply the EU with 500 million vaccines before the end of the year, and the bloc has the option of ordering a further 100 million.

This is an mRNA vaccine. Unlike traditional vaccines, which introduced a weakened or inactive version of a virus, it sends a DNA message that makes the body produces the spike protein that the virus uses to enter cells. This in turn makes it produce antibodies. This groundbreaking technology is difficult to scale up, particularly when no other mRNA vaccine has ever been brought to market. The 280 components in its production include lipids, salts and sugars. The synthesised mRNA must be put into a fatty envelope made of lipids to protect it  it is these that have proven the bottleneck as a limited number of companies can produce the necessary ones.

Moderna

The Moderna mRNA vaccine is produced in Switzerland and the EU has orders for 310 million doses this year. The company, which had never brought a drug to market before their highly effective vaccine, announced in February that it has made the necessary investment to enhance production capacity and next year would be capable of making about 1.4 billion doses. It noted that requirements for a lower dose of the booster may mean more than 2 billion doses could be manufactured in 2022.



Oxford-AstraZeneca

The EU has ordered 400 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine but its delivery has been beset by difficulties and delays. Having promised 90 million doses to the bloc in the first quarter of 2021, it will now deliver only one-third of that. The company says supplies are coming mainly from the US and a site in Seneffe in Belgium, and say they are working with suppliers in 15 countries to make the vaccine, of which they hope to produce 3 billion doses this year. The company is awaiting regulatory approval by the EMA of another vaccine facility in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The adenovirus technology used in the vaccine is relatively new, having been licensed for the first time only last year, and involves adding the gene for the coronavirus spike protein to a common cold-like virus. The process is lengthy. Growing host cells for the AstraZeneca vaccine production process takes eight weeks.



Janssen

The eagerly awaited single-shot Janssen vaccine is the most recently approved by the EMA. Ireland will begin receiving deliveries next month.

Janssen says it should be able to scale up to a rate of one billion doses a year by the end of 2021. The EU has ordered 200 million of these, of which Ireland is set to receive 2.2 million. The company says it has been working around the clock to build and expand vaccine manufacturing plants in Europe, the US, Africa and Asia as part of a global supply network to deliver on our commitment to the world.

Their vaccine is similar to the Astra Zeneca vaccine in that it is a viral vector vaccine, and is made by taking a piece of DNA  specifically, one that codes for the coronavirus spike protein that latches on to human cells  and placing it inside a common cold adenovirus. Janssen said: The engineering feat of producing the vaccine at mass scale is challenging. The company hopes to collaborate with a number of external partners to scale up production.
Mar. 26North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper eased up on statewide COVID-19 restrictions for businesses, citing a decline in the number of positive coronavirus cases and an increase in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Executive Order 204 will go into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, March 26, and will include increasing occupancy capacities for restaurants, breweries, wineries, amusement parks, gyms and pools, and other recreational establishments to 75% indoors and up to 100% outdoors.

The Order also increases capacity for museums, aquariums, retail businesses and shops, salons, and personal care shops to up to 100%. Bars, movie theaters, conference centers and reception venues, sports arenas and other live performance venues may increase capacity up to 50% indoors and outdoors.

In addition, the mass gathering limit will be increased to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors. The 11 p.m. alcohol curfew will be lifted.

"I'm glad to see the governor relaxing more of the restrictions," said Kevin Ensley, chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. "We'd like to get back to normal as quick as possible and as safe as possible. The county has a plan and we are following that  our plan to open county offices back up like the library and other things. We will continue to follow all of the safety protocols with the goal of moving in the direction of opening up as fast as we can."

Current coronavirus safety protocols, including the 3Ws, remain in place  Wear a cloth mask over your nose and mouth, wait 6 feet apart and wash hands or use hand sanitizer.

Executive Order 204 will be in effect through 5 p.m., April 30, unless repealed, replaced, or rescinded.

Elevated Mountain Distilling Company

Until just recently, Dave Angel, who owns Elevated Mountain Distilling Company in Maggie Valley, wasn't even advertising live music events since he couldn't let more than 100 people in under Gov. Roy Cooper's restriction.

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"I'd hit 100 people each night without even advertising," Angel said.

Once he was able to bring up to 250 people into the space at a time under the most recent order, he began advertising, and he immediately started seeing more people turn out.

"Last Saturday, we had 240, so it was getting close," he said.

Now, under the newest set of orders, Angel anticipates that he'll be able to have up to 1,000 people inside or outside, which means aside from masks and encouraging social distancing, it'll pretty much be back to business as usual, which is a welcome change.

"For me and some of these other businesses, you had to wonder if it was worth opening your doors before," Angel said. "But as we hit summer, we'll have 500-person nights easily."

Finally, Angel had a simple message for anyone hoping to return to normal and support local businesses.

"Get your vaccine," he said. "I don't care what your politics are, get your vaccine so we can get back to normal."

Salty Dog's Seafood and Grill

Salty Dog's Seafood and Grill in Maggie was one of many Haywood establishments severely hampered by the shutdowns early on in the pandemic. Manager Nikki McCauley said things have since picked up and that business is now better than ever. However, there is still a huge advantage in Cooper's latest relaxation of restrictions.

"Us being able to stay open later and have longer hours is what really helps here," she said.

McCauley said she expects this summer to lead to brisk business, as long as the return to normalcy stays on track, adding that summer events at the festival grounds always brings a lot of people in for dinner and drinks.

McCauley also was quick to point out another benefit.

"It will give my employees more hours, so that's more money for them, too," she said.

One of those employees is bartender Amanda Fekany, who has worked at Salty Dog about a year. She said that although business has been decent recently, she's still not quite caught up financially.

"I'm maintaining my bills, but I'm still not making as much as I need to be," she said.

Fekany also talked about her side gig  driving for Uber and Lyft.

"Those have been slow lately, but it should pick up," she said. "It's about $30 to drive someone to the casino, and I should be getting more of those people."

Both Fekany and McCauley wanted to express their appreciation for the customers, especially locals whose patronage has made weathering the storm just a bit easier.

"We appreciate our customers' support," McCauley said. "It's been a rough year and they helped us make it through."

Smoky Mountain Cinema

While some businesses are thrilled to be able to serve more people, the recent occupancy increase allowed by Gov. Roy Cooper won't make a huge difference for Smoky Mountain Cinema in Waynesville.

Greg Israel, owner of the theater, said his business, which has been open since October, has yet to achieve the previous 30% capacity limit.

Since his theaters seat 200 people, reaching 50% capacity seems unlikely for now.

"Well, for us, it doesn't matter  we can't get to 30% capacity," said Israel, noting that the most people he's had in a theater at one time was 35. "There's really no movies out there for us. Until we get a decent product, those percentages don't matter to us."

Israel said he doesn't expect to see any big blockbuster movies released, such as the ones made by Marvel or Pixar, until after Memorial Day. And that effects his business. In the meantime, Israel shows every new movie he can get his hands on. He has, however, had success renting out the theaters for private events.

Smoky Mountain Cinema is open and screens movies on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Playing this weekend is "Nobody (R)," and family movies "Raya and the Last Dragon" (PG) and "Tom and Jerry" (PG).

Waynesville Recreation Department

Just up the road at the Waynesville Recreation Department, director Rhett Langston also will be keeping things about the same.

"We haven't had to turn away people so far, so going up to 75% isn't going to require a lot of changes," Langston said. "Going up to 75% (capacity) is great news. One thing we are seeing is a slow but steady increase in attendance. A lot of people are saying they had the vaccine and feel safe to go to a gym and work out."

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, Langston said a normal day would bring in about 180 guests versus a typical March month, which averaged about 400 guests. If attendance did increase to 75% capacity, Langston said he would be looking forward to hiring his staff back.

"Hopefully, we can go to normal operating hours  and we're not at full staff yet, but that might take a while," Langston said.

The Waynesville Recreation Department is currently open Monday to Friday, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. (pool open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the water park is open from 1 to 7 p.m.); on Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (pool open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the water park is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.); and Sunday, from 1-7 p.m. (pool and water park open from 1-6 p.m.).
'It appears to be a case of "start when you like, finish when you like, do what you like, and charge what you like"' - that's how Councillor Joe Sullivan has described the construction of the new Gorey Town Park.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District (GKMD), the Cathaoirleach summed up the growing frustrations towards a project which was initially estimated to cost 1.2 million but has since risen to 2.76 million.

'Have we a start date, a finish date, a cost, a variable budget?' asked Cllr Sullivan. 'Have we all those things in relation to the contractor? We've been told there's "two months more work" for the bones of a year now.

'We have a genuine case here and we deserve answers. What is going on?'

Fielding the councillor's queries was Acting Director of Services Amanda Byrne.

'One thing I want to point out is the figure of 1.2 million is what we put in the capital programme when we didn't have a budget and didn't have a scheme to estimate costs,' she explained.

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'To try and equate that to where we are today is just disingenuous to say the least. You can't make those assumptions in the absence of information. At this point the contract isn't completed so it's only when we sign off that we will have the final cost.

'I'm well aware people have concerns, but all I can say is that every change to this project will be relayed to the council.'

However, Cllr Sullivan stressed that his primary concern at the moment was the 'upward trajectory' of the figure involved.

'It wasn't my intention to hold anyone to the 1.2 million that was first mooted in 2016, that was the projected figure that was set aside,' he said.

'Then, we came to 2018 and it went up to 1.8 million, 2019 it went to 2.3 million, 2021 it went to 2.76 million, so there's an upward trajectory. What would concern me is where is it going to stop?'

Accepting that the pandemic has played a part in the delay of the project, Cllr Sullivan reminded Ms Byrne that the construction industry had only been closed for a total of eight weeks in 2020.

'In 2020, from March 27 to May 18, the construction industry was closed. That's eight weeks, we accept that,' he said. 'But the construction industry went back and didn't close again until January 8. What happened during those eight weeks? Is that where Aughrim was lost? Where did the workers go from May 18 onwards?'

Meanwhile, Cllr Diarmuid Devereux wondered why the CEO of Wexford County Council (WCC), Tom Enright, had yet to attend the monthly meeting as had been requested earlier this year.

'Two meetings ago we invited the CEO up to chat about issues like this. I take it he is not coming to this meeting?' Cllr Devereux asked. 'I don't understand what's going on here. The figure of 1.2 million I mentioned I got from Wexford County Council statements, and the 1.7 million and 1.8 million came from the same source.

'The reality that this project could cost 3 million is also coming, or not being denied, from the same source. It's not a matter of blaming the council or blaming anybody, but somebody has got to answer questions on how a project escalates by 1 million in a town with a population of less than 10,000 people.'

Stating that building the park basically involved 'footpaths, moving topsoil, planting, and a pretty limited number of structures, none of which are formidable,' Cllr Devereux said: 'I'm sure there's probably genuine reasons behind a lot of this, there's probably a story behind where we got to where we are. But only a limited number of people will use this park on a regular basis, the cost per person to complete the project is off the scale. It is a debacle.

'Will someone come and answer the questions, lay it bare, so everybody knows what's happened?'

Councillor Fionntan O Suilleabhain felt the entire experience regarding the town park could be used to change the way WCC tendered large projects in the future.

'It is a fact that in this country lots of big contractors see local authorities as easy money, public money, you name your price,' he said. 'We saw it with Market House, the initial figure compared to the present figure, there's a massive difference in it.

'We need to move away from this idea of etendering, which the big fella generally gets, and go back to procurement where small local suppliers and landscapers get these contracts and don't have to compete under an etendering system.

'Small local suppliers could be doing these contracts rather than competing with one big fella who takes everybody for granted, makes a mint out of it and goes off into the sunset.'

Adding one final point to the debate, Cllr Andrew Bolger asked why, when local councillors asked for something extra from WCC, they are told 'it's not budgeted for', but when 'a contract is signed with a contractor at 1.2 million it's allowed to seep out to 2.7 million'.

Replying to the various concerns of the councillors, Ms Byrne said the bottom line was that everyone wanted to bring the 'project in as quickly as possible' but that the contractor couldn't return to the site until 'the construction restrictions are lifted'.

'There is a plan in place to move back once the restrictions are lifted,' she said. 'What disappoints me is there's aspersions being cast on the project without having the full information.'

The suggestion that any aspersions were being cast irked the Cathaoirleach.

'There's still an outstanding question: what was the initial estimated cost the day the contracts were signed?' asked Cllr Sullivan. 'There's no one casting aspersions at all, there's no one suggesting for a minute that there's any money being spent inappropriately.'

'Everybody was here the day that contract was signed,' replied Ms Byrne.

'Where is it?' asked Cllr Sullivan.

'I don't have it here. I don't remember the exact figure,' said Ms Byrne.

'We're not alleging anything, we just want to know why it's spiralling out of control,' said Cllr Sullivan.

Cllr Devereux also took issue with the idea of casting aspersions on anyone involved in the project.

'We've all said the project is worthwhile,' he said. 'But people have only literally in the last weeks paid off the last of their Local Property Tax, the report we got said this money is coming from our funds, it's not our funds, it's coming from the pockets of the taxpayers.'

Promising to come back and explain how and why the estimated cost had risen to 2.76 million, Ms Byrne said: 'We have a very dedicated, hard-working team there and I don't want any aspersions being cast on them.'

To which Councillor Sullivan replied: 'Nobody is saying there's been anything inappropriate here, if people got their figures or calculations wrong that's okay.

'But to cast aspersions is saying a different thing. To cast aspersions is saying we're alleging somebody has done something wrong. And we're not. We're asking a question: why has it appeared to be creeping up every time we get a figure?'
New Delhi, March 27 : Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has sought for imposition of quantitative restrictions and export duty on export of cotton yarn from India.

In a letter to the Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani, AEPC Chairman A. Sakthivel said that despite several efforts by the government to reduce the price of cotton yarn, it has consistently increased in the last four months and was affecting the entire value chain.

"We request your kind immediate intervention to increase the supply of yarn to domestic manufacturers. We suggest that quantitative restrictions should be imposed on exports of cotton yarn, specifically on cotton yarn of 26 counts and above," the letter said.

Sakthivel also noted that apparel exporters were grateful to the minister for her continuous support in bringing stability in cotton price and predictability in availability of cotton, which encouraged Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) to reduce the price of cotton to small mill owners.

However, he added that, the move did not result in reduction of cotton yarn prices.

"The rate of increase in yarn prices far exceeds that of cotton prices. The steep increase in prices and unpredictability in availability of yarn means that garment exporters cannot honour commitments they made to their customers," the AEPC Chairman said.

This has also affected handloom and powerloom weavers badly and looms have stopped production, he said, adding that "due to this, the domestic industry has also got affected adversely".

He suggested that export duty should be levied on exports of cotton yarn. This will result in a sharp decline in domestic yarn prices and an increase in value addition and employment in the country and will also help in increasing garment exports, Sakthivel said.
Time and again, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has been found more focussed on brokers increasing their turnover than what they are doing to increase business for the exchagne. So, when the now crisis-hit Anugrah Stock and Broking Pvt Ltd (ASBPL) reported a sudden jump of 2546% in volumes in 2014, instead of triggering alarm bells and a subsequent investigation, the NSE was sending congratulatory messages for robust volume growth in Bank Nifty Options. What is more shocking, the submission on Bombay High Court shows that even in 2013, Anugrah was already misusing client funds.



Even as the Bombay High Court had noted failure of statutory authorities in performing their duties while dealing with failed Anugrah Stock and Broking, in 2014, the NSE, however says its congratulatory letter to the brokerage is a standard and routine matter. The reason is obvious. Salaries of all senior executives in NSE are linked with their performance and bottom-line! This explains the congratulatory letter from NSE official to the brokerage.

On 1 September 2014, Ravi Varanasi, chief business development officer (CBDO) of NSE sent a letter to Paresh Kariya, the founder and director of Anugrah Stock and Broking. "It has been quite heartening to note the significant contribution made by your team in the growth of volumes in Bank Nifty Options category. The market grew by 33.8% compared to last month, whereas your volumes grew by 2546% in Bank Nifty Options. We commend you and your teams for making this happen," the letter says.

The tone and tenor of the letter seems to suggest that NSE's primary concern was over trading volumes that brokers built up and not what they were doing or how they conducted their business. Even though the matter is seven years old, such a huge jump in volumes by a broker should have raised alarm bells at NSE, the first regulator in line. Yet, its CBDO was found congratulating Anugrah Stock & Broking.

When asked about the letter, a spokesperson of NSE said, "Average gross premium turnover of Anugrah Stock & Broking in July 2014 was Rs4 lakh and the same increased to Rs93 lakh in August 2014 which is less than 0.5% of trading member's turnover across equity and equity derivatives. The high percentage increase mentioned in the letter was primarily because of the lower base transacted by the trading member in the previous month and as mentioned above, the trading member was not a major contributor to the volumes."

"As you are aware, as per regulatory requirements, there is complete segregation and independence of the regulatory function of the exchange. We assure you that complimenting trading members on business growth by the business development team is independent of the regulatory function of broker supervision and disciplining the trading members. Appropriate actions are initiated against trading members wherever activities indicate possible market abuse practices," the spokesperson added.

Earlier this month, after hearing the grievances of investors and clients of Anugrah Stock & Broking, the bench of justice SS Shinde and justice MS Karnik says there exists a prima facie case and the statutory authorities have, indeed, failed in performing their duties under the law.

The observations of the HC came after Dr Birendra Saraf of Parinam Law Associates representing investors, pointed out in his submission how clients and constituents of Anugrah have suffered due to the lapses of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), National Stock Exchange (NSE), NSE Clearing Ltd (NCL) and Central Depository Services Ltd (CDSL).

Dr Saraf, in his written submission, also contended that NSE, NCL, and CDSL acted as silent spectators until SEBI intervened in April 2020, after which, inspections into the affairs of Anugrah were initiated. He says, "...NSE was aware of the active misuse of client funds and securities by Anugrah. On one occasion, Anugrah had also advanced loans worth over Rs300 crore to certain entities, the fate of recovery of which is unknown to the petitioners and which will go a long way in securing the recovery of the outstanding dues of the petitioners and other clients and constituents of Anugrah. It appears that NSE has not taken any steps to recover the same from these entities."

"NSE was aware that Anugrah was giving incorrect ledgers and not reporting the correct holding positions to the clients," the senior counsel says, adding, "NSE was aware that Anugrah was incorrectly and wrongfully reporting the margins to NSE which is a serious offence and that is the same misconduct, which resulted in Anugrah trading in huge volumes without informing its clients."

"Though nominal penalties were levied, no action was taken to suspend the broker and clearing member or inform the investors about such violations, which would have put the investors to notice about the same. These instances of violation, inaction of the NSE to take appropriate measures and having measures on paper without implementation clearly shows the way the purported investor protection is done by the largest stock exchange in the world," Dr Saraf added.

On 4 September 2020, NSE had withdrawn all trading rights of the crisis-hit Anugrah Stock and Broking. Earlier on 1st September, the stock exchange had withdrawn Anugrah's trading rights in future & options (F&O), currency derivatives and commodity derivatives segments.

According to Dr Saraf, who is representing investor clients of Anugrah, when the other violations came to light, NSE did not freeze the assets or market operations of Anugrah, its directors, Teji Mandi or its directors, or Edelweiss.

"The petitioners discovered that in the meantime, Anugrah carried out several transactions and withdrawals from its bank accounts, transferring amounts to its sister concerns and directors, which the petitioners brought to the notice of this Court in the arbitration petitions," he says.
Xiaomi launched the Mi Smart Band 5 last July, and the company was expected to introduce its successor Mi Smart Band 6 around the same time this year. But it's arriving earlier since Xiaomi has announced the Mi Smart Band 6 will be unveiled at its March 29 event, where it will also unveil new Mi Mix and Mi 11 series smartphones.

Are you ready for the brand new #MiSmartBand6?



Its time to start making your new exercise plans!



Don't miss the Xiaomi 2021 New Product Launch at 19:30 (GMT+8) on March 29.



Stay #OneStepAhead and discover all during the #XiaomiMegaLaunch pic.twitter.com/xB7mceUT3a  Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) March 26, 2021

Xiaomi hasn't divulged much about the Mi Smart Band 6 yet, but a video clip posted by the company's product marketing head on Twitter shows us the wearable's different colors and watch faces.

We also get to see the Mi Smart Band 6 from a different angle in a poster shared by Xiaomi on Weibo.



Xiaomi's new wearable is coming on March 29

The Mi Smart Band 6 will be launched as the Mi Band 6 in China, which will likely come with an NFC chip on board. Previously leaked information revealed the smart band will also feature an in-built GPS, SpO2 sensor, and 19 new exercise modes.

Additionally, the wearable will come with a Pomodoro Timer, and it will also let you control your smart home devices that use the Mi Home platform. It's unclear if this feature will be available on both the global and Chinese variants, but we'll surely find that out on Monday.

Source (in Chinese) | Via
Italy's gap between births and deaths in 2020 widest since 1918 during the Spanish flu epidemic.

Italy's population fell by almost 384,000 last year, following record low births and the highest number of deaths since world war two, according to new data released by national statistics agency ISTAT.

The population trend, in decline since 2015, has been amplified by the effects of the covid-19 pandemic said ISTAT, likening the drop to the equivalent of a city the size of Florence vanishing from the map.

ISTAT said 746,146 deaths were registered in 2020, almost 112,000 more than 2019, an increase of 17.6 per cent compared to the previous year, reports news agency ANSA.

There were 404,104 babies born in Italy 2020 - down by almost 16,000 compared to the year before - in the lowest birth rate since records began in 1861.

On 31 December 2020 Italy's resident population in Italy amounted to 59,257,566 people, according to ISTAT, equating to a drop of 0.6 per cent over 12 months.

Italys population had risen virtually every year since world war one, hitting a peak of 60.8 million in 2015, but it has since been in decline, reports Reuters.

The number of marriages celebrated in Italy in 2020 also collapsed by almost half, with 96,687 weddings taking place: 47.5 per cent less than in 2019.

Photo Wanted in Rome
Vietnam is looking to leave its imprints as the Chair of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in April through the Chairs statements and resolutions built by Vietnam and other UNSC member countries,

browser not support iframe.

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, has stated.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency correspondents, Ambassador Quy said that Vietnam has both advantages and difficulties when assuming the post as the UNSC Chair next month.

One of the difficulties, he went on, is the emergence of new complicated issues, for example those related to Myanmar, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Yemen and Syria.

In addition, the differences in power countries stances on several issues also affect their relations when working at the UNSC.

However, Vietnam has the advantage of being a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 15 months. With experience it has accumulated, the countrys cooperation inside and outside the council has been smoother and more effective. According to the ambassador, Vietnam has received great support from other countries in this tenure.

He added that in recent months, major countries in the UNSC have made certain adjustments to and improvement of their relations, thus facilitating Vietnams working tenure.

Regarding the key matters in Vietnams Chairmanship month, Ambassador Quy said the most important event will take place on April 19 under the chair of a high-ranking Vietnamese leader, discussing how to promote and intensify cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations so as to boost dialogue and trust-building measures to prevent conflicts.

Another important event will be an open debate on actions against bombs and mines, slated for April 8.

The protection of essential infrastructure for civilians lives and sexual violence in conflicts will be also put on table during Vietnams Chairmanship month, Quy stated./.VNA
Former Bachelor star Laura Byrne turned 35 this week.

And what better way for Laura to celebrate her birthday than by spending time alone and taking her three-legged rescue dog for a relaxing walk.

The former The Bachelor contestant, who stole now-fiance Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson's heart on the fifth season of the dating series in 2017, was spotted walking Buster along the footpath of Sydney's famous Bondi Beach on Saturday.

Birthday walk: Laura Byrne (pictured) was spotted walking her three-legged rescue dog, Buster, for a walk at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach on Saturday. Her outing was the first day as a 35-year-old, after celebrating her birthday on Friday

She appeared to be in good spirits, but in her own zone, as she effortlessly moved her body to the beat of the music she was listening to.

The reality TV star-turned-social media influencer stunned in a simple outfit for the outing.

She wore a stark white crop top and mid-rise black tights from Rockwear, with the brand's logo written largely on either side.

Laura wore black kicks for the occasion, and kept her identity on the low by donning dark shades.

Strutting her stuff: Laura appeared to be in good spirits as she effortlessly moved her body to the beat of the music she was listening to. She stunned in a stark white crop top and mid-rise black tights from Rockwear, with the brand's logo written largely on either side

She appeared to be makeup free and had her brunette tresses tied back off her face.

Her outing follows Laura celebrating her 35th birthday on Friday, where she was spotted holding a large bouquet of native flowers in a restaurant.

Her post was captioned: '35 laps around the sun,' where she is seen beaming with excitement for the picture.

'35 laps around the sun': Her solo outing follows Laura celebrating her 35th birthday on Friday, where she was spotted holding a large bouquet of native flowers in a restaurant

It also follows her appreciating her fiance, Matty, and herself as parents by uploading a picture of them romantically kissing, with the caption: 'Mum and dad.'

The pair have made waves as a couple after catching each other's eye on The Bachelor in 2017.

They are now engaged and parents to two little girls - Marlie-Mae, one, and seven-week-old Lola.
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Britons over-70s will be given Covid-19 vaccine booster jabs in September to protect them from emerging variants of the virus.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi unveiled details of the plan that will see people in the top four priority groups receive a third injection.

As well as over-70s, this group contains frontline NHS and social care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

Mr Zahawi said the Government is expecting up to eight different jabs to be available by the autumn, including one protecting against three different variants in a single dose.

A number will be manufactured in the UK, which could ease the pressure on supplies amid tensions with the European Union as it faces shortages from AstraZeneca.

As Britain's jab rollout continued:

Tory MPs railed against threats by EU leaders to impose an export ban that could block shipments of second Pfizer doses ahead of crunch weekend talks;

Government sources stressed the UK does have enough supplies to give people their second doses;

Health chiefs suggested people could get their vaccine at drive-in centres on their way to work;

A spring heatwave was forecast for next week, with temperatures of up to 76F to coincide with the axing of the 'stay at home' order;

It was announced that shops will stay open until 10pm when they open on April 12 to boost the economic recovery.

Over-70s, frontline NHS and social care staff and the clinically extremely vulnerable will get the first booster shots

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi unveiled details of the new plan to give booster doses

More than 324,942 first doses and 234,382 second doses were given out yesterday in Britain's vaccination drive

Tories hit back at EU threats to block vaccine exports Tory MPs have railed against threats from EU leaders to use an export ban to block shipments of second vaccine doses to the UK. France today escalated the row by suggesting Britain does not have sufficient stockpiles of Pfizer jabs to administer its round of second doses - and that the rollout is at the mercy of EU supply chains. Paris's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also accused the UK of 'blackmailing' Brussels and making it 'pay the price' for the Britain's decision to 'hurry ahead' with first doses, ahead of crunch talks this weekend to reach an agreement on supplies. EU leaders last night stepped back from the brink of the vaccine embargo - which was being pushed by the under-fire Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - after Angela Merkel and Dutch PM Mark Rutte instead called for a diplomatic approach. But Emmanuel Macron is leading a group of hardline states still agitating for the export ban. Conservative MP Philip Davies told MailOnline: 'I think the French and the EU should take note of the maxim: when you're in hole, stop digging.' He added: 'It goes to prove we were so right to leave the EU, they're thrashing around trying to cover for their own incompetence and in turn are behaving like a protectionist racket. 'I think the Prime Minister was completely right when he said that no company is going to want to do business in an organisation that blocks exports, and has no respect for contract law.' Tory MP Bob Seely, a member of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: 'At a time when everyone has a duty to be working together, for both the good of the EU and the UK, the wretched vaccine nationalism of some EU politicians is appalling.' Advertisement

Asked when the booster programme would begin, Mr Zahawi told the Telegraph: 'The most likely date will be September.

'Jonathan Van-Tam (the deputy chief medical officer) thinks that if we are going to see a requirement for a booster jab to protect the most vulnerable, (it) would be around September.'

Ministers were facing pressure to protect the success of the vaccination programme against the import of new variants from overseas, with the Guardian reporting officials met on Friday to consider expanding the travel 'red list' mandating hotel quarantine.

Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: 'The UK Government are yet again doing too little, too late to secure our borders against Covid - and it's the British people that will pay the price.

'Ministers need to do everything possible to stop new variants reaching the UK - and move to a comprehensive hotel quarantine system now.'

European Union leaders gave their backing to more stringent vaccine shipment controls as the bloc struggles with its rollout, but stopped short of imposing an export ban.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said AstraZeneca must 'catch up' on deliveries to the EU before exporting doses elsewhere.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US president Joe Biden discussed their vaccination programmes in a call on Friday afternoon.

'The Prime Minister stressed that global access to vaccines will be key to defeating the pandemic,' a Downing Street spokesman said.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) signed off moves that will increase manufacturing capacity and supply of Covid-19 vaccines.

The EU agency approved the Halix site in Leiden in the Netherlands for the production of AstraZeneca's active vaccine substance, boosting the licensed sites to four.

And it backed a new manufacturing site in the German city of Marburg, as well as more flexible storage conditions for the Pfizer jab.

However, tensions remained high, with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accusing the UK of 'blackmail' over its handling of exports.

'The United Kingdom has taken great pride in vaccinating well with the first dose except they have a problem with the second dose,' he told France Info radio.

But his assertion was denied by the UK Government, with a spokesman saying: 'We're on track to meet our vaccination targets and everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first.'

Meanwhile, the Government was accused by a senior Tory of failing black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities and young women on hesitancy towards vaccines.

Caroline Nokes, the chairwoman of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said in a letter to Mr Zahawi that not tackling the issue could be 'devastating' for vaccine hesitant groups as well as wider society.

The Government has also announced that retailers in England will be able to stay open until 10pm six days a week when they are permitted to trade again from April 12.

The Department of Health posted another 70 Covid deaths yesterday, down a third on the 101 recorded time last Friday. Experts have said the successful vaccination drive should keep these low as more people are immune to the virus

Covid cases rose 28 per cent, however, after 6,187 were announced compared to 4,802 from a week ago. The uptick is not a cause for concern, experts say, and was to be expected after schools reopened

Britons could get the vaccine at drive-in centres on their way to work, health chiefs suggest Young Britons could get a Covid jab from a drive-thru clinic on their way to work. Heath chiefs said the NHS must adopt innovative delivery modes as the vaccine rollout expands to younger groups. NHS board meeting documents state: Reaching a more mobile, largely working-age population with lower Covid-19-related health risk will bring different challenges, especially as lockdown and more [restrictions] are lifted. We have developed operational guidance for drive-thru, mobile and pop-up models to enable targeted delivery. Ministers promised to offer a vaccine to over-50s by April 15. It comes as the British Medical Association said GPs can offer jabs to over-40s if they have exhausted efforts to reach those eligible. NHS England stressed phase two would begin only when authorised, but the doctors union said members had discretion to jab to prevent waste. Advertisement

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it will allow them to reopen 'safely', as Chancellor Rishi Sunak encouraged people to 'go have fun' by spending their savings.

In Wales, lockdown restrictions were being eased as the 'stay local' requirement was dropped on Saturday and people being allowed to stay in self-contained holiday accommodation.

A relaxing of England's lockdown will take place on Monday when the 'stay home' order ends and groups of up to six people, or two households, are able to meet outside.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested there was a levelling off in the decline of coronavirus infections in England.

Oxford University's Professor James Naismith said: 'Today's ONS data are less reassuring than last week; they serve as a caution but not yet evidence we need to change course.'

Britain's daily Covid death toll plunged 30 per cent in a week to 70 yesterday as experts insisted the Covid outbreak was 'well under control' even though cases were up.

Data across the board suggest that cases have 'levelled off' since schools reopened, while positive test numbers rose by 30 per cent week-on-week to 6,187 compared to 4,802 recorded last Friday.

Scientists sought to reassure Britons that the upticks were 'inevitable' once parts of society unlocked, saying the figures were 'not yet evidence' the ultra-cautious lockdown easing plans needed to be pushed back.

They added the successful vaccine drive - which today hit more than 29million first doses - had weakened the link between infections and hospitalisations and deaths because far fewer people will get seriously ill from now on.

It came as No10's scientific advisers revealed England's R rate may have risen as high as one, in another sign cases may now be plateauing.

SAGE scientists upgraded their estimate of the R rate - how many people each infected person passes the virus on to - to between 0.8 and one, meaning the outbreak is no longer shrinking as quickly as it was.

Advisers also claimed the measure - which is based on three weeks' worth of data - didn't 'fully reflect' schools reopening on March 8, hinting it will spike above the crucial level in April.

They added, however, that R was no longer a key measure because Downing Street has accepted it will rise as restrictions get relaxed. Ministers will only act if hospital admissions spiral out of control.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

The Albuquerque Police Department released details of its preliminary investigation into two recent shootings by officers  one in which a man with a history of mental health issues was shot and killed as he threw a knife at the officers and another in which a man was shot in the back as he fled a traffic stop.

At a news conference Friday afternoon, acting Lt. Hollie Anderson of the Violent Crimes Section laid out the circumstances behind the shooting of 40-year-old Claude Trivino on Feb. 20 and 56-year-old William Bill Grant on March 7. Grant survived, was treated at the hospital and booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center.

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Anderson said over the next several months the Multi Agency Task Force and Internal Affairs will continue to investigate and analyze the incidents and will interview any new witnesses who come forward.

After the investigation is complete our force investigation section will refer their findings to the force review board, she said. The board will then evaluate the evidence to determine whether the officers adequately identified themselves, the use of their tactics in drawing and exhibiting of a weapon and use of deadly force in this instance, met the highest standard of the expectations of the Albuquerque Police officers.

Mental health issues

The first incident unfolded on a Saturday afternoon after a police officer spotted Trivino  of Hernandez, NM  walking in the middle of San Mateo near Copper NE. Two drivers called 911 to report him as well.

At about 3:15, officers Jarrod Potter and Christian Cordova responded to the scene. Video provided by APD shows the officers following Trivino telling him to stop walking in traffic or hes going to get tased. He continues to walk away.

Suddenly, Trivino turns and runs toward the officers raising what later turned out to be a Leatherman multi-tool with a blade extended.

Officer Cordova initially fires his Taser at Claude, which had no effect, Anderson said. Officer Cordova retreats to gain distance from Claude. Officer Potter yells for Claude to stop and drop the knife. He then turns and runs toward Officer Potter with his arm raised and throws the blade at the officer. Officer Potter and Cordova both discharge their handguns, striking Claude.

Trivino was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Anderson showed a photo of Potters arm, which had a laceration from the multi-tool. Both Potter and Cordova were put on administrative leave, which is standard, after the shooting and have since returned to their assignments in the Southeast Area Command.

Potter has been with APD since 2020 and Cordova has been with APD since 2015. Neither had been involved in any other shootings. A spokesman did not provide their photos Friday afternoon.

Trivinos ex-wife declined to comment to the Journal, and other family members did not respond to requests for interviews.

However, a GoFundMe site created to help his family pay for funeral expenses says he was shot minutes after trying to seek help for his mental issues, two blocks away from the VA hospital.

(Trivino) was a proud Native-American enrolled in Cochiti Pueblo and a Veteran US Army Paratrooper where he proudly served in the 1/509 Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) Man in the Door,  the site says. He was stationed at Fort Polk, LA as an opposing forces operator trained in conventional and guerilla warfare tactics of all enemies of the United States. He was a proud and loving husband, Father of three of the worlds greatest kids, and brother to a strong military family.

Anderson displayed a safety bulletin put out for law enforcement in Rio Arriba County that said Trivino was a danger to himself and others and had been diagnosed with mental health concerns, and he displayed signs and symptoms that were consistent with paranoia.

A criminal complaint charging Trivino with resisting, evading or obstructing an officer mentions that deputies were trying to take him into custody for an emergency mandatory psychiatric evaluation ordered by a doctor with Veterans Affairs.

Police have said the officers didnt know about the safety bulletin or who Trivino was when they encountered him.

But police Chief Harold Medina said the shooting highlighted the need for more services for those with mental health issues.

I think that we have to be able to get to the point where were able to keep individuals safely in custody for these types of issues to overcome their struggles, Medina said.

I think additional funding to help beef up our mental health system is key for us to avoid these tragedies within the communities across the state of New Mexico for individuals with mental health crises.

In response to questions about whether the officers actions escalated the situation, Medina said they need to let the administrative investigation take its course.

It will be reviewed by the force review board who will make recommendations where the officers actions were appropriate or inappropriate, he said.

No charges filed

The second incident unfolded a little before 10 p.m. March 7 when officer Isaac Aragon spotted a blue van on Montano near Culture NE. Aragon told investigators the van slowed down and then swerved into his lane, causing him to have to get out of the way to avoid a collision.

Aragon pulled the van over. An older man was driving and an older woman was in the passenger seat.

The driver produced a drivers license and officer Aragon observed the picture on the license that did not match the male driver, Anderson said. The male driver appeared to be in his 50s and the date of birth on the license would make him 35 years old.

When questioned, the driver produced a concealed carry permit with the same name.

Anderson said another officer contacted the man whose name was on the permit and license and he said he had lost his wallet in December.

Aragon went back to the van and he and another officer told the driver  who later turned out to be Grant  to get out. Instead, he said, Grant started the engine and displayed a firearm.

Officer Aragon stated he was afraid he was going to get shot, Anderson said. As the van drove off officer Aragon discharged five times from his nine millimeter handgun.

Video shows Aragon firing as the van speeds away. The van has still not been found.

Early the next morning, Rio Rancho Police were called to a gas station on Unser because Grant and his passenger were there and were reporting that Grant had been shot. The officers took him to the hospital.

He was booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center on an unrelated warrant and has not yet been charged with any crime relating to the shooting.

Aragon was put on administrative leave and has since returned to the field. He has been with APD since 2018 and has not been involved in any other shootings.

APD officers are generally prohibited from shooting at a motor vehicle unless it is a direct danger to themselves or others or other circumstances warrant it.

In response to questions about whether there are concerns about Aragon shooting at the van as it fled, Medina said: I can say right off the bat, yes, theres going to be concerns. But before we make any final determinations or judgments, we need our administrative investigation to take its course.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 21:48:27|Editor: huaxia

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A farmer checks the quality of cotton in a field in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

"Countless lies are being spread by people who have never been to Xinjiang."

The ultimate intention of using such phrases as "forced labor," "concentration camps" and "genocide" is to undermine Xinjiang's security and stability and stifle China's development.



BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Recent claims made by enterprises like H&M and Nike of refusing to use Xinjiang cotton have triggered widespread denunciation and resistance from the Chinese public.

Behind the so-called Xinjiang cotton boycott are the sinister intentions of anti-China forces in some Western countries including the United States to smear China and suppress Chinese industry. The Chinese government and people firmly oppose it.

Cotton production in Xinjiang has long been highly mechanized and does not require a large number of cotton pickers.

The accusation of "forced labor" in Xinjiang's cotton industry is an utter lie.

The ultimate intention of using such phrases as "forced labor," "concentration camps" and "genocide" is to undermine Xinjiang's security and stability and stifle China's development.

A reaper harvests cotton in a field in Manas County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, has once said that if the Central Intelligence Agency wanted to destabilize China, the best way to do so was to cause social unrest and push China from the inside.

Focusing on Xinjiang cotton has economic motives as well. Bizarre claims of "forced labor" and "human rights abuses" are mere allegations used to suppress China's textile industry.

China is the world's second largest cotton producer, and Xinjiang is the most important cotton producing region, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the country's cotton output.

Steady increases in China's cotton production and the growing textile industry are making some in the United States and the West nervous.

As the world's largest cotton exporter, the United States hyped up the Xinjiang issue as early as last February during the Trump administration and has issued a ban on cotton products from Xinjiang. Under the pretext of protecting human rights, the United States is attempting to bolster production at home.

A member of staff transports packed cotton at a factory in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

"Countless lies are being spread by people who have never been to Xinjiang," said French journalist Maxime Vivas, who recently published a book about his two trips to the autonomous region in northwest China.

The U.S. government's "genocide" accusation against China was based on data abuse and false claims of a right-wing religious extremist, according to a report published last month by the independent news website Grayzone.

During the just-ended 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Cuba delivered a joint statement on behalf of 64 countries urging relevant countries to stop interfering in China's internal affairs by manipulating Xinjiang related issues, refrain from making unfounded allegations against China out of political motivations and curbing the development of developing countries under the pretext of human rights.

China is focused on fighting terrorism and separatism in Xinjiang. It is preserving human rights in the region, not abusing them.

Children have fun on Dove Lane in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat)

Western countries must quit fabricating narratives about Xinjiang and abandon attempts to undermine China's stability and development.

Foreign enterprises operating in China should respect market rules and avoid politicizing commercial issues.

China welcomes foreign companies and personnel to operate and grow in the country. But it resolutely opposes malicious attacks based on rumors and lies that harm China's interests. 
Multiple residents were evacuated and one was injured in a three-alarm fire on the seventh floor of Patten Towers on Saturday morning.

The call went out at 10:36 a.m. to the apartments at 100 E. 11th St. Nearly every company working for the Chattanooga Fire Department (Green Shift) responded to the scene or staged, ready to respond to help with manpower. Off-duty members of the department came in, including the command staff, to assist and many of the Mutual Aid partners filled in at city fire halls.

The fire was in an apartment on the seventh floor.

Firefighters had a fast knockdown on it and then dealt with hot spots and smoke throughout the building.

Fire officials said, "It was a tremendous amount of work getting tools and resources upstairs and firefighters also helped with evacuations. A number of residents are non-ambulatory and needed to be carried out of the building.

The divisions worked effectively and efficiently on the scene and the fire was out at 11:44 a.m. Firefighters then checked every single apartment for extension and went about a huge overhaul process. Floors 7, 8, and 9 were severely impacted by the fire, but the entire building needed to be evacuated due to damage (including smoke and water), impacting all 106 residents. The American Red Cross is assisting them now. One resident was transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation. Three firefighters were treated on the scene for minor burns.

Other agencies involved include the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County EMS, Hamilton County 911s Incident Dispatch Unit and Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescues Rehab Truck Response. Fire departments from across the region were at city fire halls helping to respond to calls.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

CARTA provided buses for residents.

Officials said the city is working in partnership with the American Red Cross and the property owner to make sure the residents are taken care of following the fire. They are being provided shelter and meals.
Traffic at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco remains slow on March 25, 2021, as the city eases pandemic restrictions into the Orange Tier. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

San Francisco Tourism Recovering After 61 Percent Drop in 2020

SAN FRANCISCOThe tourism industry in San Francisco is starting to recover from a devastating 2020, as lockdowns and other COVID-19-related restrictions are being eased.

Total visitors last year dropped 61 percent from a year earlier to 10.2 million, according to the San Francisco Travel Association, the citys tourism bureau, which also said visitors spending slumped to $2.3 billion, a 78 percent tumble from 2019s record high of $10.3 billion.

The president of the association predicted in the report that domestic travelers will return ahead of international visitors.

On March 23, the city moved up to the less restrictive Orange Tier of the states reopening map. That means that many indoor activities like museums, places of worship, movie theaters, and restaurants may open at 50 percent capacity.

Some of the top attractions in the city, such as Pier 39 and Fishermans Wharf, are seeing tourism gain momentum again as more people are allowed for indoor, as well as outdoor, dining.

Pier 39 in San Francisco is seeing more tourists on March 25, 2021, as the city eases pandemic restrictions into the Orange Tier. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

Small businesses that had to reduce employees and hours in order to break even are also seeing hope.

Were starting to see more people in, coming down for lunch. We have more people walking in the area, we have more tourists from [the] state, out of state also. So were getting a little bit more relief, better relief, more customers going around, shopping around, Alfredo Mendez, owner at Pal Electronics Inc., told NTD Television.

Tom La Torre, co-owner of the restaurant Sabella and La Torre, said the restaurant is doing about a third of the business it was doing compared to before the pandemic. The family-owned restaurant had 35 employees a year ago; now, there are 10.

We get real busy on the weekends, so people [come] from the Bay Area, from all over, just to come out and get away, La Torre told NTD Television. Business is coming back. I see the tour buses go by nowthe double-deckersthey have people on [them], so its a good sign. Alcatraz is open, so it seems like things are going to come back. It may take a while.

They said they see more domestic tourists than international ones.

The restaurant Sabella and La Torre at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco on March 25, 2021. The restaurant is seeing about a third of its usual number of customers. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

Kristin Montoya, a tourist from New Mexico who was visiting San Francisco for the first time, told NTD Television: I dont know what I was really expecting, but its really nice. I love the ocean, I love it. So its just a fun last-minute trip.

Andrea, a tourist from Southern California, drives up to San Francisco once in a while.

[Were] doing a road trip right now for spring break for my son. Its his first time, so I brought him up here. I took advantage of the fact that its actually empty. Theres not many people, and Im able to explore, walk around without the concerns or worries of having something covering my face, Andrea told NTD Television.

San Franciscos tourism is expected to continue to gradually recover and may return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, the travel association stated in the report. A full rebound in revenue isnt expected until 2025, due to a slower recovery of international visitors and average rate in the city, the association said.
Across the New Orleans region, coronavirus vaccinations are lagging in neighborhoods that are poorer and Blacker than those around them while the most affluent areas are getting shots at rates well above the norm.

New data show a familiar pattern: People living in the same parts of Jefferson, Orleans and St. Tammany parishes that are on the low end of metrics such as poverty and health are also less likely to be vaccinated three months after inoculations became available.

We looked at the holes in the map and realized they were the same area, the areas with high social vulnerability, least access to transportation, a workforce that couldnt take off to get tested earlier in the pandemic, New Orleans Health Director Jennifer Avegno said.

Unfortunately thats the systemic inequity in American health care, that the same demographics that are able to acquire vaccines easily are the same demographics that are able to acquire primary care, preventative care more easily and have longer life expectancy, she said. As long as the system is profoundly inequitable and you are not deliberately trying to undo that, you will continue to have a system that serves no one.

New Orleans and Louisiana officials are trying to reduce the disparities, something they say will be aided by the greater availability of vaccines, more outreach and vaccination sites in communities.

+8 The city's strategy for vaccinating New Orleans' most vulnerable? Knocking on their doors. On a sunny, blustery Monday in New Orleans, Tonya Freeman Brown donned a neon yellow vest and started knocking on doors in the Hoffman Triangl

But for now, the disparities in all three parishes are as stark as they are geographically close, according to an analysis of newly released Louisiana Department of Health data showing vaccination rates by census tract.

Some parts of Gert Town, for example, have seen fewer than 7% of their residents receive a single dose of the vaccine. In areas of nearby Mid-City, more than 40% of residents have received a shot.

Though New Orleans has eight of the top 10 most-vaccinated tracts in the state, it also has several that fall near the bottom of the statewide rankings.

Experts blame the disparities on a variety of factors: poverty, an inability to take time off from work to get a vaccination, difficulties scheduling appointments without internet access and other hurdles.

You could swap out COVID vaccinations and put in hypertension. You could put in homicide. You could put in cardiovascular disease or any health outcome, and its the same communities, said Thomas LaVeist, dean of Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. It absolutely puts to the lie that there are genetic reasons for racial disparities in health outcomes. You see it's the same communities that have health problems. Its something thats happening in the community, or some aspect of that community.

Only about 15.5% of people living in census tracts with the lowest vaccination rates in New Orleans have had at least one dose of the vaccine, according to an analysis of the date by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Those tracts, which make up the bottom fifth of the rankings, are half as likely to be have been vaccinated as the population of the city as a whole and only a third as likely as those living in the tracts that make up the top 20%.

Almost 80% of the residents in the tracts that make up the bottom fifth of the rankings are Black, 20 points higher than the population as a whole and more than 5.6 times the percentage of Black residents in the most-vaccinated tracts. For the city as a whole, Black residents are half as likely to have been vaccinated as their White neighbors.

The least-vaccinated areas have a poverty rate of 33%, more than three times as high as those with the highest rate of injections. More than half of households in the lowest group do not have broadband internet, a necessity in many cases for scheduling appointments, and a more than a quarter are without their own vehicle.

The statistics are remarkably similar in Jefferson: The bottom fifth of tracts have a 15.7% vaccination rate, compared the top fifth with a 43% rate. Residents in the least-vaccinated tracts are more than twice as likely to be Black as the parish as a whole and only one in five is White. They, too, have low rates of internet access and high rates of households without vehicles.

In St. Tammany, the differences are slightly less stark but still present. The least-vaccinated tracts have only 1 in 10 residents who have received their first shot, compared to about 1 in 3 in the most-vaccinated tracts. Those lagging behind have a poverty rate of 22.3%, twice as high those where the highest percentage of the population has been vaccinated. In the low-vaccine areas, more than 40% of people dont have broadband access.

So far the demand for vaccinations has exceeded the supply, making it unlikely that any specific area of the city or state has hit a ceiling caused by residents hesitant or hostile to vaccination, analysts said. We have not exhausted all the people who want the vaccine yet, but that last mile is going to be hard, LaVeist said.

Efforts to combat some of these disparities have been bottlenecked by the lack of doses, something that hampered efforts to set up vaccination sites, said Charles Stoecker, a Tulane health economist who has done vaccination work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. He said a successful program involves sending vans to neighborhoods to get people vaccinated, having advertisements and QR codes at bus stops to help people sign up for appointments and other outreach efforts.

We havent really seen that yet because of supply. I think if we have this conversation in another month and theyre not doing that, we would be more worried, Stoecker said.

Some such efforts are underway in New Orleans, which has set up vaccine sites in neighborhoods and seen door-knockers going to spread the about vaccines and sign people up. But Avegno said a bigger push will be coming in the next week as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine becomes more available.

Unlike those produced by Moderna and Pfizer, which have dominated the vaccination effort so far, the Johnson & Johnson shot does not have difficult-to-achieve refrigeration requirements, meaning it can be more easily distributed in communities. And it requires only one dose, which could aid in vaccinating populations that might find it difficult to take time off of work twice in the space of a month for the Moderna or Pfizer shots.

This going last mile, going door to door in areas of greatest need, is something we started several months ago, and were going to have to keep doing it until that map looks all the same color, Avegno said.
As evidence mounts supporting the use of monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physician-scientists are sharing the health system's experience administering the life-saving medication.

In a report published today in the scientific journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases, the UPMC/Pitt team shares how it quickly established the largest and most equitable distribution network for COVID-19 monoclonal antibody infusions across Pennsylvania. The team today also reported preliminary results confirming the treatment reduced likelihood of hospitalization and death in UPMC patients who received it.

When administered soon after infection, this treatment can help certain people fight the virus and keep them from progressing to serious illness and death. But administering these infusions comes with logistical challenges, so many health care providers opt not to offer the treatment. UPMC overcame these challenges, and we're dedicated to sharing what we learned with other medical centers, clinicians and the public." Ryan Bariola, M.D., Associate Professor, Pitt's Division of Infectious Diseases and director of the UPMC Community Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Efforts (CHASE) Program

Monoclonal--"mono" means "one" and "clonal" means "copy"--antibodies are a type of medication that seeks the COVID-19 virus in a person's body and blocks it from infecting their cells and replicating. Since late 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to three monoclonal antibody treatments--one from Regeneron and two from Eli Lilly--which are given through a one-time IV infusion. This is the same type of emergency authorization given to the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the U.S.

This therapy is most helpful when given early, especially within 10 days of infection in people at highest risk of complications from COVID-19.

The U.S. supply of monoclonal antibodies is taxpayer-funded and given without charge to the institutions that administer it. Preparing for high patient demand, UPMC created a weighted lottery to ensure fair allocation of its supply. However, demand was never high enough to trigger use of the lottery.

"This lower use surprised us, and we're still debating why demand was less than expected," said co-author Donald M. Yealy, M.D., UPMC chief medical officer and professor and chair of Pitt's Department of Emergency Medicine. "It likely had to do with so few health care providers investing in the infrastructure, staff and processes needed to administer the drug. This created lower awareness among both patients and clinicians about the life-saving benefits of monoclonal antibodies."

Initially, eligibility was limited to patients 65 years or older, or to those with a body mass index of at least 35 because those were the people studies had indicated were most likely to benefit. UPMC has since expanded eligibility to younger people with certain medical conditions that place them at higher risk for complications from COVID-19, including children, in compliance with the EUA.

To date, UPMC has treated more than 1,000 patients with monoclonal antibodies at 16 sites across the communities it serves in Pennsylvania and New York. It also provides home infusion services when needed. UPMC ensures that all proper infection prevention protocols are followed, and specifically prevents COVID-19 patients from mixing with other patients at the infusion centers.

"Monoclonal antibodies are a crucial part of the COVID-19 treatment spectrum, bridging the gap between preventive measures--such as masks, social distancing and vaccination--and the various therapies for hospitalized COVID-19 patients," said senior author Mark Schmidhofer, M.D., professor of medicine at Pitt and medical director of UPMC's Coronary Intensive Care Unit. "It's a potentially life-saving option and can keep people out of the hospital if prevention fails."

Patients and providers can find out more about monoclonal antibody treatment at UPMC by visiting upmc.com/AntibodyTreatment or calling 866-804-5251.
Adherents of far-right groups who cluster online have turned repeatedly to one particular website in recent weeks  the federal database showing deaths and adverse reactions nationwide among people who have received COVID-19 vaccinations.

Although negative reactions have been relatively rare, the numbers are used by many extremist groups to try to bolster a rash of false and alarmist disinformation in articles and videos with titles like COVID-19 Vaccines Are Weapons of Mass Destruction  and Could Wipe out the Human Race or Doctors and Nurses Giving the COVID-19 Vaccine Will be Tried as War Criminals.

If the so-called Stop the Steal movement appeared to be chasing a lost cause once President Joe Biden was inaugurated, its supporters among extremist organizations are now adopting a new agenda from the anti-vaccination campaign to try to undermine the government.

Bashing of the safety and efficacy of vaccines is occurring in chat rooms frequented by all manner of right-wing groups including the Proud Boys; the Boogaloo movement, a loose affiliation known for wanting to spark a second Civil War; and various paramilitary organizations.

These groups tend to portray vaccines as a symbol of excessive government control. If less people get vaccinated then the system will have to use more aggressive force on the rest of us to make us get the shot, read a recent post on the Telegram social media platform, in a channel linked to members of the Proud Boys charged in storming the Capitol.

The marked focus on vaccines is particularly striking on discussion channels populated by followers of QAnon, who had falsely prophesied that Donald Trump would continue as president while his political opponents were marched off to jail.

They rode the shift in the national conversation away from Trump to what was happening with the massive ramp up in vaccines, said Devin Burghart, the head of the Seattle-based Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, which monitors far-right movements, referring to followers of QAnon. It allowed them to pivot away from the failure of their previous prophecy to focus on something else.

Apocalyptic warnings about the vaccine feed into the far-right narrative that the government cannot be trusted, the sentiment also at the root of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The more vaccine opponents succeed in preventing or at least delaying herd immunity, experts noted, the longer it will take for life to return to normal and that will further undermine faith in the government and its institutions.

Last spring, a common purpose among far-right activists and the anti-vaccination movement first emerged during armed protests in numerous state capitols against coronavirus lockdown measures. That cross-pollination expanded over time.

On Jan. 6, while rioters advanced on the Capitol, numerous leading figures in the anti-vaccination movement were onstage nearby, holding their own rally to attack both the election results and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Events overshadowed their protest, but at least one outspoken activist, Dr. Simone Gold of Beverly Hills, California, was charged with breaching the Capitol. She called her arrest an attack on free speech. She was one of several doctors who appeared in a video last year spreading misleading claims about the coronavirus. Trump shared a version of the video, which Facebook, YouTube and Twitter removed after millions of viewers watched it.

In the months since inoculations started in December, the alliance grouping extremist organizations with the anti-vaccination movement has grown larger and more vocal, as conspiracy theories about vaccines proliferated while those about the presidential vote count receded.

With their protests continuing, far-right groups deployed many of the same talking points as the vaccination opponents. Prominent voices in both the Stop the Steal and the anti-vaccination movements helped to organize scattered rallies on March 20 against vaccines, masks and social distancing in American cities including Portland, Oregon, and Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as in Australia, Canada and other countries around the world.

In April, a conference with the tagline Learn How to Fight Back for Your Health and Freedom, is set to bring together Trump allies like Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell along with high-profile members of the anti-vaccination effort.

Maligning the coronavirus vaccines is obviously not limited to extremist groups tied to the Capitol riot. There is deep partisanship over the vaccines generally.

One-third of Republicans surveyed in a CBS News poll said that they would avoid getting vaccinated  compared with 10% of Democrats  and another 20% of Republicans said they were unsure. Other polls found similar trends.

About 100 members of the House of Representatives, roughly one-quarter, had not been vaccinated as of mid-March, according to Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House minority leader.

It is unclear where Trump will fit into the vaccine battle. The former president, who has been vaccinated, endorsed getting the shot recently, provoking some disbelief in QAnon and other chat rooms. I would recommend it, and I would recommend it to a lot of people that dont want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me frankly, he said in an interview with Fox News.

Across right wing-channels online, certain constant memes have emerged attacking the vaccine, like a cartoon suggesting that what started with mask mandates will end with concentration camps run by FEMA for those who refuse vaccinations.

Numerous channels link to the government website called VAERS, for Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, to energize followers. It had reported 2,216 deaths among people vaccinated for the three months before March 22, with 126 million doses administered. The COVID-19 vaccines in use, like most vaccinations, are considered overwhelmingly safe, but inevitably a small percentage of recipients suffer adverse reactions, some of them severe. The deaths have not been directly linked to the vaccinations.

The raw, incomplete VAERS statistics are meant for scientists and medical professionals, but are widely used among extremist groups to try to undermine confidence in the vaccine. One video consisted of a person reading the details from the chart aloud barking Murder where the chart said Death.

On Telegram, channels frequented by tens of thousands of QAnon followers are full of videos warning of the dire consequences of taking the vaccine. For example, David Icke, a British serial conspiracy theorist, posted a video called Murder by Vaccine saying that it transformed the nature of the human body. (The claims that the vaccines change human DNA are false.)

Icke was previously best known for pushing the idea that the world was controlled by shape-shifting alien lizards who inhabited a global network of underground tunnels.

The general proliferation of conspiracy theories by QAnon followers for years has helped to create a shared vocabulary among far-right organizations, experts said, which smoothed the way for spreading false information about the vaccines. The last year with COVID has just been a perfect storm that whatever your crazy conspiracy belief is, there is someone who has a COVID conspiracy to match it, said Melissa Ryan, CEO of Card Strategies, a consulting firm that researches disinformation.

The vaccines are sometimes referred to as a potion, sometimes as a bioweapon, and there are claims that vaccinated people are shedding mutant viruses.

Telegram is the locus of much of the disinformation and fear mongering. On one channel, there are claims that the vaccine is an instrument of depopulation. A massive death wave will be witnessed later this year among those who took the vaccine, read one posting.

In Idaho, far-right activist Ammon Bundy helped to push for a proposed state law to ban any mandatory vaccines, although work stalled after the Legislature suspended its work on March 19 for more than two weeks because too many lawmakers contracted the coronavirus.

The question is where this newly forged alliance goes from here. Some analysts believe its life span will prove limited, with the far-right pivoting to some other issue, like immigration. Eventually, hundreds of millions of Americans will be vaccinated, they noted, and vaccine skepticism is not the same thing as being anti-vaccination. Some doubters will soften if time proves the vaccines effective.

A new report by the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University noted, however, that although the de-platforming of extremist groups made their campaigns harder to follow, the alliance has the potential to meld disparate factions into a large anti-government movement united around public health issues.

It increases the opportunity for a big tent enemy, said Joel Finkelstein, a fellow at Rutgers who runs the institute. If you are feeling dispossessed, like all these right-wing groups are, boy do I have a tent for you.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Its a hot afternoon in August and Im walking on the edge of the highway in Lake Tahoe, heading back to my parked car after a long hike. One after the other, motors are buzzing so close past me that I can feel the hot swish of air as they drive past.

Just a few minutes ago, I was zenned out in the woods. Now, Im staring down Tahoes nightmare traffic, and its terrifying.

Im not the only pedestrian walking the highway at Emerald Bay. Both sides of the road are full of people walking up and down, between cars and trailheads and viewpoints overlooking the lake. Eventually, I decide its safer to walk on the other side of the guard rail, except now I am walking on a thin strip of gravel exposed above a very large cliff drop. I probably shouldnt slip here.

Emerald Bay in the summertime, especially on a weekend afternoon, is a nightmare traffic jam. It may be one of the most iconic places in Lake Tahoe, and a launchpad for all sorts of fun outdoorsy things to do. But the traffic is so bad, its also the last place you want to be.

Lake Tahoe is well aware of its traffic problem. At its worst, the roads and highways surrounding the lake can feel like rush hour in the middle of a huge city, when actually youre idling on a rural two-lane road. Yet, the answer to Tahoes traffic woes is not building more roads, says a new transportation plan outlining a grand vision for Lake Tahoes infrastructure over the coming decades.

Lake Tahoe is getting squeezed. The region is surrounded on both sides by growing metropolises, from Sacramento to Reno. It's also a popular place for visitors from the Bay Area. At the height of summer, the region swells with millions of people, many of whom are just driving up for the day and clogging up the main thoroughfares. As outdoor recreation becomes ever more popular, and the Bay Area continues to grow alongside Sacramento and Reno, Tahoes traffic cluster is only going to get worse.

Think the drive from San Francisco to Tahoe is already long? It could take as long as 12 hours in the coming years, the 362-page report says.

And still, the experts say Tahoe cant build its way out of this problem with just some road construction and extra highway lanes.

For one, the Environmental Protection Agency designates Tahoe as an Outstanding National Resource Water, and the lakes environment, including development on its shores, is highly protected and regulated. The first goal in the 25-year transportation plan is to protect and enhance Tahoes environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Building out the roadway system for the peak roadway demand does not make sense for the environment or for those who live, work, or visit here, the plan states.

Instead, the 2020 Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan details a bold, ambitious vision to be rolled out over the next 25 years that will amp up Tahoes public transportation, get people out of their cars, build new bike paths, reduce greenhouse gases, improve wildfire evacuation routes and even support environmental restoration efforts in Lake Tahoe.

It sounds like a win-win, except theres a $1 billion gap in funding to make this plan a reality.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency estimates the infrastructure build-out will cost $3.4 billion over the next 25 years, and about $2.4 billion in revenue is available with a combination of federal, state, regional, local and private funding options.

Figuring out how to close that $1 billion funding gap is one of the next steps, said Jeff Cowen, spokesperson for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Theres a track record, Cowen said. Weve been able to get the funding to get the projects done that are needed. This isnt pie in the sky.

Cowen said there are multiple ideas being considered to close the funding gap, including different types of taxes, fees and paid parking. One of the more controversial ideas is an entry fee that drivers would pay to get into the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Thats one of the examples thats being considered, Cowen said. The regional revenue, its too amorphous right now to say heres what it could be, heres what it looks like.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is the regions environmental authority and regulatory agency, and transportation planning is something the TRPA has done every five years or so since the 1970s, Cowen said. The 2020 transportation plan stands apart for its grandeur and boldness. More than 8,500 people commented on the plan or engaged in public outreach meetings and surveys.

TRPA feels like this regional transportation plan is a very big shift in the basin about getting serious, about climate change adaptation, Cowen said. Reducing reliance on the automobile is so critical to our resilience as a region.

Heres a glimpse of what Tahoe in the future might look like.

Right now, public transportation in Lake Tahoe is blatantly inadequate. The bus between Truckee and Tahoe City runs once every two hours. The last one comes at 5 p.m.  not an ideal time for someone who needs to get home just after work. Of those who ride the TART, or Tahoe Area Regional Transit, 72% do not have access to a personal vehicle. Those who do have a vehicle skip the bus: 90% of Tahoes workforce drive their personal car to work.

In the next five years, public transit throughout the region will be entirely free, and also much more frequent, with buses coming every 30 minutes. By 2045, the basins public transportation will operate mostly on 15-minute intervals.

Instead of driving to Lake Tahoe, future visitors may be able to leave their car behind. Before heading to Emerald Bay, you might be parking at a transit hub in South Lake Tahoe and hopping on a shuttle. More shuttles may be routing through nearby cities, like Reno. To discourage the age-old American reliance on individual automobiles, parking along the roadway in Emerald Bay will become much more strict, or next to impossible as roadside improvements strip away all that illegal, sketchy parking that exists today. In other words, I won't need to walk along the highway, because I won't be able to park there in the first place. Instead, I'll probably take the shuttle.

Tahoe also has grand plans for cyclists, with a bike path envisioned to wrap around the entire lake. Water taxis may transport people between Tahoe's Shore and North Shores, avoiding roads entirely.

On the East Shore, parking has long been an issue for beachgoers. Both sides of the highway are a strip of parked cars, many parked illegally. To solve that problem, the transportation plan envisions shuttles and paid parking systems, as well as an expanded bike path from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit.

E-scooters might also be a thing in Tahoes future, one option under the umbrella category of micromobility. Driverless shuttles are also listed as an option under emerging technology.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency must approve the final draft of the Regional Transportation Plan, Cowen said. After that, the plan would serve as a sort of roadmap for Tahoes medley of jurisdictions, including two states, five counties, one city, and several land management agencies. In total, 17 agencies are committed to advocating for funding and implementing the projects in this plan. The California Natural Resources Agency and the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will also weigh in. The TRPA also worked with members of the Washoe Tribe, whose ancestral home is Lake Tahoe, on the plan.

This is not going to sit on a shelf, Cowen said.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) announces an update of the status of the legal proceedings related to a disputed royalty on one of its extracting mining concessions at the San Jose Mine located in Oaxaca, Mexico.



Background

In 2017, the Mexican Geological Service ("SGM") advised the Company that a previous owner of one of the Company's mineral concessions at the San Jose Mine, had granted to SGM a royalty of 3% of the billing value of the minerals obtained from the concession. At the date of the Company's acquisition of the concession, the royalty was not disclosed to the Company and it did not appear on the electronic title register at the Mining Registry although it is listed in the official record books of the concessions of the Mining Registry. The Company obtained advice from external legal counsel which confirmed that there was no legal basis for the creation of the royalty and that it was invalidly created. The Company initiated legal proceedings to uphold its position that no royalty is payable.

Administrative proceedings were initiated to remove reference to the royalty from the title register, and subsequently further legal proceedings (the "Amparo Proceedings") were initiated to contest the legality of the cancellation procedure of the Direccion General de Minas ("DGM") for non-payment of the royalty. On March 2, 2020, the Company obtained a permanent stay of execution (akin to an injunction), which protects the Company from making payment of the disputed royalty in order to avoid cancellation of the concession until a final non-appealable resolution is reached in the Amparo Proceedings. The Company's appeal of the decision of the Court at first instance in the Amparo Proceedings is before the Collegiate Court. A decision is expected during mid-2021. (refer to Fortuna news releases dated March 5, 2020 (https://fortunasilver.com/site/assets/files/5172/adnet_fortuna_provides_an_update_on_the_status_of_disp1.pdf) and December 1, 2020 (https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/news/2020/fortuna-provides-update-on-status-of-disputed-royalty-at-the-san-jose-mine/)).

Administrative Proceedings

In 2018, the Company initiated administrative proceedings (the "Administrative Proceedings") in the Mexican Federal Administrative Court ("FAC") against the DGM to remove reference to the royalty from the title register on the grounds that there is no legal basis for the creation of the royalty and that it was invalidly created. Effective March 26, 2021, the FAC resolved against correcting the title register, on the basis that the previous owner of the mineral concession offered the disputed royalty to the SGM. The Company's Mexican legal advisors are of the view that the resolution of the FAC is erroneous as the Judge failed to consider the relevant Mining Laws relating to royalties in place at the time of the grant of the mineral concession. The Company's legal position with respect to the disputed royalty remains unchanged. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position and appeal the resolution of the FAC and file an appeal with the Collegiate Circuit Court in Mexico by April 21, 2021.

The resolution of the FAC does not affect the permanent stay of execution obtained by the Company on March 2, 2020.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with operations in Peru, Mexico and Argentina. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce silver and gold and generate shared value over the long-term for our shareholders and stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit our website at www.fortunasilver.com (http://www.fortunasilver.com).

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jorge A. Ganoza

President, CEO, and Director

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI

Investor Relations:

Carlos Baca

T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0

E: info@fortunasilver.com (mailto:info@fortunasilver.com)

Forward looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward-looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward-looking Statements. The Forward-looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's Amparo Proceedings and administrative proceedings against the DGM, the outcome of the administrative proceedings against the DGM; the outcome of the Company's Amparo Proceedings against the DGM to contest the cancellation procedure, the appeal of decisions and judgments made by the Courts, and the potential for the Company to be required to pay the amount claimed to preserve its mining concession in the event that the Company's Amparo Proceedings to contest the cancellation procedure are unsuccessful, or how the Company would satisfy such payment and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, that the Company may be unsuccessful in its Amparo Proceedings and may be required to pay the amount of the disputed royalty plus VAT; the duration and effects of COVID-19, and any other pandemics on our operations, production and workforce, and the effects on global economies, governments, courts and society, actual results of production and exploration activities; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for gold, silver and other metals; fluctuation in foreign exchange rates; any extension of the currency controls in Argentina; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; delays in commissioning at Lindero; delays in achieving steady production and commencement of commercial production at Lindero; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; changes to current estimates of mineral reserves and resources; changes to production estimates; governmental and other approvals; changes in government, political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding success in its legal and administrative proceedings which is based upon advice from independent law firms, expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in its legal proceedings or that these Forward-looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward-looking Statements.




The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur on Saturday announced the signing of an agreement worth USD 2.5 million for setting up of a medical research facility in the campus.

The Institute has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Micky and Vinita Pant Charitable Fund for establishing the School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT).

According to the IIT Kanpur, it is the first such MoU for $ 2.5 million donation towards the development of the SMRT. Muktesh Pant, Founder, Micky and Vinita Pant Charitable Foundation, is an alumnus.

We pride ourselves on our alumni who have received national and international recognition and success, but feel connected to their alma mater. We are grateful for this donation by our alumnus (Pant) through his charitable foundation towards establishing of the School of Medical Research and Technology, Institute director Prof Abhay Karandikar said.

SMRT will bring together the expertise of engineering technologies, biomedical research and clinical set-up under a single umbrella to create a one-of-its-kind world-class medical school in India. SMRT will produce outstanding medical professionals trained in state-of-art engineering technologies who can meet the future healthcare needs of our country, he added.

The Vision of a world-class medical school at is exciting. The current team, under the leadership of Prof Karandikar inspires great confidence. has always been renowned for leading the way in engineering and this focus on bringing engineering excellence to medical technology has the potential to create many healthcare miracles in future, Pant observed.

Pant obtained his B Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1976. In a career spanning over 35 years, he held senior positions in premier multinational companies viz. Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo, Reebok and Yum Brands. Later, he went on to lead YUM! China as the CEO of the company, when it was spun off as a listed entity.

Meanwhile, SMRT is a one of a kind initiative by IIT Kanpur to catalyse medical in India by bridging the gap between medical and technology disciplines. The first phase of the project would include setting up of various Centres of Excellence (CoE) oriented towards cutting-edge medical research and innovation along with a 500 bed super-specialty hospital.

According to the IIT Kanpur, the CoE are expected to work in confluence with the core clinical departments of the hospital and biomedical expertise of various engineering departments of IIT Kanpur. In addition, SMRT will not only contribute towards meeting the healthcare needs of the underserved population of the city but will also have pan-India benefits.
Rajasthan will roll out its ambitious universal coverage scheme on May 1, the registration process for which will start from April 1, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Saturday.

Under the scheme, announced in the state budget for 2021-22 by Gehlot, every family will get an cover of Rs five lakh by paying Rs 850 annually.

"We are going to implement the universal health coverage scheme from May 1 and registration will start from April 1," the chief minister said at a virtual programme of the medical education department.

He said the medical and health sector is the topmost priority for his government.

"Development works, water, electricity, education, irrigation, social welfare and other sectors are also on the government's priority list, but health is the topmost priority area for us," Gehlot said.

He said the state government had launched the "Nirogi Rajasthan" campaign and the preparations for it, which started in December 2019, proved to be crucial in March 2020 at the time of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The corona management of the government was excellent, due to which the recovery rate was the highest and the mortality rate was the lowest in the state. We have strengthened our medical infrastructure and the per-day corona testing capacity is 70,000 now," the chief minister said.

He said Rajasthan's "Bhilwara model" was praised worldwide and the "No Mask, No Entry" slogan was followed in the UK also.

Highlighting the medical facilities in the state, Gehlot said his government is exploring the possibility of tie-ups with foreign universities for nursing-training courses. He said the numbers of medical colleges, seats in the MBBS and MD courses have increased in the state and the government is developing model community health centres (CHCs).

Expressing concern on the second wave of coronavirus cases, Gehlot said the state government has imposed certain restrictions, which would be made stricter if the situation worsens.

However, he ruled out the possibility of clamping a lockdown, saying it causes losses and is not a solution.

The chief minister said if required, the state government would impose stricter restrictions without clamping a lockdown.

Health Minister Raghu Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Transport Minister Pratap Singh and senior officials attended the programme during which the foundations of various projects were laid and a few other projects were inaugurated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Dutch criminal appeared before a court in Belfast on Saturday after illegally entering the United Kingdom for the fourth time.

Dinni Ali, who was deported in 2017 after being convicted of a violent offence in Birmingham, was detained in Northern Ireland on Friday.

At Belfast Magistrates Court officers from both the PSNI and the Home Office Border Force said the 26-year-old had travelled from Dublin.

A police officer said Ali was originally from the Netherlands and is believed to have been trying to make his way to Birmingham to see his family who had settled there.

The officer added that he had been convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the city in 2016 and sentenced to 15 months.

Any foreign national sentenced to more than 10 months is automatically subject to a deportation order from the Home Office.

Alis solicitor told the court that on the three previous occasions Ali was detected entering the UK the matter had been dealt with without him being charged.

District Judge Mark Hamill adjourned the case until March 30 for further arguments to be made.
An Uber spokesperson provided a statement saying, We are deeply saddened by this news, and our thoughts are with Javiers family and loved ones. Issues that affect the safety of drivers are very concerning to us and we continue to explore new safety technology solutions in the app. We are proactively working with Chicago Police to aid their investigation of these horrible crimes, and bring those who perpetrate them to justice.
TWO men have been charged after gardai intercepted a handover of 500,000 worth of cannabis in Dublin on Friday evening.

Glen Stankard, 25, from Balrothery Estate, Tallaght, and Conor Delaney, 33, with an address at Riverwood Hall, Castleknock, Dublin, were charged with possessing 25 kilos of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply.

It follows a drug seizure at Larchill, Santry, in the city's northside, by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

The two men appeared before Judge Dermot Simms at Dublin District Court on Saturday.

Detective Garda James Doolan told the court that Mr Delaney made no reply when charged.

He objected to him getting bail due to the seriousness of the case.

He told a contested bail hearing it was alleged that during an investigation into a crime organisation, a white Volkswagen van was seen entering an estate at Larchill. A Ford van, allegedly driven by Mr Delaney, also came to the area.

It was alleged that Mr Stankard was the driver of the Volkswagen and that he brought cardboard boxes to the rear of the Ford van.

Judge Simms was told that Mr Delaney held the doors to the back of his van open.

They were stopped and cannabis valued 500,000 was seized, it was alleged.

Mr Delaney was questioned but maintained his right to silence.

Detective Garda Doolan agreed with defence solicitor Wayne Kenny that there was no evidence his client had touched the contents of the boxes.

Mr Kenny submitted that Mr Delaney may not have known what was inside them and the evidence was weak.

Pleading for bail, he submitted that his client, who is on social welfare, could be held until 2023 before his trial is heard in the circuit court. Mr Kenny said the accused would abide by bail conditions.

Judge Simms refused to grant him bail and remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday.

There was no objection to bail being granted to Mr Stankard, who recently became unemployed. It was set in his own bond of 250 and a family member was allowed to act as a surety in the sum of 1,000.

He was ordered to reside at his home address, obey a curfew, remain contactable by mobile phone, sign on twice a week at his local Garda station and have no contact with his co-accused. Detective Garda Brian Johnson said Mr Stankard also made no reply to charge.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions are being sought.

Legal aid was granted.
Priyanka Chopra Reveals When Her Next Bollywood Film Would Be Ready And The Answer Will Make You Super Happy

Priyanka Chopra has been conquering Hollywood like a boss. The actress has quite a few Hollywood projects lined up for release. But all the fans had been wondering when the actress will be back in Bollywood. Now, it looks like we have an answer to that! And it was revealed none other than Priyanka herself.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra)

The actress was holding an AskPC session when one of the fans asked her about when she would be making her return to the Hindi film industry. To that, the actress replied, 'Next Year'. See the tweet here:

Wow, so finally, we would be able to see the actress back in the Hindi film industry by next year itself. This is now making us even more impatient. Priyanka was most recently seen in The White Tiger, where she played Pinky Madan. The film bagged many nominations in major Award functions, The last Bollywood film that she was a part of was The Sky Is Pink opposite Farhan Akhtar. The actress is playing the lead in the romantic drama Text for You opposite Sam Heughan and Celine Dion. She will also be a part of the Matrix. She will next star alongside Richard Madden in Prime Videos thriller series Citadel, and will double up as guru Ma Anand Sheela in Barry Levinsons Sheela, a film she will produce for Amazon Studios.
To avert the effects of flooding and amidst high alert on the prospect of severe flood in the country caused by extreme weather patterns and long-term global climate change, states government in the country have rekindled their efforts at averting the menace.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had earlier advised the three tiers of government and citizens across the country to prepare against impending devastating floods in 2021.

The director-general, NIHSA, Clement Nze, noted that Nigeria was at the receiving end of disastrous floods among the nine countries of the River Niger Basin.

He said, "There is still time for states/LGAs (Local Government Areas) and individuals to take necessary steps to avert or minimise the disastrous effects of flood in the year 2021.

"As the country gradually steps into the 2021/2022 Hydrological Year in the River Niger Basin which covers nine countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Guinea, Mall, Niger and Nigeria, it means that Nigeria is gradually inching towards the peak rainy season with its attendant flood incidents.

"Nigeria's geographical location downstream of all the countries in this basin places it at the receiving end of disastrous floods and pollution from all the countries upstream."

Nze said persistent flooding and flood disasters had become an annual event in Nigeria since 2012 when the country experienced its worst flood disaster in recent history.

In 2020, hundreds of lives were lost, thousands of citizens rendered homeless with farm and property losses running into billions of naira because of the devastating effects of flooding.

In Ebonyi, the executive secretary, Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Pastor Ken Eze, has warned residents of flood-prone areas in the state of impending flooding as the rains commence across the 13 LGAs of the state.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Pastor Ken disclosed that the forecast by the National Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), predicts heavy rainfall in the state which may cause serious flooding should the necessary action not taken to avert the impending danger.

He urged the people especially residents of Afikpo North, Ohaozara, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Ikwo and other flood-prone areas to stop building houses along waterways and dumping refuse on drainages as it would cause flooding.

Eze said that having observed the first rain in the state and the havoc caused, the agency had started creating awareness in the affected areas and would in conjunction with the relevant authorities like the ministry of environment, the council chairmen and Development Centre coordinators to embark on clearing of the waterways and the drainages.

"SEMA and NEMA will have a joint sensitisation visit to enlighten stakeholders of the local governments, farmers, traders, market women, among other individuals on flood prevention".

"We have and will continue to make announcements and place jingles on radio to caution the public on the probable flood."

Though he did not disclose the budgetary provision for the agency, he noted government is committed to ensuring the safety of lives and properties of those living in flood-prone areas.

He also advised those who are already envisaging the fear of flood disaster to either vacate their homes ahead of the impending flood in the area or do the needful to avoid any loss of life.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State government has commenced clearing of blocked drainages in Ilorin, the state capital to ensure free flow of water as the rainy season sets in.

LEADERSHIP Weekend noted that drainages in Gambari, Okelele, Alagbado and Murtala Mohammed Way; all in Ilorin had been cleared to forestall flooding in the metropolis.

The permanent secretary, ministry of environment, Pastor Abraham Ojo, said drainage clearing is a continuous exercise, adding that the ministry will not leave any stone unturned in preventing incidences of flooding in every part of the state.

He added the state government has also constructed drainages on roads in flood-prone areas such as Kulende- Royal Valley Estate- Akerebiata communities.

He said officials of the ministry were also sensitising residents on the need for them not to dump refuse on drainages and waterways to ensure free flow of water.

Worried by the havoc that flood usually wreaked on the people of the state during the rainy season, the Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has urged the management of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission ( HYPADEC) to find a lasting solution to the menace.

Also, the North Central Zonal coordinator, NEMA, Mr. Eugine Nyelong, has said following NIMET predictions for the year, NEMA has commenced sensitization of the people in Jos on the need to clear their drainage systems to prevent flooding as the raining season is around the corner.

According to him, sensitization is ongoing as they have engaged local volunteers in terms of rapid response mechanism which was domesticated in the local languages for effective communication.

He also said the agency has sponsored Radio and Television jingles to create awareness and the need for the locals not to blocked waterways and other activities that will cause flooding in the state.

Speaking in the same vein Mr. Gabriel Nshem, the Acting General Manager Plateau Environmental Protecting Sanitation Agency said every year the state government releases money to the agency to move around and clear drainages along major streets in Jos, Bukuru metropolis.

In Akwa Ibom despite spending over N3billion on erosion control projects in different parts of the state, the state government is undertaking regular desilting of drains and opening up new drainages to prevent flooding - hence loss of lives and properties - ahead of this year's rainy season.

Communities on the bank of Orashi River and its tributaries covering Abua/Odual, Ahoada-East, Ahoada-West, Akuku-Toru, Asari- Toru, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Degema local government areas of Rivers State, face flooding annually to water rise in River Niger.

However, the Rivers State government seems not to be prepared for the flood that may follow the rainy season.

LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that while there is no budgetary allocation in the 2021 budget to tackle flooding, the state government is yet to commence the desilting of creeks and rivulets in most riverine communities in preparation for the flood.

Speaking to newsmen, the sole administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Felix Obuah, appealed to residents of the state, not to dispose their wastes into drainages and other water channels to avoid blocking the water channels, which are major causes of flooding in the state.

The rains have started to drop in lmo State with its attendant unpredictability even as NIMET has predicted normal to above normal rainy season.

Consequently, the state government has taken proactive measures to prevent floods in the state.

The commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba while speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend said the state government had embarked on the desilting of debris in the gutters and evacuate the same, to prevent re-occurrence.

The commissioner stressed they don't want to take chances, to this end, a monitoring team has been set up to take charge of the supervision of the environment.

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According to him, this is aimed at preventing the populace from blocking the gutters and waterways.

He explained that roads constructed earlier without proper drainage systems will be rehabilitated to create waterways and prevent floods.

In Niger State, the director general, Niger state Emergency Management Agency, (NSEMA) Ahmed Inga, said they had started early warning sensitization to educate the people.

Similarly, the Niger State government has desilted drainages and made arrangements for those on the flood plains to relocate to highland.

Also, the state government has made it clear that buildings on waterways will be demolished.

The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has commenced sensitization on what should be done to prevent possible floods, while the government remains proactive to tackle the flood situations in the state.

According to the public relations officer of the agency, Ayuka Shemang, "We have sensitized the citizens particularly areas situated around the river banks and areas that are prone to flooding.

"We have been carrying out sensitization and in our sensitization anywhere we sense that there could be flood-related issues, we report to relevant authorities to take action."

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has urged residents to prepare for the rains, and avoid environmental actions that could lead to flooding in the territory.

The agency also appealed to the residents to desist from acts such as indiscriminate waste disposal into water channels and rivers, building on waterways and riverbanks as well as diverting water channels, to prevent flood disaster.

The FEMA director-general, Alhaji Abass ldriss, noted that preparedness and sensitisation remain the key toward reducing disaster to the barest minimum in the FCT.
the doors of Dundalk library may be closed due to lockdown but they are busy behind the scenes hosting online events.

Here are Louth County library's upcoming virtual events.

Parenting with Patience with Dr Mary OKane on Thursday 8th of April at 7pm.

In this workshop participants learn how to frame behaviour management in a positive way with practical advice on how to use connection to help parent with patience.

To book your place email libraryhelpdesk@louthcoco.ie

Five Ways to Wellbeing During Tough Times on Thursday 15th of April at 7pm with Mental Health Ireland.

The workshop will explore how much time we spend every day looking after our mental health and how having an improved understanding will help us look after our wellbeing during Covid 19.

As numbers are limited booking is essential to book email libraryhelpdesk@louthcoco.ie
White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Shawn ThewPool via CNP

President Joe Bidens press secretary Jen Psaki worked for an Israeli firm accused of involvement in surveillance of Palestinians under Israeli military occupation.

Psakis public financial disclosures show that she earned at least $5,000 as a crisis communications consultant for AnyVision.

The disclosure forms for executive branch officials can be requested from the White House. Psakis disclosure obtained by The Electronic Intifada is included below this article.

The exact date of the work is not specified, but it occurred between the time Psaki left the Obama administration in 2017 and her new role in the Biden White House.

Psaki has operated a communications firm called Evergreen Consulting since a month after President Barack Obama left office.

This covers the period when AnyVision faced a public relations crisis over its alleged complicity in Israels abuses of Palestinian rights.

In 2019, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that AnyVisions facial recognition technology was being secretly used by Israels occupation army to monitor West Bank Palestinians at checkpoints on the way into Israel  while using a network of cameras deep inside the West Bank.

AnyVisions president, Amir Kain, was former head of the Israeli defense ministrys security department, and one of its advisers, Tamir Pardo, is a former head of the Mossad spying and assassination agency, according to Haaretz.

In other words, AnyVision was reportedly an integral part of what Israels leading human rights group BTselem recently described as an apartheid regime established to perpetuate the supremacy of one group  Jews  over another  Palestinians.

According to Haaretz, the firms co-founder Eylon Etshtein asserted without apparent irony that his company is very sensitive to racial and gender bias and only sells to democratic countries with proper governments.

Microsoft divestment

A subsequent report by Olivia Solon for NBC News stated that AnyVision powers a secret military surveillance project throughout the West Bank.

Palestinians living in the West Bank do not have Israeli citizenship or voting rights but are subject to movement restrictions and surveillance by the Israeli government, NBC noted.

The network also reported that when it approached AnyVisions Etshtein for comment, He disputed that the West Bank was occupied and questioned the motivation of the NBC News inquiry, suggesting the reporter must have been funded by a Palestinian activist group.

Etshtein also apparently threatened to sue the network.

Solons report focused attention on how American tech giant Microsoft had invested $74 million in AnyVision.

That spurred the #DropAnyVision campaign by human rights and Palestine solidarity activists calling on Microsoft to divest from the spy firm.

The campaign  spearheaded by Jewish Voice for Peace  was successful.

Microsoft announced a year ago that it was withdrawing from involvement with AnyVision, after it commissioned an investigation led by former US attorney general Eric Holder.

Microsoft said that Holders investigation could not substantiate the accusations about AnyVisions secret involvement in surveillance of Palestinians.

But Microsoft said it was divesting anyway since holding a minority share in a firm selling sensitive technologies including facial recognition would not allow for the level of oversight or control that Microsoft exercises over the use of its own technology.

Microsofts decision to dump AnyVision is a huge blow to this deeply complicit Israeli company and a success for an impressive BDS campaign, Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement for Palestinian rights, said at the time.
"If we lose our past, we lose who we are"
Almost exactly one year ago, Gorey resident Abbie Doyle pulled up at the rear entrance of Wexford General Hospital. She made a call to inform staff of her arrival and a nurse dressed in full PPE came to let her in. She was told to put on a mask and to keep her hands at her sides, not to touch anything and was immediately brought through a deserted ward and into an isolation room.

While the virus had only arrived on our shores in the weeks beforehand and doctors believed there was only a very slim chance she had contracted it, Abbie was to be the first recorded case of Covid-19 in Co Wexford.

A native of Newtown, Co Wicklow, Abbie had only moved to Gorey in the weeks before she found herself in hospital. Having made the move with her partner, she was working from home as a Senior Sourcing Specialist since the first week in March. For that reason, opportunities to pick up the virus would have been seemingly limited.

'We didn't know anyone in Gorey at the time and I had been working from home, so we weren't going out much or anything,' she explains. 'At the time though, I had a suppressed immune system, so I was more likely to pick it up in a supermarket or somewhere like that than other people.'

Unfortunately, her brush with Covid wasn't Abbie's first encounter with a contagious disease. The previous September she had been diagnosed with TB and had already been through the rigours of isolation.

'I suppose in some ways, the fact I had been through TB had helped me,' she reflects. 'I was used to dealing with doctors and nurses in full PPE and being in isolation. On this occasion, when I was diagnosed with Covid, the doctors were really reassuring and treated it just the same as any other contagious disease.'

Expand Close The front page of The Wexford People at the time, March 17, 2020 / Facebook

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The fact is, however, that back in March of last year, Ireland was a very different place. The use of masks hadn't become widespread. Hand sanitiser etc was only beginning to be rolled out in shops. It was less than a week since the first tentative Covid restrictions were introduced when Abbie was diagnosed and we were still another 11 days from our first full lockdown.

'I was working from home and I remember I just started getting these headaches,' she recalls. 'I assumed it was the stress of moving to a new house and getting used to home working etc. Then I remember that weekend we went to go do the shopping. As we were heading for Lidl, I just felt faint. I couldn't do it, so I told my boyfriend I was going back to the car. I felt awful. I got into the bed when I got home and I felt nauseous and achey and cold. I had no temperature, cough or shortness of breath at the time though, which were given as the symptoms to look out for.'

Having called Caredoc, Abbie was advised to go to the hospital, at which point she was brought through an empty Covid ward and into isolation.

'I had to go in around the back, where the ambulances park up. It was kind of surreal,' she said. 'I didn't really know what to expect. I don't think I was aware that I was the first Covid patient until I read the article in the paper. I remember when I was leaving there were one or two others in isolation awaiting test results, but when I was going in the ward was completely empty. It was weird having no one around and a little daunting.

'The staff were great though and the doctor said I looked pretty well. He said I was being tested just in case, but the chances were I didn't have it because, at that time, most cases in Ireland were being linked to foreign travel to Italy. They did the test and I was sent home to isolate there.'

At the time Abbie's phone rang to tell her she was positive for Covid-19, there were only around 160 people with the virus in the country.

'He said "your test has returned as Covid-19 positive",' she recalls. 'I said "yeah". Then he repeated it and I remember thinking, "well, what can I say?" They told me to continue to isolate at home and if I felt any worse, to come back to hospital.'

Following a call from contact tracing, Abbie's anxiety levels rose and she began to feel ill again. She returned to hospital, which in hindsight was probably for the best.

'The doctors were really reassuring about the whole thing,' she said. 'Even though it was new to them, it felt like they knew exactly what they were doing. They put me into an isolation room and checked me over and told me I was over the worst of it and I was sent home again to isolate. After a couple of days I felt fine and I was back working on the laptop at home.'

However, it's worth noting that Covid does have some lingering effects too.

'Towards the end of May or the start of June, I started getting chest pains, tinnitus in my ear and some other weird things like tingling in my hands,' she said. 'Fatigue was also a real issue and I found myself needing naps during the day. I got in touch with the doctor and, although I would've been considered a mild case, they said it was as a result of the virus and I was referred to a post-Covid clinic.'

One of the things Abbie was grateful for was that her close contacts, her boyfriend, her mother and her sister in particular, had all tested negative for the virus.

Perhaps the thing Abbie found most upsetting from the whole ordeal was the stigma that seemed to surround Covid initially and the commentary on social media, with the virus still being a largely unknown entity which had yet to arrive at many people's doorsteps.

'When I went home, I never kept it a secret from the neighbours or anything,' she said. 'I told them through the window I was sick with Covid and they were really great. We were accepted as part of the community here right away. Everyone is so nice.

'People in general don't seem to have the same level of empathy for contagious diseases as other conditions though. I noticed that when people spoke out about contracting Covid or did interviews etc, they were coming in for a backlash at that time. Back in March, it was harder to speak out and say "I have Covid".'

The reporting of figures in relation to Covid often seems to have a de-humanizing effect. People lose touch with the fact that there is a person behind every number and Abbie found it difficult to read some of the commentary surrounding the news that Wexford General had its first confirmed case.

'I struggled with that and found the comments really hurtful,' she said. 'There were people who clearly didn't even read the article taking time out to comment and criticise. It took so much for me not to reply and I was there in a hospital ward, feeling sick. People didn't know the story, but everything was done by the book and I followed all the instructions I was given.

'How would these people like it if it was their sister or daughter in hospital? People can be so judgemental. I know I wasn't named in the piece at the time, but I knew the exact context of what happened and I just found it so sad that people are so quick to assume the worst. The vast majority of people do have the common sense to act in the interest of public health. I just felt "what is the benefit of these people saying these things, other than to hurt someone's feelings?"'

Thankfully, feeling fine now, Abbie's advice for anyone who has recently contracted Covid is to be patient and go easy on themselves.

'If I had any advice it would be, just because you feel better after two weeks, don't assume you can immediately go back to what you normally do, running a 5k or whatever. People can struggle for months and your heart rate can be all over the place. You can be really tired. It's like pneumonia. It can take a few months to fully recover. Don't push yourself too hard and take time to recover and build yourself back up.'
New Delhi:

The Central Board of Secondary Education on Saturday issued show cause notice to Ryan International School in Gurugram. The CBSE asks school to come up with a reply within 15 days.

A 7-year-old boy Pradyuman Thakur was found murdered inside the school campus last Friday.

The Supreme Court had also issued a notice to Centre and all the states. The apex court has sought their reply within three weeks.

Placing the onus on schools for the safety of students on their premises, the CBSE had also issued new security-related guidelines to be implemented by the institutions, failing which they would face derecognition.

The school authority has been scrutinised by Haryana police. Haryana police handed over 8-page long questionnaire to Ausgustine Pinto, Grace Pinto and Ryan Pinto who hold different positions in the Ryan International School.

The postmortem report of Pradyuman Thakur revealed that shock and hemorrhage were the causes of his death. The report also added that external injury caused by single-edged sharp weapon and its consequences were enough to cause death in a normal case of nature.

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Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., talks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, on the fourth day of the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 23:44:05|Editor: huaxia

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Botswana's former president Festus Mogae receives the COVID-19 vaccine at Block 8 Medical Clinic in Gaborone, Botswana, on March 26, 2021. Botswana kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination program Friday with the elderly citizens given priority for the jab. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)

GABORONE, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Botswana kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination program Friday with the elderly citizens given priority for the jab.

Several high-ranking former and current government officials publicly took the vaccine in different parts of the country as a way of encouraging the public to come forth and get vaccinated.

Former President Festus Mogae was the first to receive the jab, followed by the current Minister of Health and Wellness Edwin Dikoloti at Block 8 Medical Clinic in Gaborone.

Speaking during the event, Dikoloti explained that currently only people with underlying health conditions and who are 55 years old and above will receive the vaccine.

"Today marks a major milestone in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. I urge everyone who is eligible and has been called up for vaccination to do so as the vaccine has been checked and it is safe for use," he said.

Botswana received a donation of 30,000 doses of the CoviShield vaccine from India earlier this month. The country expects more vaccines to arrive before the end of March through the COVAX facility, an international COVID-19 vaccine campaign co-led by the World Health Organization and its partners. Enditem
Thiruvananthapuram, March 27 : The presence of Wayanad MP and Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi on Saturday in Kerala's Pathanamthitta is expected to yield better fortunes for the party and even tilt the scales in its favour, as the UDF at present does not have a single seat in the Sabarimala-famed district.

Pathanamthitta district has five seats and all five are with the ruling CPI-M-led LDF.

Gandhi who arrived at Ranni was greeted by a huge crowd who were seen waiting for a long time.

Seated on the top of his SUV, Gandhi assured the people that the Nyay Yojana perceived by the Congress party will certainly kick start the Kerala economy.

"All would be getting Rs 7,000 a month and that will be of great help to boost the Kerala economy. Apart from that we will ensure that we provide a minimum support price for farmers produce," said Gandhi.

Gandhi also reminded the people that this time the Congress has fielded 55 per cent of the candidates who are youngsters.

"It's these 55 per cent who will transform Kerala and they will take forward our agenda of spreading brotherhood and peace in the country. In Kerala also there are groups who spread the ideology of hatred and violence." At Ranni, the Congress party has fielded Rinku Cherian, a young Congress leader. The seat has been with the CPI-M since 1996 with Left leader Raju Abraham winning it for consecutive terms.

This time, however, Abraham after five terms was not given a renomination, instead this seat was given to new ally Jose K. Mani-led Kerala Congress (M), whose nominee -- P.N.Pramod Narayanan is fighting a stiff battle.

Likewise a stiff battle is currently on at Aranmula and Konni.

Incidentally Pathanamthitta district is home to the famed Sabarimala temple and the electoral battle at the Konni constituency has also turned stiff with the presence of state BJP president K.Surendran.

Even though in the 2019 bypoll, the Konni seat was won by the CPI-M candidate K.U.Jenish Kumar, this time both the UDF and the BJP have once again raked up the Sabarimala temple issue, causing heartburns to the Left.

The Congress has fielded popular local leader Robin Peter.

At Aranmula constituency, the sitting CPI-M legislator -- journalist-turned-politician Veena George is facing her opponent whom she beat - K.Sivadasan Nair (a two time Congress legislator) in 2016.

Here also the Sabarimala issue is being discussed widely and all eyes are on the Syrian Orthodox Church, which has given rock-solid support to Veena, last time.

This time, however, the church is upset with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the way his government handled the dispute they had with the Syrian Jacobite Church, even when the apex court ruled in favour of the Orthodox Church.

"The arrival of Gandhi is a morale booster for the Congress party in Pathanamthitta district and there are high hopes that the party will do exceedingly well this time," said a top Congress leader.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Of course a lot of travel is done for fun and enjoyment, and why not? One of the great pleasures of life in the modern world is the freedom to fly off to a totally different place, to experience a new culture, climate and landscape.

British people have always been adventurous voyagers, but in the past few decades easy travel has allowed far more of us to take our holidays abroad. So one of the strangest and most dispiriting effects of lockdown has been the almost total cessation of such travel, and the stifling closure of our borders.

Millions have accepted this, in the cause of controlling the virus, but how much longer must they do so?

By mid-May, immense numbers will have had both inoculations and will be even safer. So the case for an opening-up of travel is strong and growing stronger

The people of this country have responded to the pandemic with a great wave of unselfishness. They have accepted, with amazing patience, restriction after restriction on their lives

Then there are the other, more serious reasons for flying  especially staying in touch with close family. Huge numbers of people have been cut off from close relatives for painfully long periods, an unnatural and punishing separation which has caused a good deal of grief, and which cannot be shrugged off as trivial or frivolous.

And there are the economic benefits to this country of a flourishing travel industry, one which employs many thousands and helps to oil all the wheels of commerce. Sean Doyle, chief executive of British Airways, today pleads eloquently in The Mail on Sunday for a safe but definite reopening of travel, preferably by late May.

He points out that aviation directly contributes an astonishing 22 billion to the UK economy each year.

So the time really has come to wonder how much longer the Government can maintain the iron-bound travel ban it currently insists on, and whether those advisers who still seek to delay the reopening of ports and airports should continue to dominate Whitehall discussions.

Every day, hundreds of thousands more are vaccinated. Those at greatest danger have been protected first. The fear of spreading infection has also been diminished. Even a single jab greatly reduces the risk that its recipient will either contract or pass on the virus.

By mid-May, immense numbers will have had both inoculations and will be even safer. So the case for an opening-up of travel is strong and growing stronger.

Obviously this should be limited to those countries which would welcome it (as many will). And it is surely not beyond the ability of the Government and airlines to devise a system which ensures that those who travel have either been immunised or have tested negative before they fly.

We have supported Boris Johnson solidly on his roadmap out of lockdown, and very much continue to do so. And it is for the same reasons that we now suggest there is no longer a good justification for a general travel ban after May 17.

The time has come to prepare for the reopening of some destinations, at the same time introducing checks whereby travellers can be monitored for safety  either through vaccination or a recent negative test.

The people of this country have responded to the pandemic with a great wave of unselfishness. They have accepted, with amazing patience, restriction after restriction on their lives.

The awesome success of the vaccine has transformed the position. They now deserve the restoration of their freedom to travel, within sensible limits  most especially to be reunited with loved ones they have not seen for more than a year, but also because Britain as a whole needs some joy and sunshine after so many months of greyness and gloom.
[March 27, 2021] Ryan Williams French's New Blog Delivers Striking Observations on Race and Identity: A Must Read for Today's Climate.

LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In this time of pandemic, racial discord, national mourning, mental health awareness, and discontent, My Strength, My Song is a must read blog for any young adult, regardless of faith, who is searching for light in what appears to be a period of darkness. Los Angeles based artist and writer Ryan Williams French is thrilled to launch his new blog, My Strength, My Song. The blog contains a collection of poems and essays focused on empowering and encouraging young men and women of color. Many of his works are accompanied by audio and visual elements that bring life to the young writer's reflections on fatherhood, masculinity, and identity formation. In addition to personal insights, Ryan pulls from a collection of authoritative writers and thinkers, including Nelson Mandela, Viktor Frankl, and Carl Jung, to formulate deeper connections that can be applied to life. Although many of his insights are inspired from his Christian faith, the blog is not intended to prescribe a belief system to its readers. His first poem/essay, "Why Do Bids Sing Early in the Morning?" sings loudly in the space of silence and isolation the pandemic has created. Using the Bird Song as a framework, Ryan investigates the ramifications of absent fathers in young men's lives. Despite some assumptions that fathers are nt critical to the success of a child's development, statistics and discourse on family structures demonstrate the centrality of a present male figure in a young boy's upbringing. As young boys without fathers mature into men, they face the dismal reality of higher prison incarceration rates, higher rates of clinical depression and anxiety, difficulties excelling in grade school, problems managing anger, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. In the face of these trends, Ryan's poem, or rather, ode of faith, reconciliation, and self-acceptance, offers strength and courage to young men grappling with the reality of an absent father.



His second essay "Flowers for Algernon/ observations on love and memories," Is inspired by Daniel Keye's epistolary novel "Flowers for Algernon." The essay is written in letter format and is addressed to a student. One could argue that it's the most affectionate of Mr. William's blog series. The essay examines the reality of depression and offers a gift of hope and faith through its celebration of life. Last, Ryan delivers a sobering reflection on race in America in his essay "Something to Live For." Similar to "Flower's for Algernon," the essay is addressed to a former student, and gives an account of the writer's recent traumatic encounter with the police. Mr. French also performs a powerful spoken word poem.

It is evident Ryan has a background in acting and education, his audio recordings of his works masterfully accentuate the spirit of his impassioned writing with poetic fervor. In addition to essays, My Strength, My Song revisits parables from the Bible that offer timeless insights on spiritual and personal development. Readers can enjoy "Something to Live for" by clicking on the link below. http://www.mystrengthmysong.com/something-to-live-for View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ryan-williams-frenchs-new-blog-delivers-striking-observations-on-race-and-identity-a-must-read-for-todays-climate-301257081.html SOURCE My Strength My Song

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Disasters are big to the people they affect, but amid all the headlines, theyre easy for others to miss. Weve rounded up he chaos that caught our attention this week in our new roundup, This Week in Disasters.

Long time coming, long time flowing disaster: A volcano near Reykjavik erupted for the first time in 800 years on March 19. And the lava is still pouring out of it. Spectatorslike this guy, himself a potential disasterare coming from all over the country to watch.

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Work-from-home disaster: A woman was on a Zoom call with her colleague on Monday when she was stabbed to death, on camera, in her Los Angeles home.

On the slopes disaster: An avalanche in the Swiss Alps killed Olympic snowboarder Julie Pomagalski while she was midrun on Tuesday morning

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Fire disaster: Flames incinerated a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh on Tuesday. An estimated 550 people are injured, 400 are missing, 15 are dead, and 45,000 are displaced.

Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Shoreside disaster: A Long Beach, California, lifeguard station, painted rainbow for LGBTQ pride, was burned down in what Mayor Robert Garcia calls an act of hate. Garcia promised to rebuild the station better and brighter.

Water disasters: Heavy rains caused devastating floods in Malaysia, killing more than 200 people as of Friday morning. Floodsthe worst in 50 yearsalso have submerged the east coast of Australia this week. Two people, both drivers trapped in their cars, have died, and 40,000 people have been forced to evacuate.

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Critter disaster: Receding flood waters in Australia are leaving a plague of spiders in their wake. Evacuated people returned to their homes to find them blanked in the eight-legged insects, some of which are poisonous. And Australian rescue rafts and boats were invaded by rats and snakes.

Wind disaster: A flurry of tornadoes tore through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia on Thursday, ripping apart neighborhoods and houses and killing at least six people.

Edge of extinction disaster: African elephants are now on the brink of disappearing, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on Thursday.

Railway disaster: Two trains crashed into each other in southern Egypt on Friday. More than 30 people were killed and 100 people were injured.
Hopes are high that recreational marijuana is about to be legalized in New York.

Lawmakers and the governor have finalized a deal that will finally legalize cannabis throughout the state. Late Saturday night, new bill language was introduced reflecting the results of negotiations. Issues with impaired driving had been a sticking point in the final days and hours before introduction. Like Charlie Brown and the football, you think you finally got it and they come out and yank it out from underneath you, state Sen. Liz Krueger, the bills sponsor, told City & State. So I was like, No, unless it shows up on the computer as a three-way agreed bill, I'm not saying the deals done. Krueger said she hopes the bill will get a vote on Tuesday  a day before the budget is due. If it passes and Cuomo signs it (which he has committed to doing), New York would become the 15th state to enter the legal marijuana market. Based on the bill language of the updated Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, sponsored by Krueger and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, it seems that progressives are getting much of what theyve been pushing for. The details reflect the original legislative proposal from this year rather than Gov. Andrew Cuomos executive budget proposal. Heres what you need to know about what made it in.

How much can I purchase and carry?

According to reports, people will be able to buy and carry up to three ounces of marijuana without any penalty. Many states that have legal pot limit the amount you can buy and carry to one ounce, the same amount that Gov. Andrew Cuomo included in his legalization proposal this year. Although its less than the six ounces people are allowed to carry in New Jersey. The exact criminal penalties for carrying more than three ounces still remains to be seen.

What about homegrown?

Under the deal, growing marijuana plants in a private residence will be allowed, something that Cuomo had never included in his own proposals. People will be able to grow up to three plantes  three mature and three immature  with up to 12 per household. This is in line a slight change from the original version of the bill this year, which permitted a person to grow up to six mature plants.

Great! When will I be able to buy product and grow my own?

Unfortunately, even if legislation passed tomorrow, there will still be a wait. Dispensaries would not be able to open up right away, and the process of creating all the specific regulations for the new industry would not happen until after passage. Until those regulations are in place, licenses can't be given, cultivation cant begin and sales cant happen. The New York Post reported that sales could begin by the end of 2022. And homegrow will take even longer  it wont be allowed until 18 months after the first dispensary opens up. Medical marijuana patients, though, would only have to wait six months after the legislation becomes law.

What about pot lounges and delivery?

Both of those are happening too. They were part of Cuomos proposal last year, but he removed them from his original executive budget language this year. Although he added delivery back in with a 30-day amendment, on-site consumption licenses did not make it back in. However, the MRTA has long included both, and it seems this is another aspect reflecting what lawmakers had previously proposed. When it comes to on-site consumption, it would be legal to use marijuana, but alcohol cant be served at the same location.

What kinds of taxes should I expect?

The state would impose a 9% sales tax, with localities able to tack an additional 4% for a 13% sales tax total. There is still some contention, though, about where those local tax revenues will get allocated. As it stands, 3% would go to towns, villages and cities, while 1% would go to counties. And county leaders are not happy with those numbers, arguing they should get a larger cut of the local tax revenue. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, president of the New York State County Executives Association, told City & State that he would like to see equity in what the state receives in tax revenue, asking for 3% of the total 14% sales tax getting imposed to help cover the increased costs of mental health and substance abuse services. We don't trust the administration, any administration, that over time, those dollars will get onto the ground in the way that they are effective, Molinaro said.

How will the state tax revenue be spent?

That has long been a point of contention between Cuomo, who wanted to keep use of revenue flexible, and many lawmakers and advocates, who wanted to see 50% of those funds set aside for community grants to reinvest in areas that have been negatively impacted by past prohibition. This year, Cuomo for the first time proposed a $100 million social equity fund, although it still fell short of what criminal justice and legalization advocates were asking for. In the end, 40% of tax revenue will be set aside for that purpose, with another 40% allocated for school funding and the final 20% for drug treatment and education. But legalization advocates still celebrated the victory. I think, at the level of 40%, establishes and absolutely watershed precedent for New York state to be devoting such a big percentage of the cannabis tax revenue to directly impacted communities in the way thats its set up in this grant, Melissa Moore, state director of the Drug Policy Alliance, told City & State.

What about other forms of social and economic equity?

The legislation provides for the creation of a social and economic equity plan, and an incubator program to help qualifying people enter the industry. That includes women and minority-owned businesses, and people from communities that have been harmed by marijuana enforcement in the past. A goal of 50% of licenses issued would go to social and economic equity applicants, who would have access to low- and no-interest loans, as well as the possibility of getting fees waived. I think that marijuana is offering us a sort of like an example of how do we pass meaningful legislation that genuinely responds to the realities of racism, classism, sexism, etcetera, in our state, Jawanza Williams, organizing director at the progressive advocacy group VOCAL-NY, told City & State. The bill also creates the position of the chief equity officer who would help create the plan, and ensure compliance with it. This person would author a report every year about how the state is doing in meeting its goals for social and economic equity.

What happens to past convictions?

The legislation builds on the 2019 law passed that further decriminalized low-level marijuana offenses and set up a system to automatically expunge the records of those charged with past offenses that were no longer crimes. The bill language this time basically adds more offenses to the list eligible for automatic expungement, meaning that someone with a record doesnt need to do anything in order to get a clean slate if their past offenses would no longer be considered crimes. The amended legislation also has provisions for automatic resentencing based on new criminal penalties for those whose offenses would not be considered lesser crimes. This includes people who are currently serving a sentence.

How would the industry be governed?

The legislation creates an Office of Cannabis Management within the state Liquor Authority. The office would be governed through a Cannabis Control Board, which would have a chairperson appointed by the governor and approved by the state Senate. Of the other four members, two would get appointed by the governor and one each would get appointed by the temporary president of the Senate and the Assembly Speaker. The board would hire an executive director, although most authority, unless explicitly delegated, lies with the board itself. There would also be a cannabis advisory board made up of people from different industries and expertise to help advise the Cannabis Control Board on decision-making and oversee the community grants reinvestment fund. This differs from Cuomos proposal, in which he would appoint all five members of the Cannabis Control Board without approval from the state Senate, and which did not include a cannabis advisory board. Crystal and I strongly believe that both houses need to keep an eye on what's doing  need to be active participants in what's happening and going forward, Krueger said.

What about impaired driving, the sticking point?

Determining what constitutes impaired driving, and adequately testing ones level of impairment and knowing at what level impairment occurs, remains a tricky subject. Getting high and driving is expressly prohibited, and the bill includes new funds for police education and training. However, it also explicitly prohibits the smell of marijuana to be used as probable cause for searching a car. The legislation additionally includes the establishment of an academic study to investigate methods to detect cannabis-impaired driving. Inclusion of this study was one of the sticking points, and differs from the version the governor had proposed, which would have tasked the Office of Cannabis Management, in consultation with the DMV and state police, to create a roadside detection pilot program.

Can localities opt out?

Cities, towns and villages can choose to opt out of retail dispensary and on-site consumption locations, but no one opt out of legalization entirely. They can do so through passage of a local law, subject to approval by the voters through a referendum. Municipalities have until Dec. 31, or nine months after the bill is signed (whichever is later) to opt out. Although the governor had proposed giving this authority to counties and municipalities of a certain size, counties would no longer have any say about opting out of sales and on-site consumption locations.
Obviously, when it comes to success in this particular field, wed wager actual skill weighs heavily in the balance than good taste in cars. This is a lesson learned the hard way by this dude, who walked into a luxury car rental company in Southfield, Michigan, set on the Bentley Flying Spur in the parking lot.The initial report from Local 4 Click on Detroit is available at the bottom of the page. Sam Zahr owns Dream Luxury Car Rentals and hed just added the Flying Spur to his collection of rentals. On Monday, a man stepped out of a white Ford Escape and professed interest in the Bentley, so an employee showed him around. When no one was watching, the man stole the Bentleys keys and eventually walked away.He returned the next day and, using the key in his pocket, simply walked to the Bentley, which was still parked outside, and drove off. Both times the surveillance camera was recording, and this proved to be the thiefs downfall because he wasnt wearing his mask right. Meaning, he was wearing it under his chin, which made it easy for police to track him down.The same media outlet reports that, after Zahr offered a $3,000 reward for a tip leading to the car, he received several of them. He passed them over to the police, which located the stolen Flying Spur outside an apartment complex. Nearby was the white Ford Escape, so all they had to do was wait for the thief to come out. After he was arrested, police found the Bentley key in his pocket.The whole incident played out like a silly comedy script, mostly because of the thief and the hilariously bad decisions he made along the way. Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren describes it as community work at its finest, which is accurate, but also not fully illustrative of how stupid the entire heist was. Like, if youre going to drive off in a $220,000 car that is not yours , at least make sure no one sees you.
Four sisters who started a foundation in the name of their father, an American who was jailed and tortured in his native Lebanon for months before he died, are reaching out to help the families of other hostages and were invited to share their story in Washington.

The goal of the Amer Fakhoury Foundation is to be a support network for people like their dad and their families, just to amplify their voice, share their story with as many people as we can, and help them financially, Zoya Fakhoury, one of his four daughters, told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.

The daughters returned from a visit Thursday to Washington, where they met with State Department officials and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who had worked with New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen on a bill to ban visas and freeze assets of Lebanese officials involved in Fakhourys detention.

We saw our dad when he came back, how difficult it was for him to even function, daughter Guila Fakhoury said. He would wake up in the middle of the night screaming. So, the recovery is very important with hostages.

Amer Fakhoury, a restaurant owner in Dover, New Hampshire, made his first trip to Lebanon in 2019 in nearly 20 years to see family. His passport was seized and he was accused of decades-old murder and torture charges that he and his family always denied. He was released in March 2020 and died of cancer in August at age 57.

The family is still running the restaurant, which has displays a photo of Fakhoury and a Hostage Spotlight on cases.

Through fundraisers and donations, the nearly 7-month-old foundation has assisted the family of Jamshid Sharmahd, of Glendora, California, who was detained by Iran while staying in Dubai last year. He is accused of planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, and plotting other assaults. His family denies the allegations.

The foundation also is helping the family of Paul Whelan, a former corporate security executive from Novi, Michigan, who was arrested in Moscow in 2018. His lawyer said Whelan was handed a flash drive that had classified information on it that he didn't know about. Whelan was convicted in June and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
A spear fisherman who was bitten by a shark at a popular tourist spot is recovering in hospital after his brave girlfriend made a life-or-death dash to save his life.

The man suffered a 5 to 8cm wound to his calf when he was attacked near Coral Bay, 1,200 kilometres north of Perth, at about 12.15pm on Saturday.

It's understood the man, who is aged in his 20s, was bitten by a whaler or bull shark about 500 to 1000 metres offshore, south of Warroora Station.

The man's girlfriend was forced to get behind the wheel of the boat to steer him towards help.

A spear fisherman who was bitten by a shark at a popular tourist spot is recovering in hospital after his brave girlfriend made a life-or-death dash to save his life. Pictured: The man receives medical treatment on Saturday

Witness Nick Hardie was fishing nearby when he saw the victim and his partner hurling his way, The West Australian reported.

'We saw this white boat come rushing up to us and we were a bit confused,' Mr Hardie said.

'We saw that a guy was sitting in the floor of the boat and there was blood all over the boat.'

Mr Hardie said his boat was the first the pair had come across after the shark attack.

The girlfriend explained the spear fisherman had been bitten, adding 'I can't drive this boat'.

'We followed them into the boat ramp and then parked up next to them and I jumped on their boat. She was a bit nervous and didn't really know how to drive it and he was on the floor, so I parked the boat up against the jetty at the boat ramp,' Mr Hardie said.

Witness Nick Hardie (pictured) was fishing nearby when he saw the victim and his partner hurling his way

The victim, who was 'pretty pale', was lifted onto the jetty before paramedics rushed to the scene and took over.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said the man was taken to Coral Bay Nursing Post with non-life threatening injuries.

He is expected to be airlifted to hospital in Perth on Saturday night.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development were alerted to the attack at about 1.40pm and are currently coordinating a response with local authorities.

'Take additional caution in the Warroora Station area,' DPIRD said.

'Adhere to beach closures advised by Local Government Rangers, Parks and Wildlife Service officers or Surf Life Saving WA.'

Surf Life Saving WA earlier tweeted that an unknown shark was sighted at 12.20pm 750 metres offshore, near Coral Bay.
New Delhi:

The Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, 98, passed away following cardiac arrest on Saturday. He was admitted in a critical condition at the Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IAF chief BS Dhanoa visited the hospital to inquire after his health. Speaking on the conditions of the Marshal of the Air Force, PM Modi said they are all praying for the speedy recovery of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also paid him a visit at the R&R hospital on Saturday.

Arjan Singh was the lone officer in the Indian Air Force to be conferred with the rank of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force. The Marshal was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership during the war. The Marshal has flown over 60 aircraft and remained a flyer until the end of his career with the IAF.

Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh passes away. He was admitted at Army Hospital R&R after he suffered a heart attack earlier today. pic.twitter.com/JHxyo7Y9cU  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2017

He retired in August 1969. In 2016, the crucial air base at Panagarh was renamed Air Force Station after the Marshal. Panagarh is also the headquarters of the newly raised 17 Corps, Mountain Strike Corps.

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Four months after the government-commissioned Brereton report said there was credible evidence of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan, including the murder of at least 39 civilians and prisoners, and multiple acts of torture, the perpetrators remain in the military. No investigations for criminal prosecutions have begun.

Australian Special Air Service (SAS) soldier murdering unarmed Afghan civilian [Screenshot from video leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in March 2020]

This is only the starkest expression of an ongoing cover-up involving the Liberal-National Coalition government, the Labor Party opposition, multiple state agencies and the official media. For years they have sought to hide evidence of the atrocities, which occurred under a Labor government between 2009 and 2013.

The Brereton report was a damage-control operation, initiated after some details were leaked to the media. It suppressed more information than it revealed and absolved governments and senior military command of any responsibility, based on the implausible assertion that they had been unaware of the crimes. The reports release was greeted by brief hand-wringing from politicians and the media over the impact that the revelations would have on our military. The issue was then dropped almost entirely.

It resurfaced at a Senate estimates hearing on Monday. Chris Moraitis, director-general of the Office of the Special Investigator, established at the recommendation of the Brereton report to conduct a criminal investigation into the allegations, provided an update on the progress of its work.

In short, Moraitis indicated that the body he heads has done virtually nothing. The organisation does not even have any investigators.

Were in the process of engaging investigators and were going to do that in the next one, two, three months, Moraitis said. That involves them being sworn in as special members of the Australian Federal Police and involves at least three weeks of induction in preparation, and involves us also doing a few other things.

Moraitis is clearly working to a timetable prepared by the government. After the reports release last November, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and other government representatives declared that any criminal prosecutions, if they eventuated at all, would likely take up to a decade. These statements had the character of a directive rather than a prediction.

Moraitis comments underscored the character of the Brereton report, as a continuation of the cover-up. Conducted in secret, it was dragged out from 2016 to 2020. Investigators provided an untold number of military personnel with immunity for testimony, and much of the evidence was given on the proviso that it could not be used in a court. This was justified on the pretext of encouraging witnesses and participants in the crimes to testify freely.

The overwhelming majority of the material remains classified. The publicly-released version of the report contains few details that had not been previously reported in the media. Its descriptions of the war crimes were as vague as possible.

The main outcome of the Brereton investigation was to create a potential legal minefield, as to what evidence is admissible and what is not. Moraitis said his staff were sifting through the Brereton material to help ensure investigators will only receive information they can lawfully obtain and use in criminal investigations and any future criminal proceedings. This process is being conducted under a shroud of secrecy.

Moraitis testimony followed a report in the Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph on March 16, which revealed that at least some of the 25 soldiers implicated in the war crimes remain in the military. The alleged criminals would not be sacked. They would be allowed to discharge from the army on unspecified medical grounds. No other media outlet picked up the story.

The article, apparently based on information provided from within the military, appeared just days before the Coalition, Labor, the Greens and other MPs voted for a royal commission into the treatment of military veterans and their high rates of suicide. The timing indicates that the hardships faced by soldiers, resulting from their deployment to predatory and illegal wars, will be exploited to obfuscate the criminality of what occurred in Afghanistan.

As for the victims and their relatives, the Coalition government stated after the release of the Brereton report that it did not intend to provide them with any compensation. A Google search indicates that the issue was last mentioned in the corporate media in December.

The obvious attempts to forestall any criminal prosecutions of the soldiers involved are all the more extraordinary, given that millions of people have seen cast-iron evidence of at least some of the crimes.

Last March, for instance, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation published footage from a soldiers helmet camera, showing the point-blank execution of an unarmed Afghan civilian in 2012. Had the murder occurred in any other context, the perpetrator would have been arrested, charged and sentenced years ago. Military whistleblowers, as well as Afghan victims, have also provided eyewitness accounts of some of the crimes to the media.

The bid to prevent the cases from ever reaching a court is motivated by several factors. When the report was released, some of the soldiers implicated indicated through the press that they felt betrayed and scapegoated. Shortly after, an image was leaked to the media, showing a senior special forces commander drinking beer from the prosthetic leg of a dead Afghan.

It was rapidly revealed that the man pictured was warrant officer John Letch. When he stood down after the publication, Letch was the Command Sergeant Major of Special Operations Command. Letch had worked at Army Headquarters and Headquarters Special Operations Command.

Whoever leaked the image of Letch, it was directed against the claim of the Brereton report that no one above the level of squadron command was aware of the violations of international law. The government and military command are undoubtedly fearful that if soldiers are tried, they will testify that they were merely following orders.

Many of the murders occurred after the Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard ordered greater involvement of Australian troops in US-led kill and capture raids, supposedly targeting insurgent leaders in 2011.

In April 2013, then Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley issued a secret directive to soldiers, warning that they could be exposed to criminal and disciplinary liability, including potentially the war crime of murder if they could not prove that those they killed were participating in hostilities. In other words, the crimes flowed from the government-led prosecution of a neo-colonial war, and were known to military command.

Clearly, there are also concerns that the true scale of the war crimes could be revealed if the alleged perpetrators are pressed in court. The Brereton inquiry acknowledged that there were likely many more incidents that were not covered in its report.

The latest proof that murder and torture were commonly used instruments of the occupation was provided by Shamsurahman Mamond, who worked as a translator for the Australian military in Uruzgan Province.

Mamond told the Special Broadcasting Service this week: [In the] provincial reconstruction team, it was our job to connect with local elders and local people. They were coming and telling us what was going on out in the fields. They would say, Theyre destroying the whole house. Theyre killing the kids and ladies and everyone because theyre looking for insurgents and Taliban.

The translator indicated that torture was routine at the Australian base in the town of Tarin Kowt. My accommodation was a few metres away from the jail, he said. I saw sometimes they were taking people out of the car like toys, we also sometimes heard people yelling, it was sad because if someone is in the detention centre, they dont have a weapon, they are not a threat anymore, there was no necessity for punishment.

Such information runs counter to the promotion of the military by the entire political and media establishment, and preparations for its involvement in new and even greater crimes.

The last major media mention of the war crimes came in December, when Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry representative, tweeted a condemnation of the killings. This was accompanied by a graphic, produced by a visual artist, showing an Australian soldier holding a knife to the neck of an Afghan child. The picture clearly referred to an incident described in the Brereton report, involving soldiers slashing the throats of two 14-year-old boys.

Labor, the Liberal-Nationals, the Greens and various independents all denounced Zhaos tweet as a Chinese attack on Australian soldiers. The media treated the tweet as a far more serious offence than the killings themselves.

The hysterical reaction was a warning that ongoing exposure of the military was beyond the pale and would be treated as treasonous and un-Australian. This was directed against anti-war opposition, and was the signal for the war crimes to be dropped entirely from the press.

The denunciation of China also highlighted the fact that the cover-up of the war crimes is aimed at ensuring that the atrocities committed in Afghanistan do not get in the way of the preparations for Australia to play a frontline role in US plans for a catastrophic war against China.
Nick Vujicic hails Operation Care helping 15,000 homeless in Dallas, washing feet, sharing Gospel

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Evangelist Nick Vujicic has hailed the work of a ministry which helped 15,000 homeless people in a single day in day in Dallas, Texas.

Vujicic, known around the world as the "limbless evangelist," said in a Facebook video that when it comes to quantity, Saturday was the single most impactful day for homeless people in the country here in Dallas.

He added that a thousand homeless veterans came through to be served.

They get their feet washed, massaged, all the homeless people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the reason for Christmas."

They get optical, they get medical, they get other information, he added.

It is so incredible we are here and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with so many people. Fifteen thousand people were impacted here in one day in Dallas, Texas, he emphasized.

Fox News reported that the 15th annual Christmas Gift celebration by Operation Care was one of the largest Christmas events for homeless people.

The homeless people, including families, spoke of their gratitude at receiving gifts, such as brand new shoes, they otherwise would not have been able to offer their children.

Connie Brown, one of the volunteers, revealed that four years ago she was a homeless person receiving care at the event.

"I found myself in a situation that I never thought I would be in," Brown recalled.

She has since opened up her own business as a bakery, and is looking to give back.

"A lot of people think about homeless living under a bridge or on the streets, but homeless can be somebody at work and you never know that they're homeless. So when they leave their 9-5 you dont know where they go. That's what happened to me. So when I talk to the people here at this event, I have a chance to have a face, I have a chance to talk to them as a human being," the woman added.

On its website, Operation Care says that it seeks to share the Gospel and to help people get the vital services that they need so they can leave their desperate situations and build a better future for themselves.

When it comes to its foot washing offer, the ministry explains:

"Servanthood is the hallmark of Operation Care International. We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, whose leadership was characterized by serving others. Before he went to the Cross, Jesus washed his disciples feet, a wonderful picture of how He washes away our sins. We emulate our Servant Leader by making this simple act the trademark of this ministry."

Christian speaker Staci Wallace also thanked Vujicic and the many others who helped make the Christmas Gift celebration a success.

God did it! He helped us stage the worlds largest birthday party for Jesus in the world through Operation Care International! Wow! What a day. What an honor to serve so many of Gods favorites! Wallace wrote on Facebook.

Thank you Nick Vujicic for being so generous and thank you Orville Rogers for serving our country in WWII. (101 years young) And thank you Susie for Dreaming big and never giving up! she added, referring to Susie Jennings, Founder and President of Operation Care International.
Q: In the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution (the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam), there are many provisions that put the youth at the centre, associated with the country's development goals towards 2030 and its vision to 2045. Can you tell us how the HCYU, the Vietnamese youth and especially young party members need to be aware of the roles and responsibilities assigned them by the Party?

A: The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam made many important decisions, initiating a new stage of development with strong and prosperous aspirations. In the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution, the youth are at the centre of all issues. The youth are elated by the Vietnamese vision and aspiration; At the same time, we also see the need to make more effort to improve ourselves, to better meet our tasks in the new era.

Among the three breakthrough stages identified by the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party, the young people play a very important role, especially in terms of high quality human resources. In order to realise the aspiration of building a powerful country, it is necessary to have the participation of the whole political system and the support of the international community. However, young people have to take on their mission, as passionate, and creative pioneers. Those currently young will, by 2045, be at the the age of 40 or more, entering full maturity in knowledge, skills and experience and assuming a great responsibility in each agency, unit or sector of society. Our current children, even babies born at this time are both new subjects and beneficiaries of our national development achievements.

Deeply aware of that meaning, right after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party, the HCYU Central Committee discussed a youth action plan to implement the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution. Currently, the action plan is being finalised and will be issued in the coming days, including eight major programmes, observing the Party's viewpoints in the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution, to have strong innovation in the content and mode of operation. In particular, the programme focuses on educating the youth generation by 2045 to develop comprehensively - with bravery, intelligence, personality, self-confidence and a readiness for international integration.

Q: In your speech at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party, you emphasised the positive achievements of the three major revolutionary action movements of the youth nationwide. In the coming time, how can we continue implementing effectively these three movements, especially in the context of the complicated and unpredictable developments of the COVID-19 epidemic?

A: The HCYU will continue to create and renew the content and mode of its operation, strongly applying information technology, social networks and multimedia platforms in capturing and orienting public opinion, communication and education for young people. In addition, it is necessary to continue to persevere in implementing revolutionary action movements and programs and activities, while at the same time, it is necessary to arouse the youth to participate in socio-economic development and national defence. It is necessary to focus on movements to promote the positive qualities of the youth, suitable to the new conditions; while at the same time accompanying and supporting the youth in their comprehensive development.

From the framework of three movements: "Voluntary Youth", "Creative Youth", "Youth pioneers to protect the Fatherland, we designate branch movements in accordance with needs, capacities and desires of each young group. The Secretariat of the HCYU Central Committee wishes to arouse the potential, strengths, aspirations and will of each young person to create synergy, contributing to the realisation of our vision of 2030 and aspirations towards 2045 that the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party has outlined.

Besides, in order to build an attractive movement, it is necessary to have a core "nucleus" to guide and orient. That "nucleus" can be the cadres of the HCYU, the Associations, as well as normal young people, famous people, and influential people in various fields. It is necessary to strongly and thoroughly apply the advantages of digital technology and digital transformation in the gathering and development of organisations for young people.

Q: Last year, the National Assembly voted to pass the Youth Law 2020, which took effect from January 01, 2021. This was considered an important step towards effectively implementing the Party's resolutions and improving the policies, systems and laws on the youth. What specific plans does the HCYU Central Committee have to bring the Youth Law 2020 to life soon?

A: In order to implement the Youth Law, the Secretariat of the HCYU Central Committee issued Plan No. 306-KH / TWDTN-VP on September 23, 2020 on the implementation of the Youth Law to the Youth Union at all levels. The plan has identified specific tasks, and assigned these tasks to units in order to implement the Law.

The HCYU Central Committee is determined to focus on a number of activities, directing the organisation to thoroughly grasp, propagate, and disseminate laws and policies towards young people.

Effectively implementing the Youth Month every year in order to promote the youth's stimulating role in socio-economic development, protecting the Fatherland and mobilizing society to take care of the youth.

At the same time, the HCYU Central Committee will strengthen its monitoring and grasping of the youths situation; synthesize youth needs and aspirations, difficulties and problems in the process of implementing policies and laws with all youth.

Supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on the youth by the HCYU will be held annually, focusing on monitoring the implementation of policies and laws for young people as stipulated in the Youth Law. The HCYU Central Committee will organize social criticism activities on draft youth laws and policies annually. In addition, the HCYU will study and propose to the Government and the Prime Minister a number of projects for the youth, such as the talented youth, young entrepreneurs, dialogue with the youths, youths from 16 to under 18 years old, the volunteer youth and review and consolidate the National Committee on the Youth of Vietnam.

Q: In the coming years, innovation startups and digital transformation are forecast to continue to be global development trends. In order to accompany young people and make good use of this trend, what ways will the Youth Union at all levels contribute?

A: Creative entrepreneurship and digital transformation are major current global trends. In Vietnam, if we want to catch up with the advanced countries around the world, it is necessary to make good use of these trends,in which the youth are an extremely important force.

The Union's activities should be based on the youth's strong national development aspirations.

In designing and organising movements, it is necessary to take into account coverage so that all youth feel they can participate in them; At the same time, it is also necessary to have branch movements suitable for each different youth force, to create the best and most favorable environment for the youth to train and grow.

The Youth Union also needs to educate about knowledge and improve the capacity of digital transformation for the youth and for the Youth Union staff, in fact for the Youth Union at all levels.

On the other hand, the networked environment brings many opportunities and advantages but also has many challenges, potential risks.

Therefore, the leading role, gathering, and orientation of the Youth Union towards its members is very important.

On the other hand, the Youth Union needs to adhere to the requirements of real life for the youth and the needs of the youth themselves in order to organize appropriate activities. The activities of the Youth Union must meet the needs of the young people. Thereby, young people will voluntarily participate in the Youth Union's activities.

Thank you very much!
Alfie with his nan Margaret Wykes who is originally from Fatima.

Colleen Pentony is about to prove that a mother's love knows no distance as she walks 100 miles in three days to raise funds so that her eight year old son Alfie can have travel to the United States for treatment in his battle against a muscle wasting disease.

Colleen, whose mother Margaret Wykes is originally from Fatima, Dundalk, and her husband Jamie were devastated when Alfie was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when he was just two and a half years old.

'I knew for some time that there was something wrong with him as he was always complaining about pains in his legs and walked on his tippy toes.'

Following a series of blood tests, Alfie was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which leads to muscle wasting and dramatically reduces life expectancy.

'My world fell apart and still has,' says Colleen, who lives in Newry with husband Jamie, Alfie and his younger brother Jamie.

'I just couldn't sit and watch him fade away,' she says of their determination to find treatment to give him the best possible quality of life.

The couple found a clinical trial in the Saperno Centre, Manhattan. Alfie was accepted onto the HBOT JAR914 study and has travelled there times to take part in the self-funded trial.

He is due to travel there again on April 21, and due to COVID-19, the family will have to spent three weeks in New York rather than just a week.

Colleen says that the treatment had made a huge difference, with Alfie able to work and run as normal. 'He doesn't need to use his wheelchair at all.'

As part of their on-going fundraising efforts, Colleen is going to walk 100 miles from Fermanagh to Newry, over three days from April 9.
Eve Schatz, founder and executive director of the Berkshire Center for Justice in Great Barrington, says the desire to engage in environmental activism seemingly stems from an early age. Some of my favorite childhood memories were being thoroughly delighted by nature, she says. I think I was born with an appreciation of the natural world.
Patna, March 27 : A BJP worker was found dead inside his ancestral home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday.

The incident in Unshar village came to light around 9 a.m. when the victim, Sachidanand Singh's domestic help arrived at the house, said Bochaha police station official.

"He found that Sachidanand Singh was lying on the bed and both his hands, mouth and nose were tied with cloths.

"The domestic help informed the village head (Mukhiya) about the incident who in turn communicated us," said Rajesh Ranjan, SHO of Bochaha police station.

"We have sent the body for post mortem to ascertain the cause of death. Singh was an asthma patient and the attackers probably knew about his health condition. Prima facie, it looks like attackers have suffocated him by choking him," Ranjan said.

Singh, who returned from Mumbai on March 2, was living alone in his house. He has three married daughters.

During investigation, the robbery angle was ruled out as nothing appeared to be missing, Ranjan said.

"We have brought the FSL team and dog squad for a thorough probe of the crime scene," the officer added.
The Polish government has proposed new laws that would give pensions to dogs and horses that serve with the countrys police, border guard and fire service.

When their time comes for retirement, state care normally ends for the dogs and horses that serve the state in Poland, and the creatures are given away, with no safeguards for their future welfare.

Following appeals from concerned service members, the Polish interior ministry has proposed new legislation that would give these animals an official status and paid retirement to help cover the often costly care bills their new owners face.

Expand Close Mounted police patrol in a park in Warsaw (AP) / Facebook

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Interior minister Mariusz Kaminski described the draft law as a moral obligation which should receive unanimous backing when presented in parliament for approval later this year.

Mr Kaminski said in February: More than one human life has been saved, more than one dangerous criminal caught thanks to the animals in service.

The new law would affect some 1,200 dogs and more than 60 horses currently in service.

Each year, some 10% of the animals are retired, according to the interior ministry. Most of the dogs are German or Belgian Shepherds.

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Pawel Kuchnio, the handler of Warsaw police sniffer dog Orbita, said retired dogs almost always require expensive medical care to deal with complaints such as strained hind joints.

The pension money will certainly be a great help and will make things easier, he said.

The bill would confirm the unwritten rule that the animals handlers have priority in keeping them before they are offered up for adoption.

More importantly, it would extend state responsibility for the animals into their retirement time and secure financial support for the owners.

Expand Close At the moment there are no welfare provisions for the animals in Poland once they retire (AP) / Facebook

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Slawomir Walkowiak, 50, a former policeman caring for retired service dogs and horses at Polands only dedicated shelter, named The Veterans Corner, says regular state payments would ease concern over bills that reach into thousands of zlotys per month.

The privately run, farm-like shelter in Gierlatowo, west-central Poland, houses 10 dogs, and five retired police horses in a spacious paddock.

The oldest horse there, Hipol, is in his late 20s and almost blind. Mr Walkowiak said Hipol would have a slim chance of surviving at a regular stable.

Expand Close When they age, the dogs and horses that serve in Polands police, Border Guard and other services cannot always count on a rewarding existence (AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp When they age, the dogs and horses that serve in Polands police, Border Guard and other services cannot always count on a rewarding existence (AP)

Mr Walkowiak says many service dogs end up chained to posts or being given unsuitable tasks, as people think they would make good guardians for farms or other properties. This is not always the case.

The dog may suddenly remember that it was trained to bite and it will start biting, and when left alone at home it may demolish the couch because it needs to have something in its mouth, Mr Walkowiak said.

In Warsaw, mounted police officer Dariusz Malkowski says he would have to pay the stabling fees for his 13-year-old black gelding Rywal if he were to keep him after retirement.

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A stable box near Warsaw can cost some 2,500 zlotys (471) a month. The average pre-tax monthly salary in Poland is some 5,500 zlotys (1,016).

On patrol with Officer Malkowski was Sgt Katarzyna Kuczynska, riding 13-year-old Romeo II, or Romek, who can identify Sgt Kuczynska by her voice.

She said: These animals have worked for the state, they have done their jobs well and they should be entitled to health care and proper retirement  on green pastures, in the case of horses.
TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had instructed party men, ministers, party MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other local leaders to meet every beneficiary in the next two weeks as part of the door-to-door campaigning for the by-poll. (Photo: Facebook@TRSparty)

HYDERABAD: The TRS is reaching out to beneficiaries of the governments welfare schemes in the Nagarjunasagar Assembly constituency ahead of the April 17 byelection. Beneficiaries have been identified by the various departments of the government.

It was found that there are 1.53 lakh beneficiaries of flagship schemes like Aasara pensions, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bhima, sheep distribution, fee reimbursement, scholarships, Arogyasri and Rs 1 per kg ration rice. The data has been sent to all their election in-charges.

TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had instructed party men, ministers, party MLAs, MLCs, MPs and other local leaders to meet every beneficiary in the next two weeks as part of the door-to-door campaigning for the by-poll.

Though the party is yet to announce its candidate, and as the March 30 deadline to file nominations draws near, the TRS has, nonetheless, stepped up campaigning that began three weeks back.

Already a dozen MLAs have been deputed as incharges and they have been covering every village in the constituency for the past two weeks. They are holding rallies with the beneficiaries and seeking votes based on the work done by the TRS government and promising to extend these benefits to new beneficiaries if they elect their party nominee.

The TRS is also planning to write letters to every beneficiary and send SMS messages seeking support for their candidate.

Speaking in the Assembly on Friday, Chandrasekhar Rao had said "Our welfare schemes are reaching every house in Telangana. When we reviewed the Nagarjunasagar Assembly constituency recently, it was found that there were 1,53 lakh beneficiaries of various schemes. I asked my party men why they were not meeting the beneficiaries and told them to do so without any further delay."
Donald Trump has issued a formal statement asking whether Special Counsel John Durham is still 'living' and demanding to know whether he will ever issue his report on the origins of the FBI's Russia collusion investigation.

'Where's Durham? Is he still a living, breathing human being? Will there ever be a Durham report?' said the official statement on Friday from The Office of Donald J. Trump.

Durham's investigation, which the Justice Department has described as a criminal probe, is focused on the activities within the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation, as the Trump-Russia inquiry was code-named.

Trump has long anticipated that it will reveal grave misdeeds by his enemies within the department, and previously vented fury that Durham's findings have not been released sooner.

Donald Trump has issued a formal statement on Friday asking whether Special Counsel John Durham is still 'living'

Since the November election, Durham has maintained a remarkably low profile.

He last spoke publicly in February, to confirm that he would resign from his position as the top federal prosecutor in Connecticut but would remaining as a special counsel to conclude his probe.

The 93 U.S. attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president and are typically asked to step down with a new administration.

Durham was appointed in October by then-Attorney General William Barr as a special counsel to investigate the origins of Crossfire Hurricane, and whether it was executed on solid legal footing.

The FBI in July 2016 began investigating whether the Trump campaign was coordinating with Russia to sway the outcome of the presidential election.

That probe was inherited nearly a year later by special counsel Mueller, who ultimately did not find enough evidence to charge Trump or any of his associates with conspiring with Russia.

John Durham (above) was appointed in October by then-Attorney General William Barr as a special counsel to investigate the origins of Crossfire Hurricane

FBI lovers Lisa Page (left) and Peter Strzok were both key figures in the Crossfire Huricane investigation. They left the FBI after their secret love affair was discovered by supervisors

The early months of the investigation, when agents obtained secret surveillance warrants targeting a former Trump campaign aide, have long been scrutinized by Trump and other critics of the probe who say the FBI made significant errors.

A Justice Department inspector general report backed up that criticism but did not find evidence of mistakes in the surveillance applications or partisan bias.

Durham's investigation has so far resulted in one prosecution so far. A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation in January for altering an email the Justice Department used in its surveillance warrant application for Carter Page, a former Trump campaign advisor.

Trump's brief statement on Friday, similar in tone to many of his tweets, comes after he boasted that his press statements are more 'elegant' than tweeting after he was banned from Twitter and other platforms.

Trump has remained coy about reported plans to start his own social media site, saying on Thursday: 'I have a lot of options.'

'We might open up our own platform,' he added, but said his new mode of issuing press statements was superior to tweeting.

'What I'm doing now, I almost like it better,' he said of issuing press statements. 'You do it less and you do it better.'
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After the insurrection, the impeachment, the trial and ongoing partisanship in 2021, many Americans are looking to civics education as a source of hope, according to George Washington Universitys Center on Education Policy, which reports that Nearly all Americans (97%) agree that public schools should be teaching civics.

According to the Center for American Progress, civics classes teach students about how the U.S. government works, history about how it was designed and information about how to participate, including voting. After those sorts of courses, it seems reasonable to expect that students should be voting more and engaging in community service.

But my research shows that states that require civics courses do not necessarily have better test scores, more youth voting or young people volunteering at higher rates than other states. And there may be a connection to QAnon support as well.

Im a political science professor who also teaches government, history, geography and economics classes to college students who major in education. So I strongly believe that civics education is a good thing.

Unfortunately, though, my research has found that civics education isnt making the grade. In states that require students to take a civics course, young voters have slightly lower average voting rates  29.9%  than states without such a requirement  31.9%.

I analyzed data from the latest study by the Center for American Progress, which provides information on which states require a civics test, and the voting rates for 18-to-24-year-olds, volunteer rates for 16-to-24-year-olds and average scores on the College Boards Advanced Placement civics and U.S. government test.

Civics class requirements

Washington, D.C., and 39 states  including California, Iowa and South Carolina  have a civics class requirement. These same places also have lower percentages of youth volunteer rates  22.7% on average  than states without such a civics course requirement. In states that do not have a civics class requirement, including New Jersey, Kentucky and Nebraska, the average youth volunteer rate is 23.5%.

States which require a civics course also have slightly lower scores on the Advanced Placement test about U.S. government and politics  2.75 out of 5  than states that do not make their students take a civics course  2.84. A score of 4 or 5 is often accepted for college credit in political science, though some schools may accept a 3 on the AP test, which covers subjects such as the foundations of American democracy, civil liberties and civil rights, as well as American political ideologies and beliefs, according to The College Board.

Passing a civics exam

Nineteen states require passage of a civics exam for graduation, including Kentucky, which does not have a specific course requirement. But that doesnt seem to make a difference in boosting youth civic engagement or knowledge. States with the requirement have roughly similar youth voting rates  30%  as states that do not require passage of a civics exam  30.6%.

States demanding a civics exam be passed before receiving a high school diploma also have average test scores on AP exams related to civics or government  2.80  similar to those states without such a requirement  2.75.

There is one bright spot, though: States with a civics exam have higher volunteer rates among younger people  22.2% on average  than those states that do not  17.5%.

Community service requirements

Nearly half of all states, plus the District of Columbia, require some sort of community service requirement or provide high school credit for students who volunteer, according to the Center for American Progress.

But I was dismayed to find that states without such a requirement had higher rates of volunteerism among younger people  an average of 24.4%  than among those states with a community service mandate  21.3%.

And states requiring high school students to do community service have lower youth voting rates  29.3%  than states where schools did not require volunteering  31.4%.

Countering QAnon?

Failure to provide an adequate civics education doesnt just mean lower numbers of young people voting, volunteering and scoring a little lower on AP test scores. It could open the door for QAnon, a wide-ranging conspiracy theory that claims former President Donald Trump is helping the late John F. Kennedy Jr. battle a secret cabal of cannibalistic pedophiles.

States with lower levels of youth volunteering, youth voting and youth civics test scores are also more likely to have QAnon sympathizers active in politics, or politicians who oppose criticism of QAnon.

To determine this, I looked at states which had a congressional candidate who openly espoused some or all of the QAnon philosophy. I also examined which states had a representative who voted against a congressional resolution denouncing QAnon,

The 24 states with QAnon-supporting politicians had lower average youth voting rates  38.5%  than states without them  42.4%. They also had lower average youth volunteering rates  21.8%  than states without major politicians supporting QAnon  24%.

There was no significant difference in AP test scores between the two groups of states.

Our countrys civics education may not help solve the nations current political crises. But reform efforts touted by the Center for American Progress are under way in several states to help replace memorizing facts and figures with active learning designed to engage students in real-life problems in and out of the classroom.

[You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read The Conversations newsletter.]

John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Very recently, finally, I discovered why a good bit of my efficiency has been compromised over the last number of months in these crazy days of malaise here in the Age of Covid, and guess what: It was my mouse - the one often attached to my right hand.It still worked, always had a full battery charge (I keep fresh batteries at the ready), but it worked like an old crooked man - like a Sputtering Biden - which made me think it was first my computer, then BCN's CMS (maybe because of an upgrade glitch to its content management system), then my computer again, then to the worry that everything could just be me, I've lost my tactile touch; however, and thankfully so, it was my mouse. Who knows how many 10's of hours of lost effectiveness I have suffered in the last number of months, maybe a year.How frustrating, but now how wonderful to know that it was not BCN's CMS, that it was not my computer, and that it was not me, my tactile touch, which has always been good: steady enough to make clear images at low speeds with a DSLR; play guitar well enough when my fingers warm up after days of my trusty instrument resting in its corner or on it stand, work with all many of tools, and paint and draw if I could ever find the time again to do so (for some reason when there is some short time to spare, I gravitate toward my inclination to lovingly grasp my guitar).Now, after all the 10's of thousands of posts, many very elaborate (this ain't Facebook stuff), that I have personally posted on beaufortcountynow.com , and the 10's of thousands of huge images that I have righted and cropped on graphic programs, I now know a simple mouse can go bad, and it can still appear to function as a normal tool.You know humans can fool us that way too. So, be careful who you hire, and, moreover, more careful who you elect to serve us in these tumultuous times.Next time I go to Sam's Club, I am buying a brand new, moderately priced, spare mouse, and I will keep it close, and ready to press into service if this old mouse that my wife found laying around in her desk appears to falter ever so slightly.Too bad we can not so easily replace politicians that are pathetic in character, intellectual acuity , or even poorer with the truth
New Delhi:

In a shocking incident, a 44-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the case of road rage in which she allegedly assaulted and abused two army personnel in south Delhis Vasant Kunj, the police said.

Action against the woman, identified as Smriti Kalra, was taken after the video of her slapping the Army men went viral on the social media. The incident took place at Vasant Kunj in south Delhi. Later, Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen granted bail to the accused Smriti Kalra after she was produced before the court.

The incident took place on September 9 but was reported to the police on September 13 after which a case was registered and the woman arrested, they said.

In the police complaint, an Army subedar said he was going in a military truck to drop off five colleagues at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station when the woman, driving an Indica car overtook them near the Rajokri flyover. He alleged that the car was being driven in a zig-zag manner and Kalra refused to give them way. He claimed that despite them blowing the horn, she refused to give them way, the police said.

In the complaint, it is also stated that the lady abused the Army men for no fault of theirs and even refused to give an explanation for her behaviour.

Kalra got married to an Army officers son in 1995 and was divorced in 2008 over marital issues.

Watch the video here:

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Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 54F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 54F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Did you know that not all fire departments are career departments?

Seventy percent of Texas Fire Departments are volunteer. In Midland we are served by the City of Midland Fire Department and two volunteer fire departments, Northeast and Greenwood. Although the three departments are separate organizations, they all work together to provide Midland County residents with high-quality emergency response services.

The Northeast Midland County Volunteer Fire Department (Northeast VFD) was founded in 1984 by a group of concerned citizens after a fire destroyed a house in eastern Midland County. A local resident donated land to build a fire station at the corner of North County Road 1130 and East County Road 67 and funds were raised to acquire equipment. Northeast VFD has been stationed at this location since it was founded and has done many renovations to accommodate its growing fleet and membership.

As our community grows, there is a need for more fire protection resources and volunteer firefighters. After nearly 37 years in its current location, Northeast VFD has outgrown its fire station and the land it sits on. Some of the fire trucks are stored outdoors or offsite, and the membership exceeds the space for gear lockers. With the help of our community we are looking to relocate up the road to a bigger building and more land with room to grow, to meet the increasing demands for our services. If youd like to make a tax deductible contribution towards this project please visit our website at www.northeastvfd.com/donate or give us a call at 432-686-9383.

Northeast VFD is a 501c3 nonprofit. Funding for our organization comes from local residents, corporations and foundations, as well as a donation from Midland County. Support from our community allows us to continue to grow and meet the demands for service. Northeast VFD serves and protects a vast portion of Midland County with a wide range of services, including education, prevention, preparedness and response. With a dedicated group of 30 volunteers, Northeast VFD primarily responds to emergencies in the northeast part of Midland County. We also provide mutual aid to Greenwood VFD, city of Midland Fire Department and surrounding communities.

Northeast VFD is a unique asset to the area because of its ability to bring a lot of water to fires. Outside of city limits there is a limited water supply, and firefighters need to bring their own water to extinguish fires. Northeast VFD has two 3,000 gallon fire trucks that are a major water source for the county with an additional 4,000 gallon truck being built. Northeast VFD has five brush trucks that respond to the increasing number of grass fires, as well as a specialty foam unit, equipped to respond to oil field emergencies.

Northeast VFD does more for our community than just responding to fires. Fire safety education and community events are a major part of what we do. We visit schools and daycares for fire safety education events. We attend many community events, such as trunk or treats, fall festivals and holiday parades. Additionally, our volunteers partnered last year with 3:11 Ministries to assist them in collecting and distributing new clothing, shoes and toys to children in need for Christmas. 3:11 Ministries provided more than 2,000 Christmas packages to children in our community, and we look forward to assisting them with our resources and manpower to have an even greater impact this year. Other activities include assisting the Red Cross with installing smoke detectors as well as changing batteries for nearby residents. We also supplied water to residents during the recent inclement weather.

Through the years Northeast VFD has increased its membership, trucks and equipment to serve the growing Midland population. However, due to limited space within our current 6,000-square-foot station, we have fire trucks parked outside exposed to weather deterioration. The equipment stored outside the building is at increased risk of being stolen or damaged. In addition, the current building has limited space to maintain and repair equipment, often forcing volunteers to work outside in extreme temperatures. The space also limits the number of volunteers able to attend trainings, resulting in redundancy and time inefficiency. Additionally, having the new station will give us the space necessary to host community functions to educate the public about fire prevention and safety. Therefore, we are raising funds to increase our physical building capacity by 150 percent with a new 15,000-square-foot station to fit our needs and allow us to provide a better service to our community. We cannot complete this project without your support.

Please visit us on our website at www.northeastvfd.com to learn more about us and make a donation.
The American Rescue Plan Provides Relief for Small Businesses

The White House on Tuesday released a fact sheet on President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, noting that millions of main street small businesses are struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis.

The White House especially noted the struggles of Black- and Brown-owned businesses. Without additional government assistance, these challenges could worsen in the months ahead and the national vaccination program would be hobbled, administration officials noted.

The American Rescue Plan will change the course of the pandemic, deliver immediate relief for small businesses and American workers, and build a bridge towards economic recovery.

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Many Americans already have received a $1,400 stimulus check, making good on President Bidens pre-inaugural promise of $2,000 payments  Americans received $600 in the weeks prior to the new administration.

The White House fact sheet noted full support for small businesses through the current crisis. Since the beginning of this pandemic, 400,000 small businesses have closed and millions more are hanging by a thread, the administration offered in the fact sheet.

President Bidens plan will provide emergency grants, lending, and investment to hard-hit small businesses so they can rehire and retain workers and purchase the health and sanitation equipment they need to keep workers safe, the statement continued.

Further, the American Rescue Plan will:

Deploy community navigators to increase awareness of the participation in COVID-19 relief programs for small business owners who currently lack access, especially underserved entrepreneurs without banking relationships, lawyers, accountants, and consultants.

Allocate $15 billion in flexible grants to help the smallest, most severely impacted businesses persevere through the pandemic.

Provide $28 billion for a new grant program to support hard-hit small restaurants and other food and drinking establishments.

Bolster the Paycheck Protection Program with an additional $7.25 billion in funding to support small businesses and nonprofits that were previously excluded.

Devote an additional $1.25 billion in funding to support live venue operators, theatrical producers, live performing arts organization operators, museum operators, motion picture theatre operators, and talent representatives that are struggling to make ends meet.

Invest $10 billion in successful state, local, and tribal small business financing programs to help small businesses innovate, create and maintain jobs, and provide the essential goods and services that communities depend on.

Help small businesses rehire and retain workers by extending the employee retention credit through the end of 2021.

In addition to providing direct relief to hard hit small businesses, the American Rescue Plan will bolster a whole-of-government COVID-19 response that will change the course of the public health crisis, administration officials wrote in the fact sheet.

The American Rescue Plan will devote $1 trillion toward building a bridge to economic recovery for working families, including those who work for small businesses; and provide critical support to communities that are struggling in the wake of the pandemic.

The White House concluded:

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The American Rescue Plan will address the immediate crises facing small businesses. In the coming weeks, President Biden will lay out his economic recovery plan to invest in America, create millions of additional good-paying jobs, and build back better than before.
Imperial Valley News Center

Former Ecuadorian Government Official Sentenced to Prison for Role in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

Washington, DC - An Ecuadorian and Italian national was sentenced Tuesday to 51 months in prison for his role in a scheme to launder bribes paid to him in exchange for helping three U.K. reinsurance companies obtain and retain reinsurance business from Ecuadors public surety company.

Juan Ribas Domenech, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Sept. 16, 2020. According to court documents, between 2013 and 2017, Ribas was the chairman of Seguros Sucre, Ecuadors state-owned and -controlled surety company and an advisor to the then-president of Ecuador. In those capacities, Ribas had authority over the awarding of Seguros Sucre business. During that time, Ribas accepted approximately $5,036,465 in bribes from his co-conspirators in exchange for using his official position to allow three U.K.-based reinsurance brokers to obtain and retain contracts with Seguros Sucre. These bribe payments were paid through various intermediaries, including two reinsurance introducer companies. A portion of the bribes were laundered through the United States.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Raymond Villanueva of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBIs Miami Field Office made the announcement.

IRS-CIs and HSIs Washington, D.C. offices, jointly under the auspices of the Global Illicit Financial Team, and the FBIs Miami International Corruption Squad investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Katherine Raut, LaNese Clarke, and Alexander Kramer of the Justice Departments Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
RESIDENTS of Altona will have to travel 40 kilometres to get emergency care because of a nursing shortage at the towns hospital.

RESIDENTS of Altona will have to travel 40 kilometres to get emergency care because of a nursing shortage at the towns hospital.

The emergency department at Altona Community Memorial Health Centre will be shut down for at least six months, said Noreen Shirtliff, regional lead for acute care and chief nursing officer for Southern Health.

"At this time, Altona health centre is experiencing very high nursing vacancy rates, to the point where were just not able to continue to offer the full scope of services that the health centre has been providing," Shirtliff explained Friday.

Altona has more than 4,000 residents.

The high vacancy rate is largely due to nurses on temporary leave, she added, but has been exacerbated by COVID-19; several nurses in the community have picked up shifts at test sites and vaccine centres, for example.

While Southern Health regularly recruits to fill nursing vacancies, Shirtliff said its been difficult to fill rural positions under COVID-19 restrictions. Bus tours of the region have been cancelled this year in favour of virtual options and billeting for nurses who try out a rural placement has ended.

Shirtliff said the closure is set for April. She noted a small number of nurses will return in the fall.

Altona Mayor Al Friesen said the town council shares the "real concern and deep disappointment" of community members over the ER closure.

"While we are encouraged by the hard work that has been invested by all parties in reaching a temporary solution, we will also hold Southern Health accountable to their expressed goal of returning to full 24-7 ER service in a timely manner," Friesen said in a statement.

Friesen noted that council would work with Southern Health in the coming weeks to organize a virtual town hall for townsfolk. Still, Friesen acknowledged "the circumstances currently affecting our ER need addressing."

Staff shortages have long been a concern at the hospital. In September 2020, as ER had short-term shutdown due to understaffing, Altona resident Tim Friesen wrote a letter to the province. The 65-year-old, who was in palliative care at the time, wrote that he heard "occasional grumbling in the hallways," and frequent calls for help from nurses at the facility.

He expressed concern over what could have happened to him if the ER had been closed when he needed it.

The nearest emergency department is 40 kilometres away in Winkler. Tim Friesen wrote that the half-hour drive could have jeopardized his life because he had severe sepsis and a ruptured bowel.

Until emergency services return, the Altona hospital will offer urgent care and scheduled visits for community members needing regular medical care. In-patient services will not be affected.

"The emergency department in Altona is a really important part of our health system and we really are going to be working very hard over this next period of time to ensure that we are able to stabilize the workforce and re-open to the 24-7 emergency department that is required in the area," Shirtliff said.

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
Copperas Cove, TX (76522)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
John Major is warning that Boris Johnson will provoke Scottish independence unless he engages with the crisis in the union to convince voters to reject it.

The SNP will be boosted if London simply refuses to allow a second poll without big changes to the devolution settlement  and if Scots are told they must wait another generation.

Scotland cannot be kept forever in an arrangement if her people wish to end it, the former Conservative prime minister has written.

Boris Johnson probably has a legal right to refuse to sanction a second independence referendum. But he should be wary how he uses that power.

It is unwise to dismiss Scottish ambitions, or to delay any vote, without action to expose the reality of separation  and remedy shortcomings in the UKs devolution settlement.

Read more:

A blunt refusal would be a still greater error if accompanied by the provocative assertion that Scots should wait another generation before voting again. Such a hardline approach is more likely to provoke a break-up than prevent it.

The warning follows Mr Johnsons branding of so-called Indyref2 as completely irrelevant  when he suggested a 40-year gap between referendums.

It comes as the SNP is expected to triumph in Mays Holyrood elections, despite Nicola Sturgeon being weakened by the controversy of the Alex Salmond harassment allegations.

In a bitter civil war, the former first minister has now set up his own party to win a super majority for independence  but at the risk of depriving his old party of securing that by itself.

In the article for the Financial Times, Sir John joins Gordon Brown in calling for the UK government to order an independent assessment of the pros and cons of separation.

If the two governments will not commission such studies, then their parliaments should  and academia, too, the former Tory leader said.

In parallel, the UK must address any constitutional amendments thought to be necessary by changed circumstances, frictions in the devolution settlements or the impact of Brexit.

Sir John describes Scotland as a proud nation perfectly capable of self-government  but argues most Scots can be convinced to reject independence with facts and reason.

The economic cost of separation would be harsh on Scotland. There is no longer an oil bonanza to boost the economy. The fiscal deficit is above 7 per cent of economic output, the article said.

Over 60 per cent of Scottish trade goes to the rest of the UK, three times her trade with the EU. Does Scotland really want a trade border with England?

The Barnett Formula boosts Scottish public spending by nearly 2,000 per person per year from Westminster. If lost, can Scottish taxpayers make up that sum? This is not Project Fear. It is reality.
This essay by Vladimir Lenin was published in April, 1911, on the 40th anniversary of the Paris Commune, in the Russian-language newspaper Rabochaya Gazeta.

* * *

Forty years have passed since the proclamation of the Paris Commune. In accordance with tradition, the French workers paid homage to the memory of the men and women of the revolution of March 18, 1871, by meetings and demonstrations. At the end of May they will again place wreaths on the graves of the Communards who were shot, the victims of the terrible May Week, and over their graves they will once more vow to fight untiringly until their ideas have triumphed and the cause they bequeathed has been fully achieved.

Why does the proletariat, not only in France but throughout the entire world, honour the men and women of the Paris Commune as their predecessors? And what is the heritage of the Commune?

The Commune sprang up spontaneously. No one consciously prepared it in an organised way. The unsuccessful war with Germany, the privations suffered during the siege, the unemployment among the proletariat and the ruin among the lower middle classes; the indignation of the masses against the upper classes and against authorities who had displayed utter incompetence, the vague unrest among the working class, which was discontented with its lot and was striving for a different social system; the reactionary composition of the National Assembly, which roused apprehensions as to the fate of the republicall this and many other factors combined to drive the population of Paris to revolution on March 18, which unexpectedly placed power in the hands of the National Guard, in the hands of the working class and the petty bourgeoisie which had sided with it.

A barricade in Chaussee Menilmontant, March 18, 1871

It was an event unprecedented in history. Up to that time power had, as a rule, been in the hands of landowners and capitalists, i.e., in the hands of their trusted agents who made up the so-called government. After the revolution of March 18, when M. Thiers government had fled from Paris with its troops, its police and its officials, the people became masters of the situation and power passed into the hands of the proletariat. But in modern society, the proletariat, economically enslaved by capital, cannot dominate politically unless it breaks the chains which fetter it to capital. That is why the movement of the Commune was bound to take on a socialist tinge, i.e., to strive to overthrow the rule of the bourgeoisie, the rule of capital, and to destroy the very foundations of the contemporary social order.

At first this movement was extremely indefinite and confused. It was joined by patriots who hoped that the Commune would renew the war with the Germans and bring it to a successful conclusion. It enjoyed the support of the small shopkeepers who were threatened with ruin unless there was a postponement of payments on debts and rent (the government refused to grant this postponement, but they obtained it from the Commune). Finally, it enjoyed, at first, the sympathy of bourgeois republicans who feared that the reactionary National Assembly (the rustics, the savage landlords) would restore the monarchy. But it was of course the workers (especially the artisans of Paris), among whom active socialist propaganda had been carried on during the last years of the Second Empire and many of whom even belonged to the International, who played the principal part in this movement.

Only the workers remained loyal to the Commune to the end. The bourgeois republicans and the petty bourgeoisie soon broke away from it: the former were frightened off by the revolutionary-socialist, proletarian character of the movement; the latter broke away when they saw that it was doomed to inevitable defeat. Only the French proletarians supported their government fearlessly and untiringly, they alone fought and died for itthat is to say, for the cause of the emancipation of the working class, for a better future for all toilers.

Deserted by its former allies and left without support, the Commune was doomed to defeat. The entire bourgeoisie of France, all the landlords, stockbrokers, factory owners, all the robbers, great and small, all the exploiters joined forces against it. This bourgeois coalition, supported by Bismarck (who released a hundred thousand French prisoners of war to help crush revolutionary Paris), succeeded in rousing the ignorant peasants and the petty bourgeoisie of the provinces against the proletariat of Paris, and forming a ring of steel around half of Paris (the other half was besieged by the German army). In some of the larger cities in France (Marseilles, Lyons, St. Etienne, Dijon, etc.) the workers also attempted to seize power, to proclaim the Commune and come to the help of Paris; but these attempts were shortlived. Paris, which had first raised the banner of proletarian revolt, was left to its own resources and doomed to certain destruction.

Two conditions, at least, are necessary for a victorious social revolutionhighly developed productive forces and a proletariat adequately prepared for it. But in 1871 both of these conditions were lacking. French capitalism was still poorly developed, and France was at that time mainly a petty-bourgeois country (artisans, peasants, shopkeepers, etc.). On the other hand, there was no workers party; the working class had not gone through a long school of struggle and was unprepared, and for the most part did not even clearly visualise its tasks and the methods of fulfilling them. There was no serious political organisation of the proletariat, nor were there strong trade unions and co-operative societies....

But the chief thing which the Commune lacked was timean opportunity to take stock of the situation and to embark upon the fulfilment of its programme. It had scarcely had time to start work, when the government entrenched in Versailles and supported by the entire bourgeoisie began hostilities against Paris. The Commune had to concentrate primarily on self-defence. Right up to the very end, May 21-28, it had no time to think seriously of anything else.

However, in spite of these unfavourable conditions, in spite of its brief existence, the Commune managed to promulgate a few measures which sufficiently characterise its real significance and aims. The Commune did away with the standing army, that blind weapon in the hands of the ruling classes, and armed the whole people. It proclaimed the separation of church and state, abolished state payments to religious bodies (i.e., state salaries for priests), made popular education purely secular, and in this way struck a severe blow at the gendarmes in cassocks. In the purely social sphere the Commune accomplished very little, but this little nevertheless clearly reveals its character as a popular, workers government. Night-work in bakeries was forbidden; the system of fines, which represented legalised robbery of the workers, was abolished. Finally, there was the famous decree that all factories and workshops abandoned or shut down by their owners were to be turned over to associations of workers that were to resume production. And, as if to emphasise its character as a truly democratic, proletarian government, the Commune decreed that the salaries of all administrative and government officials, irrespective of rank, should not exceed the normal wages of a worker, and in no case amount to more than 6,000 francs a year (less than 200 rubles a month).

All these measures showed clearly enough that the Commune was a deadly menace to the old world founded on the enslavement and exploitation of the people. That was why bourgeois society could not feel at ease so long as the Red Flag of the proletariat waved over the Hotel de Ville in Paris. And when the organised forces of the government finally succeeded in gaining the upper hand over the poorly organised forces of the revolution, the Bonapartist generals, who had been beaten by the Germans and who showed courage only in fighting their defeated countrymen, those French Rennenkampfs and Meller-Zakomelskys, organised such a slaughter as Paris had never known. About 30,000 Parisians were shot down by the bestial soldiery, and about 45,000 were arrested, many of whom were afterwards executed, while thousands were transported or exiled. In all, Paris lost about 100,000 of its best people, including some of the finest workers in all trades.

Shooting of Communards during the Bloody Week, May, 1871

The bourgeoisie were satisfied. Now we have finished with socialism for a long time, said their leader, the bloodthirsty dwarf, Thiers, after he and his generals had drowned the proletariat of Paris in blood. But these bourgeois crows croaked in vain. Less than six years after the suppression of the Commune, when many of its champions were still pining in prison or in exile, a new working-class movement arose in France. A new socialist generation, enriched by the experience of their predecessors and no whit discouraged by their defeat, picked up the flag which had fallen from the hands of the fighters in the cause of the Commune and bore it boldly and confidently forward. Their battle-cry was: Long live the social revolution! Long live the Commune! And in another few years, the new workers party and the agitational work launched by it throughout the country compelled the ruling classes to release Communards who were still kept in prison by the government.

The memory of the fighters of the Commune is honoured not only by the workers of France but by the proletariat of the whole world. For the Commune fought, not for some local or narrow national aim, but for the emancipation of all toiling humanity, of all the downtrodden and oppressed. As a foremost fighter for the social revolution, the Commune has won sympathy wherever there is a proletariat suffering and engaged in struggle. The epic of its life and death, the sight of a workers government which seized the capital of the world and held it for over two months, the spectacle of the heroic struggle of the proletariat and the torments it underwent after its defeatall this raised the spirit of millions of workers, aroused their hopes and enlisted their sympathy for the cause of socialism. The thunder of the cannon in Paris awakened the most backward sections of the proletariat from their deep slumber, and everywhere gave impetus to the growth of revolutionary socialist propaganda. That is why the cause of the Commune is not dead. It lives to the present day in every one of us.

The cause of the Commune is the cause of the social revolution, the cause of the complete political and economic emancipation of the toilers. It is the cause of the proletariat of the whole world. And in this sense it is immortal.
Two of Louth's finest musicians and composers, Breifne Holohan and Sean Mathews, are playing a special free concert on Friday at 8pm on An Tain Arts Centre's Facebook page.

The concert will feature songs from Sean Mathew's debut album, 'Dreaming is Allowed' and his forthcoming new release, 'Welcome to Ballsgrove', as well as some popular folk favourites.

Mathew's soaring vocals and 12-string guitar blended with a multitude of stringed instruments including octave mandolin and 6-string guitar played by Breifne Holohan, create a rapturous soundworld in which the songs thrive.

Sean describes his blend of contemporary and traditional folk as urban folk and his debut album 'Dreaming is Allowed' features a mix of string instruments and delivery styles.

'Dreaming is Allowed' presents the existential, joyful, political and loving tales of a young man living a blue collar life in a regional town in Ireland.

He is currently working on his second album with collaborator Breifne Holohan, who is a musician, composer and producer from Drogheda, County Louth. In addition, Holohan will perform some solo instrumental music from his recent album re-release, Entitled Untitled.

Composer and musician from Drogheda, graduated from Dundalk Institute of Technology with a B.A. in Applied Music in 2010. While there he specialised in composition under Dr. Ian Wilson.

As both a composer and musician he has won a number of awards including the Bill Whelan International Music Bursary for Young Composers. He is a member of the Irish Composers' Collective and the Collaborative Artists Company.

A regular performer of his own work, he has worked with visual artists such as Vivienne Byrne, as well as composer and regular collaborator, Dan Reid, presenting a number of live installations for video and electric guitar. In 2015 he released his debut album Eastern Passages, an album of original compositions for electric guitar and electronics.

He released his second album in 2016, San Francisco Dreaming, a collaborative project with poet, Roger Hudson, featuring electric guitar improvisations.

Other projects include co-composing the score for The Dream Work, a Collaborative Artists Company production, and writing original scores and sound design for Kelly-Abbott Dance Theatre productions, Launch Day and Deeds Not Words.

As producer and arranger he has made albums with My Fellow Sponges, Roisin Ward Morrow and Sean Mathews. He is the founding member of fusion/ambient project, six-string drum, as well as guitarist in traditional Irish duo, Uisneach.
Take, for instance, this 1956 barn find. Offered by a private seller on eBay with a buy-it-now price of $18,500, the half-ton workhorse is rocking a 185 side-valved mill connected to a three-speed manual transmission.Also known as the Champion, the 3.0-liter flathead straight-six develops a little more than 90 horsepower. Smoother than the Skybolt Six overhead-valve adaption, this plant runs great according to the seller. Even though the head and fan arent in tip-top shape from a visual standpoint, the engine compartment is remarkably clean given the light-duty trucks age.Located in Arizona where the humidity is pretty low, the Transtar is showing 23,049 miles (37,094 kilometers) on the clock. The odometer is framed by a 90-mph (145-kph) speedometer, which is flanked by an oil gauge, temperature gauge, fuel gauge, and an amp gauge. Presented with the factory-issue paint and original interior, the truck is largely unmolested.Recent work completed on this pickup was done to preserve the rare unmolested condition of this vehicle, said the seller. Service performed to make it ready for play, drive, or show include fuel system, gaskets and seals, water pump, carburetor, motor mounts, radiator, starter, generator, brake system, and more. By more, he's probably referring to the brand-new rubber shoes on every corner of the workhorse, hub caps, and 12-volt battery.Very rare and desirable for a particular type of collector, the Transtar is backed up by vehicle history documentation. Although there are rips in the seat and superficial rust on undercarriage components and a little more rust on the tailgate, $18,500 is a bit of a steal for this pickup. Hagertys valuation tool says that a 1956 model - also known as the 2E series - in concours condition is worth $40,000 nowadays while an excellent one is $27,800.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a list of defaulters that have failed to implement new SMS regulations to curb the menace of unsolicited commercial SMSs. Among the entities that are flouting the Trai norms are State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

The telecom regulator has asked all the entities and telemarketers to fulfil the regulatory requirements before March 31 to avoid disruption in communication services from April 1. Other regulatory bodies such as RBI, SEBI, IRDA, central and state government departments, other autonomous bodies and establishments have been told to impress upon these entities to follow the regulatory norms strictly.

"It has been informed that principal entities including major banks like State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, Axis bank etc are not transmitting mandatory parameter like content template IDs, principal entity IDs etc, even in those cases where content templates have been registered, while sending such messages to the TSP (telecom service providers) for delivery," a Trai notification said.

In total, 17 private and public banks are yet to implement the new SMS framework. E-commerce and finance companies like Flipkart and Bajaj Finance and India Bulls, and brokerages like Kotak Securities, Angel Broking and National Stock Exchange have also been named in the defaulters' list.

The Trai notification also includes a list of 40 defaulter telemarketers that have not registered SMS templates with the telecom operators. In a stern warning, Trai said it appears that "few entities are not only indifferent but are also not serious enough in complying with the provisions of the regulations thereby causing inconvenience to consumers".

Also read: TRAI's SMS fiasco: Who's to blame?

Trai said this "should not and cannot be allowed to continue".

Trai had issued the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018 ("TCCCPR, 2018") on July 19, 2018, to curb the menace of unsolicited messages. The rules came into force on February 28, 2019.

As per the norms, the senders of OTP, transactional messages, service messages or commercial messages are required to fulfil prescribed norms for sending bulk messages. This not only helps in preventing spam but fraudulent messages too.

Trai says some principal entities have failed to meet the norms even after two years, despite being fully aware of the consequences. To protect consumers, Trai requested telcos to temporarily suspend the scrubbing of SMSs for seven days to enable the entities to register templates of SMSs so no inconvenience is faced by the customers.

On March 17, TSPs activated the content template scrubbing of SMSs. However, to avoid inconvenience to the public, traffic is being allowed to pass for the time being, even if it is not fulfilling the regulatory norms.

Major reasons for non-compliance are failure to register content template, the missing of ID, and a mismatch in template registered and the message sent. "All these lapses are such which can only be attributed to lack of due care and diligence by principal entities, telemarketers and aggregators," Trai said.

Also read: Beware! Illegal mobile boosters can attract heavy fines

Also read: Why Reliance Jio bought more spectrum than Airtel, Vi
People travelling to Western Australia from Queensland will be required to get tested for COVID-19 within 48 hours and quarantine for 14 days  or until they return a negative test  under tighter border controls effective immediately.

The extended border restrictions come after Queensland recorded one case of coronavirus in the community linked to a Brisbane landscaper who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

Premier Mark McGowan Credit:Peter de Kruijff

On Friday, Health Minister Roger Cook announced travellers who had entered WA since March 20 and had visited nine potential exposure sites in Brisbane would need to isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19.

Were closely watching the situation and will get up-to-date health advice to ensure we are doing everything we need to do to keep WA safe, Mr Cook said.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will receive 20,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 next month, a Minister announced. It was announced by the Srilanka State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana. The country will receive the first batch most likely before the local Sinhala and Tamil New Year, according to reports.

The cabinet earlier this week granted approval to purchase 7 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccines, the Minister said. The official added that discussions were also ongoing with Johnson and Johnson to purchase its vaccines and orders would be placed once local approval is granted.

Meanwhile, with India restricting its exports on the AstraZeneca vaccines, an official from Sri Lanka's State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) told Xinhua that the SPC had begun discussions with AstraZeneca in the UK to purchase at least 8.5 million doses once it received local approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a mass-scale vaccination program as it began inoculating all those above 30 in the urban Western Province from mid-February after frontline and health workers were administered the AstraZeneca jabs.

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A columnist of The Christian Post warned that Christian persecution abroad "may worsen" in the hands of United States' current UN ambassador.

Citing Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield's remarks during the U.N. General Assembly, Hedieh Mirahmadi observed that the ambassador failed to address the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and their massacre in Africa.

Thomas-Greenfield, commemorating the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, rebuked China and Myanmar for Muslim minority genocide, then turned to America's racial issue.

Mirahmadi said that after her "lengthy introduction" about slavery, the ambassador discussed the "need" of destroying "white supremacy" in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"[T]he senseless killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans sparked .... a movement that spread across the world: Black Lives Matter. And because Black Lives Matter, we need to dismantle white supremacy at every turn," Thomas-Greenfield said.

The columnist stated that America's International Religious Freedom Act promotes religious freedom abroad, an important factor of the country's foreign policy. The law entail the assignment of an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and an agency that handles policy recommendations and monitors religious freedom abroad, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Mirahmadi further said that during the time that she was still working for the U.S. State Department, she noted that the American policy focused "on the rights of radical Islamists to freely practice their religious beliefs rather than on expanding the protections of Christians," which she described as ironic.

Though she was a Muslim herself at that time, the columnist said that she was bothered by the policy since it defined strengthening Islamic extremism, resulting to "increasing terrorism".

Mirahmadi opposed the approach but was told that "the U.S.' focus on religious freedom as a democratic right meant the U.S. would defend beliefs it did not agree with", regardless of its effect on the country's national security.

She also revealed that religious freedom "took a back seat" during the Obama administration, giving priority to the issues of LGBTQ. Moreover, the Ambassador-at-Large post was made vacant for two years and Thomas-Greenfield, then the Under Secretary for Africa, moved to reduce the funding of agencies in Nigeria and Uganda for their discrimination of the LGBTQ community.

The scenario changed, however, during the Trump administration. Mike Pompeo modified the rules of reporting relative to the Ambassador-at-Large and USCIRF. Christians in Africa and the Middle East were regularly monitored and stricter policies were advocated. Nikki Haley also defended the cause of persecuted Christians in India and the Middle East.

These changes, Mirahmadi said, have improved the conditions of Christians in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The columnist argued that the lives of people in minority Christian communities are in "grave danger" if America will not defend them through its diplomatic efforts. She also mentioned that over 340 million Christians are facing severe persecution and the number of those who were killed for their Christian faith rose to 60% since 2020.

Mirahmadi concluded with an alarming message to America.

"...if Thomas-Greenfield's first official speech is a bellwether of things to come, Christian persecution may reach our own shores," she said.
New Delhi: Oscar Wilde said famously, I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. Mahesh Dattani, Joy Sengupta, Himani Shivpuri and Danish Hussain explain how theatre transforms both artists and the audience.

Theatre practitioners agree and on World Theatre Day, discuss what theatre makes them feel and think as they bring human stories to life on stage.

Actor Joy Sengupta who stars in Zee Theatres teleplay Ladies Sangeet says, Theatre is the reason why all my senses opened up exponentially from a micro level to a macro level and also helped me understand myself, my interpersonal relationships, society, the world around me and eventually the universe because theatre essentially deals with all the issues that confront life and human existence itself. All the ideas which address concerns and create curiosity in the human mind exist in theatre so, in a way, it is a window to knowledge and the meaning of life itself.

Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri who stars in Zee Theatres teleplay Hamidabai Ki Kothi describes what theatre represents to her, Theatre has given me personal fulfilment and has taught me so much. I come from a small town and if it wasn't for theatre and all the different directors and actors that I worked with, I would not have been able to explore my emotions and thoughts. Theatre is a wonderful form of expression and the connection you form with the audience is really indescribable. From starting tentatively and nervously on the stage to reaching a point where you and the audience become one, is a very magical and powerful feeling.

Mahesh Dattani, the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi award shares what has kept him connected to theatre for decades, Theatre offers you an experience of lasting impact because it is a medium of tangible contact. It is in a way very similar to enjoying a delicious meal which is a different experience from watching a cookery show. You can't be the same ever again after experiencing great theatre.

Dattani has directed Zee Theatres teleplay Final Solutions, Where Did I Leave My Purdah? The Big Fat City. .

Actor Danish Hussain who stars in Zee Theatres teleplay Aaj Rang Hai shares his thoughts about the magic of theatre, Theatre makes me forget everything else, makes me realise that life is now in this moment, in this performance and that is a very powerful experience. And that experience is not just limited to the performers but extends to the audiences because they too momentarily forget whats outside the theatre and are immersed in the magic of what is unfolding before them. I think thats the moment when we collectively feel grateful to be alive.

To encapsulate this transfiguring experience, Indias first and only comprehensive digital theatre platform, Zee Theatre has launched a powerful campaign on World Theatre Day. Its Makes you Think  Makes you Feel campaign celebrates timeless stories and gives audiences a glimpse into a vast literary treasure trove encompassing diverse themes, layered characters, iconic playwrights and actors.

The campaign is a fitting summation of how Zee Theatre has revolutionized theatre viewing and covered various genres, be it comedy, satire, thriller, suspense, drama, musicals, social issues or classics.
President Joe Biden is including rivals Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China among the people he has invited to the first big climate talks of his administration, an event the US hopes will help shape, speed up and deepen global efforts to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuel pollution, administration officials said.

The president is seeking to revive a US-convened forum of the worlds major economies on climate that George W. Bush and Barack Obama both used and Donald Trump let languish.

It will be held on April 22 and 23.

Hosting the summit will fulfil a campaign pledge and executive order by Mr Biden, and the administration is timing the event with its own upcoming announcement of whats a much tougher US target for revamping the US economy to sharply cut emissions from coal, natural gas and oil.

The Biden administration intentionally looked beyond its international partners for the talks, an administration official said.

Its a list of the key players and its about having some of the tough conversations and the important conversations, the official said.

Given how important  this issue is to the entire world, we have to be willing to talk about it and we have to be willing to talk about it at the high levels.

Mr Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 UN Paris climate accords as one of his first actions.

That makes next months summit the first major international climate discussions by a US leader in more than four years, although leaders in Europe and elsewhere have kept up talks.
The production designer for The Crown has revealed he posed as a tourist on a visit of Buckingham Palace to research its layout and interior to recreate it for the hit Netflix series.

Having been denied access by The Firm, Martin Childs, 66, went undercover as a punter on a public tour and used the knowledge he gleaned to recreate the royal residence at 15 different filming locations.

These included four sets at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, plus 11 stately homes and historic buildings, ranging from Wilton House in Wiltshire and London's Lancaster House, where interior scenes where shot, to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich which posed as its exterior.

'All I could think about was how we could turn these rooms into spaces where action could happen, where people could have conversations, where we could maintain an interest,' he told the Royal Television Society this week.

The production designer for The Crown has revealed he posed as a tourist on a visit of Buckingham Palace to research its layout and interior to recreate it for the hit Netflix series (pictured: the balcony scene from series four. The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was used at the Palace exterior)

Martin Childs, 66, went undercover as a punter on a public tour and used the knowledge he gleaned to recreate the royal residence at 15 different filming locations

'Whenever I was in a room I was looking through doorways into the next room, to see what interesting frames it would make on the screen.'

A tour of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms, including the Throne Room and White Drawing Room, costs 26.50 and is open to anyone - however it's currently closed due to the pandemic.

While Queen and her family's private chambers are not open to the public, Childs told how he used information from alternative sources to put together a floorplan.

'The one thing I knew was that the upstairs apartments were built in an enfilade, which meant four rooms in a row connected by doors rather than by a corridor,' he explained.

While Queen and her family's private chambers are not open to the public, Childs told how he used information from alternative sources to put together a floorplan

Wilton House in Wiltshire and London's Lancaster House were used to film interior scenes set in Buckingham Palace. Pictured: Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in series four

'As soon as I knew that about the private apartments, the Queen's bedroom and dressing room, and Philip's bedroom, then I had an architectural metaphor for an extraordinary marriage. It meant they could close doors on one another, thered be distance between them, there would be closeness when they wanted it.'

He admitted he was disappointed to discover during his tour that many of the rooms within the Queen's London residence look very similar.

As a result, looking around other buildings to use as its stand-in became liberating.

Filming for series five of The Crown is set to commence this summer, with Imelda Staunton taking over from Olivia Colman as the Queen. Speaking about the scripts, Childs gave little away other than to say they are 'really good' and 'juicy'.

Childs - who won an Oscar for his work on Shakespeare in Love in 1999 - previously gave fans a behind-the-scenes virtual tour of the set.

Childs admitted he was disappointed to discover during his tour that many of the rooms within Buckingham Palace look very similar. Pictured: Olivia Colman as The Queen in series three

In an 11-minute webisode of Architectural Digest's Notes on a Set in 2018, he marked up images from sets like Lancaster House, which doubled as Buckingham Palace.

'It's a government building and it's therefore less perfect for staging long dialogue scenes in,' Childs explained.

'But it's the best location we have for representing what [creator] Peter Morgan called 'the sheer mileage of the place.' And that's the sheer mileage of Buckingham Palace. It's largely empty. It belongs to the goverment. [BPM] Theresa May has conferences in there. We get to use it on occasional weekends.'

Martin frequently cursed the 'security net curtains' lining all of the windows of Lancaster House.

In an 11-minute webisode of Architectural Digest's Notes on a Set in 2018, Childs marked up images from sets like Lancaster House, which doubled as Buckingham Palace

Childs explained: 'It's the best location we have for representing what [creator] Peter Morgan called 'the sheer mileage of the place''

'We're not allowed to remove them': Martin frequently cursed the 'security net curtains' lining all of the windows of Lancaster House

Beds are opposite each other: The restricted royal private apartments was the only setting Childs had to come up with using only floor plans and his imagination

'We would love to have removed to get the view beyond, but part of the security and they will withstand any bombing that might happen to that building so any explosion and broken glass will be caught by those net curtains that we're not allowed to remove,' he shrugged.

The restricted royal private apartments was the only setting Childs had to come up with using only floor plans and his imagination, and he placed the royal couple's beds opposite each other.

For the scene in episode four where Princess Margaret meets society photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, Martin 'did forensic' research on the real location emphasising her isolation.

The costume department even dressed Matthew Goode to better resemble David Hemmings' London lensman character in Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 flick Blow-Up, which served as inspiration.
(CNN)  When Dr. Anthony Fauci said this week that the US is "at the corner" when it comes to fighting the coronavirus pandemic -- though not yet turning that corner -- it was a reflection of a stream of positive data points in recent weeks suggesting that the US is finally getting the pandemic under control.

With a rapidly accelerating pace of vaccinations and 71% of Americans 65 and older already having received one shot, the nation seems to be breathing a collective sigh of relief that the United States is no longer staggering through the frantic triage mode that characterized most of the last year, even if the data isn't all trending in the right direction.

While administration officials like Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keep urging Americans to mask up and not to let their guards down -- especially given the rise in new variants -- the nation has arrived at a calmer moment of introspection, one where there is time to actually reflect on how one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world was unable to prevent the loss of nearly 550,000 lives.

As tens of thousands of grieving families are still trying to understand what could have been done differently to prevent mass casualties at that scale, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta asked six of the top doctors who ran point on the pandemic response to provide their insights in a new documentary that will air on Sunday night. They reached the chilling conclusion that the vast majority of America's deaths could have been prevented, a painful interpretation of the last year for a nation still trying to come to terms with the ongoing loss of life.

As the US inches toward normalcy, the best outcome of this moment of reflection is that Americans will continue to take the virus seriously, embracing the role that they can each continue to play in preventing more deaths by wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings and showing up to get vaccinated when it is their turn. There are alarming signs that some people are moving on to the next phase too soon, even though the risks are still high: Miami Beach has struggled to get control of a flood of spring breakers who crowded its streets and air travel is up from a year ago for the first time since the pandemic began.

Walensky noted Friday that case numbers are headed in the wrong direction, increasing 7% over the previous seven-day period, and she pointed out that the average number of deaths is still hovering around 1,000 a day. Hospitalizations also increased slightly this week compared with the previous seven-day period.

"I remain deeply concerned about this trajectory. We have seen cases and hospital admissions move from historic declines to stagnations to increases," Walensky said during the White House COVID-19 task force briefing Friday. "And we know from prior surges that if we don't control things now, there is a real potential for the epidemic curve to soar again. Please, take this moment very seriously."

Controversy over the origins of the virus

As the doctors who served in the Trump administration begin to talk more openly about the nation's missteps, one key piece of the puzzle is understanding the origins of the pandemic -- and what could have been done in those early months to halt the spread of COVID-19, which had reached US shores by January 21, 2020.

In an excerpt of the CNN documentary released Friday, Dr. Robert Redfield, the former director of the CDC, expressed fresh skepticism about China's explanation that the initial COVID-19 cases emerged in a wet market in Wuhan. He told Gupta that he is convinced the pandemic began several months before the US was notified of the "mysterious cluster of pneumonia patients" in late December -- raising the specter that the US and the world lost a precious period when they could have begun preparing for the outbreak to mitigate deaths.

Without citing anything to back up his claim, Redfield also told Gupta he believes the pandemic originated in a lab in China that was already studying the virus, a controversial theory that the World Health Organization called "extremely unlikely" and for which there is no clear evidence.

"If I was to guess, this virus started transmitting somewhere in September, October in Wuhan," Redfield told Gupta in a clip from the documentary "COVID WAR: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out," which airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. "That's my own feelings. And only opinion. I'm allowed to have opinions now."

On Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was reserving judgment on that question until the World Health Organization releases its final report on the origins of COVID-19. Peter Ben Embarek, who headed the organization's COVID-19 origin investigation, told reporters during a separate briefing on Friday that the report is now complete and will be released to the public within a few days. Investigators visited the lab at the center of the controversy and Embarek told CNN in February that the team had determined the virus was much more widespread in Wuhan than originally thought back in December of 2019.

Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, seemed to downplay the possibility that Redfield's explanation is correct during the White House COVID-19 briefing on Friday.

"Obviously, there are a number of theories," said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "Dr. Redfield was mentioning that he was giving an opinion as to a possibility, but again, there are other alternatives -- others, that most people hold by."

A push toward 200 million shots in 100 days

While the US waits for those conclusions, the Biden administration announced new steps on Friday to meet the President's new goal of 200 million shots by his 100th day in office. Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said maintaining the current pace of 2.5 million vaccinations per day for the next five weeks will be the equivalent of vaccinating a sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium 50 times a day.

About 49 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, and about 1 in 3 have received at least one dose. But White House officials are highlighting the fact that 71% of seniors have received one shot, because that age group accounts for roughly 80% of the Covid deaths up to this point.

With the increase in vaccine supply, Zients affirmed Friday there will be enough vaccine doses for every adult in the US by the end of May and said the three manufacturers who have received emergency use authorization for their vaccines in the US -- Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson -- "are setting and hitting targets."

While increasing the number of available doses at pharmacies and community vaccination sites, the administration announced three new federally run mass vaccination sites on Friday in Boston, Norfolk, Virginia, and Newark, New Jersey. At the President's urging, Zients also noted that most states and the District of Columbia have now outlined their plans to make all Americans eligible for the vaccine by May 1.

"It's clear there is a case for optimism, but there is not a case for relaxation," Zients said. "This is not the time to let down our guard."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "America arrives at a moment of introspection on the coronavirus."
The protests against racial injustice and police brutality that began in Portland, Oregon last May continue today. But the crowds are much smaller, and some city residents say the movement has morphed into senseless vandalism. VOAs Natasha Mozgovaya has this report from Portland.
8 foreign representatives present at the grand military parade in Naypyidaw. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing defends his fight against "terrorism". Death threats on state television for those who participate in demonstrations. "The day of shame".

Naypyidaw (AsiaNews) - The military junta staged a solemn parade in the country's political capital to celebrate the Day of the Armed Forces today.

The representative of the Armed Forces of Russia and China were there to applaud. After the coup, the junta met with widespread diplomatic condemnations from the international community with the result only eight foreign representatives were present at the parade.

While the parade was taking place in Naypyidaw, demonstrations were held in other parts of the country for the end of the coup and the return of democracy. Security forces killed at least 80 demonstrators.

Four people were killed in Dala (Yangon) and 10 injured in a demonstration in front of the police station. Three were killed in Insein; four in Lashio; four in Bago; one in Hopin. In the afternoon, at least 10 people were killed in the Mandalay region.

During the parade, head of the junta Gen. Min Aung Hlaing defended the coup d'etat due to "electoral fraud" and "corruption", and promised new elections without setting any date. He added that acts "of terrorism that can harm the tranquility and security of the state" are unacceptable.

Min Aung Hlaing's "anti-terrorist" threats translate into an ever wider use of lethal force by the security forces who, using real bullets, shoot the crowd without even issuing a warning, without any demonstrations, shooting people in the head and then making the corpses of the slain disappear.

A message was spread on state television warning young people against participating in the so-called "violent movement" against military domination: "Learn your lesson - it is said - from those who have been brutally killed ... Don't die for nothing".

According to the Association for Aid to Political Prisoners, at least 330 people have been killed in the demonstrations; more than 3 thousand arrested.

On an online forum, Dr. Sasa, spokesman for Crph, an anti-junta group made up of deposed parliamentarians, said: Today is a day of shame for the armed forces. The generals celebrate the Day of the Armed Forces, after killing more than 300 innocent civilians.
Major building projects at several secondary schools across Wicklow moved a step closer this week with news that the next stage of the tender process is set to get under way.

St Kevin's CC in Dunlavin, Arklow CBS, Avondale CC, Colaiste Bhride in Carnew and Colaiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole have been selected as part of a school building programme, which is being co-ordinated by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) on behalf of the Department of Education. The NDFA said it would start the process to select and shortlist contractors this week.

A total of 18 special education needs (SEN) classrooms will also be developed between the five secondary schools as part of the project.

St Kevin's CC has been approved for an extension, which will provide additional capacity to accommodate 1,000 students.

'It's excellent news for the school and will set us up for the future. It will give the kids the facilities they need,' said Brian Doran, principal of St Kevin's CC.

'It will allow the school to cater for the expanding population of the area and the new building will allow us to deliver the high standards expected by parents and students.'

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The school's new facilities will include 19 classrooms, five science labs, rooms for construction studies, art and music and extra social spaces. Currently, 675 students attend St Kevin's CC and the new school building will provide capacity to meet demand from the area.

The extension will also include four SEN classrooms, which will form part of west Wicklow's first post-primary ASD unit.

Mr Doran said St Kevin's CC is hoping to open a temporary ASD unit in the coming years, which could accommodate students until work on the new building for the school is completed.

Minister for Health and Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly said, 'I'm absolutely delighted to see St Kevin's Community College getting four Special Education Needs classrooms.

'There has been a chronic shortage of these type of facilities in the past so it's really welcome to see progress like this being made.

'St Kevin's has had a fantastic record of doing everything they can to be more inclusive and cater to all of their students.

'However, the addition of the four SEN classes will allow them to better provide a level of education their students deserve.'

Arklow CBS has also received the green light for its new school building, which will have space for 500 students. The Arklow boys secondary school currently caters for around 370 students. The new school building will consist of 19 general classrooms, two SEN rooms, six specialist rooms for music, information technology, design and communication graphics and textiles and four science laboratories.

Arklow CBS principal Peter Somers said, 'I'm delighted to see the project has moved to this stage'.

A new school building for Colaiste Bhride in Carnew will also move ahead. This will have space for 1,000 students and include four SEN classrooms.

Building work at Avondale CC will include an extension and minor refurbishments of the existing school building to allow room for 1,000 students. The facilities will include four SEN classrooms.

Minister Donnelly also welcomed the announcement of the green light for other school projects in the county, including the new school builds at Arklow CBS and Colaiste Bhride.

'There has been a long wait for these projects to get underway but the Department is now confirming the tender process is set to start.

'Pressure on school places has never been greater in Wicklow so to see two new state-of-the art projects being moved to the tender stage is really great news,' he added.

The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) is managing a portion of the Department of Education's school building programme. The agency is expected to issue a notice to the market this week to start the process to shortlist suitable contractors. Shortlisted contractors will then be asked to tender for the school building bundles. St Kevin's CC, Avondale CC, Arklow CBS and Colaiste Bhride are part of a bundle known as 'Project Dargle'. Project management and design team consultants have already been appointed by the NDFA to the project bundles. It's understood that the tender process is likely to include design work for these project bundles. Construction of the new school buildings will also be subject to applications for planning permission from the local authority.

Colaiste Chraobh Abhann in Kilcoole is also set to receive an extension which will allow it to accommodate up to 1,000 students. This will also include four SEN classrooms.
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Three literary giants, Nnorom Azuonye, James Murua, and Michal Musiaowski, have been announced as the headliners of the debut (virtual) edition of the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) Link Up which kicks off on Sunday.

The AWF disclosed this in a statement that said the session will hold on Zoom from 4- 6 pm Nigerian Time. The maiden edition will focus on publishing blogs, journals, and anthologies as a means of giving writers, especially those from Africa, a platform of expression.

The AWF statement is reproduced below:

Azuonye is a Dramatic Artist, Poet, Interviewer, Literary Editor, and Publisher based in London. He is also the author of We Need God in Nigeria Again (Poetry), Funeral of the Minstrel (a play), The Bridge Selection: Poems for the Road, and Letter to God & Other Poems.

Nairobi, Kenya-based James Murua is a blogger, journalist, and podcaster who has written for a variety of media outlets in a career spanning print, web, and TV.

He was also announced as Best Writer Theatre, Art and Culture at Kenyas Sanaa Theatre Awards and listed as one of the top men in digital in Kenya in 2018.

Murua has conducted workshops on blogging and social media in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi and has been a media consultant for the Goethe Institut, Nairobi.

He was an editor for The Star newspaper in Kenya for five years and a columnist for nine where he was voted Columnist of the Year in 2009.

Musiaowski, on the other hand, is a teacher, a poet, and a cultural activist based in Germany. He is a co-founder of the free global creative expression community and platform Blank Pages that promote art as a tool of connection and transcultural dialogue. His academic work concentrates on Nigerian Poetry, Cosmopolitanism, and Art-Based Research.

The Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) was established to encourage the creative writing potentials of Nigerians and people of the sub-region of Africa.

It also aims to facilitate the growth of the countrys book industry in all its ramifications and provide a favourable environment for the development of a vibrant reading culture.
Maths students have a lot of career options: experts

While a variety of careers are open to maths majors as mathematics is involved in most sectors related to science and technology, students should prepare to adapt to their future jobs, experts have said.







Students study information about professional orientation and exams at a Career Day held at Vinh University in Nghe An province. VNA/VNS Photo Ta Chuyen






Syracuse, N.Y.  After a Friday car crash on East Fayette Street, one of the people involved in the crash fired several gun shots toward a market on East Fayette Street, according to a statement from Syracuse police.

Witnesses later told police two masked men got out of a car and fired shots toward the driver of the other car, according to Onondaga County 911 dispatch reports.

The crash and shots fired were reported at about 4 p.m., according to Onondaga County 911 dispatch logs.

A Kia and a Subaru collided at the intersection of East Fayette and Ellis streets at about 4 p.m., according to police.

Several Syracuse police cruisers blocked traffic on East Fayette and Ellis streets.

A woman driving the Kia was brought to St. Josephs Hospital after the crash but was not shot, police said.

Police are still investigating the crash and ask anyone with information to call the Syracuse Police department at 315-442-5222.

Staff writer James McClendon covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach him at 914-204-2815 or jmcclendon@syracuse.com.
Mumbai, March 27 : A Special CBI Court here has convicted 6 persons accused in a Rs. 4.72 crore customs duty evasion case under the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) Scheme, an official said here on Saturday.

They are: (Mrs). Snehalata Samdarshi Jaiswal who has been sentenced to 3 years jail plus a fine of Rs. 3.80 crore, Ramesh Surajbax Singh, Kiran Narhari Cheulkar, Pradeep Babulal Sanghavi, all awarded 2 years jail and Rs. 4.50 lakh fine each, and Suresh Kumar Jain, one year prison with Rs.3. lakhs fine.

A company, Messrs KMP Syntex Pvt. Ltd. was also found guilty and slapped a fine of Rs. 3 lakhs in the same case.

The Special Judge ordered that the amount lying in the Central Bank of India account of the sole woman convict, Snehala Samdarshi Jaiswal, must be credited to the government treasury after the expiry of the appeal period in her conviction.

The CBI had filed the case on Sep. 21, 1999 against the accused persons following a complaint followed by a charge-sheet later.

The complainant said that the accused, in connivance with the Appraiser Officer of Customs Department, Navi Mumbai, obtained 18 DEPB scrips from the Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for a duty-free import in the name of 4 non-existing fictitious companies by submitting forged shipping bills and forged bank realisation certificates to the DGFT Mumbai and New Delhi.

The CBI charge-sheet said that this resulted in a total loss of around Rs. 4.72 crore to the national exchequer, said the CBI.

Another accused in the case, Abhinav Singh, the then Appraiser Officer of Customs Department, was absconding and declared a Proclaimed Offender by the Special Court.

Later, the CBI learnt that he had acquired a fake degree and was practicing as a doctor in Agra under an assumed identity.

After painstaking efforts, Singh was also nabbed and booked, and the CBI filed a supplementary charge-sheet against him in the Special Court, Mumbai.

In July 2020, Singh was found guilty and sentenced to a simple imprisonment for 16 months and a fine of Rs.9 lakhs in the case.
New Delhi:

After the explosion in a packed Tube train in London, the police have launched a massive manhunt for the suspects. The attack was claimed by Islamic State terror group.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said police were chasing down suspects and hundreds of officers were trawling through CCTV.

He said support from the military would free up about 1,000 extra armed police officers, largely from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Ministry of Defence police.

Detectives used CCTV images from the station and train to single out the suspect believed to have planted the homemade device, but were still working to identify the bomber.

Earlier on Friday, an explosion on a London Metro train at Parsons Green underground station injured several people.

The incident occurred during rush hour on a District Line Tube train as it pulled into Parsons Green station.

Scotland Yards counter-terrorism squad, SO15, arrived at the scene at Parsons Green Tube station and took the lead in the investigation from the British Transport Police.

UK police said London's Parsons Green tube explosion is being treated as terrorism.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, had declared it a terrorist incident, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 22:36:02|Editor: huaxia

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SHANGHAI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A concert was held in Shanghai on Friday to celebrate the 250th birth anniversary of German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

Renowned pianist Lang Lang, conductor Tang Muhai and musicians from the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra performed some of Beethoven's classic works including the Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor.

With the COVID-19 pandemic contained in Shanghai, Friday's concert received hundreds of audiences, in marked contrast to the many Beethoven-themed concerts worldwide which were either moved online or canceled due to risks of infection.

"In such challenging times, music is indeed a blessing," Israel Saraiva, Consul General of Portugal in Shanghai, said after the concert, expressing hopes that people around the world can draw inspiration and strength from Beethoven's works.

"I hope that with determination and resilience, 2021 is the year we overcome the pandemic and its challenges and move forward to brighter days," Saraiva said. Enditem
English Lithuanian

The leading tour operator in the Baltic States Novaturas from the 1st of April resumes flights from Lithuania to Turkish resorts. From Vilnius Airport, planes will depart daily to Antalya and Gazipasa (Alanya).

Turkey has always been the most popular summer holiday destination  in 2019 it accounted for over 50% of the total summer holiday program and around 100 thousand travelers from all the Baltics travelled to the Turkish resorts. The first plane from Vilnius will take off on the 1st of April - the earliest from all the Baltics. Flights from Riga are planned to start on the 21st of April, and from Tallinn  on the 3d of April. Depending on the period the largest number of flights is planned from Lithuania  up to 10 flights per week, while four flights are planned from Latvia and five flights from Estonia per week, - says Audrone Keinyte, head of Novaturas group.

Last year, the Turkish government initiated a strict Healthy Tourism Certification program, which must be followed by all tourism companies. Additionally, COVID-19 insurance is also available in the country, covering both treatment and quarantine in the country, in case the traveler is tested positive. Winter holiday season flight programs to Egyptian resorts and Tenerife will also continue in April, and flights to other popular summer holiday destinations - Greece, Bulgaria and Spain are planned from May.

About Novaturas Group



AB Novaturas Group is the largest tour operator in the Baltic States, offering summer and winter package holidays in more than 30 destinations worldwide and more than 100 sightseeing routes. In 2019, the group served more than 293 thousand customers.
Two men were shot to death early Saturday morning while sitting inside a parked vehicle at an apartment complex in Edgewater Park, authorities said.

Sadiel Gonzalez, 25, a resident of the complex, and Altarrek Bell, 18, of North Carolina, were both killed after shots were fired inside the car, authorities said.

Two other passengers in the car were not injured, and no arrests have been made, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Edgewater Park Township Police Chief Robert D. Hess said in a statement.

Officials are investigating the motive, authorities said.

Police were called to the scene at 12:20 a.m. after reports of a shooting in the parking lot at the Orchard Park Apartments on Woodlane Road, authorities said.

Upon arriving, offers found shots were fired in a car with four occupants, authorities said. Gonzalez was the driver and Bell was sitting in the rear passenger seat, authorities said. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The Burlington County medical examiner will perform autopsies on the men, authorities said.

Both the Burlington County Prosecutors Office and Edgewater Park Township Police Department are investigating. Authorities ask anyone with information that might be useful to call Burlington County Central Communications at (609) 265-7113, or send an email to tips@co.burlington.nj.us .

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.
Twenty Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Friday, a day after Taipei and Washington signed an accord to strengthen maritime cooperation.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft involved in the mission were 10 J-16 multirole fighters, two J-10 multirole fighters, four H-6K bombers, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes, one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane and one Y-8 tactical reconnaissance plane, Focus reported citing Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND).

The Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes and the H-6K bombers almost took a half-circle in airspace near southern while the operated in the airspace between and the Taiwanese-controlled Dongsha Islands, a chart provided by the MND showed.

Air defence identification zones are early warning systems that help countries to detect incursions into their airspace. Any aircraft entering such an area is supposed to report its route and purpose to the "host" nation, though the zones are classified as airspace and pilots are not legally bound to make such a notification.

According to Focus Taiwan, Friday's show of force was the biggest in terms of the number of planes deployed since the MND began to make public PLA aircraft's movements near Taiwan in mid-September.

It came after Taiwan and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Coast Guard Working Group (CGWG) in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

The last time Taiwan saw a large number of PLA planes entering its ADIZ zone was on February 19 (nine planes), when two US lawmakers reintroduced a bill in the Senate and the House to deter Beijing from using force against Taiwan, and on the following day (11 planes).

China has threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war.

Wu Qian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defence, on January 28 "warned" the people wanting "Taiwan independence" and had said that "those who play with fire will set themselves on fire, and seeking 'Taiwan independence' means nothing but war".

According to an article by The Global Times, a Chinese state media, Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" has warned that any of the mainland's words and deeds that deliberately provoke Taiwan's bottom line may cause far-reaching effects that the mainland cannot bear.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Help India!



Amid slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Jai Ma Durga in ongoing elections in West Bengal, all political parties have forgotten the Sundarbans island , not even referring to what is to be done about climate change.

Suprakash Majumdar, TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



Sundarbans: Sushmita Haldar, a 4-year-old, wades through 1 foot of water when everything has sunk after a high tide, holding her fathers hand to come back from tuition. This is a challenge she has to overcome every single day of her life.

I like going to school but my parents dont allow me every day, she told TwoCircles.net. Her father, a fisherman doesnt let her go outside. When the seawater enters the street, the freshwater snakes come out and it is very dangerous for her to go outside, says Sushmitas father.

Sushmita lives on a small island called Mousuni located in the Sunderbans delta, India. The island is located in the southern part of the delta where the Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal.

Sushmita complains about not being able to play with her cousin in a playground she loved. When asked if it is because her parents dont let her, she says, No. The seawater came and now it is a pond.

Every morning Ashiba Bibi, 48, goes out and checks a makeshift dam that she and her husband made to protect their land from getting submerged in water.

For the last 5 years, the seawater rushes into homes, streets, and farms of the island twice a day for about 4 to 6 hours.

BJP leader Amit Shah promised to make the Gangasagar an international tourist destination in February. Its amusing that he completely ignored these environmental aspects, many of which can be observed in Mousini a destination visible from Gangasagar, where he made this speech.

What can we do? Water enters our home almost every day. Every morning I keep the important household item on shelves to protect them from seawater, says Ashiba as she stands in one foot of water outside her home.

Ashiba lives in a small mud hut with hardly enough space for herself, her husband and her 12-year-old son. When the water rises to about two feet, we have to leave the house and move to the main street as it is on higher ground, she added.

Can you stop the water coming in? asks thirty-year-old Kavita Poera. We close the main door and move to a flood relief shelter for 5 to 6 hours. There is not enough space even there as everyone wants a safe place, she says.

Mousunis residents are traditionally from the fishermen community. The population depends on the sea for their livelihood. The land is unfit for agriculture because of high salinity. The island has significantly shrunk due to the rising sea level.

Nearly 45 families have had to shift their homes in the last 5 years as the sea continues to engulf their land.

Suparna Parai, 28, moved her home about 1 kilometer inwards from her previous home, which is now underwater.

Water used to rush into our home in the middle of the night. We used to pack all the essentials in a hurry and leave the home in the dark over two feet of water. This is our everyday life, she says as she pointed towards the direction where her old house was; but all that can be seen now is just open sea.

According to the locals, as sea levels keep on rising, water continues to engulf more and more land on every high tide. During the low tides, mangroves are still-standing but dead coconut trees can be seen on the beaches.

Walking on the beach, you can see remnants of old embankments, worn out and broken by the waves water seeping in from the cracks.

Although a year before the last elections, construction of new embankments by the government was started. This got halted because of the lockdown, and Amphan Cyclone destroyed whatever work was started.

The residents, dejected but determined to keep water from entering their homes, start making embankments outside their homes. Every time before a high tide arrives, it is a common sight to see the locals fixing these embankments which are usually damaged because of the high tide before.

When asked about why they think water is coming in for the last five years, none of them could answer. None of them has ever heard about terms quite familiar to us global warming or rising sea levels.

About 1500 families face this problem every day. The worst period is during the new moon when the water reaches its highest level and nearly 2800 families are affected by this.

Another island, called Ghoramara Island faces a similar problem but on a larger scale. It used to take about a whole day when you walked along the circumference of Ghoramara about 10 years ago, but now it takes you not more than an hour, says a local who visits the island regularly.

From the south-western part of Mousuni, one sees another island, called Jambu island. It is about 2.5 kilometres away from Mousuni island. According to the local elders, this 2.5-kilometre wide stretch was earlier just a small stream dividing the islands.

When I was a child, I used to play with my friends in sand-dunes amid mangrove forests, and there was at least a 10-15 minute walk to reach the sea. Now its right outside my doorstep, says sixty-year-old Tapan Poyal. I was born here. I have been living here for 60 years and I wish I die here, but its uncertain because I dont know where we will go if this water keeps on rising like this, he sighs.

Saral, a local teacher and a local activist says the island has shrunk about 25 to 30 per cent. We checked the maps from the British Raj era and compared to the modern maps and we were astounded! he exclaims.

According to him, in the Sundarbans, the sinking of an island and the creation of a new island is natural but the rate at which these islands are sinking is unnatural. We cant blame the local governments or even the national government. A permanent solution can only come from a global effect as it is a global problem, he says.

Poyal was a fisherman when he was younger. He has two sons  one of whom has left the island to avoid these everyday struggles, and the second one works in shipping boats. He recounts the old days. Mousini island used to be like heaven. We used to sit on the beaches every evening, but now the sea we depended on has become the biggest threat to us.

Walking along the main streets, there are many damaged houses on both sides of the streets. Many of these are vacant houses, as many have left the island for their survival. Not everyone is as lucky as the people who left for safer places, says Aarti Doloi, while her husband struggles to repair the embankment, as the seawater starts to enter aggressively. One of the workers who was working on the government embankment project was stuck, and I rescued him on my boat, she laughs.

Many government projects are going on to build a permanent embarkment but it might have to be rebuilt in the next few years. In the last decade, numerous embarkments were built but none of them survived. The Indian government has allotted 2.6 million pounds (INR 11.9 Crores )to build an embankment on the southern and the eastern parts of the island which are the most affected regions.

Ujjwal Sardar, a geologist and an activist who works to protect Sundarbans, worries about the future of the island. We dont know how much time we have to save Mousuni. Ghoramara Island has already reduced to 40% of its actual size and will eventually disappear, he says.

As the rest of the world is taking off towards a better future, people from these islands are struggling to keep their feet on the ground, quite literally.

Amid slogans of Jai Shri Ram and Jai Ma Durga in ongoing elections in West Bengal, all political parties have forgotten the island completely, not even referring to what is to be done about climate change.

I dont know what climate change means. I dont know where I will go when this island completely submerges. I can envision that day coming very soon. I have no money, I am not sure how we will survive without our only belonging i.e. this house, says Ashiba Bibi.
After Cayuga County's COVID-19 test positivity rate peaked in early January at a seven-day average of 13.4%, cases steadily declined for the next two months, going as low as 0.9% by March 11.

That low mark since the holiday-season case surge has been duplicated several times over the past two weeks, but it has yet to decrease any further, according to the New York state regional COVID-19 dashboard. From March 9 through Thursday, the seven-day Cayuga County positivity rate has stayed between 0.9% and 1.1%.

Daily new cases reported by the Cayuga County Health Department over that time period have generally ranged between six and 10, and that trend continued the past two days. According to the department's Friday situational update, six new cases were reported Wednesday and 10 news cases were confirmed Thursday.

The number of residents with active COVID-19 cases, which require mandatory isolation, was at 61, which was down from 64 a week ago but up from 53 on Wednesday.

The number of serious COVID-19 cases has gone down this month. In its Wednesday and Friday reports, the health department said that Auburn Community Hospital had no patients admitted with the virus. COVID-19 hospitalizations had been in the single digits throughout the month, but had not reached zero until this week.
As the nation marks one year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tesco Ireland has released a series of portraits shining a light on some of the frontline heroes who have been recognised for going the extra mile in their local community.

Operating in a rapidly changing environment this year, Tesco staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that food and essential supplies are readily available to customers right across the network of 151 stores nationwide, when their customers needed them most.

Irelands largest food retailer engaged leading Irish photographer and author Ruth Medjber, who has been documenting lockdown life behind ground-floor windows in Ireland, to capture the the real stories of the real people behind the screens at Tesco Ireland.

One of those highlighted is Ger Lynch, Store Manager, Tesco Edenderry.

Ger started out 17 years ago as a Security Guard and is now a Store Manager. All those years ago, his manager saw something in him and encouraged him to drive forward. Now, thats exactly what Ger champions in his store. He is all about giving his staff the space, encouragement, and opportunities to grow, its his modus operandi.

He told Ruth that when he retires, its not going to be sales targets that hell be most proud of but seeing people do well in their lives. He points out that nobody starts a new job wanting it to be a negative experience, so he tries to harness that positivity from the start and allow people to enjoy their jobs. Mental health is a big factor in that and to keep spirits up in 2020 and distract from Covid, Ger started a fitness challenge for the team.

It meant that people were communicating, exercising, getting fresh air, and focusing on some positive elements of their day, all while raising money for charity. I can only imagine how proud Gers old boss must be, seeing this former security guard do so much good for so many people.

Commenting on the importance of recognising the unsung heroes across its distribution centres, stores and delivery networks, Tesco Ireland Communications Director, Rosemary Garth, said, our colleagues make us the organisation we are today. Were acknowledging their commitment, resilience and hard work by showcasing some of our dedicated team members across the country. The colleagues included in this collection are a representation of our wider team and show how we live our value - no one tries harder for customers. We were thrilled to partner with Ruth as we approached the one-year anniversary of the pandemic. I hope people enjoy the images and stories.

Photographer Ruth Medjber added, they turned up for work every day, even in the most uncertain of times and I had the pleasure of chatting with some of the people who work in Tesco stores and warehouses around Ireland.

"I had asked to speak with characters, kind folk, people who had done good deeds or battled through difficult times with great strengthand thats exactly who I met. Hailed as our frontline heroes, they home-schooled, they suffered with personal tragedies and loss, they dealt with everything that 2020 threw at them and they still managed to be there for their colleagues and their customers when they needed them most. Ive been truly refreshed and inspired by this project and have gained a whole new perspective on the people behind the screens in my local Tesco store!

Tesco recently celebrated its fourth year being ranked as a Great Place to Work. This recognition, as one of Irelands Best Workplaces and a Best Workplace for Women, was marked over the past number of weeks by a selection of colleagues appearing in a Tesco Ireland advertising campaign. The initiative recognises the hard work of over 13,000 colleagues right across the business.

Since March, Tesco has worked hard to maintain a safe shopping environment for colleagues and customers through a number of measures:

Social distancing and queue management technology introduced at all 151 stores nationwide

391 individual hand sanitiser units were installed with over 130,000 litres of hand sanitiser used to date, which is enough to fill 817 bathtubs

Over 22,000 square meters of plexiglass screens were installed, enough to cover the Aviva Stadium pitch three times over

Over 750,000 face coverings have been provided to colleagues, to date

Scan as you Shop technology was installed in 76 stores to support customers with an even more efficient shop, while enabling customers to manage their budget as they go

Doubled grocery home shopping service and expanded Click and Collect by adding 11 new locations
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - A spring day often gets us thinking about summer. That raises the question...will throngs of people descend on Clear Lake this summer season?

Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce's director of tourism Libbey Hohn is optimistic about the upcoming summer. Despite the lake being well utilized, visitor count was down about 20% in 2020, a setback from record-breaking numbers the previous two years. Now in 2021, she predicts turnout could go back up to pre-pandemic levels this year. She points to increased vaccinations and more information being known about the coronavirus.

As more people are looking for ways to shake off cabin fever, she notes of a high interest in many outdoor activities the area has to offer.

"People are planning their vacations with us in mind. We are very fortunate to have great attractions that are able to distanced, tons of outdoor activities."

Because of that strong desire to travel again, Hohn expects a ripple effect across neighboring communities, particularly when it comes to lodging.

"When we have big events, we get a ripple effect throughout all of North Iowa. Even people going into Southern Minnesota and down south as far as Williams and Des moines trying to find a space."

If you plan to book a vacation to Clear Lake, Hohn advises people to plan far in advance.

Ahead of the start of tourism, the Chamber has revealed the official cover of the 2021 Visitor's Guide that will be posted at visitor's centers all across Iowa. To view the cover, click here.
New Delhi, March 27 : Power transmission and retail distribution company Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) has signed definitive agreements with Essel Infraprojects Limited (EIL) for the acquisition of Warora-Kurnool Transmission Limited (WKTL) for an enterprise value of Rs 3,370 crore.

The regulatory approval for substitution of original awardee in the contract by Adani Transmission has already been received from Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. The lenders consent and other necessary regulatory approvals shall be obtained before closure of transaction.

In a statement on Saturday, Adani Transmission said that the acquisition is in sync with its strategy to enhance the value for its stakeholders, through organic as well as inorganic opportunities.

With this acquisition, the cumulative network of ATL will reach 17,200 ckt km (circuit kilometre), out of which 12,350 ckt km is already operational and 4,850 ckt km (including this asset) is in various stages of execution.

It said that with this enhanced scale of operations, ATL will enjoy substantial benefits in terms of cost optimisation and shared resources and will also fortify its position of being the largest private sector transmission company in the country.

Anil Sardana, MD & CEO, Adani Transmission Ltd said: "The acquisition of WKTL will bolster ATL's pan-India presence, consolidating further its position as the largest private sector transmission company in India. This strategic West to South 765 KV interconnector with Substation in Southern India, completes ATL presence in all regions of the country." "This asset will not only increase ATL's size and scale but will also take ATL closer to its target of setting up 20,000 ckt km of transmission lines by 2022. The acquisition is a further demonstration of ATL's drive towards differentiated capability through inorganic growth, successful integration & making such assets value accretive, for long term sustainable value creation for its stakeholders," Sardana added.

Warora-Kurnool Transmission Ltd will develop, operate and maintain transmission lines aggregating to 1,750 ckt km. The 765 kV inter-state transmission line links Warora-Warangal and Chilakaluripeta-Hyderabad-Kurnool with a 765/400 kV new sub-station at Warangal. The project was awarded through competitive bidding process on a build, own, operate, maintain basis.
The Interior Silence: 10 Lessons From Monastic Life

Sarah Sands Short Books 12.99

Rating:

Who, in their right mind, would want to be the editor of Radio 4s Today programme? Sarah Sands occupied the post from 2017 to September of last year. Just imagine it: first Brexit, then Covid, and every morning for three years being obliged to deal with a kindergarten of politicians  Iain Duncan Smith, Diane Abbott, Gavin Williamson  determined to make their nagging voices heard.

Every day she would have to get in to the office by 4.30am, ready to choreograph the nations latest frets and fears. It should come as no surprise that she spent most of her time worrying.

I worry about not getting to sleep and then not waking up on time for work, I worry about logistics, travel arrangements, about professional mishaps. I worry in dreams and reality about losing my phone with all its paralysing consequences

Before being the editor of the Today programme, Sarah Sands (above) was a well-known figure in the world of journalism, having edited the Sunday Telegraph and the Evening Standard

She reckons she spent 11 hours a day looking at a screen of some kind, chasing after reactions to the latest news. The iPhone mind is a condition of our age. We scroll rather than settle. And we have no way of ordering the mass of information invading our minds. It is just piles of stuff, everywhere.

Her head felt like a bees nest. Hers was a mind filled with noise, chaos and anxiety. The modern condition.

Small wonder, then, that she began to yearn for a little peace and quiet. Whenever she could, she would escape to her house in Norfolk, next to the ruins of an abbey founded in 1249, destroyed by Henry VIII in 1536.

In those ruins she would glimpse the alternative universe of the soul, the still small voice that provides a contrast to the needy, WhatsApping, power-conscious world of politics.

The last remaining wall of the abbey was, she came to feel, a monument to mortality and the futility of secular ambition.

Before being the editor of the Today programme, Sands was a well-known figure in the world of journalism, having edited the Sunday Telegraph, the Evening Standard and Readers Digest.

I used to write for her when she was deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph. She was quick-witted, unflappable, funny, gossipy and mischievous.

If you had told me then that she would one day write a book called The Interior Silence: 10 Lessons From The Monastic Life, I would have thought you were playing a game of Batty Book Titles.

Whatever next? Liam Gallaghers 10 Steps To Inner Calm? Watching The World Go By With Lord Sugar? Katie Prices My Life In A Wimple?

The book is a chronicle of visits to monasteries around the world. Sands is, in short, in search of the part of herself she lost in the jungle of current affairs. I want to unclutter my mind. I am looking for order, harmony and ceremony to counter the chaotic, unsifted news cycle of my life.

Her first pilgrimage is to the hilltop monasteries of Koyasan in Japan. It soon becomes clear that her book is far from solemn: she is almost at her best when describing her own fidgetiness, her inability to stay tranquil for more than a minute.

Travelling on the train to Koyasan with her 24-year-old daughter, she cant sit still. I am feeling neither calm nor selfless, fretting about having bought the wrong kind of phone charger, passively aggressively blaming my daughter for not noticing that I had, anxious that the train connections are too tight.

Like so many people, she treats her mobile phone as a child treats its comfort blanket, and goes into meltdown if ever she loses it. At times while reading this book, it struck me that the mobile phone might one day replace the crucifix as the centrepiece of a new religion.

Checking in to the spartan guest room at Koyasan, empty but for a low table, a mattress on the floor and two chairs, she looks in her stuffed handbag and realises that it mirrors the disorder of her mind.

Her first night is a disaster. I sleep terribly, mostly because of the time difference, but also because my mind races with looped worries that I am low on Japanese currency and I have not yet found a charger and what must we do tomorrow, and what on earth is happening in the office and emails and Twitter.

IT'S A FACT The @ symbol, so ubiquitous in the age of the internet, is thought to have been invented by 16th Century monks, to speed up transcription. Advertisement

This inner turmoil makes her yearn all the more for peace and calm. That beautiful passage from the Gospel Of St Matthew runs through her head. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

By the end of the night she has decided to leave her job on the Today programme.

By breakfast, her daughter has found her a new phone charger. She immediately thinks of looking at Twitter but decides against. The decision makes her feels less fretful.

On one of the monastery walls she spots this advice: Do not talk about the failings of others or your own virtues. This aim is, she notes, about as conceptually distanced from the world of media as possible.

At the moment theres a fad for publishing book titles containing the words Lessons or Rules. Presumably they hope to piggyback on the success of Jordan Petersons 12 Rules For Life and Yuval Noah Hararis 21 Lessons For The 21st Century.

Though Sands book is subtitled 10 Lessons From Monastic Life, it actually avoids anything so simplistic or prescriptive. Instead, across ten chapters, the author beetles around the world, spending a night or two in this or that spiritual retreat.

Oddly enough, though she counts herself an Anglican, she rarely mentions religious faith: she is really just in search of peace and quiet.

The end result represents something of a paradox: a whistlestop tour of calm, a hectic search for tranquillity. But, along the way, Sands encounters a fascinating variety of monks and nuns, all of whom speak with wisdom about the unfashionably quiet, contemplative lives they have chosen to lead, cut off from the hurly-burly of the modern world.

I was particularly struck by how many joined the monastic life from fast-moving careers in business and science. Father Daniel joined the Franciscan monastery in Assisi back in 1981, after working as a chemical engineer in New York.

He believes that the secular world does not lead to contentment, as it offers no sense of profundity. Science without a sense of divinity is, he thinks, a danger zone. See what happens to science when we lose our sense of the sacred  it leads to the atomic bomb.

In Montserrat, home of the Black Madonna, Sands meets the Benedictine monk Father Xavier, who used to be a computer scientist. He now looks on the outside world with bewilderment.

I think it is crazy. I dont have money, I dont have a car, I dont have a house. I have what I need. I am so much richer. I can walk in the mountains, and I can think.

Sister Stephanie, 51, entered the Carmelite convent in Norfolk nearly 20 years ago, after working in human resources at Aviva. She has never left the convent, other than for medical appointments, but misses nothing.

Most of her life is spent in silence. I have never been bored here, she says. If I think about being a Carmelite I think of the veil being drawn back between eternity and time. It is learning to be joyful  and unafraid. Unafraid to be human.

My own grandmother used to go to Mass every Sunday in a Carmelite convent in Cornwall. In the mid-1970s, an elderly nun fell ill and had to be taken to hospital. Strange though it may seem, it was not just the first time she had ever been in a car, but the first time she had ever seen one.

From speaking to Sister Stephanie, and visiting her convent, Sands concludes that the less we have around us, the less we need. This suggests that Kris Kristofferson was on the right track when he sang: Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose.

The same idea is echoed by virtually everyone who talks to Sands, from the Buddhists of Bhutan, to the nuns of Norfolk, to the desert monks of Egypt.

The most magical moments in this bright, captivating book are when Sands herself feels the pull of the spiritual. At an abbey in France, she sits listening to Gregorian chants.

It is the sound of eternity. Afterwards she sits by herself in the darkness. I, who have never been able to sit through meetings and have a shockingly short concentration span, want nothing more than this. Sitting in shadows and stillness, looking at a limestone wall, and the wooden image of the cross. Simplicity and silence.
WARE  Three people were arrested Friday morning for allegedly selling heroin and crack cocaine  all of whom have previous convictions for those crimes, according to police.

The arrests happened at 21 School St., with Ware police receiving assistance from the Monson, Warren and West Brookfield police departments.

Tyler LaRose, 30, is being held on $10,000 bail at the Hampshire County House of Correction pending his arraignment at Belchertown District Court.

He is facing three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs (heroin, crack and prescription medications, subsequent offense), possession of a Class B drug, conspiracy to violate drug laws, a firearms violation with two prior violent/drug crimes, and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to police.

Ashley Leneau, 29, faces the same drug charges as well as unlawful possession of ammunition.

Amy Lemon, 43, was charged with the same drug crimes. She was release on her own recognizance, according to Ware police.

Police said the amount of cash confiscated is consistent with a high level narcotics distribution business.
Refugees gather in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, after fleeing fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Photo: Marwan Ali/ AP

More than 500 rape cases have been reported to five clinics in Ethiopias Tigray region, the United Nations said, warning that the actual numbers might be far higher.

Women say they have been raped by armed actors, they also told stories of gang rape, rape in front of family members and men being forced to rape their own family members under the threat of violence, Wafaa Said, deputy UN aid coordinator in Ethiopia, told the UN in New York.

She said at least 516 rape cases had been reported by five medical facilities .

Given the fact that most health facilities are not functioning and also the stigma associated with rape, it is projected that actual numbers are much higher, she added.

Ethiopias UN ambassador, Taye Atskeselassie Amde, said his government took the allegations of sexual violence very seriously and had deployed a fact-finding mission.

Ethiopia has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual crimes and anyone found responsible for the despicable acts will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, he said.

Dozens of witnesses in Tigray say soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea routinely killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted households and crops during the conflict.

Eritreas Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel, responding in general terms to the UN briefing, said yesterday that sexual violence and rape are an abomination to Eritrean society and should be harshly punished if they occurred.

Fighting in Tigray broke out last November between government troops and the regions former ruling party, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  The country's envoy to China expects the nearly 200 Chinese vessels to leave Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea, citing Beijings assurance their stay is temporary.

They assure us na hindi ito isang permanenteng sitwasyon (that this is not a permanent situation), Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Chito Sta. Romana said in an online media briefing on Saturday.

He did not mention a time frame for the ships' withdrawal, citing confidentiality of diplomatic discussions. He added, I expect it in the coming month; we'll see an improvement of the situation.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Coast Guard reported on March 20 the presence of around 220 Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef close to Bataraza, Palawan and within the country's exclusive economic zone. It is internationally known as Whitsun Reef, and is part of the vast area Beijing is claiming in the South China Sea.

On Friday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon told CNN Philippines that 34 of these vessels are now in the vicinity of Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island and Sandy Cay, north of Julian Felipe Reef. They are "backed up by two Chinese Coast Guard vessels," he added.

EXCLUSIVE: Video shows flotilla of Chinese ships around Julian Felipe Reef

Early this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic protest and demanded that China "promptly withdraw" its vessels. The Armed Forces of the Philippines also deployed more naval units to the area. Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte raised the issue in a recent meeting with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, and reaffirmed the 2016 decision of an arbitral tribunal that recognized Manilas sovereign rights in areas within its EEZ that Beijing claims.

What the government has to do for now is to exercise a high degree of vigilance, monitoring, and surveillance, Sta. Romana said. He stressed that the country should remain vigilant even with China's explanation that its vessels were only taking shelter in Julian Felipe Reef due to "rough sea conditions," and that these are fishing boats, not militia vessels.

Ang ayaw nating mangyari dito na nandyan na sila permanente or na magiging occupation or reclamation yan. Yun ang iniiwasan natin, the envoy added.

[Translation: What we dont want to happen here is for them to stay permanently or it becomes an occupation or reclamation. Thats what we want to avoid.]

He said he expects the issue to be resolved in diplomatic talks, recalling how around 200 Chinese vessels also swarmed Pag-asa Island in 2019, but the numbers diminished after the filing of note verbale and some high-level meetings.

There are also plans to hold diplomatic discussions on the resumption of Chinese construction on Subi Reef, Sta. Romana said. Satellite images released by US-based tech firm Simularity showed China may be laying the groundwork for massive construction on the Beijing-occupied reef.

The Philippines previously protested Chinas island-building activities on Subi Reef and six other reefs, and the arbitral tribunal ruled that these constitute violations to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. Beijing rejects the landmark ruling and insists on owning almost the entire South China Sea.
- By GF Value





The stock of Canadian Solar (NAS:CSIQ, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $46.84 per share and the market cap of $2.8 billion, Canadian Solar stock gives every indication of being significantly overvalued. GF Value for Canadian Solar is shown in the chart below.





Canadian Solar Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

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Canadian Solar Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

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Story continues

Canadian Solar Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Canadian Solar is 2.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Semiconductors industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 16.6%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Semiconductors industry.

Another way to evaluate a company's profitability is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Canadian Solar's ROIC was 5.21, while its WACC came in at 7.14. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Canadian Solar is shown below:

Canadian Solar Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

In closing, The stock of Canadian Solar (NAS:CSIQ, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Semiconductors industry. To learn more about Canadian Solar stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here. To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Oman Air, the national carrier of the sultanate, is all set to resume operations to the Italian city of Milan starting from tomorrow (March 28).

The twice-a-week flights will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays as WY143 from Muscat (MCT) and WY144 from Milan (MXP).

Flights from Muscat will depart at 2.35pm and arrive in Milan at 7:45pm and on return flights from Milan will depart at 10.05pm and arrive in Muscat at 6.40 am.

Oman Air said it will maintain all its comprehensive Covid safety programme throughout the journey to ensure that guests fly confidently.

"Masks will be mandatory when guests are on board the aircraft and in Oman's airports. Distancing has to be maintained while guests board and exit the aircraft, which are carefully cleaned after each flight and at the end of every day," said a spokesman for the Omani carrier.

Cabin crew will be in their personal protective gear as part of the Covid safety protocol. Also the meal service in flights have been modified to further ensure safety along with a number of other measures to ensure that the airline's guests and crew are safe at all times, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
(Reuters) - Myanmar army fighter jets launched air strikes on Saturday on a village near the Thai border in territory controlled by an armed ethnic group, the group said, as fears grow of civil war following last month's military coup.

The Karen National Union (KNU), the armed ethnic group that controls the southeastern region, said fighter jets attacked Day Pu No in Papun district, an area held by its Brigade 5 forces, at around 8 p.m., forcing villagers to flee.

"They bombed the area... The villagers from that area said two dead and two injured," a spokesperson for civil society group Karen Peace Support Network said, adding that communication was difficult in the remote region and there could be more casualties.

A spokesman for the junta did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

The reported air assault is the most significant attack for years in the region. The KNU had signed a ceasefire agreement in 2015 but tensions surged after the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government on Feb.1.

Earlier on Saturday, the KNU said Brigade 5 forces overran an army base, killing 10 soldiers including a lieutenant-colonel, as the junta celebrated its annual Armed Forces Day with a parade in the capital, Naypyitaw.

The KNU says it has been sheltering hundreds of people who have fled central Myanmar amid mounting violence in recent weeks. The junta's troops killed dozens of people on Saturday, including children, in one of the bloodiest days of protests since the coup, news reports and witnesses said.

(Reporting by Poppy McPherson; Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Alex Richardson and Frances Kerry)
Walker County is planning to return 1.4 acres at the old Durham mines site on Lookout Mountain to the Wingfield family.

Joe Legge of the commission office said it is property that the Wingfield family gave to the county for the Durham Trail project several years ago.

He said, "Since it hasn't been used for the purpose it was given, it is being returned."

Mr. Legge said, "The county does not plan to build this trail, so we are legally obligated to return it to the donating property owner.

"There is an effort by Lula Lake Land Trust to construct a new trail system nearby."

The item will be on the agenda at the April 8 meeting of the Walker County Commission.

Don Oliver, who served as county attorney for Walker County under the Bebe Haskell administration, had sought to have a trail go along sections of the route of the old train bed to the Durham mines. The trail was laid out from Durham Road to Vulcan Road.

Mr. Oliver, who has since died, had won a court order against a couple who sought to block the trail. When the administration of Commissioner Shannon Whitfield was installed that lawsuit was dismissed.
Mama June and boyfriend Geno Doak looked anxious as they arrived to court, after they were given less than 24 hours notice from their lawyer.

The new episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption on Friday began with the 41-year-old reality star and her boyfriend, 45, preparing to appear in front of a judge after they were caught with a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia charges.

Doak, who was charged with felony possession of crack cocaine and a misdemeanor crack pipe charge, seemed particularly nervous.

Scary: Mama June and boyfriend Geno Doak looked anxious as they arrived to court, after they given less than 24 hours notice from their lawyer

As they got out of the car, he asked the mother-of-four if she 'was okay.'

'Hell no, I'm not!' she replied as she held onto a number of letters and character references, which confirmed they were both 'clean' and sober.

Recalling the last time they were in court, Mama June said they 'behaved in the courtroom,' but 'made a big scene' outside.

In a flashback, Doak can be seen shouting he was not guilty and that 'they owe us a million dollars.'

Unprepared: The new episode of Mama June: Road to Redemption on Friday began with the 41-year-old reality star and her boyfriend, 45, preparing to appear in front of a judge for being caught with a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia charges

Facing years behind bars: Doak, who was charged with felony possession of crack cocaine and a misdemeanor crack pipe charge, seemed particularly nervous

'I mean, maybe that wasn't the right thing to do,' she scoffed, while Doak hoped the judge would forgive him as he was not in the 'right frame of mind' at the time.

When a producer asked the pair how they were feeling, Mama June said their lawyer had them 'really concerned' and that they had 'no idea what the f**k' was going to happen.

'Honestly, I'm nervous,' Mama June reiterated as she prepared to go inside to plead her case in a patterned face mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I could do two years and Geno could do ten years.'

'Hell no, I'm not!' she replied as she held onto a number of character references, which confirmed they were both 'clean' and sober

Best behavior: Recalling the last time they were in court, Mama June said they 'behaved in the courtroom,' but 'made a big scene' outside

'I mean, maybe that wasn't the right thing to do,' she scoffed, while Doak hoped the judge would forget or forgive him as he was not in the 'right frame of mind'

Mama June said they were planning to get a continuance because they were not prepared and 'had no idea' they 'had to be at court.'

'We're not prepared,' she said during a confessional. 'I don't feel comfortable going in there.'

Meanwhile, June's sister-in-law, Janice, joined Sugar Bear (born Mike Thompson) and his wife, Jennifer Thompson, to talk about his 15-year-old daughter Alana, who has been living with her older sister Pumpkin, 21.

Catching up: June's sister-in-law, Janice, joined Sugar Bear (born Mike Thompson) and his wife, Jennifer Thompson, to talk about his 15-year-old daughter Alana, who has been living with older sister Pumpkin

Concerning: Additionally, Jennifer reveals Sugar Bear was rushed to the hospital a couple of months ago and spent 'five days in a diabetic coma'

Additionally, Jennifer reveals Sugar Bear was rushed to the hospital a couple of months ago and spent 'five days in a diabetic coma.'

'Mike is ordering all this food he should not be eating,' Jennifer points out in a confessional. 'He just don't want to take care of himself.'

As her man eats a funnel cake, she tells him she fears he could die.

'Mike is ordering all this food he should not be eating,' Jennifer points out in a confessional. 'He just don't want to take care of himself'

Not healthy: As her man eats a funnel cake, she tells him she fears he could die

How are the kids? Janice, seems more concerned with Alana and asks how the teenager is doing, who has not seen her mother in over a year

Still, Janice, seems more concerned with Alana and asks how the teenager is doing, who has not seen her mother in over a year.

Jennifer responds: 'The last time that we were at her house, it was a big blowout.'

'That was months ago, baby. Leave it alone,' Sugar Bear interjects.

Telling the truth: Jennifer reveals: 'The last time that we were at her house, it was a big blowout'

'That was months ago, baby. Leave it alone,' Sugar Bear interjects

'She had the nerve to call me an effing bitch,' Jennifer tells Janice, who looks in disbelief.

The episode then pans to Mama June and Doak leaving court in high sprits after being granted a continuance.

'We got a continuance to the next calendar term,' Mama June explained to the cameras with a beaming grin.

Delayed: The episode then pans to Mama June and Doak leaving court in high sprits after being granted a continuance

'We got a continuance to the next calendar term,' Mama June explained to the cameras with a beaming grin

Making amends: To celebrate not sitting in jail, she tells Doak they need to go see her children

To celebrate not sitting in jail, she tells Doak they need to find her children.

'But you don't even know where they live,' he says.

She points out she still knows 'somebody' that does, which ends up being her sister.

Sad: At lunch with Janice, Jennifer detailed just how estranged her husband and his daughter had become, noting she blocked his phone number

'Every text message comes back unavailable because she blocked him,' Jennifer said, which has been almost 'unbearable' for Sugar Bear

Oh no: After noticing Sugar Bear was taking awhile to return back to their table from the restroom, Jennifer finds him slumped over and feeling 'faint' in a stall

At lunch with Janice, Jennifer detailed just how estranged her husband and his daughter had become, noting she blocked his phone number.

'Every text message comes back unavailable because she blocked him,' Jennifer said, which has been almost 'unbearable' for Sugar Bear.

After noticing Sugar Bear was taking awhile to return back to their table from the restroom, Jennifer finds him slumped over and feeling 'faint' in a bathroom stall.

'Is it your blood sugar?' she asks, looking distraught, but her husband simply replies he didn't know and that he forget his insulin at home

'You forgot the most important thing at home,' she panics, while a producer volunteers to call an ambulance

'Get up! Let's go see a doctor, now. Mike! Can you walk? Get up, let me see,' she urges as he groans

'Is it your blood sugar?' she asks, looking distraught, but her husband simply replies he didn't know and that he forget his insulin at home.

'You forgot the most important thing at home,' she panics, while a producer volunteers to call an ambulance.

'Get up! Let's go see a doctor, now. Mike! Can you walk? Get up, let me see,' she urges as he groans.

Worried: In a state of distress, she calls him 'hardheaded' and slammed him for not taking care of himself

'What is wrong with you?' she asks. 'I'm not doing this with you again. You've got to be this little old man that somebody's got to watch after like a two-year-old

She ends up calling him 'hardheaded' and slammed him for not taking better care of himself.

'What is wrong with you?' she asks. 'I'm not doing this with you again. You've got to be this little old man that somebody's got to watch after like a two-year-old.'

In response, Sugar Bear says: 'I didn't even eat the bread.'

Not enough: In response, Sugar Bear says: 'I didn't even eat the bread'

'I don't want to see another milkshake in your hand!' she fires

'I don't want to see another milkshake in your hand!' she fires.

Desperate to see her kids, Mama June says she is 'willing to anything at this point' and continues to tease she knows someone who knows Pumpkin's new address.

'This person might not be happy to see me, but I don't care. I want to see the girls,' the star, who was eight-months sober at the time, said.

Knock knock: Desperate to see her kids, Mama June says she is 'willing to anything at this point' and continues to tease she knows someone who knows Pumpkin's new address

'This person might not be happy to see me, but I don't care. I want to see the girls,' the star, who was eight-months sober at the time, said

No shame: Doak, on the other hand, said he saw their quest 'going bad, real quick'

Doak, on the other hand, said he saw their quest 'going bad, real quick.'

'I thought going into this court case was nerve-racking, but this is gonna rack my nerves even more,' Mama June said before showing up her sister Joanne Shannon's house.

Her sister, known as 'Doe Doe,' said she was hurt after Mama June did not text her that she was 'okay' or bother to reach out at all in months.

'I thought going into this court case was nerve-racking, but this is gonna rack my nerves even more,' Mama June said before showing up her sister Joanne Shannon's house

Her sister, known as 'Doe Doe,' said she was hurt and neglected after Mama June did not text her that she was 'okay' or bother to reach out in months

'She has a lot of repairing to do,' Joanne said in a confessional. 'She ain't nothing but selfish'

'So what you gonna do about Alana?' she asked. 'You just gonna kick your teenage daughter out of your life?'

Mama June says Alana has the choice to come to Florida with her as she continues to work on her sobriety.

'She has a lot of repairing to do,' Joanne said in a confessional. 'She ain't nothing but selfish.'

Pressured: Fearful her sister could die amid new health issues, which require a walker, Joanne calls Pumpkin, but is hesitant to give her niece's address

Hugs: Doe Doe later tells her sister she has 'cried so much' over her

Fearful her sister could die amid new health issues, which require a walker, Joanne calls Pumpkin, but is hesitant to give her niece's address.

Joanne recommends she call Dr. Ish, whose calls they always answer.

At Pumpkin's house, Mama June's kids exercise in the backyard by running laps, jumping jacks and squats.

Working out: At Pumpkin's house, Mama June's kids exercise in the backyard by running laps, jumping jacks and squats

Getting stronger: The sisters are striving for a more healthy lifestyle

Drama: Alana's phone rings and she tells the other she missed four calls from Sugar Bear

Alana's phone rings and she tells the other she missed four calls from Sugar Bear.

She explains she is upset with him for wanting her to move in with him and Jennifer, even though she prefers living with Pumpkin.

Joanne is still stressed after seeing Mama June, but Pumpkin misses her call.

Angry: She explains she is upset with him for wanting her to move in with him in Jennifer, even though she prefers living with Pumpkin

Opposing views: Pumpkin has no interest in seeing her mom just yet

Mama June talks to Doak at a gas station about potentially calling Dr. Ish to reunite with her kids, where she is spotted by her sister-in-law Janice.

'June, is that you?' Janice calls from her car in disbelief, before Mama June jokingly asked if she was tracking her on a GPS.

They got into an immediate spat, which involved June accusing her of coming back to Georgia to buy drugs and saying she was a 'piece of sh*t.

Unbelievable: Mama June talks to Doak at a gas station about potentially calling Dr. Ish to reunite with her kids, where she is spotted by her sister-in-law Janice

'June, is that you?' Janice calls from her car in disbelief, before Mama June jokingly asked if she was tracking her on a GPS

Heated: They got in an immediate spat, which involved June accusing of her of coming back to Georgia to buy drugs and saying she was a 'piece of sh*t

Alana, Pumpkin and her three-year-old Ella arrive at their aunt's home, where she informs them Mama June was in town.

'She doesn't deserve that right to come back in and just be like, 'What's their address,' Pumpkin said.

Alana says she is excited to see her mother, now that she's sober again, but Pumpkin thinks it's too soon.

Warning: Alana, Pumpkin and her three-year-old Ella arrive at their aunt's home, where she informs them Mama June was in town

'She doesn't deserve that right to come back in and just be like, 'What's their address,' Pumpkin said

More than a year apart: Alana says she is excited to see her mother, now that she's sober again, but Pumpkin thinks it's too soon

Emotional: Once home, Pumpkin calls her husband Joshua Efird to update him on her mother

Once home, Pumpkin calls her husband Joshua Efird to update him on her mother.

Mama June returns to her home in Florida and speaks to a counselor over Zoom about trying to find her children.

Her counselor, Jessica, who advised Mama June to give her children space last week, was shocked.

Listening: Pumpkin's husband, Josh, appeared with her that seeing Mama June again might not be the best idea

Making it work: Pumpkin and her husband are currently long distance during the week as he works in works in South Carolina and she is raising their daughter Ella in Georgia

Stepped up: Pumpkin, has had custody of her sister, Alana, since their mother's arrest

She then discussed her sister's suggestion to call Dr. Ish, who Mama June calls a 'mother f**ker' that wanted her to be 'held against' her will.

'He was not trying to hold you against your will. You were just in the enthralls of addiction in that moment,' Mama June's therapist reminds her.

She continues: 'So you were in a negative space and had a negative connotation of Dr. Ish. He has been working with the kids. What's the harm in trying to reach out to him and ask him, you know, how the girls are doing, if you can't get in touch with them?'

Pushing through: Mama June returns to her home in Florida and speaks to a counselor over Zoom about trying to find her children

Going against guidance: Her counselor, Jessica, who advised Mama June to give her children space last week, was shocked

Mama June is torn and says she'll considers the idea, but Doak urges her to pick up the phone to call Dr. Ish.

After a lot of encouragement, Mama June makes the call and Dr. Ish answers and she immediately asks what he has been telling her girls.

'June, I've been telling them what they need to do to keep themselves safe from a mom who's been inconsistent in their life,' he tells her.

Last resort: She then discussed her sister's suggestion to call Dr. Ish, who Mama June calls a 'mother f**ker' that wanted her to be 'held against' her will

Call him! Mama June is torn, but considers the idea, but Doak also urges her to pick up the phone to call Dr. Ish

Finally: After a lot of encouragement, Mama June makes the call and Dr. Ish answers and immediately asks what he has been telling her girls

Dr. Ish explains: 'So, if they're not picking up the phone, that's a decision that they're making based on your behavior.'

Mama June tells Dr. Ish he is her 'last resort' to reconnect with her daughters.

He tells her: 'Let me just be very clear with you. This is not something you're going to be able to half do, okay? Your relationship with those young ladies is gonna be just like your relationship with your sobriety.'

'June, I've been telling them what they need to do to keep themselves safe from a mom who's been inconsistent in their life,' he tells her

Safe space: Dr. Ish explains: 'So, if they're not picking up the phone, that's a decision that they're making based on your behavior'

'You got to be constantly working on both, or you're not going to have either one,' he says, before agreeing to help.

Dr. Ish calls Pumpkin to say he spoke with Mama June, but Pumpkin immediately declines the opportunity.

Alana, however, screams out to Dr. Ish: 'Don't you think I should be able to see her?'

'You got to be constantly working on both, or you're not going to have either one,' he says, before agreeing to help

Unexpected: Dr. Ish calls Pumpkin to say he spoke with Mama June, but Pumpkin immediately declines the opportunity
MONTEREY  It didnt take long for the pandemic to disrupt careers for Christopher Riggleman and Jonathon Loy in New York City.

Riggleman had been dug-in as a senior designer at top interior design firm Pembrooke & Ives, and Loy had a dream post as a guest stage director and staffer for the Metropolitan Opera. Together for over 12 years and married for almost 7, they lived and worked in the city, and things were looking up.

Then, the coronavirus hit.

At Rigglemans workplace, adjustments were made to deal with the pandemic; for Loy, March 12 was a hard anniversary, of being asked to gather belongings and evacuate the Mets rehearsal room.

It was going to be one of the biggest years of my life. It was going to be my debut at the Teatro Real in Madrid with Verdis Un Ballo in Maschera, and my debut directing Elektra with the Philadelphia Orchestra. I had tons of projects coming up.

Just like everyone else, I'm not special. It was gone in a flash, says Loy, also the co-founder of the Berkshire Opera Festival.

Perhaps it was heaven-sent, then, that the men had bought a country house in Monterey in 2019.

Only weekends

The point was to spend weekends here, says Loy. The joke between the two of us when we bought the country house was, Oh, maybe we should just leave the hustle-and-bustle of NYC behind and go live in the country house. Ha ha ha ha. And then it was presented to us on a silver platter.

The home rapidly became permanent, as they transitioned out of New York City, and Riggleman began to work remotely from Monterey.

That got me thinking. Maybe now, despite the world being turned upside down, maybe it's a good time to build something, to build our own business, says Riggleman. The pandemic was really the catalyst for this change.

It just made sense. It was almost survival mode. We needed to make a living. Youve been designing for years now. I've started businesses before. I know how to do this, let me help you start your own interior design studio. Loy recalls telling his business and life partner.

Adds Riggleman: With everything that was happening in the world we decided to create something positive for ourselves.

The birth of a studio

Thus, in October 2020, Studio Riggleman was born.

Loy is its chief operating officer, and Riggleman is its principal and lead designer; their mostly silent partner is Che, a very happy-looking rescue dog from Puerto Rico.

She was the other pandemic decision. We got her in May, says Riggleman.

From their rehabbed 1780 schoolhouse, which will be a showhouse for clients to visit, the duo offers interior design services, custom design plans and installation of work to the highest standards.

To Studio Riggleman, each client is unique, and Riggleman works as a partner with the client, to execute their visions and apply his deft touches when sought.

Sophisticated casual

Riggleman says his work will often have a luxurious undertone to it. The firm that I worked for was super, super high end. Even while working there, I always said I liked sophisticated casual. I want someone to walk into a space and feel a sense of calm, to feel like the space was really thoughtful but approachable. To some degree, I like living spaces to feel timeless.

Studio Riggleman creates one-of-a-kind roomscapes, collaborating with homeowner clients, local artists, craftspeople and contractors, who all contribute to refreshing, brightening and re-inventing your living and work spaces.

Most frequently, homeowners come well-equipped with their own aesthetic for their interior design.

I had one client who had her own art dealer, someone she worked with to source all of her art. She only wanted input on how it could be incorporated into the space, says Riggleman.

In the case of an ongoing project at a home in Hillsdale, N.Y., the client has a specific aesthetic.

Wheres the marriage?

It's our job to figure out, OK, this is what they like, these are their colors, this is the design that Chris wants to do. Wheres the marriage between them? says Loy.

For example, you will have a client who really likes Cindy Sherman and another who really likes Takashi Murakami, says Riggleman. I find that the clients usually have an idea of the type of art they like, and I have to figure out how to make it work.

In some cases, clients already have their whole art collection, and theyre solely figuring out how to place it; in other cases, Studio Riggleman will need to buy new pieces at the clients behest.

Theres a lot of dialogue that happens, from beginning to end, says Loy. In Hillsdale, weve taken all the art off the walls. We have to repaint all the walls and ceilings. Then theres a discussion of what needs to be reframed to fit in with the new colors, and where things will go back.

Riggleman says he loves to work with artists, that makes new interior installations unlike any other, such as a custom designed venetian plaster wall they just installed.

To find people who are so skilled in their craft, its inspiring and it also elevates the design and the process of the design, says Riggleman.

Unique installations

I think clients love having something in their house that no one else can have, a truly one one-of-a-kind piece, whether its a venetian plaster wall or a World War I propeller that we just installed, adds Riggleman.

As the pandemic wanes in the Berkshires, the men are looking forward to building new relationships with the regions many artists and craftspeople. Meanwhile, Loy has family in the Berkshires, and three of his cousins are in the design world: Karen Shreefter Landscape Design; Chris Blair Design and Planning; and Bill Talbot of Asia Barong. Lets not forget 95 year old Great Uncle Gene Talbot, a retired Psychologist and former selectman for Stockbridge.

If were ever looking for, lets say, a specific piece of pottery, among the cousins, they know everybody, says Loy.

Relationship-based work

The work Studio Riggleman does is relationship-based, and Riggleman specializes in the interpersonal ebb and flow needed in the partnership between client and designer. In any business, he notes, theres a psychological element to client relationships.

Sometimes you become a bit of a therapist. They will tell you things youre not expecting to hear. But, if youre that person they feel comfortable telling, then fine, he jokes.

Loy notes that not all couples agree on their aesthetic. He and Riggleman say that theres no real dividing line between who calls the shots for design at home, and that it varies from client to client.

At times, Ive worked solely with one spouse while the other says, I don't even need to know about it. I have also had situations where a spouse is passionate about architecture and design and becomes very involved in looking at the drawings and knowing every step of the design process, and even come up with their own ideas, says Riggleman. And then Ive had clients where the couples are so engaged about everything, theyve given me all of the information, and trust me to do what I do.

Get in touch for a consultation

Since incorporating in October, Studio Riggleman has completed a commercial project, several consultations, and are currently working on two residential projects. The design studio is able to assist homeowners and businesses with a full-scale remodel or ones that are eager to refresh their living and work spaces for spring. The studio can also perform color and other consultations either in person, or via video-call, should clients wish.

Everyone is looking to get their homes refreshed for spring, and certainly they're looking ahead to when they have family and guests, says Riggleman. We can help.

Studio Riggleman begins each client relationship with an initial meeting, with a Q&A to make sure it's a good fit for both parties, and to get the scope of the work. One agreed upon, Riggleman puts together a proposal and contract.

For your next interior project, reach out to Studio Riggleman at studioriggleman.com or 413-300-4006. Visit the studio on Facebook or Instagram.
(CNN)  At least 114 civilians were killed across Myanmar on Saturday, according to a tally by the independent Myanmar Now news outlet, as the military junta continued to crack down on peaceful protests.

The killings in 44 towns and cities across the country would represent the bloodiest day of protests since a military coup last month.

Among those killed is reportedly a 13-year-old girl, who was shot in her house after the junta's armed forces opened fire in residential areas of Meikhtila, in Mandalay region, according to Myanmar Now. She is among 20 minors killed since the start of the protests, Myanmar Now reported.

CNN has been unable to independently confirm the number of people killed.

The lethal crackdown came on the country's Armed Forces Day. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta leader, said during a parade in the capital Naypyitaw to mark the event that the military would protect the people and strive for democracy, Reuters reported.

State television had said on Friday that protesters risked being shot "in the head and back." Despite this, demonstrators against the February 1 coup came out on the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other towns.

The United Nations secretary-general and the UN office in Myanmar spoke out against the violence Saturday.

"The continuing military crackdown, which today resulted in the highest daily death toll since demonstrations against the coup began last month, is unacceptable and demands a firm, unified and resolute international response. It is critical to find an urgent solution to this crisis," said a statement issued by Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general. "The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms the killing of dozens of civilians."

The UN office in Myanmar said it "is horrified by the needless loss of life today with reports of dozens of people shot dead by the military across the country, in the bloodiest day since the coup."

"The violence is completely unacceptable and must stop immediately. Those responsible must be held to account," the UN office added. "As the Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener has said, ensuring peace and defending the people should be the responsibility of any military, but the Tatmadaw has turned against its own people."

The Tatmadaw is the official name for Myanmar's armed forces.

According to the latest tally by the nonprofit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, at least 328 people have been killed in Myanmar since the military coup on February 1.

Saturday's deaths would bring the total number of civilians killed to more than 400, but the exact number remains unclear. Aid groups fear the number may be higher.

A boy reported by local media to be as young as 5 was among at least 29 people killed in Mandalay. At least 24 people were killed in Yangon, Myanmar Now said, according to Reuters.

"Today is a day of shame for the armed forces," Dr. Sasa, a spokesman for CRPH, an anti-junta group set up by deposed lawmakers, told an online forum.

Meanwhile, one of Myanmar's two dozen ethnic armed groups, the Karen National Union, said it had overrun an army post near the Thai border, killing 10 people -- including a lieutenant colonel -- and losing one of its own fighters, Reuters reported.

A military spokesman did not respond to calls from the news agency seeking comment on the killings by security forces or the insurgent attack on its post.

"They are killing us like birds or chickens, even in our homes," said Thu Ya Zaw in the central town of Myingyan, where at least two protesters were killed, according to Reuters. "We will keep protesting regardless... We must fight until the junta falls."

'Day of terror and dishonor'

The US Embassy in Myanmar joined the European Union and United Kingdom embassies in condemning killings by security forces in Myanmar on Saturday and calling for an end to the violence.

"On Myanmar's Armed Forces Day, security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they swore to protect. This bloodshed is horrifying," Thomas Vajda, US Ambassador to Myanmar, said in a statement.

"These are not the actions of a professional military or police force. Myanmar's people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule," he added.

"This 76th Myanmar armed forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonor," the EU delegation to Myanmar said. "The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts."

News reports cited by Reuters said there were deaths in the central Sagaing region, Lashio in the east, in the Bago region, near Yangon, and elsewhere. A 1-year-old baby was hit in the eye with a rubber bullet.

In Naypyitaw, Min Aung Hlaing reiterated a promise to hold elections, without giving any time frame, Reuters reported.

"The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy," he said in a live broadcast on state television. "Violent acts that affect stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate."

The military has said it took power because November elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi's party were fraudulent, an assertion dismissed by the country's election commission.

Suu Kyi, the elected leader and the country's most popular civilian politician, remains in detention at an undisclosed location. Many other figures in her party are also being held in custody.

Russia 'a true friend'

In its warning on Friday evening, state television said protesters were "in danger of getting shot to the head and back." It did not specifically say security forces had been given shoot-to-kill orders, and the junta has previously suggested some fatal shootings have come from within the crowds.

International pressure on the junta increased this week with new US and European sanctions. But Russia's deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin attended the parade in Naypyitaw, having met senior junta leaders a day earlier, Reuters reported.

"Russia is a true friend," Min Aung Hlaing said.

Diplomats told Reuters that eight countries -- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand -- sent representatives, but Russia was the only one to send a minister.

Support from Russia and China, which has also refrained from criticism, is important for the junta as those two countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and can block potential UN actions.

Armed Forces Day commemorates the start of the resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945 that was orchestrated by Suu Kyi's father, the founder of the military.

Gunshots hit the US cultural center in Yangon on Saturday, Reuters reported, but nobody was hurt and the incident was being investigated, US Embassy spokesperson Aryani Manring said.

Protesters have taken to the streets almost daily since the coup that derailed Myanmar's slow transition to democracy.

General Yawd Serk, chair of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army - South, one of the ethnic armies in the country, told Reuters in neighboring Thailand: "If they continue to shoot at protesters and bully the people, I think all the ethnic groups would not just stand by and do nothing."

Author and historian Thant Myint-U wrote on Twitter: "A failed state in Myanmar has the potential to draw in all the big powers -- including the US, China, India, Russia, and Japan -- in a way that could lead to a serious international crisis (as well as an even greater catastrophe in Myanmar itself)."

This story was first published on CNN.com 'At least 114 killed in Myanmar in deadliest day since start of protests'
Christians in Ghana will join others around the world to celebrate Palm Sunday tomorrow, March 28, in commemoration of Jesus Christs triumphant entry into Jerusalem, days before His crucifixion.



Also known as Passion Sunday, the Day is the final Sunday of Lent and the beginning of the Holy Week on the Christian Calendar.



It is known as Palm Sunday because the faithful often use palm fronds for the re-enactment of Christs arrival in Jerusalem.



In the Gospel, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey and was welcomed by the townspeople with songs of praise, as some paid homage by throwing clothes and palm branches on the ground for Him to walk on.



This years celebration is likely to be on a low key with no street procession, which used to characterize the event, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



Ahead of the festivities, the Christian Council had asked Christians to mark the Day with strict adherence to the safety protocols.



Follow strictly the safety protocols, especially wearing of nose mask, social distancing and use of hand sanitizers, Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Chairman of the Council, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.



The Ghana Police Service said its officers would enforce the COVID-19 restrictions to the letter during the celebrations to forestall the spread of the virus.



It reminded religious groups that conventions, crusades, pilgrimages and large physical gatherings were not allowed.



The Service, in a press statement, said carnivals, festivals, beach gatherings, street dances, processions, and parades among others were illegal.



Meanwhile, some churches have started publicizing the celebration through traditional media and outdoor ads.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday met with Chadian President, Idriss Deby, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chadian leader, a field marshal, who arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 12.15 p.m., was received by Mr Buhari at the forecourt of the villa.

It was gathered that the two leaders would deliberate on sub-regional issues including security challenges occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram.

Mr Buhari and the Chadian leader last met face-to-face in June 2019 on the sidelines of the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Mr Buhari last visited NDjamena, the Chadian capital, in April 2019 where he participated in a one-day Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.

It was further gathered that the Chadian leader, who is standing for re-election for a sixth term, may brief the Nigerian leader on the forthcoming Chads presidential election on April 11.

Mr Deby, who has ruled Chad for 30 years, began his campaign for a sixth term on March 13, calling for unity after rival protests were banned.

The Chadian leader is expected to brief the media at the end of his one-day official visit to Nigeria.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai, were among those in the forecourt to welcome Mr Deby.

Others include the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello.

(NAN)
In a move that seems to bring back memories of Apartheid in South Africa, the Shropshire Council in England, reportedly singled out Reggae for rough treatment, demanding that the St. Annes Church in Lea Cross, stop playing amplified dance or Reggae music at the building.

According to the Shropshire Star in an article titled Racism claims as Reggae or dance music is banned, Chris Jones, a businessman and owner of the church, which is located in Lea Cross, near Shrewsbury, accused the council of ageism and racism and of having an elitist rule on musical tastes, after being served with a noise abatement notice following events at the private church.

Jones, who also owns the Albion Vaults pub in Shrewsbury, said in the article that was published in early March, that the Shropshire council took legal action against him following two events at the church in 2020 year, where drum and bass and Reggae music were played.

According to the news report, following an appeal hearing at Telford Magistrates Court, the matter was adjourned to enable the council to suggest measures to Jones that he could implement to prevent future problems.

However, Jones said that instead of coming up with a measurable sound limit an agreed distance from the building, the municipal authority issued him with a vague requirement not to play certain types of music.

From our point of view it is likely that any amplified dance music, reggae, trance or similar music played at the church is likely to create a noise nuisance, the council said in an email.

This is because this type of music or event will be played at high volume that would be likely to travel easily into nearby premises, it added.

Jones has, however, rubbished the councils claims, noting that he was surprised by their reply. He also argued that the request was inappropriate for what was a meeting place for people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

He said the idea of an elitists rule on music styles is unacceptable, and that barring forms of music is stupid.

Im not having anything to do with some seeming ageist, racist bar on forms of music. The court was made aware The Wurzels are planned to perform at the church. Am I supposed to tell The Wurzels they cannot play Reggae tracks or have any dance music or my licence is under threat? he argued.

My friend, who plays in a Reggae band, and has cancer wishes to have a wake in the church one day. Are they suggesting I inform him the music he loves cannot be played by his friends? Jones added.

The article quoted Councillor Gwilym Butler, cabinet member for regulatory services at Shropshire Council, as saying that the inquiry relates to ongoing proceedings and therefore the no comment could be made on the particulars of the case.

All local authorities have a legal obligation to investigate complaints and allegations of nuisance, such as noise, under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Shropshire Council considers both its equality duties and its responsibilities when investigating nuisance complaints, Butler said.

Over on the Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) platform, where a link to the Shropshire Stars article was shared, those who read the article, said the council, which presides over one of Englands most rural and sparsely populated counties, had made a half-witted decision.

If the issue is the bass, maybe ask them to turn the bass down idiots, Adam Russell said.

Buy a db (decibel) meter and use it. No need to discriminate by genre, its low to hate peoples music, John Kleeman said.

This is the first in recent history that Reggae music is being banned from being played in public.

In the heydays of Apartheid, a brutally racist system of government in South Africa which was characterized by systemic segregation and discrimination on grounds of race, the revolutionary music of artistes like Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley, were banned and if caught with one of their cassettes, blacks could face imprisonment.

Back then, the three Wailers aimed their lyrical messages directly to the liberation movements in the southern parts of Africa, Peter Tosh slapping the colonial rulers with Fight Apartheid in 1977 and with Bunny Wailer taking aim at Botha the Mosquito in 1986, while Marley spoke out with Zimbabwe in 1979.

Jamaica was also the first country in the western hemisphere, and the second in the world, after India, to ban trade and travel with white-ruled South Africa, because of the oppressive system which cruelly dictated the movements of black families and individuals.
Good Samaritans Ditch Day Plans, Drive an Hour to Help Find Kidnapped Baby Girl

Two good Samaritans scrapped their day plans when they heard about an abducted baby and drove an hour from Hampton, Georgia, to join the search effort. Miraculously, they located the missing girl on the porch of an unsuspecting homeowner.

Donnie Howell and Michael Thomas felt personally compelled to help search for missing 1-year-old Royalty Grisby after she was snatched in the early hours of March 18. Royaltys mother, Elizabeth, a food delivery agent with Uber Eats, was making a delivery in Stone Mountain, DeKalb County, at around 2 a.m. when a suspect drove away in her keyless maroon 2010 Nissan Armada SUV with the baby inside.

I have a younger niece, Brooklyn, so it, like, touches my heart to even come out here to help, Howell told CBS 46, alluding to joining the search efforts.

One-year-old Royalty Grisby was kidnapped in the early hours of March 18. (Courtesy of DeKalb County Police Department)

As the little girl had gone missing, DeKalb County Police Department issued an amber alert. The SUV was later found abandoned at 9 a.m., but with no sign of Royalty.

In a press conference, her desperate mother pleaded, You can take her to the hospital, take her to a store, just bring her home. I dont care about anything with the car. I just want my baby back, according to Fox 5.

Royalty enjoying her brief hospital visit, according to DeKalb County police post. (Courtesy of DeKalb County Police Department)

With Howells window down and no music playing, he and Thomas heard the cry that would herald Royaltys rescue.

I knew when she screamed, I just felt like God was telling me that was her, said Howell, so I stormed up to the porch and I seen [sic] her crying. Howell recalled the heartwarming moment Royalty seemed to sense she was safe as help arrived.

After following the story, homeowner Anna Henderson claimed she almost fainted when the little girl turned up on her property.

Hours after the abduction, Royalty was safely back in her mothers arms and later declared healthy at a hospital.

However, Howell and Thomas had to convince the authorities of their role in the rescue. They didnt believe us originally  the storys wild, said Howell, adding, Theres good people out there.

Im very blessed that God has put Royalty and her mother back together, he further added.

After some questioning, both Howell and Thomas were released.

Suspect Malachi Richardson, aged 14, was taken into custody. He faces charges of kidnapping and theft of a motor vehicle, reports WSB-TV.

A family friend of the Grisbys started a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise $2,500 for repairs to the SUV and daycare expenses so that Royaltys mom can leave her baby in care when working. To date, the fund has raised over $27,500.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Derrick Jaxns Christian wife rebukes critics as new mistress calls his apology for affairs a sham

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The defiant wife of embattled Christian relationship guru Derrick Jaxn invoked Scripture and the blood of Jesus against critics of their marriage Wednesday, as a newly revealed mistress called him a sex addict and alleged his recent confession of being a changed man is a sham because they had sex only days ago.

I did not come here to play games and to play dress-up. I came here in my battle suit. I came here in the battleground covered in the blood of Jesus. I received the anointing of the warrior and I spill the blood of the enemy, Jaxns wife, Da'Naia Jackson, declared in a broadcast on Instagram Wednesday.

Jacksons response came after critics raised concern online about how she was dressed as well as her mental health when she appeared with her husband in an apology video on Monday, in which the man who helped promote a Black Men Dont Cheat campaign confessed to cheating on his wife of four years with multiple women.

You see a bonnet, I see the helmet of salvation. You see an army green shirt, I see the breastplate of righteousness. I see the belt of truth, I see the sandals of peace, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God and the shield of faith. And Ive come to the battleground covered in the blood of Jesus to proclaim victory over sin, Jackson declared to her critics, insisting her marriage will survive her husbands scandal.

You came for gossip, I came with the Gospel. You came to blame, I came to slay with the power of the Holy Spirit. And I take authority as my master has given me because behold, I have seen Satan fall like lightning.

I come trampling over snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the powers of darkness that wants to suck up marriage and divide the house of God and divide the men and women of God from each other. Some of you dont understand this because you dont have Kingdom thinking, you dont know Kingdom principles, and you dont know to act and walk in Kingdom glory. With that, I stand boldly on the word of God. And it says touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm, she said, quoting the book of I Chronicles in the Bible.

On Monday, three days after vlogger Tasha K. released an interview with a woman identified as Candice De Medeiros alleging she had an affair with Jaxn last summer, Jackson appeared with her husband on social media in which he apologized for his behavior and suggested he had turned over a new leaf.

Now that its been made so public, its important that I, first off, let you guys know that I do not stand by those actions. I dont want to encourage anybody to do that. And then secondly, I know that I cannot build a platform preaching certain things, preaching against certain things, and then in my real life, live contrary to that for any amount of time or any length of time to any extent and think that I cant be held accountable," Jaxn said in the video.

His wife also said her husband confessed his sins to her months ago and they had begun work to repair their marriage with the help of counselors and support from men of God. Jaxn also said he had cut himself off from all the women he had extramarital relationships with.

I forgave him. And most importantly, God has first forgiven him, and I also forgive the others as well. And with that, we are free and moving forward. So thats all I have, his wife said Monday.

Shortly after his confession on Monday, however, Jaxns latest mistress, a surgeon identified only as Nikki, told Tasha K. in an interview published Wednesday that she cringed after watching Jaxns recent confession with his wife by his side because they had sex on March 18.

She said the same day he made the apology video, he called her and tried to get her to not speak publicly about their relationship. She is currently prevented from speaking further by a gag order.

He has never came to me religious. This is a new Derrick, said Nikki, who said they met last October.

He reached out to me last night and said if anyone contacts me, for me to [inaudible] hang up and block them. He said all of this was, he was supposed to do an interview with a blogger and he declined the interview and now this blogger is on a smear campaign, she told Tasha K.

She said at the time she received the call, she was unaware of the drama unfolding in his life because she didnt spend a lot of time on social media. After his call however, she discovered what was happening and she was livid.

When he reached out to me last night, his biggest fear was I have cameras in my home and I can prove that he was there. I can prove anything that needs to be proved, she said of their relationship.

She explained that she learned that he was married after she became pregnant with his child in late November. The 32-year-old surgeon said she had an abortion because she was just getting started with her career and wasnt ready for a child.

He never told me he was dealing with other women, she said of Jaxns Monday confession.

She said she asked him what the video with his wife was about and he said he was just trying to save face and that his wife only came to the home to do the video for that purpose. It was also alleged during the interview that he had a deal in the works with megachurch Pastor T.D. Jakes that he was concerned could be impacted by the scandal. The Christian Post could not immediately verify claims of a deal with Jakes.

Nikki said she blocked Jaxn from contacting her now, noting that he cant even get through our gate anymore.

She described him as a sex addict and said he never talked about God when they were together.

He talks about self-control, she said. As far as she knew, his narrative about walking with God, thats not him. That is something that he just picked up because usually, hes talking about investing. Talking about money.

She added that he told her he was a motivational speaker who also speaks at his church. She also noted that he told her he'd been separated from his wife for at least 18 months and had not yet gotten a divorce because his wifes Christian family did not believe in divorce.

He told me that she did not want to divorce because she was from a Christian home and divorce wasnt something, they  believe in, so her parents advised to separate until further notice, Nikki said.

The surgeon also called Jaxn aggressive and speculated that she thinks his wife could have suffered physical abuse during their marriage because of what she experienced with him.

[In] the video, she looked like she was afraid. Hes very aggressive. I basically told him a couple of days before Christmas that he had to leave because he was yelling in my house. And he grabbed me by my arm and was like, Ill leave when I be ready to leave. So Im pretty sure if he roughhouses me  Im pretty sure its worse in their home, Nikki said.

In her video on Wednesday, Jaxns wife said she had the protection of a host of angels.

As I speak the word of God, an innumerable amount of angels, war angels, are being released to fight the good fight on the behalf of all those looking for their freedom. Who are searching for their freedom and do not know to get it. But we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the power of our testimony. And that is exactly what we will do. There is no fire that can burn us. There is no mountain that can stop us. There is no giant that can defeat us because we have Him, our Lord and Savior, she said.
HOUSTON, March 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE: TRGP) ("Targa" or the "Company") announced today that representatives from the Company will participate in investor meetings at the Truist Securities 4th Annual Utilities, Midstream & Alternative Energy Summit via video conference on Thursday, March 25, 2021.



A copy of the slides used for the conference meetings will be available in the Investors section of the Company's website at www.targaresources.com, or by going to https://www.targaresources.com/investors/events.

About Targa Resources Corp.

Targa Resources Corp. is a leading provider of midstream services and is one of the largest independent midstream infrastructure companies in North America. The Company owns, operates, acquires and develops a diversified portfolio of complementary midstream infrastructure assets. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of: gathering, compressing, treating, processing, transporting and purchasing and selling natural gas; transporting, storing, fractionating, treating and purchasing and selling NGLs and NGL products, including services to LPG exporters; and gathering, storing, terminaling and purchasing and selling crude oil.

For more information, please visit the Companys website at www.targaresources.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are 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. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, factors and risks, many of which are outside the Companys control, which could cause results to differ materially from those expected by management of the Company. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, the impact of pandemics such as COVID-19, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producing countries, the timing and success of business development efforts, and other uncertainties. These and other applicable uncertainties, factors and risks are described more fully in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact the Company's investor relations department by email at

InvestorRelations@targaresources.com or by phone at (713) 584-1133.

Sanjay Lad

Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations

Jennifer Kneale

Chief Financial Officer
gettyimagesbank



A UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has asked its experts to investigate Pyongyang's launch of missiles on Thursday, diplomats said.



The panel is composed of the same 15 countries that sit on the Security Council. The request to the experts was made Friday in a closed door meeting of the committee.



North Korea launched two weapons from its east coast Thursday, with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga calling them ballistic missiles.



It was North Korea's first substantive provocation since Joe Biden took power as US president in January.



The sanctions committee met after an urgent request made Thursday by the United States.



Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its weapons programs, with UN Security Council resolutions banning it from developing ballistic missiles.






Trial Date Set in Lee-McCampbell Murder Case

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A man charged with the 2018 murder of his girlfriend and her unborn child was in court Friday.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said Epionn J. Lee-McCampbell appeared before the judge, and a jury trial was scheduled for May 17. A pretrial conference is set for April 19.He faces charges of murder and fetal homicide stemming from an investigation that began in March 2018. Police were called to Lee-McCampbell's home on North 24th Street, where officers reportedly found 19-year-old Ja'Lynn N. Ragsdale unresponsive. She was taken to Baptist Health Paducah, where she later died.In late August 2018, detectives received a final report from the state medical examiner's office saying Ragsdale died of asphyxiation consistent with suffocation and that she was pregnant at the time of her death.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Antonio Sanchez, the convicted former mayor of Calauan, Laguna, died on Saturday, the Bureau of Corrections said.

BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag told CNN Philippines Sanchez was found unresponsive in his jail cell at the New Bilibid Prison at around 7 am. His cell mates brought him to the state penitentiary's hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

"Matanda na rin kasi... Ang dami niyang underlying illnesses (He's old. He also has many underlying illnesses)," Chaclag said.

The 74-year-old former mayor had "chronic kidney disease, hypertension, recurring gastroenteritis, prostate problems, and asthma," Chaclag said in a separate statement.

Sanchez was last seen alive at around 10 pm on Friday as he prepared to sleep, Chaclag added. "When his cell mates woke him up this morning, he was unresponsive," he said.

The jail official said "there is no sign of foul play," adding Sanchez's family has been informed about his death.

In a text message to reporters, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the BuCor is still trying to secure the family's permission for an autopsy.

Sanchez was hospitalized in September last year due to shortness of breath, gastroenteritis, and electrolyte imbalance, the BuCor said at the time. He tested negative for COVID-19, but was diagnosed with moderate-risk community acquired pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Sanchez and his henchmen were convicted in 1995 for the rape and murder of Mary Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez, students of the University of the Philippines Los Banos in Laguna, two years earlier.

In 2019, reports of Sanchez's possible early release from prison drew public outrage, prompting the revision of the implementing rules and regulations of the expanded Good Conduct Time Allowance law. Under the new rules, those convicted of heinous crimes are disqualified from having their jail sentence commuted for good behavior.

Guevarra said issues surrounding Sanchez's GCTA have now become "moot and academic."
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In many ways it always seemed inevitable but the twin forces of Brexit and Covid-19 have led to something of a cold war between the EU and the UK.

Britain's decision to leave the EU was always going to pose enormous difficulties for both sides but these have been hastened, and significantly worsened, by the ongoing pandemic and the increasingly troubled vaccine roll-out in the EU nations.

What is so unexpected about the situation - for pro-Europeans at least - is the sides of the vaccine supply crisis that the UK and the EU find themselves on.

Throughout the Brexit process a constant refrain across the EU was the 'madness' of the British electorate for choosing to opt out of a powerful trading block and eschew the many advantages of EU membership.

The Brexiteers would counter that by abandoning the EU and going their own way they would free themselves from the shackles of a domineering and inefficient European bureaucracy.

While Brexit has had the predicted disastrous impact on the British economy - its exports to the EU have plunged by 40 per cent while imports into the Republic have plummeted by more than 60 per cent - in terms of Covid the experience has been markedly different.

In fact it could be said - and many of the Brexiteers are saying - that the Covid vaccine shortage in the EU proves their point about the EU's failings and shows they were right to quit the bloc.

Though they grossly oversimplify the situation, and the true impact of Brexit on the UK, there is some merit to the claims.

The EU's problems in sourcing enough vaccine for its members, and its growing difficulties in dealing with various vaccine suppliers, are rooted in the EU's notoriously convoluted bureaucracy.

This has complicated contract arrangements and led to enormous and costly delays in the roll-out of the vaccine across the EU, leaving many members, including Ireland, scrabbling to find extra vaccine doses elsewhere.

It's not just the smaller nations that have been impacted either, even Germany and France have been encountering problems.

By contrast, the UK - whose initial response to the pandemic was a lethal shambles - has managed to source vast quantities of vaccine and, like the United States and Israel, is well on its way to getting its population vaccinated and its economy back up and running.

Boris Johnson and his odious Brexiteer cronies were able to do this as they were unshackled from the EU bureaucrats' red-tape and were able to conduct their own negotiations with vaccine manufacturers.

Johnson's Government took an early gamble and signed contracts for millions of vaccines long before most had been approved. That gamble has paid off and now the EU can only look on in envy as the UK surges ahead in the race to escape the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the EU response - to threaten a blockade on EU made vaccines entering the UK - seems like vindictive posturing.

It doesn't inspire much confidence in the European project. When the Brexiteers are right you know there's a serious problem.
Lets continue to be responsible as latest local pandemic update released

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Mar 27th, 2021

The latest local update has been published by Wrexham Council, detailing the precise local area figures.

The usual tables are not included this week, but there is the normal localised data.

If you want to check the figures where you live, visit the Public Health Wales data dashboard and click on the MSOA tab, and select Wrexham on the right hand side to get a zoomed in map.

The council, who run the Test Trace Protect system for Wrexham and therefore have the data on positive cases and their locations and spread say, Local household transmission of the UK/Kent variant, rather than workplace transmission, remains the principal driver of the disease and there are no cases of the other variants of concern.





The full council update from yesterday is copied in full below, as usual any bolding or italics is from Wrexham Council:
Leading Turkish builder Limak is set to kick off the second edition of a youth empowerment programme on April 1 in co-ordination with Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Ministry of Youth Affairs to support Kuwait National Employment.

Commenced in 2018, the programme is part of Limaks greater regional efforts to educate and empower the young and aspiring professionals with training opportunities that enhance professional development and encourage enrollment in the private sector.

The second edition will begin with KFAED training programme for Kuwaiti Newly Graduated Engineers and Architects.

Limaks youth development efforts reflect the companys strong support of Kuwaits National Development Plan and Vision 2035, New Kuwait, which aims to transform the country into a leading financial, commercial and cultural hub where the private sector leads the economy and promotes production efficiency.

The KIA T2 contractor has trained over 130 Kuwaiti young and aspiring nationals covering over 35,000 training hours since starting operations in Kuwait in 2015, and currently employs 40 nationals on-site at the New Kuwait International Airport - Terminal 2 (T2) project.

In addition to the companys current training and empowerment programmes, Limak will be cooperating with the Ministry of Youth Affairs in the effort to support Kuwait National Employment.

Kayihan Bagdatli, Limak Insaat Kuwait Country Manager said: "We believe in investing in youth empowerment. Currently employing over 40 Kuwaiti engineers on-site at T2, we are not only committed to involving Kuwaiti engineers in this landmark project but are investing in the training of these engineers so they can directly contribute to their countrys future."

"Our support for local engineers is part of the companys greater efforts to add permanent value to society by supporting educational and learning opportunities in the fields of construction, engineering, architecture, and project management," he stated.

"Through the KFAED training program and the many others we invest in, our objective is to transform the youth into qualified individuals prepared to create a positive, long-lasting impact on the world," he added.
In retaliation to Indias digital tax (2 per cent) on foreign technology majors, the United States has proposed additional tariffs on a slew of Indian imports including basmati rice, sea food, jewellery, bamboo, semi-precious stones and pearls, among others.

A tariff of up to 25 per cent ad valorem on aggregate level of trade has been proposed, with an aim to mop up around $55 million, which is as much as what India will collect from US companies through the 2 per cent equalization levy. This follows investigation by the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) last year under section 301 of the Trade Act, which concluded that Indias equalisation levy, was actionable under Section 301 of the Trade Act for being unreasonable, burdensome, and discriminatory against American companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook, and inconsistent with international tax principles.

In particular, USTR proposes to impose additional tariffs of up to 25 percent ad valorem on an aggregate level of trade that would collect duties on goods of India in the range of the amount of DST that India is expected to collect from US companies."



Initial estimates indicate that the value of the DST payable by US-based company groups to India will be up to approximately $55 million per year, said the USTR press release. USTR further proposes that the goods of India subject to additional tariffs would be drawn from the preliminary list of products in the Annex to this notice, as specified by the listed eight-digit tariff subheadings, it further said.

The 40 tariff sub-heads proposed for tariffs include Rattan furniture and parts, precious stone articles, gold rope necklaces and neck chains, cultured pearls, yarn, cigarette paper, and corks and stoppers.

The report, based on a Section 301 probe initiated in June last year, found Indias to be inconsistent with international tax principles because it failed to provide tax certainty, targeted revenues unconnected to a physical presence in India, and applied to revenue rather than income.

Highlighting the supposed discrimination, the report said of the companies that were subjected to Indias equalisation levy, 72 per cent were American.

Amit Maheshwari, Tax Partner, AKM Global, a tax and consulting firm said, Even in the Biden administration, there has been no let up in the pressure from the US on India's equalization levy 2.0 which has been held to be discriminatory, unreasonable and in contravention of international tax principles."

This action will force India to get to the negotiating table as US is a very important trading partner, he said.

While the levy applied only to digital advertising services till March 2020 at the rate of 6 per cent, the government widened the scope to impose 2 per cent tax on non-resident e-commerce players with a turnover of Rs 2 crore from April 1, 2020.

In fact, India has further expanded the scope of the 2 per cent by way of clarifications in the budget this yearto e-commerce supply or service when any activity, including acceptance of the offer for sale, placing the purchase order, acceptance of the purchase order, supply of goods or provision of services, partly or wholly payment of consideration, takes place online.



Besides, the levy would apply on gross consideration and not just the commission earned, leading to an outcry from industry.

These will apply retrospectively from April 1, 2020. The government has however, said that these are only clarificatory in nature and these transactions were always intended to come under the purview of EL.

Key global industry associations have also recently flagged tax uncertainty concerns regarding the expansion in scope of a 2 per cent digital tax in the Union Budget 2021-22, arguing that the retroactive amendment would undermine the confidence in Indias regulatory environment and negatively impact the ease of doing business in the country.
During his two-day visit to Dhaka, PM Narendra Modi on March 27 gifted 1.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Bangladesh. PM Modi, who is visiting the neighbouring country on his first trip to a foreign nation since the outbreak of coronavirus, handed over a representational box to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of Indias gift of vaccine doses to Bangladesh. He also handed over a representational key of 109 ambulances to Hasina. PM Modi gifted a Pashmina shawl and an old video of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman from Indian archives to Sheikh Hasina as well.

Dhaka: PM Narendra Modi hands over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.2 million COVID vaccine doses. pic.twitter.com/0nYN2hrwI9  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

PM Narendra Modi hands over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. pic.twitter.com/AKr0HWunXh  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Bangladesh PM, on the other hand, presented a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of her father and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi. Hasina handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshs Independence, along with a watch.

Bangladesh's PM Sheikh Hasina presented a gold & a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi.



She also handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence pic.twitter.com/CzlVJJxDDN  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Mitali Express inaugurated

The two leaders jointly inaugurated a new passenger train, which will run between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. After 55 years, Mitali Express will run between the nations via the Chilahati-Haldibari route. It is worth mentioning that the New Jalpaiguri has the biggest railway station in the northern part of West Benga and is just six kilometres away from Siliguri. It is a key junction between mainland India and north-eastern India.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to be a part of the neighbouring country's 50th Independence Day. He attended events at the National Martyr's Memorial and the National Day program on Friday. PM Modi even offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple on Saturday in Ishwaripur, Satkhira district in Bangladesh. During his visit to the temple, he prayed for the human race to get rid of COVID-19 as early as possible. PM Modi also stated that he got the opportunity to visit one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and feels fortunate to visit the goddess just ahead of the Chaitra Navratri.

Talking to ANI, PM Modi said, "After few weeks Chaitra Navratri will start. Before the start of this holy festival, I am fortunate enough to visit one of the 51 shaktipeeths. When I visited Bangladesh in 2015, I got the opportunity to seek blessings from Ma Dhakeshwari."

(Image: ANI)
Seoul, March 27 : North Korea deemed US President Joe Biden's criticism of its missile tests this week a wrong first step, according to a statement released on Saturday by the state media.

Pyongyang on Thursday test-fired what it described as "new-type tactical guided missiles," in a show of force to the new US administration. Japan and South Korea said they were short-range ballistic missiles.

Biden on Friday said he was prepared for diplomacy but that dialogue must be contingent on the end goal of denuclearization by Pyongyang, and pledged a response if the rogue nuclear nation continues to escalate tensions.

Ri Pyong Chol, secretary of the North Korean Workers' Party's central committee, called Biden's remarks a "provocation" and an "undisguised encroachment on our state's right to self-defence", DPA news agency reported.

"I think that the new US administration obviously took its first step wrong," Ri said, as cited by North Korean state media outlet KCNA.

"If the US continues with its thoughtless remarks without thinking of the consequences, it may be faced with something that is not good." Thursday's test-firing marked North Korea's second launch in a week, though the two missiles fired on Sunday were non-ballistic cruise missiles.

The launches came in the wake of joint military exercises by South Korean and US armed forces. The nine-day command exercise, which did not include field training, ended on Thursday last week.

North Korea is banned from testing ballistic missiles by UN resolutions and has been slapped with tough international sanctions to deter it from continuing to develop rockets that could be equipped with nuclear warheads.
The drama of the Alexei Navalny story took a shocking new turn this week, with claims the opposition leader was facing a grave medical emergency barely two months into his lengthy prison term.

In a statement relayed by lawyers on Friday, Mr Navalny said he was experiencing serious pain in his back and right leg, and was unable to walk. The condition had likely been provoked by long periods of sitting in police vans  and exacerbated by a torturous policy of guards waking him up every hour while asleep.

Its quite upsetting  Ive got quite used to my right leg over the years and I wouldnt want to part with it, he said in signature deadpan fashion.

Earlier this week, lawyers for Navalny said he was being tortured. The Russian authorities have responded by insisting Mr Navalnys symptoms are stable and satisfactory. The Kremlin refused to comment on his complaints, but on Friday spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed his treatment was consistent with prison guards keeping order and discipline.

On paper, Mr Navalnys symptoms are consistent with a trapped sciatic nerve  not ordinarily a life-threatening condition. Supporters say the harshness of the Vladimir prison regime, a recent history of nerve agent poisoning, and the evidence of torture are reasons enough to be worried.

Read more:

The spectacle of difficult prisoners falling ill, and then denied timely medical assistance, is not a new drama for the Russian prison system, with dozens of high-profile cases over the years.

In the same week that Mr Navalnys health nosedived, a critically ill pharmaceutical executive was making his own claims about medical torture in custody.

Boris Shpigel, the owner of Russias largest private drug manufacturer, also insisted he was innocent of corruption charges brought against him  arrested only because he refused to share his business with corrupt security officers.

Speaking to local media, Mr Shpigel said the same officers now seemed to be pushing him towards his death, denying him treatment for tumours and hypotension: Its the easiest option, he said, Ill croak my last here, and then they will take away my business.

The claims drew obvious parallels with the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in jail in 2009 after discovering a massive VAT fraud by corrupt law enforcement.

The 37-year old was subjected to a campaign of torture, held in freezing cells and denied crucial medical assistance, when he refused to cooperate and frame his employers in the fraud. He detailed every infringement in meticulous complaints that went unanswered.

Mr Navalny, who has written two complaints to the head of the prisons service and chief prosecutor, will be hoping that his public following will be enough to bring about a different reaction. Already nearly 300,000 people have signed up to a call by his associates to protest for his release. The protests will be triggered once numbers reach half a million.

Those who witnessed the Magnitsky case firsthand say Mr Navalnys health depends on him being moved to a better jail as soon as possible. Jamison Firestone, Mr Magnitskys immediate employer, said authorities would deny a problem up until the end.

The Russian state will break a man if it wants to, he said. Sergei went in healthy  there was nothing wrong with him. And Navalny is still fragile. Novichok has lasting health effects.

Russian jails have by far the highest death rate of European prisons, with the latest figures suggesting one out of every 200 inmates die each year. Denial of appropriate medical care is a major factor in the figures. On a very basic level, prisons dont have appropriate medicines or doctors. When there are doctors, corporate solidarity rules.

Medical staff are part of the prison set-up and will look to protect the system, says Olga Podopelova, legal director at Russia Behind Bars, an NGO focused on prison rights. Its the case generally, but especially in the case of prominent political prisoners.

It was obvious that Mr Navalny had been singled out for demonstrative punishment, the activist said. What was less clear was whether things were being directed at the level of the prison service, or higher up in the chain of command.

The Vladimir prison colony where Navalny is being kept (Reuters)

In investigations published during the aftermath of his poisoning, Mr Navalny produced convincing evidence linking Russias security agency to his apparent attempted assassination. In an astonishing phone call with one of his would-be killers, Mr Navalny revealed how the military grade poison had likely been applied to his underpants.

He directly accused the Russian president of ordering the attack, naming him Vladimir the poisoner of underpants.

On Friday Mr Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin bore no responsibility for Mr Navalnys wellbeing.

There are, of course, individual complaints from people in custody, he said. But we are not aware of any systemic problems with the provision of medical care in prisons.

In a statement carried on social media, Yulia Navalnaya accused Vladimir Putin was carrying out personal revenge in public after her husband survived the poisoning attempt. She called on the Russian leader to release him immediately.

Mr Peskov said the Kremlin would not be responding to the request.
Washington, March 27 : At least six people were killed after severe tornadoes and storms hit the southern parts of the US, authorities said.

At least five deaths and multiple injuries were reported in Calhoun County, Alabama, after a tornado passed through on Thursday evening, leaving "substantial damage to properties and homes", Xinhua news agency quoted a CNN report as saying on Friday.

About 38,000 homes and businesses were without power in Alabama and Georgia on Friday morning, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

One tornado struck the western Georgia city of Newnan early Friday, the weather service said, tearing roofs and mangling trees and utility poles just after midnight.

The storms killed at least one person in Newnan's Coweta County, Fire Chief Deron Patrick Wilson said.

In all, 23 tornado reports formed -- one in Mississippi; 17 in Alabama; and five in Georgia, the weather service said.
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Digital Editor
New Delhi:

The Chinese electronics and software company Xiaomi on Friday partnered with HRX by Hrithik Roshan to launch the Mi Band HRX Edition in India. This new fitness band is an adaptation of Mi Band 2 by Xiaomi.

The device is priced at Rs 1,299 and will be available for sale from September 18 on Mi.com, and Mi Home offline stores. It will also be sold on Flipkart, Myntra, and Amazon from September 20.

With a battery life of 23 days, the Mi Band HRX Edition offers better tracking algorithm along with splash resistant capability. This fitness band monitors your sleeping patterns, reminds you to take short walks, take water breaks at regular intervals and also provide alerts if you have been sitting idle for too long.

Read more: First Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 flash sale in China finishes in just 58 seconds

The Mi Band HRX Edition comes with low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 chipset and a power efficient OLED display.

"Indians are becoming more fitness conscious and this category is at an extremely dynamic stage. The Mi Band is a great fit in the category as reflected by the great response received for the Mi Band 2. This is not an endorsement deal, it's a partnership for a new device. Hrithik provided inputs on features can be incorporated to make the product more relevant.", Xiaomi Vice President and India Managing Director Manu Jain told PTI.
Take Uranus, for instance, the target of several planned exploration missions for the future. The seventh planet in our system is located at a distance of close to 3 billion km from the Sun (1.84 billion miles), and that could be a problem in getting enough energy.At the end of February, NASA announced the list of projects it will fund through the Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, with several crazy, but possibly game-changing technologies.The Sustained CubeSat Activity Through Transmitted Electromagnetic Radiation (SCATTER) is one of them. The concept envisions a future hardware combination comprising a parent spacecraft, and a probe it could host and deploy.The parent spacecraft would be able to launch the probe and it would be able to remotely power and control the hardware sent toward Uranus, using a laser transmitter. This solution allows the probe to operate even without energy harvested from the Sun, or without access to a battery power source.Using these probes allows a single mission to provide enhanced scientific measurements such as magnetic field gradients, leading to a better understanding of the ice giants, which are the least explored planets in our solar system, said in a statement Sigrid Close from the Stanford University in California, the brain behind the research.NASA will pump up to $125,000 into this project over the next nine months, and will then decide if the project is worthy of entering Phase II. The agency warns that this technology, like all others supported through NIAC, are not considered and may never become NASA missions.
Occasionally, those posting on Instagram have said that they were trying to say to others that the vaccine is safe and effective. But even though true, this can sound a little sanctimonious to Bruce Bozzi, the host of Lunch With Bruce, a weekly Sirius XM show on RadioAndy. I mean, come on. Youre not Joe Biden. Youre not the queen, he said.

Three psychiatrists interviewed for this article said their patients all seemed to understand that attention deficit disorder and mild anxiety do not meet the state definition of an intellectual or developmental disorder sufficient to place them in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Group 1C, whatever they might have mulled as their cursors hover nervously over qualification forms at 3 a.m.

But maybe sweating it is beside the point.

They dont need me to get a vaccine, said Dr. Roger Emert, an allergist and immunologist at N.Y.U. Langone Health. I have patients who brought stacks of medical info when they went to get vaccinated. No one ever asks to see it.

And Dr. Emert did receive a number of requests for inhalers from people who he said havent needed to use one in quite a while.

Ive never had so many people happy to be told theyre obese, said Edward Goldberg, a gastroenterologist with a private practice on the Upper East Side.

In recent weeks, the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine went to market. That increased the number of available vaccines, while some people in previously eligible groups continued not to take advantage. And given that the government will have a vaccine surplus by the end of July, people may feel emboldened, or less psychologically burdened, about jumping the line.
Mumbai, March 27 : Nearly 40 hours after the massive fire in a suburban mall claimed 11 lives in a Covid hospital in the same premises, hundreds of angry and weeping store-owners confronted the government with the huge losses they have suffered in the blaze, here on Saturday.

The conflagration broke out on the first floor of the Dreams Mall in Bhandup just before midnight late on Thursday - quickly spread to the second floor and then engulfed the third floor where the Sunrise Hospital treating Covid-19 patients is located.

While more than 65 patients were safely rescued, 11 patients succumbed to the flames, mostly senior citizens on ventilator.

The cause of the fire is not known, and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ordered a detailed probe into the tragedy.

In a related development, the Sunrise Hospitals head of Operations Satyendra Tiwari has lodged a complaint with Bhandup Police Station against the Dreams Mall's NCLT appointed Administrator Rahul Sahasrabuddhe for not taking adequate precautions which led to the blaze, loss of precious lives and other damage to the properties.

Amid allegations that the sprawling premises allegedly did not have the relevant permissions, hundreds of store-owners in the mall on Saturday demanded entry to check on their ravaged units but were blocked by the police and fire brigade as the cooling operations were underway.

When Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik visited them, scores of them, including some weeping, narrated their plight over the complete destruction and how it would affect their sheer chances of survival.

Giving them a sympathetic hearing, Minister Malik assured he would raise their grievances with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the government would try to work out a solution.

The shopkeepers said there are more than 500 shops/units functioning inside the mall and all were looking for brisk sales in the upcoming Holi festival and the marriage seasons, their first major opportunity after nearly 10 months of lockdown in the Corona pandemic.

"I had two shops with nearly Rs.80-lakhs of stocks, plus cash and other valuables Everything is reduced to ashes...How will I survive and support my family? From where I will repay the debts now," wailed one woman.

Another trader said he had invested all his life-savings in his shop and after hoping to stabilise the business after the year-long pandemic losses, this was the second huge shock for him, raising questions on his very survival.

A woman with three outlets inside the mall said besides her regular and new festival stocks, even her safe-deposit boxes with cash and other important papers are finished and appealed to the government for help.

Suspecting sabotage, one businessman wondered how mall fires usually seem to take place at night when nobody is around and sought an investigation to ascertain if something is amiss.

Several others recounted similar tales of woe that have hit them and a few even rued that it would have been better if they had also perished in the fire, as there is no help forthcoming from any quarters.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Highlights A 50-year-old Canadian woman was out fishing she dropped her iPhone into the lake.

The iPhone was booted and started working soon after it was pulled back.

The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are water-resistant up to 13 feet for 30 minutes

When Apple said that the iPhone 11 series is water-resistant, we believed Apple but didn't know that it can work fine after being underwater for as long as 30 days. A 50-year-old Canadian woman was out fishing she dropped her iPhone into the lake. The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are water-resistant up to 13 feet for 30 minutes but nobody thought that it could survive underwater for 30 days. However, this is not the first time an iPhone has survived underwater, earlier this month, the story of the iPhone 11 surviving underwater for six months surfaced on the internet.

Angie Carrier, 50, went fishing on Vasquez Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada, to celebrate her birthday. But little did she know that her happy moment would turn into a sad one as she would drop her phone into the water due to the strong wind. She returned home without any hopes of getting her phone back. But she still went back to the lake because all her important pictures were on the phone.

Carrier searched for two hours using a fish finder and was successful in pulling up her phone with the help of a magnet. Although she found her phone, she was not expecting it to work after being submerged in the lake for 30 days. But what happened next, blew her mind.

The iPhone was booted and started working soon after. Yes, the iPhone 11 Pro comes with an IP68 rating but nobody thought the phone would get back to normal after thirty days.

Earlier in March, a diver in British Columbia who goes by the name Clayton Hulkenberg and his wife Heather found an iPhone 11 during one of their diving escapades. The couple had released a video on YouTube about the same. They revealed that they found an iPhone 11 at the bottom of Harrison Lake. Interestingly, the couple discovered two phones at the lake. While Heather found the iPhone, Clayton discovered a flip phone. The flip phone was severely damaged while the iPhone was in a much better condition than the flip phone.

The iPhone was under the water for six months but apart from minor speaker issues and a damaged microphone, there were no visible damages to the phone. These stories are surprising because even Apple has never claimed that its phones can survive for days together. However, we do not encourage you to submerge your phone in water because you might not turn out to be as lucky as these people in Canada and end up losing your precious phone.
'Roe v. Wade' director Nick Loeb shares pro-life conversion, says he dreams of 2 aborted babies

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ANAHEIM, California  Actor Nick Loeb, director of the upcoming film "Roe v. Wade," revealed why he went from being a pro-choice advocate who supported two abortions in past relationships to a vocal defender of the unborn.

I grew up in the '80s and early '90s, and I was taught that when I woman gets pregnant, its just a bunch of cells; theres no life there, its not a baby until it can kick, Loeb recalled in an interview with The Christian Post where he admitted to sometimes dreaming of the unborn children he fathered.

So I had no problem with a woman doing whatever she wanted to do with her own body. I thought, science tells you theres no life there, so why not terminate it if thats what you want to do?

The actor said that in his 20s, he supported two different girlfriends who decided to terminate their pregnancies. But as the years passed, he began to dream of the children who had been so easily discarded.

As I got older, into my late 20s and early 30s, I started to have dreams of the children that had been aborted. I saw them at the ages they wouldve been at that time, he said. That prompted me to begin looking more into the issue, researching and educating myself.

But Loeb said he wasnt yet truly pro-life and adopted the mantra, I am pro-life for me, but it's OK for you to be pro-choice and make your own decisions. That changed when a friend began challenging him on his beliefs.

My friend said, Do you think its OK to rob banks? I said, No, of course not. He said, But its OK for other people to rob banks? I said, No. He said, Then why is abortion not OK for you, but its OK for other people?

The actor said he then decided abortion was only acceptable in cases of rape  until he was in a car accident nine years ago that led to permanent Sciatica, an excruciating nerve pain running down the length of his leg.

Im not going to compare it to rape; rape is a horrible thing that women go through, he clarified, but Ill live with this pain my entire life, its a horrible thing, a bad thing that happened to me. But I cant just get rid of it and kill it  and its not even a life. So yes, bad things happen to women, bad things happen to people all the time, but why are we going to punish another life or something that happened to you?

Yes, youll go through nine months of trauma because youll have to carry it, he said. But its not as bad as the lifetime of trauma youll have when you abort it. So you weigh that out as well. And if you dont want to live with that child after, there are millions of people who want to adopt your baby.

So to me, I really wasn't pro-life although I labeled myself that, he continued. People arent pro-life until theyre really for life, under any circumstances, no matter what, no excuses, no exceptions.

Starring Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Corbin Bernsen, John Schneider and Stacey Dash, Roe v. Wade tells the true story of how Norma McCorvey, commonly known as Jane Roe, was persuaded by lies and manipulation to sue the government for the right to have an abortion, according to the film synopsis.

The script, co-written by Loeb, was developed from actual court records to share the truth behind the case that has allowed the killing of more than 60 million children in the United States. The film will be released in theaters nationwide in the fall of 2019.

Loeb told CP that many people are pro-choice because Hollywood has glamorized abortion and reinforced the myth that life doesnt begin at conception. He pointed out that while the pro-life camp does an excellent job with fundraisers, galas and other events, it has done a poor job of tackling pop culture.

He explained: Planned Parenthood has been incredible with getting celebrities on board. The Kardashians did an entire episode where Planned Parenthood spent $30 million bringing them to a clinic, showing about wellness and talking about their services. They've been great at getting their theme into movies and pop culture today."

Pop culture, Loeb said, is what drives social change, adding, "We have a president that got elected because of pop culture, right?

You want to affect change in America today, you have to go to pop culture; you have to spend the money, he said.

The film has already experienced pushback. During an interview with Fox News last March, Loeb revealed that Facebook had blocked their efforts to promote the film. In another interview, he said that some actors even walked off the set and quit after finding out it would have a pro-life perspective.

Still, Loeb told CP hes optimistic and hopes the film leads to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and educates the public on the devastating reality of abortion.

I think things are changing today with the advent of technology and being able to see the baby's heartbeat within the first three weeks, Loeb said. Even millennials today and kids out of college are trending more toward life and toward the social conservative side of the life issue. I think so much of it is lack of education because I can't really think that anyone is that evil to think it's OK to kill a child. We really need a movie to educate.

We want to show that life begins at conception, period, he added. This movie is so important because people believe what they see, and we want to change hearts and minds.

To help support the movie or for more information, visit "Roe v. Wade" movie.com.
No PW veteran was surprised last week when condolences began flooding in following the news that Daisy Maryles passed away. Daisy had worked at PW for 44 years, beginning in 1965, until leaving in 2009, the final, difficult year the magazine was owned by Reed Business. Even after her departure, Daisy continued on as a contributing editor and remained editor for BEA Show Dailies until only a few years ago. It will be difficult for anyone else to make as many friends in publishing as Daisy did during her time in the industry she loved. Legend, one of a kind, and wonderful person were some of the descriptions of Daisy we received in response to the touching tribute to Daisy written by Gayle Feldman.

Many publishing people have a Daisy story or memory. Below are some from colleagues and former coworkers.

In her 44 years at PW, Daisy served under several talented editors-in-chief, most notably John Baker, and she became responsible for countless features, the weekly bestseller lists, PWs religion coverage, and much more. When I joined PW as managing editor in 1988, Daisy and John were most definitely in charge: my interview was with the two of them at a pub on Eighth Avenue. I hadnt realized then that just the year before, Daisy had begun her own reign at the top of a mastheadfor the convention issue known as Show Daily, which had its debut at the 1987 ABA show in Washington, D.C. She would remain in charge as editor-in-chief for 28 years.

I had the privilege of working closely with her on these issueswhich means I stood back and squeaked low sounds about deadlines. It was my job. But Daisys job was almost unfathomable. For those who dont know, the three issues of the publication, served up hot off local presses, began three months prior, when Daisy would post a Call for Information for publishers and booksellers to pitch stories related to their presence at the show. This drove much of the editorial and much of the ad sales, but only after Daisy had analyzed the pitches, found their essence, and assessed which day would be best to run it, how long it should be, who should write it, and what was the deadline shed heard about (squeak). This was the masterful balancing act known to all trade magazineshow to meet your commercial needs while delivering valuable editorial content and satisfying your market. This high-wire act was further complicated by the fact that we had editors on the groundwhether in D.C., Anaheim, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, or New Yorkvying to cover the show as it unfolded and looking for breaking news and appealing to Daisy for column space. And news there was: Sonny Mehta Rescues American Psycho or Booksellers Walk Out on Ed Meese or Stanley Elkin Has Died. Only a person of Daisys mettle, diplomacy, editing chops, and good nature could show us the way. Did I say she was indefatigable? I remember pouring myself into a plastic chair in the waiting area for a flight home from the Vegas show, when I saw Daisy perched on a stool playing the slots with glee. She was always winning. Michael Coffey, author and former PW co-editorial director

In Daisys early PW years, as the amazing photo of her in the June 18, 1973, issue attests, she had long dark hair and a slightly sassy, knowing smile. The smile didnt change, but the hair did. In her (late?) 40s she became a honey-blonde, but when I met her, in 1986, she was gray-white, having gone that way when still quite young. Some months before, I had relocated from London, where Id mainly worked in educational publishing. After applying for about 70 publishing jobs, Id received 69 rejections and one offer that I did not want. In desperation, Id written to PW editor John Baker, enclosing an article about publishing in China (Id had a stint there for the British PA from 84 to 85). PW didnt need anything on China, but John thought I could write, and invited me to lunch. A couple of features later, I was invited to lunch againthis time to meet the person just below him on the masthead.

Id never known a Daisy, and was not at all sure how to pronounce her last name. A pretty good judge of ethnicity-through-surname, for once I had no clue. I turned up at the Xerox offices on 42nd Street at a time when PW, LJ, SLJ, and Bowker were all under one corporate roof, and there was a PW library and a Bowker library that were Aladdins cave to a novice publishing history junkie. The woman with the unusual, un-Clairoled hair and name was only a couple years older than I. Lets go to East! she said. The local sushi place, I soon realized, was perfect for the Orthodox Jew that she was. New York was new to me, sushi was new, and so was this kind of charmor rather, charismain a woman. Her voice and laugh and warmth created a conspiratorial intimacy and ease from the start. She gave more work, and a sense that more would come (it did). In fact, what she and John gave was a direction, a job, a career. Her belief in me, the lessons learned, and the treasure of her friendship changed my life. Gayle Feldman, author, U.S. correspondent for The Bookseller, and former PW trade news editor.

When I got word that Daisy Maryles had died, I sat up straight and gasped. In what has been a historically awful year, filled with melancholy and loss, the news broke something in me. My wife, Lynn Andriani, and I sat together and cried. After a few cathartic, heaving minutes, we tried to explain to our very puzzled children why we were so sad. We had lost our friend Daisy, and PW and the publishing world had lost a true giant.

Now, the stories of Daisys professional exploits are plentiful and real, and Ive both witnessed Daisy in action and benefited from her quiet wisdom. Her career is the stuff of legends. Daisy was Lynns first boss ever, and over Lynns 10 years at PW they grew close. Lynn counted Daisy as a true mentor, champion, and friend.

Daisys true impact on me professionally would come later, in 2009, when I joined the PW staff full-time. But we had become friends years earlier, in 2001, when Lynn and I finally let slip that, yes, we were dating. An office romance. Daisy was thrilled. When Lynn and I were married in 2008, Daisy was there to celebrate with us. And youd have thought shed just become a grandparent when she met our firstborn baby, Josephine, in 2010. Daisy treated us like family, and over the years she felt like family to us. On learning of her passing, all I could think was that if we felt such love for and from Daisyas so many reading this surely haveone can only imagine the stratospheric love her own family must have felt.

Whenever Id see Daisy in the PW offices on 23rd Street, wed talk publishing, sure. But wed also talk about our families and share pictures and catch up with news of our kids and grandkids. I never wanted those talks to end.

In an exchange over social media after her death, Michael Coffey captured Daisy perfectly: Daisy had an enormous capacity to sincerely enjoy other peoples joys. It lit her up and brought her great friendships. Yes, exactly. And in her lovely obit for PW, Gayle Feldman referred to Daisy as one of the finest human beings many of us have ever known. That is certainly true for Lynn and me. Farewell, Daisy. We love you and we will miss you. Andrew Albanese, PW senior writer

It was the summer before graduate school, and I wanted badly some journalism experience and a few extra dollars in my pocket. As a book fiend, Id already devoured Publishers Weeklythe reviews, the category close-ups, the bestseller lists, the industry scuttlebutt. My family knew Daisy socially. I spent the better part of a week cajoling my father to call her on my behalf. Finally he did, and Daisy and I spoke. She invited me to come in.

We dont have much right now, she said as I sat in her office at PWs Chelsea headquarters. But were putting together some features for the fall, and we could use someone who could work their way through the lists and write very quick synopses.

My heart jumped. Go through books and book catalogs? For money? That sounds great! I said. I can definitely read and then summarize.

Then she held up a cautionary finger. But its a trade magazine, she said, sensing (not inaccurately) a Gen X-er looking to dazzle and flash. You want to write it a little straighter. Then she gave me a smiling expression, a look of both amusement and authority I would come to know well.

Of course, I said. Straight as an arrow. For a minute, I might have even meant it. Okay, she said, for a minute almost believing me. You can start Monday.

For the next six weeks I would faithfully come in, taking the books and catalogs she gave me, poring over them, writing up summaries, then seeking more. By the end I had learned more than I ever thought I couldabout books, about media, about a magazine offices rites and etiquettes. After graduate school, I would end up working at PW for the better part of seven years. There I would hone journalism skills and book knowledge; I would develop great contacts and some of my closest friends. I owed it all to Daisy.

In my many years there, she never once mentioned that she was the one who set me on that path, let alone asked for any thanks in return. For her, it was enough to harbor the small knowledge that she had enabled a young journalist and book lover. For me, it was everything. Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post staff writer and former PW Daily editor

A sampling of reactions from industry friends:

I first knew Daisy as the gatekeeperaka assistantto the fearsome and very important PW editor Barbara A. Bannon, whose advance good review or notice for a book could immediately prompt booksellers and other media to PAY ATTENTION. I was at Bantam then, new to publishing, new to doing publicity and paperbacks, and I wasnt deemed worthy of Barbaras attentionbut Daisy would talk to me even if Barbara wouldnt. Always polite, good-spirited, and helpful, Daisy was the one who first initiated me into PWs editorial practices. Little did I know for a long time that she had been just a teenager when she took that job in 1965. (I also learned years later why Barbara behaved as she did. She told me she made a point not to talk to publicists until theyd been in the job at least five years; that was a sign for her that they were serious about being in our business.) Daisy learned a lot from Barbara, but luckily for me, not that particular practice. She became a publishing lifer, as did I.

As our careers advanced, we became not just contacts, but great friends with many shared interests. For years she was a valued member of the Jerusalem International Book Fair Advisory Committee, which I chaired. She helped us establish procedures for a new editorial fellowship program, now named after the late charismatic JIBF director Zev Birger. Daisys colorful, informative coverage of the fair for PW helped solidify its presence on publishers calendars internationally. Her influence was global; her enthusiasm for books, authors, and publishing infectious; her legacy assured as a respected colleague and a true friend. May she be of blessed memory .Esther Margolis, publisher, Newmarket Publishing Corp.

I, like so many others in the religious publishing world, became very close with her, and we always made time for a meal at the conventions. She was always going to take me on the bus to Atlantic City to gamble, but we never got around to that. (Though we did spend a fair amount of time gambling in New Orleans one year!) We both gave birth to daughters in the same year, and so we had lots to share and chat about. She was truly a person who enriched my life with her friendship. Anita Eerdmans, president and publisher, Eerdmans Publishing

The shining face and great heart of PW, Daisy was a major force in its status as the Bible of the book trade. As a kid and then grown-up publicist, I counted myself lucky to be among her faithful followers. A careful, caring reporter and editor with Google-like knowledge of our world, she doted on her publishing mishpocha, and we adored her back. Irreplaceable when she retired, she now will be missed even more. Stuart Applebaum, emeritus executive v-p, communications, Penguin Random House
Clarance Phillips serves coffee to ECU health care faculty, staff and students outside of the Brody School of Medicine on March 23. | Photos: Cliff Hollis

Coffee is served from a Starbucks truck at the Brody School of Medicine on March 23 as part of a student-led initiative to thank health care faculty, staff and students.

"Especially with the pandemic going on, all of the people over on the health sciences campus are out there helping protect us, helping us to stay safe.  Sometimes it might go unnoticed, but I think the general population needs to understand what these people are doing for us."  Tucker Robbins, SGA president

This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Rob Spahr For more than a year, the students, faculty and staff on East Carolina University's Health Sciences Campus have been faced with an unprecedented set of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Adapting to constantly evolving instructional guidelines and clinical experiences. Adhering to the strictest of safety guidelines so they did not endanger themselves while they cared for their patients. And constantly worrying if returning home from simply doing their job or pursuing their education would put their own loved ones at risk from the deadly virus.The challenges presented by the pandemic were not isolated to health care workers, they were felt across the university.But on Tuesday morning there was a warm reminder that at even though ECU's students are spread across different campuses, they all represent the same Pirate Nation.That reminder came in the form of free cups of Starbucks coffee.As students, faculty and staff from the Brody School of Medicine arrived at the front of building for the day, they were greeted by a large Starbucks truck with a sign reading "Thank You to Our Health Care Heroes!!"The free cups of coffee were courtesy of a partnership between ECU's Student Activities Board and Student Government Association aimed at warming the hearts of health care personnel one Cup of Joe at time.said Lilah El-Halabi, president of the Student Activities Board.This was the second of three stops for the Starbucks truck as part of the "Health Care Heroes" initiative to thank ECU's health care faculty, staff and students. The first stop was at the Student Health and Counseling Center on Main Campus and the final stop will be from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on April 6 in front of the College of Nursing and College of Allied Health Sciences.said Tucker Robbins, president of the Student Government Association.he added.Third-year medical students Spencer Bell and Veronica Lavelle said they arrived at Brody extra early on Tuesday morning because they were excited to get the free coffee.Bell said.Lavelle said the third-year medical students have spent the last year witnessing the hard work and sacrifice that ECU's residents and soon-to-graduate fourth year medical students put in during the pandemic.she said.While many would consider Dr. Robert Frere a front-line worker, the clinical associate professor in Brody's Division of Neurology is quick to point out that the doctors who worked in the intensive care unit throughout the pandemic and other health care workers "who have really been on the front lines" deserve most of the credit.But the warm cup of coffee on a cold and rainy morning was still greatly appreciated.said Frere, whose neurology practice had to completely change how they treated patients due to the pandemic.
Chennai, March 27 : The Election Commission of India on Saturday banned bike rallies 72 hours before the date of poll and on the poll day in all the constituencies of Tamil Nadu.

According to Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, the poll body was informed that in certain places some anti-social elements used the bikes to intimidate the voters before and on the poll day.

Taking that into account the poll body has decided that bike rallies shall not be allowed at any place 72 hours before the date of poll and on the poll day in all the constituencies where elections are to be held.

Election for the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 6.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Calculations show the Apophis asteroid will not hit Earth for 100 years (Digital illustration). (Getty)

The massive Apophis asteroid will not hit Earth for 100 years, Nasa has said.

The space agency has announced new telescope observations that have ruled out any chance of rock hitting us anytime soon.

Apophis, which is 1,100-foot (340-metres), was supposed to come close in 2029 and again in 2036.

NASA ruled out any chance of a strike during those two approaches a while ago.

A potential 2068 collision still loomed, but this has also now been deemed unlikely.

Watch: Animation of Asteroid Apophis 2029 Close Approach with Earth

Read more: What is it like to drive the NASA Perseverance rover remotely?

Davide Farnocchia of NASAs Center for Near-Earth Object Studies said in a statement Friday: A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations dont show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years.

Thanks to radar observations earlier this month, scientists could refine Apophis' orbit around the sun when the asteroid passed within 10.6 million miles (17 million kilometres).

The space rock will come within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) on April 13, 2029, enabling astronomers to get a good look.

Farnocchia added: When I started working with asteroids after college, Apophis was the poster child for hazardous asteroids.

Theres a certain sense of satisfaction to see it removed from the risk list."

First detected in 2004, Apophis is now officially off NASA's asteroid risk list.

The space agencys scientists used a 70-metre (230-foot) radio antenna at the Deep Space Networks Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, near Barstow, California, to calculate how close the Apophis asteroid would come.

Goldstone was used together with the 100-metre (330-foot) Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.

Read more: NASA will attempt first off-world flight in early April

NASA images showing asteroid Apophis. (NASA)

NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Marina Brozovic, who led the radar campaign, said: Although Apophis made a recent close approach with Earth, it was still nearly 10.6 million miles [17 million kilometers] away. Even so, we were able to acquire incredibly precise information about its distance to an accuracy of about 150 meters [490 feet], said

Story continues

This campaign not only helped us rule out any impact risk, it set us up for a wonderful science opportunity.

Astronomers are still developing a better understanding of the asteroids rotation rate and spin state (axis it spins around).

This will allow them to determine its orientation when it encounters Earth's gravitational field in 2029.

Watch: NASA's Mars helicopter to take flight
Xi Jinping's China has been accused of overseeing human rights abuses of Uighur Muslim in internment camps

MPs blacklisted by China are overhauling their cyber-security amid increased hacking fears, as they declared the sanctions against them a badge of honour.

One of the MPs singled out by Beijing was on Friday night locked out of their email account, prompting suspicions that a brute force attack had been instigated to access their inbox.

The suspected cyber-raid on the parliamentarian, who asked to remain anonymous, exacerbated concerns about the risk to pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong and China who are found by the Communist regime to be in contact with British MPs.

Beijing announced on Friday that it had slapped asset freezes and travel bans on Tory MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Tom Tugendhat, Nus Ghani, Neil OBrien and Tim Loughton, as well as Labour peer Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws and crossbencher peer Lord Alton of Liverpool.

China sanctions MPs

Campaigners said that while MPs had faced travel bans in the past, they believed it was the first time British parliamentarians had been formally sanctioned by a nation state.

Barrister Geoffrey Nice QC and academic Joanne Smith Finley were also singled out by Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, alongside a series of entities: the China Research Group (CRG), the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Uighur Tribunal and Essex Court Chambers.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary expressed their solidarity with the nine China critics, as the parliamentarians affected vowed to redouble their campaigning efforts.

The common theme among the nine individuals and four groups blacklisted was their role in drawing attention to reports of gross human rights abuses by the Chinese regime against its Uighur Muslim minority in the northwestern province of Xinjiang.

Mr Tugendhat and Mr OBrien are co-chairmen of the CRG. The other five MPs and peers are senior members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), an ultra-hawkish grouping of legislators from 19 countries.

Badge of honour

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In a joint statement, the five Ipac parliamentarians said the blacklisting was an attempt to stifle the free and open debate that is at the heart of our parliamentary democracy.

"Intimidation will only serve to encourage us to redouble our efforts, they added, as Sir Iain and Ms Ghani said they considered the sanctions a badge of honour.

Mr Nice, who heads the Uighur Tribunal investigating atrocities against the minority, said the sanctions against him and the tribunal would not curb its work. We continue to hope that the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] will respond to our invitations to cooperate, he said.

An Ipac source said the designations had prompted a cyber security overhaul: Were upgrading security, advising all our members to change their passwords and beef up their own protocols.

Mr Tugendhat said: China has already been using cyber attacks against me and others in the UK. No doubt that will increase.

Formal advice and support has been requested by MPs from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as well as the parliamentary authorities.

Chinas leading diplomat in London was urgently summoned to the department on Friday to be told by Nigel Adams, the Asia minister, that Beijings sanctions were unwarranted and unacceptable. Mr Adams told Yang Xiaoguang, the Chinese Charge dAffaires, that the move would not distract from the violations taking place in Xinjiang, the department said.

The Prime Minister said he stands firmly with the sanctioned MPs and British citizens who are performing a vital role in shining a light on abuses. Freedom to speak out in opposition to abuse is fundamental, he added.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said Beijings move was a sign of weakness and reiterated calls for China to allow UN human rights inspectors access to Xinjiang to verify the truth. He has highlighted evidence of torture, rape and forced sterilisations of Uighurs in internment camps.

Chinas ministry of foreign affairs announced that the nine sanctioned Britons and their family members would be banned from entering China and Hong Kong, and that Chinese citizens and institutions were prohibited from doing business with them.

The announcement came in retaliation to Mr Raab unveiling a raft of sanctions earlier this week on four senior Chinese officials and entities in Xinjiang that are accused of human rights violations. The UK acted in concert with the US, Canada and EU.

Mr Tugendhat said Beijings tit-for-tat move to sanction the CRG was deliberately vague and aimed at silencing other politicians. There are over 100 MPs from the Conservative, Labour and SNP parties in the China Research Group. Its designed to intimidate, designed to encourage people not to be involved with the CRG, he said.

It remains unclear if MPs who attend, or speak at, CRG events could also fall under the sanctions regime.

Lord Alton said he already took extreme security precautions when communicating with Chinese and Hong Kong pro-democracy activists online.

During a recent forum of the all-party parliamentary group on Hong Kong, of which he is vice-chairman, he said of Hong Kong participants: Their voices had to be scrambled and their identities anonymised to protect them for imprisonment.

Mr OBrien said of the Chinese state: Given what they do in terms of cyber against much harder targets than us, I just assume that they can see everything.

He stressed that the asset freeze and travel ban would not affect him personally, but warned: This is aimed at businesspeople. China is trying to warn this is what can happen to you if you do the wrong thing. Big brands like H&M, Nike, really big global firms are, like others before them, getting walloped".

H&M and Nike have faced a backlash in China, including calls for a boycott, after airing concerns about cotton production in Xinjiang and allegations that Uighur forced labour is behind it.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK claimed reports of human rights violations against Uighurs were the lies of the century and based on fabricated evidence designed to demonise China.

A spokesman said Beijing was strongly opposed to British sanctions, adding: Human rights in Xinjiang cannot be defined by a few satellite images, fake reports cobbled together by people thousands of miles away.
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia's House speaker on Friday said she supports moving up the date for legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana in Virginia to this summer, a key change pushed by advocates who have sharply criticized legislation approved by lawmakers last month that would delay legalization until 2024.

FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2021, file photo, House speaker Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, gavels in the session to an empty Virginia House of Delegates chamber after a Zoom Legislative session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. A year after COVID-19 triggered government shutdowns and crowd limitations, more public bodies than ever are livestreaming their meetings for anyone to watch from a computer, television or smartphone. But in some cases, it's become harder for people to actually talk with their elected officials. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia's House speaker on Friday said she supports moving up the date for legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana in Virginia to this summer, a key change pushed by advocates who have sharply criticized legislation approved by lawmakers last month that would delay legalization until 2024.

Democratic Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn announced on Twitter that she will back an amendment to the bill with a July 1 legalization date.

The time is now for us to act, she said.

Filler-Corn said she will also push for other amendments, including a provision that calls for people who are currently incarcerated for nonviolent marijuana-related offences to have an opportunity for resentencing.

Filler-Corn is also calling for an amendment that would automatically seal marijuana-related criminal records for nonviolent offences on July 1. She also wants the legislation amended to legalize the private cultivation of a limited number of marijuana plants for personal use.

Filler-Corn said legalization alone is not enough.

We must also address the historic targeting of black and brown individuals over non-violent marijuana related offences, she tweeted, referring to the three additional amendments she has proposed.

Last month, lawmakers approved a bill to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, but not until 2024, when retail sales of the drug would begin and regulations would go into effect to control the marijuana marketplace in Virginia.

With that vote, Virginia became the first Southern state to vote to legalize marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. But the bill was roundly criticized by some lawmakers and advocates who wanted simple possession legalized quickly to end penalties for people with small amounts of marijuana.

Lawmakers last year decriminalized marijuana, making simple possession a civil penalty that can be punished by a fine of no more than $25.

The legislation to legalize simple possession beginning Jan. 1, 2024, has been on Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's desk for a month now. He has a deadline of Wednesday to send amendments to the House and Senate for their consideration. Northam has not said publicly what amendments he plans to make, but suggested in an interview with VPM News on Wednesday that he, too, wanted a faster timeline on legalization.

I personally dont think we should be arresting or penalizing somebody for something were getting ready to legalize, Northam said.

Northam's spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, declined to comment directly on Filler-Corn's announcement.

Governor Northam continues to have productive conversations with legislators and stakeholders on amendments to the marijuana legalization bill," Yarmosky said in a statement.

"The Governor is grateful to the General Assembly for their hard work on this important issue, and he looks forward to continuing to improve this legislation. His top priority is making sure we legalize marijuana in an equitable way, Yarmosky said in a statement.

The Senate had sought in its original bill to legalize simple possession on July 1 to immediately end punishments for people with small amounts of marijuana. But some House Democrats had pushed for a legalization date in 2024, arguing that legalization without a legal market for marijuana could promote the growth of the black market.

Democratic Sen. Jennifer McClellan said support in the Senate for the July 1 date has not changed.

I'm glad to see the House appears to be coming around to our position on the July 1 date. That gives me even more confidence that thats whats going to happen," said McClellan, who is running for governor.

The 2024 date had also drawn sharp criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, Marijuana Justice and other racial justice advocacy groups.

Chelsea Higgs Wise, executive director of Marijuana Justice, said she is pleased that Filler-Corn has thrown her support behind the July 1 legalization date.

It sounds like they are making the correct amendments to meet the demands that racial justice advocates have been pushing for, so this is really exciting, she said. I'm really thrilled that the political will has shifted ... to repeal the prohibition of simple possession now and to repair people's lives by releasing, resentencing and sealing records.
Kurnool, March 27 : At least 260 passengers are set to fly in and out of the new Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy Airport located at Orvakal near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Regular commercial flight operations are scheduled to start from Sunday.

IndiGo will launch flights to Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Chennai from the airport in Rayalaseema starting Sunday.

Direct flights to the three destinations will be operated under Udan, the regional connectivity scheme (RCS).

As many as 52 passengers are expected to arrive from Bengaluru to Kurnool airport, whose identification code has been designated as KJB.

Likewise, 66 flyers will take off from Kurnool airport to Visakhapatnam and 31 passengers booked their tickets to fly in to the Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy airport from Visakhapatnam.

Similarly, 63 passengers are scheduled to fly from Kurnool airport to Bengaluru airport in neighbouring Karnataka.

Sixteen flyers are expected to fly in from Tamil Nadu's Chennai to Kurnool.

Finally, 32 more passengers are scheduled to return from Kurnool to Chennai.

Flights from Kurnool will enhance accessibility to more avenues for tourists as well as government officials travelling to and from the judicial capital.

With the newly established air connectivity, famous temples such as Ahobilam and Mantralayam as well as Nallamala forest and Belum caves and others will attract tourists, making these attractions more accessible.

Kurnool will play a vital role in the state's connectivity and infrastructure as it will be a node in the upcoming Hyderabad - Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

The southern state's Chief Minister has trifurcated the capital city, with a plan to establish the judicial capital in Kurnool, legislative capital in Amaravati and executive capital in Visakhapatnam.
To the Editor:

Re Stop Letting Rich People Buy Ambassadorships, by Michelle Cottle (Opinion, March 22):

There are certainly some entrenched Washington traditions that should be abandoned  for instance, the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon. But abolishing the American system of appointing political ambassadors is not one of them.

Political appointees are vital to our effective system of diplomacy. They come with business and managerial skills, a sense of urgency and connections that can make a big impact abroad. While career bureaucrats work to perpetuate the system, political ambassadors question and improve it.

And thats a good thing. Picking successful people from outside the sclerotic and cloistered pipeline of professional diplomats gives rise to fresh ideas, new tactics and forward movement in the staid world of international diplomacy.

Critics feature me as the poster child for ambassadorial incompetence, arguing that my only qualification was my ability to write a big check, but that narrative is belied by the fact that I accomplished a great deal for the United States in a short time, as most of other political appointees do.
The future of rural Wexford lies in the hands of county councillors who will vote on planning changes later this year, according to Independent TD Verona Murphy.

In a 24-page document, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) has outlined numerous changes to the Wexford County Development Plan 2021-2027 draft.

Among them are that a minimum density of 35 housing units per hectare (2.47 acres) is applied to all housing developments in the count.

'Effectively this will see terraced housing built and more apartment blocks,' Deputy Murphy said.

An amended draft development plan is due to go before councillors in May or June to decide on.

Municipal district plans can't be completed until such time as a draft county plan is completed and Deputy Murphy said this is holding up the council's building programme.

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'The changes mean no one-off housing can be built. If a farmer decides to leave five sites to each of his daughters, for example, they will not be able to build on the sites.'

Under repeated questioning in the Dail from Deputy Murphy, the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Damien English confirmed that ministerial guidelines contain no minimum density requirements in relation to edge of town greenfield sites.

Dated December 9, the OPR report's author Anne Marie O'Connor, deputy regulator and director of plans evaluations, gave Wexford County Council five days to respond.

On densities, she writes: 'The density targets (should be) not less than 30 units per hectare; 35-50 units per hectare generally and 50 units per hectare on transport corridors. The application of 25 units per hectare is considered inconsistent with the guidelines.'

The report's author states that the National Planning Framework and the Regional Economic and Spatial Strategy inform the recommendations, with an emphasis on urban areas.

'The pattern of development in your county in recent times has been disproportionately influenced by Dublin generated commuting in areas proximate to the M11 corridor, rather than the self-sustaining development centre around its historic town and rural structure such as the Wexford to New Ross and Enniscorthy triangle.'

The author favours structured and prioritised plan-led development centred around the locations best equipped for sustainable long term development.

If approved, the author fears north Wexford villages and towns will continue to grow to cater for the Dublin commuter need, while southern towns stagnate.

Housing developments will be located in areas where there is a lack of water services infrastructure, car-dependent, energy intensive issues.

'The average used to be 25 houses per hectare. To say 35 to 50, with no less than 30 in a time when Tanaiste Leo Varadkar is saying people should move home to their rural towns and villages to work, is counter intuitive. People can't work from home indefinitely from a three-bed semi or from an apartment. Working from home is where the future lies. If they impose these new minimum density rules there won't be the house type suitable for the market. If councillors don't stand up to this it really signals the end of rural Ireland,' Deputy Murphy said.

She said the only houses available for people will be whatever is currently on the market and what is left to individuals in wills.

'The OPR has put a gun to councillors' heads. It's not impossible to stop this.

'If the density as proposed in the OPR document is underwritten by the councillors it will create a further housing crisis in Wexford as it will result in a plethora of unimplementable planning permissions from developers as the type of housing they want to build will not be viable. This will result in approximately 400 acres in Wexford town alone being de-zoned. 2,800 housing units need to be built in Wexford according to the draft development plan so the maths don't work.'

She is of the view that the existing draft plan works very well.

'We have never been faced with the scenario to date where developers have had to apply for a minimum of 35 to a hectare. Over the past five years there have been two refusals by the board on the grounds of density; one in Ferrybank and the other in Coolcotts.'

She said the National Planning Framework anticipates that people will not live in the countryside anymore.

'Leo Varadkar's Work From Home policy and here we are being told you won't be able to build your house. The problem nationally is we have an ideologue over planning policy who is unilaterally implementing and trying to enforce planning policy for rural Ireland that is appropriate to high density development in low incomes areas. That will lead to anti social behaviour, as we have seen in developments in New Ross and Courtown.'

The Construction Industry Federation sent a submission regarding the draft plan, calling into question the current housing strategy, saying that an assumption regarding vacant property in the county assumes that a decline in the number of dwellings of 1,589 between 2011 and 2016 indicates that existing housing stock is absorbing much of the growing need for housing in the county.

'This appears to be completely contrary to CSO figures, ESRI assumptions and to the general consensus that the national housing stock is insufficient to meet the current demand. It's difficult to accept the assumption that all "pent up" housing need for Co Wexford is catered for by a reduction of 1,589 units. This may result in a significant under provision of an adequate quantum of zoned lands to meet current demand within the county which would potentially have a negative impact on supply of demand resulting in inflated house prices.'

With Wexford town's population projected to grow to 28,000 by 2040, the unavailability of zoned land will mean less availability of housing, the report states.

Builder Darragh Ryan said: 'It's simple. Builders don't want to build them. People don't want to buy them and people don't want these estates on neighbouring properties.'

Mr Ryan, who runs H&R Chartered Homes Ltd, said the restriction of having to build 35 units per hectare is too limiting.

'You have to build 35 units per hectare to get planning permission. At that level you would struggle with seven detached houses. You couldn't even manage to build semis on that. What you're talking about are terraced rows, duplexes and apartments. The market isn't there in Wexford for that type of density.'

Mr Ryan has contacted the county's TDs on the matter.

'Verona Murphy has raised this in the Dail,' he said, highlighting how the second phase of his company's Eden Wood development in Crosstown was turned down by An Bord Pleanala due to densities.

'We were granted planning permission for 25 houses for the second phase of Eden Wood. It was refused at Bord level. They said there was a shortage of 120 houses on the site. That was a successful development we built and we were looking to build a second phase based on demand at the back of the site but An Bord Pleanala deemed it completely unsuitable.'

He said a one size fits all approach is being adopted. 'The reason they are looking at densities is because they see it as a proper use of zoned lands and infrastructure but developers in Wexford don't want to build them and people don't want to buy them so it's going to come to a head. Those densities do work in Dublin where there is a sufficient need and where the cost of housing is so high and the infrastructure is there. It's just not suitable for a rural county and town like Wexford.'

He said even if councillors vote against the amendments from the Office of the Planning Regulator, An Bord Pleanala can still refuse planning. 'Until things are changed at national level they can still be turned down.'

Auctioneer Colm Murphy said the 35 unit density is too high and will drive people away from Co Wexford. 'It's too high for what the builder wants to build and for what the market needs to be provided. It's almost impossible to get 35 units per hectare without building apartments. It's fine when you're building two and three beds, semi detached and terraced housing but we have to try and supply a product to the market, serving all of the different requirements of buyers.'

He said: 'This is caught in a perfect storm. If people are coming to buy four-bed detached houses and if we are trying to attract large employers to the town, people will need a mix from two-bed semis to five-bed detached homes. We need to be able to provide that level of variety to buyers.'

Mr Murphy said it has become very difficult to get planning permission for a detached house due to planning restrictions.

'In places like Piercestown, Murrintown, Curracloe and Castlebridge people won't be able to build one-off housing.'

He said there will be no four-bed homes to buy in estates. 'This is a one size fits all approach that is being rolled out. It just doesn't work in Wexford. In terms of supplying the market with the vacant house types more and more planning permissions for two and three beds, terraces, semi detached homes and apartments and that will serve a certain amount of the market but not all if it. We are heading for a complete under supply of detached houses.'
The board of Lumax Industries at the meeting held on Friday (26 March 2021), approved business expansion plans.

The company's board approved capital expenditure (capex) amounting up to Rs 80 crore for setting up of the company's new manufacturing unit(s) in Sanand, Gujarat to cater to the orders received from MG Motors and other customers.

The total capex will be funded by mix of debt and internal accruals and peak annualized turnover is expected to be approximately Rs 150 crore post commissioning. The project is expected to be operational by Q3 FY22.

The board also approved setting up of an office in Czech Republic to strengthen the technological capabilities of the company.

Lumax Industries manufactures automobile lighting for the Indian automotive industry. Its consolidated net profit rose 4.87% to Rs 19.82 crore on a 16.44% increase in net sales to Rs 446.24 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

The scrip rose 1.08% to end at Rs 1582.55 on the BSE on Friday.

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People in India have come together to celebrate the 'festival of love' despite the nation's coronavirus cases rising above 60,000.

The figures are the highest the country has reported since October, taking its tally to 11.91 million cases. The death toll rose by 291, taking the total toll to 161,240.

Despite the rising cases, people gathered in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, to celebrate Holi, an ancient Hindu festival which celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha and Krishna.

The celebration also signifies the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring and end of winter where people can gather

Also known as the 'festival of colours' and the 'festival of spring', the celebration also signifies the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring and end of winter, and is recognised as a festive day to meet others, and mend broken relationships.

The festival lasts for a night and a day, and falls in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna - around the middle to the end of March in the Gregorian calendar.

Holi celebrations commence the day before, which is known as Holi Dahan, where people gather to perform religious rituals in front of a bonfire and pray for their internal evil to be destroyed.

The following day, the streets are painted with colour and water is used to drench others. In this portion of the festival, anyone is fair game - friends or strangers, old or young - to be smeared with colour and drenched with water.

The colours can be created by using natural ingredients including beetroot, berries or turmeric.

The festival lasts for a night and a day, and falls in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around mid March

Holi celebrations commence the day before, which is known as Holi Dahan, where people gather to perform religious rituals

In this portion of the festival, anyone is fair game - friends or strangers, old or young - to be smeared with colour

The festival brings friends, families and even foes together to celebrate, laugh, and forgive and forget their grudges

Each colour has a different meaning. Red, the colour worn by brides, is the colour of love, passion and fertility, while blue is used to represent the colour of Krishna's skin, the sky and seas.

Yellow is the sign of happiness, knowledge and peace, and green represents the start of spring and the end of the winter season.

The people come together to sing and dance with musical instruments, visit family and friends, and share food and drink.

The legend behind the celebrating of the festival of colours lies in Lord Krishna and Radha. It is believed that Lord Krishna often wondered if Radha would like him with his bluish skin. To clear his doubts, his mother asked Krishna to apply colour onto his skin.

The prank of smearing colour of Radha soon became an important part of the Holi festivities.

Each of the colours, often using natural ingredients, have a specific meaning as part of the celebrations

The festival symbolises the coming together of family and friends, and marks the love of Hindu gods Lord Krishna and Radha

In the many cities taking part in the celebration across the world, the streets are filled with colour and water

People of all ages gather together to celebrate and no one, friend or stranger, is spared of being doused with colour and water

Elsewhere in India, Mumbai, the capital of the western state of Maharshtra, has been hit hard by a resurgence in covid cases

Elsewhere in India, Mumbai, the capital of the western state of Maharshtra, has been hit hard by a resurgence in covid cases.

The state recorded an all time high of 36,902 cases on Friday, with its capital Mumbai also reporting a high of 5,515 cases.

It comes as the state government announced a night curfew which will take effect from Sunday to stem the spread of the virus.

Authorities could also impose local lockdowns in some districts in a bid to stop the rise in cases.
Kim Kardashian got creative after appearing to forget a face mask when touching down at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday.

Thinking on her toes, the 40-year-old reality star used her white zip-up hoodie to cover her nose and mouth as she walked through one of the busiest airport in the world amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The mother-of-four balanced style and comfort for the flight where she showcased her impressively toned midriff in a beige crop top and khaki cargo pants.

No mask, no problem? Kim Kardashian got creative after appearing to forget a face mask while touching down at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday

She completed her casual look with a pair of sky-high white boots and a Birkin bag, carried by her bodyguard as she returned home from Mexico.

Her long dark tresses hovered just above her waist and she rocked a glowing tan after a sun-filled getaway.

Without a facial covering, she did her best to keep her distance from others and made a speedy walk directly to her vehicle.

Ready to go home: As she walked through one of the busiest airport in the world, the 40-year-old reality star used her white zip-up hoodie to cover her nose and mouth amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Looking good: For her flight, the mother-of-four showcased her impressively toned midriff in a beige crop top and khaki cargo pants

Earlier this week, she posted a few bikini-clad snaps from when she was on vacation, which featured her in black two-piece as she lounged on a hammock.

Kim's enviably taut stomach was on full display in a tiny triangle bikini top, while the string bottoms accentuated her famous derriere and curves.

In the images, she looked like she didn't have a care in the world as she reclined on a hammock above the sea.

Wow factor: Kim Kardashian was pining for sunnier times on Wednesday as she took to Instagram to share a slew of bikini-clad snaps from when she was on holiday

While she's been putting on a brave face, Kim's mother Kris Jenner recently admitted the KKW Beauty founder was struggling with parting ways with West, who she wed in 2014.

Kris addressed the end of the marriage with her eldest child Kourtney, 41, during last Thursday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Relaxing at their sprawling Malibu summer rental, she said: 'I know she doesn't want to talk about it on camera, but I just feel like she's struggling a bit'.

Behind closed doors: While she's been putting on a brave face, Kim's mother Kris Jenner recently admitted the Skims creator is having a tough time amid her divorce from Kanye West

Kourtney insisted her sister Kim 'can't possibly navigate this on her own,' as the star prepares to co-parent their four kids, North, seven, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, 22 months, with her ex.

Kris agreed with Kourtney, as replied: 'I don't know how she's dealing with the stress of it all.'

Kim last month filed for divorce from the rapper following a six-year-plus marriage, asking for joint custody of their children.

In her February 19 court documents, the reality star cited irreconcilable differences for the split, noting that they have a prenuptial agreement in place.
As firms are accelerating digital transformation, the need for information technology (IT)-related roles, namely data engineer, infrastructure engineer, or chief technology officer (CTO), is also rising significantly.

As firms are accelerating digital transformation, the need for information technology (IT)-related roles is also rising significantly (Illustrative photo: baodautu.vn)

Businesses have been focusing on strengthening their existing workforce. Internal training, re-evaluation, and re-assign are the most common practices that were adopted to improve employee efficiency. As a result, sales force effectiveness and talent development professionals are highly sought after with a relatively high monthly salary, which is up to 80 million, according to the 2021 Salary Guide of payroll, recruitment and headhunting agency Adecco Vietnam.

Other sectors that will seek more talents are manufacturing, financial technology (fintech), logistics, agriculture, and retail.

In the financial sector, the top positions are investment director for private equities; listed equities investment director, director of investment banking and head of equity research for FDI securities firms.

Merger and Acquisition (M&A) Director, group chief executive officer (CEO), and group chief financial officer (CFO) for companies funded by asset managers from Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), the US, Europe, Hong Kong, and Singapore are also on the list.

The emerging demand for those vacancies can be considered a significant labour movement in the financial market in the fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

According to Adecco Vietnam, 2020 was a challenging year for the Vietnamese economy. The COVID-19 outbreak interrupted trade and manufacturing activities and the tourism and aviation industries are among the hardest hit.

However, thanks to the successful virus containment, Vietnam is considered a bright spot on the global economic map, it underlined.

The country continued to achieve a positive growth rate, which is among the highest in the world. Production and exportation sectors are strongly recovering from the initial impacts. More companies are reallocating their production chains to Vietnam as their factories in other countries are closing.

Besides, Vietnam is an attractive destination for foreign investors, including the US, Singapore, the RoK, China, and Japan. Vietnams national brand is ranked 33rd in the latest list of the world's 100 most valuable nation brands, moved up nine places from 2019./. VNA
Luke Cornish's (pictured) artworks were removed from the art after 'hundreds of messages'

An Australian gallery has been forced to remove artwork of famous Chinese leaders depicted as Batman and Winnie the Pooh following a series of angry complaints.

Artist Luke Cornish received 'hundreds of messages' that three artworks on display at the Ambush Gallery in the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, were racist.

One piece portrayed Communist China's founding leader Mao Zedong as Batman and Winnie the Pooh.

The art was featured in the gallery's 25-piece exhibition, which looks at the pressure people are facing due to coronavirus.

'The whole show is a comment on the abuse of power,' Mr Cornish told ABC.

He said he was getting 'smashed' with the messages, which eventually saw the art work taken down.

'It was such a bullying mentality, so the gallery made the call to take the artworks down,' Mr Cornish explained.

One piece portrayed Communist China's founding leader Mao Zedong as Batman and Winnie the Pooh

Mr Cornish had previously apologised for the Batman artwork which he explained was his chance to mock conspiracy theories surrounding the origins of Covid-19.

He however admits that he didn't think about the racism Chinese people had experienced since the pandemic began.

The other two artworks removed from the exhibition were just 'taking the piss' of the authoritarian regime, Mr Cornish explained.

'The whole intention of the exhibition is to start conversations, and that's what it's done, but I won't apologise for calling out genocide,' he said.

Ambush Gallery said they decided to remove the artwork based on the 'unintended hurt' aimed at Chinese communities.

They wanted art to 'call out racism' rather than take aim at those who had nothing to do with it.

The gallery added that the experience of the series did not reflect the artist's intention.

The exhibition is still on display with the rest of the 22 artworks.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ambush Gallery for comment.

The Ambush Gallery at the Australian National University (ANU) (pictured) in Canberra was forced to remove three artworks
Thursday, April 1

Sexual Assault Prevention Month

Virtual Kick-off

12:00pm, State-wide

2:00pm, WKU and local community

facebook.com/WKU.CTC

Those interested in participating in the state-wide kick-off for Sexual Assault Prevention Month, can join the Zoom that begins at 12:00pm Central. At 2:00pm, Western Kentucky University will kick-off Sexual Assault Prevention locally. View the premiered video on Facebook.

Tuesday, April 6

Advocacy is for All of Us

4:00pm, Zoom - Register online

Available for WellU Credit

This online session is designed to walk students through how to help prevent a sexual assault and be an advocate for survivors. In this session, participants will hear from Hope Harbor, Inc., WKU Counseling Center, and WKU Student Conduct, and learn about bystander intervention and campus and community resources.

Thursday, April 8

Respect is for All of Us

5:30pm, Zoom - Register online

Available for WellU Credit

This workshop is designed for college men to learn about sexual violence, how to intervene as a bystander, and how to help support someone who has experienced an assault. This session will include discussion along with Q&A from campus officials on topics specific to college men.

The session is open to all students.







Tuesday, April 13, 2021

*Rain date: April 14

Till it Happens Live Exhibit

12:15pm, DSU Courtyard

Available for WellU Credit

During the Till it Happens Live Exhibit, the campus community can walk by the live exhibit to learn about sexual assault through awareness and prevention facts on the issue on silent display outside DSU. The exhibit is viewable for all who pass by. Those interested in volunteering for the exhibit, can register through this form.

Wednesday, April 14

This is for All of Us:

Spoken Word by Blaq Art Nouveau

7:00pm, DSU 3024 / 3025

Limited capacity

WKU student group Blaq Art Nouveau will host a night of artistic expression with content focused on sexual assault awareness and prevention.

Friday, April 16

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Deliberative Dialogue: Stonewalling Our Legacy: LGBTQ+ Community - Safety, Security, and Policies

April 16

1:00pm - 3:00pm

Register online

Dive into the way local laws, university policies, and procedures impact the LGBTQ+ community.
More than 800 school children have been kidnapped in Nigeria in the last six months in five separate incidents, in the latest kidnap-for-ransom business operations in the countrys northwest.

In late February, 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from a school in Zamfara state.

The following day, kidnappers released a video in which the children were begging the government to pay a ransom that amounted to about $1.2 million, Bloomberg reported.

Previously, in February, 42 children and their teachers were also taken from a school in the state of Niger and released after a few days. In December, more than 300 boys were kidnapped from a school state of Katsina and released a week later after lengthy negotiations.

Kidnapping in Nigeria is not a new phenomenon but the mass kidnapping of schoolchildren is a relatively new phenomenon that has emerged as a very profitable business involving multiple actors across religious and political agendas that have combined efforts to some extent over the past six months.

The most notorious kidnapping in recent years was when Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls in Borno state in April 2014. Boko Haram has since carried out more high-profile attacks and abductions.

In 2018, Islamic States West Africa branch kidnapped more than 100 schoolgirls in northeast Nigeria, all but one of whom - the only Christian - were released.

The tactic has now been adopted by other militants, or any armed group really, whose agenda beside money is unclear.

The authorities claim that armed robbers, cattle rustlers, herdsmen and armed militia operating in the region latch onto mass abductions as a lucrative source of income.

Up until recently, kidnap victims in the countrys north-west have generally been road travelers, with the price tag anywhere between $20 and $200,000 for freedom.

Lately, the kidnapping has moved in the direction of poor people and schoolchildren in the impoverished and nominally lawless northwest.

The Nigerian government has pledged a significant deployment of troops to the northwest with some 6,000 soldiers.

Dozens of schools were closed earlier this month, while the military has built posts close to some schools, but many are left unprotected.

Some schools have employed local armed vigilantes, though they have proved ineffective against the heavily armed bandits. It all caused a lower net attendance rate of just 53% in primary schools.

Still, the federal government denies making payouts to the kidnappers. President Muhammadu Buhari stressed recently that the authorities will not succumb to blackmail. Yet, he accused local states of fueling the crisis with their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles.

Truth is that the local governments are signing various peace agreements, offering money and amnesties with some of the many bandit groups, including a two cows for a rifle deal.

In fact, the mastermind of the abduction of students in Katsina state Auwalu Daudawa was recently pardoned after he "repented" and handed over his weapons to the government.
According to the Filipinos, 200 Chinese maritime militia boats are stationed near Whitsun Reef, a disputed coral reef. The impact of the crisis on the 2022 presidential elections in the Philippines. Washington supports Manila. Biden wants to build a united front to contain Chinas expansionism.

Manila (AsiaNews) - The Philippines is ready to scramble naval units to counter the new Chinese incursions in the disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Filipino Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana reports about 200 boats of the Beijing Maritime Militia are stationed near Whitsun Reef, a coral reef part of the Spratly Islands that Manila considers under its sovereignty.

Lorenzana says China wants to militarize the area and has ordered Chinese boats to abandon the territory. Beijing has responded that these are simple fishing vessels that have found shelter from a storm. Chinese observers argue that the numbers filed by the Filipinos are inflated and that it would make no sense to send so many maritime militia ships to that side of the Spratly.

Along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and Indonesia, and with the support of the United States, the Philippines is opposing China's territorial claims in the region. Manila's position is based on the ruling of The Hague International Court of Arbitration, which in 2016 defined Chinese claims on nearly 90% of the South China Sea as "baseless".

Beijing has occupied and militarized numerous coral atolls and sandy banks in the region. Chinese warships and coast guard ships, along with maritime militia vessels, frequently operate in waters claimed by other states.

Several independent analysts summarize that Beijing has sent the "swarm" of ships to Whitsun Reef to test the resolve of Manila and the US.

So far, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has avoided an open confrontation with the Chinese over the Spratlys. 2022 is an election year in the Philippines and although Duterte cannot stand for a new term, he wants to have his candidate elected. The growing pressures of the nationalist electorate could therefore push him to change his attitude towards China.

The Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) tend not to take sides in the geopolitical confrontation between the United States and China. They need Beijing for their economic growth - hit hard by the pandemic - and at the same time Washington to limit the hegemonic claims of the Chinese.

On March 23, the Biden administration said it supported Filipino allies regarding the Chinese presence in Whitsun Reef. The US government accuses China of using the maritime militia to "intimidate, provoke and threaten other nations, undermining peace and security in the region".

For years Washington has been carrying out naval operations to assert freedom of navigation and airspace in the South China Sea. Beijing considers these initiatives an interference in its own affairs and an attempt to contain its rise as the top regional power. Biden wants to build a united front with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, especially with the countries of the QUAD (Japan, India and Australia) to counter the Chinese advance.

NATO is also calling for joint intervention by the democratic camp to stop China's aggressive policy all over the world. France has recently sent its military ships on missions to East Asia, including two passages in the South China Sea. Germany and Great Britain will do the same this year, with London saying it is ready to send one of its two new aircraft carriers.
(CNN)  This past January, just a few days after the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, six of the doctors responsible for the previous administration's Covid-19 response agreed to sit down -- in strict confidence -- and talk with me about the events of the past year.

Over the period of a few weeks, in Houston, Washington, DC, and Baltimore, our team secured nondescript, large hotel ballrooms with plenty of space and ventilation to allow these extraordinary one-on-one conversations to take place with Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Brett Giroir, Dr. Stephen Hahn, Dr. Robert Kadlec and Dr. Robert Redfield.

Given our shared medical backgrounds, I explained to each of the doctors that I was going to frame the discussions in a way that would be tough, but familiar: as an autopsy.

We were going to meticulously dissect and discuss how the United States became home to the worst Covid-19 outbreak on the planet.

There is no question an autopsy or post mortem is painful and gruesome to witness. And, it does nothing for the deceased patient on the table -- in this case, the nearly 550,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19. And, yet we do it because there are often important lessons to learn; lessons that can still be applied during this ongoing pandemic and for future pandemics, which all of the doctors agree is inevitable. Autopsies are particularly important if the death was thought to have been preventable.

And here again, the doctors were in agreement -- while Covid-19 is a serious disease, the vast majority of deaths in the United States could've been avoided.

Most of the doctors I interviewed are household names nowadays, but you have probably only previously heard them in soundbites or seen them briefly at the lectern in the White House briefing room. All but one of the doctors are private citizens now, unbridled and unrestrained by the watchful eyes of the White House, and they had a lot to say. Our cathartic and frank discussions lasted hours on end, covered a wide range of topics and were at times horrifying in what they revealed.

The first cut

When I met up with Dr. Robert Redfield on a snowy February day in Baltimore, his mood was both reflective and determined. A trained virologist, Redfield was tapped by President Donald Trump back in 2018 to lead the CDC after a long career in public health. Before the pandemic, the new director had been largely focused on two other epidemics: opioids and HIV/AIDS. Alongside his colleagues Fauci and Birx, Redfield has been best known for decades for his work as one of the world's leading AIDS researchers.

As with his term as CDC director, Redfield's earlier career had not been without controversy. In the '80s and '90s, as one of the Army's top AIDS researchers, he was accused of overselling the effectiveness of a possible AIDS vaccine, though Redfield stood by his work. During the Covid-19 pandemic, critics argued Redfield failed to protect the credibility of the massive scientific agency he was tasked to lead and was outmaneuvered by an executive branch found to be meddling in science-based CDC guidance involving school closings and religious gatherings. Redfield dismissed those concerns, however. When I asked him if he felt prepared for the job, he told me, "I think I trained my whole life for this."

When we sat down to talk, just days after his successor, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, had taken the helm at the CDC, Redfield wanted to start at the beginning: China.

While every doctor harbored deep suspicions about the information initially coming from China, Redfield was the most vocal about it. He believes the current pandemic began in Wuhan as a localized outbreak in September or October of 2019 -- much earlier than the official timeline -- and then spread to every province in China over the next couple of months. The United States wasn't formally notified of the "mysterious cluster of pneumonia patients" until December 31, 2019. Those were critical weeks and months that countries around the world could've been preparing.

"So they had about a 30 day head start," Kadlec affirmed days before I sat down with Redfield.

Kadlec was the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response, known as the ASPR. "They were already buying things on the market well in advance of what we were," he told me. "Even things that were made here in the United States, we found that the domestic supplies were drying up because of foreign purchases."

And while the rest of the world was told the only initial Covid-19 cases in China had originated from a wet market in Wuhan, Redfield is confident the evidence suggests that was simply not the case. According to Redfield, even his counterpart at the China CDC, Dr. George Gao, was initially left in the dark about the magnitude of the problem until early January. He described a private phone call he had with Gao in early January 2020, when Gao became distraught and started crying after finding "a lot of cases'' among individuals who had not been to the wet market. Gao, Redfield says, "came to the conclusion that the cat was out of the bag."

The initial mortality rates in China were somewhere between "5-10%," Redfield told me. "I'd probably be cryin' too," he added.

One of the most significant things "that affected our success in this pandemic was not being allowed into China" earlier, he told me. Fauci echoed a similar sentiment when I asked him about it.

"I think it would have been a significant difference," Fauci said. "I think if we had sent our people into Wuhan and been able to talk to the Chinese scientists in a conversation that might have lasted an hour, you could have gotten so much information right from the get go. They would have told us, don't believe what you're reading. This is spread asymptomatically. It spreads highly efficiently and it's killing people."

Neither President Trump's calls to President Xi Jinping nor Secretary Alex Azar's pleas to China's minister of health could get them in, according to Redfield.

The question laid bare from our autopsy was, why?

The earliest symptoms

If US investigators had been allowed into China, there is something else they may have discovered: the origins of the virus. Where and how this outbreak began is not simply an exercise of curiosity, or an attempt to assign blame. It is a necessity for scientists and public health experts around the world to try and stop future pandemics.

So far, the official word has been that this pandemic started when the novel coronavirus was introduced through an intermediary species or jumped directly from a bat to a human, something that Redfield, the former head of the CDC, believes doesn't make "biological sense."

Reminding me that his career has been spent as a virologist, he told me "I do not believe this somehow came from a bat to a human. And at that moment in time, the virus came to the human, became one of the most infectious viruses that we know in humanity for human to human transmission ... Normally, when a pathogen goes from a zoonot to human, it takes a while for it to figure out how to become more and more efficient."

Without assigning intentionality, Redfield told me he believes the origin of the pandemic is a lab in China that was already studying the virus, exposing it to human cell cultures.

"Most of us in a lab, when trying to grow a virus, we try to help make it grow better, and better, and better, and better, and better, and better so we can do experiments and figure out about it. That's the way I put it together."

It is a controversial, politically charged theory -- one the World Health Organization calls "extremely unlikely," and there has been no clear evidence to support this "lab leak" theory.

Yet, more than a year after the outbreak, a team of WHO scientists inside Wuhan has still been unable to determine the definitive origin of the virus. At this point, it is not clear they ever will.

In response to the Biden administration's call for more transparency from China about data from the earliest days of the outbreak, China released a statement out of its Washington embassy alleging that the United States is now "pointing fingers at other countries." Meanwhile, Chinese officials and state media have been increasingly promoting an unsubstantiated, so-called "multiple-origin" theory, suggesting the pandemic may have started in various locations around the world, even a US military lab.

Final cause of death

Over nearly 20 hours of interviews, I asked each doctor the question that ends every autopsy. What do they believe was the final cause of death? What led to the preventable deaths of so many Americans?

From the role of leadership and the cost of unpreparedness to the obligations of citizens to care for one another, Redfield and the Covid doctors shared their painful lessons from the worst public health crisis of our lifetimes.

Their answers offer an illuminating and frightening glimpse into what exactly happened over the past year, and also a plan for how to handle the next one.

"As bad as this was," Kadlec told me, "it could be worse. And there will be another pandemic, guaranteed."

This story was first published on CNN.com Autopsy of a pandemic: 6 doctors at the center of the US Covid-19 response
On Wednesday, Democratic Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam signed legislation banning the use of capital punishment within the Commonwealth. The passage of state Senate Bill 1165 makes Virginia the 23rd state in the United States to abandon usage of the barbaric punishment.

The gurney in the death chamber at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va., Wednesday, March 24, 2021. One hundred two executions have been performed at the prison since the early 1990s. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Virginia is the first state in the American South to do away with execution. Its new law follows closely behind the state of Marylands 2013 decision to rid itself of the punishment. The bill was passed largely along party lines in the states two legislative chambers, with a handful of Republican officials joining with the Democratic majority in both houses to pass the legislation.

Aside from Texas, Virginia has resorted to the death penalty far more than any of its state counterparts. For decadescenturies, actuallythe only real issue in Virginia related to the death penalty was how to expand it, no matter which party was in charge, wrote the Washington Post as Northam prepared to sign the bill into law.

The state has executed over 1,300 prisoners in its 400 years of existence. For the first 300 years, the state hanged its condemned. In 1908, the states first death by electrocution was carried out. More recently the state sought to employ various combinations of lethal chemicals in order to kill prisoners. Virginia has executed 103 people since unveiling its modernized death chamber in 1991.

In 2015, the state went so far as passing legislation to shield the identities of participating chemical producers from public scrutiny, due to the backlash participation in such acts could bring. According to deathpenaltyinfo.org, the states disproportionate use of executions was the combined product of poor defense representation and the most draconian procedural rules in the country, which have punished inmates for errors of a technical nature during trials and disallowed appeals.

Ending the death penalty comes down to one fundamental question, one question: Is it fair? stated Northam as he was preparing to make the legislation law. The Democratic governor declared,vOne question: Is it fair? For the state to apply this ultimate, final punishment, the answer needs to be yes. Fair means that it is applied equally to anyone, no matter who they are.

In other words, for Northam it is not a question of abolishing the death penalty due to its barbaric nature, but because it has been applied inequitably.

The abolition of the death penalty comes as something of an about-face for Governor Northam. While claiming to be personally opposed to the barbaric act, the then-state senator was one of several Democratic Party lawmakers that voted to expand the death penalty to cover accomplices to murder in 2009.

According to the governor, his thinking on the matter evolved as a product of discussions with his father, a retired judge. However, the major impetus for abolition came during the mass protests last May-June after the Memorial Day weekend killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The mass opposition of working people to the police murder opened a lot of folks eyes and forced the Democratic Party-controlled state government to act, claims Northam.

In addition to the increasing popular opposition to state executions, other factors, such as programs providing court representation for convicted felons, have greatly reduced the prevalence of the death penalty. According to Democratic state Senate leader Richard Saslaw, the juries arent handing these [state executions] out anymore. Currently, there are only two individuals on death row in the state, and no court has sentenced anyone to die since 2011.

Predictably, the states Republican lawmakers appealed to vengeance and social backwardness in expressing their opposition to the law. This was most grotesquely demonstrated in comments made by House Republican Robert B. Bell during a February session. Bell viciously declared that up and down the state of Virginia, the cheers of criminals could metaphorically be heard at the grave sites of  crime victims as the bill was being made into law. Other officials stated that the law represented a criminal-first, victim-last mind-set.

Such fascistic sentiments are preposterous and demonstrate the exceedingly antidemocratic and authoritarian bent of the state Republican Party. With or without the death penalty, Virginia is one of the nations top states in the sheer number of its population behind bars.

According to the Vera Institute of Justice, from 1983 to 2015, Virginias inmate population expanded by 298 percent. The state currently has nearly 30,000 people locked up, an amount equivalent to the population of a small city.

According to the institute, the state ranks at number four in the country for jail admissions, as well as for the total amount of the population which is incarcerated before trial. According to a 2015 study, Racial disparities in incarceration remain strikingly wide in the state, while women constitute a rising number of the prison population.

The state Democratic Partys cynicism is revealed in a recent Washington Post article on Virginias latest law. Democratic state Senator Scott A. Surovell, the bills sponsor, told the Post that proposals for the death penaltys abolition received big yawns from his fellow party members as recently as 2019, just after the Democrats swept the state midterms. I want to say five to seven hands went up for the proposal during the Democrats first post-election caucus, he said.
Panaji, March 27 : Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde on Saturday made a plea for construction of a new building for the Bombay High Court, saying the original building was constructed to house seven judges, whereas currently 40 judges are functioning out of the same premise.

"Bombay (High Court) also needs a new building... the Bombay building was constructed for seven judges. It is now housing more than 40. It is impossible," Bobde requested to Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad during a function here, held to mark the inauguration of a new court complex for the Bombay High Court bench in Goa.

Speaking about the future of courtrooms in India, Bobde said that court rooms and court complexes in the times ahead would be smaller due to technological interventions.

"Discussions on infrastructure have been largely quantitative, that is on building more courtrooms. Though building more courtrooms is necessary and important, there was very little emphasis on modernising existing courtrooms. In this regard, though the pandemic has posed a lot of problems to access to justice, it has paved the way for modernising the courtroom," Bobde said in his speech.

"I see a trend of having smaller courtrooms in the future because of Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad's ministry. The e-filing and data which can be contained is going to take away the need for many storage rooms and many rooms which are necessary for storing paper. The SC has done its bit on issues of court infrastructure. It has devised benchmarks and frameworks for minimum standards," he also said.

Ravi Shankar Prasad also holds the portfolios of Electronics and Information Technology and Communications in the central government.
KONNOR PERRIN, Chariho boys lacrosse, freshman: Perrin established a school record for assists in a game with nine in the Chargers 22-0 win over Ponaganset. Perrin leads the team with 21 assists to go with 14 goals.

LILA RICH, Stonington girls track, senior: Rich won two events at the ECC Division I track meet. Rich was first in the high jump (5-0) and the pole vault (10-0) as the Bears finished third at the meet.

MADIGAN HILTZ, Westerly boys lacrosse, senior: Hiltz scored seven goals and had three assists in pair of victories for the Bulldogs. Hiltz has 17 goals and seven assists for the season.

ADDIE HAUPTMANN, Wheeler softball, junior: Hauptmann was 4 for 9 with a home run and six RBIs in two games. For the season, Hauptmann is hitting .617 with eight homers and 42 RBIs. She has 50 hits.

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The Prime Minister says that Corpus Christi, also known as the "Day of Wreaths", is set aside on the Christian calendar to honour the Holy Eucharist which was observed at the last supper before Christ was crucified.
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Father of new-born triplets delivered at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, Ozigi Samson, 35, on Friday sought financial support to offset hospital bills.

Mr Samson told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja, that he would also need financial support for the childrens upkeep.

His wife, Faith Samson, 34, was delivered of the triplets, two males and one female on March 24 through Caesarean Section (CS).

The mother and the triplets are in good condition in the hospital, but Mr Samson said he needed financial assistance of Kogi State government and those of other well-meaning Nigerians.

Mr Samson, an indigene of Obehira Community in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi lost his job to COVID-19 in 2020.

God has blessed us with two girls before, thinking that after this third one we will close everything, but God decided to bless us with triplets.

Now, God blessed us with triplets (two boys and one girl); we did not plan for it, but God blessed us.

I am an applicant and HND holder in Accounting and my wife is a private school teacher. I used to work at a bank as a marketer until we were laid off in 2020 due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.

As at (of) now, I am unemployed seeking for job. I am stranded and cannot afford to pay the medical bills of my wife and the three babies not to talk of their feeding and upkeep.

We are begging for financial help and other helps. My wife and I are appealing to well-wishers and well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid, he pleaded.

We are particularly begging the Kogi State government to come to our aid to be able to pay our hospital bills and cater for these children.

I did not plan for it, but God decided to bless me with three children at once, please I need help, he added.

Faith also appealed to the state government, NGOs and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to assist. (NAN)
Complaints about travel insurance have tripled over the past year as thousands of fed-up holidaymakers had claims declined or delayed during the Covid-19 crisis.

Exclusive data from the Financial Ombudsman Service, which resolves disputes between customers and businesses, shows that more than 6,000 complaints were filed between April and December 2020, a 208 per cent increase on the number of cases it handled 12 months earlier.

Most related to cancellations and claims due to the pandemic. The Ombudsman upheld about a third of complaints in the consumer's favour.

For anyone dreaming about taking a holiday this year, ensuring you have reliable travel insurance will be of utmost importance.

Waiting game: Under current plans, the earliest that people in England, Wales and Scotland can go abroad on holiday is May 17

Under current plans, the earliest that people in England, Wales and Scotland can go abroad on holiday is May 17. But a third wave of Covid cases across Europe has jeopardised this.

From tomorrow, anyone in England trying to holiday abroad risks a 5,000 fine. Meanwhile, a system for allowing international travel when the ban is lifted will be published next month.

If your heart is set on a foreign holiday  or you're planning a staycation  we offer a guide to everything you need to know about travel insurance, from finding a robust policy to whether vaccines will be mandatory. Plus, our tips on making sure your insurer pays out.

Consider cover for a staycation

If you're planning to stick to the UK, the good news is that almost all annual travel insurance policies cover such trips.

So if you've already got one, you don't need to worry too much about buying more insurance. The majority also cover you for cancelling a holiday if your pre-travel Covid test is positive.

But check if your policy has any rules on the length of the trip. According to financial analyst Defaqto, three-quarters of policies will only cover UK breaks of two nights or more.

If you do not have an annual policy  or any insurance from a packaged bank account  consider if it's necessary for a staycation. While any medical expenses will be covered by the NHS, insurance can pay for costs such as being transported to a hospital near your home.

It can also prove invaluable if your possessions go missing or are damaged. However, check if this is tents insurance.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, says a holiday provider with flexible booking terms may be the best choice.

He says: 'There will still be risks involved in booking a UK holiday once domestic travel is permitted again. But most of these can be overcome by booking with a provider that offers flexible booking terms, rather than by taking out travel insurance.'

Will insurers demand vaccine passports?

There has been much talk about vaccine passports, which would allow people who have had the coronavirus jab to travel abroad.

While the Government has yet to announce how they might work, some travel operators are requiring passengers to have had the vaccine.

Saga will require all holiday and cruise customers to be fully vaccinated before travel. Airline Qantas will also demand proof that passengers have been vaccinated, unless exempt for medical reasons.

'This is the big, hot topic at the moment,' says Martyn James at the dispute resolution service Resolver. 'I can see 'jab and go' being a thing in the coming months for the travel industry.'

So far, no travel insurer has added Covid vaccinations to its small print, so a jab is not currently a requirement for cover.

Whether insurers start tweaking their policies may be dictated by government actions. For example, if Brussels makes vaccination a requirement to holiday in EU countries, insurance providers may have to impose this on customers.

Even if your insurer doesn't require a vaccine, Anna-Marie Duthie, travel insurance expert at Defaqto, points out: 'You should pay attention to the booking terms of a holiday to ensure that the travel or accommodation provider is not deeming vaccination a requirement.'

GET COVERED - FROM WHEN YOU BOOKED One of the biggest errors that people make is not starting their travel insurance policy when they book a holiday. Resolver's Martyn James says: 'Loads of people choose to buy last-minute or not start the policy until they travel. Curtailment is the big claim issue at the moment and that only counts if you have a policy that starts from booking.' 'Nondisclosure is also a common reason for a rejected claim, so pay attention to any health questions when you take out the policy, and answer honestly. Any Covid-related cover tends to only kick in when you are diagnosed with the virus, not when you have symptoms. Defaqto's Anna-Marie Duthie adds one final note: 'Many consumers may expect their travel insurance to pay out should they need to cancel due to Covid. 'But if their accommodation or travel provider offers rebooking or credit, rather than a refund specifically, this would be deemed acceptable by the insurer and a claim rejected.'

What you need from comprehensive cover

The travel insurance industry has been turned upside down as a result of the Covid crisis. Large numbers of policies were pulled a year ago when much of the world went into lockdown.

Terms and conditions were hastily rewritten with pandemic exclusions added, and many customers had claims incorrectly turned down. Resolver saw a big increase in the number of travel insurance complaints it received: 1,124 last year compared to 355 in 2019.

Reading the terms and conditions of an insurance policy before you take it out is always good practice, although wading through upwards of 150 pages, often laced with jargon, is no mean feat.

Boland of Which? spells out the key elements of Covid-related terms to look out for.

He says: 'It should cover you if you contract Covid-19, if you have to self-isolate before or during your trip, or if travel restrictions  such as a lockdown at home or border closures at your destination  prevent you from travelling. It's also advisable to book a package holiday, if appropriate, as this will give you additional protections.'

Nearly all policies will cover you for medical expenses should you get Covid while abroad, while Defaqto says three-quarters of plans will cover cancellation due to a positive Covid test before travel.

However, there is currently no insurance that will pay for the cost of your trip should you need to cancel due to being placed into lockdown.

While many insurers include 'Covid cover', this can vary widely. So make sure you check under which situations it will pay out. If you can't find what you're looking for in the policy documents, give the insurer a ring.

In terms of providers with some of the most comprehensive Covid cover available, Duthie highlights Axa Health and LV=, as well as the insurance that comes with packaged bank accounts offered by Barclays, Lloyds Bank and Coutts.
Broadmeadow Way project will take pedestrians and cyclists across the estuary between Donabate and Malahide

Fingal County Council has revealed that the proposed 12 million Broadmeadow Way, connecting Donabate and Malahide with a walkway and cycleway across Broadmeadow Estuary is at an 'advanced stage of design', with construction set to take place between 2022-2023 for an opening of the greenway in 2023.

The council received planning permission last May for the greenway project - which will link Malahide and Donabate across the Broadmeadow Estuary - and appointed RPS consultants to work from design to construction stage. Irish Rail are acting as consultants for the main estuary bridge.

Fingal County Council has advance contracts procured and pending and has moved from a pre-foreshore application to a full foreshore application, and expects to get consent from the Department early next year.

The local authority has said there will likely be an estuary contract covering Bisset's Strand to the north shore and a landward contract for Malahide to Donabate.

In parallel with the detailed design for the Broadmeadow Way, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has asked planners to look at connectivity route options between the greenway and Donabate train station.

The next step of the project is to finalise connectivity route options, which will involve non-statutory consultation on the emerging routes. The project is set to go through the tender process later this year for some of the construction contracts, with work expected to be carried out on-site late 2021 to early 2022.

Expand Close Map of the proposed route of the Broadmeadow Way / Facebook

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The main construction will take place from 2022-2023 with the plan to open the Broadmeadow Way in late 2023.

Councillors were offered an update on the project at a recent Local Area Committee meeting.

The council plans to engage with councillors again in April 2021, when a detailed project update meeting will be held, with appointed designers in attendance.

Broadmeadow Way is a 'game changer'

A local Fianna Fail councillor has said the proposed Broadmeadow Way greenway linking Malahide and Donabate is set to be a 'game-changer' for the region.

Cllr Adrian Henchy was speaking at a recent Local Area Committee meeting, where councillors were updated on the progress of the greenway project.

Addressing the Area Committee, Cllr Henchy said it was 'great' to get an update on the Broadmeadow Way project, which was set to be 'a game-changer.'

He welcomed a precondition set by the National Transport Authority (NTA) that connectivity be provided to Donabate train station and Donabate village, he said.

Cllr Henchy said he wondered if the greenway would be wide enough for walkers, cyclists, wheelchair users and other users.

Cllr Joe Newman (NP), also speaking at the Local Area Committee meeting, said the Broadmeadow Way was a 'fantastic' project, and he hoped it wouldn't take 'too long' to complete.

Cllr Newman said he realised the greenway would link coastal towns such as Baldoyle, Sutton, Malahide and Donabate, but Swords hadn't been mentioned during the project update.

The Swords councillor said, would greatly benefit from access to the greenway, which would encourage tourism into the area.

Cllr Newman said he and other councillors had called for a greenway from Swords Castle down to the estuary, and he understood there was funding for such a project.

He didn't see why a greenway could not be provided from Broadmeadow Way up to Swords Castle and would like to see this in future plans, he said.

Cllr Ian Carey (GP) asked if any indication could be given as to route options 'on the Donabate side' of the Broadmeadow Way.

He said he envisaged that traffic on the greenway would be busy, and asked if there were plans to segregate cyclists and pedestrians..

A council official, responding to Cllr Newman's comments, said a link to Swords was not included in the project, but she would 'pass on the sentiment' to the engineers in the Planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department, and to the Active Transport section.

The official agreed that funding was available for such a link and said she was sure additional connectivity would be provided for.

With regard to connectivity, the official said an exit off the greenway will be provided on Corballis Road, and, subject to planning permission connect up to Donabate village.

A pedestrian bridge was also planned 'south of the existing bridge' and there were a number of other permeability options.

In relation to segregation on the greenway, the official noted the width of the greenway is approximately, four metres, and added there were no plans to segregate the route for cyclists and pedestrians.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Mrs A.B. writes: My husband died on November 29. He received a company pension from Aga Rangemaster, so I informed it immediately.

It said it was too late to stop payments for December and January, so when they arrived I should return them. I received his December pension of 208 and returned it, but nothing arrived for January.

But I have been told it is up to me to get my bank to trace the missing payment, and have been refused my widow's pension from the company until I find January's money and return it.

Half-baked excuse: Mercer runs Aga Rangemaster's pensions

Tony Hetherington replies: You told me you are 83 years old and supposed to be shielding from Covid, but were told you had to produce a bank statement to prove the 208 had not arrived.

You went to your bank, obtained a printed statement and gave this to Mercer, the firm that administers the Aga Rangemaster pension scheme.

Mercer, which is a major company in the pensions industry, still refused to accept this as proof. It said you had to instruct your bank to trace the money. And at this point, you got in touch with me.

I contacted Mercer, and I gave it a letter signed by you to authorise its staff to discuss the problem without breaching data protection rules.

Within hours, Mercer replied. Miraculously, the whole matter had already been resolved and by pure chance it had contacted you just after my enquiry arrived.

But Mercer refused to tell me what had gone wrong because, it claimed, your letter of authority was not good enough.

Although it had been dealing with you ever since your husband's death, Mercer suddenly decided that I had to provide it with your date of birth as well as your National Insurance number.

Meanwhile, Mercer phoned you and then told me: 'Mrs B responded that she no longer wants us to provide any information because she was happy that the issue was quickly resolved.'

When I checked, it seems Mercer rang you, promised you would get your widow's pension by January 29, and lured you into saying you no longer needed any help from me.

Of course, your widow's pension did not arrive by January 29. Mercer was just playing for time to try to get rid of me. Some day, big companies will learn this has the opposite effect.

But worse was to come. After I told Mercer its own conduct had guaranteed that this story would be published, it suddenly confessed that the missing 208 January pension payment  the root cause of this whole affair  had never been paid.

Mercer was demanding that you and your bank trace 208 that it had never sent in the first place, and had threatened to withhold your widow's pension until you handed over 208 to which it was never entitled.

Mercer's whole conduct was that of a bully, demanding money from an elderly widow, then trying desperately to wriggle out of its own mess by refusing to answer questions.

Next, Mercer denied that it had ever promised your widow's pension by January 29  the supposed reason for telling me to get lost.

No problem, I replied, just let me listen to the recording of that call so I could hear exactly what was said.

Sadly, this attracted a further brush-off from a Mercer official, who told me: 'It is not our business practice to record all calls and I can confirm that the call you are referring to was not recorded.'

Mercer then refused to answer any more questions or say anything further on the matter.

On the bright side, Mercer did start paying your widow's pension last month. But, guess what? Mercer has form for this sort of thing. In 2018 my opposite number on the Daily Mail, Tony Hazell, was asked for help by a reader who had waited months for a Mercer pension.

Tony reported: 'When I contacted Mercer, it implied that the issue was resolved and it had written to you to confirm the pension arrangements.'

Yet when Tony checked this, the reader replied that he was 'still waiting, still none the wiser', with phone calls not returned and emails left unanswered.

It all sounds horribly familiar, and now, in 2021, Mercer has clearly learned nothing.

Payment 'soon': J.H.'s son has been waiting months for a tax refund of almost 800

Taxman's simplicity drive is making life complicated

J.H. writes: My son has been waiting months for a tax refund of almost 800.

Revenue & Customs staff always say it will be paid 'soon', but it appears there is an issue which one official told us had at one time affected about a million taxpayers.

Tony Hetherington replies: IN 2017, your son underpaid income tax through the Pay As You Earn system, so he sent a cheque for the balance due.

The cheque was cashed by Revenue & Customs in January 2018, but it seems a glitch in the system meant that the payment was not allocated to your son.

You told me that his tax records still showed him as being in arrears, so the later repayment was blocked.

A Revenue spokesman told me: 'As part of efforts to expand Simple Assessment, we took steps to protect customers from experiencing errors while the system was changed.'

The Simple Assessment scheme was launched a few years ago so people with straightforward incomes need not complete a tax return.

But it certainly was not meant to separate old records, which showed your son had paid his taxes, from new calculations, showing a refund was due.

After I contacted staff at the Revenue & Customs, they intervened and your son now has his 783 refund.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
The vaccine roll-out in Germany has descended into chaos as it emerged that 80-year-olds have to fill in ten forms just to get the jab.

Angela Merkel's coalition government is facing increasing criticism over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic with its vaccination programme now faltering.

Europe's largest economy appears to be lagging behind with only 10 per cent of it's adult population having received their first dose of the vaccine as of this week.

The UK has administered first doses to 55 per cent of its population and America 25 per cent - Germany does not even make the list of top 20 nations in terms of vaccination rates worldwide.

Angela Merkel's coalition government is facing increasing criticism over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic with its vaccination programme now faltering

Cardiologist Dr Joachim Wunderlich, who has helped at a vaccination centre in Berlin, told CBS News that the bureaucratic process for people to get vaccinated in Germany was 'unbelievable'.

He added that the amount of paperwork involved was 'insane'.

'You can't expect an over-80-year-old to fill out 10 pages and numerous consent forms and ask them to call a hotline to make an appointment. And then they risk being turned away because they forgot some forms at home.'

Wunderlich continued: 'The pandemic is daunting enough, bureaucracy and data protection laws shouldn't make it even worse.'

Germany's 16 federal states are responsible for organising the vaccine roll-outs in their own jurisdictions.

Merkel appealed to state administrators to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy - which she said was hampering the vaccine drive.

But public confidence in the vaccine is also slowing the roll-out after Germany, along with several other EU nations, suspended the use of the AstraZeneca shot for a few days following reports that it had caused blood clots in some patients.

Germany is still only allowing citizens over the age 80, as well as those with serious pre-existing conditions, to book appointments (elderly man getting an injection near Munich earlier this week)

Europe's largest economy appears to be lagging behind with only 10 per cent of it's adult population so far having received their first dose of the vaccine. Pictured: Near empty vaccination centre in Germany in recent weeks

Germany is still only allowing citizens over the age 80, as well as those with serious pre-existing conditions, to book appointments.

This has left many younger people unable to take advantage of the excess capacity of vaccines after it was reported that there were almost 3.9 million doses of both Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech sitting on shelves across the country, according to official statistics.

Currently only dedicated mass-vaccination centres and mobile units visiting nursing homes are authorised to administer the shots - with these facilities operating at just 67 per cent of their capacity.

It comes after Germany has seen a rise in coronavirus cases as a third wave of Covid-19 which could be the worst yet with daily infections potentially reaching 100,000 a day, the country's top diseases official has warned.

Lothar Wieler on Friday said there were 'clear signals that this wave will be worse than the first two waves' which have already caused more than 75,000 deaths.

Angela Merkel's health minister Jens Spahn said the health system could reach its limit in April with intensive care units already filling up again as infections mount.

Wieler urged people to stay at home over Easter but plans for a near-total Easter shutdown were scrapped on Wednesday in an embarrassing climbdown by Merkel.

She made an astonishing plea for forgiveness as she said the plans were 'my mistake, and my mistake alone'.

The planned five-day shutdown - in which even grocery stores would have shut on all but a single day - was agreed between Merkel and state leaders on Monday in a bid to halt the spiralling third wave of Covid-19.

But it faced massive criticism from all sides, with businesses bemoaning the shutdown, workers raising questions about holiday pay and medical experts saying the measures were not tough enough to prevent the exponential spread of the virus.

With her party's ratings already in freefall amid a long lockdown and slow vaccine roll-out, Merkel was forced to make a dramatic U-turn only 36 hours later and admit there was no way the Easter closure could be implemented at such short notice.

'I take the final responsibility for everything,' Merkel said at a hastily-arranged press conference, adding that 'a mistake has to be called a mistake, and above all it has to be corrected'.

'I know that this whole process has caused additional uncertainty. I regret that deeply and I ask all our citizens for forgiveness,' she said.

Meanwhile, the European Union is continuing to jostle with vaccine producers to get more doses.
The March 16 massacre in Georgia deepened an old wound for the Asian American community already grappling with a year of fear following the coronavirus pandemic, which many felt caused them to be scapegoated. In recent months, there has also been a wave of reported violence against Asian Americans across the U.S., including an alleged attack last weekend in Chicago that remains under police investigation.
Hyderabad, March 27 : Expressing concern over instances of frequent disruption in legislatures and Parliament, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday gave a call for upholding values in public life.

Speaking at the centenary celebrations of former Parliamentarians and educationist Nookala Narotham Reddy, Naidu opined that the recent incidents in certain state legislatures were disheartening. Stating that "disruption means derailing debate and derailing democracy and the nation", he cautioned that people will get disillusioned if the same trend continues.

Naidu reminded that conduct in Parliament and legislatures should be in pursuit of the 3 D's -- 'Discuss, Debate and Decide'. He said that at no point the House should become a platform for disruption. "Obstructing the House only hurts the cause of public interest," he added.

Highlighting the exemplar quality of debates when Narotham Reddy took part in the Parliament, Naidu said that representatives' actions in the legislatures should reflect people's aspirations.

The Vice President also expressed his concern over the declining attendance of parliamentarians and legislators in respective Houses. He stressed upon the need for them to be regular and contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

The Vice President further said that the criticism by the members should be constructive and they should not resort to personal attacks against others. Naidu appealed to the people to elect representatives who possess the 4Cs - 'Calibre, Conduct, Capacity and Character'.

Emphasising the role of education in inculcating moral values, patriotism and probity in public life, Naidu said that education should produce "well rounded holistic individuals". Pointing to India's demographic dividend, he said that no other nation has this kind of advantage and stressed the need to fully leverage it for the country's progress. In this context, he called for upskilling the younger generations in tune with the 21st century needs. He advised the students to upgrade themselves with the latest technological developments.

Naidu also suggested that in the spirit of New Education Policy, institutes should restructure themselves and bring in a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to education. "The policy also targets at reducing the burden of curriculum and attempts to bring about a comprehensive development in the young student, matching international standards," he added.

Recalling India's glorious past in the field of education when students from other countries used to come to study at reputed institutions like Nalanda and Takshashila, the Vice President stressed the need to regain the past glory.

Speaking about the importance of mother tongue, the Vice President underscored the need for connecting with one's own constituents through their mother tongue. "People who elected us should know what we are talking about. That is why members should try to speak in their mother tongue as much as possible" he said. He noted that with mother tongue as a priority, the Rajya Sabha has now given an opportunity to speak in 22 languages and adequate facilities were provided for this purpose.

In his speech, the Vice President praised late Narotham Reddy for his invaluable contributions to the education sector - as an administrator in Osmania University, through his support for better pay scales for faculty and by arguing for upgrading university's infrastructure and standards. He said that these kinds of celebrations are meant to remind and inspire the younger generation about the contributions made by great people like Narotham Reddy in nation building.

Md. Mohamood Ali, Home Minister of Telangana, Prof. E. Shiva Reddy, Chairman, Organising Committee of Centenary Celebrations, Nookala Rajendra Reddy, Convener, Organising Committee and others were present at the event.
The Colorado police officer was the last of ten victims killed during Monday's massacre at the King Soopers grocery store, the Boulder Police Department said on Friday.

Eric Talley led the team of officers into the store within 30 seconds of arriving at the scene, the police department said in a statement on Twitter while defending its response time to the deadly mass shooting.

'Weve seen comments from some in our community who questioned the response time of our officers Monday afternoon,' the Boulder Police Department tweeted.

'We think its important to share that Officer Talley led a contact team of officers into the store within 30 seconds of arriving on scene. Yes, 30 seconds.'

In another tweet, the department said: 'The suspect then shot at officers, killing Officer Talley, and firing on officers until he was taken into custody. No other individuals were shot or killed after these brave officers engaged the suspect.'

Boulder police officer Eric Talley (pictured), 51, was shot dead while responding to a massacre at a King Soopers grocery store and Boulder police have now said he was the last person shot

The department defended its response time to the deadly mass shooting in a statement to Twitter

A woman who identified herself as Talley's sister also responded to the department's tweet, praising her big brother

In an earlier tweet, she had said: 'Officer Eric Talley is my big brother. He died today in the Boulder shooting. My heart is broken'

Some Twitter users continued to question how quickly the police department responded and if a faster response could have prevented more deaths.

One Twitter user asked: 'I think the question was, how long from the 911 call to officers on scene?'

The department responded that it took '1 minute and 40 seconds from time of call to arrival.'

But that answer was not enough for one Twitter user, who asked: 'Add 30 seconds after arrival so 2 minutes 10 seconds before entering store?'

'Yes, you had one officer who rushed in, but then you let him and 9 other people bleed to death while trying to coordinate a giant SWAT for your down officer,' claimed @AjaxAtax, another Twitter user.

The Twitter user continued: '30 minutes of Rambo mode coordinating an attack, 20 of them AFTER SURRENDER.'

Twitter user @bullmaster123 defended the department for the time taken to coordinate after Talley had been shot.

'So to all the people questioning the response time understand a couple things. The average response time is 15 mins officer Talley made it in 1:40,' the tweet reads.

'As for rushing in after Talley was down. You already had 1 officer down and unknown how many other officers.'

The department's statement came after Twitter users questioned its response time to the deadly mass shooting, with some Twitter users not satisfied by the department's answer

Other Twitter users defended the department's response time and its coordination before entering the store after Officer Talley was shot

Statistics for the Boulder Police Department's average response time were not readily available, however the Boulder Fire Department has noted that firefighters took an average of about 12 minutes and 30 seconds to respond to calls in 2020.

The average school shooting lasts 12 minutes and 30 seconds, while the average police response time was 18 minutes in 2016, according to the National Sheriff's Association.

Others, however, commended the department for getting Talley and other officers to the store 'in just minutes.'

'That 911 call to the late Officer Eric Talley on scene at 200 seconds is very fast. Today, the public wants instant gratification, complains,' tweeted @ROBERTBOYER1980.

'Common sense: a deadly mass shooting changes quickly every second with many factor at play on scene. It will take time for some answers.'

Another tweeted: 'He said above, 1 minute and 40 seconds from 911 to the parking lot which is an amazing response time if you have ever driven in Boulder.'

A woman who identified herself as Talley's sister also responded to the department's tweet, praising her big brother.

'Because thats my brother: Eric. Fast. He flew into that store with no thought but to protect. He FLEW. Thank you Boulder Police. Thank you,' she tweeted.

In an earlier tweet, she had said: 'Officer Eric Talley is my big brother. He died today in the Boulder shooting. My heart is broken.'

'I cannot explain how beautiful he was and what a devastating loss this is to so many. Fly high my sweet brother. You always wanted to be a pilot (damn color blindness). Soar,' she said.

He faces ten counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, but additional charges are expected to be filed in the next few weeks

Boulder police did not say precisely when the department received 911 calls but said in a press release that officers were dispatched to the scene around 2.40pm.

*Officers arrived on scene within minutes and immediately entered the store and engaged the suspect,' the press release reads.

Cops said that the suspect, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was arrested in the store at 3.28pm.

According to a timeline published by the Denver Post, the shooting began in the front parking lot around 2.30pm.

The outlet reported that cops were dispatched three minutes later at 2.33pm and arrived at the scene at 2.35pm - entering the store at 2.37pm.

Alissa then allegedly fired at responding officers at 2.38pm with reports that Talley had been shot coming at 2.39pm, the Denver Post reported.

At 2.50pm, an armored vehicle was used to break down the store's front windows with police using a sound system to order him to come out at 3pm.

SWAT teams entered the building to get Talley's body at 3.22pm and make contact with the suspect at 3.27pm, reporting him in custody a minute later.


The head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against a vaccine war among nations.

Dr. John Nkengasong spoke Thursday at a World Health Organization event. He said that he truly feels helpless that this situation is going to significantly impact our ability to fight this virus.

He was speaking about reports that the Serum Institute of India is suspending major exports of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The reason for the suspension, the reports said, was to meet rising demand within India.

Nkengasong added, There is absolutely no need, absolutely no need for us as humanity to go into a vaccine war to fight this pandemic. We will all be losers.

The Serum Institute of India produces the AstraZeneca vaccine that is being sent to Africa through the COVAX program. It is an international effort to make sure poor countries receive enough vaccines. At least 28 of Africas 54 countries have received over 16 million doses through COVAX.

South Sudan received its first shipment of 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday. The WHO called the arrival a giant step toward equal availability of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.

But COVAX has been facing delays related to the limited worldwide supply of the vaccine and other issues. At least 10 African countries have not yet received any vaccines, the WHOs area office for Africa reported. Those countries include Tanzania, Burundi, Eritrea, Cameroon and Chad.

Africa has received limited doses and much later than the rest of the world, said Dr. Richard Mihigo. He is a program coordinator overseeing immunization and vaccine development with the WHOs Africa office.

Officials hope to vaccinate 60 percent of Africas 1.3 billion people by the middle of next year. That would help Africa reach herd immunity. That term describes when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination to make it difficult for a virus to continue to spread.

But that target most likely will not be met without the widespread use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Many experts consider it necessary to the effort to stop the coronavirus. AstraZenecas vaccine is less costly and easier to store than many others.

Experts warn that until vaccination rates are high worldwide, the virus remains a threat everywhere.

Im John Russell.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_______________________________________________

Words in This Story

significantly adv. in a way that is important

impact v. to have a strong and often bad effect on something or someone

absolutely adv. completely

dose n. the amount of a medicine or vaccine that is taken at one time

giant adj. very large

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By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - Mar 27, 2021 - 23:20 | World, All

North Korea's latest test-firing of ballistic missiles may signal that leader Kim Jong Un would try to rebuild the nation's economy not by gaining concessions from the United States but by deepening ties with China.

For China's part, President Xi Jinping could use North Korea as a "bargaining chip" in negotiations with the United States, as the new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has struggled to find a clue on how to resolve nuclear tensions on the divided peninsula.

With China's implicit permission, North Korea is likely to continue bolstering its military capacity and accelerating provocations against the United States, probably jeopardizing the regional security situation, foreign affairs experts warn.

"China may not be happy with Kim," who has pursued ballistic missiles and nuclear programs, which have hurt peace and stability in East Asia, said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan in Tokyo.

But the chilly atmosphere in talks between U.S. and top Chinese diplomats earlier this month "will reinforce China's reluctance to pressure Kim as North Korea's nuclear weapons provide Beijing with useful leverage vis a vis the United States," he said.

"In this high stakes poker game, Pyongyang has been adroit in securing concessions and aid while conceding little," Kingston said, adding, "The chances of further testing (by North Korea) are high."

On Thursday, Japan and South Korea said that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan in the morning on the day -- its first such launch since Biden took office in January.

The first ballistic missile firing in a year also came amid mounting fears that North Korea's economy has been devastated since it cut off traffic to and from neighboring China and Russia in early 2020 in a bid to prevent the novel coronavirus from entering its borders.

North Korea's state-run media reported Friday that the country test-fired new tactical guided projectiles, arguing the development of the weapon system is aimed at "deterring all sorts of military threats existing on the Korean Peninsula."

A few days before the launch, Kim Yo Jong, younger sister and close aide of Kim Jong Un, issued a statement lambasting U.S.-South Korea military exercises that took place for 11 days from March 8, calling the drills a "rehearsal for war" to invade the North.

Many pundits say North Korea carried out the test-firing on Thursday to watch how Biden reacts to the move, as his predecessor Donald Trump did not censure Pyongyang's launches of short-range ballistic missiles that would not reach the U.S. mainland.

In contrast to Trump, Biden swiftly criticized North Korea for violating U.N. Security Council resolutions banning it from using ballistic technology, saying Washington will "respond accordingly" if Pyongyang chooses to heighten tensions further.

A diplomatic source in Beijing said, "Biden, unlike Trump, showed his determination to keep North Korea from firing even short-range ballistic missiles. Kim may have been aware that it would be difficult to proceed with talks on sanctions relief with Biden."

North Korea has been seeking an easing of the sanctions, which have thwarted Kim's efforts to achieve his cherished goal of building a "powerful socialist economy" against a backdrop of a shortage of resources such as crude oil.

"Should Kim give up persuading Biden to relax economic sanctions, he would break contact with the United States and turn his energies to boosting relations with China to obtain economic aid," the source added.

Recently, China and North Korea have apparently cemented their cooperation to resist political pressure from the new U.S. administration, as their ties with the United States have shown few signs of improvement.

Beijing and Washington are at loggerheads over several matters, including trade, state-of-the-art technology, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea and alleged human rights abuses.

China and the United States held two-day ministerial talks from March 18 in Alaska -- the first in-person contact between high-level officials of the two nations since the change of U.S. administration.

The world's two major powers acknowledged that they had "candid" discussions during the gathering, but they were not able to make significant progress in improving their souring relations.

North Korea, meanwhile, has pledged to ignore U.S. attempts to hold bilateral talks unless Washington withdraws its hostile policy toward Pyongyang, rapping the Biden administration for using North Korea-U.S. contact as a "means for gaining time."

Under such circumstances, Xi and Kim earlier this month exchanged messages and reaffirmed the necessity of joining hands to strengthen cooperation between the two friendly socialist neighbors.

North Korea's official media quoted Xi as telling Kim that China is ready to "provide the peoples of the two countries with a better life," indicating Beijing's willingness to offer economic assistance to Pyongyang.

Indeed, China has been preparing to reopen a bridge on the Yalu River connecting it with North Korea, raising speculation that traffic between the two nations might resume by the end of this year.

After North Korea fired ballistic missiles on Thursday, China refrained from condemning it.

"China may be the most dependable partner for North Korea in economic and security terms now," a source familiar with the situation in Pyongyang said.

"For China, North Korea may become a bargaining chip to move forward negotiations with the United States. Beijing and Pyongyang are expected to promote win-win cooperation," the source said.

"If China pampers North Korea, Kim would take more provocative actions against the United States, which would certainly make the security environment in East Asia more fragile," he added.

In 1949, China and North Korea established diplomatic ties. They fought together in the 1950-1953 Korean War against the U.S.-led United Nations forces and have long been described as "blood brothers."

North Korea also relies on China, its closest and most influential ally, for more than 90 percent of its trade, while Pyongyang has no diplomatic relations with Washington.
Musician Randy Bachman poses in Toronto on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Bachman says his long-running CBC Radio show "Vinyl Tap" will air its final episode on Canada Day, though he's planning to shop the program to other broadcasters. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
You may have seen wind turbines along the shorelines of the Great Lakes. But you might soon see them in those lakes.

A state agency will spend $1 million this year on a study of the feasibility of building wind turbines in the Great Lakes, including whether they can be placed on floating platforms instead of being anchored to the lake beds.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority was ordered to complete a study for release in early 2022 on whether wind power on the lakes should be part of New York's green energy portfolio.

"We are considering both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario as parts of the feasibility study," Gregory Lampman, NYSERDA's program manager for environmental research, said during a public webinar earlier this month.

The state already has awarded contracts for five wind turbine farms in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island.

Wind power in Lakes Erie and Ontario involves different challenges not seen in the ocean, including winter ice, much shallower water and sloping lake beds, Lampman said.
The controversial junction at Slan's in Annagassan will be audited, according to the council.

Sinn Fein Councillor Pearse McGeough has welcomed the review into the new junction layout at Farm Road.

The junction caused controversy in November when it was 'upgraded' and according to Cllr McGeough at the time, "they narrowed the entry/exit so much that there is barely a full car breadth between both lanes. I don't know who measured the mouth of the junction but they must have thought everyone using that junction was going to be driving minis."

Concerned about the reduced access for emergency vehicles in particular, Cllr McGeough demanded a review into the works which he described at the time as 'an embarrassment' and has now received confirmation that the review is complete.

Welcoming the news, Cllr McGeough said "firstly, I want to thank the engineer at Louth County Council for acting so quickly on this. I have been told there will be a 'modification' of the junction and there will also be a footpath from Slans down towards the Glyde Inn direction. This should be done in conjunction with the modification of the junction so that the footpath will not impede on the junction in any way."

Cllr McGeough said "I am hopeful the junction is going to be corrected and will be done fairly soon but I will be monitoring this very closely and look forward to the improved Farm Road junction where large vehicles can pass as easily as very small vehicles."
By Mehmet Emin Caliskan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Several thousand women took to the streets in Istanbul on Saturday to demand Turkey reverses its decision to withdraw from an international treaty against domestic abuse which it once championed.

President Tayyip Erdogan stunned European allies with last week's announcement that Turkey was pulling out of the Istanbul Convention, named after the Turkish city where it was drafted in 2011.

Turkey was one of the first signatories and women say their safety has been jeopardised by Erdogan's move against the European treaty.

Amid a heavy police presence, protesters gathered in an Istanbul seafront square waving purple flags and chanting slogans including "Murders of women are political". One placard read, "Protect women, not the perpetrators of violence."

"Withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention is a disaster for millions of women and children living in this country," Amnesty International Turkey Director Ece Unver told Reuters, calling for Ankara to reverse its decision.

World Health Organization data shows 38% of women in Turkey are subject to violence from a partner in their lifetime, compared with 25% in Europe.

Estimates of femicide rates in Turkey, for which there are no official figures, have roughly tripled over the last 10 years, according to a monitoring group. So far this year 87 women have been murdered by men or died under suspicious circumstances, it said.

"We will not give up. We will be here until we get our freedom and our convention back. We will not give up on the convention," said student Selin Asarlar Celik.

Conservatives in Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party say the convention, which stresses gender equality and forbids discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, undermines family structures and encourages violence.

Officials said this week domestic law would protect Turkish women, not foreign treaties.

The protesters concerns were echoed by Ankara's Western allies, who denounced what they described as a baffling and unwarranted decision which risked undermining the rights of Turkish women.

(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Mike Harrison)
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a practice of optimizing a website or webpage to increase the quantity and quality of its traffic from a search engine's organic results. This means that when people search for something on Google or any search engine, the first thing that pops up is a website with a good quality of SEO ratings.

So how does a small business with limited capabilities compete with the bigger businesses online? Also, what does it need to improve in terms of SEO ratings? This article will be an SEO guide for small businesses that would like to grow their SEO ratings and take on the big fishes online.

6. Identify Profitable Keywords

Choosing the right keywords can be tricky sometimes. That is why small businesses should know how to sell their product and know what they are talking about. However, not all keywords are created equal. Some keywords have high search volume but not profitable, while there are also high-profit keywords but no search volume.

To have a high-profit, high-search volume keyword for your small business needs to have a long-tail keyword since it is easy to rank on Google and is more profitable than short keywords. Small businesses should take on the users' shoes and understand why they are searching for those specific keywords online, as Forbes noted.

5. Build a Strong Local SEO Search

One thing that that small businesses can improve to outrank their competition is to build a strong local presence online. According to NewsAnyway, 46 percent of online searches are made to help local information. Local searches are the majority of sales in small businesses, and optimizing it can create a real difference in numbers.

By utilizing local SEO effectively, small businesses can tap into organic traffic by reaching customers searching for specific information about nearby areas. It is beneficial for small shops or business owners whose customers base consists of locals.

It is also important to note that half of the local searches are voice-activated, so small SEO businesses should work on voice-activation and "near me" searches.

Also Read: Google Search 2021 Update to Put Emphasis on Site's Core Web Vitals-Here's How to Improve SEO [Guide]

4. Expert Content

Small businesses must have good content as it is the backbone for every website. Also, professionals must write good quality content and know what they are writing about to deliver the news and knowledge to digestible bits of information to its readers. Having helpful content also establishes the site as an authority in any given niche, something Google likes and promotes.

3. Get Backlinks

Getting backlinks can improve small businesses and build credibility online. Small businesses should associate with other popular websites on the web to have good traffic online and keep the users visiting their website. Small businesses can ask for their business partners, local business directories, local news publication, and more to link to their site.

Of course, creating quality content that other sites will link to or find valuable is the best way to get backlinks.

2. Great User Experience

A good user experience is a major factor when people go to a website and look for information. Giving visitors a good user experience is like going to a grocery store that is clean and organized. Things such as fast page loading speed, clean interface, fewer cookies, fewer pop-up messages, and straightforward navigability can add to the user's impression of the site and even buy what it is selling and become a loyal customer.

1. Keep Business Profile Updated

For small businesses, business listing profiles such as Google My Business (GMB) are important. A GMB profile can help the website rank on Google and get new customers for the business.

Updating the GMB profile on a normal basis can boost customer recall about it, which can potentially lead too business. Things like email, phone numbers, working hours, and crew should always be posted and updated to ensure buyers can contact the business for a potential sale.

Related Article: Importance of SEO for Your Business Website
And then I regrouped and came back to Sydney and did the School of Rock season here and then said to my agent, Lets just see if its still possible to go in for this. The success Youll be Back Loading JASON ARROW: My agent rang me. It was during the second, longer Melbourne lockdown and I assumed something had happened to the show, that it might not be going ahead because of COVID-19. So I was astounded. I didnt speak for a couple of minutes and then most of it was expletives. I mean, what can you do after that? If it was a normal year, I might have gone out to celebrate with my partner, Alex. Instead, I unpacked the dishwasher. That was my celebration.

LYNDON WATTS: At first, I was pretty shocked when I was told I had the role. I reckon it took about a week for it to feel real. I had my boyfriend Max with me when it all happened. And telling mum on the phone, that was a pretty special conversation to have. Mums tend to be more excited than the people auditioning, so it really is more of a win for them than it is for us. Lyndon Watts, who plays Aaron Burr, during rehearsals for Hamilton. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams CHLOE ZUEL: My agent called and I thought he was calling about something else, because it had been nine weeks since my final tape. By that point, I had pushed it out of my mind for self-preservation. So when I got the call, my agent just said: You got it. Youre Eliza. Even thinking about it now, I feel sick. I was walking on the street and I had to pull myself over into a bush and just stand there processing. It was like Id won the lotto. The first person I called was my husband, Rob Mallett. I cant tell you what he said because he swore, but he couldnt believe it either. The characters History Has its Eyes on You

JASON ARROW: The thing about Hamilton that I latch onto is his perseverance. He pushes through anything thats thrown at him. But the personal connection is that he reminds me of my parents. They immigrated here from South Africa and they had nothing. My dad used to work all the time and my mother did as well. They built themselves up and now theyre doing really well for themselves. Yeah, Im very proud of them. LYNDON WATTS: Aaron Burr has quickly become a legacy role for black men in theatre. As a black man in theatre, often the roles ask very small parts of you, for very specific things of you, and it can make you feel a little bit boxed in. But Burr has been written in such a wonderful way that it really does ask a lot of you. So its a real gift and an honour to step into that legacy and be a part of it. CHLOE ZUEL: I ended up auditioning for all three of the sisters. I personally thought I was an Angelica [Hamiltons sister-in-law], they always said I was an Eliza [Hamiltons wife]. Eliza does represent some of the softer, more gentle parts of my personality, but I havent been given the opportunity to show them on stage very often. So thats really special to me. BRENT HILL: Look, King George III has been played by many excellent comic actors - Jonathan Groff, Brian DArcy, Andrew Rannells - but Im just looking at the character and his motivations. And this guy is a monarch who has been told yes for his entire life. And then hes being told no by the American colonies. And hes just reacting to that. Im still gently exploring it and Im doing it through the realm of animals at the moment: is he a snow leopard or an octopus? The rehearsals

Room Where it Happened JASON ARROW: It was really exciting to: 1. Be back in a rehearsal room, because who knew when that was gonna happen again and 2. Probably just seeing the range of people and diversity and representation in the room. We felt very privileged to be there and we had this weight on our shoulders, of course, because of the gravity of the show and what it represents, but, all that aside, its just a satisfying feeling when you go, All right, lets do this, lets get to work. Jason Arrow (centre) and members of the Australian cast of Hamilton during rehearsals in February. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams LYNDON WATTS: By the time the cotton swab was up my nose for the COVID-19 test on the first day of rehearsals, it felt very real. We spend the entire day working on the material and then I go home and have all these lightbulb moments. And then I bring those to work the next day. My take on the character is constantly shifting and growing and were only halfway through. Its going to keep changing.

CHLOE ZUEL: I started doing singing lessons every week before we started rehearsals. And I also try and keep my body super warm and fit and ready to go. Ill do my vocal warm-up every day, stretch my tongue, my neck and then at the end of the day, I will do a warm down and get a good amount of sleep. BRENT HILL: Its been pretty overwhelming, especially considering I genuinely had the thought in 2020 that theatre was done. But, you know, watching everybody, its so good. Its so fun. I mean, obviously, its so well written, but the vocal blend in this group of people is next level. It sounds so great. And Im like, Were set. This is gonna be good. The challenges In the eye of the hurricane JASON ARROW: Im usually pretty good at remembering words quickly, but theres so many [the show averages 144 words per minute]. So, for me, its kind of just not thinking about remembering words and being in the moment and trusting I know it. The second I start to think about what Im doing, is the second I have forgotten what Im about to say.

Jason Arrow and the Australian cast of Hamilton. Credit:Daniel Boud LYNDON WATTS: The places this show takes you has been quite unexpected emotionally. Theres something about this material, about these characters that feels insanely real and incredibly close to a lot of the stuff weve all experienced. There are times we are overcome with emotion as were performing songs and it becomes quite difficult. So thats something Ive had to work through because Wait for It is a great song and no one wants to miss the second half of it because Aaron Burr is busy crying in the middle of the stage. CHLOE ZUEL: Something Im working on is navigating how to be able to emotionally and vocally give everything or give enough, eight shows a week. What has been challenging is managing emotionally the roller-coaster of Eliza, and figuring out how much of myself I can bring and how to move through what is a very difficult show for most of us. BRENT HILL: The trick with this role is finding a way to stay engaged and connected with the company from the beginning of the show. For instance, everyone else is involved in the opening number, but I dont come on until seven songs later. Theres a moment in the first section where everyones lined up across the front of the stage and perhaps Ill be in that line, just in the wings. Or maybe Ill just invest in an espresso machine and stay busy backstage. First show

Blow us all Away Elandrah Eramiha, Chloe Zuel (middle) and Akina Edmonds, who play the Schuyler sisters, in full costume for Hamilton. Credit:Daniel Boud Loading JASON ARROW: I felt very ready for an audience. I wasnt necessarily nervous, but there was a lot of adrenaline. Especially when that cheer happened. We were there for about 25 seconds and it got to a point where I raised my hand to indicate that I was moving on. It felt like a stadium concert, which is something I dont think Ive ever experienced in Australian theatre. I know in America they do that, but usually theyre applauding for, you know, Patti LuPone. Its such a mammoth show, at the end were all kind of emotionally drained. I went home and watched Bobs Burgers to relax. LYNDON WATTS: A big part of the storytelling for Aaron Burr is connection with the audience. Theres a conversation that happens throughout the entire show. So to have the audience there is everything, its the other side of the conversation. I love the idea of some people really not being onside with Aaron and I love the idea of some people really understanding him. I think its one of the biggest spines of the show, which is seeing people in their totality and the complexities of every human being. The show is taxing on all fronts - spiritually, energy, vocally, physically - it asks a lot. I was exhausted and elated but I went home and slept like an absolute baby.
Members of the Irish Naval Service are to assess the situation to provide a tow to a fishing vessel that has lost power off Mizen Head.

Earlier today, on request from the Irish Coast Guard, the LE George Bernard Shaw was tasked to assist the vessel which lost power in poor weather conditions 70NM West of Mizen Head.

In an update this evening, the Irish Naval Service said that contact had been made with the crew of the vessel earlier today.

UPDATE: LE #GEORGEBERNARDSHAW tasked by @IrishCoastGuard (IRCG) as OSC for the op. Helo #R115 made contact with the FV this afternoon. Crew remain with the FV. Conditions on scene are poor with an 8-10m swell. #R115 & #R117 on Standby. #P64 will assess the situation for a tow. pic.twitter.com/vzFDkeqZOC  Irish Naval Service (@naval_service) March 26, 2021

It said conditions at the scene remain poor and the R115 and R117 are on standby.

It added that the P64 will assess the situation for a tow.
Federal MP Andrew Laming has stepped down from all parliamentary roles

Federal MP Andrew Laming has stepped down from all parliamentary roles following complaints about his conduct online and allegations he took a photo of a woman bending down.

The Queensland LNP backbencher made the announcement on Saturday night and revealed he would undergo sensitivity training ordered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

'I will step down from all Parliamentary roles effective immediately and complete both the counselling courses I committed to; as well as additional clinical counselling, and ask for privacy while that is completed,' he said in a statement.

'I will have more to say on my future as soon as that process is completed.

'I would like to thank my local community for their understanding during this time and assure them my electorate staff remain available to them.'

The decision to step down comes after Brisbane mum Crystal White accused Mr Laming of snapping a picture of her bottom and exposed underwear while she put drinks in a fridge at a landscape supply business in 2019.

'The photo was really inappropriate, especially when I was bent over,' Ms White told Nine News.

The Queensland LNP backbencher issued a statement on Saturday night and revealed he would undergo sensitivity training ordered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured)

His announcement comes after after Brisbane woman Crystal White accused Mr Laming of snapping a picture of her bottom and underwear at a landscape supply business in 2019

Sean Blinco, who was working at the time, said the store manager forced Mr Laming to delete the photo.

Mr Blinco questioned the MP over the 2019 incident on social media after reports emerged in recent days about Mr Laming trolling two women online.

'Remember that time you took a photo of an employee bending over at local landscaping yard, you perve? We had to force you to delete it before you left the store. We remember,' he wrote on Facebook.

Mr Laming replied: 'I do but it wasn't meant to be rude. I thought it was funny but your reaction was awkward'.

His response was then shared with Ms White by Nine News.

She fired back: 'My reaction is, how is that funny? What's funny about taking a picture of a lady bending over?'

Mr Laming, the Liberal National Party member for Bowman, on Thursday apologised in Parliament for trolling two other women online.

He then backtracked on social media and claimed he 'didn't know' what he was saying sorry for.

Mr Laming earlier claimed in a now-deleted Facebook post that he did not even know what he was apologising for - and accompanied his comment with laughing emojis

Screen grabs of Mr Laming's now-deleted Facebook post in which he laughed off the apology he made to Alix Russo and Sheena Hewlett in parliament

'In this climate - I willingly apologise - I didn't even know what for at 4pm when I did it,' Mr Laming wrote on a Facebook post, which has since been deleted.

Mr Laming was forced to apologise after telling a charity worker, Alix Russo, on Facebook: 'Unfortunately for you, I make the rules and you follow them.'

Ms Russo, a single mother who said the trolling left her suicidal, told Nine News: 'I want to be alive, I don't want to be attacked anymore.'

'This man has to stop. He cannot continue abusing his community like this.'

Sheena Hewlett, a schoolteacher, said Mr Laming - who was elected to Federal parliament in 2004 - asked for her teaching timetable then hid in bushes while taking photos of her in 2019. The incidents were reported to police.

Mr Laming's social media response to his own apology was accompanied by several laughing emojis - which he claimed were accidently posted by his phone when he put it in his pocket, news.com.au reported.

Queensland Labor MP Kim Richards (pictured) came forward claiming Mr Laming 'weaponised social media to attack women'

Queensland Labor MP Kim Richards has since come forward claiming Mr Laming 'weaponised social media to attack women', news.com.au reported.

'It's just been constant. I blocked him years ago for my own mental health,' she said.

'The character assassination, the personal nature of the way he's posting, is harassing and bullying by its very existence.'

Ms Richards said locals in Redlands have been left 'fearful' of Mr Laming due to his conduct online.

A spokesman for Mr Laming rejected Ms Richards' claims about the MP's online behaviour as his social media accounts post about political issues in the electorate.

Mr Laming has been accused of 'trolling' women on social media and has been ordered to complete an awareness course

'Andrew Laming isn't fit to be an MP,' said Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Twitter on Friday evening.

'If the PM wants to stand by him, then that's a matter for him... this bloke doesn't belong in our nation's Parliament.'

Asked on Saturday if he Mr Laming was 'fit to run as a Liberal', Mr Morrison said it was a matter for the LNP Queensland division.

Ms Hewlett has also said she complained about Mr Laming 'countless times' both under Mr Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull's leadership, The Australian reported.

Retired former MP Tony Windsor added his voice to an avalanche of calls on social media to remove Mr Laming from office.

Mr Laming accused Alix Russo (left) of misappropriating funds at a homeless charity, while Sheena Hewlett (right) said she was forced to contact police after claiming Mr Laming hid in the bushes and took photos of her in a public park

'Now that Andrew Laming has made light of his apology and your directions to apologise Scott Morrison you have two options - sack him or call in the police to investigate his behaviour.'

A screen shot of one of Andrew Laming's online comments to charity worker Alix Russo

'The fact that he thinks it is all a bit of a joke leaves you with no alternative. Lead.'

On Twitter, Mr Laming was trending with the hashtag #SackLaming also popular.

'I've checked with a couple of Liberal National party people I am familiar with in Queensland and said, 'Is this bloke a complete f***wit?'' 2GB radio host Ray Hadley said on air.

'And they replied yes, he is. He is,' Hadley said.

Mr Laming apologised for causing Ms Russo and Ms Hewlett distress in a speech in Parliament on Thursday.

It came after being hauled into the PM's office, conceding his social media commentary had caused significant distress to two 'well regarded individuals' of his electorate.

He also apologised to the women in writing.

'His comments were not acceptable to both women and also to the Prime Minister,' a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.

'Every Australian has the right to feel safe online and Mr Laming has made a commitment to change his online communication practices.'

Mr Morrison has spoke to Mr Laming once again regarding his online behaviour and ordered him to complete an awareness course.

A statement issued by Mr Laming on Thursday, where he issued 'an unreserved public apology'

'I want to express my regret and deep apologies for the hurt and the distress that communication may have caused,' Mr Laming said in his apology.

'I want to retract those comments and issue a public unreserved apology.'

The Liberal National Party backbencher, who regularly attracts criticism for his behaviour and comments on social media, acknowledged he had lessons to learn about his use of words.

'I have made a concerted effort to understand the impact of these responses upon others and demonstrate a clear change in the way I communicate,' he said.

'I want to say to any person who has received correspondence from me which fell short of what they expect from an MP that I intend to own that failure and apologise without hesitation.'

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A woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton has blasted the former president for hosting a virtual seminar on empowering women - while launching a vulgar attack at VP Kamala Harris.

Juanita Broaddrick, a former nurse, took to Twitter this week to slam the event hosted by the man she accused of raping her when she was working at a nursing home in Arkansas in 1978.

'Is this a f***ing joke?' she asked.

'This pervert........ who raped me....is going to talk about empowering women,' she claimed, referring to Biden.

'....with a woman who spread her legs for power....,' she continued, in a crude attack on Vice President Harris. It appears to be a bitter swipe at Harris dating former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown 20 years ago.

Broaddrick, 78, was reacting to an announcement from the Clinton Foundation that the former president was scheduled to host the discussion for the 13th annual Clinton Global Initiative event on Friday.

Clinton was due to discuss 'the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, and empowering women and girls in the U.S. and around the world' with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Juanita Broaddrick, a former nurse who publicly accused Bill Clinton of rape in 1999, took to Twitter this week to blast the event as 'despicable' and 'a joke'. She is pictured right with the former president at a nursing home in 1978

Broaddrick was reacting to an announcement from the Clinton Foundation this week that the former president was scheduled to host the discussion on women's empowerment on Friday

The event was slammed on social media by critics who questioned why Clinton, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct in the past and has been criticized for his ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, would speak on such a topic.

Harris also drew criticism for her participation.

'There are no words..... despicable..... both of them. VP Harris, Bill Clinton talk about 'empowering women' despite skeptics,' Broaddrick said in a follow up tweet.

She also compared inviting Clinton to speak on women's empowerment to 'asking Jeffrey Dahmer to host a cooking class.'

Broaddrick, a former Arkansas nursing home administrator, first claimed in 1999 that Clinton raped her during a meeting in Little Rock in 1978, when he was the state's attorney general.

Clinton's attorney denied the claim at the time and Clinton was never charged.

Clinton was criticized for hosting a virtual discussion on 'the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, and empowering women and girls in the U.S. and around the world' with Vice President Kamala Harris Friday

Broaddrick sued Bill Clinton in 1999, but the case was dismissed in 2001.

Broaddrick also famously appeared alongside then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in a St Louis hotel in 2016 after he invited several women who accused Clinton of rape and unwanted sexual advances to watch his debate against Hillary Clinton.

Tuesday's announcement was also criticized by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre who slammed Harris for taking part in the event with Clinton, a a onetime pal of the convicted pedophile.

'Wow!! She's asking Clinton how to empower women???' Virginia Giuffre tweeted on Wednesday.

'Wrong person, what she should be asking him is what the hell was Clinton doing on #Epstein island & private jets 27 TIMES!!'

Giuffre ended the tweet with the hashtag '#EnoughIsEnough.'

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, right, looks on as Juanita Broaddrick, who has accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault, speaks before the second presidential debate against democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016

When asked to comment on Giuffre's tweet, a spokesperson for the Clinton Foundation told DailyMail.com: 'For 20 years under the direction of President Clinton, the Clinton Foundation has worked to empower girls and women around the world.

'The Clinton Global Initiative has launched thousands of commitments to improve lives: empowering more than 13 million girls and women through job and leadership training; improving maternal and child health care access for more than 114 million people; and increasing opportunity for women in STEM education and careers.'

The event, which will also be attended by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, will be staged in conjunction with Harris' alma mater, Howard University.
A mysterious whistleblower claims he has texts messages, videos and images which reveal the extraordinary culture of 'hook-ups and oral sex' inside Parliament House.

The man, known only as Tom, told the Weekend Australian he prepared the explicit digital file in the lead up to a meeting with Finance Minister Simon Birmingham's office on Thursday.

The Finance Department is reportedly carrying out an investigation after leaked videos and pictures of government employees allegedly flashing and performing lewd sex acts inside Parliament House emerged last week.

The man said he provided information about a litany of sexual encounters which allegedly took place from September 2015 to 2020 - long after Prime Minister Scott Morrison was came to office in August 2018.

The extensive digital file has not been passed on to authorities at this stage but the Canberra insider did make a statement as part of the inquiry.

The allegations involve four current or former staffers, three non-staffers; one sex worker; a former minister and a sitting MP.

Tom said he was disappointed when Mr Morrison told parliament such lewd sexual activity by staffers had not occurred, to his knowledge, under his leadership.

'I am not aware of that behaviour having taken place, but if other information comes forward then I am happy to address that,' the Prime Minister said.

Tom claims and says he has text messages from a political staffer boasting about meeting with a colleague in a 'lockable toilet' in Parliament House after receiving a message that read 'wanna blow me?'.

A whistleblower inside Australia's parliament leaked photos and videos which allegedly revealed staffers exposing themselves inside the building (pictured)

A video also shows a male staffer allegedly performing a solo sex act on a female MP's desk, in what Prime Minister Scott Morrison branded 'disgusting' behaviour

The Australian government has been rocked by a string of shocking sexual scandals for the past month.

Former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins claimed she was raped by a senior colleague in parliament in 2019 but felt pressured not to report the incident to police.

Mr Morrison, who was already under pressure over his handling of the Higgins case, said last week that he was 'shocked and disgusted' by the latest revelations and added that 'we have to get our house in order'.

Tom said there was a 'culture of men thinking that they can do whatever they want' in parliament, and while he did not think the staffers had broken any laws he added: 'Morally, they are bankrupt'.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, already under pressure over his handling of rape allegations against his attorney general, called the latest revelations 'disgusting'

Earlier this month, Attorney-General Christian Porter also vigorously denied swirling accusations he had raped a 16-year-old girl in 1988 when they were both students.

During the week disturbing images emerged showing the alleged sex acts performed by at least four Coalition staffers in Parliament House.

Senior staffers allegedly swapped photos and video of themselves performing the solo sex acts in a Facebook Messenger group.

The sexual acts - some of which took place on the desks of federal female MPs - were carried out more than two years ago but only came to light after one of the staffers dobbed the rest of them in.

The controversies have placed growing pressure on the prime minister, who critics say has fumbled the government's response.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 14:29:36|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally reached 11,908,910 on Saturday as 62,258 new cases were reported from across the country, according to the latest figures released by the federal health ministry.

Besides, 291 deaths since Friday morning took the death toll to 161,240. Both the number of new cases and deaths recorded in past 24 hours is the highest this year so far.

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BEIJING -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) delivered a batch of COVID-19 vaccine aid to the Sudanese military on Saturday at the latter's request, said China's Ministry of National Defense.

This came a day after the PLA had provided COVID-19 vaccine aid to the Sierra Leone military.

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ADDIS ABABA -- Ethiopia registered 2,097 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 196,621 as of Friday evening, the country's Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, 28 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported across the country, bringing the national death toll to 2,769, said the ministry.

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OTTAWA -- Canada is expected to see a cumulative total of almost one million COVID-19 cases next week as the country's coronavirus variants continue spreading, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said Friday.

With variants now circulating widely, the PHAC said the COVID-19 case number could rise to 12,000 a day if Canadians maintain or increase the number of people they are in contact with daily.

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SAO PAULO -- Some 64.4 percent of active cases of the novel coronavirus disease in Sao Paulo, Brazil, correspond to the more contagious and deadly P.1 variant that emerged in the Amazon, according to a study released by Sao Paulo's city hall on Friday.

The report was carried out by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo's Institute of Tropical Medicine and released by the city's Secretary of Health Edson Aparecido.

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GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it was concerned about the potential criminal exploitation of the huge unmet global demand for COVID-19 vaccines, warned against counterfeit vaccines and urged people to stick to government-run vaccination programs.

According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, several ministries of health, national regulatory authorities and public procurement organizations across the world had received suspicious offers to supply COVID-19 vaccines.

- - - -

SANTIAGO -- Chile registered 7,626 new COVID-19 infections in one day, the highest number ever, surpassing the record for the second time this month and bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 962,321, the Health Ministry said on Friday.

According to the ministry's report, another 63 deaths were registered in the same period, for a death toll of 22,587.

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PARIS -- For the second day in a row, France's health authorities on Friday reported a daily increase of over 40,000 coronavirus cases and the deaths of 897 people, including 594 in retirement homes.

In the past 24 hours, 41,869 new infections were confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,465,956, second only to the United Kingdom in Europe.

- - - -

BAGHDAD -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Friday 6,490 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number of nationwide infections to 822,095.

The ministry also said that 29 new deaths were recorded, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 14,157, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 4,495 to 736,747.

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ANKARA -- Turkey on Friday confirmed 29,081 new COVID-19 cases, including 1,253 symptomatic patients, as the total number of positive cases in the country reached 3,149,094, according to its health ministry.

The death toll from the virus in Turkey rose by 153 to 30,772, while the total recoveries climbed to 2,921,037 after 20,208 more cases recovered in the last 24 hours.

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LONDON -- Another 6,187 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,325,315, according to official figures released Friday.

The country also reported another 70 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 126,515. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. Enditem
Nursing homes across the district opened their doors to relatives yesterday (Monday) and Newbawn woman Cecilia Heffernan was thrilled to see her son for the first time in months.

Danny said his mother, who is in her 99th year, was in great form and full of chat.

'Before the outbreak started in Ramsgrange way back in December was the last time I saw her. She is looking well and is in great form,' a delighted Danny said.

He told his mother on Sunday that he'd be calling in to see her during one of their daily chats. 'I was looking forward to seeing her. She can answer the mobile phone and we chat often but it's not the same,' Danny, from Ballyclemock, Newbawn said.

Cecilia has been a resident of Cherry Grove nursing home for around three years and is visited regularly by her children Danny, Margaret and Seamus. Danny would normally spend up to three hours with his mother, with whom he is very close.

'I missed that. I felt very down for a long time during the first lockdown. I am after getting over it now but for the first couple of months it was awful.'

Working as a farmer he said he said this is a busy time of the year but he will always make time for his mother. 'Time is scarce and precious with her. It was great to see her so alert. We had a chat and she kept telling me to pull my mask down because she couldn't hear me. She is vaccinated but I'm not so I couldn't go near her. I would love to be able to be closer to her. Hopefully I can see her more when I get the vaccine.'

Danny was thrilled to see his mother looking so healthy.

'They're looking after her very well and she is very happy with the staff. She's drinking milk now. I was afraid she was gone a little thinner and frayed but she is well able to talk. She's the last surviving member of her family. I'm looking forward when I get to meet her with no table between us. I would do anything to have her at home but at this stage she requires round the clock care.'
An estimated 6 million Americans may suffer from peanut allergies. Tiny amounts of peanut protein can lead to hives, itching, tingling in the mouth, shortness of breath or nausea within minutes.

For individuals with severe peanut allergies, food-induced anaphylaxis can occur. It's a life-threatening emergency that requires treatment with an injection of epinephrine and a trip to the emergency room. Food labels offer warnings such as "may contain peanuts" or "was processed in a facility that may process nuts."

The warnings allow individuals with severe reactions to steer clear, but for consumers who may be able to tolerate a minimal amount of peanut protein without major incident the labels aren't very useful, says Lynne Haber, PhD, a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine senior toxicologist.

But a new study that Haber has led may help change that situation in the United States.

Using patient data from multiple locations, scientists used mathematical models to estimate an "eliciting dose" -- or the amount of peanut protein that will cause or elicit an allergic reaction in a certain percentage of peanut sensitive patients, explains Haber. The study reviewed the responses of 481 patients in double-blind placebo-controlled studies, who were exposed to increasing levels of peanut protein in a controlled clinical setting until the patient had an allergic reaction.

The dose calculated to elicit an allergic reaction in 1% of patients with peanut allergies was 0.052 milligrams of peanut protein, about the weight of a single grain of salt, says Haber. The eliciting dose for 5% of patients was calculated to be 0.49 milligrams of peanut protein, or about the weight of a single grain of sugar, says Haber.

The findings were published in the scholarly journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Risk is based on a combination of how inherently hazardous something is, and how much of that substance someone is exposed to. Arsenic is more toxic than sodium chloride, also known as table salt, but if you're not exposed to any arsenic, it does not pose any risk." Lynne Haber, Adjunct Associate Professor of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, UC College of Medicine

"The amount of exposure is also important in determining risk," says Haber. "Water is healthy, but if you drink enough of it, it could kill you. There has been a move to shift to labeling that is based on a combination of the inherent hazard of a substance and how much of it is in a product. This is being done in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The United States has been slower to do this."

Haber worked with patient data from Stanford Medicine and the Consortium for Food Allergy Research. The study was supported by The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS). This non-profit 501(c)(3) scientific research organization pools funding from food industry collaborators and advances science through the in-kind and financial contributions from public and private sector participants.

"We were asked to do analysis using data from the U.S. population as there may be differences between the U.S. and other countries in terms of peanut consumption and exposure that affect the sensitivity to peanut," says Haber. "We have posted all the data and modeling code via the internet to ensure transparency. We have identified an exposure limit that is relevant to the U.S. population using a method and data that others can use for their own analysis."

Other collaborators on the study were John Reichard, PhD, PharmD, assistant professor, and Melissa Vincent, a former research associate, both in the UC College of Medicine. Additional collaborators include independent consultant Bruce Allen, and Alice Henning and Peter Dawson, both of the Emmes Company, Rockville, Maryland; along with Sharon Chinthrajah, MD, Sayantani B. Sindher, MD, Andrew Long, PharmD, and Kari Nadeau, MD, all from Stanford Medicine.

Funding for the contributions of Haber, Reichard, Henning, Dawson, Vincent and Allen was provided by IAFNS through an ILSI North America Food and Chemical Safety Committee grant.

Haber reports a recent contract with Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE) (another organization with food-related interests) and the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA), and is a subcontractor on a separate IAFNS project related to food risk assessment. Chinthrajah reports grants from NIAID, CoFAR, Aimmune, DBV Technologies, Astellas and Regeneron. Chinthrajah is also an advisory member for Alladapt, Genentech, Novartis and receives personal fees from Before Brands.

Sindher receives grant support from the National Institutes of Health. Sindher is involved in clinical trials with Regeneron, Aimmune Therapeutics, DBV Technologies, Adare Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi and Novartis.

Nadeau reports grants from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), director of World Allergy Organization Center of Excellence at Stanford; adviser at Cour Pharma; co-founder of Before Brands, Alladapt, Latitude and IgGenix; National Scientific Committee member at Immune Tolerance Network and National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical research centers.

Nadeau is a data safety monitoring board member for NHLBI and holds U.S. patents for basophil testing, multifood immunotherapy and prevention, monoclonal antibody from plasmablasts and device for diagnostics.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2021 Contact: Press@Michigan.gov $1M in federal funding will provide Northern Michigan communities with employment, training services to respond to opioid crisis LANSING, Mich. - Today Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has received funding of $1,025,220 from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to provide services to Michigan communities significantly affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose. Administered by the USDOL's Employment and Training Administration, National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant funding will serve 24 counties in Northern Lower Michigan. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in October 2017, enabling Michigan to request this funding. This is the initial funding allotment, with up to an additional $2 million available based on program outcomes. "As leaders, we must do everything we can to help residents facing substance use disorder get the care they need," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer, "Widespread substance use and addiction continues to challenge many Michigan families, and this funding will uplift communities affected by the harmful health and economic effects of opioids." Funding will create disaster-relief positions addressing local workforce impacts of the opioid crisis. It will also provide employment and training services to up to 170 individuals affected by the crisis, as well as individuals transitioning into healthcare positions related to addiction, treatment, prevention and pain management. Work will be supported in the applicable counties by Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, Michigan Works! Region 7B Consortium and Networks Northwest. Michigan Works! Agencies are the State of Michigan's partners for workforce development programs. "The opioid crisis has effected Michiganders on many fronts - this funding will help many Michigan communities address the significant economic and workforce impacts," said LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin. "It will also support our ongoing efforts to encourage more individuals to enter professions that could help combat this crisis." Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses. More information about the USDOL's Dislocated Worker Grant is available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dislocated-workers. ###
Serbia's president lashed out on Friday at a European Parliament report which called on his country to fight corruption and organized crime and work on the rule of law if it wants to join the European Union.

Using highly undiplomatic language, Aleksandar Vucic said that parts of the report are a naked lie and the European parliamentarians are apparently lost in time and space.

Asked whether the report adopted Thursday could slow down Serbias EU accession by pressuring the country to recognize independence of its former province of Kosovo, he said sarcastically: I cannot sleep from fear.

Citing parts of the report on Serbias health care, Vucic praised his own handling of the coronavirus crisis and the acquisition of vaccines, mainly from China, which made Serbia one of Europes top countries per capita in the number of people inoculated.

The European Parliament report also noted the deterioration of press freedom in Serbia and the increase in intimidation and hate speech against the opposition, independent intellectuals, NGOs and journalists.

Although formally seeking EU membership, Serbia under Vucics increasingly autocratic rule has been forging ever-closer ties with China and Russia.

Serbias main opposition Party of Freedom and Justice said Vucics remarks against the European lawmakers are edging on hate speech.

It is now completely clear to everyone that he never really cared about the European Union, the party statement said.

Before his populist Serbian Progressive Party came to power in 2012, Vucic was an ultranationalist who also served as the information minister during the NATO intervention in 1999 that stopped Serbia's bloody crackdown against Kosovo separatists.

Serbia and its allies Russia and China do not recognize Kosovos 2008 declaration of independence, while the U.S. and most of the Western states did.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Bangkok, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2021 ) :Rebels in eastern Myanmar said the country's junta had launched air strikes against them late Saturday, hours after the rebel group had seized a military base.

The strikes mark the first such air assault against the Fifth Brigade of Karen National Union (KNU), one of the country's largest armed groups, since the military seized power in a Feburary 1 coup.

An estimated one-third of Myanmar's territory -- mostly in its border regions -- is controlled by a myriad of rebel groups, some of whom have their own militias.

The KNU earlier Saturday had overrun a military base in southeastern Karen state, the group said, with its Facebook page displaying a cache of seized handguns and automatic weapons.

By around 7:30 pm (1300 GMT), fighter jets had swooped into the KNU-held Hpa-pun district headquarters and opened fire on villagers, the rebel group's head of foreign affairs said.

"We can't make contact with the district yet," Padoh Saw Taw Nee told AFP.

But "there is a high school, a junior college and a medical training camp" around the attack area.

The junta did not immediately comment and there was no official confirmation of any casualties.

The head of an ethnic rights group, the Karen Women's Organisation, said she lost contact with the district soon after the jets were first sighted around 5:00 pm.

"People were worried and scared then," Naw K'nyaw Paw told AFP, explaining that Karen state hasn't seen air strikes in years.

"But we can't get in touch with people anymore." She added the attack would likely fan growing fears of an impending civil war, which could spark an exodus to neighbouring Thailand.

About 90,000 refugees from Myanmar have lived in limbo on the Thai side of the border for many years after fleeing decades of conflict between Myanmar's military and ethnic armed groups.

- 'Right to defend themselves' - Myanmar has been in turmoil since civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's ouster in the February 1 coup, triggering a mass uprising that is increasingly being quelled with lethal force by police and soldiers.

The anti-coup movement has garnered broad support across Myanmar, including among some of the country's armed insurgent groups which have for decades been fighting the military for more autonomy.

Padoh Saw Taw Nee said he had expected retaliation, largely due to the KNU's condemnation of the junta and its sheltering of hundreds of anti-coup protesters in their territory.

"We already understood that they will take revenge one way or another," he told AFP.

The group released an open letter to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing this week, refusing to meet him until the military agrees to "withdraw from active engagement in politics".

After Saturday's bloodshed, Padoh Saw Taw Nee said the number of fleeing dissidents -- originally expected to reach 7,000 by April's end -- will likely be greater.

Declining to be drawn on whether its militia is planning a large-scale attack on junta forces, Padoh Saw Taw Nee only said, "if (the junta) keeps doing like this, people will have the right to defend themselves and protect themselves."There are currently already more than 7,000 ethnic Karen people pushed into KNU-controlled territory, displaced from ongoing fighting since December.
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Anthony Zilis is a multimedia specialist at The News-Gazette. His email is azilis@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@adzilis).
Soldiers from the Mozambican army patrol the streets after security in the area was increased - ADRIEN BARBIER /AFP

At least one British expatriate is believed to have been killed as Islamists stormed a Mozambique town and surrounded a hotel where foreigners had taken refuge, military sources told the Telegraph.

Two other British nationals were evacuated by helicopter as jihadists known for brutal beheadings went on a bloody rampage through the northern town of Palma.

But dozens of expatriates of various nationalities are thought to have died as they were ambushed while attempting to escape from the Amarula Palma hotel, where around 200 people had been sheltering for two days.

Decapitated bodies remain scattered across Palma, according to local reports, where fighting between the extremists and security forces has raged on since Wednesday. After mercenaries evacuated the last of the foreigners, the entire town was seized by the militants, security sources said.

Children as young as 11 have been beheaded by extremist groups in recent weeks as a brutal insurgency has intensified across the northern Cabo Delgado province.

Mozambique Cabo Delgado map

Since October 2017 at least 2,400 have people died, while some 700,000 have been forced to flee. The savage attacks have stunned aid workers in the region.

Palma is adjacent to gas projects worth $60 billion, led by oil majors including Total, where many expatriate workers were employed.

Rescue efforts had been underway with at least 20 people flown to safety in helicopters before the ambush, said Lional Dyck, who runs Dyck Advisory Group, a South African private security company that works with Mozambique's government.

Those who did not attempt to flee in the 17-car convoy on Friday were ferried away from the scene on boats.

A father of three was among those killed during the attack. Meryl Knox, 59, said her 41-year-old son Adrian Nel was shot in the convoy after waiting days to be rescued.

They had tried to escape and were shot in a vehicle on their way out, she told The Telegraph.

Meryl Knox with son Adrian - Facebook

Her husband Greg, 55, and second son Wesley Nel, 37, escaped with their lives and were rescued by DAG, and taken to nearby Afundi and before being flown out to Pemba.

Story continues

We know of other South Africans desperate for news of their families," Mrs Knox said.

Jayde Alexander, 29, told The Telegraph her South African father, a former policeman, was among the missing. She said he was heading to the border with Tanzania, some 430 miles away, before disappearing.

He had seen a gun in one of the Mozambique governments abandoned vehicles and he took it, she said as she described his attempted escape.

Palma is a logistic hub and base for multiple international firms looking to cash in on one of the biggest gas finds in a decade.

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Wednesdays attack came just hours after Total SE announced the resumption of works at its site after halting them due to security issues.

Officials at Mozambique's foreign ministry, defence ministry and provincial government did not immediately respond to calls or had their phones switched off on Saturday. The national police said they were evaluating the situation without providing further details.

Mozambique's government had said that security forces were working to restore order in Palma, after it came under a three-pronged attack on Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear on Saturday how many people, if any, remained in the hotel and how many were missing.

Cindy Cooke, a South African whose 21-year-old stepson Francois van Niekerk is in Palma, was frantically trying to get information.

Hundreds tried to escape from the Amarula Palma hotel - @Jasminechic00

His family had not heard from him since the attack started on Wednesday, though rescuers had been to his location on Saturday and he was not there, she said.

"It's scary. Being there is no joke. They (the insurgents) are ruthless, just ruthless," she said.

Portugal's foreign ministry said one of its nationals had been injured in the attack on Palma but did not specify the circumstances. The person had since been rescued, and its embassy in Maputo was working to identify other Portuguese nationals who needed support, the ministry said in an email.

A spokesperson the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "Our High Commission in Maputo is in direct contact with authorities in Cabo Delgado to urgently seek further information on these reports."

The Telegraph contacted Total SE for comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 20:08:59|Editor: huaxia

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LHASA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will keep pace with other parts of the country in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a new journey toward socialist modernization, said Qizhala, chairman of the regional government.

Qizhala made the remarks on Saturday evening in a televised speech marking the 62nd anniversary of Tibet's democratic reform. Enditem
County Councillors in Wicklow have expressed concerns that the Government's Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill will undermine local democracy.

At a special meeting of Wicklow County Council held on Monday, members agreed to call on the Government to halt the progress of the LDA Bill, which is currently making its way through the Dail.

The LDA is a key part of the Government's plan to use State lands to fast-track the development of social and affordable homes.

The bill includes clauses which would remove from councillors their veto on land transfers relating to the new agency.

A proposal from Cllr Joe Behan stated: 'That the members of Wicklow County Council call on the Government to reinstate in the Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill, the legal requirement that councillors must consent to the sale of all public land in the ownership of the council by the way of a Disposal Motion (Section 183) voted for by the majority of councillors in a public way.'

Cllr Behan added: 'This provision is a step too far. It involves the removal of the responsibility for the disposal of public land to this agency. The consent of elected representatives won't be required if its transferred from Wicklow County Council to the land registry.

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'This is the creation of a super agency. Under the LDA Bill they can acquire land and then decide what happens to it, whether that means a private developer or social housing. Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien, has said it will only be used in limited circumstances where agreement can't be reached. What that really means is they will take it anyway. I am angry and appalled by this bill.'

Cllr Gerry Walsh stated: 'They have removed councillors democratic power with one stroke of a pen. One would have to have serious concerns.

'We have a mandate to ensure the local authority gets value for money. It also opens the door for some land to be transferred to private developers, which flies in the face our aim to provide affordable houses.'

Cllr Tom Fortune described the LDA as another NAMA or HSE.

He said, 'This is a wake-up call for councillors. The Government are continuing chipping away at the powers councillors have and should have.

'All 32 councillors need to act as one, or if not, they will wipe us out. The silence of our TDs on the matter is also deafening, though I don't believe they support it.'

Cllr Paul O'Brien commented: 'For too long now successive Governments have tried to kill off local democracy with a thousand cuts. It's time for councillors to gather under the one banner and stop this attack on local democracy.'

Cllr Shay Cullen had attended a recent Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) meeting, where it was clear councillors from across the country were against the agency progressing.

'It will take away the reserved function of members of this council. It will be used as another stick to beat us with. If housing is taken away from us then it is just another power taken away from us.'

Cllr Grace McManus said: 'It makes me suspicious as to why they wouldn't want us involved when we are the ones on the ground with the local knowledge.'

She added that at age 29, housing wasn't affordable for the majority of people her age or in a similar age group.

'It seems to be a case of if they can't get councillors to agree with their definition of affordable, then they will take it away from us.'

Cllr John Snell called for all the elected members to unite against the bill.

'Let there be no divide between us. Our powers are being diminished day by day. If this goes through it will be the final nail in the coffin.'

Cllr Irene Winters stated: 'It would appear that the reason it is being done is because in certain local authorities the present Government are unhappy with the decisions taken by the elected members.

'If it is a majority voted for by the elected members, then what they voted for should be carried out.

Cllr Edward Timmins said: 'It is a further erosion of our powers. It's almost like we aren't to be trusted on decisions in our own area, areas we know better than anyone else.'

Cllr Lourda Scott said: 'It's great to hear a united voice among the elected members. They are removing power from county councillors, when we are custodians of public land.

Cllr Rory O'Connor felt the bill could cause long-term damage to the democratic process.

He said: 'Why get involved when you are running out of power? On election time, why even take the time-out of your day to vote if the person you are voting for has no power? It's a very dangerous road we are going down.'

Cllr John Mullen said: 'This is an attack on democratic accountability. We have one of the most centralised forms of Government in Europe and the world. All the power is being put in the hands of technocrats. The last time that happened was in the old Soviet Union, and that didn't end great. It is a dangerous road to keep going down without expecting consequences.'

Cllr Peir Leonard said: 'We need to form a strategy to counteract what is going to happen and to protect democracy for further generations.'

Cllr Behan's proposal received the unanimous support of his council colleagues.

Local Authorities including Dublin, Limerick, Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo have also written to the Minister expressing their opposition to the bill.
By Heiela Salhieh and Salha El-Shwehdi

In celebration of International Womens Day, the Human Rights Center co-hosted a screening of the new documentary 9to5 by Oscar-winning filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar. In the early 1970s, a group of female Boston secretaries began organizing labor unions to fight for better wages, advancement opportunities, and an end to sexual harassment in the workplace. Their fight for equality galvanized a nationwide movement called 9to5. The documentary explores this womens movement's history and parallels the continued struggle for women's rights today.

The 9to5 documentary demonstrated how to generate a human rights-based social movement. As captured by the documentary, the 9to5 movement utilized four key ingredients that made it successful. They are: (1) organizing the people who are impacted; (2) defining and simplifying the issues; (3) creating a safe and supportive meeting place; and (4) taking actions that make campaigns winnable and publicly acknowledged.

1. Organizing the people who are impacted

The women of the 9to5 movement carried out several efforts to raise awareness and garner support. As a result, thousands of women joined together to challenge authority and fight for equal rights to men. Efforts such as strikes proved to be effective in raising awareness of the unfair treatment of women in the workplace.

Another fruitful effort was the creation of the 9to5 group. Word quickly spread that hundreds of women were willing to contest the discrimination they faced in the workplace, leading to the creation of 9to5 groups across the country. This demonstrates that engaging individuals who are impacted by similar issues can spark a human rights-based social movement.

There is strength in numbers and those in power are more likely to respond to issues brought forth by a larger population. Further, change is often opposed by those enforcing and benefitting from the status quo, thus making broad engagement crucial to a social movement.

2. Defining and simplifying the issues

To define and simplify issues concerning the unequal treatment of women in the workplace, the 9to5 group circulated surveys to identify and evaluate these disparities. The surveys described common inequities and incidences of sexism that women faced in the workplace and asked women to discuss the individual hardships and experiences they endured in the workplace. The results indicated that sexual harassment, unequal wages, lack of job descriptions, and maternity leave issues were most commonly faced.

These results allowed the 9to5 group to define and simplify the key issues of their movement. For example, the 9to5 group created the term sexual harassment. Prior to the 9to5 movement, there was no terminology to adequately describe or define the unwanted sexual advances and obscene remarks made by men in the workplace. The 9to5 group labeled this frequent occurrence, subsequently initiating awareness and identification of sexual harassment in the workplace on a national level.

Furthermore, defining and simplifying the grievances that women endured led to the creation of the Bill of Rights for Women Office Workers. This document focused on clear demands, such as clearly defined and written job descriptions, compensation for overtime work, regular salary reviews, maternity benefits, on-the-job training programs, and benefits equal to those of men.

When generating a human rights-based movement, it is important to remain steadfast in the goals of the movement. The organizers of 9to5 appealed to several unions which ultimately declined their requests, but they never stopped trying. Rather, they continued their fight for independence and autonomy and eventually succeeded in negotiating key changes, such as independent offices and equal pay between men and women.

3. Creating a safe and supportive meeting place

The creation of a meeting place was crucial to the 9to5 movement. It brought similarly situated women face-to-face to discuss the hardships they endured. The meeting place provided a safe space for hundreds of women to assemble for conversations and build relationships among them  ultimately growing their network of supporters and followers. These spaces also contributed to better dissemination of information concerning the 9to5 movement and its current issues. Altogether, the creation of safe and supportive meeting places improved the organization of protests and events that spread awareness of discrimination in the workplace to the public.

4. Taking actions that are winnable and publicly acknowledged

The documentary offered powerful insight into the type of actions women had to engage in to be heard. The District 925 Labor Union had several issues on their docket, however, the women of District 925 decided to pursue the reinstalment of tampon dispensers within the workplace by engaging in collective bargaining. Although this was not the most important issue on the docket at the time, their efforts proved successful. The women were unapologetic in their identity, which proved they were in control of their own agenda and were willing to comprehensively fight for the needs of their members. New ideas and movements often face opposition and can be minimized by those enforcing and benefiting from the status quo. However, remaining unapologetic, pushing boundaries, and addressing all inequities is what leads us to substantive change. This collective bargaining campaign, the Womens Strike, and the Bill of Rights for Women Office Workers are all examples of actionable wins that can claim public acknowledgment.

Overall, generating a human rights-based social movement needs commitment, consistency and hard work. For us, the 9to5 movement as portrayed in the documentary exemplified how to successfully generate a human-rights-based social movement.

Heiela Salhieh is a second-year law student from New Carlisle, Ohio. She is passionate about advocating for social justice and hopes to pursue a career in immigration law one day.

Salha El-Shwehdi is a second-year law student from Dayton, Ohio. She is a student member of UDSL Human Rights Awareness and Advocacy Group, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee, and is a staff-writer on Law Review.
A new type of a tactical guided missile was launched from the North Korean town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, Thursday, in this photo released by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap



North Korea on Saturday accused U.S. President Joe Biden of "provocation" for criticizing its recent missile launches, claiming the firings are an exercise of its self-defense right and warning the U.S. will face "something that is not good" if such "thoughtless remarks" continue.



Ri Pyong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, made the statement, a day after Biden said the North's launch of two short-range ballistic missiles Thursday was in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.



"We express our deep apprehension over the U.S. chief executive faulting the regular testfire, exercise of our state's right to self-defense, as the violation of UN "resolutions" and openly revealing his deep-seated hostility toward the DPRK," Ri said.



"Such remarks from the U.S. president are an undisguised encroachment on our state's right to self-defense and provocation to it," he said in the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.




New Delhi: PM Modi arrived in Bangladesh on Friday on a two-day visit. Today is PM Modi's second and last day in Bangladesh. The first day was diplomatically important, while today's day is full of political messages. In West Bengal, when people are voting for 30 assembly seats, PM Modi will be visiting temples in Bangladesh during the visit. PM Modi will be the first to visit Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.

Not only that, but PM Modi will also visit the Temple of Matua community in Orakandi today. Orakandi is the place where Harishchandra Thakur, founder of the Matua community, was born. The Matua community is very important in terms of votes in the Bengal elections. On Saturday, Modi will also visit Shaik Mujeeb ur Rahman's tomb in Gopalganj. He will be the first Indian leader to do so. Modi will also inaugurate the Bangabandhu-Bapu Museum.

PM Modi will also hold talks with Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. A number of agreements will be signed between the two. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momin had said ahead of PM Modi's visit that at least five agreements are likely to be signed between the two countries. There will also be virtual openings for many projects. PM Modi will also meet Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid before returning to Delhi on Saturday evening.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 26)  Almost all Filipino adults worry about catching COVID-19, according to a Pulse Asia survey conducted in late February. However, a majority of them are not willing to get vaccinated over safety concerns.

Pulse Asia on Friday said it conducted a survey from February 22 to March 3 this year, asking 2,400 adults how they feel about the COVID-19 situation. About 94% of them said they are concerned that either they or their family members may get infected. During this time, the country was still recording less than 3,000 new cases per day and the total was nearing 600,000.

The pollster found that over 90% of interviewees from all areas, except Mindanao which had 89%, were worried about COVID-19. The rest are either not worried or cannot say if they are concerned about the deadly disease or not.

The survey also showed practically every Filipino adult is aware of the vaccines being developed in different countries such as China (100% were aware), the US (99%), Russia (97%), the United Kingdom (96%), and India (93%). However, trust in the vaccines is a different story as 63% said they do not trust vaccines from China. Meanwhile, the leading sentiment for American vaccines was trust at 44%. On the UK-made and Russia-made doses, the sentiment is both undecided with 43% and 40% saying so. As for India, there were same percentages for distrust (45%) and ambivalence on the matter (43%).

The survey results also showed 61% or six in 10 Filipino adults were not inclined to take any available vaccine. The sentiment was shared by majorities in all areas, Pulse Asia said. Only 16% said they are willing to get vaccinated while 23% are undecided.

The primary reason is uncertainty in the vaccines' safety with 84% citing this reason. About 74% of the undecided respondents also gave the same explanation. The remaining interviewees said they are hesitating either because the vaccine might not be effective, it is not needed, it might not be free, or it might be too expensive.

For those who are willing to get vaccinated, the most preferred brand is from US drugmaker Pfizer, chosen by 52% of the interviewees. Only 22% favor the Sinovac vaccine. Pulse Asia noted that when the survey was conducted, the Food and Drug Administration already gave Sinovac emergency use approval.

Other COVID-19 vaccines preferred by at least 1% of those willing to get vaccinated are those made by AstraZeneca (6%), Gamaleya Research Institute (3%), Johnson & Johnson (1%), Sinopharm (1%), and Moderna (1%).

Pulse Asia said the survey was not commissioned and has a  2% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey namely, Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a  4% error margin, also at 95% confidence level.
A police department in Maryland has released body camera video that captured two of its officers berating a 5-year-old boy who had walked away from his elementary school, calling him a 'little beast' and threatening him with a beating.

The video released Friday by the Montgomery County Police Department shows one of the officers repeatedly screaming at the crying child, with her face inches from his.

'Oh, my God, I'd beat him so bad,' the officer said in the child's presence before telling him, 'You do not embarrass me like this at school.'

The officers found the boy about one block from East Silver Spring Elementary School and drove him back to the school on Jan. 14, 2020, where they were met by a school administrator. The video shows an officer forcing the crying child onto a chair in the principal's office.

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Officers with the Montgomery County Police Department found the boy about one block from East Silver Spring Elementary School and drove him back to the school on Jan. 14, 2020

'Shut that noise up now!' the other officer shouted near the boy's face. 'I hope your momma let me beat you.'

One of the officers pulled out his handcuffs and closed one of loops around the child's right wrist.

'When you get older, when you want to make your own decisions, you know what's going to be your best friend?' one officer asks the terrified boy.

'These right here. You know what these are? These are handcuffs. You know what they're for? You know what these are for? These are for people that don't want to listen and don't know how to act.'

Video shows the officers talking with the boy once they find him near the school

They then load him into the patrol car and bring him back to the school, yelling at him on the way

The officer grabbed onto the little boy tightly as they led the boy back into the school

The boy's mother has filed a lawsuit over the January 2020 interaction. Lawyers for the child's mother, Shanta Grant, said the video shows the officers treating her son 'as if he were a hardened criminal.' They said Grant is seeking 'justice and fair compensation for the trauma he endured.'

'She also hopes that the incident will lead to changes in policy and training, both with the school and the police,' the attorneys, Matthew Bennett and James Papirmeister, said in a statement.

Grant appears in the footage, at one point undressing her son to show that she doesn't beat him and that he isn't 'being physically abused.'

'I'm not losing my child to the system and I'm not going to prison,' she says in the clip.

'Oh, my God, I'd beat him so bad,' the officer said in the child's presence before telling him, 'You do not embarrass me like this at school'

Officers handcuffed the boy and told him that he would need to get used to them

The video released Friday by the Montgomery County Police Department shows one of the officers repeatedly screaming at the crying child, with her face inches from his

'You don't go to prison for beating your child,' one officer tells the mother.

The Washington Post reports that the police department and the county's public school system declined to address the incident in detail, citing the mother's pending lawsuit. But the school system issued a statement describing the video as 'extremely difficult' to watch.

'There is no excuse for adults to ever speak to or threaten a child in this way,' the school system said. 'As parents and grandparents, we know that when families send their children to school, they expect that the staff will care for them, keep them safe and use appropriate intervention processes when needed.'

A police department spokeswoman told the newspaper that the two officers in the video remain employed by the department after an internal investigation.

The boy's mother has filed a lawsuit over the January 2020 interaction. Lawyers for the child's mother, Shanta Grant, said the video shows the officers treating her son 'as if he were a hardened criminal'

'A thorough investigation was conducted of the entire event,' the department said in a statement.

The boy's mother sued Montgomery County, the county's education board and the two officers. Her complaint names the officers as Dionne Holliday and Kevin Christmon, but the department hasn't released their names.

Police department spokesman Rick Goodale said he can't comment beyond the departments written statement on Friday or say whether the officers were disciplined. 'All that is confidential personnel records under (Maryland) law,' he wrote in a text message to The Associated Press on Saturday.

Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando said the video 'made me sick.'

'We all saw a little boy be mocked, degraded, put in the seat of a police car, screamed at from the top of an adult police officers lungs, inches from his face. This is violence,' Jawando said.

Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando said the video 'made me sick'

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement Friday that he directed the county's police chief to revisit training for how officers are expected to interact with children.

'Our police officers are not social workers, psychologists, or therapists and should not be giving advice or direction on parenting. Police duties should end as soon as school personnel are present to take over care of a child,' he said.

Elrich also said he is 'limited' in what he can say about the matter while the mother's lawsuit is pending and can't discuss 'disciplinary outcomes which have been taken.'

The Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 released a statement about the video, sharing that the incident could have been 'handled better by all involved.'

'Officers were called to assist the school with a child who ran away from school staff. It is clear, that the event and everything that has come after the event should have been handled better by all involved,' they said.

'It's important to note that unless an officer is assigned to a specialized unit, Montgomery County police officers do not receive training on how to effectively communicate with a young child in distress.'
Chennai, March 27 : PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday condemned former Union Minister and DMK's Deputy general secretary A. Raja for his disgusting speech against Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and his mother.

In a scathing attack, Ramadoss said the DMK was not ready to respect women and cited Karunanidhi's responses to various issues in the past.

Ramadoss also said that Palanswami who grew up from the AIADMK ranks to become the state Chief Minister has more political acumen than DMK president M. K. Stalin, the son of DMK's late president and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

"When there are several decent words to compare Palaniswami and Stalin the choice of words used by Raja shows his standard and also that of DMK," Ramadoss said.

Recently, the DMK leader Raja said Stalin's slipper is worth one rupee more than Palaniswami.

More than that, Raja had insulted Palaniswami's late mother in a disgusting manner.

Ramadoss said it was Stalin's son and party's youth wing leader Udayanidhi Stalin who started the trend of making disgusting remark about Palaniswami and V. K. Sasikala.

Few days back, one of DMK's Propaganda Secretary Dindigul I Leoni body-shamed women while campaigning in the Thondamuthur constituency for Karthikeya Sivasenapathy.

Leoni said that women have lost their hour-glass figure and have become like a barrel after drinking milk of foreign cows.

DMK's Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi said whoever be the political leader, if they are speaking ill about women -- they must be condemned.

In her tweet, without pointing at anyone, Kanimozhi added that "it is good for the society if all keep in mind" that one cannot disrespect women.

This is the social justice that the Dravidian movement and the late E. V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, always wished for.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, has insisted that her ministry spent over N500 million on feeding schoolchildren in two states and Abuja during last years COVID-19 lockdown.

There are, however, modifications to some details  figures and the nature of food distributed  which the minister was quoted to have provided concerning the programme last year.

While responding to public scepticism questioning the transparency of the social intervention programme at a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 last August, Ms Farouq was quoted as saying that N523,273,800 was spent to feed pupils in Ogun and Lagos states as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, between May 14, and July 6, 2020.

But in a court document which was filed on her behalf at the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 26, 2021, an official of her ministry stated that the 1st respondent (the minister) spent N535,873,800 on 127,789 households as against the N523,273,800 on 124,589 households claimed by the applicant.

The official of the legal unit of the ministry, Ahmed Abdullahi, who gave some details about the programme in a counter-affidavit he deposed to on behalf of the minister and the ministry, stated that he was briefed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Home-grown School Feeding Programme, Titilayo Adeyemi.

The counter-affidavit, seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, was filed to oppose a Freedom of Information (FoI) suit seeking an order to compel the minister and her ministry to release the full details of the spending and the beneficiaries.

Twist, turns

In what comes as a new twist in the court document, Mr Abdulahi stated that about 5,000 cooks were engaged for the 20-day programme in Abuja and the two states, a claim that appears to negate the impression given by Ms Farouq at her last Augusts briefing that it was uncooked food that was distributed to the pupils.

The deponent stated that 1,419 cooks were engaged in 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lagos State, 3,577 of them in 20 LGAs of Ogun State, and 895 others in the FCT.

Even though schools were shut down during the 20 days period of the distribution of the food, the official stated that 2,859 schools benefitted from the programme in the two states and Abuja.

A civil society group, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International (KHRFI), had in November last year, sued Ms Farouq and her ministry, along with others, after they ignored its August 6, 2020 letter anchored on FoI Act, 2011, requesting the full details of the spending and the beneficiaries of the school feeding programme.

The organisation stated that it resorted to filing the suit because it suspected act of corruption in the school feeding spending.

Ms Farouk and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDSD), are sued as the 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit.

The rest of the defendants are, the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 , the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

Aside from the minister and her ministry, the other defendants have yet to respond to the suit which is pending before Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Breakdown

Mr Abdullahi, the FMHDSDs official, stated in the counter-affidavit on the ministry and her minister that the school feeding exercise during last years lockdown gulped N535,873,800.

He added that cash was not disbursed during the exercise, but food items valued at N4,200 per household at N70 per child and based on assumption of three children per household.

According to him, a total of 2,859 schools, 382,765 pupils and 12,789 schools benefited from the exercise that lasted between nine to 20 days between May and June last year in Abuja, Lagos State and Ogun State.

The counter-affidavit read in part, That the breakdown of the number of households in FCT is 29,609 and 37,589 in Lagos State and 60,391 in Ogun State.

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That the activity in Lagos started on May 21 and ended June 3, 2020.

That the activity in Ogun started on June 17 and ended on July 6, 2020.

That the activity in FCT started on May 21 and ended May 29, 2020.

That the programme did not disburse cash, but food items valued at N4,200 per household at the N70 per child for 20 days (a month) assuming there are 3 Children within the targeted age group in each household.

For the FCT, the official stated that that six LGAs benefitted and the number of schools is 404, number of cooks is 895, number of pupils is 88,826, number of households is 29,609 and the N4,200 relief per household stood at N124,357,800.

He said 20 LGAs benefitted from the programme in Lagos State, and the number of schools is 866, number of cooks is 1,419, number of pupils is 112,767, number of households are 37,689 and the N4,200 relief per household stood at N157,873,800.

For Ogun State, the official stated that 20 LGAs and the number of schools is 1,589, number of cooks is 3,577, number of pupils is 181,172, number of households is 60,391 and the N4,200 relief per household stood at N253,642,200.

He added, That the total number of schools that benefitted under the programme is 2,859.

That the total number of pupils that benefitted from the programme is 382,765.

That the total number of households that benefited from the programme is 127,789

That the total amount spent as per N4,200 relief/households stood at N535,873,800.

Information not willfully withheld

On why the minister and the ministry failed to respond to the earlier enquiry by the applicant, Mr Abdullahi stated that they did not willfully withhold information requested.

He acknowledged that the ministry received the applicants letter dated August 6, 2020 requesting the information anchored on section 2(1), (2), and (3) of the FoI Act, 2011.

Although the law gives a public institution seven days to respond to such request, the official stated the minister did not deliberately refuse or neglect to reply the said letter.

He added that the letter had been noted with a view of replying the said letter before the applicant proceeded to court.

As to why the addresses and phone numbers of the beneficiaries requested by the applicant could not be released, he stated that the information is personal information of individuals receiving social, educational, vocational, and financial care directly from the 1st and 2nd respondents on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He added, That the beneficiaries have at no time given their consent for their identity(ies) to be disclosed.

That the respondent did not willfully withhold information for any reason.

Accountability, probity still missing

Meanwhile, the executive director and lawyer to KHFRI, Okere Nnamdi, said in a statement that the counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the minister and her ministry is empty and carries no weight and lacks credibility, accountability and probity.

The statement read in part, We regret to state that the counter affidavit of the Minster and her Ministry is empty and carries no weight, as not even the names of the so called 2,859 schools were disclosed.

Their counter affidavit is empty, lacks credibility, accountability and probity.

Their empty counter-affidavit has now confirmed that indeed the school feeding programme during the covid-19 lockdown was one of the greatest scam of the year 2020 and a disservice to the nation.

Mr Nnamdi observed that they failed to disclose the names of the schools and the identity of the so-called households that benefited in Ogun State, Lagos State and Abuja.

He said Ms Farouq and her minister should have, in the minimum disclosed the names of the schools to enable us investigate by going to the schools to interact with the students and teachers of the schools to verify if truly the N535,873,800 was spent on school feeding during the 2020 lockdown.

We shall remain committed to our avowed stance to help stamp out corruption through public interest litigation of this nature. We shall pursue this case to a logical conclusion as requested in the freedom of information application, Mr Nnamdi added.
University students from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan can return to Russia to continue their studies, but their Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek counterparts cannot yet. As The Diplomat writes, Russias Ministry of Science and Higher Education issued a statement last week that citizens of epidemiologically safe countries as determined by Rospotrebnadzor, the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, would be able to enter Russia and resume their studies.

The list as of March 20 included: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Greece, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Qatar, Serbia, the Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the disputed territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (which most countries recognize as occupied parts of Georgia, but which Russia views as independent states).

In 2019, there were nearly 300,000 foreign students studying in Russian universities. As the coronavirus pandemic engulfed 2020, many returned to their home countries but were unable to re-enter Russia to resume their studies in-person.

In February 2021, as Russian universities resumed in-person instruction The Moscow Times reported that authorities would be allowing international students to enter the country again, provided they could show two negative COVID-19 tests and flew from countries with with air traffic had resumed. The ICEF Monitor listed the most important source countries of foreign students as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, Ukraine, India, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan.

As of 2018, a third of foreign students in Russia were from Kazakhstan and around a quarter from China. India, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan were also among the top countries.

The list of approved countries has expanded to 25 now, following earlier lists and earlier statements that students would be allowed to return.

Students from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan remain unable to return to their studies in Russia. The decisions appear based on two items: the resumption of regular bilateral air traffic and Rospotrebnadzors determination that a country is epidemiologically safe.

According to RFE/RLs Tajik Service there are around 26,000 Tajik students enrolled at Russian universities. Representatives from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Tajikistan to visit Russian universities with campuses in the country told reporters in Dushanbe that the list has nothing to do with good neighborly relations. Rospotrebnadzor reportedly sent a delegation to Tajikistan earlier this month and Dushanbe is awaiting its final report, which may pave the way for Tajik students to return to in-person studies.

Online school has proven difficult for many in Central Asia, especially in Tajikistan where internet costs are high and connection quality low.

Tajikistan, which had been late in admitting the presence of the coronavirus in the country last spring, is among the few countries now claiming to have conquered the pandemic. In late January, President Emomali Rahmon declared that Tajikistan was COVID-free. The country has not reported a new case since early January. Turkmenistan, meanwhile, never came around to admitting the virus had penetrated its borders.
U.S. Marshals have arrested a man convicted of a Winnipeg murder who escaped a British Columbia prison before fleeing to California last fall.

U.S. Marshals have arrested a man convicted of a Winnipeg murder who escaped a British Columbia prison before fleeing to California last fall.

Roderick Muchikekwanape, 42, was reported missing Oct. 29 from the minimum security area at Mission Institution, when he couldn't be found during a routine inmate count. Shortly after, a man matching his description was spotted at the Sumas border crossing in British Columbia and in Bellingham, Wash.

RCMP HANDOUT Roderick Muchikekwanape, who was convicted of a 1998 Winnipeg murder, was arrested in California after escaping a British Columbia prison in the fall.

U.S. Marshals say they were tipped to a spotting of Muchikekwanape in the San Diego area recently. He was found Friday at UCSD Hillcrest Hospital and arrested. He will be held in the U.S. pending his extradition to Canada.

Muchikekwanape is serving a life sentence for the 1998 sexual assault and murder of Kimberley Clarke under the Harry Lazarenko Bridge. Clarke, 36, was an Indigenous mother of three.

The two, who didnt know each other, attended the same party that July. Clarkes body was found in the Red River two days later.

Muchikekwanape was convicted of the killing in December 2000. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

The killer appealed the jury's verdict in 2002, but the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench upheld his conviction.

Two months before he killed Clarke, Muchikekwanape was allowed to leave a Winnipeg courtroom after a sexual assault charge against him was stayed.

Vancouver police had an outstanding warrant for Muchikekwanape for a sexual assault charge in B.C. At the time, Winnipeg police said they were unable to arrest him after the stayed charge because the B.C. warrant wasn't Canada-wide.
The significance of his visit is being analyzed as an attempt to garner votes from the Matuas who trace their lineage to Bangladesh. Many Matuas had migrated from Bangladesh which was then known as East Pakistan and a large number of them are refugees in the Bengal districts of North 24 Paraganas, South 24 Paraganas, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Cooch Behar and Bardhaman who are yet to be given citizenship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Dhaka on March 26 right after campaigning for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly election ends. He is scheduled to visit Matua temple at Orakandi, around 200 km from Dhaka on March 27, when Bengal votes in the first of the eight phases of assembly polls.

The significance of his visit is being analyzed as an attempt to garner votes from the Matuas who trace their lineage to Bangladesh. Many Matuas had migrated from Bangladesh which was then known as East Pakistan and a large number of them are refugees in the Bengal districts of North 24 Paraganas, South 24 Paraganas, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Cooch Behar and Bardhaman who are yet to be given citizenship. After partition, the descendent of Harichand-Guruchand, Pramatha Ranjan Thakur and his wife Binapani Devi organised Matuas in West Bengal under Matua Mahasanghs umbrella

He will pay respect to Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur, who was born at Orakandi in united Bengal in 1812, epitomized as an incarnation of god by the Mutua community. He will also be interacting with a delegation of 300 Matua community members after offering puja at Harichand-Gurichand Temple. Matuas are organised under the Matua Mahasangh, which is believed to have the power to influence electoral outcome in around 30 constituencies in Bengal election.

Also Read: First phase of elections LIVE updates: Voting underway in West Bengal and Assams poll-bound constituencies

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The Matua community leaders have been demanding citizenship for these Bangladeshi refugees. The importance of the Citizenship Amendment Act for the Matua community lies in the fact that the act does not differentiate between Hindus who migrated to India due to religious persecution and Muslims entering for economic prospects. The community had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Bengal and have been waiting for the implementation of CAA which was enacted in 2019. This led to the creation of a positive wave for the BJP among Matua community. However, questions around Indian citizenship guarantee have been raised due to the development related to the preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

Mamata Banerjee had even declared the establishment of a Matua Development Board and a Namashudra Bikash Parishad. She also assured the Matua community a state holiday in honour of Harichand Thakur on his birth anniversary, March 11. Amit Shah had lunch at the home of a Matua refugee in Bengal. And, now PM Modi is paying respect to Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur at his birthplace during his Bangladesh visit.

Also Read: PM Modi arrives in Dhaka: Strengthening bilateral ties on agenda
The coyote in our area have learned to adapt living closely to people in both the county and the city of Chicago, said Dr. Tom Wake, administrator of the Department of Animal and Rabies Control. If we do our part in allowing them to remain wild they will be a minimal nuisance to us and our pets.
Ira Glass, the host of the radio program This American Life, once said great stories happen to those who can tell them.

In a career that spanned decades, Leon Hale proved that to be true. He dedicated his life to telling stories, spending 65 years as a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post. A writer capable of braiding together wit and insight in a conversational style that also conveyed a philosophical depth, Hale died Saturday, said his wife, Babette Fraser Hale. He was 99.

Poet and essayist Phillip Lopate said Hale mastered the column form in many ways. And he knew his audience. He could speak to them. He was both a populist and an intellectual. He had a feeling for community. He was one of those people like William Goyen and John Graves who bridged the regional to a larger literary world. I respected him as a fellow craftsman.

Though he retired at age 93, Hales narratives didnt stop there. This spring, at age 99, he offered a new book, See You on Down the Road: A Retirement Journal.

I need to be working, he told the Chronicle this month. I need to be working.

One didnt need to know a single one of the hundreds  maybe thousands  of proper names that peppered Hales work. By the time he told a story, the minute and intricate details hed curated filled in entire lives and spaces. Hale stopped in the towns the rest of us might skip, and hed talk to the people we might not acknowledge at a filling station. He came away from these explorations and interactions with a richly calibrated take on life in Texas throughout the 20th century and beyond.

He could make heroes of people just doing their daily work, such as Otto Raab, who in six decades of blacksmithing had shod only one horse because he was allergic to horses. He told of visiting Melba McConnell in Omen, who sold him a dozen eggs even though she had only 10. So Hale waited another 20 minutes for two eggs and in doing so heard a life story that included five marriages from a woman who admitted, Im a little psychic.

Hale left behind a body of work that created an adoring following for its humor as well as a masters sense of detail and deep connection to the people with whom hed come into contact. Through it all, Hale presented himself as a flawed player in his own narrative.

His introduction to the perfectly titled Easy Going  a 1983 book anthologizing some of his Houston Post work  found Hale referencing a temptation to edit or rewrite some of the columns. He chose not to.

Somewhere I said that a chicken snake is harmless, he wrote. Since then Ive been taught by Richard Wharton, who lives at Joaquin and knows plenty about snakes and chickens both, that the chicken snake can inflict a painful bite. So it shouldnt be called harmless just because it doesnt inject venom. I can see thats true. Moral: Dont mess around with chicken snakes.

The late John Graves, storied author of Goodbye to a River, once said Hales voice as a writer is the voice of the man himself. Colloquial, wise, caring and wryly and powerfully humorous.

Paper hero

When Hale decided to retire in 2014, he wrote about a day in April 1984. I was sitting in the newsroom of the Houston Post, arguing with myself about whether I ought to quit my job and move on.

Then 63, Hale received a call from Jack Loftis at the Houston Chronicle offering him a job that offered pay, travel expenses and a car. Thirty additional years of regular columns would follow, with Hale always resisting the perks of the business that he considered trappings. He didnt want to judge barbecue competitions, and he didnt want to cut ribbons at ceremonies. His life, much like his work, was about observation, reflection and then sharing his thoughts. The process was always entrancing. It could feel like a trip to the ophthalmologist. Shapes and figures were presented out of focus. Slowly they found a revelatory crispness.

Lopate said Hale demonstrated another way of doing essays.  He was a fellow essayist posing as a columnist.

Hales own life was threaded throughout his work, though he wrote about it most directly and most extensively in Paper Hero, a memoir in story form published in 1986.

Even at the outset, Hale lived up to Glass words about storytelling. He recalled a theme hed written in grade school about his family.

The winter of 1927, when I was 6 years old, I became a hero for the first time, he wrote. I saved the lives of my entire family, with the exception of my father.

Hale recounted the rescue of his sisters and his mother and their Persian cat during a house fire. And then he shared the fact that his sisters remember the event entirely differently. That Hale made up the story whole cloth, right down to the nightshirt he was wearing, something hed seen in a Sears-Roebuck catalog.

In the pages to follow I intend to record many other events that shaped our lives in those curious years when we were all under the same roof, he wrote. We dont always agree on the details of those events. But that doesnt mean I am telling things wrong. I am telling everything just the way it needs to be told.

Country folks

Hale was born May 30, 1921, in Stephenville. Best to let him tell it:

Near the back door of the First Methodist Church in Stephenville there was once a little frame house. I was born in that house on May 30, 1921. I believe my mother felt privileged to have a baby in the shade of a church, especially since it was Methodist.

He was named for his mother, Leona, and often expressed a closeness to her that exceeded his feelings for his father, who was often gone. The family moved quite a bit, due in part to his fathers work as a traveling salesman offering a machine that sealed packages to be mailed. Hale was 7 when the family moved to Fort Worth: I had heard of the place, he wrote, in the same way I had heard of New York and Chicago.

The city is where I first began to understand that the Hales were country folks.

Both city and country provided a better setting than an unsettled period during the Great Depression when Hales father stored all the familys belongings and dragged them around on a lengthy sales trip. When they finally returned, they owned nothing.

Hales family then moved to Lubbock. He describes a fairly awkward childhood as a funny looking kid, his face misshapen due to a bone disease that wouldnt be diagnosed until years later as polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.

Naturally, Hale remembered his teachers well, particularly Verna Johnson, a high school English teacher who told him writing neednt be a tormented process. Therefore sometimes I would write sentences when I didnt even have to be doing it, Hale wrote.

At Texas Tech University, he was tutored by Alan Stroud, who praised Hales compositions yet gave him Ds for his poor spelling. While attending Tech, Hale began writing for the school paper, the Toreador, though he had no interest in being a reporter. Essays and columns, opinion pieces and other feature writing took hold.

First, though, came the war.

After the war

Hale tried to enlist with the Navy (he was a fan of the Horatio Hornblower novels) and then the Marines but was turned away because of unusual positioning of his eye and high blood pressure. He found his way into the Army and in 1941 was sent to Nebraska for training, the first time hed ever stepped foot outside of Texas. With the United States Army Air Corps, Hale flew 50 combat missions without once firing a shot at an enemy plane or getting as much as a skinned finger in the way of sounds. ... My entire military career was of no consequence whatsoever.

He amended that account in See You on Down the Road. In his new book, he described witnessing a bomber that was downed by German anti-aircraft fire. Days later, his own plane had a close call, taking a shell to the wing that failed to explode, leaving behind a sizable hole.

I asked him why in the world he hadnt worked that into a column, Babette said. Hale felt a close call didnt require mention until many years later.

Upon his discharge in 1945, Hale returned to Texas Tech and received a bachelors degree in journalism. He was offered a job at the Lubbock Avalanche Journal for $20 a week.

I had picked up expensive tastes in the Army, he wrote. I had already learned how to spend $20 in one night in a bar in Los Angeles. So he turned the job down.

Though in his writings Hale expressed a deeper connection to his mother, he credits his father with pushing the young aspiring writer out of Abilene, where his parents had settled and where Hale was finding odd jobs.

Hales father told him, You stay here, you might get stuck, and encouraged the young man to leave.

I believe that was the best advice I ever received, Hale wrote.

Busy retirement

Hales father also loaned him the familys car for a year. So the son drove away and found a job at the Houston Post in 1952. The father walked to work, except for those days when weather forced him to take a bus or seek a ride.

The work suited Hale. He wrote introductory paragraphs with admirable efficiency. The words sang and offered enough intrigue to tempt a reader to continue. He always knew what to leave in, and he always knew what to leave out.

Take just this one example that opens Uncommon Folks:

Back in early August I saw Buckshot Lane down at Rockport, where he has a beach house. He said if Id come by his home in Wharton sometime, hed tell me how he burned the Kendleton Bridge on U.S. 59.

Hales colleagues describe a writer who needed little editing. Former Chronicle editor Roberta MacInnis said, What you read in the paper was what he had turned in. I remember maybe finding two comma faults in all that time. Even those might have been arguable.

So it went for years and years and years. Hale filed multiple times each week. He was never a reporter covering any industry or crime or metro news. But he possessed a keen skill for reporting nevertheless, always finding the right person, the right detail, the right quote.

After more than 30 years at the Post, he took that job at the Chronicle.

Im pretty sure I said yes, Id take the job, even before Id heard what the salary was, he wrote in his final print column for the Chronicle. Hows that for cunning negotiation?

Despite his standing as Texas treasure, he described his status entering the 1980s as tenuous: Id just had my plow cleaned in a divorce. I was driving a smooth-mouthed station wagon that was about half paid for. I was living in a two-room apartment with a second-hand sofa for a bed.

He and Babette met in 1981 and spent the next 40 years together at their home in Winedale, just west of Brenham. Hales decision to skip retirement in the 80s only deepened his connection to readers in Houston, as he continued writing regularly between 1984 and 2014, when he decided, Ive stayed at the party long enough. Maybe even a little too long.

His dedicated readers would disagree. Hales audience was fervent and revered his work. Some Chronicle subscribers held on solely for his columns.

Chronicle Opinion Editor Lisa Falkenberg, who won the newspapers first Pulitzer Prize as a columnist, recalled a post Hale made on Facebook about a coffeemaker that drew hundreds of comments.

That made me wonder, what was it about this columnist that made people care so much about that person as an individual? she said. It wasnt just about telling stories, it was about connecting to readers. He made them feel like they knew him. Sadly, I think thats something missing from newspapers today.

Home to the Country stands as a brilliant Hale piece that exemplifies his gift for words and phrasing and pacing and detail. Its components are so skillfully constructed that even excerpted they look like the inside of a watch. Hale in the piece recounted his desire to record some sounds he wanted to get on tape before its too late.

He then inventories those sounds, including these:

A steel tired wagon going over a rough road, and the sounds of the harness and the trace chains.

An old hen, clucking to 14 baby chicks.

A woman churning, with a crock churn and a wooden dasher that makes that steady, down-in-a-well sound pattern. Clonk, she-clunk, she-clunk, she-clunk.

A norther moaning around the corner of the house in January.

Hale is survived by his wife, Babette Fraser Hale; two children; three grandchildren; a stepson; and two step-grandchildren.

andrew.dansby@chron.com

twitter.com/andrewdansby
MECOSTA COUNTY  For Mecosta County residents seeking mental health services, help is not too far away.

"We provide crisis services for anyone in the community who needs support," said Liz Cunningham, access services manager for Community Mental Health Central Michigan.

With the insecurities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the approaching spring and summer months, Cunningham said it is important Mecosta County residents are aware of the services available to them.

"During this time period, we always see an increase," she said.

In Michigan, as of 2019, the suicide mortality  or the amount of suicidal deaths per 100,000 people  was 14.2 with 1,472 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These deaths, according to the Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission tend to be more prevalent in rural areas, with the northeastern half of the Lower Peninsula making up for the brunt of these cases.

In the District Health Department No. 10's jurisdiction, which includes Mecosta County, the suicide mortality rate is between 14.37 and 15.2.

Cunningham said those seeking assistance in crisis situations can call the organization's 24-hour crisis hotline at 800-317-0708. Mecosta County residents can also call 231-796-5825 to learn about services specific to their area.

Cunningham said both numbers will allow the individual to speak with a trained professional who can perform a mental health evaluation as well as connect them to various in- and out-patient support services.

Additionally those experiencing suicidal ideation can call the national suicide crisis line at 800-273-8255, or text "home" to 741741.

Cunningham said individuals also can be of assistance by understanding what the symptoms of suicide look like. These can include a person withdrawing from activity, self-isolation, issues with sleep, and over- or under-eating.

She also suggested keeping any harmful objects  such as guns, pills, cords or sharp objects  locked up and out of reach of someone who is contemplating hurting themselves.

However, to be sure someone is experiencing thoughts of suicide, Cunningham said the best thing to do is ask.

"Evidence has shown being straightforward and asking those questions is more effective," she said. "Seek out that assistance, and ask those questions if you notice someone not doing well."

Community Mental Health Central Michigan is located at 500 S. Third Ave. in Big Rapids.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invited 50 Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to visit India to connect with the country's start-up and innovation eco-system and meet its venture capitalists and announced 'Swarna Jayanti' scholarships to mark 50 years of Indo-Bangla ties.

Addressing Bangladesh's 50th Independence Day anniversary at the National Parade Square, Modi said: "It is a happy coincidence that the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's liberation and the milestone of the 75th year of India's independence have arrived together.

"For both of our countries, in the 21st Century, our journey over the next 25 years, will be very important. We have a common heritage, we have common development also. We have common goals, and we have common challenges too," he said.

Modi said the 50 Bangaldeshi entrepreneurs could learn from their Indian counterparts and Indian businessmen could also learn from their Bangladeshi counterparts.

Modi, who arrived in Dhaka this morning on a two-day visit, said both the countries have the power of democracy and a clear vision for moving forward.

"To strengthen India-Bangladesh relations, there is an equal need to better connect the youth of the two countries. On the occasion of 50 years of India-Bangladesh relations, I would like to invite 50 entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to India," Modi said.

"Come to India, meet venture capitalists, connect with our start-up and innovation ecosystem. We will also learn from them, they will also get an opportunity to learn," he said.

"Along with this, I am also announcing Subarno Jayanti scholarships for the youth of Bangladesh," he said.

Modi said the two nations share similar possibilities in the area of trade and development.

"I am pleased that under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's able leadership, Bangladesh is showing its dynamism to the world," Modi said.

Also read: PM Modi visits war memorial, meets Bangladesh leaders, young achievers in Dhaka

Also read: PM Modi pays homage at Bangabandhu Mausoleum, visits Bangladesh's Kali Shaktipeeth on Day 2
Mumbai, March 27 : Gone are the days of emperors, warriors and business magnates. Geeks would be the heroes in future, feels actor Vijay Varma.

"It's the age of the geeks, so we've imagined that the heroes of the future would be geeks. Earlier warriors, kings, big businessmen, sportsmen -- they were the heroes. But the heroes of the future would be people who are intelligent and studious and excelling in their field of academics, because the future is technology," Vijay told IANS.

Referring to his character Saajan Kundu in the new sci-fi comedy web series "OK Computer", he added: "We created a hero who is a geek and looks exactly like someone who has passed from IIT. There is also a sarkari babu kind of feel to it because he is working for the government. My character Saajan Kundu is a cyber cell police officer. In future, there will be a lot more crimes virtually and digitally by the AI (artifical intelligence), this is what is being predicted. In a space of science fiction and comedy this person is trying to be very serious about what he's doing and that's where the humour lies."

Quizzed if he is tech savvy in real life, the actor replied: "I am an avid gamer, I love PlayStation. I really like to go ahead and learn new technology."

The Disney+ Hotstar sci-fi comedy series talks about the future where Artificial Intelligence has a strong presence in human lives. Can technology overpower humans in future?

"Right now humans are making technology that enables them to perform their tasks easily, and the consciousness of AI is at a nascent stage. If it grows to a level of consciousness that can threaten us, then it will be a problem, and I think that can happen. For now we are safe but you never know! We did not anticipate the rapid increase in fake news 5-10 years ago, we didn't see it coming. So we never know!" the actor replied.

Vijay shares the screen with Jackie Shroff in the web series. Talking about the experience of working with the veteran actor, he said: "I'm pretty vocal about my love for Jacky dada. We have such killer scenes together! It feels great to be able to share screen time with him and chat on the sets. He is one of those hero figures you have, he is a personality and has got his wit and charm. Just to see him, work with him and learn from him was a delight."

Memes featuring Vijay from the series are doing the rounds on social media. He himself shared a few recently.

Reacting to the same, the actor laughed heartily: "Oh! I embrace them! I'm like, can we have more of these?"

-- Syndicated from IANS
Chile's world-leading coronavirus vaccination rollout is failing to halt the spread of Covid-19 as the majority of the country goes into lockdown, with many blaming the use of China's CoronaVac jabs.

By Thursday the narrow South American nation, hemmed in by the Andes mountains and the Pacific ocean, had given more than six million people - almost a third of its population - a single dose and 3.1 million both doses, including most over-70s.

And yet that same day, the government put more than 80 percent of the country's 19 million people into lockdown.

With new virus variants, believed to be more contagious, spreading across the continent, cases have been soaring in Chile despite its vaccination drive.

On Thursday it passed 7,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours: the second highest daily figure recorded.

By comparison, the UK - which has so far vaccinated a similar percentage of its population with a combination of the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines - has seen infections drop to a rate not seen since September.

Chile's world-leading coronavirus vaccination rollout is failing to halt the spread of Covid-19 as the majority of the country goes into lockdown. Pictured: A man passes in front a Chile's national flag prior the start of a quarantine period to slow the spread of the coronavirus, at a square in front of la Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile, 26 March 2021

Chile has been using China's CoronaVac vaccine and the Pfizer/BioNTech, and as of March 25, had administered 49.26 doses of the vaccine per 100 people, while the UK had administered 47.62 of its vaccine doses per 100 people.

But as of March 26 in Chile, there was a seven-day rolling average of 330.82 new coronavirus cases per million people. In the UK, the rate was just 84.08 per million.

'They are phenomena that run on totally different tracks,' Darwin Acuna, the president of Chile's society of intensive medicine, told AFP about the seeming disconnect between high vaccination and contagion rates in the country.

President Sebastian Pinera has urged the country to make 'a last effort' and authorities expect the vaccination push to start bearing fruit next month.

Health Minister Enrique Paris said the lockdown 'is tough but necessary,' particularly in the Santiago metropolitan area - the most populous in Chile.

The country has recorded more than 950,000 infections and over 22,500 deaths from Covid-19.

Pictured: A graph comparing Chile and the UK's daily infections per-million people. Both countries have given at least one vaccine dose to a similar percentage of their populations. The UK's cases have fallen to levels not seen since September, while Chile's continue to rise

Chile began vaccinating health care workers on December 24 and from February 3 it started with the general population, initially the over 90s.

This came after it signed an agreement to purchase 20 million doses of China's CoronaVac vaccine, which was approved for emergency use on January 20.

So far, the bulk of doses administered have been CoronaVac, which only offers 50 percent protection against Covid-19, meaning for every 100 people vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac, 50 remain at risk of infection.

While the vaccine will reduce the intensity of symptoms and therefore considerably reduce the risk of hospitalisation for the most series of cases, vaccinated individuals may still spread the virus.

The European Union and other countries, such as the UK and the US, have not approved CoronaVac as it has not been proven to be sufficiently effective.

Many blaming the use of China's CorovaVac jabs on the rising cases in Chile, despite its world-leading rate of vaccinations. Pictured: People cross a street prior the start of a quarantine period to slow the spread of the coronavirus, at a square in front of la Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, Chile, 26 March 2021

The use of CoronaVac, combined with a general relaxation of attitudes in the country due to the vaccination campaign and summer holidays, as well as the arrival of new virus variants, has pushed a new wave of infections.

'You cannot yet see the effect of the vaccine on the most at-risk people, because for the most at-risk people they have only just had the second dose,' said Acuna.

He expects to see 'a real effect on the requirement of ICU beds for the most at-risk people' in mid April.

Health care authorities say they have noticed a difference in the identity of those occupying ICU beds since the first wave of the pandemic: patients are younger and sicker.

'It seems to be more aggressive than last year. There are patients who go straight to ICU' and on oxygen, Hector Ugarte, chief doctor at the adult critical patient unit in a hospital in the coastal city Coquimbo, told AFP.

The ages of those needing hospital treatment has fallen 'enormously,' said the ministry of health - because the young 'haven't been careful.'

On Thursday, Chile's government put more than 80 percent of the country's 19 million people into lockdown. This comes despite having given more than six million people a single dose and 3.1 million both doses, including most over-70s. That's around a third of its population

On Thursday, authorities said they had discovered 45 cases of the Brazilian variant of the novel coronavirus, having already detected the British variant in February.

ICU beds are running at 95 percent occupancy, even in places like Coquimbo, 460 kilometers to the north of Santiago.

Before March 2020 it had eight ICU beds, but there are now 38 and this week 46 people required hospital treatment for Covid-19.

The government's goal is to immunize 15 million people by June 30, achieving coveted 'herd immunity,' when a sufficiently large proportion of the population is resistant to a pathogen that it has nowhere to spread.

By Thursday, authorities had given almost 6.1 million people a first dose of either the Chinese CoronaVac or Pfizer shots.

Teachers, firefighters, the chronically ill, journalists, public sector workers, pharmacy staff and telecommunications employees have already been given a first dose. Most health care workers and old people have had two.

With new virus variants, believed to be more contagious, spreading across the continent, cases have been soaring in Chile despite its vaccination drive. Pictured: A woman uses an escalator at a metro main access as local town halls have increased the lockdown restrictions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Santiago, Chile, March 25, 2021

Despite the high infection rates, there is much optimism.

At a retirement home in the south of Chile where residents and personnel received a first vaccine dose in the opening week of February, a subsequent outbreak of coronavirus in the facility infected 70 people. The only death was a resident who hadn't been vaccinated.

There is much hope, too, in hospitals.

Ugarte said that during the worst stages of the pandemic last year, the Coquimbo hospital was seeing between 150 and 170 of its 1,700-strong workforce infected with Covid-19.

'Now, with 80 percent of the staff having been fully vaccinated for a few weeks, there is one!' he added, calling it 'the first great demonstration' of the vaccine's impact.
Dyson has unveiled the V15 Detect, its latest cordless vacuum that fights dust using lasers. The battery-powered vacuum uses a laser and an acoustic piezo sensor to do so in the fight against dust, which Dyson has combined with its 230 Airwatt Hyperdymium motor and a 5-stage filtration system.

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Dyson has added another cordless vacuum to its range with the V15 Detect. The new device may look like many of Dyson's other battery-powered vacuums, but it features new technologies to cleanly more deeply. According to the company, the V15 Detect features a green laser light with 'Laser Dust Detection' in its Slim Fluffy cleaner head that should show up even the smallest debris particles. It is worth noting that Dyson has designed Laser Dust Detection for hard floors. Hence, it will not be as effective on carpets.

Additionally, the V15 Detect has an acoustic piezo sensor that supposedly measures and counts the dirt that the vacuum has collected. Apparently, the vacuum performs these calculations up to 15,000 times per second, which it converts into electrical signals to display the size and volume of particles sucked up on the vacuum's built-in LCD. Dyson believes that this information will give people insights into how clean their house actually is, rather than just using your eyes with conventional vacuums.

The Dyson V15 Detect features the company's Hyperdymium motor too that provides up to 230 Airwatts of suction. The V15 Detect has other improvements too, including a revised brush that should not get clogged by hair. According to Dyson, the V15 Detect should last up to 60 minutes of continuous use between charges.
DHS Head Fires Most Members of Homeland Security Advisory Council

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has fired nearly all members of the departments independent advisory panel, retaining only its senior leadership, according to a letter obtained by media outlets and confirmed by Republicans on a House committee.

In the March 26 letter (pdf) to members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), Mayorkas announced that in the service of an orderly transition to a new model for the HSAC, he would be ending the current term of all HSAC members, effective March 26.

Mayorkas wrote that, in weighing the new model for the HSAC, hes considering how it can bring the greatest value to the Department and how the expertise, judgment, and counsel of its members can be harnessed most effectively to advance the Departments mission.

The dismissed members include both Democrats and Republicans, as well as Trump-era officials such as former DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli and former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan. In May 2020, then-acting DHS head Chad Wolf appointed seven new members to the council.

Spared from the purge were three individuals: William Bratton, a former New York police commissioner who heads the council as its chairman; Karen Tandy, a retired administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who serves as its vice chair; and William Webster, former director of the FBI and the CIA, who will stay on as chair emeritus.

Mayorkas said that the council, which is made up of experts and former intelligence and security officials who advise the DHS head on various issues, will be formed again in the next few weeks, once the new model has been developed.

The Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee wrote critically about Mayorkass decision, saying that the action sends the message that this Administration has no intention of upholding a bipartisan, unifying approach to securing our homeland.

The advisory council is not intended to be an echo chamber for what the current DHS Secretary wants to hear, they wrote.

The GOPs ranking member on the committee, Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), said in a statement that its an absolute shame that Secretary Mayorkas has removed these well-respected homeland security leaders who have dedicated their careers to strengthening our homeland security posture.

I would urge the Secretary to take a thoughtful approach as he reconstitutes the HSAC and be mindful of the message he intends to send, Katko added.

While Mayorkas didnt provide any details about his vision for recomposing the HSAC, Bratton told CNN that Mayorkas wants a council that reflects the current priorities of the department under the Biden administration, in areas that include immigration and domestic terrorism.

After taking office, President Joe Biden moved quickly to reverse most of the immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, proposed a pathway to citizenship for millions of people in the United States unlawfully, and promised reforms that would create a humane asylum system.

Republicans have blamed Bidens policies and messaging for the recent surge in people seeking to enter the United States illegally, while the president has sought to portray it as a seasonal spike.

It happens every year, Biden said March 25 in reference to the surge in illegal border crossings.

Does anybody suggest that there was a 31 percent increase under Trump because he was a nice guy and he was doing good things at the border? Thats not the reason theyre coming, he added, referring to a spike in illegal border crossings in May 2019, when Trump was in office.

Mayorkass purge is similar to a move by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who on Feb. 1 called for the ouster of hundreds of members of the Pentagons advisory boards. Under that decision, all members of 31 Pentagon advisory boards were fired, while a total of 40 advisory boards would be subjected to a zero-based review, a process that is to examine the case for the continued existence of the boards, and could lead to their future dissolution and dismissal of members.
A Fox News channel sign is seen on a television vehicle outside the News Corporation building in New York City, in New York, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo)

Dominion Voting Systems Corp said it filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, accusing it of trying to boost its ratings by falsely claiming the company rigged the 2020 U.S. presidential election against Donald Trump.



Fox hosts and guests gave life to a false claim that Dominion committed election fraud to help elect President Joe Biden, "taking a small flame and turning it into a raging fire," Dominion lawyer Stephen Shackelford told reporters.



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The lawsuit follows similar cases against Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and the Republican former president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, according to Shackelford.



Dominion, which describes itself as the leading supplier of U.S. election technology, said it filed the lawsuit in Delaware state court.



Trump lost the November 2020 election to Biden, a Democrat, but continued to make false claims of widespread voter fraud, which Dominion said was amplified by Fox.



His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress moved to certify the election results, leaving five dead.



The repeated claims that the election was marred by fraud sunk in with Republican voters, though, and Republican lawmakers now cite those false beliefs among voters as justifying new restrictions on voting.



On Thursday, Georgia's Republican governor signed into law restrictions that activists said was focused on reducing the influence of Black voters who helped Democrats win the White House and attain narrow control of the U.S. Senate.



In its lawsuit, Dominion said Fox News tried to draw viewers loyal to Trump by amplifying those false claims, including assertions that Dominion's systems changed votes despite efforts by the voting systems company to set the record straight.



"Fox News Media is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism, and will vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court," said a statement from the company, which is owned by Fox Corp.



The lawsuit alleges top Fox personalities hosted guests such as Powell to spread lies about Dominion and then repeated and amplified those false claims.



Shackelford said Dominion may sue individuals. "I don't think this is going to be the last lawsuit," he said.



The company projects the "radioactive falsehoods" spread by Fox will cost it $600 million over the next eight years, according to the lawsuit. Further damage was done to the value of the business, according to the lawsuit.



Dominion's lawsuit adds to the growing list of defamation cases stemming from the election.



Eric Coomer, a senior Dominion employee, sued Trump's re-election campaign and the owners of pro-Trump news outlets One America News Network and Newsmax Media in December. Last month, Dominion asked social media outlets to preserve posts from the networks as well as from Fox News, Trump and others.



Smartmatic, which makes voting machines, made similar claims in a defamation lawsuit that alleged Lou Dobbs and two other Fox News hosts falsely accused the company of helping to rig the election against Trump. The day after Smartmatic sued on Feb. 4, Fox canceled the weekday program "Lou Dobbs Tonight."



Fox News filed a motion to dismiss the Smartmatic lawsuit.



In apparent response to the growing number of defamation cases, conservative U.S. news outlets have begun to rely on prepared disclaimers or additional prerecorded programming to repudiate pro-Trump conspiracy theories spouted by guests and hosts.


Maura OConnor, who recently played in the Sliabh luachra Video Series, playing in the Culturlann (Photo by Eoin OSullivan).

Over the past few months the Culturlann MacAmhlaoibh has been the backdrop to a new video series celebrating the music of Sliabh Luachra.

The series has been put together by Newmarket man Eoin O'Sullivan as part of his work as the Sliabh Luachra Musician in Residence - a program set up by Cork, Kerry and Limerick County Councils.

Since December Eoin has released videos featuring some of the great talent of the area such as Bryan O'Leary, Niamh Ni Charra, Tim Browne, Aine and Francis O'Connor as well as a host of young musicians. The videos can all be viewed at sliabhluachra.ie.

Two of the performances have been released on a new record label that O'Sullivan has setup.

"I'm often asked to talk about recordings of Sliabh Luachra music and the interviewers want to talk about records that were released nearly fifty years ago," Eoin said.

"This label is just an effort to refresh people's concept of what's going on here and inspire the young people growing up here now".

When asked about the Culturlann Eoin said:

"The Culturlann has been the perfect spot to make these recordings.

"Everything is recorded live as a live performance and the beautiful sound created by the old church is a great inspiration to the musicians".

In December the label released a mini album of self composed tunes by Bryan O'Leary - Winner of 2014 Gradam Ceol Young Musician of the Year.

The most recent release was launched just last weekend.

It's an album of local music played by Maura O'Connor of Abbeyfeale. Maura - no stranger to Newmarket having been a regular contributor to Scullys Fest - is one of the brightest of the upcoming crop of Sliabh Luachra musicians.

She was the very first young person to perform at the Handed Down Series in Scartaglin back in 2014, she won the All-Ireland in concertina at Fleadh Ceol na hEireann in 2017 and has continued to thrill audiences and inspire other musicians since.

Her new release is available from sliabhluachra.bandcamp.com.
Gov. Charlie Baker holds up the new climate policy he just signed Friday during a ceremony with legislative leaders at the Statehouse in Boston.
The US Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. John Aquilino, testified this week that he regarded a Chinese attack on Taiwan as the most threatening flashpoint for war in the Indo-Pacific region and advocated a further build-up of US military force in the western Pacific to counter China. His remarks underscore the mounting bipartisan clamour in Washington against Beijing and the accelerating danger of the Biden administration, not China, provoking a war.

Aquilino was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing to replace Admiral Phil Davidson as head of the US Indo-Pacific Commandthe largest US military command. He told the committee that the dangerous concern is that of a military force against Taiwan. He referred to the previous testimony of Davidson, who last week warned of a supposed Chinese takeover within six years, then added, [M]y opinion is this problem is much closer to us than most think.

Adm. John Aquilino, US Pacific Fleet commander (Photo: US Navy)

Significantly, Aquilino agreed with the assessment of Trumps former national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who told the Senate committee this month that Taiwan was the most significant flashpoint now that could lead to a large-scale war. In his bellicose anti-China remarks, McMaster argued that China has a fleeting opportunity that is closing, and the months between next years Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) congress later in the year presented the greatest danger.

These declarations stand reality on its head. It is not Chinese aggression that threatens a devastating nuclear war between China and the US, but rather the relentless US military build-up throughout Asia. Combined with naval provocations in the South and East China Seas and trade war measures against China, this has dramatically escalated geopolitical tensions. Aquilino, Davidson and McMaster all used the alleged threat posed to Taiwan to justify their demands for a further major expansion of armaments and military spending for the US Indo-Pacific Command.

The deliberate US ramping up of confrontation with China began under the Obama administrations pivot to Asia, which called for the deployment of 60 percent of the Pentagons naval and air assets to the region by 2020. The Trump administration then launched what amounted to economic warfare against China, directed in particular at preventing its development of rival hi-tech products. This was combined with accelerated provocative freedom of navigation operations in Chinese-claimed territorial waters in the South China Sea.

Within weeks of being installed, President Biden has accelerated the war drive against China. In his press conference on Thursday, Biden declared there would be steep, steep competition with China. He said his administration would nearly treble research and development funding to ensure US supremacy in hi-tech areas, and again insisted that China had to abide by the international rulesthat is, those set by Washington.

In the last fortnight, Biden has convened the first leaders summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, involving the US, Japan, Australia and Indiaa quasi-military alliance directed against Chinaand dispatched Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Japan and South Korea to consolidate alliances against China. Blinken went on to Alaska, where he and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan opened a two-day meeting with their Chinese counterparts with a provocative attack on China across a broad array of issues.

The new focus in US military and strategic circles on Taiwan, underscored by a slew of commentary, including by the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, is particularly dangerous. Following the 1949 Chinese Revolution, it was only the intervention of the US Navy that prevented Taiwans incorporation into the newly-established Peoples Republic of China. For two decades, the US maintained the fiction that the Kuomintang dictatorship on Taiwan headed by Chiang Kai-shek was the legitimate ruler of all China, enabling it to sit in the UN Security Council.

That abruptly changed in 1972 after the US, under President Nixon, reached a rapprochement with China, aimed at jointly confronting the Soviet Union. Taiwan became the greatest obstacle to the establishment of formal diplomatic relations, which were finalised only in 1979, when Washington conceded that Beijing, not Taipei, was the legitimate government of all of China, including Taiwan. Congress, however, passed the Taiwan Act in 1979, committing the US to arming Taiwan and defending it against alleged Chinese aggression.

This highly contradictory stance, known in Washington as strategic ambiguity, has been able to persist only because the US cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, severely limited contact between US and Taiwanese officials, and restricted arms sales. Tensions in the narrow Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which repeatedly flared in the past, were defused.

Over the past decade, however, US actions, particularly under the Trump administration, have destabilised the inherently unstable and highly charged issues surrounding Taiwans status. Trump threatened to tear up the "One China" policy if China did not make economic concessions. He greatly boosted arms sales to Taiwan and increased the number of US warships passing through the Taiwan Straits.

In the final days of the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ended all restrictions on contact between US and Taiwanese officialsmilitary as well as civilian. In a significant symbolic step, the de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the US was, for the first time, invited to Bidens inauguration, signaling that the new administration would not reverse the policy.

Not surprisingly, China has responded with protests. It has repeated statements that Taiwan is part of China and conducted military exercises near Taiwan. This aggression is now being seized on by US imperialism as the pretext to justify a further military expansion along the so-called "first island chain," which includes Taiwan, immediately adjacent to the Chinese mainland, as part of its broader military build-up in the region.

In his confirmation hearing, Aquilino applauded steps taken by Taiwan to develop its own missiles. On Thursday, Taiwans defence minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, declared that the country was now mass producing long-range missilesthat is, offensive weaponrycapable of striking deep inside the Chinese mainland. The missile program is developing three more models as a priority.

On the same day, Taiwan and the US signed their first agreement under the Biden administration, establishing a joint Coast Guard Working Group to collaborate on maritime security. The excuse for the move was new powers granted by the recent National Peoples Congress in Beijing to authorise the Chinese coast guard to use force when necessary. Taiwan is expanding its own coast guard, which is armed and can be drafted into naval service in the event of war.

Underlying the sharpening tensions over Taiwan is the islands strategic and economic significance. Situated about 150 kilometres off the Chinese mainland, the island was described by US General Douglas MacArthur in the early 1950s as an unsinkable aircraft carrierthat is, a major military asset. A number of Taiwanese-controlled islets, all heavily fortified, lie just kilometres off the Chinese coast. Any move by the US to establish military ties or a military presence on Taiwan would be regarded in Beijing as a major threat to its security. Economically, Taiwan plays a central and highly sensitive role in the production of the worlds semiconductors.

By heightening tensions with China over Taiwan, the Biden administration is pouring petrol over what is correctly regarded as the most dangerous flashpoint in Asia, threatening to not only trigger war between the US and China, but drag in the entire world.
NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Southeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania... Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania... Southwestern Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania... * Until 1015 PM EDT. * At 619 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms. SOURCE...Radar. IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets, and underpasses as well as other drainage and low lying areas. * Some locations that will experience flash flooding include... West Chester, Norristown, Pottstown, Phoenixville, West Norriton, East Norriton, Coatesville, Downingtown, Conshohocken, Ambler, Birdsboro, and Collegeville. This includes the following highways... Pennsylvania Turnpike between mile markers 296 and 337. Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 327 and 330. Interstate 176 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 1 and 2. Interstate 476 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 17 and 19. Northeast Extension between mile markers 21 and 27. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around...don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. && FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Emily Mieure covers criminal justice and emergency news. She also leads the News&Guides investigative efforts. She has reported for WDRB TV in Louisville, Ky., WFIE TV in Evansville, Ind., and WEIU TV in Charleston, Ill.
Amaravati, March 27 : Andhra Pradesh government will release a calendar schedule to fill vacant posts in the education department on Ugadi festival day.

Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh made this announcement on Friday and it comes on the back of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed officials to come out with a calendar recently.

Meanwhile, Suresh said that college fee would be credited to the accounts of eligible mothers under Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme on April 9, benefiting 10 lakh students.

Similarly, the state government is focusing on improving the educational standards in colleges.

"As per the directions of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, educational standards in colleges in the state will be improved and education will be imparted in such a way that students can get jobs," said the Education Minister.

In the light of the state government clipping the wings of autonomous colleges, Suresh warned them not to indulge in irregularities and said that appropriate action would be taken otherwise.

According to the minister, there are 109 autonomous colleges in the state under various varsities and it was found that quality education was not being imparted in those educational institutions.

"Some autonomous colleges were indulging in irregularities besides getting subsidies from the government discussions are being held with the UGC regarding autonomous colleges," he said.

Further clarifying, Suresh noted that education is a concurrent subject upon which the state government can also make laws and highlighted that colleges are free to move the Court in this matter.

He said that academic audits would be conducted in autonomous colleges to usher in reforms in the education sector.

Suresh said that autonomous colleges are barred from compiling their own question papers.

Meanwhile, the state government is looking at initiating an apprentice system for degree courses.

He said, Reddy gave instruction to lay special focus on developing Andhra University, S.V. University, RJKUT, JNTU - Anantapur and JNTU - Kakinada.
SMITHS STATION, Ala. - The moment Troy Hardy heard the sound of the wind - loud and low as a locomotive, and a thousand times more ferocious - he knew what was coming, and he knew it was going to be bad.

The Sunday afternoon turned suddenly dark, and Troy ran indoors. "Susie!" He yelled to his wife to grab their grandson, who had been napping in the spare bedroom. "Susie! Susie!"

Lightning crackled and storm sirens wailed, and the wind that whipped down the narrow hallway was so powerful he could barely stay on his feet. A door was ripped from its hinges and went flying into him, bloodying his wrist. Troy bent into the wind, forcing himself forward. And though he knew she couldn't hear him, he kept yelling his wife's name over and over again.

Finally he reached the bedroom. Susie was sprawled across 4-year-old Wyatt Savage's tiny body on the floor. He flung himself atop his family and pulled a heavy mattress over them all. And then the tornado was upon them.



TEXAS WEATHER NEWS: Nearly 2,000 price gouging complaints filed in Texas after winter storm

"It's hard to explain, or even really talk about," he said a day later, standing amid the wreckage of the lakeside house that was once his home. An old oak tree lay across the roof, splitting it in two. The deck where he used to drink coffee and watch the sunset was gone. The walls of his bedroom were totally blown away, the bed he'd shared with his wife for 17 years exposed to the water and the wind.

"It was everything we had," Troy said. He shifted, and shattered glass crunched under his feet. "But all of it is replaceable."

He knew that elsewhere in central Lee County, about 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, at least 23 people had been killed by the powerful tornadoes that swept through on Sunday. It was the deadliest such event in the United States since 2013.

"My wife, my grandson, they're not replaceable," said Troy, 55. "Nothing matters more than life."

Susie, 54, couldn't remember how long they lay like that, with the storm raging and the house shaking around them. Terror stretched each second into an eternity.

When the winds finally eased, they crawled out from under the mattress and found "Armageddon," Susie said. Glass was everywhere. Toppled and broken pieces of furniture were flung across the living room. A chunk of roofing had fallen in front of the door, blocking their only exit.

She called her daughter, Mallory Savage, 26, who had been at a church luncheon with their other grandson.

"We can't get out," Susie cried.

"You have to get out," Mallory said.

The sirens were still going off. Thunder boomed. Another tornado could come at any moment. They pushed against the front door until it finally opened and tumbled out into the rain, then rushed into a cargo trailer in the yard. Cold and wet, they huddled together as the wind rocked the trailer. Susie called Mallory again. "I'm coming," her daughter promised.

They comforted one another on the phone until Mallory's battery died.

The younger woman was only a few miles away, but it might as well have another state. Fallen trees cluttered the roads and the wind whipped pine needles everywhere. She and a friend from church drove until they encountered a massive downed power line.

"We can't go past that," he said.

Mallory got out of the car and took off her wedge-heeled shoes. She had to get her son.

She walked for three hours, barefoot, listening to shivers and cracks of wind-battered trees, praying that none of them would fall.

At last she heard Wyatt's voice, sweet and loud, like he always was.

"Wyatt!" she yelled. And then she was in the trailer, holding him, speechless with relief.

Her 4-year-old in tow, Mallory trekked back into town, where they stayed with a friend. Troy and Susie spent the night in their Jeep.

HOUSTON NEWS: Why they burned the Houston Arboretum

When they woke the next morning, "I felt like I was a walking zombie," Troy said. It seemed as though he was watching a movie or the evening news - something out of someone else's life. But all this devastation belonged to him.

Soon Mallory and the couple's other children arrived with clean clothes and food. Neighbors stopped by to check on them and help clear debris. A group of cheerleaders from the local high school drove up and helped Susie dig all her old photographs out of the wreckage. At least these memories wouldn't be ruined.

An insurance adjuster came to look at the house and declared it a total loss.

When it all threatened to overwhelm him, Troy volunteered to go into town to buy fuel for the bonfire in which they were burning downed trees.

The hillside was loud with the sound of chain saws and smelled powerfully of smoke. The whole neighborhood looked like a war zone, as bad as anything he'd seen during his years as a staff sergeant in the Army. "But worse," Troy said, "because your family is involved."

But by the end of the day, he'd formulated a plan. They'd take the next three days to finish cutting trees. Then they'd get portable storage units for whatever they could salvage from their home's remaining rooms. The insurance company would pay for them to stay in a short-term rental while they demolished the house and rebuilt.

He and Susie took turns reassuring each other.

"She's my partner," he said. "Something like last night happens, you realize how close you are to losing somebody -" He trailed off. "I don't know. You get emotional."

As evening fell Monday, the family members sat on stumps around the fire in the yard, talking softly. Troy held his younger grandson, 2-year-old Eli, on his hip. His white German Shepard, Scout, shoved her nose into people's palms, begging to be petted.

Wyatt tossed sticks into the fire.

"The tree fell on the house," he said.

"Were you in the house?" Troy asked.

"Yes," the little boy responded.

"Were you scared?"

A pause. "Yes."

Wyatt tried to run off in search of more sticks, but Troy called him back. It was getting dark, and with the electricity out, the shadows swiftly engulfed the wrecked yard and ruined house. Soon all they could see were one another in the fire's flickering light.
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Yangon: The leader of Myanmars ruling junta insists that the military will protect the people and strive for democracy, even as state television broadcasts warnings that protesters could be shot in the head for demonstrating.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing repeated a promise to hold elections in a speech on Armed Forces Day, after a military parade in the capital Naypyitaw. He gave no date for elections.

Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has repeated his promise to hold elections, but not given a date. Credit:Tatmadaw/AP

The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy, the general said in a live broadcast on state television, adding that authorities also sought to protect the people and restore peace across the country.

Violent acts that affects stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate.
Empty shopfronts dotted along inner-city streets are a grim reminder of the pandemic - but instead of vacant shelves a handful now display the creations of leading designers.

Design collective Alt Material has turned abandonment into art by commissioning high calibre designers to reinvigorate empty businesses and shop windows in Collingwood and Fitzroy.

It changes the use of those buildings and brings something accessible to the public. I love the idea of being able to experience some serious talent as you just stumble across it on your way to get a coffee, or late at night, or any time. Its about being accessible and part of the community, the collectives co-curator Nancy Beka said.

Melbourne designer Pascale Gomes-McNabb. Credit:Jason South

When Melbourne designer Pascale Gomes-McNabb was invited to contribute to the exhibition, called Community, her first thought was to make a table.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged voters on Saturday to cast their ballots against "divisive forces" to strengthen democracy as polling began for the first phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been campaigning for the Assam polls, urged people to vote for progress and the golden future of the state.

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In a Facebook post in Hindi, she urged the people of Assam, especially youngsters and women, to vote in large numbers.

"Do cast your ballot against divisive forces to strengthen democracy," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Gurugram, March 27 : As the number of Covid-19 cases surge in Gurugram the district administration has imposed ban on Holi celebrations in public places.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Gurugram, Yash Garg, released an order in this regard on Friday night.

"Recently there has been a surge in the cases day-by-day. It is anticipated that gathering, congregation and public celebrations during upcoming Holi festival may pose a considerable threat of spread of virus and may cause setback to the appreciable gains made in the suppression of chain of transmission of Covid-19 cases in Gurugram.

Considering this, it has been decided that the public celebrations and all gathering during the upcoming festival should not be allowed in public places, market, religious places, parks, community centres, malls, farm houses, Banquet halls, hotels and any other such places where the crowd gathering is expected across the district in Gurugram," the order said.

This order shall come into force from March 26 and remain in force upto the end of March 29, read the order.

"People have to follow Covid-19 guidelines. If they don't take precautions they could be infected with the virus during the festival season. We appeal to the public to follow social distancing norms and take extra caution," Garg said.

Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij in a tweet, on March 24, had said: "The Haryana government has banned public celebrations of Holi in view of corona..." Districts such as Gurugram, Ambala, Karnal and Panchkula has been severely affected by the pandemic.

Latest updates on Holi Festival 2021

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Syndicated from IANS
Although Verizon is not going to carry the newly announced OnePlus 9 devices, one of its representatives has just confirmed via Twitter that the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro is certified to work on the wireless carrier.

I'm psyched to announce that the @OnePlus 9 Pro & OnePlus 9 have been certified to work on @Verizon & @Visible. That means you can buy it from your fav retailer and know that it will work great on Verizon 5G. Visit https://t.co/iPWwLCbRrn when you get your new phone to activate. pic.twitter.com/SK6eUyhJFK  George Koroneos  (@GLKCreative) March 26, 2021

T-Mobile already officially carries both OnePlus phones, but todays news confirms that the new devices will support 5G bands on two of the three major US carriers. AT&T customers are not as lucky, as the unlocked OnePlus phones will only pick up LTE bands on the carrier.

Between the two devices, only the OnePlus 9 Pro will support Verizons mmWave 5G network. Both the 9 and 9 Pro, meanwhile, will support Verizons Nationwide low-band 5G signal  along with Verizons LTE bands.

OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus9

At launch, OnePlus could only confirm that its new devices would be compatible with AT&T and T-Mobiles networks, but todays news confirms what many have been wondering. Though Verizon did not work with OnePlus to sell its phones this year, the carrier still sells and supports last years OnePlus 8 5G UW.

Via Twitter
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Two Coast Guard personnel have been arrested and detained for the fatal shooting of a fisherman off the coast of Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan, Cebu Friday night.

Local police identified the victim as Rolex Casebo of Barangay Antipolo in Medellin town. The two arrested PCG personnelSeaman First Class Jason Hermoso de Padua and Seaman Second Class Christian Almencion Almoradeare both assigned in Barangay Logon in Malapascua.

Investigators said de Padua and Almorade had confronted two boats for alleged illegal fishing off Dakit-Dakit Island, which located near their jurisdiction.

The entire island is under Barangay Logon, located over 130 kilometers North of Cebu City. It is home to the famous Thresher Sharks and has several protected sanctuaries where commercial fishing is prohibited.

Authorities said the PCG personnel fired "several" warning shots but "accidentally" hit one of the fishermen.

At around 11:50 pm, the boat captain reported the incident to police, who then proceeded to the Maya Port to look for the two PCG personnel involved.

After a few hours, de Padua and Almorade surrendered and are now detained at the Medellin Police Station.

The PCG Central Visayas has yet to issue a statement on the incident.
Australian ambassador awards Phukets Wal Brown with Order of Australia medal

PHUKET: Australian Ambassador to Thailand Allan McKinnon in Phuket yesterday (Mar 26) decorated long-term Phuket expat Wal Brown with an Order of Australia medal for his outstanding service to the community.

patong

By Chris Husted

Saturday 27 March 2021, 09:00AM

At a small ceremony held at the Australian Consulate-General in Phuket on the bypass road, Wal Brown, well known for not blowing his own trumpet, said, Its such a moment, you dont expect to be recognised this way.

It is an emotion in you that cant be described Its just a wonderful feeling and a great ending to my day, he added, his voice starting to creak with emotion.

Ambassador McKinnon was not as shy in explaining what Wal had achieved to deserve the award.

It really is a big pleasure for me today to recognise the tireless work of Wal Brown in the Phuket community, he said.

The Order of Australia medal is a very serious medal  it means you have made a real contribution to many people, he explained to the small gathering. It is such an obvious one for you, Wal, and I am delighted that it can be recognised during my time here and that I can be involved in the investiture, he added.

Wal is recognised for his coordination and support of the police volunteer programme in Patong and the International Liaison Volunteer Program supporting the Region 8 Police.

Present for the ceremony yesterday were Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Pornsak Nuannoo and Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabodi.

The programme wouldnt have been possible without the tireless and admirable dedication of Wal who acted as coordinator of the programme from its inception, Amb McKinnon noted.

Some of the numbers really do part of the story: the programme involved volunteers from 14 countries, speaking 22 languages, with volunteers ranging in age from 43 to 79, he added.

The volunteers provided a valuable service to tourists needing a helping hand, no matter the circumstances. Volunteers worked alongside police and acted as liaise points for embassies and consulates in Thailand and the tourists they serve

In his time, Wal and his volunteers have logged some 100,000 hours of work on the streets of Phuket. Many a dispute or incident was de-escalated as the result of the tireless voluntary work of Wal and the team, Amb McKinnon said.

Also recognised was Wals efforts in helping to organise the Feeding Friends Patong food-relief campaign, launched with the help of friends to help feed people in Patong left without any income due to the COVID-19 crisis.

So Wal has been something of an unofficial ambassador in Phuket in his time here, Amb McKinnon continued.

Many Australians visiting Patong find themselves in trouble will often turn to Wal often as a first port of call for advice, and that demonstrates not only his expertise, but also his connections and mostly the high esteem with which he is held.

Wal embodies the very best of Australian values when it comes to cooperation and mateship with those in his community, Amb McKinnon said.

Wal thanked those who nominated him for the medal, and credited Amb McKinnon and Matthew Barclay, the Australian Consul-General to Phuket, for their efforts in holding the investiture ceremony in Phuket.

I could not go to Australia to receive the award. They had to get permission from the Governor-General to present it here because it is not normally done [outside Australia], he said

When you receive an award, you have to be there, you have to have done it, been everybody to, well, everybody  but its not only me, its all the other volunteers, Wal emphasised.

Wal first joined the volunteers at Phuket Immigration in 2007, but in 2010 Col Arayaphan Phukbuakhao, at that time the Patong Police Chief, asked him to launch a similar volunteer programme in Patong, Wal explained.

We started with 16 people, we worked every night of the week. When you have volunteers who have that level of dedication, they will do it, he said.

By 2019 , the volunteer programme had 43 volunteers, altogether speaking a total of 22 languages.

Their work was not always restricted to Patong.

We were asked by police to assist with a case on Samui involving an Israeli, we have a volunteer who speaks both the Israeli languages, Wal recalled.

The volunteer was to be flown to Samui to assist. It didnt happen due to insurance problems of the volunteer flying over there by helicopter, but eventually it worked by providing assistance through the phone, Wal explained.

Working with the police in Patong has really taught me something deep inside. Thai police are diligent. They are very good. Australian police wouldnt put up with what the Thai police put up with, Wal noted plainly.

People come from all countries, dont speak the language, dont speak English  and yet they go to the police for help, he added.

He related one experience when he finished a night patrol at 1am and went home to bed, only to be woken by a nervous-sounding officer urging him to come to Patong Police Station to help resolve an issue with what he was told was a group of angry Australians.

I got there and there were seven people at the police station, all yelling and pleading, Can you help me? They werent not from Australia, they were from Belarus, he said.

After we settled them all down we finally got to the crux of the story: they had lost their great great grandmothers umbrella on Bangla Rd.

Once we could establish what happened, we could start on a strategy to help. So we organised to meet them at the police box the next day  and started looking for it, hje said.

That was one of those scenarios that just happens. Remember, people when they get into a stressful situation lose the plot  they get agitated, they cant really put it all together, Wal explained.

Wal also explained that he recently paid current Patong Police Chief Col Sujin a visit.

He wants the volunteers to go back in October this year when the COVID restrictions are lifted.

We still have about 20 volunteers still here in the country, and we will get them back to work, he added.

Oh, by the way  we never did find that umbrella, Wal said.
California's economic recovery gained pace in February as the state recouped jobs lost to a dire winter COVID-19 surge, bringing the unemployment rate to its lowest level since the onset of the pandemic last year, officials said.

The state's jobless rate fell to 8.5% from 9.0% in January as employers added 141,000 jobs, according to state data published Friday.

"Today's news, along with the governor's announcement this week that California is continuing to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, is a milestone in our ongoing recovery," said Dee Dee Myers, director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, and state Labor Secretary Julie A. Su in a statement.

The February reversal recovered nearly 91% of the jobs lost in December and January, when a coronavirus surge and business closures took a grim toll on employment.

About a third of the job gains came in Los Angeles County, where small businesses were hard hit during the surge. Now they are calling back workers as the state and county relax coronavirus restrictions, analysts said. Tourism-focused San Diego County provided another 23% of the jobs gained.

Pent-up demand, savings some people have accumulated during the pandemic and warming weather will continue to spur consumption and employment, especially in services, said Sung Won Sohn, a Loyola Marymount University economist.

The state's job market "still has a steep hill to climb" to get back to the pre-pandemic, high employment of a year ago, said Lynn Reaser, an economist at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. February's unemployment rate is about double the 4.3% rate of February 2020, and the state has 1.6 million unemployed workers.

Myers and Su said unemployment continues to disproportionately affect women and communities of color. "Latino and Asian American workers have been hard hit on the front lines as essential workers. African Americans have applied for unemployment benefits at astounding rates, further evidence of the inequities we must address to ensure a strong, equitable recovery," their statement said.

California officials lifted regional coronavirus stay-at-home orders across the state in late January, and more restrictions were loosened regionally earlier this month as the state hit a goal of vaccinating 2 million residents in its most disadvantage areas. In Los Angeles County, restaurants, personal care salons and gyms have reopened indoors at limited capacity. In Orange County, Disneyland is planning to reopen with limited capacity and some restrictions April 30.

With the gradual reopening of the economy, job growth has bounced back in a sector most beleaguered during the pandemic: leisure and hospitality. Restaurants, bars, hotels and sporting events and other activities in this sector accounted for 72% of the jobs gains in February.

The state's labor market continues to lag the nation's, with the U.S. unemployment rate at 6.2% in February. California has the third-highest unemployment rate, tied with Connecticut after Hawaii and New York.

UCLA forecasters predicted earlier this month that the U.S. and California economies will see near-record growth this year as the pandemic winds down, due to expanding COVID-19 vaccination efforts and federal fiscal relief for struggling businesses and workers. Experts say job growth will be more vexing, however: An initial employment bump as businesses reopen is expected, but some layoffs will be permanent and many people will struggle to reenter the workforce.

Many Californians still don't feel comfortable returning to work, which will affect the ability of employers to fill vacant positions, said David Smith, professor of economics at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. The state "has a lot of ground to cover," he said.
India has supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than vaccinated its own people, the country has told the UN General Assembly and cautioned that vaccine inequity will defeat the collective global resolve to contain the coronavirus as the disparity in the accessibility of vaccines will affect the poorest nations the most.

India was one of the initiators of the 'Political Declaration on Equitable Global Access to COVID-19 Vaccines' that garnered the support of more than 180 UN member states.

India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu said at the General Assembly informal meeting on Friday that while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to persist, the year 2021 began on a positive note with the global scientific community coming up with multiple vaccines to contain the pandemic.

"While the vaccine challenge has been resolved, we are now confronted with ensuring the availability, accessibility, affordability, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Lack of global cooperation and disparity in the accessibility of vaccines will affect the poorest nations the most," Mr Naidu said.

India has been at the forefront of the global fight against COVID-19. Mr Naidu told the General Assembly that India will not only be vaccinating 300 million of its own frontline workers over the next six months but in the process has also supplied vaccines to over 70 nations.

"In fact, as of today we have supplied more vaccines globally than have vaccinated our own people," Mr Naidu said. Two of India''s vaccines, including the indigenously developed Covaxin, have already been granted emergency authorization, Mr Naidu said, adding that 30 more vaccine candidates are at various phases of clinical trials.

The vaccine Covishield is the version of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. Covaxin is the indigenously developed vaccine by pharma company Bharat Biotech. The Political Declaration states that equitable and affordable access to safe and effective COVID19 vaccines must be ensured to have a speedy recovery and contribute to putting an end to the pandemic.

The declaration also expresses deep concern that despite international agreements and initiatives, the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is still uneven worldwide, both among and within countries.

"Therefore, we express our deep concern that a considerable number of countries have not yet had access to COVID-19 vaccines, and stress the need for global solidarity and multilateral cooperation to increase vaccine production and distribution, on regional and global levels."

Mr Naidu said that as highlighted by the declaration equity in access to the vaccine is important for mitigating the impact of the pandemic. "Vaccine inequity will defeat our collective resolve to contain the virus. The current disparity calls for solidarity and cooperation within the international frameworks such as COVAX," he said.

India, a significant source of supply to Gavi's COVAX facility, has contributed 20 million doses to the facility last month. India had also announced a gift of 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers. The shipment of vaccines for peacekeepers left Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday and will land in Denmark soon, Mr Naidu said.

India also underlined the need to collaborate on genomic surveillance to track virus mutations and variants and exchange information in a timely fashion. "Vaccine hesitancy should also be countered with science and public health infrastructure and capacities of health workers in vaccine delivery needs to be strengthened globally," he said.

Mr Naidu highlighted the need for the international community to collectively work towards supporting initiatives that ensure speedy and equitable distribution of vaccines and therapeutics to the most disadvantaged populations. "Affordability, access, and logistical issues should in no way become a hindrance in our fight against one of the biggest challenges facing humanity," he said.

Mr Naidu added that India is working actively with Gavi, the World Health Organisation and ACT Accelerator. "India and South-Africa have also called for WTO (World Trade Organisation) to suspend intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 for a limited period of time, to ensure rapid scaling-up of manufacturing of vaccines and ensuring accessibility and affordability of vaccines for all," he said.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that ongoing global immunisation programmes pertaining to polio, diphtheria and other diseases do not get impacted as that will lead to the resurgence of other deadly diseases.

World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for countries to work together so that all States could begin vaccinating within the first 100 days of 2021. He said 177 countries and economies have started vaccination and added that with just 15 days left before the 100 days are up, 36 countries are still waiting for vaccines so they can start inoculating health workers and older people.

President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir said at the meeting that the world, which went into the COVID-19 pandemic together, can emerge from it together as well. "But that depends on fair and equitable access to vaccines. From the health worker in a small island developing state, to a teacher in a refugee camp, to the elderly in care facilities across our countries, we must all be covered," Mr Bozkir said.

He stressed that the most vulnerable groups - people on the move, in conflict zones, and those already marginalised - must be prioritised.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Top UN officials thank India for gifting 200,000 doses

Also read: COVID-19 in Delhi: Over 1,500 cases reported for 2nd straight day
AFP federal agent Justin Trembath became the case officer for Mr Turners original arrest in Australia. I havent previously investigated a job like this but I know there have been instances in Australia where there have been family members and close associates helping persons that were on bail leave the jurisdiction, he said. Ive been based in Brisbane since 2002, so Ive worked on a lot of organised crime investigations ... Ive never had a defendant flee overseas whilst on bail awaiting his trial. From a Philippine jail, where he has access to the internet, Mr Turner spoke to the Brisbane Times via WhatsApp as he fought extradition back to Australia. I believe it was to satisfy their bruised egos and show some sort of result, he said.

Mum was also the money earner after my escape and arresting her four years after my escape and her alleged involvement in that serves their purpose. Cut off his funding and support. Most of the evidence against Mum was my actions, not hers. The AFP and [the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions] muddled the water and blurred the two together and the jury bought it. Elizabeth Turner was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and giving false testimony in Mackay District Court on November 12, 2020. Prosecutors alleged she helped her son buy and insure the Shangri-La, before falsely stating it had been destroyed. It was also alleged she withdrew cash and travelled with her sons wife and children to Poland to remove them from the jurisdiction.

Markis Turner in his Filipino prison-issued garb. Credit:Markis Turner In April 2016, Mrs Turner gave a sworn testimony in the Supreme Court in Brisbane that her son died by suicide. Still very much alive, Mr Turner told Brisbane Times he was worried about his mother in prison, because of her serious health issues, and that he was shattered by the guilty verdict. Everything that the AFP and CDPP accused her of at trial was countered with evidence and witnesses to prove otherwise, he said. She simply shouldnt have been convicted.

Elizabeth Turner grew up in Mount Garnet and met her husband, Darryl Turner, who was in the army in north Queensland, at a country festival when she was 18. With their two children, they left Mount Garnet to follow Darryls construction work across Queensland before settling in Moranbah. During her trial, Mrs Turner said it broke [her] heart when she was charged. Well, I was really struggling and the only thing that kept me going was my granddaughter ... I had to keep my marbles, as they say, she said. And that was all that really kept me going.

Daughter-in-law Magdalena Turner, who lives in Poland with her two children, said thinking of Mrs Turner reduced her to tears. My seven-year-old daughter, Lili, prays every night asking Lord to look after her Nana, so she is safe, and she comes to stay with us forever, she said. I know that someone in Mackay got two years for manslaughter. She was sentenced for four years for love. But Federal Agent Trembath said the case against Mrs Turner took several years to build. Initially the investigation started with trying to locate Markis and it was during that investigation that myself and other federal agents identified Elizabeth Turners involvement in his absconding from Australia, he said.

Federal Agent Trembath said federal agents made hundreds of inquiries into Mr Turners disappearance and that helped identify the name of the yacht he used to escape. That assisted us with tracking him down but also the ownership and purchase of the yacht played a key part of the evidence that convicted Elizabeth, he said. We honed in on where he might have been once we found the yacht. When asked how he felt about the guilty verdict, Federal Agent Trembath shrugged off the question. Were just doing our job, he said.
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A group of nurses from Danbury Hospital will hold a candlelight vigil in honor of pandemic victims and sacrifices made during the ongoing pandemic, according to a press release.

The nurses will honor those who have suffered or died amid the COVID-19 pandemic by collecting nonperishable food items outside of the hospital  located at 24 Hospital Ave.  at 6 p.m. Monday. The event is organized by the Danbury Nurses Union Unit 47, AFT Local 5047.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday requested India, as a member of the UN Security Council, to play a "strong role" in the early repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas back to Myanmar during her talks with her Indian counterpart PM Narendra Modi.

According to a Joint Statement issued on the occasion of Prime Minister Modis visit, the issue of the 1.1 million forcibly-displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar featured during the talks between the two leaders.

Both the prime ministers reiterated the importance of their safe, speedy and sustainable return to their homeland for the greater security of the region, it said.

Prime Minister Hasina requested India, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, to play a strong role in the early repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas back to Myanmar, the statement said, adding that India assured its continued support on the issue. India is currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation at the generosity of Bangladesh in sheltering and providing humanitarian assistance to the 1.1 million forcibly displaced persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar, the Joint Statement said.

According to Bangladesh Prime Ministers Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Prime Minister Hasina said the return of these people in the quickest possible time was needed since the lingering of the crisis could create grounds for their involvement in terrorist activities and drug trading.

Sooner is the better, Karim quoted her as saying.

In response, Prime Minister Modi told Hasina that his country wants a sustainable return of the refugees in a sustainable manner.

Nearly one million Rohingya Muslims fled a crackdown by the Myanmarese military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Redcastle House, now the Redcastle Hotel, is the first hotel you come to on the Wild Atlantic Way travelling from north to south.

The Redcastle hotel is located in the once proud and independent peninsula of Inishowen.

The last of the Irish chieftains with whom this site is associated was Cahir O'Doherty.

Cahir became chieftain at the age of 13 in 1601, after the death of his father, Sir John O Doherty. In order to secure his position, Cahir changed his familys side in the Nine Year War year and swore loyalty to Queen Elizabeth, because of Inishowen's important strategic location and the defeat of the Confederates at Kinsale in 1601.

The war ended in 1603. It resulted in the Flight of the Earls from Rathmullan in 1607 and the Plantation of Ulster. Cahir thought his reward for his help and loyalty would be great. But apart from being knighted and acquiring the title Sir, he was to be disappointed.

In frustration the 20-year-old chieftain rebelled in 1608, sacking the English held city of Derry and burning it to the ground. He was killed shortly after this in the Battle of Kilmacrennan, just outside Letterkenny. Because of this rebellion King James I ordered the great walls of Derry to be built.

After Cahir, the last Inishowen Chieftain, was killed, all his lands in Inishowen were seized by the James I for plantation and divided between The Established church and Arthur Chichester. The two separate entities that were then Inishowen and Tyrconnell were joined and made into one county. It was named Donegal.

The first house built on the site of the Redcastle hotel was built by the Carey family. The Cary family were landlords who received plantation lands from Moville to Muff. The family lived here from about 1622 to 1822, almost exactly 200 years.

Unfortunately for the Carey's, they had money problems and eventually were forced to sell the Redcastle house and Estate in 1822. Thomas Doherty from Muff purchased the house from the Carey's, but because of legal issues it took 18 years for them to complete the sale.

The most famous of the Careys was Joyce Carey. Joyce Cary was listed in the top 100 writers in English by The Sunday Times. Some of his books were made into film. His son and grandson continued in the creative theme and were involved in TV series such as Dr Who and Captain Pugwash.

Thomas Doherty left the estate to his youngest daughter, Jane, who was married to Dr Richard Doherty, a lecturer in midwifery in Queens University, Galway. Dr Richard Doherty died in 1876 and his wife Jane in 1882.

Richard converted to Catholicism late in his life and left the Redcastle estate to his daughter, Elizabeth and her husband Captain Ernest Cochrane, on the condition that the children be brought up as Catholics.

The year before Elizabeth died she was in dispute with the local land league on the reduction of rents. Armed men were employed to secure her crops after locals refused to harvest them. They were unsuccessful at getting the crops harvested, but it is said they did get through quite an amount of Jameson whiskey and food.

Captain Ernest Cochrane was the son of the famous and notorious Lord Thomas Cochrane, on which the films Master and Commander and Hornblower are based. Earnest's famous bloodline does not end there as he is also a descendent of Robert the Bruce who actually invaded and occupied Northburg Castle in Greencastle for a short period.

True love must have been very much in the air as the condition that Richard Doherty left for marriage and inheritance at this time would have been quite a diplomatic feat, given that Earnest was also the high sheriff of Donegal. But they managed it. Captain Cochrane went to church in his Model T car. Reg number 1H11 (now in the Ulster transport museum) and Elizabeth and her children in their horse and carriage to Drung Chapel.

To this day they are still separated, Earnest in a grand monument grave in front of the now derelict Church of Ireland Church in Redcastle. Elizabeth Francis with her children and her parents are interred at the alter area of the old Catholic Church, Drung.

After the various land acts that were introduced after 1881, landlordism went into terminal decline. Lands were sold off and the large houses were either left to rot away or knocked down to avoid taxes on them. Redcastle House survived. Captain Earnest Cochrane died in 1911 and Elizabeth Francis in 1929. The Cochrane's remained and turned their hand to farming and in the 1960s opened the Redcastle House as an Hotel. The Cochrane's sold Redcastle in 1972 and the hotel is now once again back in the ownership of a Doherty.

Peter Mullan is a Board Failte approved local and national tour guide
A Bay Area was shot 'through her right eye' last weekend in an incident that her family is calling a hate crime.

The shooting comes as the United States grapples with a surge in anti-Asian violence, including a series of shootings in Atlanta that took the lives of eight people.

Police have not confirmed that those shootings were hate crimes, but they haven't taken it off the table either.

Jessica Dimalanta, 19, of Vallejo, California was attending car stunt shows with four friends in San Francisco in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 21, when several suspects allegedly in a dark sedan opened fire on the grey Lexus she was riding in.

Jessica Dimalanta, 19, is in the hospital after being shot 'through her right eye' after a car stunt show in San Francisco on March 21

A GoFundMe set up for Dimalanta's care reveals that she has been 'permanently impaired' after being shot while riding in a car

Dimalanta and a 19-year-old male were hit, while the other three friends were spared as the suspects fled the scene.

She was then taken to UCSF Mission Bay Hospital in San Francisco.

Dimalanta was later transferred to San Francisco General Hospital in non-life-threatening condition.

Police have not made reference to a hate crime during their investigation, according to NextShark.

But multiple family members of Dimalanta, including her uncle and mother, claim that she was targeted for being Asian.

Dimalanta's uncle, Dexter Martin, started a GoFundMe page for his niece, which has raised over $38,000 for her care so far.

While in the hospital, Dimalanta also tested positive for COVID-19 and went into quarantine

According to Martin, a bullet went 'straight through her right eye,' leaving the teenager 'permanently impaired.'

'While doctors were able to remove the shell, fragments still are embedded in her face, and she is unable to chew and speak without pain,' Martin wrote.

Dimalanta, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, also tested positive for COVID-19 while in the hospital, forcing her into quarantine.

Intersection of Quint Street and Oakdale Avenue in San Francisco where the shooting allegedly occurred

'Jessica will need medical care, is afraid for her life, and does not want to go outside because she fears something else is happening to her,' Martin says, noting she will require physical and mental therapy.

'Jessica is the sweetest, kind, caring person with an angelic voice, loves to sing and spend time with her family,' Martin says.

'She helps her single mother take care of her younger siblings, nieces, and nephews. She did not deserve to have to suffer like this. No one deserves this at all.'

Dimalanta was set to begin classes this week with the goal of becoming a healthcare provider, but her injuries have put that plan on hold.

The GoFund Me concludes: 'We also want to bring awareness to the anti-Asian violence and racism that is evolving around us. Let's, please work together to stop senseless violent hate crimes and continue to take care of one another.

'We are praying for past and current victims of these crimes, and hope we can move toward a safer and more inclusive society.'

Two months ago, Thai immigrant Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was killed in San Francisco in an incident widely believed to be a hate crime.

A 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder and elder abuse, according to CNN.

Hate crime charges have not been filed in the case, though, demonstrating the uphill task of proving a crime was motivated solely to hate.
1. Two Convicts In Nikita Tomar Murder Get Life Imprisonment: Here's A Timeline Of The Case

BCCL

A fast-track court in Haryana's Faridabad sentenced two men to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Nikita Tomar, a college student who was shot dead outside her college last year. Read more

2. How Goa Is Emerging As Entry Point For Those Coming To Karnataka From Maharashtra, Kerala

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Karnataka shares its borders with two of the worst-COVID-19 affected states in India - Maharashtra and Kerala. Read more

3. Amid Criticism, India Reminds UN It Has Exported More COVID Vaccines Than Given To Own People

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India has supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than vaccinated its own people, the country has told the UN General Assembly. Read more

4. In Some Good News For Delhi, The Toxic Pollution May Be Coming Down, PM2.5 On The Decline

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Over the past few years, Delhi and its adjoining areas have gained notoriety for having some of the most polluted air in the world. Read more
Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney on Armed Forces Day violence in Myanmar

Statement

I am deeply shocked and saddened by the abhorrent and indefensible killing of unarmed civilians, including children, on the 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day. The role of the military in society is to protect its citizens, not to murder and terrorise them. Today, the security forces have disgraced themselves and these actions leave another stain on the history of Myanmar.

The past decade has witnessed Myanmar take important, if incomplete, steps towards a democratic and prosperous future. The election results in November last and the sustained large-scale popular opposition since 1 February demonstrates that the Tatmadaw have no mandate to govern Myanmar. Their actions since overturning the will of the people are returning Myanmar to a dark past. They carry a real risk of driving the country into civil strife and chaos. Those who directed these killings must be held to account.

I call on the Myanmar military to step back from actions designed to consolidate power through fear and brutal violence. They must recognise that their actions are leading the country to further division and instability, with consequences for the wider region.

On 10 March, the Security Council spoke as one when it condemned the violence against peaceful protestors, including against women, youth and children; expressed deep concern at restrictions on medical personnel, civil society, labour union members, journalists and media workers; and called for the immediate release of all those detained arbitrarily. I echo those calls today.

Ireland continues to stand with the people of Myanmar and will continue to work with our partners in Europe, in the region and at the United Nations, both in the General Assembly and as a Member of the Security Council, to see an end to violence and to bring about a peaceful and democratic solution to this crisis.

Our Embassy in Bangkok is maintaining regular communication with all registered Irish citizens in Myanmar to provide advice and information. We are currently advising Irish citizens in Myanmar to consider leaving the country by commercial means unless they have an urgent reason to stay. Citizens in Myanmar with concerns should contact the Embassy on +66 2 016 1360.

ENDS

PRESS OFFICE

27 MARCH 2021

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NEW YORK, March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Why is Getting an Online Psychic Reading Better than Visiting a Local Psychic Reader Near Me? Top-Psychics.Org announces the release of the report, A user guide defining which psychic reading experience is better in 2021, visiting a psychic in the local shop or meeting a psychic advisor online via live chat, phone call or Video.

Why Should Someone Prefer an Online Psychic Reading to a Local Psychic Near Me?

Online psychic reading services that are listed above can help the user get the best reading and insights in the least amount of time. The first issue that one may face with psychics near me is that they will have to reveal some of their information to the reader. The user may want to discuss a sensitive topic and are uncomfortable sharing anything about themselves but it gets unavoidable in the case of physical reading.

Additionally, these readers charge no less than a couple of hundred dollars for their services, whether the user may like it or not. There are times when a person cannot interact with the reader as properly as they may want to. They fail to make a connection, which in turn makes the reading a useless and baseless conversation. Even if the user fails to find any answers, the user will have to pay a reader for their services. Add that to the user traveling expenses and the complete process can become a little more expensive than one can expect.

Visit Our Top-Rated Psychic Website With 3 Free Minutes Reading

Such an amount of money is what makes most people avert from a psychic reading. Being new to the field, they want to experience the art but do not want to invest a huge amount of money.

Online psychic reading addresses and solves all these problems while providing the same quality, if not better, services. Most sites provide the user the option of 100% anonymity. Thus, the user can choose to not share any personal information with the psychics. Also, these fortune tellers are trained to get an accurate reading with the most basic of information provided by the user. Thus, the user does not have to worry that if the user does not give an extensive amount of detail regarding the user life to the advisor, the reading will fail to be specific and will provide the user only with general opinions.

Furthermore, the sites offer the user a free trial for as long as three minutes. The free trial is not just a marketing move, but a way to build trust among the new visitors. They can try out the services of the advisor that they chose for free. During these free minutes, they can decide whether they like the services or not. If they fail to connect with the user, they can simply stop the session right there before the end of the free trial.

If the user pays for a complete session and finds that they are still left dissatisfied with the reading, then the sites ensure that they can get a cashback. The cashback is offered under their 100% customer satisfaction policy.

The user does not have to worry about the time as well. Most readers are available for 24/7 services, that is, they are available for the complete day, no matter what time it is. The user can just choose the Chat Now or other options available and begin the user reading immediately. Thus, psychic reading online makes for a better deal than a face-to-face reading.

Get a Live Psychic Reading from The Best Psychics Today

To let the user access the best readers from around the world at the comfort of the user home, Psychic Experts was created. The portal lists down the best psychic reading online services that can help the user achieve clarity and peace of mind in minutes. The user does not have to separate a chunk of time from the user day to be able to meet them. The user can book an appointment at any time of the day at the user convenience.

Through the services that are rated and reviewed at Psychic Experts, the user can now reach trusted websites with truly knowledgeable readers. These readers can provide the user a plethora of services in different fields including love, life, career, marriage, family, and much more. Whether the user needs a daily horoscope or a tarot card reading, Psychic Experts can lead the user to the best site providing all the services that the user needs.

We have listed the top-rated online psychic reading websites as per Psychic Experts here. The user can go through their features and choose one that fulfills all the user needs.

Kasamba

Established in 1999, Kasamba has gained the top position among the psychic reading online service providers. The website has some of the best readers and fortune tellers in its database that can help anyone get better clarity regarding their life. The best thing about Kasamba is that the user does not have to book a session or wait for the reader that the user likes to get online. the user can just click on the Chat Now button that is available on the profile of the reader and begins the conversation.

Speak With Kasamba Gifted Psychics At No Cost

The Chat Now option makes getting a quick reading much more convenient and straightforward. All the data regarding the reading sessions are encrypted and are not accessible to any party. This is to make sure that the data is not misused. Thus, it is safe for the clients to share their sensitive and personal details with the reader to get a precise reading. the user can choose to remain anonymous during the whole reading session to ensure the fact that all the user data is secured.

Kasamba offers a 70% discount at the rates of the user's first session. Additionally, the user can have a session of three minutes with any reader or advisor for free. If the user finds that the user likes the reading that the advisor provides and that it can be helpful for the user, then the user can choose to extend the session after the first three minutes.

As soon as the user signs up with the website, the user can begin with a session. The sign-up process needs the user email for the user verification and financial details so that the user can pay for a session. Also, Kasamba is one of the few websites that offer email-readings. So, if the user is a person who cannot set aside a long length of time to get the reading, the user can talk to any advisor of the user's choice by exchanging emails with them.

Kasamba works relentlessly to assure that the user data is protected and the user gets the best experience of online psychic reading. Thus, they make sure that all the readers are verified for their claims and experience, and proficiency before they can begin providing their services through the website.

Key Features

No matter the user budget, the user can find a reader that provides their services at the desired rate. Though, the user will notice that the higher the rating and experience of the reader, the more will be their rates.

Kasamba is chat-based. It offers most of its services through chats and emails. People who are worried about their privacy can find solace in these options as they will not have to share anything with the reader.

It is one of the longest-running websites with positive ratings from millions of users, making it one of the most trustworthy websites.

The user can try various advisors for free by using the free trial so that the user can ensure that the user finds the one that is best for the user and provides for all the user needs.

Click Here to Speak with Kasamba Top Psychics

Psychic Source

The first website in this list is Psychic Source. It is also one of the oldest and longest-running websites providing an online psychic reading. In its three decades of working, Psychic Source has provided satisfaction and accurate readings to millions of people from around the world. Its experience indicates how trustworthy its services are and the ratings will tell the user how well-respected the site is among the patrons who visit it regularly to get an online psychic reading.

Psychic Source chooses the best psychics from around the world through its rigorous screening process. The process ensures that no frauds are entering the database of the readers. The screening process verifies the experience of the reader, their work ethic, and their past achievements. The chosen readers are then added to the database available on the website. One can find all of the advisors and their profiles on the Psychic Source website.

The profiles of the readers include all relevant information regarding them. The information is helpful to judge the proficiency of the reader and if they can match the user requirements or not. Along with basic information and their experience in a particular field, the profile also shows their strong suits and the reviews that are left by past users. Reviews help the new visitors decide whether a reader is worth booking a session or not.

The user can also use the filtering options that are available on the website to make the process of finding the best advisor for the user. The options include the kind of reading that the readers provide, their form of reading, their rates per minute, and the ratings given by past users. These options help the user shortlist the best advisors for the user in minutes so that the user can proceed with the user session as soon as possible.

Psychic Source believes that the users must find their connection with a reader. The connection is essential for the reading to work and for the reader to understand the requirements and doubts of the user. Thus, Psychic Source offers a free trial of three minutes to all its users. The users can get a session for free if they end it within three minutes. The time is enough to decide whether a fortune teller can provide answers to the user's questions as accurately as the user wants or not.

Key Features

Has a plethora of readers available for numerous kinds of psychic readings such as cartomancy perusing, numerology, astrology, love tarot, spiritual reading, previous existence perusing, and much more.

Psychic Source provides its new users with a free trial. One can get a session for free for the first three minutes.

A thorough investigation of all readers to ensure that the user gets the most authentic and genuine services.

If the user is not satisfied with the services provided, then they can file for 100% repayment. Psychic Source always endeavors to develop trust among the users and clients.

Click Here to Visit Psychic Source Top-Rated Psychic Advisors

Keen Psychic

Whether the user wants advice regarding the user's love life or career advancement, Keen Psychics packs all the features in it. The site is the best option for those who are new to the world of psychic readings and want to try out a session without committing to spending a huge amount of money. Along with the free trial for the first three minutes, Keen Psychic also offers psychic reading online for as little as $1.99 for 10 minutes.

One can book any length of the session for cheap rates and ensure that they get a genuine experience of online tarot card reading. The website has thousands of readers who hold proficiency in numerous fields. The spiritual advisors are trained and hold years of experience in interacting with the client through online means such as phone calls, online chat, etc. They can help the user find the spiritual balance of the user life and lead a prosperous and peaceful life in the future as well.

Looking For Real Psychics? Visit Keen Website With Best Experts!

Keen Psychic is known for its immense experience and high ratings in online love tarot card reading. The readers can answer accurately even the most personal questions so that they can get satisfied and achieve peace of mind. Though, other than tarot reading, the user will find dream interpretation, numerology, astrology, horoscope, and other such services on the website as well.

The website of Keen Psychic is easily navigable and has various sections and pages made for the convenience of the users. the user can browse through the pages to find the reader whose profile matches the user needs. The website ensures that all the readers are authentic by evaluating and verifying their services regularly. It also has a straightforward verification process for the users. The process makes sure that no bot is registered into the website, risking the database of the readers and clients alike.To book a session, each new user needs to verify their account with the help of the link that will be sent to their email.

Before the user proceeds with a session, the user must ensure that the user has provided all the accurate details regarding the user preferred method of payment. the user can choose from credit cards, debit cards, and even digital wallets such as PayPal, etc. All the details are encrypted and secured with the latest technology to make sure that all the users' information is protected against any data breach.

Key Features

Keen Psychic has a record of positive reviews gained by more than 30 million clients.

Psychic readings are available over video calls, emails, phone psychics, and even online chat.

The site provides 100% customer satisfaction. They ensure that if the user did not like the reading, then the client can ask for a cashback.

Keen Psychic follows a transparent method of working to ensure that the clients can be assured that they are getting the most authentic and reliable experience.

It also offers a seamless and light-weight app that supports both iOS and Android.

One can get a session for free for the first three minutes. After three minutes, the rates provided are cheap and affordable.

Some psychic experts also offer bilingual services for a personal experience.

Click Here to Visit Keen Top-Rated Psychic Advisors

Types of Online Psychic Reading

Online psychic readings are offered in various ways. The users can choose the method that they like the best or is easily feasible for them to get a reading. Most sites list the ways a reader is available on their profile. The users can check this and contact the readers accordingly. Some readers may require the user to book an appointment with them before the session while some may be available for an immediate session. The following are the common ways of online psychic reading.

Phone reading

Online chat psychics

Video session reading

Mail reading

The availability of these options depends upon the tools that are available on a website as well as the reader. the user can choose the one that suits the user and the user needs the best. If the user wants a more personal reading, then the user can choose to have a video reading session. For an anonymous reading, online chat is the best option.

How Accurate Can Online Psychic Readings be?

The most popular and preferred type of reading is phone psychics. People opt for phone reading as it is easier to convey the user points and it ensures that there are no miscommunications, which are common in chat reading. Furthermore, phone reading also ensures that one can maintain their privacy and not reveal any information about them to the reader.

Click Here to Ask Free Psychic Question

People may think that phone reading cannot be accurate and dubious as there is no physical connection between the two parties. The connection may enhance the reading but is not necessary for an experienced reader to get an accurate reading. The reader can judge the user as per their tone of voice, the kinds of questions they ask, their choice of words, etc. As per this information, the reader interacts with the energies of the user and provides a reading. Anyone can find how accurate and to-the-point these phone readings can be by utilizing the free trial.

During tarot card reading, people may avert from phone reading as they cannot see the cards. Though the readers can tell the user their position and the user may choose by numbering them. Even if the user does not physically touch the cards, a card that is a part of a good deck will attract the user towards it. Thus, phone readings can be as accurate as any other form of reading if one finds a good reader and places trust in their ability.

For those who need accurate answers regarding their future to quell their thirst for knowledge regarding their future, psychic reading is the best option. Psychic readers can provide the user a clear insight regarding the outcomes of the user decisions that can help the user make a better decision and follow a peaceful and much more satisfying life. The readers can interact with the aura and energy that surround them. The universe is filled with cosmic energy and like any other energy, its force field changes when it interacts with different humans. Studying this force field is one way of predicting the future and drawing out all the possible situations that can take place.

Psychic reading is an ancient art based on probability and chances. Though, with time, the art was muddled with frauds and fakes because of which people averted from the art, believing it not to be scientific. In truth, an experienced and trained reader works purely on the chances and their outcomes that he can see in the future and answers the user questions based on the information that he receives from the user energies.

Through an accurate psychic reading provided by an experienced and trustworthy reader, one can understand their life, their self, and soul much better. The readers not just provide the user an insight into the future but also helps the user in understanding the user's own desires from life. The information can be essentially helpful when we need to make decisions to move forward in life.

When searching for a psychic near me, people find that they have limited access to psychics, especially if the user is living in a small town, the number of experienced and reliable readers can be small. It becomes difficult to find one that has specializations in providing the answers related to the user problems. Furthermore, if the user finds a psychic medium near me that fits the user criteria of requirements, even then it can get difficult to meet them. The distance at which they are located, the time they work, their method of working, the area they work in, etc., are some of the factors that one needs to look at while booking an appointment. the user cannot head out to an unknown neighborhood and meet a reader.

Click Here To Visit Our Top-Rated Psychic Website!

Also, for physical reading, the user will have to share the user information with the reader. If the user wants an anonymous reading, it can get hard when dealing with a psychic near me.

The Bottom Line

If the user is new to the art of psychics, then finding a psychic medium near me can prove to be a tedious task. The user will have to take various factors into consideration while deciding which one to choose. the user may also find that the user does not have access to many options when it comes to psychic readers near me. Thus, for a person who has never experienced a reading, the whole process can prove to be pointless in the end.

Online psychic reading not just provides all the services that the user may require in just a few clicks, it does so at such affordable rates that the user will be surprised. The user must ensure that the user follows the protocol of a psychic reading properly to get the most out of the session. Let the user reader lead the session. Let them draw out conclusions by interacting with the force fields around the user. If the user interrupts them through the process by asking questions at every second, then they will not be able to connect with the user and the user problems deeply enough to provide a precise reading.

Also, refrain from asking questions that end in answers surrounding 'yes' and 'no'. Such closed questions can end in no clarity from the reading session, leaving the user with the most basic answers and no insights regarding the user's future and the prospects that it holds. If the user want to gain a wonderful experience through the online psychic reading session, make sure that the user trust the reader and respect their art.

About Top-Psychics.Org

Top Psychics make sure that they personally verify the services delivered at a portal. They also ensure that the websites that they rate the highest and recommend offer their chat psychics services at attainable rates. Not only that, the websites should offer the option of cashback and a transparent complaint box. These features ensure that the website provides authentic services in the favor of its clients.

SOURCE Top Psychics
Yves here. Its noteworthy that a mainstream venue like The Conversation would run a piece that describes how the Biden approach to China and Russia is backfiring. While the press spoke in almost one voice against Trumps policies towards China and Russia, even when it was aghast at Trumps belligerence, I believe most countries on the receiving end discounted it as bluster and would wait to see what if any actions would follow.

By contrast, the campaign pitch for Biden was that his leadership would put the adults back in charge. Yet its been hard to ignore the stunning and pointless Biden slap at Putin, shortly followed by the train wreck of the China summit in Alaska. The incoming team is managing the difficult task of making Trump look not terrible. Those who have met Trump say hes usually affable, even charming in a meeting, even though hes likely to screw you in the 24 hours after that.

So the big difference is the US press (for the most part) not calling out these Biden bombs. Funny that.

By Tony Kevin, Emeritus Fellow, Australian National University. Originally published at The Conversation

The past week has marked a watershed moment in Russias relations with the West  and the US in particular. In two dramatic, televised moments, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have changed the dynamics between their countries perhaps irrevocably.

Most commentators in the West have focused on Putins trolling of Biden by dryly  though, according to Putin, unironically  wishing his American counterpart good health. This, of course, came after Biden called Putin a killer.

But a more careful and complete reading of Putins message to the US is necessary to understand how a Russian leader is, finally, ready to tell the US: do not judge us by your claimed standards, and do not try to tell us what to do.

Putin has never asserted these propositions so bluntly. And it matters when he does

Putins Message to the New US President

The tense test of strength began when Biden was asked about Putin in an interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos and agreed he was a killer and didnt have a soul. He also said Putin will pay a price for his actions.

Putin then took the unusual step of going on the state broadcaster VGTRK with a prepared five-minute statement in response to Biden.



In an unusually pointed manner, Putin recalled the US history of genocide of its Indigenous people, the cruel experience of slavery, the continuing repression of Black Americans today and the unprovoked US nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the second world war.

He suggested states should not judge others by their own standards:

Whatever you say about others is what you are yourself.

Some American journalists and observers have reacted to this as trolling. It was not.

ALEXEI DRUZHININ/KREMLIN POOL/SPUTNIK/EPA

It was the preamble to Putins most important message in years to what he called the American establishment, the ruling class. He said the US leadership is determined to have relations with Russia, but only on its own terms.

Although they think that we are the same as they are, we are different people. We have a different genetic, cultural and moral code. But we know how to defend our own interests. And we will work with them, but in those areas in which we ourselves are interested, and on those conditions that we consider beneficial for ourselves. And they will have to reckon with it. They will have to reckon with this, despite all attempts to stop our development. Despite the sanctions, insults, they will have to reckon with this.

This is new for Putin. He has for years made the point, always politely, that Western powers need to deal with Russia on a basis of correct diplomatic protocols and mutual respect for national sovereignty, if they want to ease tensions.

But never before has he been as blunt as this, saying in effect: do not dare try to judge us or punish us for not meeting what you say are universal standards, because we are different from you. Those days are now over.

China Pushing Back Against the US, Too

Putins forceful statement is remarkably similar to the equally firm public statements made by senior Chinese diplomats to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Alaska last week.

Blinken opened the meeting by lambasting Chinas increasing authoritarianism and aggressiveness at home and abroad  in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. He claimed such conduct was threatening the rules-based order that maintains global stability.

Yang Jiechi, Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief, responded by denouncing American hypocrisy. He said

The US does not have the qualification to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength. The US uses its military force and financial hegemony to carry out long-arm jurisdiction and suppress other countries. It abuses so-called notions of national security to obstruct normal trade exchanges, and to incite some countries to attack China.

He said the US had no right to push its own version of democracy when it was dealing with so much discontent and human rights problems at home.

Russia and China Drawing Closer Together

Putins statement was given added weight by two diplomatic actions: Russias recalling of its ambassador in the US, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs meeting in China with his counterpart, Wang Yi.

Beijing and Moscow agreed at the summit to stand firm against Western sanctions and boost ties between their countries to reduce their dependence on the US dollar in international trade and settlements. Lavrov also said,

We both believe the US has a destabilising role. It relies on Cold War military alliances and is trying to set up new alliances to undermine the world order.

Though Bidens undiplomatic comments about Putin may have been unscripted, the impact has nonetheless been profound. Together with the harsh tone of the US-China foreign ministers meeting in Alaska  also provoked by the US side  it is clear there has been a major change in the atmosphere of US-China-Russia relations.

What will this mean in practice? Both Russia and China are signalling they will only deal with the West where and when it suits them. Sanctions no longer worry them.

 #Lavrov: #China  is a truly strategic partner and a like-minded country for #Russia  Our cooperation on the international stage is having a stabilising effect on the global and regional situation.  Read the full #interview: https://t.co/enOQZBTrnd#RussiaChina pic.twitter.com/hBzvgvroMQ  MFA Russia  (@mfa_russia) March 22, 2021

The two powers are also showing they are increasingly comfortable working together as close partners, if not yet military allies. They will step up their cooperation in areas where they have mutual interests and the development of alternatives to the Western-dominated trade and payments systems.

Countries in Asia and further afield are closely watching the development of this alternative international order, led by Moscow and Beijing. And they can also recognise the signs of increasing US economic and political decline.

It is a new kind of Cold War, but not one based on ideology like the first incarnation. It is a war for international legitimacy, a struggle for hearts and minds and money in the very large part of the world not aligned to the US or NATO.

The US and its allies will continue to operate under their narrative, while Russia and China will push their competing narrative. This was made crystal clear over these past few dramatic days of major power diplomacy.

The global balance of power is shifting, and for many nations, the smart money might be on Russia and China now.

Read more: Nato-Russia tensions: what a Biden administration can do to lower the temperature

Biden faces the world: 5 foreign policy experts explain US priorities  and problems  after Trump

Australias strategic blind spot: Chinas newfound intimacy with once-rival Russia
On the eve of a major military celebration, Myanmars army warned people not to come out to protest or they could be shot in the back, or in the head.

But turn out they did on Saturday, and they were met with brutal force. At least dozens were killed, and perhaps more than 100, in what appeared to be the worst day of violence in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 military coup.

Many of the victims were bystanders. Among those shot and killed were a 5-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl. A baby girl in Yangon, Myanmars largest city, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet. Her parents said she was expected to live.

As of Friday, the security forces had killed more than 320 people since the nationwide street protests against the coup began, with thousands more imprisoned. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group based in Myanmar and Thailand, said it had documented 90 killings on Saturday, adding that the actual number of fatalities is likely much higher.
Rio De Janeiro: Brazil currently accounts for one-quarter of the entire worlds daily COVID-19 deaths, far more than any other single nation, and health experts are warning that the nation is on the verge of even greater calamity.

The nations seven-day average of 2400 deaths stands to reach to 3000 within weeks, six experts said. Thats nearly the worst level seen by the US, though Brazil has two-thirds its population. Spikes of daily deaths could soon hit 4000; on Friday (Brazil time) there were 3650. On Saturday there were 3438 deaths, the Health Ministry said.

Tercio and Alicea Galdino, dressed in protective astronaut costumes, walk along Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro. Credit:AP

Having glimpsed the abyss, there is growing recognition shutdowns are no longer avoidable  not just among experts, but also many mayors and governors. Restrictions on activity they implemented last year were half-hearted and consistently sabotaged by President Jair Bolsonaro, who sought to stave off economic doom. He remains unconvinced of any need for clampdown, which leaves local leaders pursuing a patchwork of measures to prevent the death toll from spiralling further.

It may be too late, with a more contagious variant rampaging across Brazil. For the first time, new daily cases topped 100,000 on March 25, with many more uncounted. Miguel Nicolelis, professor of Neurobiology at Duke University who advised several Brazilian governors and mayors on pandemic control, anticipates the total death toll reaching 500,000 by July and exceeding that of the US by year-end.
People seeking medical marijuana to treat health conditions now have a broader choice when it comes to finding someone to do telehealth evaluations.

New York City-based NuggMD launched specialized telehealth evaluations in Connecticut this week. With the addition of Connecticut, NuggMD now serves individuals in 11 states.

Overall, company officials say they have connected more than 700,000 patients to medical marijuana doctors since 2016.

NuggMD was able to enter the Connecticut market because state officials have revised medical marijuana policies due to COVID-19. A year ago, Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order allowing residents to receive medical marijuana evaluations via telemedicine during the duration of the pandemic.

The cost of a medical evaluation by one of NuggMDs physicians for Connecticut residents is $149. Evaluations are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, with no appointment necessary.

A Connecticut resident who wants a medical marijuana card, which is required for someone to purchase cannabis from a dispensary, needs an evaluation from a licensed physician.

Kam Babazade, NuggMDs co-founder and chief operating officer, said the most at-risk cannabis patients no longer have to brave public waiting rooms to get the relief they need.

This is a huge step in the right direction to help everyone stay healthy, Babazade said in a statement.

Connecticut decriminalized small amounts of cannabis possession in 2011. The medical cannabis program was signed into law the following year.

To qualify for use of medical marijuana, Connecticut residents must have one of the more than three dozen qualifying conditions, which cancer and post traumatic stress disorder. The state also has 10 qualifying conditions for individuals under the age of 18.

Dr. Michael Urban, a senior lecturer at University of New Haven and the director for the schools doctorate program of occupational therapy, said the effectiveness of using telehealth for medical marijuana assessments depends upon the type of condition being assessed.

If its for a mental health condition like PTSD, its actually the preferred method, he said. For some people with PTSD, just going out in a public setting creates a lot of anxiety. It can overstimulate them.

But if the assessment is being done for a musculoskeletal condition, Urban said the use of telehealth presents both pros and cons.

You really need an in-person assessment, because you cant do certain maneuvers, certain things you need to do in order to see if the individual is accurately portraying their condition, Urban said.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
The grand Manhattan apartment that the fashion designer Herbert Kasper called home for more than four decades and filled with an expansive collection of museum-quality artwork and furnishings is being sold by his estate.

Kasper, as he was known, died in March 2020 at age 93 after a long career in the fashion industry. The Kasper brand, now part of Premier Brands Group Holdings, produces affordable womens sportswear and dresses.

Image The fashion designer Herbert Kasper at an event in April 2016. He bought his place in 1979. Credit... Getty

The sprawling co-op residence on the sixth floor of 32 East 64th Street, a.k.a. the Verona, has an asking price of $10 million, according to the listing broker, Meredyth Hull Smith of Sothebys International Realty, with monthly maintenance of $14,267.
It had been getting worse for years and years and I tried hypnotherapy and I just thought, What am I going to do? Ive only got 20 years left, or thereabouts. I was horrified that if this keeps going Im going to waste my time. But I could not stop.

For the last nine years, I have been self-soothing, OLoughlin says. I kid you not, Ive played [mobile] games for 13 hours in a row. Candy Crush and that sort of stuff.

The 57-year-old comedian, who has fought a very public battle with alcoholism, was recently diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. She is now on medication and feels like there has been a seismic shift. Oh, and shes coming out as asexual.

Fiona OLoughlin feels like a new woman. And its not because shes a blonde. Nor has it got anything to do with her new top lip.

The comedian says doctors had previously suggested she might be experiencing ADHD symptoms, but she dismissed them. About three months ago, she went into a clinic to have her brain checked and was diagnosed by accident.

I get my brain checked every few years because of a lot of blackout drinking. Theres a lot of  frontal lobe damage. But thankfully nothing that affects the comedy!

OLoughlins medication has meant she is now able to focus for hours at a time. When she sat down to compose her material for this years Melbourne International Comedy Festival, she ended up with five hours of material. Thats why she has two shows this year.

The first, The Unreliable Witness, is playing at Melbourne Town Hall and will detail how this world, comedy, saved me and nearly killed me. Her other act, No Lies, will be held at Melbournes Imperial Hotel. During the latter, OLoughlin will recount some of her lifes most embarrassing and ridiculous stories. And dont worry, shes promising lots of original material. Quite the feat for someone who has won Im a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! and been featured on the ABCs Australian Story.

This is the first time Ive ever walked onto stage and know whats going to come out of my mouth, OLoughlin says. Ive never written a show. I always catch scraps of paper and, literally, once I had a crumbled piece of paper in my handbag. It was about eight words and that was my show for the year.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Clean and Safe Ambassador Program is designed to clean downtown Rochester and keep people safe.

Now the program is transitioning from winter duties to warmer weather jobs.

If you see people in orange jackets downtown, say hi!

They can even give you food or shopping recommendations.

The Clean and Safe Ambassador Program is funded by Mayo Clinic and the city of Rochester, in partnership with Block by Block, which is a national company providing downtown services to communities.

This program launched last July.

Its goal is to improve public spaces through cleaning, sanitation, public safety and hospitality.

Ambassadors are getting busy as the snow melts.

In just three months, they have cleaned up 28,000 cigarettes, 300 instances of graffiti, and disinfected 500 pieces of infrastructure.

They're also busy power washing sidewalks and pulling weeds.

"We've been able to put out bistro tables and chairs to add more seating to the downtown. The ambassadors are able to clean those. They're able to reset those. That just allows us to offer more of an experience to the downtown," says Karli McElroy, Senior Director of Placemaking with the Rochester Downtown Alliance.

She says ambassadors have noticed litter and graffiti in the Zumbro River, so cleaning up the river is a project for this summer.

The Rochester Downtown Alliance will be looking to hire a few more ambassadors once summer is here.

Here is the link with more information if you're interested.
The presidency of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) expresses the Church's profound concern for Brazilians struggling with record-high numbers of Covid-19 infections and pressure on the nation's hospital system.

The CELAM letter, in Spanish and Portuguese, published on Friday and addressed to Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo, president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), underscores the "deep concern of the Church for the Brazilian people" at this time when the Covid-19 pandemic is having a disastrous impact due to spikes in the infected, caused especially by new virus variants.

The letter, signed by five members of the CELAM presidency, notes tragically that as of March 24 Brazil exceeded 300,000 deaths as a result of the disease, and in recent days more than 3,000 deaths in a 24 hour period. These fatalities have included five bishops and dozens of priests, religious men and women, and laity "committed to the mission of the Church", it notes, while the poorest are hardest hit, especially due to the great stress on the national health system.

Concern for the most vulnerable



The statement notes that "the absence of policies and public aid that favor the care and defense of life" has worsened the pandemic outcome, hurting vulnerable sectors of the population who are unable to find adequate treatment with the hospital resources stretched to the limit.



On behalf of the bishops of the continent, the CELAM presidency expresses its closeness and solidarity with the Brazilian bishops conference, which has courageously denounced this delicate situation" while giving witness and calling attention to Gospel values and principles of the Church's social teachings. The letter notes in particular the Brazilian bishops support for the 'Pact for Life and Brazil' initiative that "seeks to respond to the serious health, economic, social and political crisis the country is going through", raising its voice prophetically along with others to call for vaccination rollouts and emergency aid, essential to save lives and support the struggling economy.


A homeless man who used his watch and a glass to seriously injure a stranger during a random early morning attack in Dublin city centre has been jailed for six years.

Dylan O'Neill, now aged 20, and the man exchanged words outside McDonalds on O'Connell Street prior to the assault which left the victim scarred and suffering paralysis on one side of his face.

O'Neill, then 19 years old and homeless, first punched the man, before hitting him again into the face with his watch and then throwing a glass which hit him on the face.

O'Neill of Carman's Hall, Dublin 8 pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to causing serious harm to the man at O'Connell Street on December 8, 2019. He has 34 previous conviction, including one for assault causing harm.

Judge Martin Nolan set a starting point of 12 years and took into account O'Neill's guilty plea, his remorse and that he was a young man capable of reform. He said he accepted O'Neill was homeless and taking drugs. He noted he had a tough life with a lot of difficulties.

He accepted O'Neill did not go out with the intention to assault anyone but said it was aggravating that it was a persistent attack consisting of a punch, the attack with the watch and throwing a glass.

Judge Nolan said if you attack someone and throw a glass it was foreseeable that injuries would occur and it was not accidental. He imposed a sentence of six years imprisonment

Detective Garda Emmet Brannigan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the victim was out socialising and had encountered O'Neill at the door of McDonalds. They exchanged words and O'Neill punched him. The victim grabbed him by the lapels to get him to stop punching.

The victim did not remember much more but felt a slash to the top of his face. Witnesses described O'Neill moving his watch from his wrist onto his hand before hitting the man into the face and then picking up two glasses and throwing them, one of which struck the victim.

The man sustained a 12cm long laceration to the left side of his face running from his forehead to the corner of his mouth, as well as smaller cuts. He was taken to hospital, his wounds cleaned and he underwent surgery to close the wound.

Ms McGowan said the Director of Public Prosecutions view was that this case lay in the upper range of offending.

The garda agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, it was not clear what had caused the altercation, with a verbal exchange between people escalating. He agreed it was totally random with the men never having met before.

Mr McGinn said O'Neill had a stable upbringing, doing well at school and excelling at sports, until the age of 15 when his father left the home. He said this had a big impact on his client and he went on a downward spiral ending in drug use, addiction and living in hostels.

He said O'Neill had been subject to an attack himself in August 2019 and submitted his problems were not simply the abuse of drugs and were more deep-rooted.

Mr McGinn said the attack had not been premeditated and it was apparent his client had been highly intoxicated.
Trade Minister Dan Tehan said on Saturday the latest measure against Australian wine exports, first flagged last year , was extremely disappointing and completely unjustifiable.

That call infuriated the Chinese government, which responded by slapping export restrictions or tariffs on a range of Australian products including barley, beef, coal, lobster and forestry products.

Australian wine has effectively been shut out of China, leaving a $1.3 billion hole which will put serious pressure on profit margins. Credit:Sanghee Liu

Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated over the past year, with Beijing aggrieved by Australia-led calls for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

China has confirmed Australian winemakers will be hit by new tariffs, with levies ranging from 116 to 218 per cent slapped on exports to the key Asian market.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would continue to be patient and work through the issue with China.

Whether its all of these, what Id call non-tariff restrictions, which we completely reject as being placed on Australian products by their own admission, publicly, as some form of retaliation for Australians standing up for their values, he said.

Thats not OK. I mean stand with Prime Minster [Boris] Johnson, the UK has come under criticism and sanctions as a result of standing up for Uighurs in Xinjiang. Australia has also stood up in that way. Its important Liberal democracies stand up for these values.

Australia exported about $1.2 billion worth of wine to China annually but winemakers have warned that tariffs of this magnitude are likely to hit the market hard because of the rise in the cost of Australian wine.

Theyre basically saying we are dumping wine on them and we obviously reject that. I spoke with the industry this morning and they are also extremely disappointed and can see no reason for these [tariffs] to be imposed, Mr Tehan told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday released two new images of Mars captured by the country's Tianwen-1 probe.

In the images, Mars is crescent-shaped with a clear surface texture.

When the Tianwen-1 probe was 11,000 km away from Mars on the far side of the planet to the sun, it took panoramic photos of Mars with a medium-resolution camera onboard.

The Tianwen-1 probe has been operating in the parking orbit around Mars for a month. The high-resolution camera, medium-resolution camera, mineral spectrometer and other payloads onboard were switched on successively to carry out exploration of Mars and obtain scientific data, according to the CNSA.
People over the age of 70 will receive booster jabs of a Covid vaccine from September to protect them from new variants of Covid-19, the vaccines minister has said.

Nadhim Zahawi, the minister for Covid vaccine deployment, told The Telegraph that the vaccine rollout will see some people being given three doses within the first 10 months of the jabs being administered to the British public.

Those in the top four priority groups of the vaccine rollout so far will also receive the first booster shots, including those aged over 70, frontline NHS staff, social care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

Mr Zahawi told the newspaper the most likely date for booster jabs would be September, adding that Englands deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, believes that if the country is going to see a requirement for a booster jab to protect the most vulnerable, it would be around then.

Ministers expect up to eight Covid vaccines to be available by the autumn, he said, including a jab that can protect people against three different variants in a single shot.

A number of the vaccines will reportedly be manufactured in the UK, which could ease pressure on vaccine supplies amid tensions with the European Union as it faces shortages from AstraZeneca.

Read more:

EU leaders gave their backing to more stringent vaccine shipment controls as the bloc struggles with its vaccination programme, but stopped short of imposing an export ban.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) signed off moves that will increase manufacturing capacity and supply of vaccines, approving a Halix site in Leiden in the Netherlands for the production of AstraZenecas active vaccine substance.

The approval boosts the licensed sites to four. The agency also backed a new manufacturing site in the German city of Maburg, as well as more flexible storage conditions for the Pfizer jab.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said AstraZeneca must catch up on deliveries to the EU before exporting doses elsewhere.

Meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson and US president Joe Biden discussed their vaccination programmes in a call on Friday afternoon.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Mr Johnson stressed that global access to vaccines will be key to defeating the pandemic.

Tensions over vaccine supply between the UK and the EU remain high, with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accusing the UK of blackmail over its handling of exports.

He told France Info radio: The United Kingdom has taken great pride in vaccinating well with the first dose except they have a problem with the second dose.

But his assertion was denied by the UK government. A spokesperson said the UK is on track to meet our vaccination targets and everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first.
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is celebrating its ten years of operations to China. The kingdom's flag carrier began operations to Guangzhou on March 27 in 2011, initially flying thrice a week with a widebody Boeing 777-200.

It then got upgraded to a B777-300 in 2017 and then to a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner thereafter in 2019.

The airline steadily built up its market presence and flight operations in China over the past decade in response to strong passenger growth and rising demand for greater connectivity between the kingdom and the East Asian country.

In 2011, the route was operated as a tag flight Jeddah-Riyadh-Guangzhou, which then grew to seven nonstop flights presently, four from Riyadh and three from Jeddah.

Saudia operates from the new Terminal 2 at Guangzhou Baiyun International airport, which opened in April 2018. Saudia was the first international airline to move its operations to the new terminal.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, Saudia suspended flights to Guangzhou between February 1 until July 22.

During the period of suspended passenger flights, the airline transferred its commercial flights to cargo-only and, as a result, carried 543 tons of medical equipment and aid supplies. The Riyadh  Guangzhou link was the first route in the airlines network to utilize its commercial flight air slots for cargo purposes.

Speaking on the occasion, Saudia Country Manager China, Hong Kong & Taiwan Reham Zarei said: "Thanks to the flag carrier's outstanding contributions to the global efforts to fight the pandemic, the Saudi Arabia-Guangzhou route has been instrumental during these unprecedented times."

"In leading up to the tenth year of operations, the airline has grown from strength-to-strength in its presence in China, providing an important air link connecting economic and business ties via Saudias operational hubs in Riyadh and Jeddah," he stated.

"On behalf of the Saudia family, I also extend my gratitude and appreciation to our colleagues in China who have made profound contributions to the airlines success in Guangzhou through their commitment and dedication to providing exceptional guest experiences," added Zarei.

Saudia seamlessly connects routes into mainland China from the northern hemisphere through its two hubs (Jeddah and Riyadh) and conveniently provides air links onwards within China to domestic routes through its codeshare partnership with China Southern Airlines.

Saudia and China Southern Airlines have been long-term partners since the operations to Guangzhou began.

In recent years, Saudia has invested significantly in its fleet of more than 145 narrow and widebody aircraft and operates one of the youngest fleets in the skies, with an average aircraft age of 5 years.

The airlines route network includes more than 90 destinations across four continents to all 28 domestic airports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday hailed the military's performance during recent Arctic drills, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its presence in the polar region.

Russian Navy chief, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Putin that the exercise has featured three nuclear submarines simultaneously breaking through Arctic Ice and warplanes flying over the North Pole.

This week's drills were conducted around Alexandra Land, an island that is part of the Franz Josef Land archipelago where the military has recently built a base.

Russia has prioritized beefing up its military presence in the Arctic region, which is believed to hold up to one-quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas. Putin in the past has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion.

Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway all have been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, as shrinking polar ice opens new opportunities for tapping the region's resources and opening new shipping lanes.

As part of its efforts to project its power over the Arctic, the Russian military has rebuilt and expanded numerous facilities across the polar region in recent years, revamping runways and deploying additional surveillance and air defense assets.

As part of this week's maneuvers, a pair of MiG-31 fighter jets flew a mission over the North Pole, Yevmenov said. A video released by the Defense Ministry featured the fighters being refueled by a tanker plane.

The video also showed three nuclear submarines that smashed through the Arctic ice next to one another.

Putin noted that the exercise was unprecedented for the military and praised its skills.

He added that the maneuvers also have proven the reliability of Russian weapons in rugged polar conditions.

"I order to continue Arctic expeditions and research in the Far North to help ensure Russia's security," Putin told the navy chief.

The Russian military has expanded the number and the scope of its war games amid bitter tensions in ties with the West, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Following the successful completion of the design stage of the Tamale-Damongo and Yendi Water Supply systems, works on the projects are expected to start by the second quarter of this year.



This was disclosed by the Northern Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GWCL, Nii Abbey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic at a stakeholders forum in Tamale last Thursday in commemoration of this year's World Water Day.



The works are expected to be completed in four years from now, and will address the perennial water shortages in Tamale, Damongo and Yendi and their neighbouring communities.



Project estimates



The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, cut the sod for the Tamale Water Supply Project on July 28 last year. The project is estimated a cost of $223 million. That for Damongo is estimated at $49 million, while that of Yendi would cost about $30 million.



Forum



The stakeholders forum was on the theme: "Finding lasting solution to the water supply challenges in Tamale" and was organised by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in collaboration with the GWCL.



In his address, the Northern Regional Production Manager of the GWCL, Mr Nicholas Okyere, said if sand winning and agricultural activities in the White Volta basin were not minimised, and the 200 metres buffer zone from the river was not respected, water supply to Tamale and its environs would be affected even if the new water supply system for the area came on board.



He said it costs GWCL an average of GH10 million a year to treat water for consumption for Tamale and its environs because the water intake area of the river at Nawuni was heavily polluted.



The Programme Manager for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme at CRS, Mr Emmanuel Kogo, said to mitigate water security challenges, especially in Northern Ghana, the CRS was supporting the government to deliver on its mandate of improving access to safe drinking water in communities and institutions.



Sources of raw water



Due to excessive sand winning and agricultural activities, the White Volta, which is the source of potable water for Tamale and its environs, is under threat of siltation. Meanwhile, the River Dakar which provides Yendi with its water supply has dried up as a result of agricultural activities along the river bed.



Mr Kogo said the CRS was partnering the Tamale Metropolitan and Sagnarigu Municipal Assemblies and the GWCL to implement the Urban WASH and Resilience project, as part of measures to solve the perennial water shortages that hit Tamale and neighbouring communities.



Protect water bodies



The Northern Region Economic Planning Officer, Alhaji Inusah Abubakar, who represented the Northern Regional Minister, said the government was committed to addressing the challenges of water in the region as demonstrated by the sod-cutting event for the Tamale and Yendi water supply projects last year.



The Coordinating Director for the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA), Mr Gilbert Nuuri-Teg, commended CRS for its WASH interventions in the Tamale metropolis and added his voice to calls for water bodies which were sources of drinking water to be protected.



A representative of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Mr Aaron Bundi Aduna, called on metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in the region to collaborate and form an integrated water management body.

He also called on government agencies, traditional authorities and community leaders to join forces to protect water bodies for water security in the region.



Ya-Na appeals



Meanwhile, the Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Abukari II, has made a passionate appeal to the Yendi Municipal Assembly and philanthropists to lend their support towards finding a solution to the acute water shortages that hit Tamale, Damongo, Yendi and their environs.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has unveiled a China-proposed five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East.

"The Middle East was a highland of brilliant civilizations in human history. Yet, due to protracted conflicts and turmoil in the more recent history, the region descended into a security lowland," Wang said Wednesday in an interview in Riyadh with Al Arabiya TV channel.

"After all, the Middle East belongs to the people of the region. For the region to emerge from chaos and enjoy stability, it must break free from the shadows of big-power geopolitical rivalry and independently explore development paths suited to its regional realities," Wang said.

"It must stay impervious to external pressure and interference, and follow an inclusive and reconciliatory approach to build a security architecture that accommodates the legitimate concerns of all sides," he added.

"The world cannot enjoy real tranquility if the Middle East keeps suffering from instability," Wang said. "The international community should neither overstep its responsibility nor simply sit by and look on. The right thing to do is to fully respect the will of regional countries and contribute to stability and peace in the Middle East."

During the interview, Wang said, "As we speak, COVID-19 is still spreading in the region, turbulence persists, and hotspot issues are evolving amid twists and turns. The region is again at a crossroads."

Against this backdrop, Wang said, China first called for advocating mutual respect.

"The Middle East is home to unique civilizations which have cultivated unique social and political systems. The characteristics, models and paths of the Middle East must be respected," he said.

"It is important to change the traditional mindset and see Middle East countries as partners for cooperation, development and peace, instead of perceiving the region through the lens of geo-competition," he added.

"It is important to support Middle East countries in exploring their own paths of development, and support regional countries and their peoples in playing a major role in pursuing political settlement of such regional hotspot issues as Syria, Yemen and Libya," he said.

"It is important to promote dialogue and exchanges among civilizations to achieve peaceful coexistence of all ethnicities in the Middle East," he noted. "China will continue to play its constructive role to this end."

Second, Wang noted, China proposed upholding equity and justice.

"Nothing represents equity and justice in the Middle East more than a sound solution to the question of Palestine and earnest implementation of the two-state solution," he said. "We support active mediation by the international community toward this objective and holding an authoritative international meeting on this matter when conditions are ripe."

In its presidency of the United Nations Security Council this May, China will encourage the Security Council to fully deliberate on the question of Palestine to reaffirm the two-state solution, Wang said.

"We will continue to invite peace advocates from Palestine and Israel to China for dialogue. We also welcome Palestinian and Israeli representatives to China for direct negotiations," he added.

Wang said China also urged achieving non-proliferation. Based on the merits in the evolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, he said, relevant parties need to move in the same direction with concrete actions, and discuss and formulate the roadmap and timeframe for the United States and Iran to resume compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"The pressing task is for the U.S. to take substantive measures to lift its unilateral sanctions on Iran and long-arm jurisdiction on third parties, and for Iran to resume reciprocal compliance with its nuclear commitments, in an effort to achieve early harvest," he added.

"At the same time, the international community should support efforts by regional countries in establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction," he noted.

China, Wang noted, also appealed for jointly fostering collective security. "In promoting security and stability in the Middle East, the legitimate concerns of all parties should be accommodated," he said.

"It is important to encourage equal dialogue and consultation, mutual understanding and accommodation and improved relations among Gulf countries," he told the media. "It is imperative to resolutely combat terrorism and advance deradicalization."

During the interview, Wang said China proposes holding in China a multilateral dialogue conference for regional security in the Gulf region to explore the establishment of a Middle East trust mechanism.

"We may start with such subjects as ensuring the safety of oil facilities and shipping lanes, and build step by step a framework for collective, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in the Middle East," he said.

Finally, Wang noted accelerating development cooperation. "Enduring peace and security in the Middle East requires development, cooperation and integration. It is necessary to come together to defeat the coronavirus and achieve economic and social recovery as soon as possible," he said.

"It is important to help post-conflict countries rebuild, support greater diversity in the economic growth of oil producing countries, and assist other Middle East countries in achieving development and revitalization, in light of the resource endowments of different countries in the region," he added.

Wang noted that China will continue to hold the China-Arab Reform and Development Forum and the Middle East Security Forum to increase the sharing of governance experience with Middle East countries.

China, he said, has signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with 19 Middle East countries and carried out distinctive collaboration with each of them.

He added that China is working with all regional countries in fighting COVID-19, and it will deepen vaccine cooperation in light of the needs of regional countries and discuss with them trilateral vaccine cooperation with Africa.

As it fosters a new development paradigm, Wang said, China is ready to share with Middle East countries its market opportunities, work with Arab countries to actively prepare for the China-Arab states summit, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and expand new areas of growth such as high and new technologies.

"We also look forward to early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council," he added.

"China is prepared to stay in close touch with all sides on the five-point initiative, and work closely to promote peace, security and development in the Middle East," Wang said.
In the latest sign of strife between Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul and BRPD union leadership, the chief recently broke from tradition when he announced the department would be unable to spare an officer to represent the union before state lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session.

The move represents another attempt to curb the power of union leadership amid an ongoing public feud that both sides have escalated in recent months.

Just this week, the Baton Rouge NAACP, which has offered outspoken support for Paul, called on the mayor to cancel the union contract completely and send a message to union leaders after they launched a billboard campaign criticizing the chief and his administration.

Baton Rouge billboard wars: NAACP wants to end BRPD union contract to 'make officers behave better' After Baton Rouge Union of Police leaders launched a billboard campaign last year criticizing the police chief and his administration, the Lou

The current contract with the union includes a clause permitting it to send one or two officers to the statehouse each legislative session  a privilege aimed at elevating the voices of rank and file officers  unless it would cause "undue hardship" to the department. Paul cited that hardship exemption when notifying union leadership about his decision, saying that ongoing manpower shortages and crime trends are too burdensome, according to union Vice President Siya Creel.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time any chief has ever denied the request," Creel said. "We're very concerned about our officers not having representation."

But BRPD spokesman Sgt. L'Jean McKneely Jr. said there have been other instances when the department needed all hands on deck and declined similar requests. He said that, between rising gun violence and staffing challenges, "every officer is vital to the safety of our community."

Creel acknowledged those challenges but said the upcoming session, which starts April 12, is especially significant from a law enforcement perspective. Police reform promises to become a central issue, partly in response to the widespread protests following the killing of George Floyd, who died while pinned under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer last summer.

For example, Louisiana lawmakers are set to consider proposed legislation that would limit the use of qualified immunity that shields officers from legal ramifications in some cases where a cop causes severe injury or death. Officers whose actions are deemed unreasonable could more easily be held legally responsible if the legislation passes.

Creel said BRPD union leaders are concerned about the limits to qualified immunity but would likely support other police reform measures. The department itself already bans chokeholds and other potentially harmful forms of restraint.

The Legislature created a task force last year to study police reform in advance of the 2021 session. The group includes state lawmakers and representatives from the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police, law professors, defense attorneys, prosecutors and police chiefs.

+5 State panel votes to trim police protections in cases alleging brutality A controversial law that shields police officers from lawsuits alleging brutality would be revamped under a plan endorsed Thursday by a state 

This is not the first time Paul has butted heads with union leaders over the BRPD legislative lobbying assignment. In 2019, the Legislature was considering a bill specific to the Baton Rouge Police Department that would tweak the promotional process, allowing the chief more discretion to decide whom to promote, rather than relying almost solely on seniority. Paul was backing the bill, which union leaders opposed.

Partway through the 2019 session, Paul reprimanded the officer assigned to the Legislature and pulled him from the role, claiming he skipped a meeting to discuss the proposal and failed to submit weekly progress reports about his work. The bill ultimately passed.

Last year the department did send an officer to the Legislature, but session ended early during the pandemic.

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Since then, tensions between Paul and union leaders have continued to escalate  in recent court hearings, before the Metro Council and even on billboards overlooking Baton Rouge interstates.

Creel, the union vice president, has been at the center of some recent battles since Paul fired him in December for doing an interview with a former Baton Rouge television reporter about the union's billboard campaign, which has been critical of the chief. Creel has sued the department, claiming his free speech rights were violated and pointing out that union leaders have previously been allowed free rein to give media interviews discussing union business, including under Paul.

Creel argued his termination was retaliatory and appealed the discipline before the local civil service board. Both cases are ongoing.

Creel could ultimately win back his job, but for now he has some free time, which he plans to spend at the Capitol during session. He will monitor the police reform bills without formally representing the BRPD union.

In feud between BRPD chief and union leaders, federal judge refuses to undo officer's firing A dispute between the Baton Rouge police chief and the BRPD union vice president filled almost seven hours with sprawling and often convoluted

Former BRPD Union President Chris Stewart, who works for the International Union of Police Associations, will also be there on behalf of his organization.

Stewart said he couldn't recall a time during his decades at BRPD when the chief forbade sending an officer to the statehouse.

"I never thought we would face a situation where the chief would just say no,"

He argues that the "undue hardship" language in the contract was meant for emergencies such as natural disasters.

Contract negotiations are ongoing between city officials and the union, so that language could change before a new contract is signed. The negotiations have been creeping along for years, often stalling with discussions of low pay. But officials are hoping to reach an agreement soon after the Metro Council recently approved two raises for BRPD officers.

In the meantime, the union could use their own funds to hire an outside lobbyist. Union leadership declined to comment on whether the organization is seriously considering that option.

After months of infighting and public spats, Creel said union leaders want to work with the chief and his administration, maybe sit down and reaffirm their common goals  including holding officers accountable when they engage in misconduct.

"Being at odds like this, it's not good for the department or the city," he said. "We just don't want to feud anymore."
This week, New Zealands parliament passed legislation allowing paid bereavement leave for workers who mis-carry a pregnancy.

Workers will get three days leave under the new law.

This is the second country in the world, after India, to have such a measure.

The second. Only.

Why is so much of womens lives forced into the shadows?

The unfortunate and sobering truth, that many women already intimately know, is that around one in five pregnancies will end in loss. Some say thats as many as one in four.

Workers in Ireland are entitled to the full State maternity benefit if they lose a pregnancy from 24 weeks on, but not earlier.

However, most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

But giving three days leave, specifically for a pregnancy loss, is about so much more than money or time.

Such law and leave would recognise that pregnancy loss is part and parcel of life, and its a very common experience for women in this country.

Right now, we dont talk about it. We dont acknowledge it. Many women go through all the physicality that losing a pregnancy entails, telling maybe only their partner

Talk to any woman you know whos lost a pregnancy and they will have marked the loss in some way shape or form. Women I know have bought a piece of jewellery, planted a flower, let off a balloon, taken a days leave from work when theyre feeling physically better, and gone for a special walk.

Feeling physically better takes time too.

Three options after a miscarriage

As long as a woman is medically stable, there are three options after a miscarriage has been diagnosed. One is wait and see. This involves cramping and bleeding. There is also a risk of infection and a follow-up ultrasound to see if the pregnancy has passed completely.

The second option involves taking tablets. Prescription pain relief is also given. And heavy bleeding is expected too, much heavier than a period, says the HSE.

The third option is the so-called D&C. This surgical procedure involves fasting and an anaesthetic.

To think we offer no paid leave for women who suffer a miscarriage is actually archaic, not to mention inhumane.

Imagine experiencing one of the above three options, taking one or two sick days from work if you can afford it, having to come up with some believable lie about the flu or food poisoning, and then back to work 48 hours later to pack shelves, hold meetings, or teach a class full of 15-year-olds.

The figures show that pregnancy loss is extremely common, but our societys handling of it would make you think its a total anomaly.

And another shared experience in this secret world of loss is that women will forever remember the due date of the baby they lost.

Thats the most common thing Ive heard women share. As humans, we remember dates that carry significant meaning for us.

Compassion and recognition

The Labour politician in New Zealand who introduced the bill for the paid leave, Ginny Andersen, said she hopes that other countries will begin to legislate for a compassionate and fair leave system that recognises the pain and the grief that comes from miscarriage and stillbirth.

And its not that I think our politicians havent cared down through the years, but how do you think to make room for something that youve never experienced?

In 1992, the Dail was made up of 12% women and 88% men, and in 1981, it was composed of 7% women and 93% men. In our latest Dail, less than a quarter of our TDs are women.

But news travels fast nowadays. Will we follow New Zealands lead?

Some might say sure theres no need, just take a sick day. Thats one of those Irish solutions.

The only thing is this isnt an Irish-only problem. Pregnancy loss happens every day around the world, but we dont talk about it, we havent made room for it in our society

There is the aspect of wanting to grieve in private, and deal with it on your own, and not involve your employer. But there is also the point that miscarriage is taboo, precisely because we have no legislation around it, and maybe thats why people prefer to deal with it in private and alone.

But its hard to justify processing any other kind of loss privately and in isolation, especially one that is potent in its physicality. Most grief is a public affair, conversations are had and experienced and empathy are shared.

Legislating for leave could also have the effect of taking many other womens experiences out of the shadows, such as menstruation.

Legislating for leave will have the effect of taking womens experience out of the shadows, a public acknowledgment that pregnancy loss is common, and something that women are experiencing every day in this country.

Legislating for leave could also have the effect of taking many other womens experiences out of the shadows, such as menstruation, something that can be physically painful for girls and women and emotionally and mentally challenging with the cascading of ever-changing hormones.

Taking any experience out of the shadow means conversations are had and concrete, accurate information gets shared. It leads to a much healthier, vibrant, productive society where energy isnt wasted on discretion and secrecy.

It also leads to a compassionate society, where unavoidable loss doesnt have to lead to unavoidable suffering alone.

Legislating for paid bereavement leave for workers who miscarry a pregnancy will go a long way to taking many experiences of our citizens out of the shadows.

And shadows are different to privacy. Privacy is an informed and empowered choice. Shadow suffering is shame-driven. Lets follow New Zealands lead.
Voting for the first phase of the Bengal and Assam elections began for 30 and 47 seats respectively. 37 MLAs are re-contesting in the Assam phase 1 elections 2021, comprising 24 from BJP, 6 from Congress and AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) and one from AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front).

Voting for the first phase of the Bengal and Assam elections began for 30 and 47 seats respectively. 37 MLAs are re-contesting in the Assam phase 1 elections 2021, comprising 24 from BJP, 6 from Congress and Asom Gana Parishad and one from All India United Democratic Front. 24.48% voter turnout has been recorded till 11 am.

The important seats for in Phase 1 of assembly elections in Assam are Majuli from where state CM Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting. Hitendranath Goswami will face former MLA Rana Goswami of the Congress in Jorhat whereas Assam Congress chief Ripun Borah will face sitting BJP MLA Utpal Bora in Gohpur. Activist Akhil Gogoi who is in jail for his alleged role in the 2019 anti-CAA protests is contesting from Sibsagar. Congresss Bhaskar Jyoti Barua face BJPs Hemanta Kalita and both would be contesting for Titabor which was the seat that was held by Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister and the Congress Veteran.

In Assam, the BJP is contesting 39 of 47 seats in this phase and ally its AGP or Asom Gana Parishad is contesting 10 seats. It is important to highlight how the Congress has become a part of a mahajot or a grand alliance which will contest 43, with one each for the AIDUF of Badruddin Ajmal, the RJD, the AGM and the CPIML.

Also Read: PM Modi in Bangladesh amid Bengal polls: Know all about Bangladeshs Bengal connection

Also Read: Bengal poll violence: Soumendu Adhikaris car allegedly attacked, BJP worker found dead

Out of the 47 seats, 42 are from 11 districts of Upper Assam and North Assam, whereas five are from Central Assams Nagaon district. The Chief Electoral Electoral Office on March 24 commented that total of 946 candidates are going to fight the elections to the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly.

Also Read: BBIN MVA facilitating transport connectivity; alternative to SAARC
Mankazana Tshuma and her young son Sean were residents of the Direct Provision Centre at the Grand Hotel when the country first went into lockdown in March of last year.

Mankazana is originally from Zimbabwe and had been staying in the Direct Provision Centre in Wicklow town since 2018, having previously resided in Finglas.

The initial uncertainty surrounding the virus and its spread saw her missing her family members and relatives back home.

'It was very difficult not having any relatives to talk to. I was very scared.

'It was the early days of Covid and no one really knew what was coming.

'I was particularly worried about my baby. It was a hard time for everybody. I was constantly washing and cleaning my hands until they became dry,' said Mankazana.

At one stage she started to feel ill and had to be placed in isolation with her son Sean for 14 days in their small room at the Direct Provision Centre.

'We had to stay in the room the whole time, which isn't good for a child.

'It was one of the smallest rooms in the centre. There was very little room to move around. Our food was left at the door for us. It was a very frustrating time,' said Mankazana.

She was further told by a GP that she didn't qualify for a Covid test as she wasn't showing all of the symptoms associated with the virus.

Mankazana had also been working in a nursing home but wasn't allowed to return to work because of concerns over the well-being of the nursing home residents.

She received word that she had been granted permission to remain in Ireland but struggled to find accommodation.

'I went to view a lot of places but I never got a response. Some landlords weren't taking HAP payments, though they never said so to your face.

'Instead they would say the accommodation had been taken by someone else or that I was too late. That also proved very frustrating.'

Mankazana eventually secured a two-bedroom apartment for herself and Sean in Drumcondra, which they moved into two weeks ago. They haven't looked back since.

'I am relieved and very happy. It feels like I am free.

'I am facing new challenges but its great being able to do things like cook for yourself.

'2020 was a bad year so it was great for 2021 to start so positively for myself and Sean,' added Mankazana.
Few businesses of stature

Currently, it is estimated that 758,610 enterprises are operating across the country, of which 97.2% are micro, small or medium enterprises (MSMEs). Among these, 93.7% are small and micro enterprises, of which 62.6% are all micro enterprises. There are about 17,000 large scale enterprises, accounting for 2.8% of total number of operating enterprises. The number of active enterprises with average business results in the 2016 to 2018 period in the whole country were around 558,703, of which 540,548 were private enterprises, accounting for 96.8%; and 15,686 of these were FDI enterprises, accounting for 2.8%; while 2,469 were SOEs, accounting for 0.4% of the total number of operating enterprises.

For the last few years there has been an absence of medium scale and large scale private firms, and therefore the private sector has been operating in moderation for a very long time. The speed at which small businesses are upgrading to medium enterprises is very slow, with also dwindling in numbers. In recent years, there has been a pattern where hundreds of private firms take about ten to twenty years to develop and upgrade to medium scale enterprises. However, when they are relatively successful, they decide to withdraw from the market, and either sell out completely or merge with another enterprise, which is quite often an FDI enterprise. This is a major bottleneck which is in the path towards the development of private enterprises in particular and private sector in general.

The private run MSMEs cannot break out by themselves and develop without the help and support of large private firms. Independently they cannot create a value chain. SMEs are an important factor of the private sector, but to create the necessary push for the private sector to develop, it is necessary to have the support of larger enterprises. In this respect, the South Korean chaebol development model can serve as an example for policy change in building private sector corporations in Vietnam.

Mr. Hong Sun, Vice President and General Secretary of the South Korean Business Association in Vietnam (Korcham), shared that South Korea's experience with chaebol shows that we cannot build a modern industrial economy by relying on SMEs, because it is just large enterprises that have the ability to access capital and technology to participate in producing goods for export. Mr. Hong Sun believes that the government must support private firms, starting with the smaller ones in real estate, in industrial zones, infrastructure and the domestic market, that are showing rapid increasing incomes.

According to Mr. Hong Sun, the 1980s was a difficult and challenging period for South Korean private enterprises, but it was also a period that played a decisive role for private corporations to become a strong force, and for strong technology development, which then created a value chain for the private sector. During the 1990s, the five biggest chaebols, namely, Samsung, Hyundai, LG, Daewoo and SK, generated upto 50% of South Korea's total GDP.

Division of market

According to Asso.Prof.Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, a member of the Government Advisory Group, one of the points to note when focusing on large scale enterprises is a clear division of the market and the investment sector, so that private enterprises do not step over each other, but actually support each other in the process of development.

Dr. Thien stressed that large scale enterprises have their own strengths and their own investment sources. For example, private firms specializing in technology should focus on technology, businesses specializing in traffic should focus on traffic, or businesses specializing in real estate should strengthen on real estate. This means that private firms specializing in a field that needs both technology and capital in that field, should avoid spreading investment to ultimately bring desired results.

Realistically speaking if private firms spread out too thin then their core business suffers. Therefore, it is necessary to have a goal focus as well as policy support from the State. For example, in South Korea in the 1950s and early 60s, domestic companies mainly produced textiles. However, by the 70s, the government decided to rapidly develop heavy industries such as steel, petrochemical, automobiles, machine building, shipbuilding and electronics. The government selected the chaebol with the most potential units and motivated them to implement this scheme with huge concessional loans. By the late 80s, some chaebol had become large conglomerates on an international scale. On an average, each chaebol has dozens of subsidiaries specializing in varied industries.

According to Dr. Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), after building value chains, the large private cooperations shared resources with smaller and medium private firms for mutual development, as broad vision, core values, and strategic goals, are beyond the purview of small private enterprises. This is evident in the case of large Japanese corporations who often do not develop support industries, but work with other enterprises, of which most are SMEs. This helps to improve supply, as well as support the growth and development of several small and medium private enterprises, along with maintaining a sustainable product value chain.

Luu Thuy
Sultani estimated that about 10 people in his neighbourhood were bitten last year. They were mostly vendors tethered to their mobile food stands who were not nearly fast enough to outrun the strays. A dog sleeps under a van in Kabul, Afghanistan. Credit:Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times Rabies vaccinations are frequent, especially in Kabul, and they take a chunk out of Afghanistans Ministry of Public Health budget. Masouma Jafari, a spokeswoman for the ministry, said it spends around $US200,000 ($263,000) a year on the vaccines across the country. Sultani, 43, is a neighbourhood official responsible for about 4000 families  relaying their demands to the city government  in Kabuls north-western reaches. But he has a soft spot for the dogs in the neighbourhood, taking care of several who lounge in the theatre car park. He protects the animals during the day, often leaving the theatre door open so they can evade the morning and afternoon stonings from passing schoolchildren.

Loading Sultani also had an estimate for people robbed in neighbourhood last year: about 20. One of them was his brother Sayed Ahmad Shah, who was robbed just 50 or so metres away from the theatre two months ago. The car park dogs were there too, watching. If you carry anything after 7 at night they will attack you, Ahmad Shah said, referring to both the thieves and the hounds. Spiralling crime rates, compounded by last years three-month coronavirus lockdown that left many people jobless, has pushed some of Kabuls destitute streets ever further into despair as residents reckon with a security situation with little hope of improving. Residents are caught between two battles: the one in their neighbourhood and the bloody conflict in their country.

Since 2014, crime in Kabul has risen steadily. From March 2017 to March 2019, there were roughly 8000 reported criminal cases, according to a report from the Afghan Analysts Network. The Ministry of Interior Affairs declined to provide crime data for the past year, but in early 2020 the uptick in incidents pushed government officials to ban the use of motorbikes  the primary method of travel for many criminals  but the ruling was barely enforced. Bearing the brunt of such lawlessness are shop owners such as Mohammed Ibraheem, whose small store, which sells drinks and snacks about a kilometre from Aryub Cinema, is swathed in darkness after sunset. The few streetlights and the steady glow from nearby restaurant signs quickly fade as the road edges along a hill. At the top of the hill is a decaying palace from the 19th century. Ibraheem, 20, has worked in his shop for at least seven years. His tired voice sounds as if it comes from someone three times his age. Over the past year, he has been forced to cut his hours, coming to work late in the morning and leaving in the early evening to try to avoid both the dogs and the thieves. There are now fewer hours during which he can make a living, he said, as he stood near the cardboard boxes in his shop filled with chips and sodas. The government and the police, they do what they can, Ibraheem said. But they dont have the capacity to fight dogs, terrorists and thieves.

Loading Two shops down, Jawad, 50, who like many Afghans uses just one name, said he was earning half of what he usually made in the past because he too has had to shorten his work days. Its mentally traumatising, said Maryam Sultani, 19, a woman who lives next to the theatre but is not related to Sultani. She has heard stories from her father about when they used to show movies there decades ago. From one side, there are the dogs that keep you from leaving the house, and from the other, its the thieves, she said.
Over 400 donors have raised more than $45,000 in a GoFundMe campaign to benefit a jailed pastor in Canada who has spent a month behind bars.

Canadian Pastor James Coates has the full financial support of over 400 individual donors, who have contributed over $45,000 to help him face life after he was jailed by Alberta authorities in Canada.

Pastor Coates serves at the GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He spent 30 days in jail after he refused a conditional release that forbade him from conducting worship services until his church committed to comply with the 15% capacity limit stipulated by the Alberta Health Services.

Pastor Coates faced two public health violations and one violation under the criminal code of Canada, of which he pleaded not guilty. Sherwood Park News reported that the Canadian pastor pled guilty to one of the public health violations, the "breach of an undertaking."

He surrendered to the police on February 16 and was set to be released on bail the following day but refused to sign his release that prohibited him from conducting worship services, therefore submitting himself to custody until Monday. Pastor Coates does not have a prior criminal record and has been released following the hearing on Monday.

The Canadian pastor faced a penalty of $100 for the breach and a penalty provision that ordered a maximum fine of $2,000 or six months in jail. On Monday's hearing, Judge Jeffery Champion explained that Pastor Coates was not serving time for his sentence, but "because he refuses to comply with an undertaking or he won't sign the conditions."

During the hearing, the Canadian pastor declared, "I'm simply here in obedience to Jesus Christ and it's my obedience to Christ that has put me at odds with the law at present. Please make no mistake, this is not a statement that I'm making to society. I'm not trying to make a point, I'm not a political revolutionary."

However, the treatment he received from Canadian authorities made it appear as if his offenses were truly grave. The pastor's wife, Erin Coates admitted that when her husband arrived in prison in February, he had to be quarantined for two weeks and was allowed only 15-minute blocks outside of his jail cell, spending most of the two weeks alone. Visitation was also prohibited due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Now, the community that Pastor Coates has served for years is giving back in the hopes of the Canadian pastor regaining his freedom. A GoFundMe campaign started by John Klassen has successfully raised over $45,000 to benefit Pastor Coates.

According to Faithwire, Klassen described the jailed Canadian pastor as "a rare and refreshing voice of courage in these unprecedented times" who has "stood on the word of God faithfully, courageously and uncompromisingly as a man of God when all around him men falter and fail." Proceeds will help the pastor and Gracelife Church of Edmonton pay for the legal fees they have to face throughout these challenges.

"I have a responsibility before God to Shepard (sic) the people entrusted to me," Pastor Coates said during the hearing. "I have a responsibility to be obedient to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and it's simply that obedience that has me here in this place."
Sanjeev Gupta's empire has been marred with troubles in recent months after one its major donors filed for insolvency, leaving GFG scrambling for cash. Photo: Denis Charlet / AFP via Getty Images

Britain's third largest steelmaker has asked the UK government for 170m ($234m) in financial support as it is on the brink of collapse.

Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance said the bailout was necessary to pay day-to-day operating costs and absorb recent losses, in a letter to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The government has been locked in discussions with Liberty Steel. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has met with company bosses and trade unions on several occasions over the crisis at the group.

On Wednesday, Kwarteng tweeted he "held another constructive meeting" with Community Union, GMB and Unite, which represent Liberty Steel workers. "I am monitoring the situation very closely and remain fully committed to supporting a competitive and sustainable future for Britains steel industry," he said.

A government spokesman said: The government is closely monitoring developments around Liberty Steel and continues to engage closely with the company, the broader UK steel industry and trade unions."

The spokesperson added that it "has supported the steel sector extensively, including providing over 500m in recent years to help with the costs of energy. "Our unprecedented package of Covid support is still available to the sector to protect jobs and ensure that producers have the right support during this challenging time."

READ MORE: Liberty Steel to pause some UK production as it seeks funding deal

Trade unions have urged the government to consider nationalising Liberty Steel in effort to save thousands of jobs.

Unite Union on Saturday called on the government to do "everything that is necessary in order to preserve Liberty Steel and secure its long-term future."

Unites assistant general secretary Steve Turner said that steel was a "foundation industry and was essential for the recovery" of the UK economy from COVID-19.

A collapse could have a devastating effect on the steel industry in the UK, with as many as 5,000 jobs at risk, of which 3,000 are in the steel and aluminium businesses.

Story continues

Gupta's empire has been marred with troubles in recent months after one of its major donors filed for insolvency, leaving GFG scrambling for cash.

GFG alliance, which employs 35,000 people globally, was put under pressure after Greensill Capital entered administration earlier in March. Liberty Steel, a subsidiary of GFG, owns nine steel sites across the UK.

Greensill, advanced hundreds of millions of pounds to firms linked to Gupta's using a state-backed coronavirus lending scheme, the Financial Times said.

WATCH: Collapse of finance company Greensill Capital leaves thousands of steel jobs in the balance

The London-based finance group also underwrote the expansion of GFG Alliance and its Liberty Steel subsidiary to the tune of several billion pounds. It also funded the firm through supply chain financing, advancing funds against future customer invoices issued by GFG.

The news follows Liberty Steel's announcement last week that it would pause some production at its UK plant as employees get ready to be furloughed for up to a month as it seeks a funding deal to save the business.

Two weeks ago, around 180 workers at the steel maker's plant in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, were put on furlough under the governments COVID-19 support scheme. While some of the 660 staff at the site were told they may not be able to return to work until 14 April.

Gupta told the bosses of firms at his steel empire to keep cash in the business and reduce their call on group resources as he attempted to agree a deal over debts owed to collapsed lender Greensill Capital.
The group of Central American migrants, including children, were heading towards the US when they were held for three days in Amozoc, dpa news agency quoted the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection in Puebla state as saying on Friday.

Mexico City, March 27 (IANS) Mexican police have rescued 87 migrants who were locked up by human traffickers.

A Honduran migrant who was able to make an emergency call from the house sounded the alarm.

Authorities launched a search and found 45 women, 26 men and 16 children from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

The traffickers were apparently supposed to bring the group north to the city of San Luis Potosi, but left them behind at the house, according to the Secretariat.

Two men and a woman who were conducting surveillance of the property were detained, police said.

Further details of the case were not immediately known.

There has been a significant increase in the number of migrants travelling across Mexico towards the US recently.

In recent weeks, US President Joe Biden's administration has come under increasing pressure over the issue.

Accommodating the many unaccompanied minors is posing a particular challenge for US authorities.

--IANS

ksk/
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 04:26:02|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's government deficit increased to 5.7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, reflecting a strong retraction of economic activity due to the impact of COVID-19, Statistics Portugal (INE) said Friday.

Even so, the figure was below the previous forecast made by the Portuguese government, which had projected a 7.3 percent deficit due to the increase in expenses to support companies and families during the pandemic and the economic crisis.

In 2019, Portugal recorded a fiscal balance surplus at 0.1 percent of GDP. Public debt to GDP ratio went from 116.8 percent in 2019 to 133.6 percent in 2020.

The Portuguese Ministry of Finance said in a press release that the results came out better than expected because there was "evolution of revenue, which was 2.5 percent above the forecast."

"This evolution results from the positive behavior of the labor market, which has shown more resilience than would be expected," said the ministry.

According to the government, "the expenses related to combating the pandemic, both in health and in support of the economy" exceeded the estimate and stood at 3 billion euros (3.53 billion U.S. dollars). (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars) Enditem
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The Plainview ISD School Board voted unanimously on Thursday to nominate Superintendent H.T. Sanchez as Superintendent of the Year through the Texas Association of School Boards.

Board members Adam Soto and Tyler James were absent but Board President Sylvia De La Garza told Sanchez during the meeting that they knew of the nomination and were in agreement that Sanchez deserves it.
Facebook Live viewership in India has jumped 50%: Avinash Pant

Facebook has been celebrating the power of connections and communities, and how people can do more together than alone through its consumer marketing campaign in India  More Together. Launched a year ago, the 360-degree campaign has been conceptualised and executed by Taproot Dentsu and Dentsu Webchutney and has gone live in multiple languages across TV, digital, print, radio and OOH.

TRP blackout  Do ad spends on news channels hang in balance?

Adgully had launched its Trending Now series a couple of years back to crystal gaze at the year ahead and predict the trends that will dominate the advertising, marketing and media industry. Through our Zoom webinar this Friday, March 26, 2021, some of the leading industry experts discussed the aspects that are influencing marketers decision to continue investing in news channels, ad spends in a ratings dark period, the measurement metrics ecosystem and much more.

Trust has once again emerged as the most critical factor in peoples news choices

In conversation with Adgully, Zakka Jacob, Managing Editor, CNN-News18, speaks about the thought behind the campaign, how the pandemic has changed the face of news television, news consumption behaviour of consumers and the road ahead.

The entire aspect of how to manage a crisis has been ingrained in a womans DNA

In this interaction with Adgully, Leena Lele Dutta, Business Head, Sony Pictures Networks India, Kids Genre, speaks about how she managed her professional and personal life during the time of pandemic, tackling the various challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 and lockdown situations, what makes women the best in crisis management, and much more.

#GullyChat: Influencer marketing holds the key to brand success in the new normal

While Influencer Marketing has been on the rise in the last few years, the unprecedented global pandemic further widened the scope for Influencer Marketing as behavioural habits changed. Moreover, with the massive transition to digital and online buying in the last one year, consumers are now seeking more information online and there is greater potential of engagement with influencers.

INS to debar erring members not adhering to its rules from MRV system for 6 months

The Executive Body of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has once again reiterated that it stands by its decision not to extend DAVP/ BOC rates for PSUs or autonomous bodies advertisements, if released by DAVP/ BOC or other agencies.

Including digital dues in print MRV process violates IAMAI agreement: AAAI to INS

The Advertising Agencies Association of India has responded to a notice served by the Indian Newspaper Society about including digital billing as part of the Monthly Review Verification (MRV) process. The AAAI General Secretary Sudesh Kapoor wrote that it is already bound by its commitment to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and agreeing to INS would be a violation of that agreement.

ASCI embarks on year-long focus on gender initiatives with GenderNext study

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), in association with Futurebrands, is launching the first ever deep, immersive dive into gender depiction in Indian advertising. The study, GenderNext, aims to provide actionable insights that can shape the gender narratives in advertising positively.

What the law says on advertising in the Insurance sector in India

Part 26 of the series of articles on Misleading Ads by Advocate Aazmeen Kasad is the third part of a series on Advertising in the Insurance sector in India, and serves to demystify and provide an in-depth understanding of what the law on the same is for advertisements through the Internet or electronic media, how claims related to rating/ ranking and awards should be made, how joint-sale advertisements or co-branding can be engaged in by insurance companies, etc.

India to be fastest-growing market for telecoms ad spend in 2020-2023: Zenith

Zenith predicts that telecoms advertising will grow at an average rate of 4.5% a year to 2023 as its recovers from an 8.7% decline in 2020, according to Zeniths Business Intelligence - Telecommunications report, published today. Telecoms adspend in the 12 key markets included in the report* will rise from US$17.8bn in 2020 to US$18.7bn in 2021, and then return to its pre-pandemic level of US$19.5bn in 2022.

AI is all set to disrupt businesses in the new normal, but how ready are brands?

The report goes on to state how AI adoption strategies and implementation practices will define the competitive advantage organisations gain as a result. AI offers tremendous growth opportunities for current and future adopters, who can take a centralised federated approach and focus on integrating and scaling across functional units.

Brands gear up for Holi 2021 under the shadow of COVID-19

One would surely recall Holi last year  celebrated under the shadow of rapidly growing COVID-19 cases in the country. Not very long after Holi, the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 24, 2020. A year later, unfortunately the story is no different. After a very encouraging drop in the number of cases for some months, COVID-19 infection is on the rise again, with lockdowns and restrictions imposed in hotspots across states.

Fierce poll battle comes as a boon for outdoor media in Kolkata

Elections in a democratic country like India are always a fiercely fought battle. And this battle is fought on all fronts and across media platforms. Five states  Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry  are all set to go for polls. Campaigning is on full swing and colourful and crowded rallies are the norm almost every day.

We want Complans growth story to be more progressive & forward looking: Tarun Arora

In conversation with Adgully, Tarun Arora, CEO, Zydus Wellness Ltd, elaborates on the thought behind the latest campaign, growth during the pandemic period, increasing the brands store footprint and more.

Digitalisation will make consumer experience more seamless this year: Gaurav Sinha

Gaurav Sinha, Head of Marketing & PR, Audi India, recounts the key challenges and learnings from 2021, how COVID-19 has been by far the biggest teacher of our time and the increased focus on customer engagement and Digitalisation.

60% of our new subscribers are coming from regional markets: Anurag Kumar

In conversation with Adgully, Anurag Kumar, Chief Communications Officer, Tata Sky, speaks at length about the Har Ghar Ki Khidki campaign and the brands efforts to strengthen its positioning in the market.

Online food delivery is here to complement eating out, not replace it: Rohit Gawli

In conversation with Adgully, Rohit Gawli, CEO and Co-Founder, Lokal Kitchen, speaks about how a challenging year like 2020 saw the birth of his entrepreneurial dreams in the form of Lokal Kitchen. No stranger to hyper-growth start-ups, Gawli speaks at length about growing his own business, while at the same time also addressing the social cause of empowering Indian women.

Collaboration & co-creation - way forward in conducting business in the new normal

Dr Monica Khanna, Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Management, lists the major trends that will dominate the year ahead, which include collaboration & co-creation, Digital transformation of businesses, Rapid recovery of business opportunities, and more.

OTT content will be subjected to the scrutiny of the Centre: Shashank Singh

The year 2020 has been an eventful one for OTT platforms, particularly from a growth perspective, says Shashank Singh, Founder and CEO, FLYX.

The time is now ripe to drop the idea of a glass ceiling: Anindita Gupta

In conversation with Adgully, Anindita Gupta, Co-Founder, Scenic Communication, has a lot to share about how women leaders have been proving their mettle against all odds time and again. At the same time, she also hits out at the so-called hostile environment that fails to acknowledge and accept women professionals in certain male-dominated sectors.

The 'Age of With' is going to disrupt businesses over the next 18-24 months: Deloitte

Deloitte India has launched a report on The Age of With: Humans and machines. The report highlights about companies harnessing the power of human intelligence with machine intelligence to identify unique advantages through analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Paid digital promos will be much in demand to do targeted segmentation: Boby Paul

In conversation with Adgully, Boby Paul, General Manager  Marketing, Manoramaonline, speaks about how Digital has helped in scaling up business operations; how brands are evaluating and measuring their performance on digital as a medium and much more.

Customer delight will be a key differentiator for brands this year: Priyanka Prakash

Priyanka Prakash, Director and Head of Online Giving, Marketing & Partnerships at GiveIndia, sees the virtual and digital first world continuing strong in 2021 and most likely making long-term changes to the way brands engage with consumers. She further adds that brands will need to create seamless digital journeys for customers and develop a unique digital footprint to stand out from the clutter.
Prep Golf: Riley Zebroski earns all-conference honors, Arrows take 7th in ESD tourney

MITCHELL  Sophomore Riley Zebroski earned all-conference honors by tying for 5th place on Wednesday in the Eastern South Dakota Conference girls golf tournament at the Lakeview Golf Course.
Berlin, Germany (PANA)  More than 2,000 people lost their lives at sea attempting to reach Europe in 2020, despite the extensive mobility restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM)s Missing Migrants Project
With both Pt Fortin hospitals now converted to Covid-19-only facilities and no 24-hour accident and emergency service, Kay Arjoon was yesterday forced to deliver her nephew while parked on the Otaheite roadside.

Arjoon, 37, her nine-month-pregnant sister-in-law, Christene, 34, and brother Ricardo, had driven from Cap-de-Ville in Point Fortin in an attempt to reach the San Fernando General Hospital before delivery.
Reward For Info in Shooting Death of Eagle

By West Kentucky Star Staff

LAKE COUNTY - The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is seeking information on a bald eagle that was killed in Lake County.Their Facebook page said the mature bald eagle was shot on Club House Road on March 20th.A potential reward is now up to $4500 for information regarding the prosecution of a person or persons involved in the death of the eagle.Anyone with information should call the Fish and Wildlife Service in Nashville at 615-736-5532, or the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region One Office in Jackson at 731-423-5725.
Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

After CBS temporarily put The Talk on hiatus following Sharon Osbournes heated defense of Piers Morgan over accusations of racism earlier this month, the network announced Friday that Osbourne has opted not to return to the daytime talk show. Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk, CBS said in a statement, published by the Hollywood Reporter. The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharons behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.

At the same time, we acknowledge the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast, as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race, the networks statement continues. During this weeks hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew. Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.

On March 10, Sharon Osbourne grew heated defending personal friend and British TV personality Piers Morgan against allegations of racism stemming from his on-air criticism of Meghan Markle, particularly his insistence that she lied about her treatment from the British royal family. Markles recent interview with Oprah Winfrey was the topic of conversation on The Talk that day. I very much feel like Im about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?, Osbourne declared to co-host Sheryl Underwood, demanding Underwood educate her about how Morgan could be racist. Following the segment, Osbourne both publicly apologized for her meltdown and later declared she had been set up by producers to be a sacrificial lamb.

Following the segment, which prompted CBS to put the show on hiatus for two days, then later two weeks, former Talk co-host Holly Robinson Peete claimed Osbourne called her too ghetto to host the daytime talk show, and even had a hand in her eventual dismissal from the program. Another former Talk co-host, Leah Remini, as well as other sources, subsequently alleged Osbourne had used racist and homophobic slurs to talk about former co-hosts Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert, respectively. Osbourne denied the accusations against her, calling them lies in a press release issued by her publicist. The Talk is currently scheduled to return on Monday, April 12, after a pre-scheduled hiatus the preceding week.
Bengaluru, March 28 : The woman, who had been claiming that she was the victim of former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi's sexual harassment, released a fifth video clip on Saturday, stating that she has lost confidence in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter and hence would like to depose before a judge to expose Jarkiholi.

The woman also sought support from Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, Ramesh Kumar and D.K. Shivakumar, besides Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

In the 1.46-minute video clip released from an undisclosed location, the woman alleged that the SIT probe is not moving in the right direction.

"The probe should have revolved around a victim, (me) and the culprit (Jarkiholi). But instead of questioning either me or him, the SIT has been beating around the bush. Now, they are after my parents who are not aware of anything in connection with this case." She added that her parents press conference is a case in point of how much Jarkiholi wields his influence.

"All this while, they were not seen. I was not able to speak to them. To my surprise, after I releasing my fourth video clip, my parents came and filed a statement with SIT and then accused someone (Shivakumar) who is not connected with this case. All this points to one thing, that Jarkiholi is blackmailing my parents and forcing them to issue such statements. I completely disagree with their statements as they are not aware of what I have gone through," she further alleged.

Sleaze CD case came into public domain on March 2 with a few recorded video clips in a CD delivered to News channels in which Jarkiholi is seen in a compromising position with a woman as a result of this he was forced to resign from the Ministerial's post on March 3.

On March 2, a social activist Dinesh Kallahalli on behalf of the woman filed a complaint at the Cubbon Park police station against Jarkiholi after the videos were leaked. Within just four days he then decided to withdraw the complaint. Post this, Karnataka constituted a special investigating team (SIT) to probe into the matter.

On March 13, the woman released her first video clip from an undisclosed location asking to be provided security. Jarkiholi had then filed an FIR against unknown persons claiming that the video was fake and that he was being politically targeted.

On March 25, she released another video clip, this time, she even casts aspersion on SIT, besides seeking support from a few Congress leaders, to fight against Jarkiholi.

The woman has also sent her undersigned two-page complaint though her legal counsel, K. N. Jagadish, who formally submitted the complaint to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant following which an FIR was registered against Jarkiholi on Friday evening.
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Dominion Voting Systems on Friday filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, alleging that the network purposefully aired false claims about the company's role in the 2020 presidential election in order to boost ratings.

It's the latest in a series of legal actions that experts say could force broadcasters to exert more caution in an era when prominent newsmakers - in this case, a cast of characters that included some of former President Donald Trump's top allies - have been increasingly willing to spread disinformation.

In the suit, Dominion argued that Fox and several of its on-air personalities elevated conspiracy theories about the voting company rigging the 2020 election and allowed falsehoods by their guests to go unchecked, including a wild claim that the company's machines were manufactured in "Venezuela to rig elections for the dictator Hugo Chavez" and that Dominion's algorithm manipulated votes so that Trump would lose.

"Fox engaged in this knowing and reckless propagation of these enormous falsehoods in order to profit off these lies," reads the lawsuit. "Fox wanted to continue to protect its broadcast ratings, catering to an audience deeply loyal to President Trump."

Dominion filed the lawsuit in Delaware, where both Dominion and Fox are incorporated.

Smartmatic, another voting-technology company, filed a $2.7 billion lawsuit in February against Fox News and several of its most prominent commentators over what Smartmatic chief executive Antonio Mugica called a "disinformation campaign" about the presidential election.

Fox, which has filed four motions to dismiss the Smartmatic lawsuit, said in response to the Dominion lawsuit that it "is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism"and that it would "vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court."

Dominion had already filed election-related defamation lawsuits against Trump-affiliated attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, as well as MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell.

Dominion attorney Stephen Shackleford said that Fox "took a small flame and turned it into a raging fire" by amplifying false statements about the election and Dominion, and that the media company did so with "reckless disregard" for the truth - alluding to the high legal standard that the courts have maintained for prominent figures suing for defamation.

"If this case doesn't rise to the level of defamation by a broadcaster, then nothing does," Shackleford said.

Dominion, which has requested a jury trial, may file further suits against the Fox personalities who pushed the disputed election framing, such as Lou Dobbs and Maria Bartiromo, but chose to first focus on Fox. "Ultimately," Shackleford said, "the buck stops with Fox."

The lawsuit cites Fox's own reporting in advance of Election Day that the mail-in vote would heavily favor Joe Biden, and that it was likely that the result wouldn't be known for days.

But Dominion lawyers argue that Fox News ratings went into "in a freefall" in the days after the election and that the network was losing Trump loyalists to more right-wing channels, such as Newsmax,that were even more aggressive in pushing claims of fraud.

Dominion alleges in its suit that Fox repeated false claims about Dominion's role in the election as a defensive strategy - specifically as a way to keep it from losing viewers to rival networks on the right. It noted that Trump and his supporters were upset with Fox for calling Arizona for Biden on the night of the election.

"Viewers began fleeing Fox in favor of media outlets endorsing the lie that massive fraud caused President Trump to lose the election," the company argued in its legal complaint. "They saw Fox as insufficiently supportive of President Trump. ... So Fox set out to lure viewers (by) intentionally and falsely blaming Dominion for President Trump's loss by rigging the election."

Around the same time, Powell and Giuliani appeared on several conservative and right-wing media outlets, where they repeated Trump's false claim that the election had been stolen from him. Hosts such as Bartiromo and Dobbs not only had Powell and Giuliani on as guests, but "endorsed and repeated" their lies.

Dominion repeatedly notified the network that it had aired falsehoods, including sending several "setting the record straight" emails to Fox News reporters and producers, but was ignored, the complaint alleges.

As a result of Fox's conduct, Dominion employees ranging from software engineers to its chief executive have been threatened and the company suffered reputational damage that has diminished its value, Dominion's lawyers said Friday. The company also stands to lose $600 million over eight years in profits, as officials states and localities have re-evaluated their contracts with the company, the lawyers added.

Legal experts said the lawsuits against Fox News raise important questions about defamation, freedom of the press and disinformation.

"We are seeing the way that libel has become a real battleground in the fight against disinformation," said RonNell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah. "The threat of massive damages for spreading probably false conspiracy theories on matters of public concern could turn out to be the one tool that is successful in disincentivizing that behavior, where so many other tools seem to have failed."

The suits could also cause broadcasters "to be more cautious or ask tougher questions of its sources or even make disclaimers on air" as it considers how to handle or disseminate questionable information, said Syracuse University law professor Roy Gutterman.

"Like the other lawsuits, what constitutes truth and lies in a heated political discussion is at the heart of the matter," he said. "But so is how a broadcaster ... addresses these types of issues."

But Dominion may face an uphill legal battle because defamation law gives broad protection to publishers, and cases such as this are "hard to win," Andersen Jones added. If Fox can successfully argue to the court that Dominion has enough prominence to qualify as a "public" figure, then Dominion would face the higher standard of having to prove that Fox acted with "reckless disregard" of the facts - meaning it knowingly lied or ignored evidence to the contrary.

The "reckless disregard" standard for public-figure plaintiffs is "rarely met," said Andersen Jones. "It is famously difficult to show that someone knowingly lied, although Dominion has marshalled some powerful evidence on this front."

After Smartmatic and Dominion signaled in December that they were weighing legal action against the network, Fox aired a short segment on several shows that attempted to debunk the misinformation. In late November, Fox also had news anchor Eric Shawn interview a Dominion spokesman, who denied the company had ties to Venezuela.

The Smartmatic lawsuit also named several Fox hosts, including Bartiromo, Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro. Fox has said the lawsuit is an attempt to "stifle debate and chill vital First Amendment activities."

Dominion's lawyers on Friday dismissed concerns that such legal actions represent a threat to press protections. "What Fox did here was not reporting. It was not a political debate," Shackleford said."The First Amendment guarantees a free press, not a consequence-free press. The Constitution does not give publishers license to defame."

Dominion lawyer Tom Clare also cited an argument that Powell made this week to a judge, in which she maintained that "no reasonable person" would have believed her comments about an international conspiracy to steal the election from Trump were "statements of fact."

"That argument is ridiculous on so many levels," Clare said, noting Fox repeatedly had Powell on air. In one appearance, she "looked straight into that Fox News camera and told Lou Dobbs, 'You would have to be a damn fool and abjectly stupid not to see what happened here,'" Clare said.
Easton area police negotiators aided by school district staff and Northampton County crisis workers convinced a teen atop a Lehigh River dam structure to return to safety Friday afternoon.

Palmer Township police were dispatched at about 1:30 p.m. to the area of the fish ladder at the Chain Dam in the townships Riverview Park, according to Easton police Lt. Matthew Gerould.

Easton police then took over the incident after it was determined the structure is the citys jurisdiction.

The 16-year-old boy was threatening jumping into the river, Gerould said.

The flow of the river over the dam creates a dangerous boil that can be impossible to escape from. The fish ladder is designed for aquatic life to navigate upriver around the dam.

Ultimately Palmer police crisis negotiators and the Easton Police Department crisis negotiation team talked to him for probably about four hours, Gerould told lehighvalleylive.com.

The Easton and Palmer Municipal fire departments, along with Pennsylvania Water Rescue, responded in the event the incident turned into a water rescue.

Police were also assisted by Northampton County Crisis, as well as by two Easton Area School District teachers and a guidance counselor who had an established relationship with the student, and whose assistance was integral to the safe outcome, Gerould said.

The teen at about 5:15 p.m. came off the dam structure alongside Easton police Detective Chris Miller.

He was uninjured and was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated, Gerould said.

There is help for those with suicidal thoughts. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh tour. On the day of the first phase polling in Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee has targeted PM Modi and said that PM is marketing the vote sitting in Bangladesh, first, he says that we are calling intruders from Bangladesh, but now he himself there Sitting in politics of Bengal

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee said that in 2019 when a Bangladeshi actor joined our rally, her visa was revoked by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Bangladesh government. But today when voting is going on, you are looking at the vote of a section of people sitting in Bangladesh. So why should your visa not be canceled? We will complain about this to the Election Commission.

In her address in Kharagpur, Mamata Banerjee said, 'PM Modi is in Bangladesh on the day of polling and is giving a lecture on Bengal. This is completely a violation of the model code of conduct of the election. PM Modi has gone to Bangladesh on a two-day tour, where he has addressed the people of the Matua community today. This community holds special importance in West Bengal, due to which Mamata Banerjee has accused PM Modi of violating the code of conduct.

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Telangana : 495 new corona cases reported in State, total count reach 3.05 lakh

Tamil Nadu Election Campaign gathers momentum, Khushbu Sundar Prepares Dosas
Texas Launches Manhunt for Suspect Who Allegedly Shot State Trooper: Police

Police in Texas said a manhunt is underway after a suspect shot a state trooper in Limestone County late on Friday, authorities confirmed.

The alleged shooter has been identified in a statement by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) as 37-year-old DeArthur Pinson Jr., who detectives believe is armed and dangerous.

The wounded state trooper was not identified but was rushed to a Baylor Scott & White hospital in a critical condition, DPS Sergeant Ryan Howard said.

Howard did not specify which Baylor Scott & White hospital the injured trooper was transported to. He could be treated in either Waco or Temple.

The state trooper shot just outside Mexia in Limestone County Friday evening is in critical condition and the suspect who shot the officer is on the loose, he said.

Authorities stressed that the suspect is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.

DeArthur Pinson Jr. DOB 7/15/84 is currently wanted in connection to a shooting of a Texas DPS Trooper near Mexia, Texas.

Pinson is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. Contact 911 immediately with any information on his whereabouts. pic.twitter.com/RQ3HbRTrmN  TxDPS  Central Texas Region (@TxDPSCentral) March 27, 2021

A Blue Alert was issued early on Saturday for Pinson, who was last seen wearing glasses, a black hoodie, and shorts with a stripe down the side. Pinson has been described as a black male with facial hair and is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs about 220 pounds.

Texas issues such an alert when a suspect is accused of either killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer.

Police said anyone with information regarding Pinsons whereabouts should call 911 immediately.

The City of Mexia is approximately 160 miles northwest of Houston and about 42 miles east of Waco.

From NTD News
A satellite image shows the Suez Canal blocked by the stranded container ship Ever Given. Roscosmos via REUTERS

The Ever Given, a 1,312-foot cargo ship, has been stuck in the Suez Canal since Tuesday, causing a traffic jam on either side of one of the world's most active waterways.

By one estimate, it's costing the global economy about $400 million in losses per hour. Officials in Egypt said it could take days or even weeks to dislodge the ship, giving satellites plenty of time to snap photos showing the massive scale of the ship.

Let's begin with an up-close look at the Ever Given. In this photo released by the Suez Canal Authority, crews are working on shore to refloat the ship.

Suez Canal Authority via AP

Backing away from the Ever Given, we can get a better sense of the size of the 1,312-foot Panama-flagged cargo ship.

Tugboats and a specialized suction dredger worked Friday to dislodge a giant container ship. Mohamed Elshahed/AP Photo

Now let's jump up to a satellite, which captured this picture of the 224,000-tonne ship blocking the canal.

BlackSky via REUTERS

Here's another satellite image of the ship, which can hold about 20,000 shipping containers.

European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-2 Satellite Image via Maxar Technologies via Reuters

Zooming out a bit, we can see more of the canal, which is mostly empty. The Mediterranean Sea is to the north, toward the upper right-hand corner of this image.

CNES/Airbus DS via Reuters

Zooming out farther adds more context. Below, we can see other cargo ships idling in the Red Sea to the south.

This image came from Twitter page of Director General of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin. Roscosmos via Reuters

Here's another satellite view without all the clutter. Those tiny colored lines are ships idling in Red Sea, waiting to pass through the canal. We can just make out the Ever Given in the upper left-hand corner.

Planet Labs Inc. via Reuters

Zoomed out even farther, we can barely see the Ever Given, which is among the largest cargo ships in the world.

European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-2 Satellite Image via Maxar Technologies via Reuters

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nearly six years after Walter Scott was shot to death by a North Charleston police officer, the legal battle over the case and what consequences the former officer, Michael Slager, should face isn't over.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel granted a hearing on whether Slager's attorneys provided adequate legal representation.

Gergel ruled by claiming ineffective counsel, Slager waived his attorney-client privilege and opened the door to his attorneys being questioned about their defense. He ruled they don't have to answer questions, but can.

The hearing is set for April 21.

Slager was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in December 2017, more than two years after he fatally shot Scott following a traffic stop, foot chase and struggle over a Taser on April 4, 2015.

The shooting made international news after cellphone video recorded by a bystander surfaced in the days following the shooting which contradicted Slager's initial account.

Anthony Scott, Walter's older brother, said he knows Slager has the right to appeal the sentence and has no problem with the former officer exercising that right. But he does not believe Slager has a chance of getting his sentence reduced.

"I thought he had some of the best attorneys in the country representing him," Scott said. "They got a hung jury the first time, which was incredible. Now that you took the plea, you feel that you want to take it back."

Slager seemed to have no issues with his legal representation through the state trial, which ended with a mistrial, and through much of the federal case, he said.

Scott said he was aware of the pending appeal and still feels some measure of justice was reached in his brother's death.

But the family continues to grapple with the trauma and suffering after losing his brother.

Judy Scott  the family matriarch who emerged as a force of compassion and forgiveness in the wake of her son's death  and her husband, also named Walter, both died in 2020, Anthony Scott said, adding he's sure the stress of their son's death and the trials took a toll on their health.

"It was truly murder," he said. "By no means should he be set free."

Slager retained prominent Charleston attorney Andy Savage to represent him as the case wound its way through state and federal courts.

The former officer's appeal hinges on a claim that Savage erred when advising Slager to plead guilty to one count of violating Scotts civil rights in exchange for the remaining federal charges and state charges being dropped.

Savage told The Post and Courier in March 2020 he blamed himself for his client's lengthy prison sentence.

"It was incompetent counsel," he told the newspaper last year. "I will never get over the mistake I made in recommending that Michael plead guilty in federal court. If Id ever had an indication that (sentence) was possible, Id never have recommended that he plead guilty. Ill never, til the day I die, get over that."

The attorney reiterated these comments and expanded on them in a sworn statement filed in federal court on Aug. 18, 2020.

Savage pointed to a January 2017 conference with U.S. District Judge David Norton, a longtime friend who was handling the federal case.

"During the course of our discussion, the Court informed those present that it was his opinion that this clearly was not a murder case," according to the statement. "I accepted his words as a given."

Savage ended his statement saying he realized now that his blind trust in Norton led him to give Slager bad advice.
While the potential threat from dissident republicans was often raised during the three years of Brexit negotiations, little consideration was given to how loyalists would react to what they perceive to be a betrayal of their sovereignty with a customs border in the Irish Sea.

Represented by the Loyalist Communities Council, the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando, withdrew support for the Good Friday Agreement earlier this month, in a protest letter sent to Boris Johnson.

There is noticeable anger among unionists and loyalists of many shades, but 23 years after the historic peace accord and almost 27 years after the Combined Loyalist Military Command called a cessation of violence, what threat, if any, do the loyalist paramilitary groups pose to peace?

Pete Shirlow, director of the Institute for Irish Studies at Liverpool University, who has worked extensively with loyalist groups, thinks wise heads will prevail.

"This is not 1968, that world just doesn't exist anymore, the wiser heads know anything like violence or taking people on to the streets just marches us closer to a united Ireland, they know that, they understand that.

"Many of the leadership are now later on in years, but if they didn't have control of the younger members, we would have seen much bigger flag protests, or retaliation for dissident attacks. You are not going to get rid of the Protocol and that's finally starting to sink in."

That's a very different take to that of the Rev Mervyn Gibson. A former member of the RUC and a senior member of the Orange Order, he is a man known to have an ear to the ground in working-class loyalist communities.

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"I think things are getting worse by the day as people realise the reality of what the Protocol means. Even looking at it from a human rights point of view, the right to democracy, many of our trade laws and even our health service will be determined by Europe in terms of what drugs are available to treat people. That should be unacceptable to everyone.

"Anger is growing, but the real danger is that no one is listening."

Often missing in the debate around loyalist reaction to political developments is the voice of women. In what is still a patriarchal society, Stacey Graham, from the Shankill area of Belfast, is one of the few female voices willing to speak out on behalf of her community.

In December 2019, the Progressive Unionist Party member took to the stage of the Ulster Hall at a Preserve the Union event aimed at voicing opposition to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.

"The flag protests were never about a flag", she says. "It was about a build-up of tensions left behind from the Good Friday Agreement. The Shankill Road has not seen the benefits of peace, whereas middle-class areas have. People are disenfranchised, left out in the wilderness. Nothing has changed for us, the poverty, the educational underachievement, mental health, which is getting worse, unresolved legacy. People find it difficult to express their feelings so they've literally put their views on the walls.

"When we talk about the hard border, the EU, the nationalist parties all said they wouldn't accept it, but when unionists say the same thing about a sea border, well we are treated differently and that's why people are angry."

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Loyalist Jamie Bryson says it goes deeper than just the Protocol, to the heart of the Good Friday Agreement.

"It illuminates the stark reality that the agreement is a millstone around the neck of the Union, and in my view unionism's position will never improve until that is remedied," he says.

"Unionism and loyalism must collectively come to the rational and logical conclusion that you cannot be pro-agreement and pro-Union, because the agreement's very objective is the incremental destruction of the Union."

Jim Wilson is a former Red Hand Commando prisoner and member of the LCC. Of the older generation, he is keen for there to be no return to violence.

"Personally, I just hope, as someone who came through the conflict, that we never go back there, we need to work in the political arena and put pressure on the British Government to see the folly of their actions," he says.

"I want our young lads to know violence isn't the answer. The biggest problem is, over the last number of years, the threat of violence seems to win the day.

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"When Bertie Ahern met with us years ago, I felt him to be an honest person. We told him we felt the Irish government were the enemies of Ulster, but they made strides putting the hands of friendship out to the loyalist community. Leo Varadkar with one fell swoop has managed to destroy all that work."

But what threat, if any, do the three main paramilitary groups pose?

No longer structured under a collective command, feuds, leadership battles and a cult of egos has seen many groups fracture into smaller organisations, run like mini-fiefdoms by a local leadership.

During the Troubles, the deadliest UDA unit, in south-east Antrim, murdered hundreds of people.

It is now a criminal cartel, heavily involved in drug-dealing, extortion, intimidation and murder of members of their own community.

However, it poses little threat to national security, with south-east Antrim UDA's only purpose now that of a money-making criminal gang.

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The West Belfast UDA, once lead by cult-like figure Johnny Adair, remains one of the most heavily armed units of the loyalist paramilitary organisation and is believed to still retain around 2,000 members.

While Adair now lives in forced exile in Scotland, the core leadership of the group which presided over the campaign of terror in the late 80s and early 90s remains in place.

They are venomously opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol and openly displayed this in October 2019, when in a rare show of unity, those alleged to hold leadership positions attended a "betrayal act" meeting at an east Belfast social club.

The North Antrim UDA never supported the Good Friday Agreement - their prisoners voted against the peace deal and were prepared to remain in jail rather than back the 1998 treaty.

The organisation's decommissioning was seen as a "symbolic" gesture and they retained much of their arsenal.

Recently, there has been an escalation in activity by the North Antrim UDA, with shootings and pipe-bombing incidents in Coleraine and Ballymoney, including the attempted murder of grandmother Sally Cummings. They could pose a potential threat to peace and have shown themselves to have access to weapons.

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The East Belfast UDA also retains around 2,000 members, stretching geographically from the east of the city to Newtownards and North Down.

They have been involved in peace-building projects and would have been considered committed to peace, but there have been rumblings of unrest recently and, while they may not pose any major threat to national security, they could be mobilised to cause public disorder and unrest.

The South Belfast UDA is the only area fully committed to peace. Under the alleged leadership of Jackie McDonald, they are heavily involved in community initiatives and the faction of the organisation least likely to pose any future threat.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, a senior UDA member said: "The older generation, the leadership who would be aged 60 or 70, wouldn't really be in step with younger loyalists. If the Protocol doesn't go, if politics fails us again, what will we do? New targets being talked about are EU and Irish nationalist targets.

"We are at a crossroads, younger members see this as all part of an agenda, an inevitable road to unity."

The Red Hand Commando did not continue to recruit after the ceasefires. It is currently an "old boys' club" of men with no desire for a return to violence.

The UVF does have an overall leader, in place since the 1970s, who commands the respect of all areas, including the hardline East Belfast faction.

While publicly supportive of the peace process, a senior UVF source said they still believe "if it was necessary", he would take the organisation back onto a more militant footing.

The main concern of security sources is that, once the leadership "retires", the organisation may fracture in a similar way to the UDA. The most heavily armed and militant faction of the organisation is the East Belfast, thought to have between 1,500-2,000 men.

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Other hardline areas include Mid-Ulster and South Belfast, both of which have been prominent in erecting various anti-sea border murals and banners with threatening, militant messages.

The organisation retains a significant cache of weapons from its share of a South African shipment brought into Northern Ireland in the late 1980s.

While many were later seized, Ulster Resistance retained almost all of its share of the weapons, which could be made available to loyalists if they sought a return to violence.

A senior UVF source told the Belfast Telegraph: "Loyalism is split into hawks and doves. While there is growing frustration across the organisation in relation to the Irish Sea border, this has not resulted in any genuine will to go back to a conflict situation, but the momentum is swinging. Low-level violent actions are almost inevitable. There is a danger that this could then spiral."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 00:18:21|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on March 6, 2021 shows people displaying China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Hong Kong, China. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

A Chinese delegate from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region debunked myths about the financial hub, including undermined freedoms and independent judiciary, while delivering online speeches at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.



HONG KONG, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Henry Ho Kin-chung has recently found an upsurge of supportive comments on his social media account, which he said is the best reward for speaking at a UN session early this month.

The photo taken on March 22, 2021 shows Henry Ho Kin-chung, a Chinese delegate from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

At the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 1, Ho, a Chinese delegate from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, debunked myths about the financial hub, including undermined freedoms and independent judiciary, in his online speeches.

After the session, he received many interview invitations from foreign media, recognition from legal professionals, and supportive messages from friends.

As people have begun to see through the Western double standards on the human rights issue, revealing such hypocrisy can create more resonance, he said. Many of his friends told him that there should be more Hong Kong people like him to stand out and tell the truth on the international stage to clear the misunderstandings on Hong Kong.

Ho is the founder of Hong Kong-based think tank One Country Two Systems Youth Forum.

Ho, who used to study in Hong Kong, London and Beijing, has a deep understanding of the Western hypocrisy on human rights issues.

During the social unrest in 2019, Hong Kong police actually showed considerable restraint and only used a proper level of force in their law enforcement action against wanton violent activities from trashing public facility to assaulting innocent people, he said. However, Hong Kong police suffered from malicious slanders at that time.

"In the United States, by contrast, even when clashes are less violent than those in Hong Kong, the U.S. police deployed much stronger force than their Hong Kong peers," he said.

Ho also debunked Britain's accusation that the national security law in the HKSAR violates the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"Which clause of the declaration has China violated?" Ho asked and said it is the British government who violated the declaration by granting holders of the British National Overseas passport the right of abode in Britain.

Citing another example of Britain's double standards, Ho said a British barrister, who was hired by the Department of Justice of the HKSAR government to participate in the handling of a case under the national security law in Hong Kong, was eventually unable to do so due to the pressure from British politicians.

"Such double standards are unbelievable," he said, adding that many legal professionals in Hong Kong, particularly those who had studied law in Britain before, found it hard to understand why British politicians, for political interests, interfered in Hong Kong's judiciary.

Looking back at his UN meeting experience, Ho wishes that he had more time to prepare as he had less than 10 days for preparing his online speech since receiving the invitation for the meeting.

Still, he effectively refuted rumors about the national security law in Hong Kong with solid facts and legal clauses.

"After the epidemic is over, I hope to attend more meetings of this kind, talk with more people from other parts of the world, and tell the (true) story of Hong Kong," he said.
Two adults were taken in serious-to-critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, but a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said he did not have information on the other two other patients.
A small fire that broke out in a two-story apartment building in the Western Addition on Friday night was quickly extinguished, San Francisco firefighters said.

The one-alarm fire started around 9 p.m. at 1525 Turk St., at Steiner Street, the San Francisco Fire Department said in a social media post.
Jeff Lowe in "Tiger King." Netflix

Tiger King's Jeff Lowe had a stroke and spent three days in the hospital, TMZ reported.

His wife, Lauren, said his drink might have been spiked while the couple was on a date last week.

Blood and urine tests reportedly came back negative for common drugs.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Jeff Lowe, who appeared in a successful Netflix documentary "Tiger King," had a stroke at a casino last week.

Lowe and his wife were staying at WinStar World Casino when he suffered the health scare.

Lauren Lowe told TMZ that she found Jeff unresponsive and not breathing around 3 a.m. on March 18. Emergency medical technicians who arrived at the scene determined that Lowe was undergoing a stroke and decided to airlift him to a hospital in Denton, Texas.

"I thought he was dying in my arms," Lauren told the outlet.

Lowe spent three days in the hospital but has since been discharged and is recovering at home. He's still having difficulty with his coordination and speech.

Lauren said doctors ran a series of tests but have not figured out what caused the stroke.

The couple told TMZ that they believed someone might have spiked Lowe's drink the night before, but blood and urine tests have come back negative for common drugs.

Jeff Lowe with wife Lauren at the zoo in Oklahoma in 2017. Ruaridh Connellan/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Before Lowe was found unresponsive, they said an unknown individual approached them during dinner, "claiming he knew them and even knew their favorite drink orders."

The individual was allegedly part of a crowd of "Tiger King" fans who stopped to see Lowe and Lauren.

On TMZ Live, Lauren said she had a sip of Lowe's drink and started feeling strange. Lowe reportedly fell asleep on the ride home and was still "out of sorts" when they arrived.

At one point, Lowe turned "green and blue," and his heart stopped.

After Joe Exotic was sentenced to 22 years in prison, Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma was signed over to Lowe. It was later handed over to Carole Baskin, an animal activist and rival of Exotic whom he was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in a plot for her murder.

The USDA suspended Lowe's license to exhibit animals to the public in August 2020. In November, the Justice Department filed a complaint against Lowe for allegedly violating the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act.

Read the original article on Insider
Government TechnologyIn this months installment of the Innovation of the Month series, we highlight a project focused on climate change and housing affordability in the greater Miami area. The team has built a tool that maps the intersection between housing shortages and looming sea level rises to help leaders build urban resilience. MetroLabs Ben Levine spoke with Dr. Robin Bachin, Dr. Keren Bolter, Dr. Christopher Mader, Jennifer Posner, Ranata Reeder and James Murley about their project.Can you describe the motivation for this project and who is on the team?The Miami Affordability Project (MAP) was launched to provide planners, policymakers, affordable housing developers and community organizations with a comprehensive look at the distribution of affordable housing and housing needs in the greater Miami area. Miami is ground zero for the tandem threats of sea level rise and housing affordability, so data mapping the impacts of climate change on Miamis affordable housing stock was a clear next step for expanding the tool. MAP is part of a suite of tools and reports we released as part of a two-year project entitled Housing Resiliency and a Sustainable South Florida.The team is an amazing blend of professionals that brought a rich body of work and experience to the tools we produced. Our office, the University of Miamis Office of Civic Engagement, is led by Dr. Robin Bachin, who headed the project team. I am an urban planner and joined the office as the project manager for the Housing Resiliency project.I lead climate change resilience initiatives in South Florida for Arcadis, the Dutch engineering firm. I was thrilled to work on this project because it aligns with my personal goal of increasing awareness on environmental impacts in a positive way that inspires a call to action. We see that with climate change, there is an information-action gap, and these tools can support data-driven and equity-driven decision-making to close the gap.We were also joined by Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos, a civil engineer at the University of Miami (UM), and Ranata Reeder from the South Florida Community Development Coalition, which led our community engagement efforts. Our mapping work was headed by Chris Mader in UMs Institute for Data Science and Computing. We were also supported by two amazing graduate assistants, Catalina Rodriguez and Matt Varkony, and two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers, Bryan Vicente Ortiz and Taegan Dennis.Who are the intended users of MAP? In what ways do you hope they will benefit from this tool?Our intention with all of our mapping tools is to truly democratize data and develop community-driven approaches to policy solutions. MAP is a free, interactive online platform that has been used by planners, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, community groups and municipal leaders.MAP spatializes the distribution of affordable housing and housing need in Miami. By adding elevation and sea level rise data to this platform, we have created the first mapping tool focused on South Florida to explore, in tandem, the issues of affordable housing and climate change to more equitably and effectively promote urban resilience.Miami-Dade County values its academic partners who can enhance planning efforts around sea-level rise and climate change. The University of Miami's Office of Civic and Community Engagement's expertise in affordable housing created a seamless transition to incorporate considerations about climate change into planning for our most vulnerable populations. The provision of neighborhood-level data in the MAP tool helps us at the county as we prepare holistically for changes to infrastructure, updated land use planning policy and other proactive strategies to effectively adapt to sea level rise.Can you talk about the various layers of data that MAP utilizes? Are there attributes that you find particularly valuable?To help guide our work, we assembled an incredible stakeholder team composed of some of the leading thinkers on climate, resilience and community equity. Their guidance was critical to the selection of data from authoritative sources that would provide meaningful information to shape mitigation strategies. When designing the sea level rise resiliency layers to include in MAP, we were very focused on identifying data sets that would have the most utility and best interact with our existing housing and community data layers without creating a confusing visual jumble. Ground elevation is on everyones mind when it comes to sea level rise, so we knew that was going to be particularly useful.The team wanted to show how storm surge from an extreme weather event could produce particularly intense water inundation to certain areas. We are fortunate at UM to draw upon the expertise of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, who worked with us to produce a map that demonstrated vulnerability in a very accessible way.Everyone in South Florida is familiar with the devasting impacts of 1992s Hurricane Andrew. We created a mapping layer that showed how the track of Hurricane Andrew would look when projected forward to today and beyond by building in projected sea level rise. We were pleased with this creative solution to showing, with clarity, a potentially daunting future.What impacts has MAP already produced? Are there other impacts you hope to see in the future?Since it was created in 2015, MAP has been used by numerous municipalities and advocacy organizations to support data-driven research. Miami-Dade County is unique in that is composed of 34 distinct municipalities with their own mayors, commissions, even their own sanitation departments. This fragmented governance structure can cause confusion for everyone, from constituents to municipal leaders.MAP includes a layer that can select the 34 municipal boundaries, elected commission districts and community redevelopment agencies. This capability lends itself to users looking to zero in on a particular geography to target specific issues or concerns. The addition of the resilience data can enable elected commissioners, for example, to visualize the potential storm and flooding impacts on their districts and allocate resources accordingly.The initial inspiration for expanding the provisions of the MAP tool emerged from discussions with our local community partners, municipal agencies and other community stakeholders looking to better understand the larger universe of threats to affordable housing stability beyond lapsed financing programs and gentrification pressures. While numerous sources about climate change exist, we saw a clear need for a tool that examined in detail the climate vulnerability of affordable housing. A companion project to the MAP tool is the new Resilience Policy Toolkit, a collection of best practices and policy recommendations that could be implemented by governments to improve climate equity. One element of this work was a cost-benefit analysis that has already sparked discussion with our county resiliency office. Our hope is that these resources can continue to be expanded to encourage responsible affordable housing construction and adaptation.Can you see this project being applied in other communities? What are the next steps for MAP?Before we completed the two-year grant period for this project, we knew that looking at the impacts of sea level rise was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to uncovering the impacts of climate change on Miamis affordable housing. Our funder, JP Morgan Chase, has generously given us a grant to continue to explore these impacts with a particular emphasis on extreme heat. We are calling this new initiative the Climate and Equity Mapping Platform (CAMP).Extreme heat is among the most dangerous natural hazards, but it generally receives less attention than other extreme climate events because the impacts are not immediately obvious. This important issue has been gaining interest and research support, with particular attention to public health conditions that are experienced much more profoundly by vulnerable populations. At Arcadis, we have undertaken analyses in this area as part of grant work funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and there is much more to uncover.Our work through CAMP will explore the deep inequities related to heat by looking at it through the lenses of public health, productivity implications, building- and neighborhood-level analyses, and impacts to overall livability. The University of Richmonds Mapping Inequality project demonstrates the alignment of historic redlining maps with areas that consistently see higher temperatures today. We will explore these systemic inequalities with added MAP data that shows information like tree canopy, large areas of pavement, and urban heat islands to better equip planners and governments to take these impacts into consideration and address the environmental legacy of historic patterns of segregation.And as for the ability to translate this work to other communities, the answer is a resounding yes. A focus of our work with CAMP will be to develop a playbook of sorts that can assist other municipalities looking to create publicly accessible resources that integrate affordability and resiliency data. The problems are very real, but with more and more people working collaboratively and proactively, we feel optimistic that we can find creative and meaningful solutions to the challenges before us.
Last week, the CNN anchor Brianna Keilar found herself, for the second time in under a week, guiding viewers through the grim ritual of trying, and failing, to make sense of another mass shooting.

This time, it was 10 people dead at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo. Only a few days before, she had interviewed a survivor of the rampage at Atlanta-area massage parlors. In 2019, Ms. Keilar reported on the back-to-back shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. In 2018, she spoke with relatives of students killed in the shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Broadcast journalists like Ms. Keilar, 40, have now spent the bulk of their reporting careers chronicling an unending, uniquely American horror show: the random gun massacre. She was CNNs first journalist to arrive on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007. And she was a college freshman in 1999, watching the networks coverage of a catastrophe at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

All this was running through Ms. Keilars mind on Tuesday when, on-air, she paused after a correspondents report about Rikki Olds, the 25-year-old Boulder supermarket manager who was murdered. I just wonder, can you count how many times youve covered a story like this? she asked, her voice catching. Have you lost count?
Ismailia, Egypt: The global economic troubles triggered by a giant container ship stuck in the Suez Canal worsened with the blockage of more ships carrying billions of dollars of goods. But hopes also grew that favourable tidal conditions could help free the Ever Given as a US Navy team was expected to arrive this weekend to assist in the operation.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities publicly acknowledged on Sunday (AEDT) for the first time that an initial investigation that found that the ship beached because of strong winds in a dust storm might not have been entirely accurate.

A satellite image shows the cargo ship MV Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal. Credit:Maxar Technologies via AP

At a news conference, Lt Gen Osama Rabie, head of Egypts Suez Canal Authority, said that such a significant incident typically has many causes.

The weather was one reason, but maybe there was a technical error, or a human error, he said, adding that the probe into the grounding was continuing.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 17:10:04|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Saturday confirmed 179 new COVID-19 cases, the highest-ever one-day number of infections, said a Ministry of Health (MoH) statement.

The figure surpassed the previous highest daily record of 105 cases on March 15.

The new infections included 178 local cases and one imported case. Among the local cases, 143 were in Preah Sihanouk province, 27 in capital Phnom Penh, four in Kandal province, three in Prey Veng province and one in Siem Reap province, the statement said.

The imported case was detected on a 31-year-old Cambodian man returning to the country on Thursday from Japan via a connecting flight in South Korea, it added.

MoH's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said the current local infection rate of COVID-19 is alarming, calling on people to strictly follow health guidelines.

"Please do not leave home if unnecessary and mind your children," she said. "Currently, the new COVID-19 variants are actively circulating in capital Phnom Penh as well as several provinces."

Vandine said the new COVID-19 variants are more contagious and deadly than the original strain.

Cambodia has reported a total of 2,147 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with nine deaths and 1,132 recoveries, the MoH said.

The country launched an anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 10. As of Friday, more than 366,000 people in priority groups had been vaccinated against the virus, according to a government report. Enditem
Directed by Darius Marder; written by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder

Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal

Sound of Metal is a film directed and co-written by Darius Marder, released in the US in November 2020. It is a sympathetic effort that sheds light on some of the difficulties facing particularly vulnerable social layers and individuals.

The story initially follows a musician couple, Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke), who play in a sludge metal band, Blackgammon. They live out of their RV and play gigs in cities across the US. Both Ruben and Lou depend on music, not only for money but for their various emotional needs. Ruben is a recovering drug addict, and Lou is still visibly reeling from a difficult past.

The nightly, high-volume shows suddenly cause a rapid deterioration in drummer Rubens hearing. Feeling he has no other option, he continues to play on and, during a concert, loses his hearing entirely. The pairs world is immediately thrown into crisis. Ruben learns that expensive cochlear implants may repair his hearing, but he cannot afford them without insurance.

He finds a rural community shelter for the hearing-impaired run by a recovering alcoholic and deaf Vietnam War veteran named Joe (Paul Raci). The couple must separate, however, for Ruben to be able to enter the shelter. After initially rejecting the offer, they make the difficult decision that Ruben should receive help while Lou returns to her estranged father in Europe.

At the shelter, Joe works with Ruben to convince him to accept the reality of his deafness. Ruben anxiously wants to return to his previous life. Eventually, he begins to learn American Sign Language and works with deaf grade-school students as a teachers assistant. Several moving scenes of the classroom and other forms of interaction take up the middle portion of the film, which has little vocal communication. One begins to have a small inkling of what it means to live and feel without hearing.

Eventually, Rubens anxiety to return to normal hearing and to get back to Lou leads to drastic efforts to raise money for the cochlear implant surgery. The surgery causes a falling out with Joe, who has insisted all along that being deaf is not a handicap. Not something to fix. ... All of these kids, all of us need to be reminded of it every day.

When Ruben leaves the shelter and activates his implants, he learns that sound is now distorted and difficult to process. He flies to France and reunites with Lou. But his hearing is now deeply unpleasant, everything off-kilter. The film ends, to its credit, without a convenient solution to Rubens situation.

Sound of Metal

There are genuine strengths to Sound of Metal. The precariousness of Lou and Rubens daily life will be familiar to multitudes of people, particularly among the younger generation. Ruben relies on a disciplined regimen to get him through the day, and the pair need each other as a means of emotional and economic survival. A major health crisis instantly and despairingly throws everything into question. One palpably grasps the dread overwhelming the pair of artists as Ruben loses his hearing, while medical and financial help are nowhere available. This is an everyday occurrence in America.

Of course, the desperate condition of the artists in Sound of Metal has become more even widely generalized since the film was shot in 2018. Countless musicians, music venue workers, technicians and workers in related fields have been left entirely vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic. The profit-hungry ruling elite has pursued profits above all else over the past 12 months, resulting in the deaths of some 2.8 million people so far.

Even prior to the present health disaster, an artist like Ruben had almost nowhere to turn. Now, with the live music industry essentially left to collapse, his sudden loss takes on an even broader significance, emblematic of conditions facing entire generations of artists.

Ahmed and Cooke give admirable performances. They are particularly adept at conveying the difficulties of lifewe see and feel it in their worried eyes, their psychic and physical apprehension and even their anger. One does not need a full accounting of their personal histories to understand they are trying to survive as artists under painful, turbulent conditions.

The same could be said of Racis performance. Joe confronts Ruben, following the latters surgery, in one of Sound of Metals more moving scenes. The older man feels a trust has been broken. Ruben explains he has to reclaim the life he had before the hearing loss. What does it matter? All this shit, it just passes. Nobody cares if I vanish, man.  Its all gonna just keep moving, and  Thats what life does.

Joe acknowledges that the world can be a damn cruel place but argues that the shelters methods, which he has been trying to pass on to Ruben, can help combat the clamoring, or running or desperately clutching and produce moments where this crappy mundane world suddenly becomes radiant and magnificent, and all fear is gone. But the pressures are ultimately too great for Ruben.

Olivia Cooke in Sound of Metal

Though it was perhaps not filmmaker Marders conscious intention, the contrast between Rubens desperate individualist reaction to his crisis, understandable as it may be, and the more socially oriented response offered by Joes deaf community shelter is a compelling subtheme.

At each turn, Ruben can only conceive of a way out of his distressing condition in terms of tireless individual effort and will power. As social and arts programs are defunded, privatized or destroyed, the youthful artist is given to believe that his or her well-beingand even the very possibility of pursuing a life in artdepends more than ever on personal gumption and hard work.

Rubens demanding work ethic and ingenuity were previously responsible for saving both Lou and himself. Even when threatened with total hearing loss, Ruben cannot allow himself to pauseeverything is dependent on the couples internal ecosystem (including the RV routine, the shows, recording, their relationship, perhaps the sobriety) being sustained. His first instinct is to try and play through it. After the hearing loss, the silver bullet of a cochlear implant fix proves illusory.

The shelter attempts to deal with reality as it existsin this case with the lack of hearingin a demonstrably social manner. One is not alone in ones struggles, and it is possible to overcome them collectively. Of course, this may be a little too easy to sayfor a musician, it is hard to imagine anything more life-threatening than losing ones ability to hear sounds distinctly.

As noted, the value of a social response is likely not the filmmakers conscious concern. At one point, Joe emphasizes the necessity of searching for a kingdom of god and a stillness in oneself as a means of coping with the difficulties. This suggests resignation or retreat. (On the other hand, Lou is saved by her rich, estranged father.)

Darius Marder told an interviewer that he grew up in a spiritual community, and  was raised Buddhist eventually and, furthermore, that Sound of Metal is so much about acceptance and  impermanence and letting go.

Rubens drama has been structured so that acceptance turns out to be the only rational alternative. But while individuals may discover letting go to be a solution, entire peoples and social classes cannot succumb to such fatalism. Great numbers of workers and young people, including artists, who have been left to fend for themselves in the midst of an increasingly unbearable social crisis, will seek a way out by different means, finding their own kingdom of god in their powerful and necessary class unity and strength, in the fight for their own social interests based on material and spiritual needs.
Police in Belarus on Saturday detained more than 100 people, including five journalists, a rights group said, as the opposition resumed rallies against strongman Alexander Lukashenko.

Protests erupted in the ex-Soviet country last August after Lukashenko claimed a sixth presidential term in a vote the opposition and Western diplomats said was rigged.

But they died down over the winter in the wake of a violent crackdown that saw thousands of protesters detained, several killed and hundreds receive lengthy prison sentences over the unrest.

The opposition Telegram channel Nexta that mobilises and coordinates protesters had called for a "second wave" of rallies to kick off on Saturday.

The Viasna human rights group said law enforcement officers had detained at least 110 people, including five journalists, across the country.

Almost all opposition leaders have either been arrested or forced to leave, notably Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania shortly after the August vote.

A group that represents the Polish minority in Belarus has also been singled out by police.

Opposition supporters in the capital Minsk had planned on gathering Saturday in the city centre by early afternoon, but were prevented from doing so by police, who cordoned off several streets, as well as a main square and park, an AFP journalist said.

Images circulating social media and published by local media showed the Minsk city centre heavily guarded by military vehicles.

Viasna said that among the journalists detained were two editors of the independent Tut.by news website.

Belarus earlier this month jailed a Tut.by journalist for six months for publishing leaked medical records showing a protester who died after being arrested by police had no alcohol in his system as law enforcement had claimed.

Nexta on Saturday afternoon called for protesters to regroup and organise splintered actions all over their cities.

Protesters also gathered in scattered rallies on Thursday to mark Freedom Day in Belarus, which the opposition commemorates each year on the anniversary of a declaration of independence in 1918.

Story continues

Viasna said police detained at least 176 people over the course of the day.

Despite being slapped with EU sanctions over the violent crackdown, Lukashenko and his allies have held firm, with the authoritarian leader saying he has withstood a revolution directed by the West.

tk-emg/wai/ach
Its so frustrating being six miles from the UK border but not having the vaccine

Ireland

New daily cases 569

Number jabbed 515,800; % of population 10.4%

Corrinna Maguire thinks Brussels has let all of Europe down

Five thousand long-term care residents still havent had a jab. Despite hopes of getting 827,000 AstraZeneca doses by the end of March, based on advance purchase agreements, Ireland has had only 228,000.

Just 10.39 people per 100 have received the jab.

Aaron Daly, 43, a photographer from Dun Laoghaire, said: I blame the government for failing to put in place the necessary logistics for the rollout.

Our health service has again shown failings in communication and organisation. His wife is a full-time carer to their daughter who has special needs.

Neither has been allocated a vaccination and he says: It could be months before our daughter is vaccinated.

I have family in the North, so am very aware how much quicker the rollout has been there.

Family carers in Northern Ireland and the UK were prioritised, which makes so much sense.

Siobhan OHara, 51, a part-time carer from Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, said: I am very disappointed  both with the limited amount of vaccines and the speed of the rollout.

Initially, I blame the EU Commission. Like anyone purchasing a product, they should have had complete transparency and official confirmation of quantities and delivery date assurances from AstraZeneca. Her mother needs full-time care and has only recently had the jab.

Corrinna Maguire, 43, a general manager from Glenboy Co Leitrim, said: Our government is to blame. It should have organised the purchase of the vaccine better. Also, Brussels seems to have let the whole of Europe down on not securing enough vaccines quick enough.

The rollout across the UK and Northern Ireland is excellent. Other countries should follow suit. Its frustrating living six miles from the border and not being able to get the vaccine.

For days, our doctors surgery has been flooded with desperate calls for the jab

France

Daily cases 41,869

Number jabbed 7.2m, % of population 10.6%

First, President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the AstraZeneca vaccine as quasi-ineffective in people over-65. Then opinion polls suggested that up to 60 per cent of French people do not want the vaccine.

Marc Droguet says the jab rollout race is not a rugby match

Adding to the problem, the authorities suspended use of the AZ jab over fears of blood clots. Finally, that decision was overturned but health officials ruled that only people aged 55 and over should get the AstraZeneca vaccine.

France has inoculated only 10.6 people in every 100.

Francoise Durand, a GP in the Morbihan department in Brittany, says: I have people crying out for vaccines and been flooded with desperate calls. Ive appealed to the Ministry but there has been insufficient communication.

Today, I have ten doses available but there are 100 or more people waiting.There is very little faith in the government. People point the finger at Macron and say he has admitted that he has failed them. It is intolerable in a country like ours which prides itself on the excellence of its health service.

Retired Breton farmer Franck Lelievre spoke to the MoS while waiting at a surgery for a jab. He said: Im worried because I have a heart condition and high blood pressure. If I get Covid, its probably curtains for me.

Ive been asking for a jab for weeks. There just havent been any available. Hopefully this morning Ill get one.

You English seem to be ahead of France. Maybe its something to do with Brexit.

Sylvie, a 49-year-old shop assistant, said: Its a national scandal. Weve been living with this evil virus for a year. Finally theyve developed an antidote but we cant get it.

Marc Droguet, deputy mayor of Redon, a town of 11,000 inhabitants, said: Yes, we are behind England but this is not a a rugby match. There are no winners and losers. In the EU, we must work together to solve this crisis together. Thats what Europe is about. Whereas the English see fit to go it alone, we prefer to work together. Together we stand. Divided we fall.

Im very envious of how things are a lot better handled in the UK

Spain

Daily cases: 7,586

Number jabbed 4.6m, % of population 9.8%

Carer Oscar Martinez praises UK politicians for our jab rollout

Halted use of AstraZeneca for eight days, resulting in a stockpile of 735,652 doses. Initially, one of 11 EU countries that refused to recommend AZ for the elderly. Its estimated that only 50 per cent of those aged 80 and over have been vaccinated.

Retired shoe buyer Jesus Blesa, 66, who lives in the Costa Blanca town of Torrevieja has not yet been jabbed.

I dont know when Ill get mine. It just goes to show you how slow things are here, he said.

I know things are a lot better in England and Im envious.

Spain is on the verge of a third wave which would be devastating if it means another summer without foreign tourists.

Aroa Silgado, 36, from San Sebastian, suffers from the autoimmune disease Myositis, which inflames and weakens muscle fibres.

She said: Im in a high-risk group and coronavirus could be a death sentence for me but Ive yet to receive my first jab and I have no idea how long Ill have to wait. There seems to be very little co-ordination at European level.

She says she wrote to the Spanish Prime Minister, saying it was a disgrace that she is still waiting for a vaccine. She got a reply saying the health ministry was following protocols based on age and occupation. I have a friend in England who says theyre prioritising people according to their needs. That should happen here.

Refuse collector Jose Francisco Martinez, 46, says: My dad is 79 and my mum 73 and neither have been jabbed. I admire the way Britain is responding.

Photographer Joaquin Carreon, 61, from Torrevieja, says: The vaccine problem here is definitely a European problem. You can understand why people in the UK are happy they voted for Brexit.

Oscar Martinez, 55, who cares full-time for his mum in Miranda de Ebro near Burgos, northern Spain, said: British politicians have been more on the ball.

With an Anglo-Saxon mindset, Britain is better organised

Italy

Daily cases: 24,076

Number jabbed: 6.2m, % of population 10.2

Coffee bar owner Giovanni Facile, 72, is still awaiting his first jab

There was widespread anger last week when 29 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab destined for EU nations and poorer countries were found stockpiled in a warehouse near Rome.

Latest figures show that 51 per cent of the over-80s in Italy have not yet been inoculated, nor have 95 per cent of those aged 70-79.

The country also paused rollout of the AZ jab over blood clot fears. The government is now set to order the Russian Sputnik V jab.

Housewife Antonia Piredda, 49, is angry that her 91-year-old mother-in-law has not yet had the jab.

She says: My daughter and sister-in-law, who are young but work at schools, have been vaccinated. The rollout in Italy has been seriously disorganised. The authorities still dont know what they are doing. The health system here has always been chaotic. They cant decide who to vaccinate first.

If they continue at this pace, we will never get back to normal. The UK has done well, they have executed their vaccine rollout to perfection. It would have been better to keep the vaccines here and not export them to the UK.

Pizza restaurant owner Massimo Cappellacci says: The vaccination campaign here is very behind and disorganised. It is classic Italy.

The main problem is supply. Its not the fault of the region, it is the EUs fault, as it was Brussels that organised it.

As our prime minister has said, if it is working, then great, otherwise Italy should go it alone. Gino Barrozzi, a 60-year-old sales agent, says: My 87-year-old mother is just getting her jab this week.

It should have been done much earlier. The UK has been much faster. It would have been much faster and more intelligent of Italy to do it alone.

Giovanni Facile, 72, owner of a coffee bar is still awaiting a jab and says its not going to be for a while. He explains: They are giving them to other groups, such as lawyers, ahead of older people. This is how things work in Italy.

Weve seen bickering and petty politicking

Belgium

Daily cases: 6,123

Number jabbed: 1.2M, % of population 9.9%

Belgium has 316,327 unused doses despite being home to a Pfizers production site in the town of Puurs. Only 10 per cent of Belgians have had a jab.

Jo Verstuyft, a pharmacist in Puurs, says: The Pfizer plant is just here, but I had to have an AstraZeneca vaccination made in the UK.

Danielle Jacobs, retired, said: Its so frustrating that Belgium produces so many doses but we dont have enough for the Belgian people.

Eric Lemestre, a civil servant, said:The bickering about AstraZeneca has been as much petty politics as science.

Just too much talk and too few jabs

Netherlands

Daily cases: 7,562

Number jabbed 1.5m, % of population 8.7%

The government has promised everyone aged over 18 a vaccine this year.

AstraZenecas plant in Leiden became the focus of the EUs vaccine row with Britain after a Brussels source said doses from there have to go to the EU despite a contract to supply Britain. The country has vaccinated 8.7 people per 100.

Costis Budolas, a restaurant owner in Leiden, says: The EU is collapsing. You Brits did the right thing to leave.

Outside the EU, you can be faster. I used to live in London. I know that trade has been affected by Brexit but I think this wont last for long and the UK will be happy to have left within a few months.

Ruud Mestrom, a bar and restaurant owner, said: Whereas Israels vaccination programme worked round the clock, here its just from 9am to 5pm.

Cancer sufferer Eveline van Koetsveld van Ankeron, owner of an art supplies shop, says: Why do I have to wait so long for a jab? Maybe at the end of May or June Ill get one. People who need the vaccine the most, why are they not getting it?

Bennie, an olive oil store manager, said: Theres too much talk and not enough jabbing going on. There is a lack of leadership.

Brussels has been caught sleeping

Germany

Daily cases: 20.689

Number jabbed: 8.6M, % of population 10.3

Product manager Juliana Becker says Brussels was too hesitant

After a temporary halt on using the AstraZeneca jab amid reports of blood-clot disorders in a small number of people, the country has a stockpile of 3.5 million unused doses.

Only 10 per cent of Germans have had their first dose  compared with 42 per cent in Britain. The Berlin government is now considering buying doses of Russias Sputnik V.

Jorg Wilkens, 60, a carpenter from Hanover who has heart problems, says: Compared to England, things are going badly here. The EU have been asleep. Every country should have got their own vaccine. I have no idea when I will get my jab.

Dr Arnulf Sander, 68, a GP whose wife Christiane works in his office, says: England is way ahead of us.

Last year we started to build big vaccination centres all over the country but they are more or less empty now because we dont have enough vaccines.

Even when Germanys vaccine campaign is accelerated next month, he says his surgery will only get 20 jabs a week. What we need is less bureaucracy and more flexibility.

Juliana Becker, 28, a product manager, said: The EU has acted too hesitantly. It seems that Brussels started negotiations with manufacturers far too late.

I have friends in England who are looking forward to being vaccinated in the next couple of weeks. I dont think we will well be getting our jab any time soon.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

A few showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 76F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A few showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 76F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
From left to right, Xaysomphone Phomvihane, chairman of the Lao National Assembly, and Viengthong Siphandone, president of the People's Supreme Court.

Senior posts in the government of Laos are being given mainly to the children of Party leaders, with seven out of 17 new cabinet members drawn from two famous families alone, in a trend some observers are calling cases of inherited power, Lao sources say.

The seven, who hold ministry-level positions or top posts in the Supreme Court or National Assembly, are all members of the powerful Siphandone and Phomvihane families, according to a list announced on March 22 by the countrys prime minister, Phankham Viphavanh, who replaces Thongloun Sisoulithnow Party General Secretaryin the post.

One member of the Phomvihane family, Santiphab Phomvihanea son of the late Lao president Kaysone Phomvihaneis now the governor of Savannakhet province, according to Phankhams list of top Party assignments.

Inheriting power has been a common practice for a long time in Laos. Everybody knows that, a Lao scholar in Luang Prabang province told RFA in an interview this week. In order for somebody to climb up the ladder, first and foremost he or she has to have a blood connection, he said.

Qualifications are secondary.

Most children or relatives of prominent Party leaders will inherit their power. This has become a tradition, said Adison Seumyaem, a Thai expert on Laos at the Institute of Asian Studies in Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University.

In Laos, power inheritance is more visible than it is in Vietnam and China, he added. Chinas so-called princelings hold commanding positions in that Communist state, and the club includes President and party chief Xi Jinping.

Also speaking to RFA, a Lao government official said however that the members of the new cabinet had risen to their posts based on merit, and not on family connections.

They have been in the Party for a long time, and are very knowledgeable and capable. Thats why most of them are in the cabinet, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Having children of the former revolutionary leaders in the cabinet is good for the development of the country, because theyre well-disciplined and law abiding and are grateful to their parents, the official added.

Their parents accomplished great things, and now their children will do the same, he said.

If someone else were appointed minister, he or she might think differently or do something different, something that wouldnt be right, he added.

Cracking down on corruption

Many in Laos say they hope the countrys new prime minister and a National Assembly elected in February will make long-needed changes in the governing of the one-party communist state.

One businessman in the capital Vientiane told RFA, [The new prime minister] should do what he said he was going to dothat is, crack down on corruption, drugs, and the illegal trade in logs and wood.

Its difficult to crack down on corruption, though, another Vientiane resident said. Some officials always ask for kickbacks. Many people complain about this.

Corruption is still widespread in Laos, a businesswoman in Pakse city, Champassak province, in southern Laos said. For example, many state employees at financial departments are all rich and have luxury cars and homes, though their salary is only about 3 million kip [U.S. $300] a month.

The government should inspect all that, she said.

Untouchable by inspectors



An employee of the government inspection office in Vientiane meanwhile told RFA that top Party figures in Laos appear to be out of bounds for a closer scrutiny of their wealth.

I have been working in this office for 10 years now, and I have never inspected any top Party or government leaders in the capital. Weve only inspected low-ranking officials and departments within the administration of the capital, he said.

In the past, the top leaders declared their assets, but only a small portion, and they hid most of them, a former Party member agreed. And the audit agency is not powerful enough to inspect them. So the new government needs to reverse that practice, he said.

Today's elites are the offspring of leaders of the Lao People's Liberation Army, or Pathet Lao, a communist movement organized, equipped, and guided by Vietnam's Communist Party that overthrew the Lao monarchy in 1975. The Lao People's Revolutionary Party is the only party the landlocked country of 7 million people has ever known.

Laos has a history of widespread government corruption, with the Government Inspection Authority (GIA) reporting in early 2020 that the government lost up to $120 million in 2019 to corruption, disciplined 700 state employees, and fired 400 of them.

In the previous year, the GIA found 970 were involved in corruption amounting to $107 million.

Transparency International reported in January 2021 that Laos corruption ranking had worsened, dropping from 130th in 2019 to 134th in 2020 out of 180 countries.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-28 00:04:36|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on March 27, 2021 shows the stuck container ship Ever Given on the Suez Canal, Egypt. At least 321 vessels are currently jammed around the Suez Canal awaiting salvage of the giant container ship Ever Given that has been stuck and blocking the vital waterway since Tuesday, Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said Saturday. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

SUEZ, Egypt, March 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 321 vessels are currently jammed around Egypt's Suez Canal awaiting salvage of the giant container ship Ever Given that has been stuck and blocking the vital waterway since Tuesday, Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said Saturday.

"The number of ships waiting now, whether in the north, the south or in the Lakes is 321. We provide them with all the logistic services they ask for," the SCA chief told a press conference in the northeastern province of Suez.

"It's difficult to tell when the problem will be solved, because, as I said, the ship is huge with a large load and it is stuck in a shallow area," Rabie said.

He pointed out that 14 tug boats are working to salvage Ever Given from all directions.

"Last night, there were signs of success ... to the point that we were very hopeful that the salvage will be completed last night," The SCA chief said, adding authority is prepared with several scenarios to refloat the mega ship that causes "a big crisis."

The 224,000-ton Panama-flagged Ever Given was grounded on Tuesday in the canal after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a sandstorm, which led the SCA to announce on Thursday temporary suspension of navigation in the man-made waterway.

Rabie said there will be investigation into the exact cause of the accident but after the rescue process is done.

Dutch firm Boskalis with its emergency response team Smit Salvage is hired by Ever Given's owner to assist the SCA in the rescue operations.

Linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, the Suez Canal is a major lifeline for global seaborne trade since it allows ships to travel between Europe and South Asia without navigating around Africa, thereby reducing the sea voyage distance between Europe and India by about 7,000 km.

Some 12 percent of the world trade volume passes through the Suez Canal.
Facebook/Andre HillBy MEREDITH DELISO, ABC News



(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by a now-former police officer in Columbus, Ohio, last year, died from four gunshot wounds, his autopsy report shows.



Hill, 47, was shot three times in his right leg and once in his chest, according to the coroner's report, which was released Friday and obtained by ABC Columbus affiliate WSYX-TV.



The cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds.



The former officer, Adam Coy, who is white, faces murder charges.



Attorneys for Hill's family charge that the autopsy "shows how reckless this officer was."



"It was not necessary to shoot an unarmed non-threatening individual four times," Michael Wright, one of the attorneys for Hill's family, told WSYX upon the release of the report.



"Mr. Hill was an innocent unarmed man who suffered," Wright told the station.



Mark Collins, an attorney for Coy, has argued that the indictment, in particular the murder charge, does not make sense, saying it suggests his client knowingly intended to kill Hill.



"The knowing element, to cause serious physical harm with a deadly weapon, and someone died, that's the concept, however, police officers are trained a certain way to take an action and to stop a threat. So that kind of doesn't make sense," Collins told WSYX last month.



Coy pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, one count of felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty last month. He was released from jail on Feb. 9 after posting $1 million bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for April 28.



Hill was fatally shot after officers responded to a 311 non-emergency call for a noise complaint on Dec. 22.



Coy told officials he thought he saw a firearm on Hill before shooting. Hill had a cellphone in his left hand. No weapons were found.



Coy was fired in December after an investigation determined that his use of deadly force was not reasonable.



ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Burma Myanmar Regime Kills 23 More Protesters as It Marks Armed Forces Day

Ko Nan Win was shot in the head and killed by security forces on Saturday morning in Daik-U Township, Bago Region. / CJ

At least another 23 civilians were killed by the Myanmar military regime on Saturday morning, taking the death toll from the security forces lethal crackdown on anti-regime protests to 350, as the coup leaders celebrate Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, the capital of the country.

Undaunted by previous deadly crackdowns, people across Myanmar took to the streets on Saturday to mark Anti-Military Dictatorship Day, while the coup leaders in Naypyitaw celebrated the 76th Armed Forces Day. Historically, March 27 is remembered as the day on which Myanmars armed resistance against the Japanese fascists was launched in 1945.

Thousands of anti-protesters defied a warning issued to the public last night on military-controlled MRTV not to protest on Armed Forces Day. MRTV delivered an open threat from the military to shoot protesters in the head and back if they took to the streets.

In Meiktila, Mandalay Region, four civilians including a 13-year-old girl were killed when security forces opened fire inside a housing estate to disperse the protesters.

A local resident said the girl was fatally shot dead inside her home during a raid on residential areas to search for anti-coup protesters. Six people were injured.

Eight people were shot dead in Dala Township, Yangon at around 12:30 a.m. Saturday as a crowd besieged a police station demanding security forces release two women detained after a protest on Friday morning.

They [security forces] kept shooting until 3 a.m. Several people were injured. Some of them are still critical condition, a witness said.

Another three protesters, Ko Bo Bo Chit Nyein, 21, Ko Tazar Htun, 31, and U Zaw Lay, 49, were shot dead in Insein Township, Yangon during a crackdown by security forces on an early morning anti-coup demonstration there.

Three were injured due to gunshots. One was injured in the abdomen and two were hit in their arms, a volunteer from a local charity group said.

Three more protesters including a lawyer were killed in Lashio, northern Shan State. They were shot in the head and chest when police and soldiers opened fire on anti-coup demonstrators, according to a local charity group. It also reported that several people were injured during the crackdown.

We could not retrieve the dead bodies. They dragged the bodies and the injured people onto a military truck, a volunteer from the charity group told The Irrawaddy.

Additionally, a bystander was shot dead in Kachin States Hopin by regime forces when they fired on protesters who were gathering for an anti-regime march on Saturday morning. One was injured and four others were arrested, according to local residents.

Another anti-coup protester, Ko Nan Win, suffered a fatal head shot and another four were seriously injured during a crackdown on anti-regime demonstrators in Daik-U Township, Bago Region. Another young man later died of his wounds after being shot in the chest when riot police and soldiers opened fire during the early morning protest.

Riot police are still shooting randomly, although the protesters have already broken up. Two protesters were arrested, an anti-coup protester in Daik-U told The Irrawaddy.

Another protester was shot in the head and killed, and six people were injured, during a crackdown on protesters in Kyaikhto, Mon State, according to local residents.

And at around 10.30 a.m., Ko Chan Myae Kyaw, 29, was shot dead by security forces at a crossroads on the Monywa-Pathein Highway in Monywa Township, Sagaing Region during a crackdown on anti-coup protesters.

Anti-coup protesters across the country this week called for nationwide protests against the regime on Armed Forces Day, despite the regimes continued lethal crackdown on demonstrations.

Since the early morning, security forces have used live rounds and rubber bullets to disperse protesters, and have torched roadblocks set up by protesters to deter the advance of regime troops. In Myitkyina, more than 50 protesters were arrested by regime forces and several were injured during protests against the military.
An angry Marjorie Taylor Greene took to Twitter to complain that as a result of a lawsuit she is prohibited from blocking other accounts on the platform.

The suit against the Georgia congresswoman by Los Angeles-based political action committee MeidasTouch LLC was filed after Ms Greene blocked the group on Twitter for posts that criticised her and former President Donald Trump.

In settling the suit, Ms Greene is also paying $10,000 of the groups legal fees, which they have said will be donated to gun reform organisations.

Because of this PACs frivolous lawsuit against me, Im not allowed to block people that threaten my life and my childrens lives every single day on social media, Ms Greene tweeted.

And they are bragging about donating the money to organizations that want to take away my guns, so I couldnt defend myself and my children, when people show up to murder us like they threaten.

Read more:

This PAC is celebrating that a woman (me) cant block people that want to kill me and my kids, she added. What an accomplishment for them.

Ms Green accompanied her tweets with screenshots of a post in which she is attacked and an apparent direct message in which her children are threatened.

MeidasTouch tweeted: Weve settled our lawsuit against Marjorie Taylor Greene! She will pay $10K for our legal fees and is no longer allowed to block the public on Twitter. We will donate the $10K savings to @MomsDemand and @Ribbons4Jaime  two organisations pushing for common sense gun reform.

A previous federal appeals court decision in a suit that involved Mr Trump, said that political figures are not able to block their critics on public Twitter accounts.

The ruling set a precedent for all political figures on the basis that blocking violates First Amendment rights to free speech.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez settled a similar suit in 2019 after she blocked a former Brooklyn assemblyman.

In a statement at the time, she said: I have reconsidered my decision to block Dov Hikind from my Twitter account. Mr Hikind has a First Amendment right to express his views and should not be blocked for them. In retrospect, it was wrong and improper and does not reflect the values I cherish. I sincerely apologise for blocking Mr Hikind.
When armed carjackers waylaid him in the parking lot of Rastelli Market Fresh, Andrew Mosley thought it was all over.

And yet, after one man slammed him against the door of his truck and demanded his keys with the thrust of a knife against his ribs, Mosleys instincts kicked in. He refused.

The man demanded again, this time gesturing to his gun-toting accomplice  but Mosley made a split-second decision to flee, receiving a gunshot to the groin after making it into his truck.

Today, Mosley, 42, faces a long road to recovery, but, miraculously, managed to escape with his life. When asked why he chose to flee, he said that leaving his wife a widow wasnt an option he could bear.

I have too many people that love me and I love, Mosley told NJ Advance Media from the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Marlton. And too many things I want to do in life  and I didnt want to leave that.

Pieces of that fateful day on March 1 are still coming back to Mosley, like an ambulance ride spent pleading with EMTs, am I going to die, I dont want to die. Three weeks and two surgeries later, Mosley is expected to make a full recovery, after doctors inserted a custom-made rod in his femur and tied off his bullet-severed femoral vein.

Andrew Mosley rests at the hospital after surviving a carjacking on March 1.Courtesy of Angel Sadowl

As he begins what doctors anticipate could take six months of recovery and physical therapy, neighbors and co-workers are reaching out to support Mosley, a well-known fixture of his Deptford community. A GoFundMe set up by a friend for Mosley and his wife, Angel Sadowl, 44, has already raised more than $8,000.

While the dust has yet to settle on medical bills, new costs are starting to pile up, like a new recliner for Mosleys at-home recovery and a new phone to replace the one still being kept in evidence lock-up. And yet, the two are urging people to roll up their shirtsleeves and donate blood before reaching into their pockets, in acknowledgment of the 17 units Mosley received at Cooper University Hospital that saved his life.

People dont have to donate any money to the GoFundMe page, but if theyre able to commit to donating blood even on a regular basis that is absolutely one of the most important things that we can tell people  how their donation could affect many, many lives, Sadowl said.

A few days after the attack, authorities arrested Gabriel Vargas, 18, of Camden and a 16-year-old teenager. Both were charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, carjacking and robbery, among other counts.

Police were able to apprehend the suspects with the help of video surveillance that showed them fleeing the scene. They also recovered the knife and 9mm handgun used in the attack.

Andrew Mosley recovers in the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Marlton.Courtesy of Angel Sadowl

Vargas and his accomplice allegedly approached their victim around 6:30, as Mosley was walking to his truck with some Easter eggs he had purchased for his nieces. He made his attempt to flee and managed to start the truck, but quickly lost control and went over a concrete barrier and into the bushes.

While the attackers fled, Mosley tried to call 911, but was slipping in and out of consciousness. In a stroke of complete coincidence, Deptford Police Captain Ian McShane happened to be coming out of Rastellis and found Mosley bleeding profusely in his truck.

McShane pulled him out and unfastened his belt to use as a tourniquet around the leg, Mosley said, recalling what Sergeant John J. Petroski, Jr. in the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office later told him. Deptford Police and the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office declined to comment for this story, citing potential future criminal proceedings.

From there, Mosley was transported to Cooper, where he spent six harrowing hours in surgery, as doctors dealt with a femur that had been broken in four places.

At one point, his heart stopped beating for two minutes. Doctors performed CPR and gave him a shot of epinephrine. All the while, Sadowl anxiously waited, completely unaware of her husbands condition.

Theres nobody to walk you through step-by-step whats happening, so you have to just keep trying to get updates, she said. In that moment, it was awful, easily the most horrible time of my life.

On the other hand, she describes the moment Mosley woke up and FaceTimed her from an iPad from the ICU as absolutely, the most relief and thankfulness that Ive ever felt in my life.

Andrew Mosley, 42, and Angel Sadowl, 44, celebrate their wedding. They've been married for five years and met when Sadowl was a customer at Rastelli Fresh Market.Courtesy of Beau Ridge Photography

Mosley remembers waking up in the ICU and nurses removing his tubes. Immediately, he told them his wifes name and number and insisted he speak with her.

No offense against our wedding day, it was literally the happiest moment of my life was to be able to see her and reassure her that I was going to be OK, Mosley said.

Sadowl wasnt the only one eager for an update. The attack sent shockwaves through the Deptford community and Mosleys co-workers were in distress when they learned what happened.

For us, it was horrific, because if you know Andrew, this cant happen to an Andrew, Chris Mentzer, Rastelli Director of Operations, told NJ Advance Media. It shouldnt happen to anyone, but, God, he would not hurt a fly. It was just so shocking to our community.

Rastelli has brightened its parking lot with new LED bulbs and installed extra cameras, Mentzer said, in response to the attack. But in a town of just 30,000 people, the impact of Mosleys near-death encounter is still being felt, considering Mosley has manned the meat counter at Rastelli for 21 years.

People are sick, Mentzer said. We have customers actually crying in the store that are coming in asking about him, theyre so concerned.

Andrew Mosley has worked at Rastelli Fresh Market as a meat-cutter for 21 years.Courtesy of Angel Sadowl

Now, as Mosley prepares to return back home this weekend, he understands a long process awaits him, both physically and emotionally.

Hes been speaking with a trauma psychologist at Cooper, working on centering techniques for when a rush of emotions comes over him, typically at night.

Im the stereotypical guy, Mosley said. I push everything down but [Angel and I] had a very serious talk about how I cant do that, I have to be able to talk about it and deal with it, because it doesnt matter if I get back to 100% physically, if I have all these emotions running unchecked underneath the surface, what good is it? Im just going to be a shell of the person I was before.

The rest of Mosleys life may be spent dealing with the physical and emotional fallout of the attack. And yet, Mosleys attitude is one of gratitude and not bitterness.

Were it not for the captain happening to be in the right place at the right time, were it not for South Jerseys only level 1 trauma center being just a 15 minute drive away, were it not for any number of other factors, Mosley understands he likely wouldnt be alive today.

A lot of things lined up to where Im an incredibly lucky and blessed person, Mosley said.

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Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
New Delhi:

The UN Security Council on Saturday strongly condemned "highly provocative" launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea and demanded that the reclusive nation immediately halt such "outrageous" actions.

The Security Council's reaction came a day after North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile from Pyongyang over northern Japan on Thursday.

In a statement, the Security Council said the launch was carried out just three weeks after a first missile overflew Japan and less than two weeks after Pyongyang's sixth and biggest nuclear test.

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned these launches, condemned further North Korea for its outrageous actions, and demanded that North Korea immediately cease all such actions," the Security Council said in a statement after an emergency meeting.

The emergency meeting of Security Council was convened at the request of Japan and the US. The 15-member body stressed that these actions were not just a threat to the region, but to all UN Member States.

"The United Kingdom stands with the people of Japan in face of this terrible, egregious, illegal, provocative, reckless act by the North Korean regime, which once again demonstrates their complete disregard for the sovereignty and the citizens of one of their neighbours," the British ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft told reporters after the meeting of the Security Council.

Earlier this week, the UN Security Council agreed to tighten sanctions on North Korea, banning its textile exports and capping fuel supplies.

North Korea has launched dozens of missiles under Kim Jong Un's leadership to accelerate weapons programme designed to give it the ability to target the United States with a powerful, nuclear-tipped missile.

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Truck drivers testing centers and driving schools shut down because of the pandemic, so now theres a national shortage of truck drivers. Local trucking company ERL Intermodal is having trouble finding new drivers, but Sales Manager George Fanelli says the longer they go without drivers, the more its going to cost the consumer.

"If we cant get out product picked up when we dont have enough drivers, the imports go what they call demerge, and thats a fee if you dont get them picked up in a certain amount of days that we have to pay or pass along to our customers, and that puts a strain on everybody getting their products pulled and getting them up there for delivery."

The shortage of drivers has forced the company to give up some of their business to keep the local customers happy.

"Weve had to give up some lanes in order to service Central New York here where we can service people better, rather than the Albany/Binghamton area, so its put a strain on not only us, the drivers, the customers, its affecting everybody."

The problems surrounding lack of drivers is being compounded by the bottleneck of commerce world-wide.

"The volume thats coming into the ports has kind of tripled in the last 6 months because of the pandemic and the supply chain issues overseas that have shut down."

So until the truck driver shortage is resolved, you can expect to pay more at the store.

"Its affecting everything. The supply chain all the way up to the consumer, the trucker, and the supply chain as a whole."
After dropping off flowers Jesus Estrella stands in support of the Asian and Hispanic community outside Youngs Asian Massage parlor where four people were killed, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Acworth, Ga. A white gunman was charged Wednesday with killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage parlors in an attack on Tuesday that sent terror through the Asian American community thats increasingly been targeted during the coronavirus pandemic. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
POTTSVILLE  The lawyer for Nathaniel J. Kimmel, whom police allege murdered his ex-girlfriend in August 2020 in Shenandoah, said Friday he will challenge the legality of the death penalty prosecutors want to impose on his client.

I think the death penalty will be ruled unconstitutional in the future, Robert J. Kirwan II, Reading, told Judge James P. Goodman, who is presiding over Kimmels case.

Kirwan said he is making such a challenge in every death penalty case in which he represents the defendant.

In the event the challenge is unsuccessful, Kirwan asked Goodman to require District Attorney Michael A. OPake to produce the evidence he will use to try to establish that Kimmel killed April Mahmod while committing a felony or by using torture. Those are the two aggravating factors OPake cited in his decision to seek the death penalty against Kimmel. Prosecutors must prove the existence of at least one aggravating factor to ask for the death penalty against a defendant.

Im asking them to pinpoint what theyre saying the evidence is to support seeking the death penalty, Kirwan said.

Goodman said he will allow OPake to produce that evidence as part of a pre-trial hearing he scheduled for 9:30 a.m. May 3.

That will be handled as part of the ... hearing, Goodman said.

Other issues to be considered at that hearing are the legality of the search warrant police used and whether the evidence is sufficient to support the charges against Kimmel.

Those charges include first-, second- and third-degree murder, burglary, criminal trespass, possessing instrument of crime, recklessly endangering another person and two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault. Only a conviction for first-degree murder would expose Kimmel to a possible death penalty.

State police at Frackville allege Kimmel, 23, of Girardville, stabbed Mahmod, 37, of Shenandoah, 61 times around 6 a.m. Aug. 30. Police said the incident started in Mahmods 104 S. Catherine St. residence and continued onto the porch at 106 S. Catherine St., where her uncle, Richard Michalik, found her body.

Goodman told Kirwan that if the death penalty is ruled unconstitutional, he will not be the judge doing it. He said he is required to follow the law, which allows such a sanction.

Kirwan and OPake, who is prosecuting the case with Assistant District Attorney Jennifer N. Foose, agreed on the following measures:

 Prospective witnesses will be instructed not to discuss the case with each other.

 Spectators will be allowed at the May 3 hearing provided they will not be witnesses at the trial.

 There will be individual voir dire, or questioning, of prospective jurors. That procedure is standard in a death penalty case.

Kimmel is being held with bail at the county prison pending trial, and Goodman conducted the hearing by videoconference.

This is the first time OPake has been the lead prosecutor in a death penalty case, although he assisted then-District Attorney Claude A.L. Shields in prosecuting Mark N. Spotz for the Feb. 1, 1995, murder of June Rose Ohlinger. Ohlinger was the second of four people Spotz, who currently sits on death row, killed in four days in four central Pennsylvania counties.

Coincidentally, Goodman, who was district attorney before being elected judge, and Kirwan opposed each other in the last death penalty case to go to trial in the county, that of Julius C. Enoe.

Enoe, 42, of Reading, actually went to trial twice for allegedly killing Bruce L. Forker, 24, of Shenandoah, on March 16, 2010, in the victims residence.

The first trial ended May 3, 2011, in a hung jury when jurors could not reach a verdict after deliberating almost 20 hours over three days.

The second ended Sept. 2, 2011, when a different jury deliberated less than five hours before finding Enoe not guilty of all charges.
Ethanol to Make Case With Biden - Huh?







The clock is ticking before the illusion of electric ends the ethanol dream forever

By Marc J. Rauch, author of THE ETHANOL PAPERS

Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher

THE AUTO CHANNEL







There was an interesting story today on DTN's Progressive Farmer website. The story, written by Todd Neeley, is titled "ETHANOL TO MAKE CASE WITH BIDEN." It basically relates to the Biden Administrations' loss-of-memory to support ethanol fuel and American farmers (the memory loss is not surprising considering the tree from which the apple has fallen).

Specifically, the story concerns EPA Administrator Michael Regan's luke warm comments supporting ethanol, and what is obviously the pushing back of ethanol acceptance and implementation timelines.

There were two really good statements in Todd Neeley's story: The first was Jon Dogget's quote, and the second was the latter part of Brian Jennings' quote. Jon Dogget is the new CEO of National Corn Growers Association, and Brian Jennings is CEO of American Coalition for Ethanol.

According to Mr. Neeley's story, Jon Doggett said this about a recent conversation he had with Michael Regan:

"I challenged him a bit yesterday when we talked because he had said we need to work on advanced biofuels...My point to him was, 'Mr. Administrator, corn is an advanced biofuel.' The ethanol processes that were in existence in 2008 are completely, completely different than we have today. We have made all of this advancement, and now you're going to go ahead and limit us because of a term that is no longer relevant."

Jon Dogget's comment to Regan was correct, ethanol is an advanced biofuel. In fact, it has been an advanced bio-fuel since it was first acknowledged to be the "fuel of the future" by leading scientists and engineers more than 100 years ago. It's time to use this advanced biologically produced fuel full time. Michael Regan's obstructive use of the term "advanced" means that he and the Biden Administration will probably try to ride the "advanced biofuel" wagon right into ethanol fuel oblivion.

Brian Jennings' was also correct in stating:

"We've got to be very persuasive and making the case my colleagues have cited (about) the lifecycle, the latest lifecycle science that suggests just your average corn ethanol is 50% cleaner than gasoline. We've got to reframe this discussion for the Biden administration and for EPA."

Ethanol doesn't need more testing or terminology rejiggering; it needs to be put into everyday high-volume use. It needs to be the mandated fuel for all internal combustion engines immediately...if not sooner!

What are those needs?

To further reduce air pollution, for one. For the health of breathing creatures, for another. To stem further injury to the brains of the same creatures, for another. For the economic well-being of all nations caught up in petroleum oil dependency. And, for those who are wont to believe that catastrophic man-made climate change is real, then there should be no greater need than the immediate mandatory use of ethanol fuel because the transition can take place IMMEDIATELY.

Electric vehicles may be the vehicles of the future...they probably will be. But the future is not tomorrow, not next year, not in five years, and not by 2035 or any other invented line-in-the-sand date declared by some politician or teenage Swedish girl.

Internal combustion engine vehicles will continue to be the primary vehicles for many, many years. Electric vehicles will not be the primary vehicles for many, many years. And even when the time may come when electric vehicles are the primary vehicles, there will still be significant need and use of ICE vehicles. Why continue to permit poisonous gasoline and diesel to be used when we don't have to?

Yet electric gets all the public buzz, and ethanol gets all the hush.

Why is this? Why is this the case? It's because the electric vehicle industry has done a very good job in hyping (and over-hyping) the electric future to consumers and consumer influencers, while the ethanol advocacy industry has done a lousy job in addressing the public.

Wake up! If you don't, then ethanol will be buried (again) far too soon, and in year 2035, or 2040, or 2050, or perhaps 2100, the oil industry will continue poisoning the world.

You could at least ask about The Auto Channel's ethanol education and awareness program...a program we call NEAT (National Ethanol Action Team). If you don't want to do it, don't do it and don't steal it. But at least learn about it before you reject it.
No other country I knew had so many layers of wretchedness, and few countries were as populous. I felt I was in a continent where, separate from the rest of the world, a mysterious calamity had occurred.

by Kazi Anwarul Masud

When one reads V. S. Naipaul or more recent ones one is surprised by the irrelevance we feel about the poverty and inequity we see in the Indian Sub-continent. We feel as if we are born to the discomfort and the inequity by dint of birth( privileges which one gets through an accident) that can be ignored and the poor and hungry littered along the car we travel by is a matter of fact.

Naipaul in his Million Mutunities Now writes: Independence was worked for by people more or less at the top; the freedom it brought has worked its way down. In India: A wounded Civilization Naipaul writes: India is old, and India continues. But all the disciplines and skills that India now seeks to exercise are borrowed. Even the ideas Indians have of the achievements of their civilization are essentially the ideas given them by European scholars in the nineteenth century. India by itself could not have rediscovered or assessed its past. Its past was too much with it, was still being lived out in the ritual, the laws, and the magic  the complex instinctive life that muffles response and buries even the idea of inquiry. Later on his journey to find his roots Naipaul found:

India was the greater hurt. It was a subject country. It was also the place from whose very great poverty our grandfathers had had to run away in the late nineteenth century. The two Indias were separate. The political India, of the freedom movement, had its great names. The other, more personal India was quite hidden; it vanished when memories faded. It wasnt an India we could read about. It wasnt Kiplings India, or E.M. Forsters, or Somerset Maughams; and it was far from the somewhat stylish India of Nehru and Tagore. (There was an Indian writer, Premchand [1880-1936], whose stories in Hindi and Urdu would have made our Indian village past real to us. But we didnt know about him; we were not reading people in that way.) It was to this personal India, and not the India of independence and its great names that I went when the time came. I was full of nerves. But nothing had prepared me for the dereliction I saw.

No other country I knew had so many layers of wretchedness, and few countries were as populous. I felt I was in a continent where, separate from the rest of the world, a mysterious calamity had occurred. Yet what was so overwhelming to me, so much in the foreground, was not to be found in the modern-day writing I knew Indian or English. In one Kipling story an Indian famine was a background to an English romance; but generally in both English and Indian writing the extraordinary distress of India, when acknowledged, was like something given, eternal, something to be read only as background. And there were, as always, those who thought they could find a special spiritual quality in the special Indian distress. Different kind of pictures is printed on the success or otherwise of Modi government in the last year. Understandably rosy picture is painted by the government and supporters of Bharitya Janata Party( BJP) while the opposition and some critics paint a different picture. The Gross Domestic Product at constant (2011-12) prices for the year 2019 was at Rupees 140.78 lakh crore, as against Rupees 131.80 lakh crore for 2017-18, indicating growth of 6.8 percent during 2018-19. At current prices, GDP for 2018-19 was Rupees 190.10 lakh crore as against Rupees 170.95 lakh crore for 2017-18, showing an increase of 11.2 percent during the year. Meaning of Per Capita is the Average income Earned Per Person in the Specified Area ( Eg Country, States, etc). The formula to Calculate Per Capita is the Total income of the Specified Area Divided by the number of Population in that specified area.

Read the Below Article to Get More Information About India Per Capital Income. Income Per Capita India The per capita real income, i.e. per capita net national income at constant (2011- 12) prices, for 2018-19 is at RS 92,565 as against RS 87,623 for 2017-18. This indicates a growth of per capita real income of 5.6 percent during 2018- 19. The per capita income at current prices during 2018-19 is at RS 1, 26,406 as compared to RS 1, 14,958 in 2017-18 showing a rise of 10.0 percent. (Yahoo). Modi government does not appear to have succeeded to take Indian economy to a greater plane as promised. Success if it can be termed as such has been in the political arena. BJP has absolute majority in the lower house of parliament (LOK SABHA). So the government could easily passed The Citizens Amendment Act, demolition of special status given to Kashmir since the then Maharaja decided to take Indian help to face the marauders from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. It may be recalled that the Maharajah was called Sadr-e-Riasat similar to the title of the President of Pakistan. In addition to the abolition of the special status of Kashmir Modi government changed the status of Ladakh that opened the door of Chinese incursion across the Line of Actual Control that had been agreed upon by both India and China.

As regards Kashmir the state is totally cut off from the rest of India. Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and equal rights for all, observed Freedom House. Critics have also pointed out that since the imposition of emergency rule by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi never were so many people have been arrested and confined without trial as has been done by the present government. Confinement of the opposition has never been the answer as history has repeatedly proved. Nor has lack of true understanding of the opponents power and determination. Had it not been so then possibly the South Asians would have been speaking German and not English as the main alternate language.

On the economic front China has done well to say the least. China today is the second largest economy in the world. The Economist (How to deal with China March 20 2021) tells us that Mainland China attracted $163bn of fresh multinational investment last year, more than any other country. It is opening the mainland capital markets to foreigners, who have invested $900bn, in a landmark shift for global finance. Moreover, the pull China exerts is no longer just a matter of sizealthough, with 18% of world gdp, it has that too. The country is also where firms discover consumer trends and innovations. It is increasingly where commodity prices and the cost of capital are set, and is becoming a source of regulations. Business is betting that, in Hong Kong and the mainland, Chinas thuggish government is capable of self-restraint in the commercial sphere, providing contractual certainty, despite the lack of fully independent courts and free speech.

China is struggling with the US for technological development. The Post-Pandemic world is largely believed to be a technological world where not only domestic economies would be guided by technology but spread of foreign influence as well would be bought and sold like commodities. The under developed economies used to foreign assistance (free distribution of covit vaccines may be cited as an example) and despite former US Vice President Mike Pences warning of Chinese debt trap, Sri Lankan and Laotian examples, and Malaysian Mahathir Mohammeds refusal to take Chinese assistance South Asian developing nations may have little alternative. One may disagree with John Bolton and Robert Kagans uncompromising belief in American supremacy in global affairs the fight with China has to be based on values. India in this region being the super power has to set the example that democracy is the only weapon to fight Xi Jinpings authoritarian style of governance.

We should remind ourselves that Joseph Stieglitz (The Great Divide 2012) had argued that inequality results from conscious political decisions which results in a world of super-rich, a vanishing middle class and growing poverty. Stieglitz also questioned the efficacy of a government that embraces political capitalisma system where the rich and the powerful influences government choices that in Hobbesian terminology ends up as being nasty brutish and ultimately selfish and protects the interests of their own class. The growth rate, calculated by Wealth-X, a global financial intelligence and data company, stands at a solid 17.3 percent. If Bangladesh, taken as an example, had 100 super rich in 2012, for example, the number should have been 219-220 by 2017. In other words, the number of super-rich should have doubled in our country in just five years. At the same time defaulted loans despite easier payment terms accorded to the defaulters has not eased the problem of loan default. Billions of dollars are suspected to have been siphoned off to safe heavens abroad. According to Global Financial Integrity Report 2017, Bangladesh topped the list of least-developed countries in terms of illicit financial flows. In 2014 alone, Bangladeshis allegedly laundered USD 9.11 billion to foreign countries. At the end of 2016, the amount of money Bangladeshis deposited with Swiss Banks stood at USD 683 millionnear equivalent to the amount deposited by Indians. (Daily Star 20-09-2018). Truly Joseph Stieglitzs observation on A banking system is supposed to serve society, not the other way around appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

Going back a few years the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Bangladesh was worth 274.03 billion US dollars in 2018. The GDP value of Bangladesh represents 0.44 percent of the world economy. GDP in Bangladesh averaged 53.02 USD Billion from 1960 until 2018, reaching an all-time high of 274.03 USD Billion in 2018 and a record low of 4.27 USD Billion in 1960. The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Bangladesh was last recorded at 3879.20 US dollars in 2018, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Bangladesh, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 22 percent of the world's average. Bangladesh apparently is doing well. Yet apart from growing inequality in the distribution of income one would be well advised to bear in mind the dystopian pictures drawn by MIT husband and wife team ( The Limits of Grwth-1972) of the world facing an over shoot and collapse by 2100 unless the world took seriously the environmental and resource issues. A recent meeting of experts have advised that Bangladesh needs to properly utilize its youth population now as the country's demographic dividend is fast waning, said a human resources expert yesterday. By 2040, the demographic dividend will cease to exist as the number of aged people will increase. So the country's young people need to be trained properly with the latest technologies so that they can be utilized for the country, he said. The government allocated Tk 200crore for making young people skilled but a big gap exists between the education system and job market expectations for which most educated youth cannot be turned into human capital, he said.

For instance, Covid-19 was identified at Wuhan but China's business was not that affected and recovered faster compared to that in other countries for the presence of special kinds of human resources who could manage the fallouts, he said. China was able to create a corporate culture with special human resources, he said while giving a virtual keynote presentation on "Human Capital - A Source of Competitive Advantage" organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham). Bangladesh's universities churn out 22,000 computer science and engineering graduates every year, said Syed Almas Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services. But not all are skilled, he said, adding that for that they need three to six months' training. This needs to be incorporated in the academic curriculum to save time, he said. Bangladesh's human resources cannot still be termed human capital because the education system is still traditional, he added. Almost 68 per cent of Bangladesh's population was between the ages of 15 and 64 years, which are considered the working age. Bangladesh sees some 98 per cent of its children get enrolled at the elementary level but there was still room for improving the education quality. The primary curriculum focuses some 14 per cent on technical education for the creation of skilled manpower (Daily Star 24 2021). 99,984,000 Internet users as of Mar, 2020;

60.7% of the population, according to Internet World Stats. India has the second highest number of internet users in the world.. The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimated that about 60% of Indian internet users viewed vernacular content and only about a quarter of internet users were over the age of 35 years in 2019. The WEF also estimated that 1.1 billion Indians would have access to the internet by 2030, with 80% of the subscriber base primarily accessing the internet on mobile devices.

The profile of India's internet user base was predicted to diversify by 2030 with 80% of users accessing vernacular content and with users over 25 years making up 45% of the total subscriber base. China replaced the U.S. in its global leadership in terms of installed telecommunication bandwidth in 2011. By 2014, China hosted more than twice as much national bandwidth potential than the U.S., the historical leader in terms of installed telecommunication bandwidth (China: 29% versus US:13% of the global total). As of March 2017, there were about 700 million Chinese internet users, and many of them have a high-speed internet connection. Most of the users live in urban areas but at least 178 million users reside in rural towns.

Yet it is useful to know the following facts: In China many websites and apps are blocked: Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are restricted in China. Internet in China is extremely slow: Because of the filters and the blocking system, when one goes to non-Chinese websites, browsing becomes tedious due to the slow speed. If you only want to visit Chinese websites most internet connections work. Accessing the internet in China is relatively cheap: Although a few years ago the internet in China was relatively expensive, nowadays prices have fallen, and for a basic connection of 50 Mb you wont pay more than 100 Yuan per month. Most public Chinese connections are not safe: One should be sure to have a good antivirus before connecting laptop to a public Chinese network if one does not want to end up with his computer full of rubbish or hacked. Despite these shortcomings China remains a strong competitor of the US both in politico-economic and technological fields. One however is at a loss when one has to finds oneself at a debate whether despite Xi Jinpings Communist style of government China appears to be moving from communism to capitalism. If the Marxists arguments for inequality as described by some critics are an outcome of the ruling-class owning the means of production (the factories) who exploit their position when employing the working-class.

By owning the means of production the ruling-class capitalize on the profits generated by their working-class employees The ruling-classes exploit the working-classes by getting them to work as hard as possible for lowest wage possible. The ruling-class then invests their profits in more plant and machinery to generate even more profits. The outcome of such a process is social class inequality. One then faces a quandary in describing China as a communist or a capitalist country. Beijing proudly displays Western brands of consumer goods. China has many billionaires and a few of them are counted among the richest in the world. A Chinese reporter wrote in October last year that China added 257 billionaires in US dollar terms adding to the existing 621, according to the annually released Hurun China Rich List on Tuesday (Oct. 20), which has been tracking the wealth of the ultra-rich for 22 years. Overall, China has 878 billionaires, the highest number the country has ever seen. As recently as 1999, there was not a single billionaire in China. In total, China has 2,398 individuals with a net worth of more than 2 billion yuan ($290 million), the cut-off for being on the list. The rich listers have a combined wealth of $4 trillion, which is similar to the GDP of Germany, up from $2.6 trillion in 2019. China first surpassed the US in the number of billionaires in 2015 and now has more of them than any country in the world, according to Hurun. The US now has around 700 billionaires. The world has never seen this much wealth created in just one year. Chinas entrepreneurs have done much better than expected. Despite Covid-19 they have risen to record levels, said Hurun chairman Rupert Hoogewerf a long-term Shanghai resident and the most well-known foreigner in China.. A number of new listings and stock markets booms have helped with the creation of new billionaires, he said. Much of the wealth creation still lies within the tech sector.

Jack Ma, the former founder and CEO of Alibaba, retained his top spot in the list for the third consecutive year with a net worth of nearly $60 billion, up 45% from last year on the back of his fintech arm Ant Financial and the good performance of Alibaba. Pony Ma, the CEO of Alibabas strong rival Tencent, ranked second on the list with a net worth of $57.4 billion. The results have painted a striking picture of Chinas quick economic recovery from Covid-19. While critics wondered whether the outbreak would become Chinas challenge amid mounting misery and discontent among citizens toward the government at the peak of the pandemic, Beijing has since got back on relatively solid ground due to strong arm in controlling the pandemic.

China reported a 5% increase in GDP due to recoveries in industrial production and retail sales. One important driver of the recovery came from the improvement of consumer confidence, with citizens now ready to go shopping and traveling again. Harvards Joseph Nye Jr writes ( What Could Cause a US-China War? Mar 2, 2021JOSEPH S. NYE, Jr). Even if China surpasses the US to become the worlds largest economy, national income is not the only measure of geopolitical power. China ranks well behind the US in soft power, and US military expenditure is nearly four times that of China. While Chinese military capabilities have been increasing in recent years, analysts who look carefully at the military balance conclude that China will not, say, be able to exclude the US from the Western Pacific. On the other hand, the US was once the worlds largest trading economy and its largest bilateral lender. Today, nearly 100 countries count China as their largest trading partner, compared to 57 for the US. China plans to lend more than $1 trillion for infrastructure projects with its Belt and Road Initiative over the next decade, while the US has cut back aid.

China will gain economic power from the sheer size of its market as well as its overseas investments and development assistance. Chinas overall power relative to the US is likely to increase. Nonetheless, balances of power are hard to judge. The US will retain some long-term power advantages that contrast with areas of Chinese vulnerability. One is geography. The US is surrounded by oceans and neighbors that are likely to remain friendly. China has borders with 14 countries, and territorial disputes with India, Japan, and Vietnam set limits on its hard and soft power. Energy is another area where America has an advantage. President Joe Biden has already told his QUAD allies before the Alaska meeting that values shall remain the central theme of US-China differences. Chinese Foreign Ministers 17 minutes bluster at Alaska replied by US Secretary of Defense was followed by Chinese actions. Oxford University historian Rana Mitter in an insightful analysis wrote that under Xi, China has displayed a growing appetite for global leadership. Xi has stated that China will firmly uphold the international system as a founding member of the United Nations and the first country to put its signature on the UN Charter. As Mitter notes, Xi conveniently elides that it was Chiang Kai-shek, the Nationalist leader, and not Chiangs Communist rival, Mao, who sat next to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the 1943 Cairo conference, which laid the groundwork for the postwar order. It was the Chinese Nationalists, not their Communist enemies, who helped establish the UN and the Bretton Woods institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In China today, the ideological cupboard is relatively bare, Mitter observed. Under Xi, he writes, China is still having a hard time defining its economic and security vision as anything other than an increasingly authoritarian not-America.

Mitters assessment that China is a postsocialist state in reality if not in name is a refreshingly sober alternative to the Trump administrations hyperbolic assertions that the CCP was seeking to bring about a socialist international order and a globe-spanning universal society. Those accusations relied on the fact that official Chinese rhetoric still uses phrases and concepts rooted in Marxism-Leninism. RICHARD N. HAASS of the Council on Foreign Relations and. CHARLES A. KUPCHAN of Georgetown University is suggesting the formation of a Concert of Global Powers consisting of China, the European Union, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States. They argue that regular and open consultation between Moscow and Washington, for example, might have produced less friction over NATO enlargement. China and the United States are better off directly communicating with each other over Taiwan than sidestepping the issue and risking a military mishap in the Taiwan Strait or provocations that could escalate tensions. A global concert could also make unilateral moves less disruptive. Conflicts of interest would hardly disappear, but a new vehicle devoted exclusively to great-power diplomacy would help make those conflicts more manageable. Although members would, in principle, endorse a norm-governed international order, they would also embrace realistic expectations about the limits of cooperation and compartmentalize their differences. The duo harshly characterizes Joseph Nye Jr jubilation over the extinction of Soviet Union as the unipolar moment is over, and in hindsight, talk of the end of history was triumphalist, even if sophisticated, nonsense. They sadly reach the conclusion that the inadequacies of the current international architecture underscore the need for a global concert. The rivalry between the United States and China is heating up fast, the world is suffering through a devastating pandemic, climate change is advancing, and the evolution of cyberspace poses new threats. These and other challenges mean that clinging to the status quo and banking on existing international norms and institutions would be dangerously naive.

The Concert of Europe was formed in 1815 owing to the years of devastation wrought by the Napoleonic Wars. But the lack of great-power war today should not be cause for complacency. And even though the world has passed through previous eras of multipolarity, the advance of globalization increases the demand for and importance of new approaches to global governance. Globalization unfolded during Pax Britannica, with London overseeing it until World War I. After a dark interwar hiatus, the United States took up the mantle of global leadership from World War II into the twenty-first century. But Pax Americana is now running on fumes. The United States and its traditional democratic partners have neither the capability nor the will to anchor an interdependent international system and universalize the liberal order that they erected after World War II.

The absence of U.S. leadership during the covid-19 crisis was striking; each country was on its own. President Biden is guiding the United States back to being a team player, but the nations pressing domestic priorities and the onset of multipolarity will deny Washington the outsize influence it once enjoyed. Allowing the world to slide toward regional blocs or a two-bloc structure similar to that of the Cold War is a nonstarter. The United States, China, and the rest of the globe cannot fully uncouple when national economies, financial markets, and supply chains are irreversibly tethered together. A great-power steering group is the best option for managing an integrated world no longer overseen by a hegemon. A global concert fits the bill. It is amazing that at a time when the world is embroiled in internecine and extraneous struggles such a dream can be dreamt. They themselves agree that Pax Sinica is also a nonstarter.

For the foreseeable future, China will have neither the capability nor the ambition to anchor a global order . The world should be clear about its post-covit task. The struggle between democracy and illiberalism has to be fought on all fronts. Kim Jong ill cannot be allowed to play his game by frightening others. Those who can put pressure on him to stop his game and not be by stander. Other illiberal regimes in Europe and Africa have to change their course. All these tasks before the world should be done through pressure where necessary and discussions. Otherwise it will not be covit but the Third World War will see the end of mankind.

(The writer is a former Ambassador and secretary in Banglasdesh)
Nebraska gov. urges parents to oppose curriculum teaching young kids LGBT ideology

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Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has urged parents to speak out against a proposed overhaul of the states health education curriculum that would introduce LGBT ideology to students starting in kindergarten.

Ricketts is one of many conservatives expressing concerns about the proposed Nebraska Health Education Standards, unveiled earlier this month.

The governor highlighted his opposition to the curriculum framework in a statement:

I am calling on the Nebraska Department of Education to scrap the proposed sex education topics that are included in their draft health standards, he said. The new standards from the department would not only teach young children age-inappropriate content starting in kindergarten, but also inject non-scientific, political ideas into curriculum standards.

The sex education standards represent a significant shift in approach to health education, and many of the new themes are sensitive topics that should be addressed by parents at home and not by schools, he continued. The draft standards were developed with the help of political activists, and without the input of key mainstream organizations. I am urging Nebraska parents to speak up now, and to share their reaction with the department, so it can be made a part of the formal record to the full board.

According to the Nebraska Department of Education, A group of educators (teachers, administrators, ESU staff, postsecondary representatives), led by the Nebraska Department of Education, began the work of developing the Nebraska Health Education Standards in March of 2020. The standards, Nebraska Health Education Standards, create the framework for K-12 education in Nebraska. The anticipated approval date by the State Board of Education is Fall 2021.

An update from the Nebraska State Board of Education from August 2020 revealed that in the process of crafting the health education curriculum framework for the state, the role of equity in health education was considered. Those who created the framework include health and physical education teachers, family and consumer science teachers, school administrators, school psychologists, HIV and sexual health specialists, as well as Out Nebraska, an LGBT advocacy group.

The authors of the framework were required to undergo bias training last summer. The curriculum will undergo a bias review before its anticipated approval by the state board of education this fall.

The framework of topics that will be taught to younger students under the proposed curriculum are divided into eight categories by grade level. Curriculum in the category studying Human Growth and Development is causing the most concern among critics of the framework.

At each grade level, beginning in kindergarten, students will learn characteristics relating to identity, sexuality and healthy relationships. The kindergarten curriculum calls on teachers to discuss different kinds of family structures (e.g. single parent, blended, intergenerational, cohabitating, adoptive, foster, same-gender, interracial).

The first-grade curriculum teaches students to define gender, gender identity, and gender role stereotypes.

In third grade, students are introduced to the topics of sexual orientation and bodily autonomy. The third-grade curriculum builds on the first-grade curriculum by asking students to discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may influence behavior.

The concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation will also be taught to fourth graders under the framework, where students will be asked to distinguish between sex assigned at birth and gender identity and explain how they may or may not differ.

Fifth graders would be taught that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum. The sixth-grade curriculum calls for teaching students to explain the difference between cisgender, transgender, gender non-binary, gender expansive, and gender identity.

Additionally, sixth graders will be taught to define sexual identity and explain a range of identities related to sexual orientation (e.g. heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual, pansexual).

In addition to concerns about teaching young children LGBT ideology, critics of the proposed Nebraska Health Education Standards are opposed to other portions of the guidelines that come across as overtly political. For example, the health standards for high school students call on students to evaluate and explain how some laws and policies are viewed as tools of systemic racism.

While public and accredited non-public schools in Nebraska are required to include health education within their instructional programs for elementary, middle, and high schools, the aforementioned types of schools are not required by law to adopt the Nebraska State Health Education Standards but are required to have standards in place for health education.

According to the states Department of Education, The decision to utilize the Nebraska Health Education Standards, in whole or in part, are determined by each local school district or school system.

Nebraska is not the only state to consider implementing a controversial sex education curriculum. A newly introduced bill in New York state would require sex education for kindergarteners and second graders to learn about gender identity.

In a referendum last year, voters in Washington state rejected an attempt to repeal a bill that would require comprehensive sex education to be taught at all K-12 schools in the state. Under one of the approved frameworks for teaching comprehensive sexual health education, schools would teach fourth graders about sexual positions and show them pictures of children masturbating.
FLINT TWP., MI  A sanitary sewer overflowed on March 26 in Flint Township after 3 inches of rain overnight, officials said Saturday.

Raw sewage overflowed into the Flint River from a sanitary sewer manhole at the connection to the deep tunnel on Flushing Road, according to a news release from the City of Flint. The manhole is being sealed to stop the flow, and a berm is being constructed to contain any additional water that may leak out of the manhole, the release states.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Genesee County Health Department have been notified, according to the release.

The Genesee County Health Department recommends against body contact with the Flint River under high flow conditions, particularly downstream of the release, west of the Mill Road Bridge at Flushing Road.

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These Michiganders were among the first exposed to COVID-19. Heres what they learned
In mid-March, 1974, a group of 15 radical feminists - infuriated by the government's refusal to provide housing to women and children trying to escape domestic violence - smashed their way into inner-city homes and changed the system forever.

The two vacant Church of England cottages on Westmoreland Street at Glebe, Sydney, became the first women's refuge in Australia - nicknamed 'Elsie'.

The story of the women's legendary actions is still celebrated by the women's rights movement.

Feminist author Anne Summers, who later became a senior bureaucrat and adviser to two prime ministers - Bob Hawke and Paul Keating - led the intruders and wrote about the episode in her book Ducks on the Pond.

Children at the front fence of the Elsie women's shelter, two homes originally for sale by the Church of England in Sydney but occupied by feminists

Within two months 48 women and 35 children were living in the Glebe shelter

Summers told 9 Newspapers she phoned the world's first women's shelter, the Chiswick Women's Aid shelter in London, to ask how to set one up.

'Just do it,' she was told.

Summers, Bessie Guthrie, Jennifer Drakers and 12 other women armed themselves with broomsticks and shovels, marched to the houses - which they knew the Church had put up for sale - smashed in windows in each then entered.

'The next thing we did was change the locks,' Summers said. 'And then we called the media.'

Summers contacted John Laws, who announced the phone number of the refuge on his 2UW talkback show, and battered women and their children began to arrive.

Brigitte Gunther (pictured right) with her daughter, Silvia Gunther, at Elsie Women's Refuge in March 1980. Photo SMH/Julia Featherstone

Penny Gulliver, who was one of the first women to occupy the houses, says the activists felt justified because of the cause they fought for.

'To break into a house was not a big deal, the times were a changing and the people leading it were like the Chicago Seven, we took the steps we took because things needed to change,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think it was another day at the office for the radical lesbian feminists of the day.'

After media responded to Summers' call-out, a local whitegoods wholesaler donated fridges and washing machines.

Volunteers from the Sydney Rotary Club repaired the property and brought in playground equipment and for the children living there.

Nearby shopkeepers joined in, donating groceries - often just sacks of potatoes, but the women struggled to make ends meet.

'I dealt marijuana for that year,' Summers said. 'That's how we got the cash.'

The homes were not only shelter for abused women and children, they became the centre of the women's liberation movement in Sydney at the time.

'If ...the police had picked me up I would have been in deep trouble,' Summers wrote.

'I did not even think about the illegality of what I was doing because we needed the money so badly.'

Mothers and children at the front gate of one of the two Glebe cottages that made up Elsie womens shelter

The women's shelter was also the epicentre of a growing women's rights movement in Sydney

Summers even claimed inner west locals sought out her cannabis 'because it was Elsie pot. It was politically correct'.

Summers said reporters who were invited 'couldn't really understand what all the fuss was about'.

But by May 1974, 48 women and 35 children were living at Elsie.

'We expected women to come but I remember well the collective feeling of success in knowing it was done and no government would change that but the overwhelming anger sadness and bloody desperation as women and kids just kept coming certainly fuelled our resolve,' wrote one woman, who at 16 years old helped the first arrivals at Elsie.

'I remember sitting on the roof all night once with a woman with a .22 rifle guarding the place from men threatening to "take" their wives and kids back.'

Feminist author Anne Summers (pictured left with former Prime Minister Julia Gillard) was among those who broke into and occupied two church-owned homes, which became Australia's first women's refuge in 1974. Summer also admitted selling marijuana to help fund the refuge until government funding arrived

The woman said looking back at photos from the first women arriving made her 'emotional'.

'I look at it and remember so much about those faces. I can see the trauma etched on every single kids face... bodies still taught and ready for fight or flight,' she said.

'I can see and feel the oppressive exhaustion carried by every woman too, the need to throw their bodies down for rest their minds somewhere. They didnt know where.

'I can also see those women wandering around alone and in shock.. then the circles of friendships forming their horrendous narratives binding them.

'When the laughter started and the kids began to play Elsie became that safe place we had all hoped it would be.'

Summers said one of the early advocates, Diana Beaton, convinced then-Federal Social Security Minister Bill Hayden to visit.

But no-one told one of the mothers guarding the front door and when Hayden knocked he was sent packing.

'I don't care who you are,' replied the mother, Summer wrote. 'No men are allowed!

'She slammed the door and Hayden began walking off down the street, when one of the workers recognised him, ran after him and dragged him back.'

By the following January, the Federal Government gave the shelter $24,250 funding - the equivalent of over $200,000 in 2020.

Elsie Women's Refuge still operates, as 'a crisis accommodation and case management service for women with children who have experienced domestic/family violence.'

It provides 'safe shared accommodation with individual bedrooms' and is owned by St Vincent de Paul.

Summers, now 76 and living in New York, declined to be interviewed, other than to tell Daily Mail Australia: 'It was a very long time ago.'
Asked if former President Donald Trump should help promote the COVID-19 vaccine to skeptics especially those Republicans who say theyre not willing to take it, President Joe Biden approached the podium with other advice.

Im hearing a lot of reports from serious reporters like you saying that, he told reporters March 15. I discussed it with my team, and they say the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to the MAGA folks is what the local doctor, what the local preachers, what the local people in the community say.

Biden has said every American who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by the end of July. But what good is vaccine supply if not enough people choose to get the shot?

We know decisions not to get vaccinated are tangled in fear, politics, conspiracy theories, disinformation, misinformation and a mistrust of science. Dr. Anthony Fauci  Bidens chief medical adviser  calls the divisiveness profound, saying in a COVID Collaborative fireside chat last month he is stunned at how some still believe COVID-19 is a hoax.

As vaccine supply and eligibility increase, its imperative that faith leaders and all Americans receive, trust and spread quality, science-based information about vaccines.

They need to know that vaccinations are highly effective and the vaccination of between 70 to 85 percent of the population should achieve herd immunity, according to Fauci. The dual challenges are getting vaccines to people as quickly as possible and overcoming hesitancy.

We have a long way to go. Bloomberg reports that more than 14 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated. In Texas, the latest vaccination rate is about 154,000 doses per day, on average. At this pace, it will take another seven months to cover 75 percent of the population. Fifteen percent of Bexar Countys 1.6 million adults have been fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Biden is right to look to local faith leaders, whose reach has expanded with livestreamed services. It is also, unfortunately, not uncommon to see hundreds of people sans masks attend church services each week  even when case counts have been high.

The Catholic Church offers a model in adhering to COVID-19-mitigating procedures and promoting vaccines while honoring faith. San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller makes written, verbal and video statements to journalists and on his website, television channel and social media, aiming to reach his 19-county area and beyond.

In January, the archbishop rolled up his sleeve for his first shot, a Moderna vaccine. If you have the opportunity, do it. Do it. Do it. It is a good thing, and it is not just for you, it is for all, he said.

The diocese communicated that it would continue COVID-19 safety procedures after Gov. Greg Abbotts executive order lifted them and opened business 100 percent.

It also posted an earlier statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops addressing moral concerns about some vaccines. The letter guides parishioners to choose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines over Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca when possible, but it also stated it is morally acceptable to receive vaccines when ethically irreproachable options are not available.

Given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good, the statement said.

Even Trump, who spread disinformation about COVID-19 yet quietly got the vaccine before leaving the White House, did something for the common good. At the Conservative Political Action Conference last month, he said: Everybody, go get your shot.

With vaccine eligibility open to all adults in Texas beginning Monday, its time we all not only decide to get the vaccine but get the word out. Each vaccine gets us closer to herd immunity.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 18:47:17|Editor: huaxia

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Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Uzbekistan's Senate chairperson Tanzila Narbayeva via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks on Friday with Uzbekistan's Senate chairperson Tanzila Narbayeva via video link. The two sides agreed to enhance exchanges and cooperation between their two legislative bodies.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China and Uzbekistan shared the same or similar positions on major international issues and maintained close communication within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks. It was hoped that the two sides would continue to support each other on matters involving each other's core interests and major concerns.

Li introduced the situation in China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong. He also briefed on China's principled position on related issues. He said that Xinjiang-related affairs are not about ethnicity, religion, or human rights. It is about counter-terrorism and anti-secession.

At present, the society remains stable, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and ethnic groups are united and harmonious, Li said, adding that living standards have improved in China's Xinjiang.

The NPC's decision to refine the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) electoral system aims to faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR Basic Law to ensure long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.

Li said the NPC is willing to strengthen friendly exchanges with Uzbekistan's Senate, intensify exchanges at all levels, and promote cooperation in various fields. It will also improve coordination and collaboration in multilateral parliamentary organizations.

The two legislatures should comply with the needs of the in-depth advancement of state-to-state cooperation and promptly revise existing bilateral cooperation documents. They should also promote the smooth implementation of major cooperation projects and provide legal guarantees and policy support for the consensus implementation of the two heads of state and the agreements signed by the two sides, he said.

Narbayeva spoke highly of China's efforts in controlling COVID-19 and advancing work resumption. Narbayeva called on the two legislative bodies to expand exchanges and cooperation, promote cooperation in epidemic control, economy and trade, culture, poverty relief, and the Belt and Road construction.

Narbayeva also reiterated Uzbekistan's firm adherence to the one-China principle. Enditem
ISTANBUL (AP) - Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul on Saturday for anti-government protests, demanding amid a heavy police presence the reversal of recent decisions by Turkey's president that affect students, women and the LGBT community.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a surprise decree a week ago ending Turkey's participation in a landmark treaty aimed at protecting women from violence. About a thousand women and allies turned up Saturday to protest the country's withdrawal from the Council of Europes Istanbul Convention.

Hundreds of students also held another protest against the appointment of a new rector at Turkeys most prestigious university.

Their protests began in January after Erdogan named an academic with ties to Turkey's ruling party as rector of Bogazici University. Students and professors maintain Melih Bulu's appointment undermines academic freedom.

Student Zehra Aydemir, 22, said the protestors have clear demands and goals, starting with Bulu's resignation.

"We will lift police blockades at universities. We will carry through rectorship elections at universities with the participation of all the universitys components, its academics and students," Aydemir said.

Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul, Saturday, March 27, 2021 against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

The students and women protesting Saturday also demanded an end to anti-LGBT actions amid growing intolerance from the government and police. The government has said one of the reasons Turkey pulled out of the Istanbul Convention is because it thinks the treaty attempts to "normalize homosexuality."

Twelve students were detained this week for unfurling rainbow flags at Bogazici University, and dozens more were held Friday outside an Istanbul courthouse while demonstrating in support of their peers. A majority of them were later released.

"Unfortunately in Turkey today, if you are an LGBTI person or a woman, its very difficult for justice to be on your side," Busra Cabuk, 23, said. "I" stands for intersex in the context of LGBT rights.

"This is why we are worried and we are scared, but we are making noise to not give up on our rights," said Cabuk, who wore a rainbow mask. "This is why we are here as many women and LGBTI-pluses."

___

Associated Press writer Zeynep Bilginsoy contributed.

Turkish police officers scuffle with protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul, Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A protester holds a placard during a demonstration in Istanbul, Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police officers scuffle with protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul, Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021 against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021 against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Protesters, left, confront Turkish police officers forming a barricade during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021 against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police officers apprehend a protester during a demonstration in Istanbul, Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police officers scuffle with protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Turkish police officers, left, scuffle with protesters during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021, against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Protesters chat slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul,Saturday, March 27, 2021 against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women from violence. The Istanbul Convention states that men and women have equal rights and obliges national authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. Conservative groups and some officials from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-oriented ruling party take issue with these terms, saying they promote homosexuality. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
?? En vivo | La presidenta del Consejo de Ministros brinda entrevista a @noticias_tvperu para informar sobre las acciones y avances en la lucha contra la pandemia. ??? https://t.co/llSQ7facOr
A 31-year-old man has been charged on suspicion of murder following a fatal stabbing in west London.

Renato Geci, 21, died in the early hours of Monday morning after being found seriously injured following reports of a disturbance in Granville Avenue, Hounslow.

Police also found a second man aged in his 20s at the scene who had also suffered stab wounds and has since been released from hospital.

Shaddai Smith, from Romford, east London, was charged on Friday with murder as well as wounding with intent and burglary.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Saturday, where his case was sent to the Old Bailey for a hearing on Tuesday.

A 27-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail to a date in mid-April, the Metropolitan Police said.
More than 1,500 people marched through San Francisco on Saturday in one of the larger local demonstrations demanding an end to the surge in anti-Asian violence across the nation.

Stand up! Speak up! Stop Asian hate! protesters chanted at full volume as they made their way from Civic Center to Union Square.

We need active people 1000% with us, to make the world happy and peaceful, organizer Jeff Lee of the Wah Ying club told the crowd that filled the western half on Union Square. Asians feel they are not being treated equally.

The massive gathering was part of a national day of protest decrying the surge in violence and hate crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander communities. A review of media reports shows that at least 39 people of Asian descent have been robbed, beaten or killed in the Bay Area this year.

Mayor London Breed drew cheers when she urged San Francisco to stop the violence and stop the attacks.

Lets have peace and unity in San Francisco, the mayor said, staring out at the growing crowd from the stage in the north side of the square.

Breed has announced increased police and anti-violence community patrols in primarily Asian neighborhoods. On Thursday, she appeared with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo in a video-recorded public service announcment condemning violence and discrimination against Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

Former San Francisco Superior Court Judge Julie Tang told attendees that they were there to say no more Asian bashing and hate crimes, while S.F. police Chief Bill Scott drew loud applause when he told the crowd, Hate is the virus and love is the vaccination.

The rally came just one day after another incident of anti-Asian violence drew widespread notice  the court appearance 53-year-old Victor Brown, who faces felony hate crime and assault charges for allegedly beating a 56-year-old Asian man on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco on March 13.

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For the hour-long march through downtown, there were families, kids on shoulders, dogs, drums, bicycles and no end of honking from cars stalled by the procession. Yan Huang of San Francisco came with his two children, 11-year-old Emma and 9-year-old Aiden.

I guess I just want to support all these people, Emma said. This is important.

Her father blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting much of the problem by characterizing the COVID virus as Asian.

And his followers are still here and havent changed, he said.

According to a new UC San Francisco study that tracked the former presidents impact on social media discourse, the number of coronavirus-related tweets with anti-Asian hashtags exploded after Trump used the term Chinese virus in a March 16, 2020, post on Twitter.

The study, which appeared in the American Journal of Public Health on March 18, lends support to warnings by public health experts that naming a disease after a place or a group of people is stigmatizing, UCSF said in a release.

These results may be a proxy of growth in anti-Asian sentiment that was not as prevalent as before, Yulin Hswen, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF, said in the release. Using racial terms associated with a disease can result in the perpetuation of further stigmatization of racial groups.

While Trump has been widely condemned for increasing hostility against Asian communities, the roots of this bigotry predate him by more than a century.

Following the mass shooting that killed eight people, six of Asian descent, at massage spas near Atlanta, Ga., on March 16, organizations like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights called attention to early anti-immigrant laws like the Page Act of 1875, which specifically excluded Chinese women to this country.

These racist and misogynist acts of violence are sadly not out of context following a history of ongoing xenophobic and racist verbal attacks against people of color and women and little national action to prevent them, CHIRLA executive director Angelica Salas said in a statement.

History was on the mind of Suki Wen, who came from Castro Valley to attend Saturdays rally with her daughter, Kimi, 8.

This problem, she said, is not new.

Among the scores of signs borne by the crowd were those that read: We Are Not a Virus and Under the Sky there is but 1 Family and Love Us Like You Love Our Food. The crowd was noisy and peaceful as it proceeded from Civic Center via Polk, Market, Fifth and Powell streets to the square. Police blocked cross traffic, some of which backed up for two blocks. Tourists snapped selfies with the passing throng. Unhoused people yelled words of support.

Other anti-hate rallies and marches took place in San Jose, Redwood City and Santa Cruz  and across the country in such cities as New York, Denver and Los Angeles. More demonstrations are scheduled for Sunday.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Raheem Hosseini is a Chronicle editor. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com, raheem.hosseini@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @SteveRubeSF, @raheemfh
The embattled governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has finally lifted COVID-19 visitation restrictions at state nursing homes.

The restrictions had been in place since the start of the pandemic last year.

Persistently high rates of COVID-19 had left the majority of the state's nursing homes off limits to visitors, despite relaxed guidance meant to help reopen them.

Until this week, under state and federal rules, they could admit visitors only if they had no new infections among either patients or staff for 14 days.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has relaxed restrictions on nursing homes and is allowing families to visit once again

That mark proved too hard for most to reach. A little more than half of the state's 616 nursing homes were ineligible for indoor visits in mid-March, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare.

The figures were the highest percentage of any state.

New York has now updated its visitation rules in a way that will now allow visits to resume under certain conditions, even if a resident or staffer has recently tested positive.

The rules also permits visits at all times and for all residents.

Previously, visitors were only allowed if there were no COVID infections among patients or staff for the past 14 days

'We now have three effective vaccines that are leading to significant decreases in long-term care COVID cases and a robust staff testing system to limit community spread from entering a facility,' Cuomo said.

'Now is an appropriate time to take the next step and safely reconnect this community with their families.'

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said, 'We understand the emotional toll that this community has experienced by being separated from their loved ones during a particularly challenging year. We're confident that these facilities can continue strong infection-control practices that will allow for the safe visitation they have dearly missed.'

Cuomo's announcement came during a week in which grieving families held vigils and events to commemorate more than 15,000 residents who died in nursing homes and other senior care facilities from the coronavirus over the past year.

Cuomo's announcement came during a week in which grieving families held vigils and events to commemorate more than 15,000 residents who died in nursing homes and other senior care facilities from the coronavirus over the past year

Haydee Pabey holds a picture of the deceased Elba Pabey as demonstrators gathered last Thursday for a rally decrying Cuomo's handling of nursing homes during the pandemic

Cuomo has faces accusations that a March 2020 directive from his administration helped spread sickness and death among residents, something the state disputes.

More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York state were released from hospitals into nursing homes early in the pandemic under a controversial directive that was eventually scrapped amid criticism it accelerated outbreaks.

The directive barred nursing homes from refusing people just because they had COVID-19.

It was intended to free up space in hospitals swamped in the early days of the pandemic and came under criticism from advocates for nursing home residents and their relatives, who said it had the potential to spread the virus in a state that at the time already had the nation's highest nursing home death toll.

In February, the Cuomo administration was forced to acknowledge it had been underreporting the overall number of COVID-19 deaths among long-term care residents. Figures were revised upwards by almost another 6,500 deaths.

Demonstrators gather for a rally decrying New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's handling of nursing homes during the previous years outbreak of COVID-19 on Thursday

Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing of his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic noting that the number of positive cases has dropped by more than 80 percent since Mid-January after another post-holiday surge in COVID cases.

Nursing home advocates are pleased that the state is finally lifting the restrictions on visits by family members but questioned Cuomo's motives.

'I'm happy the governor is allowing visitations. But I do question the timing,' said Vivian Zayas, co-founder of Voices For Seniors to Fox News.

'There are the seniors who died because of the isolation. That number is enormous. Five or ten thousand people died because of loneliness. They gave up,' Zayas said.

'Cuomo puts out positive news to spin off negative news about his investigations. The change in policy is too little, too late.'

Susan Sineo stands beside a presentation depicting the number 15,000 to denote estimated nursing home deaths. Cuomo is facing a federal inquiry into the state's reporting of COVID-19 among nursing home residents

Along with a number of state and federal investigations over nursing homes COVID policy, he is also facing claims of sexual harassment.

Another probe was launched this week over reports Cuomo used state staffers to improperly arrange coronavirus tests for his relatives and favored officials during the start of pandemic.

On that score, a Cuomo spokesman has denied wrongdoing but the early access to testing has not been disputed.

'We're surprised Cuomo is still in office,' Zayas said. 'Our resolve to see this through is still strong  of Cuomo being impeached or resigning. We want Cuomo held accountable at the federal level and the state level.'
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources believes a all-hands-on-deck approach is one of the surest ways of eliminating the activities of illegal mining and the wanton degradation of the environment to bring more efficiency in land service delivery.



Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, during a two-day working visit to the Ashanti Region, reiterated governments commitment to protect the countrys natural resources, when he called on the Asantehene Otumfou Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace.



The President [Nana Addo] has tasked me to go around the country and see to myself the situation on the ground and work on it....the Akufo-Addo government is committed to the fight against illegal mining and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that mining activities are duly regulated, he said .



The minister also highlighted efforts being made by the government in improving the lands administration system in the country as directed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



Whiles promising to justify the confidence reposed in him by being diligent in the discharge of his duties, Mr Jinapor also lauded the Asantehene for ensuring no lands disputes in his region over the years.



I am very impressed with how lands issues are managed in the Ashanti Region, all thanks to the King, he said  adding that, I am ready to learn from the King.



The Lands and Natural Resources minister later met with the Regional Security Council, Forest Industry Association of Ghana and the Regional Land sector officers to engage them on the way forward in protecting Ghanas forests, lands, and natural resources.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Troy PD

Troy police said one of their officers recovered a loaded, illegal handgun early Saturday. From a 15-year-old.



Officer Philip Milano was on patrol in the area of Burdett Avenue when, around 2:30 a.m., he stopped a vehicle for traffic violations, police said. The vehicles five occupants were identified and interviewed.



During that investigation, a 15-year-old male passenger was allegedly found to have the semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. He was arrested and brought to a juvenile detention facility pending his juvenile court appearance next week, police said.



A statement provided by Capt. Steven M. Barker said, "We are appreciative of Officer Milanos proactive efforts which resulted in the seizing of an illegal handgun from our city streets, preventing its use to injure one of our community members. Officer Milanos action are representative of the efforts being undertaken by many of our department members in response to violent acts within our City."
Imperial Valley News Center

Indian Cancer Drug Manufacturer to Pay $50 Million for Concealing and Destroying Records in Advance of FDA Inspection

Las Vegas, Nevada - Indian drug manufacturer Fresenius Kabi Oncology Limited (FKOL) was sentenced to pay $50 million in fines and forfeiture after pleading guilty to concealing and destroying records prior to a 2013 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plant inspection.

In a criminal information previously filed in federal court in the District of Nevada, the United States charged FKOL with violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by failing to provide certain records to FDA investigators. As part of a criminal resolution with the Department of Justice, FKOL agreed to plead guilty to the misdemeanor offense. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey accepted the companys guilty plea and sentenced FKOL to pay a criminal fine of $30 million, forfeit an additional $20 million, and implement a compliance and ethics program designed to prevent, detect, and correct violations of U.S. law relating to FKOLs manufacture of cancer drugs intended for terminally ill patients.

By concealing and destroying drug manufacturing records, FKOL undermined FDAs regulatory authority and placed vulnerable consumers at risk, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Departments Civil Division. Todays sentence holds the company accountable for its past conduct and seeks to ensure it will fully comply with its obligations to the FDA going forward.

According to court documents, FKOL owned and operated a manufacturing plant in Kalyani, West Bengal, India, that manufactured active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in various cancer drug products distributed to the United States. Prior to a January 2013 FDA inspection of the Kalyani facility, FKOL plant management directed employees to remove certain records from the premises and delete other records from computers that would have revealed FKOL was manufacturing drug ingredients in contravention of FDA requirements. Kalyani plant employees removed computers, hardcopy documents, and other materials from the plant and deleted spreadsheets that contained evidence of the plants noncompliant practices.

Todays sentencing reflects our offices and the departments commitment to holding accountable companies that disregard FDA regulations, at the risk of consumers health and safety, said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. Together with our agency partners, we will continue to ensure that drug manufacturers fully comply with their obligations to maintain the integrity of records and data.

FDA inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities help ensure the strength, quality and purity of our medicines, said Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D., Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs of the FDA. Todays sentencing proves that we will continue to aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to subvert requirements that protect the public health.

The FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office, investigated the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation in India provided invaluable assistance to U.S. authorities in the investigation of this matter. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs provided investigative assistance.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant Director Clint Narver and Trial Attorney Natalie Sanders of the Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Dickinson of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nevada.
Madagascar PM Christian Ntsay on March 27 inaugurated an exhibition based on the Indian Diaspora at the Indian embassy in Antananarivo. While taking to Twitter, the Indian embassy in Madagascar informed that along with the PM, Madagascar Foreign Minister Tehindra Zanarivelo Oliva and Indian Ambassador Abhay Kumar also attended the event. PM Ntsay paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and after inaugurating the exhibition he said that it was important to preserve the memories and to promote them as well.

Ntsay said, The Indian community in Madagascar is very important for India and for Madagascar. I recommend this exhibition as an initiative of the Indian Embassy because it is very important for the Malagasy people to understand that all the things that we are seeing now did not start from zero and that this journey is very important to understand because it is part of our common history.

H.E. @ntsayc, Honble Prime Minister of Madagascar inaugurated a special exhibition on Indian Diaspora in #Madagascar today. Honble Foreign Minister @Tehindrazanari1 also graced the occasion. Madagascar has about 20,000 strong Indian diaspora, mostly from the state of #Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/fxGWwSWlfb  India in Madagascar & Comoros (@IndembTana) March 27, 2021

Indian community acts as vital bridge

During the event, Indian Ambassador Abhay Kumar also said that the Indian community in Madagascar acts as a vital bridge between the two countries. He recalled the time he arrived in the East African country two years ago and said that he had a dream to create a memorial for the Indian community in Madagascar. Kumar said that this exhibition is a small step in that direction and further added that it has come to life today with consistent efforts and contributions from the members of the Indian community.

The envoy added, This exhibition tells their fascinating and adventurous story of the migration to Madagascar. I believe this exhibition will act as a seed in creating an Indian Memorial in Madagascar and will grow in the coming future as more and more families will share the stories of their struggle and success in Madagascar.

Inauguration of the special exhibition on Indian Diaspora in #Madagascar by Madagascars Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and Ambassador Abhay Kumar https://t.co/FcWqqhnw5V  India in Madagascar & Comoros (@IndembTana) March 27, 2021

It is worth mentioning that people from the Indian state of Gujarat sailed across the Indian Ocean in dhows to Madagascar. Today there are around 17,500 persons of Indian origin in every part of Madagascar and play a crucial role in its society and economy. India also has maritime links with the East African nation for several centuries and the Indian Ocean remains a strong link between the two countries.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: @IndembTana/Twitter)




Thousands of sex offenders could be working with children because they have changed their names by deed poll to escape detection, according to a hard-hitting new report by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Mr Javid found shocking evidence of what he called an epidemic of child sexual abuse in the UK that has been made worse by the lockdown.

Last night, the Tory MP  who has been tipped for a return to the Cabinet in the next reshuffle  called for sweeping changes to tackle child sexual abuse, including a demand for social media giant Facebook to abandon plans to encrypt its Messenger service, which would mean that abusive videos and images could be shared anonymously.

Because young people often feel safer discussing sensitive issues with healthcare professionals, the Government should consider reversing the significant decline in school nurses, says Sajid Javid

Mr Javid also calls for the reintroduction of school nurses to make it easier for children to report incidents of abuse to a trusted figure.

The 100-page report is the conclusions of a commission that Mr Javid led for The Centre for Social Justice think-tank, including experts and survivors of abuse.

It warns that the Covid lockdowns have created the perfect storm, forcing children to spend more time at home with potential abusers and preventing them from reporting assaults to trusted adults such as teachers.

Not only were victims being sexually abused more frequently during lockdown, because they were spending more time with their abuser, but illegal online activity had also rocketed.

The Internet Watch Foundation said that nine million attempts to view child sexual abuse materials were made in the first month of lockdown alone.

It found a sharp rise in indecent images taken by children themselves after being tricked or coerced, due to spending more time online during lockdown.

The 100-page report is the conclusions of a commission that Mr Javid led for The Centre for Social Justice think-tank, including experts and survivors of abuse

Alarmingly, the report says at least 900 convicted sex offenders  and possibly thousands  could be operating in jobs that bring them into contact with young people because they have taken the simple expedient of paying 15 to change their names by deed poll.

At no stage is an applicant required to disclose their criminal history  which the report recommends should change.

It says the current stipulation that those on the sex offenders register must tell the police if they change their names within three days of doing so is essentially an honours system with the onus on the individual to keep the police up to date over 900 offenders may have changed their names without notifying the police and are now living under the radar.

The report adds that as the 900 offenders only represent data released by 16 of the 43 police forces then it is likely then that the actual figure is far higher and thousands of registered sex offenders are off the radar.

The worst-case scenario outcome is not unfeasible: that some of this number have acquired fresh names and are working or living alongside children. We must locate these individuals and safeguard children they may have access to. We recommend the Home Office commissions an urgent inquiry into this matter.

The report makes 96 policy recommendations, across Government departments, including:

Restoring school nurse numbers to pre-2010 levels;

Training all school staff to spot signs of abuse;

A crackdown on internet bosses whose security features protect the identity of abusers;

New laws to curb live-streamed child sexual abuse;

A new victims law to guarantee the rights of victims and support services;

Victims and survivors to be told when their abusers are released from prison to help them to avoid traumatic encounters;

A new law with harsher penalties for forcing children to carry drugs inside their bodies.

Mr Javid said: Were facing an epidemic of child sexual abuse in this country. Although the Government and industry are doing valuable work to protect children sadly, the pandemic will have made things far, far worse.

As we recover our freedoms, we must ensure that we take the tough measures needed to protect our kids against these dreadful crimes that robs them of their childhood and leaves deep scars for life.

SAJID JAVID: We need to bring the school nurse back to help protect children from sexual abuse

On my first day as Home Secretary in 2018, I was taken aside and warned about the toll my responsibilities could take.

Of these, I assumed dealing with terrorists would weigh the most heavily. I was mistaken.

It wasnt until I visited the front lines of the fight against child sexual abuse that I realised the horrifying truth about its scale and severity.

At the National Crime Agency, I was shown intelligence suggesting that an astonishing 80,000 people in the UK posed a sexual threat to children online. By this time last year, that had surged to 300,000.

Under lockdown, I fear this epidemic of abuse has become far worse. Two thirds of sexual assaults are carried out by close friends or family members, meaning that scores of children have spent the past year isolating with their abuser with little chance of escape.

Abusers have also increased their activity online. In Australia, predators set up web forums to discuss ways of twisting restrictions to their advantage, while in the UK nine million attempts to access child sexual abuse content were made in March last year alone.

My colleagues in Government are appalled by these horrendous violations and are doing valuable work to fight back. However, it has become clear that on multiple fronts, the threat to our children is growing faster than law enforcement can respond.

Were winning battles, but losing the war.

Thats why after I left Government in 2020, the first commitment I made was to lead a no-holds barred investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation in the UK. Along with The Centre for Social Justice, I assembled a team of expert commissioners and courageous survivors. Together, we asked the questions that others wouldnt, to tackle a problem that has too often been ignored.

Tomorrow we publish our final report. Its findings are uncomfortable in places.

However, as well as hard truths, I believe the report offers a sense of hope. None of the problems weve found is insurmountable. There are clear opportunities to do more.

Our report identifies almost 100 of these  a cross-Government agenda for turning the tide on this vile form of offending.

That starts with finding our blind spots. The grooming gangs scandal is a reminder of what can happen when the agencies tasked with protecting our children are slow to act and systemic failures are allowed to persist.

We were disturbed to discover a loophole that allows child abusers to effectively remove themselves from the sex offenders register, simply by changing their name.

Abusers have also increased their activity online. In Australia, predators set up web forums to discuss ways of twisting restrictions to their advantage, while in the UK nine million attempts to access child sexual abuse content were made in March last year alone [File photo]

Not only does this mean that the police lose sight of an offenders whereabouts, it also means dangerous individuals can obtain a clean Disclosure and Barring Service check to work with children and toddlers. More than 900 convicted abusers may already have taken advantage of this.

Its also crucial we dont miss the signs when a child is being victimised, and that we support them to tell a trusted adult. Particularly for those being abused at home, the best place for this can be school.

Because young people often feel safer discussing sensitive issues with healthcare professionals, the Government should consider reversing the significant decline in school nurses. Even when a child isnt ready to talk, nurses are well placed to notice when problems such as sexually transmitted infections point to much more serious issues.

Protecting victims is only part of the puzzle. If were serious about stamping out child sex abuse, then we must do more to go after offenders. Im immensely concerned by the culture of weak to non-existent sentencing thats developed around child sex abuse.

We found it difficult to believe that guidelines recommend the same punishment for stealing a 500 bicycle and viewing images of a child being raped.

Clearly, the Sentencing Council should review these in full. However, this is also an opportunity to correct long-standing injustices and anticipate future types of offending.

Offenders who hire traffickers to find children for them to torture and rape live via video links, receive on average a mere two-year custodial sentence.

Morally, directing the abuse of a child in Manila is no different from doing it in person in Manchester. Both offenders should be punished alike.

British gangs that force children to insert and smuggle drugs in their bodies are committing, in my view, a sexual violation. They should be treated as such.

And when perpetrators groom the children theyre exploiting to commit crimes, in part to undermine their credibility in the eyes of the police, we should find ways of wiping the victims records so that they can start putting their lives back together.

The list of threats facing children is long, as is our history of shortcomings.

Not all the solutions are easy or straightforward. However we have a duty  both to confront evil and protect the futures of the most precious members of our society. If that isnt worth it, then I dont know what is.
Appeals Court Rules for Professor in Transgender Pronoun Case

A federal appeals court on March 26 reversed a lower court decision, ruling that an Ohio professors First Amendment rights may have been violated when his university tried forcing him to refer to a biological male student using female pronouns.

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said philosophy professor Nicholas Meriwether has plausibly alleged that Shawnee State violated his First Amendment rights by compelling his speech or silence and casting a pall of orthodoxy over the classroom.

Shawnee State University, in Ohio, has employed Meriwether for 25 years.

The case centers around a 2016 rule change that requires faculty to refer to students by their preferred pronoun[s].

When Meriwether, a Christian, sought clarification on the rule, a university official claimed that Christians are primarily motivated out of fear and should be banned from teaching courses regarding that religion. She also said she thought even the presence of religion in higher education is counterproductive.

Two years later, on the first day of his class, Meriwether was using the Socratic method to lead a discussion and addressed, as he normally does, students using gender references like Mr. He called one person sir, not knowing the biological male identifies as a female.

After class, the individual approached Meriwether and demanded the professor refer to him as a she and use feminine titles and pronouns. Meriwether said he wasnt sure he could and was threatened in response, according to court filings.

The situation escalated as various officials got involved. The professors attempt to reach a compromisehe offered to use the preferred pronoun, but would place a disclaimer in his syllabus noting that he was doing so under compulsionwas rejected, and he was ultimately reprimanded, receiving a written warning. A union appeal failed, dismissed by Provost Jeffrey Bauer, who allegedly openly laughed when the union representative tried to explain why Meriwether felt conflicted because of his faith.

Circuit Judge Amul Thapar, a George W. Bush nominee, writing for the appeals court panel, said that not only had the professor plausibly alleged a First Amendment violation, it violated his religious rights guaranteed in the free exercise clause.

Officials at the university exhibited hostility to Meriwethers religious beliefs, and irregularities in the universitys adjudication and investigation processes permit a plausible inference of non-neutrality, Thapar wrote.

The panel also affirmed the lower courts ruling in several other claims that the professor had made. The case was remanded to the lower court with instructions to conduct further proceedings consistent with the new ruling.

The university didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

John Bursch, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, who represented Meriwether, said in a statement that nobody should be forced to contradict their core beliefs just to keep their job.

We are very pleased that the 6th Circuit affirmed the constitutional right of public university professors to speak and lead discussions, even on hotly contested issues. The freedoms of speech and religion must be vigorously protected if universities are to remain places where ideas can be debated and learning can take place, he said.
Newly elected Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert appeared to change her video backdrop from her large gun collection to a shelf of books after the mass shooting in Boulder which killed 10 people on Monday.

Boebert, a Republican and vocal gun rights supporter, used unsurprisingly similar messages in both video appearances as she defended Second Amendment rights despite later removing her weapons from the background.

The congresswoman had used the gun backdrop while she spoke at a virtual meeting for the House Natural Resources Committee on February 18 - just a month after the deadly U.S. Capitol siege on January 6.

Lauren Boebert had used the gun backdrop while she spoke at a virtual meeting for the House Natural Resources Committee on February 18

Images of Boebert with the book backdrop came from her appearance on Newsmax show Greg Kelly Reports on Tuesday

President Joe Biden called for a ban on assault weapons in the wake of recent mass shootings

Police work on the scene outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place Monday in Boulder, Colorado

Boulder grocery store shooting suspect Ahmad Alissa is expected to face more first-degree attempted murder charges over the shootout with the cops who responded to the scene of the deadly massacre. Alissa in court Thursday

He faces ten counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, but additional charges are expected to be filed in the next few weeks

Multiple handguns and assault-style rifles were seen on shelves in the background as she debated a committee rule forbidding guns in the committee room that she claimed was infringing on her constitutional rights.

'The Second Amendment is very much a part of the constitution of the United States, and so it doesn't matter how you feel, how you classify it this is an enumerated right that American citizens have to keep and bear arms,' she said.

'As you have heard, other committees are not taking up similar rules. I also sit on the budget committee and there is not a rule banning firearms from the hearing or conference rooms. How do you plan to enforce this, Mr. Chair?'

She added: 'Will there be metal detectors installed outside the committee hearing doors? What is the procedure for delaying a vote as members get screened? Who is going to pay for these new metal detectors and increased security?'

Images of Boebert with the book backdrop came from her appearance on Newsmax show Greg Kelly Reports on Tuesday.

'I know that Colorado his hurting. Colorado certainly mourns the loss of the 10 lives,' Boebert said.

'I can tell you that gun laws just don't work  it's unfortunate. But we need good people to neutralize threats and defending themselves, and the people around them to protect them.'

Boebert went on to claim that pro-gun Americans can help save lives and why she chooses to carry weapons.

'It's very unfortunate that their first knee jerk reaction is to limit our ability to defend ourselves,' she said.

'There are bad people who do bad things, and we need a way to protect ourselves, because we don't know when they're going to act on the things that are rolling through their minds and consuming their thoughts, and so we need a way to protect ourselves.'

A man named Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was named as a suspect after aa mass shooting in Boulder which killed 10 people on Monday

Tactical police units respond to the scene of a King Soopers grocery store after a shooting on Monday in Boulder, Colorado

Dozens of police responded to the afternoon shooting in which an officer was also killed

Healthcare workers walk out of a King Sooper's Grocery store after a gunman opened fire on Monday in Boulder, Colorado

CNN's Don Lemon reported on the backdrop change while interviewing New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.

'She said she moved the guns upstairs so Biden can't get them,' Lemon said.

Kristof ripped Boebert and other gun rights activists who use them as 'tokens' to 'prove their credentials.'

'That is such a far cry from the kind of gun culture where I grew up with where guns were for plinking, shooting squirrels, but they weren't for trying to prove your authenticity as a conservative. I think it's a really sad direction we're going,' he said.

Boebert's campaign also sent out an email hours after the Boulder shooting with the subject line: 'I told Beto 'HELL NO' to taking our guns. Now we need to tell Joe Biden,' Mediate reported.

'Who do they think they are? I will fight this new attack on our sacred rights with everything I have,' the email reads, according to Mediate.

On Thursday, Boebert wrote in a tweet: 'Biden just said clearly that he certainly is coming for our guns, its just a matter of time. The Second Amendment is clear on that issue, Joe. The time is never.'

A federal appeals court based in California decided on Wednesday that Americans have no right to open carry guns in public - ruling that states can restrict them without violating the Second Amendment.

The en banc U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 7-4 decision that reviewed 700 years of legal history from the United States and England and determined laws have never given people 'an unfettered, general right to openly carry arms in public for individual self-defense.'

The court argued that numerous laws throughout the centuries have upheld the government's responsibility to protect citizens in public and have prohibited certain weapons in public.
In Bangladesh, at least 4 people lost their lives, and several others were injured in violent demonstrations on Friday to protest PM Narendra Modi's visit. Modi has come here on the occasion of the celebration of Bangladesh's 50th Independence Day.

These people lost their lives after a clash with the police of famous madrasa students and members of an Islamic group in Chittagong district. Alauddin Talukdar, a police officer at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, told reporters that five people were taken to the hospital after being injured, where 4 of them died. It has been learned that members of the Islamic group Hefazat-e-Islam attacked government buildings including police stations in the Hathajari area of Chittagong, after which the police had to retaliate.

Officials and spectacles said that there was a clash between groups of protestors near Dhaka's main mosque and police dispersed the mob with tear gas and rubber bullets. Meanwhile, several people were injured. The protestors also set ablaze the offices of the railway station in Brahmanbaria district, which hampered the movement of trains.

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A landlord in the Midlands who is fighting for the eviction of a large family from his house in Longford will not be demanding the 2,330 owed in rent because he just wants them out, the local District Court has heard.

Two of the familys 16 children appeared before Granard District Court on Friday afternoon, with no appearance from a third because he is currently in the custody of Oberstown Childrens Detention Centre.

The two girls, who faced three new charges and two new charges, respectively, last week have already been charged with a long litany of shoplifting offences with gardai previously telling the court that they believe the children are encouraged to shoplift by their parents.

The new charges facing the girls on Friday are from 2020, with Judge Seamus Hughes warning both that he would be taking the matter very seriously if any new charges crop up from January 1, 2021, onwards.

I dont want to see any new charge picked up, even if its a pack of chicken burgers or a bag of potatoes, he told one of the girls.

Im going to introduce you to the probation services today, he added, adjourning her case to June 15 and ordering a probation report for that date.

The second girl has been monitored to ensure she has gone to school with gardai confirming that since the school returned on March 15, she had attended three out of four days.

I want no more days of school missed, said Judge Hughes to the girl. Looking at the probation report, she doesnt want to attend school and dislikes same and is unable to say why. Shes very guarded in her answers to the probation officer. Shes very guarded with me too.

Judge Hughes noted one serious theft among the charges before the court, which was 88 for four duvet covers.

I know whats going on and I wont tolerate it. Dont come to the notice of the gardai and attend every day at school, he said, adjourning the second girls case to June 15 next.

The large family has been living in rented accommodation in a Longford estate and the court has heard that a notice of termination was served on them in recent weeks.

Their tenancy started in June 2018 and the house is in bad condition at the moment. Theres also an issue with anti-social behaviour and its causing serious issues for the residents, said solicitor for the landlord, Ms Carol Daly.

Theres rubbish at the back of the house and its being thrown over walls, she added.

The father of the family, who cannot be named due to the age of the children before the court, explained that Longford County Council had been in touch and said that they wont rehome the family unless they were homeless.

I understand the residential tenancies board has made an order that no evictions can be carried out. But they want you evicted from the house. Will you go or will the court have to make you go? said Judge Hughes, addressing the man.

Ms Daly explained that there are significant rent arrears of 2,330 but my client isnt even looking for rent - he just wants the house back.

A termination order was served on the family on March 14, 2021, giving the respondent and all persons in the property 14 days to leave and to pay the rent arrears.

Were very sorry, Judge, but the ceilings came down on top of us in my house, said the tenant.

Im not interested in that, said Judge Hughes, adding that all he was interested to know was whether or not he could grant the order.

Solicitor for the defence, Mr John Quin said that during the pandemic, no order of ejectment should be made but Ms Daly noted that the termination order was originally made in June 2019.

The landlord and his daughter, who attended court on Friday, told Judge Hughes that they were getting phone calls from the neighbours about serious anti-social behaviour from the family.

We just want the house back. Were getting phone calls about them abusing people and harassing the neighbours. The house is in a terrible state and the residents feel unsafe. These people are vandalising their houses and their property, they said.

Judge Hughes adjourned the case to April 16 for hearing, commenting that this family are in dire condition.
In its first retaliatory action under the Joe Biden administration, the United state has proposed to impose retaliatory tariffs up to 25 percent on nearly 40 Indian products including shrimps, basmati rice, gold and silver items in response to the equalisation levy or digital services tax (DST) imposed by India on non-resident e-commerce operators.

A statement from the office of the USTR said that in January it was found that digital service taxes (DST) adopted by Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were subject to action under Section 301 because they discriminated against US digital companies, were inconsistent with the principles of international taxation, and burdened US companies.

"The United States is committed to working with its trading partners to resolve its concerns with digital services taxes, and to addressing broader issues of international taxation," said Ambassador Katherine Tai.

"The United States remains committed to reaching an international consensus through the OECD process on international tax issues. However, until such a consensus is reached, we will maintain our options under the Section 301 process, including, if necessary, the imposition of tariffs." Among the proposed actions, the Joe Biden administration has proposed to impose retaliatory tariffs up to 25 percent on around 40 Indian products including shrimps, basmati rice, gold and silver items.

The Government of India will examine the proposed action with the stakeholders concerned and would take suitable measures keeping its trade and commercial interest of the country and overall interest of its people, according to official sources.

Iran, China, Beijing, Tehran sign cooperation agreement

World Theatre Day 2021, March 27: Know its significance

US President Joe Biden's invitation to PM Modi, summit to be held in April


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So, the EU will wave its big stick at London and AstraZeneca  and hope never to use it  in this grim battle over Covid-19 vaccines. But this was the week, as case numbers soared and vaccine roll-outs stuttered, when the EUs many vaccine blunders really hit home.

There was lukewarm EU leaders support for Brussels proposals to curb exports to countries, and from firms, which are not playing fair on vaccine distribution. But most EU leaders are now looking for ways to talk up those vaccine supplies in the mythical second quarter  thats April to June to you and me.

Yesterday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved three new sites for the production of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs for the EU supply chain. Everyone will hope this can help relieve shortages across all member states.

Read More The Amsterdam-based EU regulator, headed by Irishwoman Emer Cooke, has approved a site in Leiden, in the Netherlands, to make the active substance in AstraZenecas vaccine. Add to that another site in Marburg, Germany, producing Pfizer-BioNTechs shot, and a plant in Visp, Switzerland, contributing to Moderna supplies. The Netherlands site is of particular interest as it produces crucial elements of the AstraZeneca jab for Britain. The timing of the EU approval is largely unexplained  but it will be closely watched to see how much product goes to the European Union market. The German plant approval is particularly good news as it apparently has capacity, when at full tilt, to produce one billion vaccine doses per year. Other good news being put about Brussels was that there may soon be approval for the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, and there remains a hope of big doses of the one we all want, one-jab Johnson & Johnson, by the middle of next month. European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides welcomed news of the EMAs approval of the three plants in a written statement. But she also issued a warning to AstraZeneca, whose newly approved Dutch manufacturing site is run by the company Halix. We now expect that vaccines produced by this plant will be delivered to EU member states in the coming days as part of the contractual obligation and commitment made by AstraZeneca to European citizens, the Cypriot EU official said. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant has repeatedly slashed delivery forecasts and Brussels officials say that, at current rates, it will have delivered by June only one-third of the doses agreed. Its a complex and circular row but the firm is being hammered for the sluggish vaccine roll-out. Halix has been producing the vaccine for weeks, but only recently applied to the EMA for EU approval. It is also unclear whether the vaccine doses produced by Halix will be delivered to the EU or Britain. Reality has bitten hard on the supply issue with European citizens looking enviously at the UK, USA, Israel and elsewhere, where inoculations have gone over far faster. More co-operative EU-UK noises may not be enough as we need to see London collaborating in providing some EU jabs. Otherwise the temptation for the EU to use the big stick may prove just too strong.
Yves here. Aside from the real and possibly growing consequences of the monster ship still stuck in the Suez Canal (you can verify here), it has also provided comic relief. And now education!

BTW I asked Lambert about the Evergreen/Ever Given business. The name of the line is Evergreen. Individual ship have names like Ever Given, Ever Willing [not!].

By Barkley Rosser, Professor of Economics at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Originally published at EconoSpeak

Yeah, to heck with socialism in any of its forms, even old varieties that Marx and Engels denounced, neologizing the label utopian socialism for its advocates, even as they made clear their respect for the intentions at least of their intentions, even as they did not provide an analysis of the historical dynamic of capitalism and the broader issues arising from that. And we know that while some communes inspired by the utopian socialists survived such as the Israeli Kibbutzim, most failed, making the mockery of Marx and Engels look historically significant.

So it turns out that there was a split within those old utopian socialists between the more idealistic and commune-oriented Fourier and Owen (more complicated for him), and Henri de Saint-Simon, actually the earliest of them, with his main work coming out in 1803. While the others favored small ideal communities, Saint-Simon supported rational social engineering, basically the idea of central planning. His importance in this is verified by the final book of Friedrich Hayek, _The Errors of Socialism: The Fatal Conceit_, 1988.

The intellectually rationalistic view had long held sway in France from Thomas Aquinnas in the 1200s through Descartes in the 1600s on to modern mathematical economics, with Cournot institutionally the follower of Saint-Simon in Paris, with people like Walras later following.

In any case, Saint-Simon was based in the public works-civil engineering portion of the French bureaucracy that still exists and became seriously influential later, with indeed people like Courno part of that. The world-leading civil engineers of France in the 19th century were all basically followers of the utopian sociialist Saint Simon.

In 1856 one of his followers, Ferdinand de Lesseps, won a contract from the Ottoman Viceroy of Cairo to build a Suez Canal, with the Saint-Simonians and certain Sufi mystics of the time declaring that building the canal, along with building one in Panama, and and a US transcontinental railway. would bring about a unified world order of peace and tranquility.

As it was, the construction started in the early 1860s, under Viceroy Said (who at least got Port Said named for him), with cotton prices especially high due to the US Civil War with Egypt the leading cotton exporter in the world. The canal was finished in 1869 under Viceroy Ismail, with great celebrations, including Verdi composing Aida by 1871. But cotton prices had fallen with the end of the Civil War and the local government had unsustainable debts to British banks. The French followers of Saint Simon may have built the canal, but by the 1880s it was the British who took control of Egypt for not being able to pay off the debts associated with its building.

In 1956 Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal for Egypt over the opposition of UK, France, and Israel, with the support of Eisenhower in the US and the Soviets.

Today we have this canal built on utopian socialist dreams of world unity and peace now shut down over a vessel too large to get through the canal, shutting down something like 10-12% of world trade, this event triggering a doubling of shipping rates on top of a previous doubling of such rates due to a pandemic-induced chaos of global shipping.

A central issue in all this is the externality issue involve with large ship. There is an internal economies of scale issue involved that conflicts with the external diseconomies. The internal matter is that direct benefits involve volume while direct costs involve the surface of ships, a quadratic relationship that favors size. But oil tankers ran into the externality decades ago with the Exxon Valdez failure, with its billions of dollars liabilities for Exxon -Mobil. But this did not carry over to vessels just carrying containers, 8 of which now stranded in that ideal idealized utopian socialist Suez Canal have live animals aboard.

As of now, it is unclear how long it will take to move the Ever Givenship (although all images of it I see say Evergreen). But I have read that among all other items now delayed for delivery in this situation, perhaps the most impacted and crucial is wood pulp for making toilet paper. So, yes folks, if this does not get resolved soon, we may have yet another global run for toilet paper like a year ago.

So there you have it: Utopian socialism in 1803 bringing about a possible toilet paper shortage in the not-too distant future.
Regarded as perhaps one of the most formative and vital periods in Irish History, we are currently in the midst of marking the centenary of the events of the War of Independence (1919 - 1921). Local archaeologist Barry Lacey from Ballycarney has been looking at some of the key events in Co Wexford, in particular ambushes, raids, the burning of police barracks and other activities.

On this occasion, Barry looks at the busy events of March 12, 1921, which saw Bridgetown Barracks attacked and Arthurstown Courthouse destroyed. For more stories from Wexford's War of Independence, visit wexfordwarofindependence.com

On Saturday night March 12, IRA volunteers in the south of the county lay in wait. While one group moved in the darkness towards their target of Arthurstown Courthouse, just over half an hour away, another group was preparing for an attack on Bridgetown's RIC barracks.

In Arthurstown, up to 20 armed and masked members of the Davidstown Company IRA gathered in the dark of night. Carrying sledge-hammers, they set about destroying the courthouse there. All of the windows and doors were smashed and thrown on the street, together with desks and benches, while slates were also torn from the roof.

As the destruction came to an end, the noise of gunshots was also reportedly heard. The telegraph wire near the village had been cut to slow the arrival of any police or others who may have attempted to put a halt to their activities.

Despite the damage, the petty sessions court was held inside the following Monday with the rain and wind coming in through the broken roof and window. Lord Templemore, the owner of the building in which the courts were held, was later awarded 190 compensation for its destruction.

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The building was still being used as a courthouse, despite the damages, in September 1921 as the New Ross Standard reported that ' the petty sessions have been held in the wrecked premises, a temporary bench having been got under the portion of the roof that was not damaged.' The destruction of the courthouse was an attempt by the IRA to cause disruption to the British administration. Sinn Fein courts were in operation at the time and such an incident like this would have been in their favour.

Just over 20 miles away in Bridgetown, members of the Bridgetown Company IRA had put a plan of their own in place and were about to attack their local RIC barracks, which was situated on a staggered crossroads just south of the village. Reporting on the incident, the New Ross Standard stated that around midnight many locals were awoken by the sound of gunfire, which lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. Trees had been cut down on most of the approach roads by the company to delay the arrival of any potential reinforcements. A particularly large tree was felled at Sleedagh, completely blocking the road to all motor traffic.

The military and police undertook numerous raids in the week or so following the attack with some reported in the districts of Baldwinstown, Bridgetown, Kilmore and Murrintown. Two young men from Bridgetown, Joe and Moses Murphy were arrested at Oldhall while two other brothers, named Rowe, were arrested at Killinick. It was noted that the raids appeared to be undertaken in search for someone on the run.

It wasn't to be the last attack on Bridgetown barracks either. It was targeted again later that year on May 14; an attack which lasted 15 minutes with no casualties reported.

The attack on Bridgetown RIC barracks was typical of the types of attacks which took place throughout the War of Independence. Consisting of a short period of gunfire, the aim of these attacks was not necessarily to capture the building, but to harass its inhabitants. Such incidents are often referred to as 'sniping'.

By early 1921, Bridgetown barracks was one of only a few still operational within Co Wexford. Many others in similar rural settings had been burned or sabotaged. It would most likely have been fortified with steel shutters placed on the windows, sandbags and perhaps barbed wire. Today, the building is a private residence, which is said to still bear the bullet holes of these fractious days.
The newly-launched mobile money pilot programme is expected to heat up competition for domestic players but also open collaboration opportunities to cash in on the niche market.

Mobile money apps are presenting consumers with much more streamlined options for their banking needs. Photo: VIR

Since mobile money is still in its concept stage, Vietnamese telecom behemoths Viettel, VinaPhone, and MobiFone are quickly preparing the necessary infrastructure to roll out services once being greenlit by the authorities. The companies are making efforts to break into the new segment as the traditional market has been saturated  and their entrance is expected to create fierce competition while also placing pressure on banks that utilise more established payment methods.

Vietnam has witnessed a booming e-wallet business in the past few years. According to the latest research by Cimigo, MoMo, Moca, and ZaloPay are the top three most popular e-wallets in the two main cities in Vietnam, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the e-wallet market.

In the beginning of 2021, MoMo raised at least $100 million from six global investors. Meanwhile, VNPay has become the second unicorn startup in Vietnam and one of 12 companies in Southeast Asia with a valuation of $1 billion. Other apps have also recorded impressive growth.

Marcin Miller, associate partner of McKinsey Vietnam, told VIR that mobile moneys could impact the payment market on several levels  first is smartphone penetration, and second is the banking distribution network.

That said, there are other methods of cashless payments that are widely available in Vietnam. The pilot will nevertheless help to confirm whether this form of payments resonates with groups that do not have bank accounts or are not already using e-wallets or other cashless payment methods.

Truong Cam Thanh, director of ZaloPay, said it is inevitable for the competition between mobile money service providers and e-wallets to grab a share of consumer wallets.

However, each player has their strategy, market, and consumer target. Mobile money can grow well in remote and rural areas while e-wallet apps will be more popular in urban cities, he said.

Meanwhile, Ngo Trung Linh, general director of VietUnion  the development unit of e-wallet Payoo  said the firm is partnering with other telecom providers to provide mobile top-up services.

Transforming the market

Some experts also argue that the pilot programme likely puts pressure on traditional banks so they need to step up their game to maintain their market share. As telecom providers are likely to re-establish competitive fees leading to more people opening mobile accounts for payments, the earnings of banks can shrink significantly.

However, McKinseys Miller stated that traditional banks still have ample room to play and innovate, as the mobile money programme offers new complementary assets that traditional banks can leverage.

Through partnerships with telco players, banks can introduce new products  such as a top-up services for mobile money wallets  and target new user groups, enabling them to transition mobile money users to fully banked clients. Mobile money cannot replace a full banking offer. Instead it can be an attractive payment method for specific groups of clients, Miller said.

According to Riddhi Dutta, regional director for ASEAN and South Asia at Netherlands-based digital-first banking provider Backbase, Vietnam has a high growth potential and the country remains in the early stages of development for a fintech framework. It is imperative that local firms work with foreign investors and enterprises to access the technology, experience, and capital they need, Dutta said.

With core banking and payment system modernisation being the top priorities among banks, fintechs can take this opportunity to enter the market and partner local banks and enterprises to help scale their innovations.

The partnerships will also allow financial enterprises and banks to embrace the new technology offerings through their new fintech partners to achieve value-creating collaboration, according to Dutta.

Cracking the market

Besides the vast opportunities, there are a number of potential issues for the fledging services. According to a report by the BIDV Training and Research Institute, disposable SIM cards are the most difficult problems for customer identification.

With mobile money, each customer is only allowed to open one primary SIM payment account at one carrier. However, disposable SIM cards are still available in many transaction points despite the effort to curb this problem.

Thus, if the management of disposable SIM cards along with anonymous transactions are not strictly implemented, mobile money could become a channel for laundering and fraud.

There are also other risks like infringement of customer data, security risks, gambling, and others. For service providers entering the mobile money pilot programme, the Backbase representative suggested businesses should provide greater levels of convenience, overcome financial literacy challenges, and improve accessibility to meet the needs of the unbanked and underbanked population.

It is crucial for them to adopt a customer-first mindset and approach to ensure a successful adoption of their digital platforms, Dutta explained.

Choosing the right fintech partner is also essential to ensure these digital banking platforms are resilient and survive the test of time over the next 15 years. These partnerships will only be beneficial when working with the same vision, commitment, and appropriate technology to address the needs of customers, he said.

VIR

Mobile Money: one decision benefits millions of people With Mobile Money, people in mountainous areas or islands can remit money and make payments for goods and services through SMS on their mobile phones.
OHATCHEE, Ala.  The place where one home stood was nothing but cinder blocks and a bald patch of earth. The chicken coop had evaporated, leaving behind a pile of cracked eggs and a loose rooster. Metal siding was knotted around the trunks of trees and the grass was littered with splintered wood, clothes and toys.

On Thursday, five mobile homes had been nestled on the plot of land in Ohatchee, Ala. On Friday, after a tornado tore through the stretch of rural Alabama, only one was still standing, and just barely. The extended family who lived there were struggling to comprehend the ways their lives had been upended and those of their relatives had been lost. Three members of the family were killed.

All it takes is, Kalvin Bowers, 52, a relative of the family, said with a snap of his fingers. Everything was gone.

The tornado in Ohatchee, which meteorologists said had winds of between 111 and 135 miles per hour, had been one in an outbreak across the southeast, beginning on Thursday. One in Alabama carved a trail that stretched some 100 miles. Another in Georgia has shredded the historic core in the city of Newnan and the surrounding rural communities, where one person was killed. At least six people in all were killed in the storms, the authorities said.
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A Dutch businessman has revealed a masterplan to rescue a cargo ship that has become stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking off shipping and causing chaos.

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground Tuesday in the narrow canal that runs between Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

It has now been five days since it became stuck and all efforts to dislodge the vessel have proved unsuccessful.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides.

Peter Berdowski (right) CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given. He said the company aims to harness the power of the tugs, dredging and tides, which he said are expected to be up to 20 inches higher Saturday

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal

More than 200 vessels were caught in the logjam after the Ever Given ran aground on Tuesday amid strong winds

He told the Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur on Friday night that the front of the ship is stuck in sandy clay, but the rear 'has not been completely pushed into the clay and that is positive because you can use the rear end to pull it free.'

Berdowski said two large tugboats were on their way to the canal and are expected to arrive over the weekend.

He said the company aims to harness the power of the tugs, dredging and tides, which he said are expected to be up to 20 inches higher Saturday.

'The combination of the (tug) boats we will have there, more ground dredged away and the high tide, we hope that will be enough to get the ship free somewhere early next week,' he said.

If that doesn't work, the company will remove hundreds of containers from the front of the ship to lighten it, effectively lifting the ship to make it easier to pull free, Berdowski said.

A crane was already on its way that can lift the containers off the ship, he said.

An official at the Suez Canal Authority said the authority planned to make at least two attempts Saturday to free the vessel when the high tide goes down.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.

Egyptian authorities have prohibited media access to the site.

The salvage mission was turning its focus to the ship's lodged bow, after some progress was made towards freeing the ship's stern, the canal service provider Leth Agencies said Saturday.

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal

wo tugboats take part in the refloating operation carried out to free the 'Ever Given', a container ship operated by the Evergreen Marine Corporation, which is currently stuck in the Suez Canal. The state-run Suez Canal

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly called the ship's predicament 'a very extraordinary incident,' in his first public comments on the blockage in a press conference in Cairo. He said the head of the canal authority, Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei, would hold a news conference Saturday in the city of Suez to share more details of the operation.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain.

Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures.

About 10 per cent of world trade flows through the canal, which is particularly crucial for transporting oil.

The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.

Apparently anticipating long delays, the owners of the stuck vessel diverted a sister ship, the Ever Greet, on a course around Africa instead, according to satellite data.

Others also are being diverted. The liquid natural gas carrier Pan Americas changed course in the mid-Atlantic, now aiming south to go around the southern tip of Africa, according to satellite data from MarineTraffic.com.
Spain's coronavirus infection rate continued to climb on Friday after increasing steadily for over a week, suggesting a long decline could be in danger of reversing.

The rate, which is measured over the preceding 14 days, rose on Friday to 138.6 per 100,000 people from 134 on Thursday, the Health Ministry said.

The ministry also reported 7,586 new cases, bringing Spain's overall tally to 3.26 million. The death toll rose by 590 to 75,010.

Unlike some other European nations, Spain has not imposed nationwide stay-at-home orders since late 2020. Instead, regional authorities have implemented a range of curfews and limits on business opening hours and gatherings.

On Friday, public health authorities recommended that bars and restaurants should not open their inside spaces in regions with an incidence rate higher than 150 cases per 100,000 people, but businesses do not have to implement the advice.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Gov. DeSantis Asks CDC to Reverse Baseless No-Sail Order for Cruises

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for announcing last week that a no-sail order on cruise ships would remain in place until Nov. 1.

On March 26, the governor sat down with state officials to discuss the importance of the industry, calling the order baseless.

During the meeting, DeSantis asked the CDC to reverse the no-sail order that has been in place since March 14, 2020.

If there is one thing weve learned over the past year, its that lockdowns dont work, and Floridians deserve the right to earn a living, said DeSantis. The cruise industry is essential to our states economy and keeping it shut down until November would be devastating to the men and women who rely on the cruise lines to provide for themselves and their families. I urge the CDC to immediately rescind this baseless no-sail order to allow Floridians in this industry to get back to work.

The governor also recommended that Florida seaports receive $258.2 million from federal funds for promoting economic development and recovery for the lucrative industry.

Due to the cruise industry shutdown, losses in Florida totaled $3.2 billion in economic activity, including $2.3 billion in lost wages and 49,500 jobs, according to a statement from the governor.

Vaccine Requirement

Earlier this month, Virgin Voyages, the cruise line founded by billionaire business magnate Richard Branson, announced that it will require all crew and passengers to get a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccine.

The CEO of Virgin Voyages, Tom McAlpin, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times that the companys goal is to provide the safest travel experience, which means vaccinations for both our crew and passengers.

We know that the future is vaccinations and testing, McAlpin said, adding that Virgin Voyages is committed to fully vaccinated cruises.

The Virgin Voyages chief also said the company is really encouraged by the Biden administrations latest vaccine rollout plans in the May time frame.

Another company, the Royal Caribbean International along with its subsidiary, Celebrity Cruises, announced also last week that passengers who travel aboard their cruises will have to be vaccinated for the CCP virus.

Royal Caribbean will provide cruises to the Bahamas and Mexico in June, the company said.

Travelers looking ahead to their summer vacations can  set sail starting June 12. The new itineraries departing through August, which will sail with vaccinated crew, will be available to adult guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the cruise operator said in a statement.

Passengers who are under the age of 18 have to test negative for the CCP virus, the release added.

Tom Ozimek and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

McKinty Re-ups at LB for Seven Figures In a seven-figure deal for world rights, Adrian McKinty sold his next two novels to Little, Brown. Bruce Nichols and Craig Young at LB negotiated the agreement with Shane Salerno at the Story Factory. McKintys 2019 bestseller The Chain (also published by LB) has become a global hit; Salerno noted that the thriller has sold in 43 countries to date. The new deal comes as McKinty is still under contract with LB for a second bookThe Chain sold in a two-book agreement with the publisher. The two books under the new deal, both thrillers, are currently untitled. Salerno added that the first book is about an ingenious plan that goes awry and the horrible consequences that result.

FROM THE U.S.

Sheffs Ono Bio to S&S

The bestselling author of Beautiful Boy, David Sheff, is writing a biography of Yoko Ono. The currently untitled book was acquired by Simon & Schusters Eamon Dolan in a world English rights agreement. The book, set for spring 2024, will, S&S said, draw on extensive time spent with Ono and her confidantes. Dolan added that the biography cuts through the thick layers of racism and sexism that have for decades clouded our vision of Onos impact and achievements. Amanda Urban at ICM represented Sheff.

Bloomsbury Lands on Shafaks Island

For Bloomsbury, Anton Mueller bought North American rights to Elif Shafaks The Island of Missing Trees. The Booker-shortlisted author, who was represented by Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown UK, follows the story of a couple whose love affair crossed borders and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Bloomsbury, elaborating, said the book is the story of a Greek and Turkish couple who fall in love beneath a fig tree on the ethnically divided island of Cyprus in the 1970s as they confront generational trauma and find hope in the miraculous interdependence of natural ecosystems.

Ryans Black Women Joins Amistad

Patrik Henry Bass at Amistad bought April Ryans Black Women Will Save the World in a six-figure, North American rights agreement. The book was sold by Peter McGuigan at Ultra Literary on behalf of Ryans representative, Tracie Wilkes Smith at CSE. Ryan is an author and journalist who has been a White House correspondent for over two decades. In the book, Bass said, Ryan delivers an urgent message about leadership, empowerment, and resilience. Elaborating, Amistad said the title melds history, commentary, and interview to examine the unique qualities that Black women bring to the most important issues of our time.

Andrewss Ghostwriter Turns Biographer

Gallery Books, home of the V.C. Andrews franchise, acquired a biography of the author by her longtime ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman. (Neiderman continues to write new titles under the V.C. Andrews line, which is now in its 41st year.) The Woman Behind the Attic was nabbed by Rebecca Strobel from Alec Shane at Writers House in a world rights agreement. The publisher said the book relies on Andrewss letters and essays, as well as Neidermans interviews with her family to provide answers to decades-long questions and debates about the origins and details of her most famous work, Flowers in the Attic.

Morrow Performs Cornwells Autopsy

Patricia Cornwells next Kay Scarpetta novel, Autopsy, was acquired by William Morrow. David Highfill took world English rights to the book from Esther Newberg at ICM Partners, and HC plans to publish the book through all of its English-language outpostswhich, beyond the U.S., includes Australia/New Zealand, Canada, and the U.K.in fall 2021. The novel, Morrow said, sees its heroine return to her home in Alexandria, Va. It is after the pandemic, and Scarpetta, the publisher went on, must hunt a cunning serial killer terrorizing her own city while politicians cover up the truth.

Fay Sprinkles the Saffron for Putnam

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay was preempted by Putnams Tara Singh Carlson. The world rights agreement was brokered by Kate Garrick at the Karpfinger Agency. The novel, which is set in the 1960s, is, Putnam said, about food and friendship and is told in letters. It follows, Putnam elaborated, two women of different generations and geographies who connect through a fan letter and the simple gift of saffron, sparking a deep and soul-changing friendship. The novel is slated for spring 2022.

Frumkin Takes Confidence to S&S

With a preempt, Zachary Knoll at Simon & Schuster bought world rights to R.A. Frumkins Confidence in a two-book deal. Frumkin (who previously wrote as Rebekah Frumkin) was represented by Ross Harris at the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, with Harris calling the novel a thrilling, brainy caper and a viciously funny takedown of the fallacy of the American dream. In it, two con-artist friends, who are also occasional lovers, attempt, Harris went on, to pull off a major, global scheme on the scale of Theranos or Herbalife. The second book, Bugsy, is a story collection.

Langan Enjoys Night Out at Atria

Loan Le at Atria Books nabbed world rights to Moms Night Out by Sarah Langan (Good Neighbors). Stacia Decker at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner sold the near-futureset novel, which, Decker said, unfolds in the cloistered world of the one percent. It follows a mother who, after a night out, discovers something that threatens to dismantle the entire system and reveals the ways in which women are gaslit.
The month started with an IPO of home delivery firm Virgin Wines and will end with the flotation of ready meal delivery outfit Parsley Box

If any more evidence about the growing popularity of home delivery services was needed, the flotation of Group PLC (LON:MEAL) has provided it.

The company, which delivers ready meals to the home, is set to float on AIM on March 31, thus ending a month that began with PLC ( )  another home delivery operation  floating on Londons junior market.

Both have another thing in common  they received financial backing from , which is enjoying success at the smaller end of the market.

Parsley has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at 200p, giving it a stock market valuation of 83.8mln.

The flotation will see the existing owners sell 12mln worth of shares, reducing the stake held by directors and connected persons to a still sizeable 32.1% or thereabouts.

The company has also raised 5mln in new capital, giving it the firepower to embark on its next phase of growth. Some of this money was provided by Parsley Box customers, who typically are from the Baby Boomer generation. All customers who applied for shares got their full allocation.

"The strong demand for our IPO from both blue-chip institutions and our own customers was a real endorsement of our business and the market opportunities that lie ahead of us, said Kevin Dorren, the chief executive officer of Parsley Box.

As the nation looks forward to emerging from lockdown, investors have been looking for lockdown recovery plays, so the full-year results announcement from accesso Technology Group PLC ( ) was timely.

The company, which provides ticketing e-commerce, virtual queuing and guest experience solutions, is heavily dependent on the theme park and leisure attractions market and so unsurprisingly had an annus horribilis in 2020.

This week, the company revealed that online trading indicates pent-up demand is strong, with eCommerce ticket volumes in the Asia-Pacific region 15% above this time in 2020.

January and February revenues were down 19% on the same period a year ago, which accesso said was a strong performance given that Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions are still in place in most regions.

Shares in accesso were up 16% on the week at around 580p; a year ago they traded at just 186p.

Another company that has been hit hard by lockdowns is ( ), the media and leisure business that made its name telling us all how best to go out and enjoy ourselves.

The shares dived 17% this week as the company pulled out of the planned development of a food court at Waterloo station.

The company said the decision not to back the development did not obviate its need to secure additional funding.

Another company set to bite the fundraising bullet is cash shell Conduity Capital PLC ( ).

Its shares lost around two-thirds of their value this week after it said that it would not be able to make an acquisition before April 6  the date on which its AIM listing will be cancelled unless it completes a reverse takeover.

The plan is to come back to AIM as a Rule 8 investing company but for that to happen its broker reckons it needs to raise at least 6mln.

There was brighter news from the biotech sector, with ( ) jumping 24% this week on the back of a trading update and ( ) rising by a similar magnitude after a research update on its SRA737 candidate.

Proteome raised full-year guidance given on January 25, saying profit after tax is now expected to be materially higher than previously expected, thanks largely to bumper royalty receipts from its licensee, Thermo Scientific.

Sareum, meanwhile, headed higher after it informed the market that researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research will present preclinical data on the combination of the companys Chk1 inhibitor SRA737 with 's WEE1 inhibitor, adavosertib, at the forthcoming American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.
Millions of pounds of taxpayers cash is being wasted on foreign aid projects including eco-hammams in Morocco, friendship benches in Zimbabwe and anti-smoking lessons in Pakistan.

A report questioning how Britains aid funding is spent has revealed more than 700,000 has been allocated for the friendship benches  aimed at encouraging people to discuss their mental health  and a 1 million project to raise awareness of the health benefits of varieties of dark rice  such as brown and black  over white rice in Asia.

More than 80,000 was spent in 2019-20 on encouraging greener hammams in Morocco to facilitate the acceleration of ecological transitions processes. Meanwhile, a 1.2 million budget has been set aside for an ongoing project to teach children in Bangladesh and Pakistan about the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Conservative MP Peter Bone said the projects were mind-bogglingly stupid and almost appear to be designed just so the aid budget can be spent. He added: We need an aid budget that helps countries develop and helps in humanitarian disasters

1m has been spent on advising people in Asia the health benefits of brown and black rice

Conservative MP Peter Bone said the projects were mind-bogglingly stupid and almost appear to be designed just so the aid budget can be spent. He added: We need an aid budget that helps countries develop and helps in humanitarian disasters.

The list of ten wasteful projects was drawn up by the TaxPayers Alliance, which has campaigned to cut the aid budget. Its report comes after the Government announced that it plans to restore its controversial target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid  which in recent years reached about 15 billion.

The United Nations established the 0.7 per cent benchmark in 1970, though few countries reach it. David Cameron passed legislation to bind the UK to the commitment when he was Prime Minister, and the pledge was repeated in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto.

Last year Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced plans to cut the aid commitment to 0.5 per cent as the economy slumped during the pandemic. However these plans have since been scaled back over fears of a Tory rebellion.

John OConnell, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Taxpayers were fed up with billions being squandered overseas long before we were hit with the worst recession in a generation.

A Government spokesman said: We are running a prioritisation exercise across our aid budget to ensure every pound we spend goes as far as possible.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Parents of Tottenville High School students are furious that Brookyn Borough President Eric Adams, a candidate for New York City mayor, has falsely promised to provide school credit in exchange for campaigning efforts, the New York Post reported.

According to the Adams campaign, an email was sent from the schools official email account looking for teen volunteers and promising classroom credit, in a move that is prohibited by the Department of Education (DOE).

Using school resources and distributing materials on behalf of a candidate is prohibited, DOE spokesperson Katie OHanlon told the Post.

The email was sent to all of the nearly 4,000 families of Tottenville High School students, eliciting a frustrated response from parents.

Liz Cutler, the parent of a Tottenville High School student, told the New York Post that the move was absolutely outrageous, referring to the strategy of recruiting students as a kid pro quo.

How desperate of a person do you have to be that you need to enlist teenagers for your own political gain? Cutler told the Post.

The email was signed by Connor Martinez, an Adams campaign consultant and former aide to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

We are building out a robust program where students will help us elect Eric Adams to become the next Mayor of New York City! Martinez wrote.

The email promised that participating students would receive classroom credit for their campaign contributions, though Tottenvilles Assistant Principal William Reynolds told the New York Post that he was completely unaware of any such arrangement.

This is the first Ive heard about it. Its not a program set up by the school, Reynolds said.

A spokesperson for Adams later confirmed that the campaign could not actually guarantee classroom credit for participation, but that it could be awarded at the schools discretion.

Our campaign is offering young people the opportunity to gain invaluable experience, which schools and teachers can offer as class credit if they choose, spokesperson Evan Thies told the Post.

According to the report, Tottenville High School has since sent out an apology to the entire student body, claiming that the initial email was sent in error.
Purulia: Even as voting for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election is underway the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (March 27, 2021 ) released an audio tape claiming that the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee sought help from a senior BJP leader to win the Nandigram seat.

The conversation in the audio took place during a call between Mamata Banerjee and Pralay Paul. In the audio tape the CM is appealing for the BJP leader in question, Pralay Paul to return to TMC.

In the conversation, Mamata Banerjee is allegedly seeking the Paul's help purportedly to win the election, Paul is the BJP District Vice President of Tamluk.

In a tweet BJP wrote: 'Mamata Didi called the BJP vice-president of the district and asked for help. She is going to lose Nandigram this time. Their fear is apparent."

However, Pralay Paul refused to answer to Mamata's plea and stated that he will not betray BJP.

In the viral audio, Paul is heard saying, 'I will be with the party even after i have breathed my last. Despite being such a great leader you called me, thank you very much."

Though, the BJP is also claiming that in the conversation Mamata confessed that TMC was involved in Nandigram violence.

The TMC chief is contesting the assembly election from the high-profile Nandigram seat in Purba Medinipur district and is pitched against Suvendu Adhikari, who switched over to BJP months ahead of the polls.

Meanwhile, polling in the remaining seven phases in West Bengal will take place on April 1 (30 seats), April 6 (31 seats), April 10 (44 seats), April 17 (45 seats), April 22 (43 seats), April 26 (36 seat) and April 29 (35 seats). Results will be declared on May 2.
A customer passes by an E-mart logo on the wall at the retail store in Seoul in November 2020. Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun





E-mart CEO Kang Heui-seok
Indonesia is doubling down on its efforts to become an electric vehicle powerhouse just as the global demand for lithium batteries is predicted to jump to 777GWh, four times its current level. The country plans to focus on technology and foreign partnerships in order to grow its EV footprint.

Following in the footsteps of China, Singapore, and South Korea, Indonesia has set the ambitious target of phasing-out diesel vehicle sales by 2040. The country is even organizing an international event dedicated to electric vehicles at the end of March 2021. It has also pledged to increase its new and renewable energy mix to 23% by 2025. Achieving these goals is going to be a serious challenge as the countrys energy mix is largely dominated by coal.

From exporter to central player in the EV supply chain

Indonesia possesses abundant resources of lithium, nickel, and cobalt - all of which are indispensable materials for the manufacturing of EV batteries - and a well-developed extracting industry. However, the country is no longer satisfied with its role as raw materials exporter: Indonesia wants to impose itself as an indispensable player of the EV supply chain.

Yet, the countrys EV market is at an embryonic stage: in 2019, only 24 electric vehicles were sold in the country. The charging infrastructure is also starting to emerge, with only 62 stations built by October 2020, according to the Ministry of Energy. The objective of having 180 charging stations by the end of 2020 was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the government remains confident in its ability to build around 2500 of them by 2025. Related: UAE To Curb Supply To Asian Buyers The 55/2019 decree passed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, which aims to accelerate the deployment of battery-vehicles in the country, was a big step forward for the EV industry. To further enhance the price-competitiveness of electric vehicles, the Indonesian government decided to offer financial help to the sector. On March 16th, Jakarta cut taxes to 0% for EVs in an attempt to boost domestic EV production.

For now, Indonesias largest foray into electric car deployment has been led by the State-owned TransJakarta, which operates electric buses that can already be seen driving on the foggy streets of Jakarta. The taxi fleet of the capital also underwent an electric transformation, with the Blue Bird company which bought Tesla vehicles.

Jakarta succeeded in attracting major automakers to produce EVs locally. Among them was Toyota, which announced plans to start production in Indonesia in 2022. Joko Widodo is also engaged in talks with Tesla in what looks like a potential investment deal, although nothing official has been announced. Mitsubishi and Hyundai have also expressed strong interest in the countrys plan and are investing in future joint projects.

A window of opportunity for China

The most relevant partner for Indonesia achieving its EV projects would be China. We invited everybody and no-one came, except the Chinese, said Chief investment minister Luhut Panjaitan, quoted by the Asian Times. The two countries notably intensified their energy ties with a $2 billion coal deal signed in November 2020.

Chinese steel giant Tsingshan is also involved in a deal with the mining company Freeport for the construction of a copper smelter, copper being a key component in EV fabrication. At the same time, Tsingshan announced an investment for 2000 MW in renewable energy sources to power Indonesian steel production and nickel processing facilities for batteries.

Related: 13 Million Barrels Of Oil Could Be Affected By Suez Canal Blockage

In December 2020, CATL, the largest Chinese battery producer, was also in talks with Jakarta over battery production. Indonesian Minister of Energy touted a $5 billion investment into a new battery manufacturing plant, planned to enter operation by 2024.

However, in its battle to become the Asian EV hub, Indonesia is facing stiff competition from its neighbors Singapore and Thailand. After a decade of uncertainty over EVs, Singapore recently decided to ramp up investments in the emerging sector. In the framework of its 2030 Green New Plan, the government announced the installation of 60 000 charging stations for its public car park by 2030. Thailand, on its part, also put in place preferential tax regimes for EVs.

Beyond foreign competition, the main challenge for the development of EVs in Indonesia remains at the consumer level. Namely, it is their prohibitive price. Mostly demanded by the upper-class, their cost is between 400 million and 1,4 billion rupies - almost twice the average price of conventional vehicles sold in the country.

By Tatiana Serova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Nairobi  Allianz Africa is eyeing the agriculture insurance sector in Kenya and the East African region which they say is set to grow by 200 percent.

Allianz experts estimate that the value of the agriculture insurance segment to stand at $10 million but say it holds the potential to grow to $30 million. They aim at partnering with aggregators such as banks, cooperatives, agro-dealers, and commodity Associations to deploy the solution, said Lovemore Forichi, Senior Underwriter of Agriculture at Allianz Re

"According to our estimates, Agriculture Insurance Premium globally is USD 32 billion. East Africa contributes about USD18 million of which Kenya is about USD10 million. Governments and the Private Sector in East Africa are working together to increase agriculture insurance penetration in the region. Less than 5% of the Kenya farming community is insured," said Lovemore

Allianz, one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers, entered the East African market last year after signing an agreement with Jubilee Insurance to establish a strategic partnership in the five African countries where Jubilee Insurance currently operates.

The partnership covers the general insurance business (also known as the property & casualty insurance segment) in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as the short-term insurance segment in Burundi and Mauritius. JHL retains its ownership of its Life and Pensions operations and its Medical insurance business in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Lovermore says that Allianz aims at unlocking the potential using parametrics which is a non-traditional insurance product that offers pre-specified payouts based upon trigger events such as wind speed and rainfall measurements.

"Operationally, parametric solutions are less cumbersome as the insurance company does not need to visit the farm and occupy the farmer's time. Monitoring of the index can be done remotely through satellite imagery and data. The farmer can also have access to the data and they can closely monitor the development of the index throughout the growing season on their mobile phone or tablet. This also makes it very transparent, traceable, efficient, and paperless," said the official.

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Through parametrics, farmers can choose which parameter is of concern to them, as far as affecting their crop yield is concerned. The most common parameter is rainfall. Lack of rainfall during the cropping season (drought) as well as too much rainfall (excessive rainfall) have a huge impact on the farmers' yield and subsequently the revenue.

So the farmer will choose to insure against drought and/or excessive rainfall to hedge their losses. When the insurance company uses index insurance solutions such as Rainfall Index, Evapotranspiration Index, Soil Moisture Index, and Area Yield Index, these are classified as parametric solutions.

Over the years, more insurance companies are venturing into the agricultural space as farmers are increasingly understanding the value of insurance as they learn from other people's experiences.

The Kenyan government and private sector are also actively contributing to the insurance penetration through premium subsidies for both crop and livestock farmers as only less than 5% of the Kenya farming community are insured.
The Netherlands earned their first win of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Latvia in front of 5,000 fans, who saw Stephanie Frappart make history and another pre-match protest for human rights in Qatar.

Frank de Boer's side bounced back from their opening round defeat in Turkey with a dominant performance that delighted the small but rowdy crowd at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.

The Dutch capital is set to host matches at this summer's delayed Euro 2020 and the supporters, who all tested negative for Covid-19, were at the match as part of an experiment to see whether events with spectators can take place safely during the pandemic.

They went home happy thanks to Steven Berghuis' superb first-half strike and a Luuk de Jong header in the 69th minute, although the Dutch could have won by more, wasting a host of chances and twice hitting the bar.

"The way we played pleased me but only winning 2-0 after creating dozens of chances isn't enough," said a frustrated De Boer.

"We deserved to win by at least five goals. We tried everything... I looked at the statistics and we touched the ball 96 times in the opposition area. It's incredible."

The Netherlands are third in Group G, three points behind leaders Turkey, who won 3-0 win in Norway and Montenegro, who maintained their perfect start with a 4-1 victory over Gibraltar.

The 'Oranje' travel to Gibraltar for their next match on Tuesday.

Frappart was once again a trailblazer as she became the first woman to take charge of a men's World Cup qualifier.

France's Frappart was in December the first woman to take charge of a men's Champions League match, between Juventus and Dynamo Kiev.

The 37-year-old was also the first woman to referee in the French top flight, the lead official for the 2019 UEFA Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea and made her Europa League debut in October.

Story continues

Ukrainian Kateryna Monzul will oversee Sunday's match between Austria and the Faroe Islands in Vienna.

- Dutch join rights protests -

The Dutch became the third team after Norway and Germany to carry out a pre-match protest in favour of rights for the migrant workers involved in stadium construction for next year's finals in Qatar.

They entered the field in Amsterdam wearing T-shirts with the message "Football supports CHANGE", aimed at the Gulf state.

Qatar has faced criticisms for its treatment of migrant workers, many of whom are involved in preparations for the 2022 World Cup, with campaigners accusing employers of exploitation and forcing labourers to work in dangerous conditions.

Qatari authorities insist they have done more than any country in the region to improve worker welfare.

Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt told Dutch media he and his teammates would be working with player unions in other countries "to discuss joint action".

"We know that the workers who are building the stadiums for the 2022 World Cup are working under very difficult conditions. We cannot remain indifferent to it and do nothing," he said.

Lyon forward Memphis Depay told news agency ANP: "As footballers our voice needs to be heard. It will be more effective through collective action which brings together different countries rather than by acting individually."

ANP also reports that while the Dutch football association (KNVB) was never in favour of holding next year's finals in Qatar, they are not planning on boycotting the tournament.

On Friday, FIFA said Germany and Norway would not be punished for protests from their teams before qualifying fixtures midweek.

Germany lined up before their 3-0 win over Iceland in black T-shirts with white lettering to spell out "Human Rights", while Norway donned T-shirts with the message "Human rights, on and off the pitch" before their qualifier against Gibraltar.

bur-td/pb
The problem with poetry is, a lot of the audience sometimes has a short attention span, he told the Indianapolis paper years later. So poetry has to have rhythm to capture people who cant listen for so long. Theyll just close their eyes and ride the rhythm of your voice.

He took the name muMs when he was around 20. He was in a rap group, he told The Philadelphia Daily News in 2003, and still had a bit of a youthful lisp, so a friend suggested he call himself Mumbles.

I thought about that for a week and shortened it to muMs, he said, and then he turned that into an acronym for manipulator under Manipulation shhhhhhh! That phrase, he told the Indianapolis paper, symbolized the notion that as great as I want to become or as great as I think I am, I can always go to the edge of the ocean, stand there and realize Im nothing in comparison to the universe.

Back in New York, he didnt succeed as a rapper. But he began performing spoken-word poetry at places like the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which is where someone involved in developing Oz saw him and recommended that Tom Fontana, the shows creator, give him a look. Mr. Grant auditioned by performing one of his poems, and he was cast as Poet, a drug addict who writes verses while incarcerated.

Mr. Grant, who lived in the Bronx, joined Labyrinth in 2006 and appeared in various roles in its productions. He also began writing plays, including A Sucker Emcee, in which he told his life story largely in rhymed couplets while a D.J. working turntables provided a soundtrack.

Mr. Grant is survived by his partner, Jennie West, and a brother, Winston Maxwell.

In 2003 Mr. Grant released a spoken-word album called Strange Fruit, taking the title from the song about lynchings famously recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939.

Today, strange fruit means were the product of everything Black people have been through in this country  Middle Passage, Jim Crow, segregation, he told The Baltimore Sun in 2004. Its a new way of looking at it. The metaphor of strange fruit means life and birth for me, where it used to mean lynching and death. Blacks have been doing that for years, taking the bad and flipping it, making the best of a bad situation.
. Eritrea to withdraw its forces from Ethiopian border side

BY BILAL DERSO

ADDIS ABABA- Ethiopia and Eritrea have agreed to reopen land border aim at strengthening people to people ties at the border areas . The two sisterly countries have also renewed commitment to bilateral partnership and the joint strategic development programmes.

After the two-days of regular, consultative, meetings of both countries' leaders in Asmara, the two sides issued statements yesterday.

In his statement,Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), announced that Ethiopia and Eritrea will continue strengthening their bilateral relations and economic cooperation ambitions. "We will continue building on the spirit of trust and good neighborliness between our two countries as embarked upon in 2018."

According to the premier , particular attention has been given to restoring trust-based people- to- people relations among the Tigray State of Ethiopia and fellow Eritreans across the border.

Recalling the TPLF criminal clique rocket attacks in Asmara, Abiy said that the

Eritrean government was provoked and forced to cross Ethiopian borders and prevent further attacks and maintain its national security.

"In our March 26, 2021 discussions with President Isaias Afwerki during my visit to Asmara, the government of Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border and the Ethiopian National Defense Force will take over guarding the border areas effective immediately."

Eritrean Ministry of Information in its press release entitled :'Ethiopian Prime Minster winds visit to Asmara', stated that extensive consultations carried out between the two leaders focused on bilateral partnership and the joint strategic development programmes on the offing within the framework of broader regional prospects and perspectives.

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The release further stated that the vicious military attacks unleashed in the past five months, and attendant disinformation campaigns were also assessed in depth.

The two sides agreed that important lessons have been gleaned from temporary hurdles precipitated by this reality that will further bolster the joint undertakings by the two sides in the period ahead, the release indicated.

The two countries also agreed to hold follow-up consultative meetings in Addis Ababa.

In a related development, Minister of Innovation and Technology Abraham Belay (PhD), who is part of the Ethiopian delegation to Asmara, told local media that the leaders have reached agreement to resume the people-to-people relations of the two countries border communities.

Cognizant of the importance of involving the border communities to lasting peace and economic progress, Prime Minister Abiy and President Isaias exchanged views to transform the people-to-people ties to solid economic partnership, including infrastructural connectivity.

Accordingly, Ethiopia and Eritrea have reached consensus to establish high-level groups that would facailitite their coopeartion in spheres of energy development, electricity interconnection as well as logicstic cordridor develeopment, the minister remarked.

The Ethiopian Herald 27 March 2021
Denver, March 27 : The weapon used by the suspect, a Syrian immigrant, to carry out the mass shooting at a grocery store in the US state of Colorado earlier this week was purchased legally, authorities said.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said that the weapon allegedly used by 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was a semi-automatic Ruger AR-556 pistol, which was purchased legally from a shop in nearby city of Arvada, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ten people, including one police officer, were killed in the carnage on Monday at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder city.

Alissa reportedly purchased the Ruger AR-556, a short-barreled AR-15 rifle, days before the mass shooting, according to Herold.

The store owner who sold the gun said that the suspect had passed a background check required by state authorities, local newspaper The Denver Post reported.

Officials said the suspect also had a second weapon, a 9 mm handgun, with him but he did not use it in Monday's shooting.

Alissa, a resident in Arvada, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder over shooting at police.

Officials said they are planning to file additional charges of attempted murder against the suspect in the next couple of weeks.

Officials said that the motive of the shooting is still unclear.

Herold noted that 26 agencies have been working 24 hours a day to investigate and "like the rest of the community, we, too want to know why. Why King Soopers, why Boulder, why Monday and unfortunately we don't yet have those answers".

Before this incident, tragic mass shootings has occurred in the state.

On July 20, 2012, a shooter set off tear gas grenades and shot inside a movie theatre in Aurora, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others.

It was the deadliest shooting in Colorado since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, in which two young killers murdered 12 students, a teacher and injured 21 others.
An operation is underway to try to work free the ship (Suez Canal Authority via AP)

The company that owns the giant container ship stuck across the Suez Canal said an attempt will be made to refloat the vessel by taking advantage of tidal movements.

The Ever Given, owned by Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, got wedged on Tuesday in a single-lane stretch of the canal, north of the southern entrance near the city of Suez.

Shoei Kisen president Yukito Higaki said 10 tugboats were deployed and workers were dredging the banks and sea floor near the vessels bow to try to get it afloat again as the high tide starts to go out.

We apologise for blocking the traffic and causing the tremendous trouble and worry to many people, including the involved parties, he told a news conference at the company headquarters in Imabari, western Japan, on Friday.

Shoei Kisen said the company has considered removing its containers to get the weight off the vessel, but it is a very difficult operation.

The company said it may still consider that option if the ongoing refloating efforts fail.

A team from Boskalis, a Dutch firm specialising in salvaging, was working with the canal authority using tugboats and a specialized suction dredger at the port side of the cargo ships bow.

An initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure, the company said.

The maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels on Friday outside the Suez Canal and some vessels began changing course. More than 100 ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.
Chandigarh, March 27 : In the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Yadava on Saturday urged the people to be cautious and celebrate Holi at homes.

The government has also decided not to organise Holi 'milan' gatherings.

Since there is a ban on Holi celebration in public places, the DGP said the people should celebrate the festival at home.

"There is need to be cautious and follow all safety guidelines to avoid any chances of coronavirus transmission," he said.

Issuing special instructions to the police officers posted in the field, the DGP directed them to be extra vigilant to maintain law and order across the state.

"We have put in place elaborate arrangements to prevent any untoward incidents during the festival. Special barricades would be established to keep a tab on drunken driving. In addition, the number of police personnel for patrolling at public places would be increased to put a check on gathering, besides eve-teasing and other incidents," he said.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has extended wishes to the people on the occasion.

Latest updates on Holi Festival 2021
THE Department of Healths top official personally phoned the head of RTE shortly before the station broadcast whistleblower claims his department covertly gathered confidential information about children with special needs who sued the State.

Acting secretary general Robert Watt is understood to have voiced concerns to RTEs director general Dee Forbes on Thursday that material relied upon for the report was supplied in breach of the Official Secrets Act.

RTE went ahead with the broadcast that night.

The allegations yesterday prompted Taoiseach Micheal Martin to order the setting-up of a multi-disciplinary team to consider the issues raised.

A spokesperson for RTE said it had no comment on the conversation. Mr Watt did not respond to a request for comment submitted by the Irish Independent through the departments press office.

Read More

Shane Corr, a civil servant in the department, went public after discovering confidential medical and educational information had been gathered by the department about children with special needs who took legal actions to get appropriate educational supports.

According to the whistleblower, sensitive information on their siblings and their parents was gathered as part of a strategy to defend lawsuits. This was said to have been done in over 40 dormant cases involving children with autism.

A template letter indicated the department looked for service updates from doctors, psychiatrists and social workers on the children and their families.

It was said to have explicitly stated that neither the plaintiffs nor their solicitors were to be contacted about the request.

After Mr Corr made a protected disclosure last year, the department commissioned a senior counsel to review the matter.

According to the department, the senior counsel found the practice to be entirely lawful, proper and appropriate. No breach of the Data Protection Acts was identified and the review did not recommend any change to the departments approach.

The Data Protection Commissioner is looking into the matter and has supplied a list of questions to the department. The Medical Council said it was greatly concerned about some of the allegations.

Department of Health officials are to be asked to appear before an Oireachtas Health Committee to answer questions. Mr Watt is expected to be among the officials. The committee is also seeking for the senior counsels report to be made available.

The department did not respond to queries asking if it would release the report or the terms of reference for it.

It also failed to respond to queries about the extent of the knowledge the minister and junior ministers had about the practice detailed by the whistleblower.

In an open letter on the departments website, Mr Watt said the department had never unlawfully held sensitive medical and educational information of children involved in dormant court cases.

The Minister for Health is regularly named in litigation, and one of the duties of the Department of Health is to manage cases effectively on behalf of the State, which sometimes includes review of sensitive information in order to settle or defend a case, he said.

He said the departments overall mission was to improve the health and wellbeing of people and to protect the most vulnerable in society.

We take the allegations extremely seriously and the Taoiseach has today announced that a multi-disciplinary team will now be formed to consider the issues raised with the aim of understanding fully what happened here, said Mr Watt.

Read More




The head of the consular department of the Armenian Embassy in the Russian Federation, Ara Mnatsakanyan, died in Moscow, the diplomatic mission informed.

"With deep sorrow and pain, we inform you that on March 27 this year, the adviser of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Russian Federation, head of the consular department of the embassy, a diplomat with great experience Ara Vladimirovich Mnatsakanyan untimely passed away," the message on the official Facebook page of the embassy reads.

Embassy staff expressed deep condolences to the family and friends of Ara Mnatsakanyan.
Elementary students will be in the buildings five days a week while secondary students will have in-person learning four days, Monday through Thursday. Families who want to keep their children remote for the rest of the year will be able to. Pirozzolo said a lot of plans and logistics still need to be figured out. Dining is being worked on, for example, since people still have to be six feet apart while eating. The district is also determining how to hold the junior and senior proms, saying it will likely have to be broken up into multiple evenings. He praised the district staff's efforts during the pandemic. He also thanked parents, saying they had to become "overnight teachers" and have been working closely with teachers and staff.
New York Attorney General Letitia James' office has issued subpoenas to dozens of Andrew Cuomo's officials, including his top aide Melissa DeRosa, as part of the probe into allegations he sexually harassed multiple women.

Sources told the Wall Street Journal several aides in the governor's office have been ordered to hand over documents to investigators just days after some of Cuomo's accusers said the inquiry was also looking at whether his top officials tried to intimidate the women when they came forward with their allegations.

DeRosa, who works as secretary to the governor and is a member of his COVID-19 taskforce, was reportedly among those subpoenaed.

A total of eight women have now come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior including three former and two current aides in his office.

The governor has said he 'never touched anyone inappropriately' and 'never made any inappropriate advances' but has apologized for making anyone feel 'uncomfortable.'

Calls continue to grow for him to resign from both Republicans and those in his own party as his office is also under investigation over the COVID-19 nursing home deaths scandal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James' office has issued subpoenas to dozens of Andrew Cuomo's officials as part of the probe into allegations he sexually harassed multiple women. Cuomo arrives at the New Settlement Community Center in New York Friday

DeRosa's name has now cropped up in relation to both the sexual harassment and nursing home scandals as she made a bombshell confession last month that the state had withheld the damning data on the number of COVID-19 deaths in the long-term care facilities across New York.

Now, she has been accused by some of Cuomo's accusers of making 'intimidating' phone calls after allegations of sexual harassment first surfaced and is said to have been involved in drafting a letter to tarnish the reputation of one of his accusers.

DeRosa has not been accused by the AG's office of any wrongdoing in the sexual harassment probe and lawyers for the Cuomo administration said subpoenas are standard practice in investigations of this nature.

'No one should be surprised that the AG's office is issuing requests for documents and interviewing witnesses, including many who work for the governor,' Attorney Paul Fishman told the Journal.

'That happens in every investigation, and it's wildly premature to speculate what it means. Good, thorough, and fair investigations take time.'

But one of Cuomo's accusers, 35-year-old Ana Liss, told the Journal she was specifically asked by investigators in James' office about her dealings with DeRosa, who was Cuomo's director of communications when Liss was his policy and operations aide from 2013 to 2015.

'They were trying to figure out if I was targeted by Melissa,' she said.

Liss said she told investigators she didn't deal with DeRosa much at the time.

Liss has accused the governor of subjecting her to unsolicited advances, including touching her lower back, kissing her hand and quizzing her about her love life during her tenure in his office.

Last week, Liss revealed Cuomo was not the only person in the administration who came up in her discussions with state investigators for 'offensive conduct.'

Sources told the Wall Street Journal several aides in the governor's office have been ordered to hand over documents to investigators. DeRosa (pictured), secretary to the governor, was reportedly among those subpoenaed

'Sexual harassment on the Governor's behalf is a significant piece of the investigation, but he neither is nor was the only person in the administration responsible for offensive conduct,' she said in a statement, per CNN.

She gave examples including 'scatological name-calling' and 'outright objectification of women's bodies' as she described 'a toxic, verbally abusive, retaliatory workplace, especially for young women like myself.'

She said she told James' office about 'instances of unsolicited attention paid to me by the governor and the sexually hostile work environment perpetuated by him and senior staff.'

Her comments were echoed by fellow accusers Charlotte Bennett and Lindsey Boylan who said they were also questioned about the actions of his senior aides to determine if they enabled his inappropriate behavior, retaliated against his accusers and handled the complaints correctly.

One of Cuomo's accusers, 35-year-old Ana Liss, said she was specifically asked by investigators in James' office about her dealings with DeRosa

Liss did not name the 'senior staff' she said perpetuated the 'sexually hostile work environment.'

However she confirmed she had been asked about a phone call she received from Cuomo's Senior Adviser Rich Azzopardi back in December when the first accuser Lindsey Boylan came forward to level accusations against the governor.

Calls were made from Cuomo's office to six former employees asking them about Boylan after accusations against Cuomo first emerged.

DeRosa was one of the aides said to have contacted the staff members.

Azzopardi has said the calls were merely made to former staffers to check in if they had heard from Boylan.

'After Ms. Boylan's tweets in December, she, and her lawyers and members of the press began reaching out to former members of the Chamber, many of whom never worked with her,' he said in a statement.

'Those former members of the Chamber called to let various staff people know and convey that they were upset by the outreach. As a result, we proactively reached out to some former colleagues to check in and make sure they had a heads up.

'There was no directed effort - this outreach happened organically when everyone's phone started to blow up.'

But Liss said the calls were intimidation tactics: 'I felt intimidated, and I felt bewildered.'

Boylan, who worked for Cuomo's team from March 2015 to October 2018, was the first accuser to come forward back in December.

She accused the governor of unwanted advances including an unsolicited kiss on the lips and him suggesting they play a game of strip poker. The governor has denied these allegations.

DeRosa's name has now cropped up in relation to both the sexual harassment and nursing home scandals as she made a bombshell confession last month that they hid the damning data on the number of COVID-19 deaths in the facilities across the state. Pictured with Cuomo

When the allegations surfaced, Cuomo's office released her personnel records, which included disciplinary recommendations against her.

It emerged last week that Cuomo's office also tried to tarnish Boylan's reputation by sending an open letter to former staffers to sign - especially women - accusing her of making 'false claims' for 'political gain.'

'Weaponizing a claim of sexual harassment for personal political gain or to achieve notoriety cannot be tolerated,' one version of the letter read, according to the New York Times.

'False claims demean the veracity of credible claims.'

The letter, which was never released, also tried to tie her to Donald Trump saying her allegations arose after she was 'supported by lawyers and financial backers of Donald Trump: an active opponent of the governor.'

DeRosa was also said to be among the small inner circle of aides responsible for drafting the letter which Boylan said was done to smear her.

Cuomo's counsel Beth Garvey said the release of Boylan's personnel records 'is within a government entity's discretion' to do 'including in instances when members of the media ask for such public information and when it is for the purpose of correcting inaccurate or misleading statements.'

Anna Ruch (left) and Lindsey Boylan (right) both accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior

Charlotte Bennett, 25, accused Cuomo of propositioning her in his office in June

Karen Hinton (left), a press aide, and Jessica Bakeman accused Cuomo of inappropriate actions

Alyssa McGrath said Cuomo ogled her body, called her and her co-worker 'mingle mamas' and asked about her lack of a wedding ring as well calling her beautiful in Italian

DeRosa, who has worked in state politics for almost two decades, also found herself at the center of the nursing home deaths scandal last month when she admitted in a call with Democratic state legislators that officials 'froze' in August when then-President Donald Trump's Department of Justice asked for data on the number of nursing home residents who died from the virus.

DeRosa said on the call that the state then hid the damning data and rebuffed the request.

'We were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation,' she said.

DeRosa then walked back her claims insisting the state was 'comprehensive and transparent' with the DOJ.

'I was explaining that when we received the DOJ inquiry, we needed to temporarily set aside the Legislature's request to deal with the federal request first,' she said.

'We informed the houses of this at the time.

'We were comprehensive and transparent in our responses to the DOJ, and then had to immediately focus our resources on the second wave and vaccine rollout.'

She added: 'As I said on a call with legislators, we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked.

Emergency Medical Service workers unload a patient into their ambulance at the Cobble Hill Health Center in April. Cuomo's office is accused of hiding nursing home death data

'But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic.'

Her comments came just two weeks after the AG revealed Cuomo's office had grossly downplayed the number of nursing home deaths by around 50 percent.

Earlier this month, sources said DeRosa and other top officials successfully pushed state health officials to alter the death data in a report before it was released to the public in July.

An original version of the report said almost 10,000 nursing home residents died, they said.

The final version released to the public put the figure at 6,432.

A separate federal probe is now looking into the state's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes and the release of the data.

DeRosa, who sometimes appeared alongside the governor at his Emmy-winning press conferences last year, told the Journal she didn't sleep during the pandemic because she was working long hours and cared so much about her work.

'The last thing I would do in my day is call family members of healthcare workers who died and tell them I'm sorry for their pain, and then close the door, lay on the floor and cry,' she said.

'I am not the one-dimensional person that has been portrayed in the press.'

Azzopardi also praised DeRosa in a statement: 'Melissa is the exact same person behind the scenes as she is on camera -t ough, hardworking, brilliant, meticulously prepared, and always fighting to improve the lives of New Yorkers.'

DeRosa was appointed to the position of governor to the secretary in 2017, four years after she joined his office in 2013.

Prior to this she worked as deputy chief of staff to then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
He became a father in April of last year after his wife Jodie Turner-Smith gave birth to their daughter Janie.

And Joshua Jackson took some special time with his daughter on Saturday as they went for a walk in New York City, before meeting up with Smith.

The 42-year-old Dawson's Creek star opted for a comfortable low-key look with a gray hoodie and matching sweatpants.

Fatherdaughter time: Joshua Jackson, 42, got in some special time with his 11-month-old daughter Janie Jackson as they went for a walk in New York City on Saturday

Joshua looked ready for anything in a pair of black-and-yellow Nike trainers.

He practiced proper coronavirus safety measures by wearing a pail pink and white mask and keeping his distance from other pedestrians.

Janie looked comfortable in her Cybex by Jeremy Scott, which was decorated with gold wings and costs nearly $1,700 at several retailers.

She looked cute in a pale pink shirt covered in black dots and had her dark hair tied up in a top knot.

Stepping out: The 42-year-old Dawson's Creek star opted for a comfortable low-key look with a gray hoodie and matching sweatpants

Linking up: The Queen & Slim star appeared to tend to some business of her own before linking up with the duo

Smith seemed to be off doing some errands of her own before linking up with her family unit.

She stepped out in a stylish beige coat and a denim button up with blue jeans, eager to get in some quality time with the duo.

The Queen & Slim star sported long braids as she took over stroller duties, before tenderly linking her arm with Jackson's after her propped Janie on his shoulders.

Family outing: She stepped out in a stylish beige coat and a denim button up with blue jeans, eager to get in some quality time with the duo

Relationship: Jackson and Smith have been together since late 2018, and they tied the knot in secret in December 2019, before welcoming Janie in the spring of 2020

Doting dad: Joshua looked ready for anything in a pair of black-and-yellow Nike trainers

He gave Janie the chance to view NYC from a higher vantage point, ensuring her safety while securely gripping her feet.

The couple have been together since late 2018, and they tied the knot in secret in December 2019, before welcoming Janie in the spring of 2020.

The English-born model and actress will next be seen on the big (and small) screen on April 30, when she stars in the Tom Clancy action thriller Without remorse with Michael B. Jordan, which will premiere on Amazon Prime.

On her own: Seemingly missing from the outing was Joshua's wife Jodie Turner-Smith, 34; seen in February 2020 in London

Moving fast: He and the Queen & Slim star have been together since late 2018, and they tied the knot in secret in December 2019, before welcoming Janie in the spring of 2020

Prior to Joshua's relationship with Jodie, the Canadian star had a decade-long relationship with German actress Diane Kruger.

The Fringe star is currently experiencing a career resurgence as he plays the title role in the true-crime drama series Dr. Death for the Peacock streaming service.

He plays the imprisoned neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, whose crimes were committed while he worked at various hospitals around Dallas.

The former doctor had had a checkered past in medical school, when he was removed from his residency temporarily over suspicions that he was under the influence of cocaine while operating, though he was later allowed to graduate.

Back on top: The Fringe star is currently experiencing a career resurgence as he plays the title role in the true-crime drama series Dr. Death for the Peacock streaming service; seen in January in NYC

While operating in the Dallas area, his gross malpractice led to the deaths and maiming of 33 patients.

Joshua's career upswing began with his 2019 role in an episode of Ava DuVernay's acclaimed Netflix miniseries When They See Us about the trial of the Central Park Five, a group of five Black teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of the aggravated assault and rape of a white woman who had been jogging in the park in 1989.

The five were exonerated after a man who was already locked up confessed to the crime, and they later settled a lawsuit against New York City for $41 million.

He followed up the role with a more substantial one in the Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere, which was based on the acclaimed novel of the same name and starred Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
It was another eventful week in the small-cap oil and gas sector.

(LON:88E, ) shares gained around 13% this past week as investors look forward to a pending well result, and, the company raised US$6.48mln of new capital on Monday.

Mondays update provided a drilling update and the news that a contractor on the well programme had taken up shares in the company.

It said that the Merlin well is now being drilled down towards its primary Nanushuk targets.

Managing director Dave Wall, meanwhile, hinted at a potentially short remaining timeline for the well. We wish all our shareholders good fortune over the coming days," he said.

These days later investors will spend the weekend looking forward to a result.

On Friday, s (LON:TXP, ) financial results highlighted a year of significant progress in which the company enhanced its financial position significantly.

During the year, it unearthed new discoveries and inked a long-term natural gas sales agreement with Trinidads National Gas Company  following the successful results on the Ortoire block.

( ) on Wednesday confirmed it had closed its oversubscribed fundraising to support its new venture in Nigeria, an interest in the development of the Barracuda field. The placing and subscription offer raised 1.22mln through the sale of 28.71mln new shares priced at 4.25p.

"We are delighted to successfully conclude this oversubscribed fundraise which demonstrates the strength of investor interest and confidence in ADM, said Osamede Okhomina, ADM chief executive.

A day earlier, ADM announced it conditionally agreed to invest in the development of the Barracuda oil field. ADM will provide technical and financial support to the investors in NHNL, while the RSA consortium will provide funding for all upcoming capital expenditure and a Competent Person's Report (CPR).

( ) reaffirmed its commitment to high impact offshore exploration in the Caribbean, saying it intends to extend its licences and seek partners ahead of new well drilling. The company told investors it plans to renew the four southern licences in The Bahamas into a third, three-year drill-or-drop exploration period, according to a statement.

Chariot Oil & Gas Limited ( ) agreed to acquire a renewable and hybrid power developer in a deal worth up to US$2mln, paid mostly in shares. Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP) has an existing partnership in solar and wind power with Total Eren, which is 30% owned by French energy major Total. AEMP and Total Eren are working to provide clean, sustainable, and more competitively priced energy to mining operations in Africa.

It is an opportunity thats described as a giant, largely untapped market. Moreover, Chariot highlighted that it is a business area where its management brings numerous high-level contacts.

( ) said the operator of the West Newton project, Rathlin Energy, has launched an online consultation event. It is part of a public planning consultation process for the proposed development of the West Newton A site.

The company owns a 16.665% interest in the project which comprises the successful WN-A1 discovery well, WN-A2 appraisal well and the recently drilled B-1Z discovery.
If youve taken a walk through any of the states popular downtowns since the warm weather has hit, life looks, almost, dare we say, normal.

Vaccines distribution has ramped up. Spring is moving in. Restaurants, bars, gyms, and other facilities can fill to 50 percent capacity now. And across the state folks are out and about once again.

Its enough to make you feel like this pandemic is over  except, its not.

We need to slow the spread and to ensure our hospitals will not get anywhere near the danger zone before we can take any further steps to reopen, Gov. Phil Murphy said at his latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton on Wednesday.

Buzzkill.

More than a year into our new normal, its easy to want to fall back into, well, old normal. But its crucial we dont let our guard down now, according to public health experts.

I do think there is quite a bit of fatigue setting in, says Dr. Stephanie Silveras, an epidemiologist and professor of public health at Montclair State University. Everybody was hoping by the summer of last year we would be done. And so now here we are, heading into warm weather again, and were still being told to wear masks and not get together with our families or in big parties.

But no matter our level of fatigue, the numbers are real.

On Friday, New Jersey was the No. 1 state in the U.S. for new COVID-19 cases per capita over the last two weeks and the state reported the latest rate of transmission was 1.10 for the second straight day, meaning the outbreak is growing. So far, about 19.5% of the states 6.9 million adults have been fully vaccinated. We need to get closer to 70 percent, she says.

So yes, New Jersey, buckle up. Because weve still got a ways to go.

The piece we cant leave out, thats going to give the vaccines a better chance, is how we behave in spite of the vaccine, Silveras says. Wearing a mask and social distancing are still the best tools we have in our toolbox.

And Gov. Murphy holding off on further reopenings? It sends a message, Silveras says.

We saw the governor talk about how were going to pump the breaks a little bit on reopening, which I think was a good idea, she says. Very often the policies of how open or closed things are sends a message of how we should be behaving outside of those situations. The more open a state is gives the perception that everything is safe.

(Were looking at you, Miami.)

So yes, by all means, get outside. Weve already learned that outdoor activities are low risk and for sure were all sick of being cooped up. But dont drop your guard.

Besides, it could all be so much worse.

We need to keep reminding ourselves that getting a vaccine to market and into peoples arms in less than a year was an incredible feat, Silveras says. So while it still may be frustrating and difficult, its still much better than we could have hoped for.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Thursday, March 25

10:38 p.m. -- While deputies were investigating an unrelated complaint, a 67-year-old Lincoln Township woman reported she was pushed by her 44-year-old daughter. A 17-year-old male teen also reported he was slapped by his mother. Neither victim was injured. The 44-year-old woman denied the claims. A report has been forwarded to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review.

10:37 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a Lincoln Township residence for a report of a 43-year-old woman that was causing a disturbance outside of the home. The homeowner, a 37-year-old woman, requested the 43-year-old be escorted from the property. The 43-year-old was then notified she was formally trespassed and agreed to not go over to the home.

9:03 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a Greendale Township residence to assist Isabella County authorities in locating a 24-year-old woman who was wanted on felony drug charges. Deputies located the woman inside a camper on the property, and she was taken into custody without incident. The subject was transported to a meet location where she was turned over to Isabella County authorities without incident.

6:03 p.m. -- A 60-year-old Homer Township woman called the sheriff's office regarding a 75-year-old man that lives with her. The woman said the man was being verbally threatening and broke his own phone. No assault had occurred and the woman was not willing to leave the residence. The deputy explained that the man can not be kicked out by the sheriff's office due to residency. The deputy advised the woman on applying for a Personal Protection Order if she felt threatened.

As the woman was not willing to leave, she was requested to stay in a room separate from the male and call 9-1-1 prior to anything getting physical. The woman agreed to this.

5:07 p.m. -- A 30-year-old Homer Township woman reported locating an injured hawk. With the assistance of the woman, the hawk was captured and secured in a crate. The animal was taken to a 79-year-old Bay County raptor rehab specialist.

3:30 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to Larkin Township after a 42-year-old man reported that his neighbors were target shooting in an unsafe manner. The deputy spoke with one of the subjects, a 29-year-old Bay City man, who said they will continue to try and shoot in as safe of a manner as possible.

11:56 a.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation for a subject who died from natural causes in the 5300 block of Dublin Avenue.

11:33 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a larceny report in Larkin Township. Suspects had forcibly entered a construction tool trailer on a residential construction site and had stolen equipment. This complaint is under investigation.

9:54 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Homer Township residence because the caller believed her nephew stole a tool belonging to the landlord. The suspect is a 22-year-old Jerome Township man. The landlord has not been able to check the property to determine if anything is missing. The suspect and his mother are avoiding law enforcement. This complaint is active.

9:51 a.m. -- Officers performed a warrant arrest in the 1100 block of Fournie Street.

9:34 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in the area of Bay City Road and Rockwell Drive.

8:45 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in Ingersoll Township.

8:17 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in Mills Township.

6:36 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Homer Township intersection for a two-vehicle traffic crash. The at-fault driver was cited for failure to yield.
Among those for whom this hasn't been the best of weeks is the poor guy who got his big boat stuck in the Suez Canal. It could happen to any of us.

Rarely have I read a story about complex maritime manoeuvring and thought to myself: "I could do that."

Captain Whatever His Name Is has, albeit unwittingly, struck a blow for all those of us who, not since the day we did our driving test, have managed to execute a three-point turn in anything like single figures.

The good captain is blaming a sandstorm for his corking of the canal. Yet, no other vessel has managed to end up so spectacularly jammed.

To make matters even more humiliating, the tracking map of the ship's progress bears an unfortunate resemblance to male genitalia.

Still. You have to feel for the man in charge. Especially in that horrible, final moment when he will have had to concede to himself - and confess to his bosses - "We're sort of stuck."

Which brings us to that other leviathan which has similarly managed to wedge itself between a rock and a hard place in recent days. The EU.

Having shifted position over and over again around AstraZeneca safety and supply, it has finally been accepted this week that, in the words of First Officer Emmanuel Macron: "We didn't go fast enough or strong enough."

The unfortunate captain of the Ever Given would doubtless empathise there. The EU's handling of vaccine rollout has been woeful. The UK's, thus far anyway, much more successful.

Post-Brexit, this has not been a good look for the EU - and EU bosses know it.

So, they've done what people often do when they fear themselves running aground - they've continued to steer for the rocks, blaming everybody but themselves.

Belatedly, some leaders now seem to be acknowledging they got it wrong. But the good ship European Union is definitely listing a bit on account of this self-inflicted damage.

One of the interesting things I've noticed this week is the number of articles by commentators saying that, while they voted Remain in the referendum, the EU's handling of the vaccine crisis and, in particular, the politicking, has led them to think again.

"Buyer's regret," one writer called it.

By turning Brexit into Vaxit, the EU have alienated at least some pro-EU voters.

This is no small thing, because, pre-Covid, the debate over Brexit was utterly anchored in The Sea of Intransigence. You were on one side or the other and nobody anywhere was giving way.

I voted to stay in the EU (and would still be of the Remain persuasion), but I think like a lot of people, having been initially disappointed in the result, I eventually got over it. It was always inevitable, of course, that EU bosses would want to make things as awkward as possible for the departing UK.

They needed to dissuade other wavering EU member states from thinking of pulling the same trick. They needed a post-Brexit UK to look like a right shambles.

Post-Vaxit, it's the other way around. And they've manoeuvred themselves into this position, not primarily by failure to source sufficient vaccine supply, but by the infantile blame game they then engaged in.

Trying to score political points over a life-saving medication, of all things, does not commend you, even to those who've been on your side. The UK Government, however, could also do with toning down the smugness in some quarters. Starting with Matt Hancock.

All round, there's a lot to be said for a Suez-style solution.

Just admit it when you're in a jam - and then agree that it's going to take all hands working together to turn the thing around.

Return of bars just the (gin and) tonic

Did you ever think you'd see the day when you'd be required to produce proof that you've had a jab before they let you into a bar?

A "vaccine passport" scheme is among proposals being considered by the Government. You'd have to have one to get into the pub.

Obviously, this has been thought up by the one person in Westminster who never, ever used a fake ID to get into a nightclub.

So far, it's only a suggestion and might never happen. But anything that gets the bars back is fine by me.

I'll have a large gin and vaccine, please.

Waterway to solve link conundrum

Back to the beleaguered ship in Suez - and I'm surprised that they didn't think to fly in Downing Street's resident maritime engineer, Isambard Kingdom Johnson, to sort it.

Surely, with his expertise in burrowing, Boris would have been just the technician to come up with some suggestion as to how to prise it free. Plus, once it was under way again, the ship might, in turn, solve the PM's ongoing Irish Sea bridging conundrum.

If the captain could be persuaded to jam his giant craft between Larne and Stranraer...

Right royal puzzle over baby photos

Expand Close Princess Eugenie released a pic this week of her month-old baby / Facebook

Twitter

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Whatsapp Princess Eugenie released a pic this week of her month-old baby

Princess Eugenie released a pic this week of her month-old baby. You could just about make out the wee mite's eyebrows in the pic. I'm not sure why we would need to see so many royal baby pics in the first place. But the current upper class fashion for allowing only small body parts to be revealed is, frankly, plain weird. A wee foot here, a wee hand clutching somebody's thumb there. Are people meant to collect the pics and put them together like a jigsaw?
Burmese residents of Utica took to Oneida Square Saturday to protest the violence taking place in Myanmar, also known as Burma. At least 114 people were killed in the Southeast Asian nation Saturday as the military controlled government continues to crack down on protesters against the military coup which took place February 1. Almost all of the protesters have family members in Burma at risk.

"My family's surviving in Burma," said protest organizer Zaw Naing Win. "And they are also on the street and marching and asking freedom and democracy in Burma. So I'm still worried about my family."

Community leaders stood in solidarity with the Burmese community, and empathized with their strife.

"They all live in fear," said Redeemer Church pastor Paul Schilling as he held back tears. "They live in fear every day. They don't know what's going to happen. But the people of Burma are willing to die for their freedom."

The protesters called on President Joe Biden to take military action in Myanmar, and for members of the United Nations to envoke R2P, or right to protect, which is a doctrine stating that the international community has a responsibility to intervene to prevent war crimes and crimes against humanity.
President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on March 26, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Invites Xi, Putin to Climate Summit in April

President Joe Biden has invited Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to be among 40 world leaders at a global summit on climate change next month.

The virtual event, called the Leaders Climate Summit, will be held April 2223 and live-streamed for public viewing.

President Biden took action his first day in office to return the United States to the Paris Agreement. Days later, on Jan. 27, he announced that he would soon convene a leaders summit to galvanize efforts by the major economies to tackle the climate crisis, a White House announcement reads.

Biden told reporters on March 26 that he hadnt yet spoken to Xi and Putin about the event, but they know theyre invited.

The United States is currently clashing with China and Russia over election interference, cyber attacks, human rights, and other issues.

China is the worlds top emitter of carbon dioxide, followed by the United States, while Russia is No. 4.

China is by far the worlds largest emitter. Russia needs to do more to reduce its emissions. Not including these countries because they arent doing enough would be like launching an anti-smoking campaign but not directing it at smokers, Nigel Purvis, who worked on climate diplomacy in past Democratic and Republican administrations, told The Associated Press.

Biden has discussed climate issues with other leaders in recent days, including during a phone call on March 26 with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and in a virtual summit of the European Council on March 25 with European leaders.

The list of 40 invited nations to the summit includes U.S. neighbors Canada and Mexico, as well as allies in Europe and Asia. It also includes Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, and South Africa. Biden also invited the leaders of countries that are demonstrating strong climate leadership, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts, or are charting innovative pathways to a net-zero economy, the White House announced.

In this photograph made available on March 21, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin looks at a photographer in a taiga forest in Russias Siberian region. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Stronger Climate Action

The event will underscore the urgencyand the economic benefitsof stronger climate action. It will be followed by the United Nations global climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

A key goal of the two events is to catalyze efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the White House.

The summit will also highlight examples of how enhanced climate ambition will create good-paying jobs, advance innovative technologies, and help vulnerable countries adapt to climate impacts, the Biden administration announced.

Biden urged leaders to use the event as an opportunity to outline how their countries will also contribute to reducing emissions.

At the summit, the United States will also reconvene the Major Economies Forum, which will bring together a group of 17 countries that, according to the White House, are responsible for about 80 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and global GDP.

The White House said that the United States will, by the time of the summit, have announced an ambitious 2030 target to reduce emissions from coal, natural gas, and oil, as part of its new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement.

Upon taking office, Biden had the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement, the 2015 United Nations framework that seeks to tackle climate change. The measure intends to limit global temperature increase to less than 2 degrees Celsius and preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

The United States first joined the agreement during the final months of the Obama administration in 2016. Former President Donald Trump had the country formally withdraw from the agreement in November 2020, although he had announced the move in 2017 when he called the Paris Agreement a global disaster for the U.S. economy that was too lenient toward communist China and other countries that wouldnt be held to the same standards as the United States.

Under the agreement, China will be able to increase these emissions by a staggering number of years13, Trump said at the time. They can do whatever they want for 13 years. Not us.  There are many other examples.

China is the worlds largest financier and builder of both fossil fuel and renewable infrastructure worldwide, according to the Climate Action Tracker.

Experts have told The Epoch Times that rejoining the Paris Agreement will negatively affect the U.S. economy and bring little environmental benefit.

Bowen Xiao and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Red & Black spoke with Deborah Gonzalez as she reflected on what it means to be the first Latina and woman in her new role as district attorney.
The U.S. vaccination campaign is accelerating rapidly, with more than 91 million people  roughly one-third of the adult population  having received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccination by Saturday. And nearly every state has announced that it will meet President Joe Bidens directive to make all adults eligible by May 1.
New Delhi:

A Ludhiana man sold his 22-year-old wife to his friends to buy drugs and other contrabands in Punjabs Ludhiana. The mans friend gangraped the woman and clicked nude photographs.

The incident came to surface after the rape survivor lodged a complaint with the Ludhiana senior superintendent of police (SSP) on Friday.

The victim informed the media that for the first time she was sold by her husband to his friends without her consent in June.

My husbands friend started blackmailing me with the pictures they had clicked, she added.

Ludhiana Police said that the women fed up with the regular sexual assault lodged complaint against her husband and his friends.

Punjab Police has lodged FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 120B and the husbands friend have been booked under IPC section 376.

Police in their course of investigation have learnt that the womans husband and the seven other accused are drug addicts.

A special team has been formed to nab the womans husband and seven other accused.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
For a brief moment on Tuesday, at the bewildering press conference where he came to apologise to the women of Australia for not hearing them but wound up losing his temper, Scott Morrison seemed to grasp that he might personify the very problem weve all been talking about. That there was something in the way he conducts himself as Prime Minister  in his private dealings with female members of his government, and in his public dealings with the press  that has added fuel to the month-long debate about the treatment of women.

Morrison revealed that he had been listening carefully to female colleagues and friends about the issues and the traumatic things that they have had to deal with. One of the things he learnt was that men in power dont see women as equals.

A visibly distressed Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

I have heard that women are overlooked, talked over, by men, whether it is in boardrooms, meeting rooms, staff rooms, in media conferences, in cabinets, or anywhere else, he said.

The key words here are media conferences and cabinets. There is no other person who his colleagues and friends could have been referring to. They may have sugar-coated their observations by assuring the PM that he didnt mean to come across this way, and that his federal predecessors, as well as countless state premiers, were also prone to mansplaining. But Morrison is that guy he described, and it is a credit him that he could acknowledge it as part of Tuesdays mea culpa.
In a weekend of carnage, Myanmar security forces killed protesters in more than 40 cities and towns as the military regime that seized power two months ago sought to put down opposition to its rule.

Soldiers and the police killed more than 126 people on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a human rights group that is tracking the deaths. At least seven were children, including a 5-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old girl.

A baby girl in Yangon, Myanmars largest city, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet. Her parents said she was expected to survive.

Saturday, which the military celebrated as Armed Forces Day, was the deadliest day in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup, with 114 people killed.
Permanent missions of several dozen states to the United Nations issued a joint statement on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 "Territorial Integrity of Ukraine".

The joint statement was published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Seven years ago, on 27 March 2014, the United Nations General Assembly by an overwhelming majority of UN member states adopted Resolution 68/262 Territorial Integrity of Ukraine. By this resolution, the international community affirmed, loud and clear, its full commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, the document says.

Its authors state that despite the clear demands of the General Assembly, the Russian Federation has not stopped its temporary occupation of Crimea. On the contrary, it continues flagrant human rights violations and abuses, and military build-up on the peninsula.

These actions of the Russian Federation that undermine Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its violations and abuses of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities on the peninsula and all others who oppose Russias occupation, prompted the General Assembly to adopt resolutions 71/205, 72/190, 73/263, 74/168, 75/192 Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine and 73/194, 74/17, 75/29, Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. In these resolutions, the General Assembly condemned the temporary occupation of Crimea and urged the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, to uphold all its obligations under applicable international law, the statement reads.

Russias actions have been of global concern, inconsistent with international law, including the UN Charter, and are also contrary to the Helsinki Final Act, as well as international humanitarian and human rights law. Russias attempts to legitimize the attempted annexation of Crimea are not, and will not be recognized, the document notes.

We also firmly condemn Russias continued destabilization of Ukraine, especially Russias actions in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, disregarding the commitments it made under the Minsk agreements. We reiterate our support for the efforts of the Normandy format and our firm commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in line with the Minsk agreements and with full respect of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia is a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, not a mediator, the statement says.

The UN member states urged the Russian Federation to immediately end its occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and fully implement the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions on the situation in Crimea. We welcome in principle Ukraines initiative to establish an international Crimean Platform to consolidate the international communitys efforts on Crimea, they summed up.

ish
Ministers want to harness Israeli expertise as they examine possible vaccination passport schemes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Following high-level discussions between officials, Ministers in both countries are now preparing for talks on Israel's innovative Green Pass scheme, which allows those who have been vaccinated or had Covid-19 to enter places such as concert venues and gyms.

The move may provide clues about how vaccination passports could work in the UK, though the Government is expected to develop its own system rather than buy Israel's technology.

In Israel, a Green Pass shows the date the holder had a jab or recovered from Covid. It is valid for six months and can be printed out or displayed on an app.

Ministers want to harness Israeli expertise as they examine possible vaccination passport schemes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

A code is scanned when the person enters a venue, with children added to a parent's pass.

The Government is expected to publish its Covid 'certification' review in early April, with Downing Street insiders confirming the Green Pass was 'something we're looking very closely at'.

Boris Johnson became embroiled in a row last week when he suggested it may fall to pub landlords to decide whether to serve those who had not been vaccinated, before adding: 'I do think there is going to be a role for certification.'

It comes as the PM faces mounting pressure to allow British holidaymakers who have been vaccinated or tested negative to travel to countries with low infection rates or where a high proportion of the population has been vaccinated.

Boris Johnson became embroiled in a row last week when he suggested it may fall to pub landlords to decide whether to serve those who had not been vaccinated, before adding: 'I do think there is going to be a role for certification'

Ministers are to consider proposals that would require all travellers arriving in Britain to take a Covid test.

Countries would be divided into a traffic-light system, depending on the risk of new variants and the success of the nation's vaccine programmes.

People arriving from 'green' countries would need only to have a rapid-result lateral flow test.

Those from 'amber' countries would require a negative result from a gold standard PCR test before travel, a lateral flow test on arrival and some form of quarantine. Mandatory hotel quarantine would be needed for arrivals from 'red list' countries.

Writing in today's Mail on Sunday, BA boss Sean Doyle says: 'We cannot delay the planning process that needs to get under way to restart complex airline operations. If we do, we risk missing the entire summer, a near-fatal blow to the industry. '
Mumbai, March 27 : Actress Urvashi Rautela has urged for a safe Holi. She says looking after immunity will be important during the festival.

"As Holi is expected to be the next super spreader event, being safe and disease-free should be the main aim during Holi. We should take utmost care and precautions to minimise the chances of contracting the virus. I believe looking after your immunity becomes essential. Social distancing still remains (important)," Urvashi urged.

The actress will next be seen in the web series "Inspector Avinash" along with Randeep Hooda. She will also be soon seen in an international music collaboration, "Versace", with Egyptian superstar Mohamed Ramadan and will also star in "Black Rose" a bilingual thriller, and a Hindi remake of "Thirutu Payale 2".

Latest updates on Holi Festival 2021
President Joe Biden on Friday denounced a new Georgia law that would make it harder to vote in the state, one of many Republican efforts across the country to restrict access to the ballot box.

Instead of celebrating the rights of all Georgians to vote or winning campaigns on the merits of their ideas, Republicans in the state instead rushed through an un-American law to deny people the right to vote, he said in a statement. This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country, is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience.

He urged Congress to pass Democratic legislation to protect voting rights and pledged to take my case to the American people.

This is Jim Crow in the 21st century, he said. It must end.

The new Georgia law, signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday, limits voting in a number of ways, including requiring absentee voters to submit documentation to prove their identity, restricting the use of drop boxes for early voting and giving the state Legislature, where Republicans dominate, control over local election administration. The law also makes it a crime to distribute food or water to voters waiting in line to cast ballots.

The White House also criticized the arrest of Georgia state Rep. Park Cannon, a Black woman and a Democrat, who knocked on the door of the room where Kemp was signing the legislation as half a dozen white male Republicans watched him. State troopers handcuffed her and led her away. She was charged with two misdemeanors, obstructing law enforcement and disruption, and released Thursday evening.

Anyone who saw that video would have been deeply concerned by the actions that were taken by law enforcement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Biden has pledged to get involved in state-level battles over voting rights. He met with Stacey Abrams, the Democratic activist and former Georgia lawmaker, during his trip to Atlanta last week, and on Thursday he blasted Republican proposals at his first news conference since taking office.

The president used nearly identical language later Friday, when he participated in a virtual fundraiser for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms: Its sick and un-American what theyre doing, and it cannot stand.

Many of the Republican proposals are rooted in baseless claims that the 2020 election was marred by fraud, a lie pushed by former President Donald Trump to explain his loss to Biden. Biden won in Georgia, the first time a Democratic presidential candidate had done so since 1992, and two months later Democrats ousted the Republicans whod held both of Georgias U.S. Senate seats.

Theres no doubt there were many alarming issues with how the election was handled, and those problems, understandably, led to the crisis of confidence in the ballot box here in Georgia, Kemp said Thursday, even though the states Republican election officials have repeatedly said that the election was secure.

Trump praised the Georgia law in a statement Friday that included falsehoods about last years voting and reflected lingering bitterness over his defeat.

They learned from the travesty of the 2020 Presidential Election, which can never be allowed to happen again, he said. Too bad these changes could not have been done sooner!

Three voting rights groups, represented by Democratic Party lawyer Marc Elias, have already sued over Georgias law. The lawsuit said it would have a disproportionate impact on voters of color, and its provisions lack any justification for their burdensome and discriminatory effects on voting.

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said her party was prepared to defend the law in court, and she accused Democrats of misconstruing its effects.

Democrats can lie and spin about the bill all they want, but the real question should be: why are Democrats so terrified of a transparent and secure election process? she said in a statement.

___

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On the one-month anniversary after New Yorks rent moratorium protections ended, things are still in limbo for renters who are fast seeking moratoriums on their rent through May 1.

After the state Legislature passed a 60-day pause on just about all eviction proceedings in late January, pending and new cases started moving again in courts on Feb 26. Theres a general state moratorium still on the books until May 1, but that ones not automatic for all  which can be a little confusing.

If someone is suffering hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they can avoid being evicted by seeking a moratorium. And in order to have the moratorium apply up until May 1, tenants have to fill out a hardship declaration, which they mail to the courts or their landlord.

Once they do so, tenants cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent or for staying in an apartment or home past the expiration of their lease  but they can still get the boot if theyre creating an unsafe environment for other tenants. A hardship declaration can be made, even when eviction proceedings have begun.

According to The City, 6,817 people statewide filed hardship declarations with the courts before the moratorium expired in late February. More recently, according to the Office of Public Information for the New York State Unified Court System, the number jumped to 25,507 filings in New York City alone as of March 22. Among the filings, 21,178 are related to pending cases.

Over one-third of those filings are in the Bronx. Among the 10 ZIP codes with the highest rates of evictions, eight hail from the borough. Taking the top spot is 10468, which includes parts of Jerome Park, Kingsbridge Heights and Fordham Manor, with 51 out of every 1,000 residential units involved in an eviction case.

Some relief is on the way. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced earlier this week that New York can expect over $1 billion heading its way in emergency rental assistance, recently passed within the American Rescue Plan.

The states share comprises about 5% of the entire $20 billion available for the nation at large. And New York City is getting a hefty chunk of that, too  about $196 million for renters.

That is, of course, if the state manages to actually get the cash to constituents to begin with. The first round of rent relief distributed $40 million to 15,000 households. But in the second round, only $7 million of the available $60 million went out to tenants, leaving $53 million in the bank. The unspent money is slated to head back to the state Division of Budget, while only 16% of rental assistance applications saw any aid to begin with.

New York isnt alone, either. In neighboring Pennsylvania an unspent $108 million in emergency rental aid wound up being rerouted to the Department of Corrections after their spending deadline had passed. The money was then voted on by the states legislature to go to funding payroll expenses for public safety and healthcare employees.

Both states saw similar issues plaguing the lack of spending  a narrow applications process that resulted in many not qualifying. New York, for example, required applicants to show they lost income between April and July of 2020 to receive cash for those months. Unemployed people whod received weekly federal $600 payments along with state aid wound up being disqualified.

Whats more, the first round required applicants to show they made less than 80% of their area median income and contributed more than 30% of it towards rent before April 2020. That rule was later reversed after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in Dec 2020 that no longer required applicants to show they were rent burdened prior to the pandemic.

In late February, it was also revealed the state sat on $1.3 billion in federal emergency assistance for nearly two weeks, while five other states opened up their emergency rental assistance programs in the meantime.

For local businesses, there was reprieve earlier this month. Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Businesses Act, which provides small businesses of 50 employees or less eviction protections. Those businesses and landlords alike can fill out their own hardship declarations to qualify.

But some New Yorkers remain wary as the situation moves forward, despite new money on the way. As an organizer at Housing Justice for All told Gothamist, I dont trust that theyll get it right when they havent in the past.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 12:04:16|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council, acting through its temporary written silence procedure, on Friday extended until April 30, 2022 the mandate of the panel of experts assisting the committee which oversees its sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Unanimously adopting Resolution 2569 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the council also decided that the mandate applies to measures imposed by its relevant resolutions adopted in 2016 and 2017, and overseen by the sanctions committee established pursuant to Resolution 1718 (2006). It expressed its intent to review the mandate and take appropriate action regarding its further extension no later than March 25, 2022.

Underscoring that the panel of experts must carry out credible, fact-based, independent assessments, analysis and recommendations in an objective and impartial manner, the 15-member organ requested it to provide to the Security Council committee established pursuant to Resolution 1718 (2006) with a planned program of work no later than 30 days after the panel's reappointment.

Members further requested the panel of experts to provide a midterm report to the committee no later than Aug. 3, and a final report no later than Jan. 28, 2022, while submitting a final report to the Security Council no later than Feb. 25, 2022.

By other terms of the new resolution, the council urged all states, relevant UN bodies and other interested parties to cooperate fully with both the committee and the panel of experts, including by supplying any information at their disposal on the implementation of the sanctions measures.

Security Council resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote under temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as set out in a letter by its president for March, which was China. Enditem
Among the falsehoods Joe Biden mouthed at his press conference yesterday was the claim that the Senate filibuster is a relic of the Jim Crow era. This line originated with Barack Obama. Biden said he agrees with Obamas assertion.

As many have pointed out, Biden defended the Senate filibuster for decades. And Obama himself defended it when he was a Senator.

Thus Biden and Obama are both hypocrites.

To make matters worse, both are peddling a false claim. The Jim Crow era extends from the mid-1870s, following the abandonment of Reconstruction by President Hayes, to 1964, when landmark civil rights legislation finally was enacted.

The filibuster predates that era. It was used before the civil war and on issues unrelated to race. For example, Democrats employed the filibuster in 1841 when they opposed legislation to create a national bank. That same year, there was a filibuster over the firing of the Senate printers.

Four years earlier, Whigs had used the filibuster against Democrats who moved to expunge from the record a Senate resolution censoring Andrew Jackson.

In reality, the filibuster was very rarely used against civil rights legislation until near the end of the Jim Crow era. It wasnt needed for that purpose because only in the late 1940s did Congress muster much enthusiasm for passing such legislation.

Arguably, the most significant use of the filibuster until at least the 1950s occurred in 1917 and had nothing to do with race. That year, a dozen antiwar senators, led by the progressive leader Robert La Follette, filibustered legislation to arm American merchant ships against German submarines. This filibuster led, understandably, to a rule authorizing cloture (the cutting off of debate) by a two-thirds vote.

There was, however, a notable and sickening use of the filibuster against civil rights legislation in the early 1920s. Republicans, at the urging of President Harding, sought to enact an anti-lynching law. Democrats filibustered. Harding eventually had the legislation pulled so that other items on his agenda could get a vote. (In those days, filibusters were of the talking variety and thus held up the Senate.)

The filibuster was used against anti-lynching legislation in the 1930s, as well.

Civil rights legislation was filibustered routinely, and largely without success, in the 1950s and early 1960s. However, it should be clear from the foregoing discussion that the filibuster is not a relic of the Jim Crow era.

In fact, the continued existence of the filibuster owes nothing to race. It persists so that parties cant parlay thin majorities (or in the present circumstances, no Senate majority) into the enactment of sweeping, society-transforming legislation.

Imagine what Donald Trump could have accomplished in 2017, absent the filibuster. Note, as well, that all or most of it would have been reversed, absent the filibuster, this year. Thats another argument in favor of the filibuster  it prevents wild oscillations in policy.

In sum, Biden and Obama are being dishonest about the filibuster on two levels. Their historical claim is bogus, and their opposition to the filibuster is inconsistent with their past positions on this practice.
On Friday, March 26, Mariam Thompson from Minnesota pleaded guilty to providing national defense information to a foreign government. She was a contract linguist employed by the United States military in Iraq. She has shared information with an individual affiliated with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

US Defense agency's spy?

According to UsNews, Mariam Taha Thompson was arrested in an espionage case a year ago.

Investigators claim she put the lives of American military personnel and confidential sources at risk, along with a significant breach of classified information.

The top official at the Justice Department, Assistant Attorney General John Demers, described the actions as "a disgraceful betraying of country and colleagues."

The FBI placed a high priority on the case because the defendant provided classified defense information to a foreign terrorist organization, information that put U.S. military personnel in harm's way.

Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr., deputy director for the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, says in the post written on the Department of Justice's website.

In December 2019, while Thompson was assigned to a special operations task force facility in Iraq, the United States launched a series of airstrikes in Iraq that targeted Kata'ib Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization supported by Iran.

These airstrikes culminated in a January 3, 2020, strike that resulted in Hizballah's death and the Quds Force, Qasem Suleimani, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis deaths.

The unindicted co-conspirator began seeking information from Thompson on the human assets helping the United States target Suleimani following Suleimani's death.

Thompson admits to understanding that "they" are Lebanese Hizballah, including a general who has not been named.

When the FBI arrested Thompson on February 27, 2020, she had used classified national defense information to provide her co-conspirator with the identities of at least ten undercover human assets, as well as at least 20 U.S. targets and multiple tactics and procedures.

Thompson intended for this classified national security information to be used to harm the United States and benefit Hizballah.

Read Also: China to Ban 'Lite' WeChat, Alipay, Other Apps That Require Excessive User Data

Why did she do it?

Thompson became in contact with the man she had never met in person via social media for the first time in 2017, following a family member's recommendation. Eventually, Thompson developed a romantic interest in him.

Investigators have determined that she accessed dozens of files containing information about human sources, including their names, photos, background profiles, and operational cables describing their gathered information.

The official believes the woman gave the man the classified information because she was planning to wed him, and she feared that if she didn't cooperate, they would end their relationship.

Thompson may face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, as reported in The Department of Justice Post. The maximum statutory limit has been established by Congress and is provided here as a guideline for informational purposes only. The court will determine the sentencing based upon the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Related Article: Steve Jobs First Job Resume Sold Shows Ex-Apple CEO Doesn't Have Phone in 1973





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When the news about the deadly fire at the Sunrise Hospital in Mumbai broke, many had one question in mind - how was a hospital that was treating COVID-19 patients functioning in a shopping mall?

The Sunrise Hospital was located inside the Dreams Mall in Bhandup and had over 70 COVID-19 patients admitted there at the time of the fire.

BCCL

The fire was first spotted on the first floor of the mall where shops for home decor and imitation jewellery were located and later spread to other floors.

The Sunrise Hospital was located on the third floor of the mall.

After the fire incident, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar had said that it was the first time she had seen a hospital in a shopping mall.

Maharashtra: Fire breaks out at a hospital in Mumbai's Bhandup; rescue operation on



"Cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. I've seen a hospital at mall for the first time. Action to be taken. 70 patients including COVID infected shifted to another hospital," says Mumbai Mayor pic.twitter.com/sq1K29PVhe  ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2021

Reuters

Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya alleged that the Sunrise Hospital and Dreams Mall were constructed by scam-hit HDIL from the PMC Bank's monies and were allegedly given a conditional occupation certificate by the BMC.

The Times of India reported that the hospital inside Dreams Mall was first proposed in 2014 but the plan was stalled. It operated on a provisional occupation certificate granted in May 2020 by the BMC, though the building that housed it had got notices for construction irregularities and fire safety violations.

The basement, first and second floors had failed to get an 'all clear' from the fire department. However, Sunrise Hospital applied for and promptly got an 'NOC' from the very same department, the report further said.

BCCL

In a statement, the hospital said it was started in exceptional circumstances of COVID last year and has helped in saving many patients' lives, and added that it is functioning with all due compliances like fire license, nursing home license, etc.

The operations head of Sunrise Hospital, Satyendra Tiwari, said that the recently-started hospital had all the licences/permissions in place and the fire broke out in the mall below and not in the third floor of the hospital premises.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has requested Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) of Disaster Management Prabhat Rahangdale to conduct an inquiry into the fire incident.

BCCL

In a letter to Rahangdale, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal asked Rahangdale to conduct an inquiry within 15 days to find the cause of the fire in consultation with the Chief Fire Officer and fix up the responsibility of concerned officers regarding illegality in the structure if any.

Chahal further asked the Deputy Commissioner to check if all requisite licenses were issued to the mall and the hospital and if not, 'fix up the responsibility of concerned officers'.

"The enquiry shall... find out whether there were any lacuna in fire compliances to be maintained, in the fire extinguish, and any other issue of relevance to prevent such accidents in the future," the letter read.
ROME, N.Y. --- The Mohawk Valley Health System in conjunction with New York State and local partners, will hold a special pop-up vaccine POD for those who are eligible (50+, those over 16 with chronic conditions, essential workers (including grocery and restaurant staff) and healthcare workers) within the Black, Latino and Refugee populations. The POD will be held on Monday, March 29, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rome YMCA, 301 W. Bloomfield Street, Rome, New York. Slots are still open for the POD.

Those who are interested in attending can register by calling one of the following numbers:

 NAACP/Rome - 315-271-7703

 Mohawk Valley Latino Association - 315- 864-8419

 Mayor Izzos Office - 315-339-7676

 MVHS Registration line - 315- 315-624-5664 (Leave a name and contact information for a call back)
Ministries and State agencies are debating what employment for people with disabilities is appropriate and inappropriate, said Dinh Thi Thuy, Deputy Chief of Office of the Vietnam National Committee on People with Disabilities.

COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting all groups of population including people with disabilities who are affected the most, said David Payne, from UNDP in Vietnam. VNA/VNS Photo

What policy is appropriate, and what policies need to be corrected? asked Thuy of the committee under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

She was speaking at a workshop entitled 'Global trends in employment in information technology for people with disabilities' held in Hanoi on Wednesday.

The journey of finding jobs for people with disabilities is very difficult, the importance is that the job must be suitable for them, said Nguyen Thi Van, Director of Dream Seed Centre.

At the workshop, David Payne, an expert from the UNDP in Vietnam, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting all of the population, including people with disabilities who are affected the most.

A survey to assess the socio-economic impact of the pandemic conducted by UNDP in Vietnam on 986 people with disabilities showed 72 per cent of the respondents had an income of less than VND1 million in March of 2020.

It also reported 30 per cent of them lost their jobs, 49 per cent had their working hours reduced and 59 per cent had wages cut.

This has shown the vulnerability of people with disabilities, as well as the risk of being left behind," Payne said.

The UNDP is working closely with the Dream Seed Centre to provide training courses for people living with disabilities on new skills in information technology, such as video editing, photo to meet the great demand of the current market," he added.

Some representatives from IT enterprises shared lessons learned in the successful recruitment of people with disabilities and experience in vocational training.

Organised by the Dream Seed Centre (in Hanoi) and United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam (UNDP), the workshop was also supported by the Embassy of Japan.

Results of the national survey on people with disabilities in Vietnam conducted by the General Statistics Office reported the country has more than 6.2 million people with disabilities. Besides, there are nearly 12 million others (about 13 per cent of the population) living in houses with disabled members.

VNS

Participation rate of Vietnamese disabled people in labor force remains low The overall labor force participation rate of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Vietnam remains low compared to the total population, with 31.7% of PWDs joining the labor force compared to 82.4% of people without disabilities between 2016-2019.
Sharon Osbourne has departed The Talk after 11 seasons, following an investigation by CBS.

CBS announced that Osbourne, has decided to leave the show.

The investigation began after her comments defending UK friend Piers Morgan but led to new allegations by former co-hosts. Osbourne denied those claims, publicly accusing CBS executives of being behind the segment, which she calls a setup. The network also found hosts were not well prepared for a discussion by producers.

The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharons behavior toward her cohosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts, the statement said. At the same time, we acknowledge the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the cohosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race.

The network added that they have been coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew.

Additionally, CBS said, going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.

For her original controversy on Piers Morgan, Osbourne had apologised and vowed to do better.

The Talk airs in Australia on 10.

Source: US Weekly

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With both Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank recently announcing plans to close branches in Co Wexford, debate has begun on how to minimise the damage caused by their loss.

Speaking at the montly meeting of Wexford County Council (WCC) Cllr Kathleen Codd-Nolan said the loss of the Ulster Bank in the centre of Enniscorthy would have a 'detrimental effect on the town' and feared adjoining businesses would now opt to move their premises out of the area.

'Could we find out if Ulster Bank actually own the building there? The last thing we need in Enniscorthy is another empty building,' she said. 'We're all very concerned about the situation with Ulster Bank, it's the last thing our towns needed,' replied Director of Services, Tony Larkin. 'The situation does seem to be somewhat gradual, it's expected to take a couple of years.

'We will make enquiries into that building and do all we can to facilitate its redevelopment, it would certainly be a huge pity if it was to sit unoccupied in the middle of Rafter St.'

Aontu's Jim Codd described the banks' decision to close as a 'cynical self-serving move' and said it sounded a further death-knell for rural Ireland.

'Villages like Duncormick were once vibrant villages, now they neither have a Post Office, a pub, nor a shop. I want to see these villages thrive, instead we're telling old people to go inside to learn how to bank online, to stare into that lifeless screen which doesn't answer back, and we do this as anxiety levels and cabin fever goes through the roof.'

In an effort to soften the loss of the banks, Fianna Fail's Michael Sheehan had a novel idea.

'We should be writing to Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank and say that if they're vacating any building they should turn them over to the community so we turn them into an enterprise hub or a hot desk.

'If more and more people are going to be working from home, here's an ideal opportunity to take a pristine building and turn it into something we can use for the benefit of the local economy.'
Srinagar, March 27 : One unidentified terrorist has been killed in an ongoing encounter at Wangam area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday evening, officials said.

"One unidentified terrorist has been killed in an encounter at Wangam area in Shopian, operation is going on," police said.

The firefight between terrorists and security forces started after security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of a specific information about presence of terrorists.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire that trigerred the encounter.

It is a joint operation by the police and army.
Telangana is one of the best performing States which contained the spread of the virus effectively and this was certified by the Centre.  DC file photo

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao stated in the Assembly that there will be no lockdown in Telangana state under any circumstance. He urged the people to strictly follow Covid-19 safety norms and avoid mass gatherings, against the backdrop of the rapid increasing number of Coronavirus cases.

Replying to the debate on the Appropriation Bill 2021-22, the CM said that the closure of educational institutions from March 24 was a painful decision that was taken to prevent the spread of the virus. He stated it was a temporary measure and schools and colleges will be reopened as soon as the situation improves.

Responding to speculation that the government was planning to impose a lockdown. the CM said, We have seen the adverse effect of lockdown on all sections. This time we will not take any such decision in haste. We strongly believe that self-discipline and self-control are the only solution to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and not a lockdown. People should duly wear masks, sanitise their hands and maintain physical distance without fail.

He said the state government has no plans to impose any further restrictions on industries or any other sectors.

He said the entire world was suffering due to the pandemic, and Telangana state was not an exception. Telangana is one of the best performing States which contained the spread of the virus effectively and this was certified by the Centre. Telangana has also performed well in terms of economic growth. This was possible because of the government's policy to encourage agriculture in a big way," Rao added.

He stated that about 10.85 lakh people have been vaccinated as per guidelines issued by the Centre We will vaccinate the entire population as per the vaccines received. State governments have no role in the procurement of these vaccines, he added.
Dolly Parton has over 5,000 songs. While many of the Queen of Countrys songs are world-renowned, there are several that never even made it on the radio. The reason? They were too controversial for their time. Parton says that one of the best songs shes ever written was barred from radio play. Heres the song and why it wasnt allowed on the air.

Dolly Parton | Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS

Dolly Parton was inspired by the women she grew up around

Parton grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee. Especially in her early work, she wrote a lot of songs about women losing children. Parton doesnt have any children herself, but she was hugely inspired by the women she grew up around.

I never lost a baby, Parton told journalist Jad Abumrad on the podcast, Dolly Partons America. Ive never been pregnant in my life. But Ive seen a lot of people that have, and have had to go through that. Ive seen it. Ive seen the  you know, like I always say, theres two kinds of women in the mountains: the kind that get married and have a lot of kids and the kind that stay single and have a lot of kids.

In addition to being inspired by the stories of the women she grew up around, Parton has also always felt a pull to tell the stories she felt people needed to hear.

I would also write things about peoples lives and topics that I knew that mattered, she said. I was writing about abortion, I was writing about adoption. I was writing about all sorts of things back before it was [widely acceptable].

Down From Dover

Parton says one of the best songs shes ever written, Down From Dover, wasnt allowed on the radio because of the content of the song.

Down From Dover is about a teenager who becomes pregnant and tries to conceal her pregnancy while she waits for her love to return. If he comes back for her before her community finds out shes pregnant, she wont be ostracized. But he doesnt and her family kicks her out. He never returns for her and the baby dies.

RELATED: Dolly Partons Connection to Her Song, The Bridge: Ive Had Suicide in My Own Family

She felt like God had done her a favor, explained Parton. God had taken the baby back. In my mind, the baby was better off back with God than it would have been with me. And they wouldnt play it on the radio back at that time. Its one of my best songs ever.

They wouldnt play it on the radio, not because the kid died, but because she got pregnant, she continued. Because she  it was an illegitimate [pregnancy].

Parton went on to say that she wrote Down From Dover in the early days of my career. She wanted to put it out as a single but her record label, RCA, wouldnt let her.

Dolly Parton refuse[s] to be judged for the content of her songs

Heres to a year of love, health and happiness (pretty please ) pic.twitter.com/OPO9gBxgLp  Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) January 1, 2021

RELATED: Dolly Parton Wrote a Song About the Pandemic: When Life Is Good Again

Dolly Parton is a storyteller to her core. In the early days of her career, when she produced most of her more heartbreaking, controversial work, she simply wanted to write great stories.

I wrote a lot of songs that people wouldnt play on the radio, but I didnt care, she wrote in her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. It bothered me at the time, but I never thought, I shouldnt have done that. Whatever I write is just what comes out of me, and I refuse to be judged.
Mumbai, March 27 : Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar shared a still from the last shooting day of Anand L. Rais upcoming film "Atrangi Re", and thanked co-stars Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan for letting him be a part of this film.

"It's the last day of #AtrangiRe and I can't wait for you'll to experience the magic created by @aanandlrai. Also a big thank you to my co-stars @saraalikhan95 and @dhanushkraja for letting me be a part of this beautiful film," he wrote with the Instagram picture.

This is the first time Akshay and Sara are working with director Anand L. Rai, while the filmmaker has worked with Dhanush earlier in the 2013 film "Raanjhanaa".

Atrangi Re went on floors in March 2020, in Varanasi. The team resumed shoot in October post lockdown in Madurai, followed by schedules in Delhi and Agra. The film is written by Himanshu Sharma and the music is by Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman. The lyrics are penned by Irshad Kamil.

The film is scheduled to release on August 6.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson criticized Gov. Brian Kemp over the passage of Georgia's new election bill, comparing it to the May murder of George Floyd.

Johnson was on CNN in the aftermath of the passage of the state's legislation, which puts new restrictions on voting in the state.

'Just like that officer had his knee on the neck of George Floyd, what the governor was inside closed doors in secret doing was putting his knee on the neck of Georgia's voters,' Johnson said during his segment.

Floyd was killed after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, restricting Floyd's ability to breathe.

Chavin's trial in Floyd's death began earlier this month.

Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson criticized the passage of Georgia's new election bill

Johnson compared the passage of the new legislation to the May murder of George Floyd

'He was in his office, behind closed doors, doing with a collection of good old boys with him,' Johnson continued, referencing Kemp.

According to CNN, the new bill - which was signed on Thursday evening after passing both legislative chambers in the state - will impose a number of new voting restrictions.

Among them, there will be new voter requirements to identify absentee ballots, state officials will have the ability to take over local election boards, and ballot drop box usage will be limited.

The law replaces the elected secretary of state as the chair of the state election board with a new appointee of the legislature after Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger rebuffed Trump's attempts to overturn Georgia's election results. It also allows the board to remove and replace county election officials deemed to be underperforming.

Additionally, it will be a crime for people to approach voters in long election lines to provide food or water.

'It's like the Christmas tree of goodies for voter suppression,' said Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan prior to the vote.

Three voting rights groups have already banded together to file a lawsuit to challenge the law.

'These provisions lack any justification for their burdensome and discriminatory effects on voting,' the lawsuit said.

'Instead, they represent a hodgepodge of unnecessary restrictions that target almost every aspect of the voting process but serve no legitimate purpose or compelling state interest other than to make absentee, early, and election-day voting more difficult - especially for minority voters.'

However, Kemp has defended the law as providing security.

'After the November election last year, I knew, like so many of you, that significant reforms to our state elections were needed,' said Kemp, who drew Trump's ire after certifying Biden's victory in Georgia.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the legislation after it passed the state's chambers Thursday

Kemp refused to overturn the election results in his state in 2020, irking Donald Trump

Johnson also commented on the arrest of Park Cannon, a state representative who was taken away by state troopers after knocking on the door where Kemp was announcing the bill.

'Well it's a throwback to the past,' Johnson said. 'It's actually almost like a knee on the neck of Georgia voters.

'She simply knocked on the door, and for that action, her hands were cuffed behind her back like a common criminal, and she was literally dragged from the capitol of Georgia.

State lawmaker Park Cannon chose to protest the new legislation on Thursday night

Cannon's protest resulted in her arrest and she's facing two charges in the incident

'You couldn't even go into the Capitol. Now you can go in, but it's a law against knocking on the door seeking entry, and it's something that will not stand.'

NPR reports that Cannon is facing a charge of obstructing law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence.

She is also facing a charge of disrupting general assembly sessions or other meetings of members.

Her arrest warrant claims that she 'stomped' on the foot of an officer three times during the arrest.

Cannon was released the same night and may have been bruised during the arrest.

'This was a law enforcement overreach on all the charges, and my hope is that after examining the file, the district attorney will dismiss the charges,' Cannons lawyer, Gerald Griggs, said Friday.

Georgia was one of the sites of the most controversy during the most recent presidential election.

Joe Biden became the first Democrat in almost 30 years to carry the presidential election in the state.

Two runoff elections that unfolded in the aftermath of Biden's win helped turn the Senate in favor of the Democrats.

Many of Donald Trump's claims of election fraud focused in on Georgia and Trump demanded Kemp overturn the results of the election in the state, which Kemp refused.

Despite Trump's fraud claims being unsubstantiated, however, Republicans have focused on changing election laws across the country.

As of February, 43 states had bills introduced that would curb voting laws across the country.

'The voters of Fulton county, the voters of Georgia, will not allow this just outrageous legislation to be the law of the land,' Johnson said to CNN.
Young Britons could get a Covid jab from a drive-thru clinic on their way to work.

Heath chiefs said the NHS must adopt innovative delivery modes as the vaccine rollout expands to younger groups.

NHS board meeting documents state: Reaching a more mobile, largely working-age population with lower Covid-19-related health risk will bring different challenges, especially as lockdown and more [restrictions] are lifted.

We have developed operational guidance for drive-thru, mobile and pop-up models to enable targeted delivery.

A member of staff administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a member of the public at Queen Margaret University Campus on February 10, 2021, in Musselburgh, Scotland

Ministers promised to offer a vaccine to over-50s by April 15. It comes as the British Medical Association said GPs can offer jabs to over-40s if they have exhausted efforts to reach those eligible.

NHS England stressed phase two would begin only when authorised, but the doctors union said members had discretion to jab to prevent waste.

The NHS has administered 32,325,993 jabs, of which 29,316,130 are first doses, a daily rise of 324,942. And 3,009,863 are second doses, an increase of 234,382.

The NHS is making plans for a re-vaccination programme this autumn, if research shows a booster shot is needed to tackle mutant strains.

Members of the vaccination team working at the drive-through Covid-19 vaccination centre in the Queen Margaret University Campus, Musselburgh

This may be given at the same time as the annual flu jab, with officials now exploring possibilities for co-administration.

People are currently advised to leave a gap of at least seven days between the two so it is easier to tell which has caused side-effects, if any.

The papers say: It is not currently known for how long people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be protected.

This is because, as is the case with many vaccines, the protection they confer may weaken over time.

It is also possible that new variants of the virus may emerge against which current vaccines are less effective.

A member of staff administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a member of the public at Queen Margaret University Campus

As well as working closely with manufacturers, scientists are assessing the impact of some Variants of Concern on the vaccines currently in deployment.

To ensure the country is prepared for these scenarios and while further evidence is gathered, the NHS is planning for a revaccination campaign, which is likely to run later this year in autumn or winter.

We are planning on the basis that we will need to run COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccination campaigns in parallel.

Children may also be given the Covid vaccine, if trials show it is safe and effective in this age group.

The UK is locked in a row with the EU and India over access to supplies manufactured in their countries, raising fears about shortages.

But the NHS England board papers say they are still on track to hit targets in spite of changes to the supply schedule.

It comes after a trial that delivered 2,300 Covid jabs in just one day at a car park near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was 360 per cent more effective than an equivalent clinic, The Mirror reported.

Other drive-through vaccination centres in England are running in Kent, and other locations in Hertfordshire, and Warwickshire. Pictured: Queen Margaret University Campus, Scotland

But while the system continues to run smoothly, health bosses said the scheme was unlikely to be scaled up to its full potential due to issues with supply.

Dr Richard West, a senior GP at Woolpit Health Centre, created the drive-through trial at his practice and believes up to 6,000 people could be vaccinated in one weekend if the supply of jabs was reliable.

He is one of a handful of enterprising GPs who have set up their own drive-in jab centres, despite NHS chiefs' failure to back the initiative.

Despite the backing of health minister Jo Churchill, Dr West's local MP, the centre has not been supported by the Department of Health and NHS England.

Dr West said he could run drive-through jabbing sessions several times a week, but added that the practice does not have access to enough doses.

He said: 'We did one in the snow in February and haven't done one since. I've had the support of local clinical commissioning group but not NHS England. We'd do another tomorrow if we could but can't get the vaccine.'

If drive-through clinics were used in each London borough 4.5million people could be vaccinated in the capital every month.

This is depending on a seven-day service and each London borough having at least one drive-through service.

Experts have suggested the figure could be double across the country.

GP surgeries can vaccinate an around 500 people a day on average, meaning a drive-through system is almost five times as quick.
Cemetery workers in full protective gear carry a coffin that contains the remains of a person who died from complications related to COVID-19 to a gravesite at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazil currently accounts for one-quarter of the entire world's daily COVID-19 deaths, far more than any other single nation, and health experts are warning that the nation is on the verge of even greater calamity.

The nation's seven-day average of 2,400 deaths stands to reach to 3,000 within weeks, six experts told the Associated Press. That's nearly the worst level seen by the U.S., though Brazil has two-thirds its population. Spikes of daily deaths could soon hit 4,000; on Friday there were 3,650.

Having glimpsed the abyss, there is growing recognition shutdowns are no longer avoidablenot just among experts, but also many mayors and governors. Restrictions on activity they implemented last year were half-hearted and consistently sabotaged by President Jair Bolsonaro, who sought to stave off economic doom. He remains unconvinced of any need for clampdown, which leaves local leaders pursuing a patchwork of measures to prevent the death toll from spiraling further.

It may be too late, with a more contagious variant rampaging across Brazil. For the first time, new daily cases topped 100,000 on March 25, with many more uncounted. Miguel Nicolelis, professor of Neurobiology at Duke University who advised several Brazilian governors and mayors on pandemic control, anticipates the total death toll reaching 500,000 by July and exceeding that of the U.S. by year-end.

The body of a COVID-19 victim lies in a body bag at the ICU of the Sao Jose municipal hospital in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

"We have surpassed levels never imagined for a country with a public health care system, a history of efficient immunization campaigns and health workers who are second to none in the world," Nicolelis said. "The next stage is the health system collapse."

The system is already buckling, with almost all states' intensive care units near or at capacity. Dr. Jose Antonio Curiati, a supervisor at Sao Paulo's Hospital das Clinicas, the biggest hospital complex in Latin America, said its beds are full, but patients keep arriving. The city's oxygen supply isn't guaranteed, and stocks of sedatives required for intubation in intensive care units will soon run out.

"Four thousand deaths a day seems to be right around the corner," Curiati said.

On March 17 in northeastern Piaui state, nurse Polyena Silveira wept beside a COVID-19 patient who died on the floor for lack of beds at her public hospital. A photo capturing the moment went viral and served as a national wake-up call.

Cemetery workers in full protective gear lower a coffin that contain the remains of a person who died from complications related to COVID-19 at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

"When he was gone, I had two minutes to feel sorry before moving to the next patient," Silveira, 33, told the AP. "In eight years as a nurse, I'd never felt as much pain as that night. I'm near my limit, physically and mentally."

Brazil's state-run science and technology institute, Fiocruz, on Tuesday called for a 14-day lockdown to reduce transmission by 40%. Natalia Pasternak, a microbiologist who presides over the Question of Science Institute, pointed to a local example of success: The mid-size city of Araraquara in Sao Paulo state last month implemented lockdown and has seen its cases and deaths recede.

Pasternak declined to estimate Brazil's looming daily death toll but said the trend is for continued growth if nothing is done.

"We need coordinated action, and that's probably not going to happen because the federal government has no real interest in pursuing preventative actions," Pasternak said. "(Mayors and governors) are trying to implement preventative measures, but separately and in their own ways. This isn't the best approach, but it's better than nothing."

Supporters of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro protest the start of a 10-day period of increased restrictions, which includes Holy Week, to help curb the spread of COVID-19, on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Minas Gerais, Brazil's second most populous state, has closed nonessential shops. Espirito Santo state will enter lockdown Sunday. Brazil's two biggest cities, Rio and Sao Paulo, have imposed extensive restrictions on nonessential activities. Their state authorities brought forward holidays to create a 10-day period of repose, which started Friday.

Restrictive measures, however, are only as strong as citizens' compliance. And Bolsonaro continues to undermine their willingness by painting even partial shutdown as an assault on one's right to earn an honest day's wages. He has lashed out at local leaders, particularly governors, who dare defy him.

"We need to open our eyes and understand this is no joke," Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes said in a recorded message on the eve of the 10-day shutdown, stressing that no mayor wants to cause unemployment. "People are dying and, if everything continues as is, nothing is done, God only knows what could happen. No one knows this disease's limit. No one knows how many variants could emerge."

Family members attend the burial of Sgt. Jorge Luis Pereira da Silva, 54, who died from COVID-19, at the Campo da Esperanca cemetery in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The nation had an average of 2,235 deaths a day last week  the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Hundreds of protesters marched along Rio's Copacabana beach the next morning. Most sported green-and-yellow shirts that are a hallmark of pro-Bolsonaro rallies and many declined to wear masks. They chanted "We want to work!" and directed vitriol at Paes.

The World Health Organization's director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday called for everyone in Brazil to muster a serious response"whether it's the government or the people."

"It's a concerted effort of all actors that will really reverse this upward trend. It is actually very fast and accelerating really, really fast," he said. "Especially we're worried about the (weekly) death rate, which doubled in just one month from 7,000 to 15,000."

The virus's spread has been turbocharged by the more contagious P.1 variant that has become cause for concern beyond Brazil's borders, not just in South America. It has already been identified in the U.S., this week in New York. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Wednesday that his team will be meeting with Brazilian authorities and are "quite concerned" about the situation in Brazil.

A pillow with a rose sits on the sidewalk during a protest against the Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, organized by the Rio de Paz NGO in front of the Ronaldo Gazolla hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

The U.S. has seen its death toll plunge since late January amid a massive vaccine rollout, and its seven-day average has dipped below 1,000. By contrast, Brazil's vaccine rollout has been strained, at best. The government bet big on a single vaccine provider, AstraZeneca, while for months rejecting offers to purchase others. Only after delivery delays from AstraZeneca jeopardized rollout did Brazil's health ministry begin buyingbut too late for most deliveries to arrive in the first half of this year.

The nation has fully vaccinated less than 2% of its citizens, which experts widely consider an embarrassment for a country long regarded as a global model for vaccination programs.

More than 500 of the nation's most influential economists and executives this week wrote an open letter calling for mass vaccination and decrying the situation. They said that controversy regarding economic impacts of social distancing is a false dilemma and all levels of government should be prepared to implement emergency lockdown.

Copacabana beach sits empty of visitors which is closed due to reinstated COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Lucas Dumphreys)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, center, arrives for a press conference following a meeting about the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the presidential residence Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. In recent weeks, Latin America's largest country has become the pandemic's global epicenter, with more deaths from the virus each day than in any other nation. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A man gets his dose of the Sinovac vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination point for seniors in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

An intubated COVID-19 patient is treated in the ICU of a field hospital built inside a gym in Santo Andre, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday, March 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Healthcare workers take on a stretcher a patient suspected of having COVID-19 into the HRAN public hospital in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Hundreds of Brazilian economists, including former finance ministers and central bank presidents, urged the Brazilian government in an open letter published on Monday to speed up vaccination and adopt tougher restrictions to stop the rampant spread of the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A line of vehicles curls around a COVID-19 vaccination point for priority elderly persons in the Ceilandia neighborhood, on the outskirts of Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, March 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A demonstrator dressed as death performs outside Planalto presidential palace to protest the president's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brasilia, Brazil, Friday, March 26, 2021. Brazil surpassed 300,000 deaths from the virus this week. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Healthcare workers transport a COVID-19 patient in an intensive care unit at the Hospital das Clinicas in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Friday, March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Jefferson Bernardes)

While Brazil's economy didn't contract as much as regional peers last year, the worsening health crisis casts a shadow over the 2021, according to William Jackson, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics. GDP will return to pre-crisis levels late this year, at earliest, marking a rather weak recovery relative to other emerging markets.

Monica de Bolle, a Brazilian senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, is more pessimistic, and expects another recession in 2021. Exactly how bad things become in coming months hinges on whether the P.1 variant is already dominant nationwide, and is proven to cause reinfections or be more severe.

Either way, there's no time left to delay decisive action, she said.

"All in all, it's a huge disaster," said de Bolle, who has done postgraduate studies in immunology and genetics. "Could have been avoided; wasn't. Very difficult to fix now. The only real fix is a very harsh lockdown with the population really abiding by it, which may be a hard sell."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Gunmen kill 137 people, including 22 children, in raids on Niger villages

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On the deadliest day in Nigers recent memory, over 130 people and nearly two dozen children were killed in a series of suspected Islamic extremist raids Sunday afternoon in a region of Africa where jihadi attacks have become more prevalent in recent years.

The attacks happened along the Mail border in southwestern Niger as unidentified insurgents on motorcycles raided three villages and other hamlets in the Tahoua region, according to government sources.

The initial estimate of lives lost released Sunday was about 60. But that count has since been updated to 137 by the government.

The attackers remain unidentified. But violence in West Africas Sahel region has increased as Al Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated militants have carried out countless attacks in recent years, displacing many from their homes.

The latest series of attacks came on the day Nigers Constitutional Court announced Mohamed Bazoum the winner of a runoff presidential election, according to The New York Times. He will take office on April 2.

An escalation of attacks has occurred since the February election, the Associated Press reported.

At least 22 children between the ages of five and 17 years old died during Sundays raids on the villages of Intazayene, Bakorat and Wistane, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

It is hard to believe that children in the region should live in permanent fear of such attacks. This doesnt have to be their reality, UNICEF regional manager for West and Central Africa, Marie-Pierre Poirier, said in a statement.

Poirier called for the protection of children to keep them out of danger.

The continuing conflict, repeated attacks, and access restrictions due to insecurity and violence are hampering our ability to reach those most in need, including two million children who require humanitarian assistance, Poirier said. Attacks on children and families must stop, once and for all. Enough is enough.

The civilians were fetching water when the attacks occurred on the eve of World Water Day on March 22, UNICEF reported.

The government promised reinforced security measures in the region and an investigation to find the perpetrators.

In treating civilian populations systematically as targets now, these armed bandits have gone a step further into horror and brutality, government spokesman Zakaria Abdourahamane said in a statement read on television Monday, according to AFP.

Niger ranks last at No. 189 on the U.N.s country development ranking.

Dozens more were killed on March 15 when unidentified attackers killed at least 58 villagers in the nearby Tillabery region, including six children aged 11 to 17 last Monday, UNICEF reported.

In January, as many as 100 people were killed in attacks targeting the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumbareye, also in the Tillaberi region.

Local reports indicated that gunmen on motorcycles split into two groups and attacked the villages simultaneously, with up to 70 people being killed in Tchombangou and 30 in Zaroumbareye, according to the U.N.

The United Kingdom government issued a travel advisory for Niger that said terrorists are likely to carry out attacks. It warns of instability in the Tillaberi region, near Nigers borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. It cited recent attacks in the region.

Attacks could be indiscriminate, the advisory states.

The increasing violence in the Sahel region also impacts neighboring countries like Mali and Burkina Faso as millions have been displaced.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Nigers Tahoua and Tillaberi regions bordering Burkina Faso and Mali host 204,000 refugees and internally displaced people. The agency warns that civilians are bearing the brunt of increasing attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali in the Sahel are at the epicentre of one of the worlds fastest-growing displacement and protection crises, a statement from the UNHCR reads. The region is already hosting nearly three million refugees and people displaced inside their own country.

Last year, the U.S. State Department created a special envoy position to monitor rising extremism in Africa's Sahel region as Al Qaeda and Islamic State-aligned militants expand their footholds.

The rise in extremism presents a threat to Nigers minority Christian community.

Islamic extremist violence is prevalent, and nearly 99% of Nigers population is Muslim. Though many Christians can worship peacefully, radical Islamists stir up animosity in some regions, according to the global persecution watchdog ministry Open Doors.

The Boko Haram terrorist group, prevalent in Nigeria, is also active in southern Niger and targets the Christian community, according to the charity.

Christians are often discriminated against and have trouble securing employment within the government. They are often denied promotion, Open Doors states.


By Gwynne Dyer



The Syrian civil war is over 10 years old, and it's time to stop it. At least half a million Syrians have died, a quarter of the pre-war population are refugees abroad and another quarter are refugees inside Syria. Thirty percent of the country's housing is destroyed or badly damaged  and we have known who won the war for at least four years now.



More fighting cannot change anything. All the big cities are back under the regime's control, as is at least 80 percent of the territory and of the population that's still within the borders. The Russian military intervention in 2015 turned the tide, the remaining rebels are all crammed into one province, Idlib, and local ceasefires have silenced the guns in most places.



Yet there is no peace, because neither the rebels in Idlib nor their foreign backers are willing to recognize the victory of long-ruling dictator Bashar al-Assad and his Baath Party. You can see why, because this is a regime that pitilessly tortures and murders those who defy it, and in a world where divine justice prevailed it would surely have been destroyed.



Unfortunately, that is not this world. Assad came down with coronavirus last week, but he's very unlikely to die from it (he's only 55), and it's hard to think of anything else that might change the outcome.



Indeed, even Assad's death might not do the trick. It's a whole regime with deep roots, not just one man, and it has survived lost wars, attempted coups and rebellions for almost 60 years. Moreover, the only plausible successor to the ruling Baath Party at this point is the murderous Islamist fanatics of the al-Qaeda affiliates who control Idlib.



The real reason Assad has won the war is that enough people in Syria believe the Islamist jihadis would kill them if they came to power. All the religious minorities, Shia Muslim, Christian and Druze, believe that, plus anybody secular and anybody who works for the government, including teachers. They think of the jihadis as an Islamic version of the Khmer Rouge, and they're not far wrong.



The jihadis didn't dominate the original uprising in 2011, but Assad is not stupid. He immediately freed around 6,000 Islamists from his jails, in the hope that they were ruthless enough to win control of the opposition and frighten people into backing him instead. It worked.



Foreign countries, some ignorant, some naive and some 'soft' Islamist themselves (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), poured in guns and money, and the Syrian Islamists did take over the revolt. That drove a lot of Syrians to Assad's side  and then Russia sent its air force in to save him in 2015. By 2017, the war was effectively settled  but it did not stop.



It slowed down almost to a stop after Assad regained control of everything except Idlib province (occupied by Turkey) and the sparsely populated east of the country (partly held by Kurdish and American troops). But the anti-Assad foreigners won't acknowledge his victory.



The United States actually strengthened its already savage sanctions against Syria last year, so Assad's key supporters are still scraping by but everybody else is on the brink of starvation. The Syrian pound is worth less than a fifth of its value a year ago, and 80 percent of the population is below the poverty line.



The U.S. sanctions can go on forever at no cost to the United States, while American politicians feel virtuous and Syrians suffer, but there is a way to end this. It has to start with accepting that Assad will stay in power, because that's the only way that other countries get any leverage.



What price would Assad pay for an end to sanctions and renewed international recognition as Syria's leader? Quite a lot, because it would enable him to start rebuilding the country, however slowly, and free him from the isolation he has endured for the past decade.



He could be told that the price includes an amnesty for all Syrians, including those who fought against him, except for those who actually committed war crimes. Many of the refugees wouldn't go home anyway because they don't trust him, but international supervision and guarantees for those who take up the offer could probably be negotiated.



Turkey would try to block the deal, but Russia would go along with it and put pressure on the Turks. Syria would still be a police state, but most people would be back in their homes (some measures required to ensure that those who fled recover their property), and all the children would be back in school (most haven't been, for the past five years).



It would be something like the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, in other words, except with more international involvement and less vengeance against the losers. No promises, but it's certainly worth a try.



Gwynne Dyer (gwynne763121476@aol.com) has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years. He is the author of "Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work)."






Queensland MP Andrew Laming will step aside from all parliamentary roles after a Brisbane woman accused the Liberal National Party MP of taking a mobile phone photo of her bottom while her underwear was visible in 2019.

In a statement late on Saturday evening, Mr Laming said he was stepping aside to complete both the counselling courses I committed to as well as additional clinical counselling, and [I] ask for privacy while that is completed.

Andrew Laming.

I will have more to say on my future as soon as that process is completed. I would like to thank my local Redlands community for their understanding during this time and assure them my electorate staff remain available to them, he said.

Mr Laming is the third Liberal MP to stand aside in the past six weeks over issues related to alleged sexual misconduct, as the Morrison government has seen its political agenda thrown in disarray by a range of serious allegations.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  The government will now vaccinate senior citizens and people with comorbidities at the same time as healthcare workers starting Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced Saturday.

Roque also said hospitals and local government units are encouraged to craft a "substitution list" consisting of vaccinees from the A1, A2, and A3 sectors. A1 refers to medical fronliners, A2 to senior citizens, while A3 covers persons with comorbidities.

"We encourage all hospitals at [and] later on ating mga local government units na magkaroon ng [to have a] substitution list basta manggagaling sa [as long as it belongs to the] A1, A2, A3," Roque told reporters. "Hangga't maaari sundin ang priority pero kung hindi maiwasan, basta manggaling sa A1, A2, A3 [As much as possible follow the order of priority but if it cannot be avoided, it is alright as long as they belong to the A1, A2, A3]."

To avoid crowding, Roque said vaccinees should wait for a notice before going to the vaccination sites. The Department of Health has already begun asking senior citizens to register for their vaccination.

The national government earlier proposed a "simultaneous vaccination" to speed up immunization efforts amid the expected arrival of more doses this week. One million vaccines from China's Sinovac will arrive on Monday.

The government is set to re-impose enhanced community quarantine, the strictest lockdown, on Metro Manila and four nearby provinces on Monday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace has applied for an exemption from the national task force to be allowed to hold a public ceremony to welcome the arrival of the Sinovac doses. ECQ rules state that mass gatherings are prohibited and events should only be limited to 10 attendees.

Roque said the President is expected to attend the welcome ceremony after he returns from his birthday celebration in Davao on Sunday.
A moratorium on evictions for business tenants struggling during the pandemic has been extended until June 30, but there are fears of a "mass" wave of them being kicked out of their premises when this date passes.

It was announced last year commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent because of Covid will be protected from eviction.

Measures put in place meant no business will automatically forfeit their lease and be forced out if they miss a payment.

This was originally set to expire on March 31, however Finance Minister Conor Murphy later extended it by three months.

"This extension will offer support to local businesses as we continue to deal with the economic impact of Covid-19 and move along the pathway out of restrictions," he said.

"I would continue to encourage landlords and tenants to work together.

"Tenants should continue to meet their legal obligations and pay their rent in full if they can.

"However, where this is not possible, landlords should show leniency to those businesses in difficulty at this time."

Alliance MLA Andrew Muir said there needed to be a strategy in place to avoid large-scale evictions when the moratorium ended.

"While the minister's decision to extend statutory protections for business tenants is welcome, it doesn't solve the underlying problem," he said.

"A lot of businesses will emerge from this pandemic heavily indebted, while at the same time trying to adapt to a new business environment. The minister needs to bring forward a plan to ensure we don't witness mass evictions once the protections are eventually lifted, including encouraging greater uptake of RICS Mediation Service to ensure tenants struggling to pay don't end up in court fighting eviction."

Esmond Birnie, senior economist at Ulster University, said evictions are inevitable.

"That said, as with other types of Government intervention relating to the Covid recession, the return to 'normality' cannot be indefinitely postponed and repeatedly pushing back deadlines may only be storing up bigger problems for the future," he added.

"The moratorium was a very understandable reaction to the intense cash flow problems during the height of the pandemic.

"It may have provided some space for landlords and tenants to come to voluntary arrangements and it was never meant to be a rent holiday.

"That said, the moratorium has already been extended twice, from September 2020 to March 2021 and then to June 2021.

"In reality the pandemic has provoked, or accelerated, some structural shifts in the economy - further decline in physical retail, less use of office space - and this will have big implications for the commercial property market.

"The new reality will have to be faced eventually and that can only be done by letting the market work and allowing rents to adjust to new patterns of demand and supply."

Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, said many businesses will simply be unable to open in the summer when restrictions loosen.

"Businesses are worried about what is going to happen when this moratorium and support, such as the furlough scheme, ends in the summer when businesses are able to reopen," he said.

"I am concerned that you'll see a very, very significant amount of local businesses closing their doors, not able to reopen. It will be a serious situation."
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lauded the Mother Teresa Soup Kitchen initiated by the Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra and thrown his support behind it.



Describing the project that cares for street children as an exceptionally important and compassionate development, President Akufo-Addo said we have to be working towards a situation in the country where, less and less children would be found on the streets because they would either be in school or have gained employment after leaving school.



President Akufo-Addo said this when members of the Pastoral Council of the Christ the King Catholic Church called on him at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday.



On May 23 this year, the Pastoral Council invited President Akufo-Addo to Christ the King Catholic Churchs 70th milestone.



The President said that day was unforgettable since it was the birthday of the last of his daughters and assured the delegation that he would be sharing the day with the church.



Soup Kitchen



The Christ The King Soup Kitchen is an initiative by Rev. Father Andrew Campbell, the Parish priest of Christ The King Catholic Church in Accra, and supported by the Parish Pastoral Council. The project provides meals, clothes and training for poor children on the streets and was commenced in January 2016 when Pope Francis declared the year as the jubilee year of mercy.



The soup kitchen fed 50 to 60 street children a day and had in the last four years cooked 87,600 meals for children. It also distributed 120 packs of food twice in a week to the homeless that reside under the Kanda overpass and had also, within the four years of its existence, provided 24,960 meals for vagrants who sleep under the overpass at Kanda.



Besides providing food, the soup kitchen also undertakes healthcare programmes such as health screening for the vulnerable at least two times in a year.



Christ the King Soup Kitchen is presently in consultation with the Social Welfare Department for a social welfare centre to be constructed at Osu. The centre, which will provide food and shelter for street children in Accra, will be

named after Mother Teresa, the patron saint of Rev. Father Campbell.



The project is estimated to cost about one million Ghana cedis and it will have a conference hall, a boardroom and rooms for the children.



Support



President Akufo-Addo said the step taken by the church was a worthwhile initiative and would be given support to push it forward.



He recalled his long-standing relations with Rev. Father Campbell. He said he came across Father Campbell when he (Akufo-Addo) was board chairman for DHL.



President took time to wish Father Campbell well on his birthday and said the government would continue to value his presence in the country and, even more, for dedicating his life to the well-being of its citizens.



Father Campbell presented a framed picture of Mother Teresa and a crucifix to the President.



Pastoral Council



The Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council, Mr Kingsford Arthur, said the team was at the Presidency to congratulate President Akufo-Addo on his second term and also share the moment with him.



He thanked President Akufo-Addo for donating to the project and used the opportunity to invite him to be part of the 70th anniversary of the church, which falls on May 23, this year.



Mr Arthur told the President that Rev. Campbell would celebrate his 75th birthday today and that a special Mass would he held for him and a thanksgiving Mass also on Sunday to commemorate his birthday.

Source: Daily Graphic









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For over 10 years Vitala Festival (a philanthropic initiative) and Teatro S. Genesio in Rome have hosted concerts, visual arts events and supported artists.

Teatro S. Genesio has also played an active part in the English-speaking community of Rome, hosting numerous performances by the theatre company, The Rome Savoyards.

While waiting for live events to be possible again and in order to pursue their philanthropic objective, Vitala Festival and Teatro S. Genesio are now presenting music sessions available for streaming.

The next music session will be made available for streaming on 28 March, a timely celebration in the weekend dedicated to World Theatre Day.

The music duo Fuaran, formed by Emma Gordon (vocals) and Bernardo Nardini (guitar, octave mandolin, harmonica, low whistle, vocals) present a unique repertoire including Celtic inspired songs, well-known Irish and Scottish ballads, Sea Shanties and two original songs.

A promo video is available now here.

How to register for the streamed music session:

- Ticket contribution for the online music session is 4.

- The ticket may be purchased via the following link.

- For alternative payment methods please contact: wonderwallenter@gmail.com.

- Tickets are available for purchase by Saturday 27 March 2021.

- Following payment, you will receive a notification and a link to watch the online session.

- The music session will be available for streaming only on Sunday 28 March 2021 from 10.00 to 23.00 (CET).

- For any further information please contact: wonderwallenter@gmail.com or 3478248661.
Roy Bagattini, CEO of Woolworths Holdings, joined CEOs from 15 other corporations in signing the UN Global Compact World Water Day pledge on 22 March. Bagattini was the only signatory representing a South African organisation.

Roy Bagattini

World Water Day: Collaboration protects vulnerable communities against Covid-19 The Heineken Africa Foundation and Heineken SA have partnered with WaterAid in its drive to tackle the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases, as well as significantly broaden access to clean water across the continent...

3 key commitments

Like Covid-19, water use requires permanent behaviour change The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has resulted in many fault lines emerging in our societies. One of the key ones is that of behaviour change...

Collaboration critical

The 16 corporations  comprising Anheuser-Busch InBev, Cargill, Diageo, Dow Inc, Ecolab, Gap Inc., Kurita Water Industries Ltd, PVH Corp, Starbucks, alongside The Coca Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Heineken, IHG, Levi Strauss & Co. and Woolworths Holdings  pledged in an open letter to improve the way they use and manage water to ensure ample and resilient freshwater resources for all.The letter was published on World Water Day, which this year focused on the theme of valuing water.According to UN-Water, the impacts of climate change are felt first and foremost through water. Increasing global temperatures cause drought, flooding and other extreme weather events  all of which pose a direct threat to businesses and the communities they operate in.Water scarcity in particular is a major financial concern for businesses. Today 3.6 billion people worldwide live in water-stressed areas and without further action based on projected demand, the world will face a 56% shortfall in freshwater supply relative to demand by 2030.Companies around the world are increasingly recognising the value of water through working with initiatives like the Valuing Water Initiative  and the impact that water scarcity poses to their businesses. A 2020 report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) estimates that some $301bn of business value is at risk due to water stewardship challenges.The Water Resilience Coalition, whose corporate members boast a $2.8tn total market capitalisation, is an initiative of the UN Global Compacts CEO Water Mandate. The CEOs involved are focusing on finding climate-smart water solutions that address water stress.In their open letter they are calling for three overarching commitments from industry leaders to meet by 2050:Deliver measurable net-positive impact in water-stressed basins where they operate, focusing on the availability, quality, and accessibility of freshwater resources. Net-positive water impact is achieved when a water user's contributions exceed its impacts on water stress in the same region.Develop, implement, and enable strategies to support leading impact-based water resilience practices across the global value chain.Raise the ambition of water resilience through public and corporate outreach, as well as inspire other industry leaders to join the Coalition and sign a Pledge.Through these commitments, the Coalition aims to positively impact water in 100 basins worldwide and to enable sustainable access to drinking water and sanitation for 100 million people by 2030.Feroz Koor, Woolworths group head of sustainability, told Bizcommunity, The protection of fresh water and rehabilitation of our water basins at a global level is critical for the survival of every form of life on our planet. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate at a global level with other like-minded CEOs in the Water Resilience Coalition, sharing best practices with the commitment to be reducing water stress by 2050."For a number of years Woolworths has been actively involved in Water Stewardship projects in at-risk water basins here in South Africa. We have learnt through these projects that collaboration with NGOs, government, catchment agencies, businesses, farmers and the local community is critical to the success of the project. We hope that by signing this Pledge we encourage other South African and African companies to join us in this global initiative as water is life."Commenting on the call to action from CEOs, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and executive director of the United Nations Global Compact said: This open letter is an important step to elevate water stress to the top of the corporate agenda. The business sector has a key role to play to help lead the way towards water resilience because of its reach and the resources it can leverage to accelerate progress. This can not only help cut water risk but is also a business opportunity for enhanced investment in water security.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Investigative Unit agents cited three Northeast Ohio bars Friday night and early Saturday for violating coronavirus-related health orders put in place to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Mulligans Restaurant & Pub in Canton, Game On Lakewood and Europa Pepper Pike received the citations, according to OIU.

Agents went to Mulligans Restaurant & Pub about 7:15 p.m Friday. and saw several employees not wear face masks, the release says. The establishment previously was warned about face masks a time before by the Stark County Health Department.

Over at Game On Lakewood, agents went to the bar about 11 p.m. and saw about 125 bar patrons closely congregated throughout the establishment. Mostly all of the bar seats were filled and patrons stood closely behind those who were sitting, the release says.

Many of the bar patrons and staff were not wearing face masks, the release says. Agents noted that patrons were allowed to stand and congregated closely together.

Agents arrived at Europa about 1 a.m. Saturday and saw about 150 bar patrons also closely congregating together, taking up all the bar seats and standing closely behind seated patrons in order to get a drink, the release says.

Several bar patrons were not wearing face masks, the release says.

The above cases will go before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission for potential penalties, including fines and/or the suspension or revocation of liquor permit.

Read more coronavirus coverage on cleveland.com:

Cleveland confirms 64 new COVID-19 coronavirus cases, 6 more deaths: Friday update

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, Health Commissioner Terry Allan say legislators hurting efforts against coronavirus

Ohio reports 34 coronavirus cases to vaccinated individuals among 400,000 cases statewide since shots began

144 more Ohioans have died with coronavirus, cases up 2,742: Friday update

Summit Countys mass COVID-19 vaccination site to open April 3 at fairgrounds in Tallmadge
Road-trip season is here! Its time to pack up the family and head for the open road. And if your family includes some four-legged members, youre in luck because Manitoba offers plenty of pet friendly options for weekend excursions.

Road-trip season is here! Its time to pack up the family and head for the open road. And if your family includes some four-legged members, youre in luck because Manitoba offers plenty of pet friendly options for weekend excursions.

"We love having dogs in the hotel; they are part of the family," says Bruce Garvey of the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg. "Other guests who miss their dogs while travelling are certainly excited to see dogs in the hotel."

The Paw Pleasers Package at the Delta Winnipeg includes a one-night stay, complimentary pet room-cleaning fee (normally $50) and free parking. And if you forget something, dog beds, and bowls and doggie bags are available at the front desk.

@candysandy_macandsully A luxury stay for both you and your pet awaits at Fairmont Winnipeg.

Lakeview Resorts in both Gimli and on Hecla Island have plenty of room for outdoor exploration with spacious rooms for everyone to have an afternoon nap. Two pets are allowed per room and theres a $15 charge per pet per night. Theres no size restriction. Pets are also welcome at Lakeview Signature in Winnipeg.

The Fairmonts Spring into Summer Staycation package includes a nightly $50 credit that can be applied to the pet fee ($25 a night). "We also accept cats and could entertain other pets, but please check with us first," says Stella Gu, marketing and PR manager for Fairmont Winnipeg. Theres no size limit on dogs and they also provide beds, bowls and water as a complimentary gesture.

Tannis Weibe Tannis and Joel Wiebe, along with Coda, Red and Haddie, take advantage of Falcon Trails Resorts pet-friendly policies, which include seven cabins that welcome dogs.

The Hamilton family  owners of Falcon Trails Resort  are dog lovers and understand how important it is to bring the pups along on an adventure. Four of their 11 Falcon Lake cabins are dog friendly (Eagle, Birch, Tamarack and Owl Wing). Three of their six High Lake cabins are dog friendly too (Juniper, Highline and Whiskeyjack).Two dogs are allowed per cabin and theres a $20 per-pet per-night fee.

Pet-friendly rooms at Mere Winnipeg are on the main floor where theres easy and convenient access to Stephen Juba Park. Its the perfect place for a long walk or a quick play, right alongside the Red River.

"We see a lot of guests bring their pets with them and are happy to be able to provide a modern boutique hotel experience while still allowing them to travel with their pets," said Emily Patrician, marketing manager for Sparrow Hotels and general manager of the Mere. Theres a $25 per-night per-pet fee and no size restrictions.

Shel Zolkewich / Winnipeg Free Press Sammy loved all the attention during her stay at Lakeview Hecla Resort.

Tips from the vet

"Does your pet enjoy car rides?" asks Dr. Keri Hudson Reykdal, of Prairie Vet, the popular docu-series on Animal Planet Canada, and North of 55 Veterinary Services in Thompson. "If yes, then the trip should be easy. If not, it will help to get them accustomed to car rides by taking them on lots of short trips to fun places like the dog park so they associate the car with fun." If your pet is prone to car sickness, there are effective medications as well as safe anti-anxiety options that can ensure everyone has a pleasant trip, Reykdal adds.

"It is also important to ensure your pet is up to date on their yearly exam and their vaccinations. If you are travelling, they will be at higher risk for exposure to diseases. Speak to your vet to ensure that they will be protected against the diseases and parasites common to the travel area, such as ticks, which carry tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, and mosquitoes, which carry heartworm disease in many parts of Canada," she adds.

Emily Patrician With Stephen Juba Park right out the door, Mere is a popular place for people and pets.

Once you arrive at the destination, having your pets familiar bed, bowls and food will make them feel much more comfortable.

"Keep in mind that your pet will be in unfamiliar circumstances and may not act like his or her normal self," she said. "Ensure that you have a properly fitted collar and leash, as well as a slip lead. If they get scared, you want to be sure that they cant pull out of their collar and take off."

NOTE: Be sure to read all pet policies thoroughly. Youll likely be on the hook if your pet damages the space in any way. And if your pet is acting unruly or causing excessive noise, you may face additional charges.

shel@shelzolkewich.com
All beaches along a popular holiday spot have been forced to close over water quality concerns following New South Wale's horror weather event.

The Central Coast Council issued a warning on Friday that all beaches and ocean baths would remain shut until Tuesday following six consecutive days of severe flooding.

'Extended heavy rainfall increases the risk of our waterways being impacted by pollution due to stormwater run-off', the Central Coast Council said.

The Council warned the water quality and floating debris found along multiple beaches including Avoca, Terrigal and Copacabana 'can be a hazard to your health'.

Temperatures in Greater Sydney and the Central Coast will peak at 27C on Saturday with blue skies and sunshine, with 25C expected on Sunday - meaning an ideal autumn beach weekend.

All beaches along the Central Coast of NSW including Copacabana (pictured) are closed following water quality concerns after severe flooding and rainfall

Avoca Beach (pictured) is also closed after concerns over water quality and floating debris

'We are strongly advising all residents and visitors not to swim or make contact with our waterways as it may be detrimental to health.'

An update will be provided early next week, once further water quality samples and inspections of local beaches are completed.

Surf Life Saving NSW has advised beachgoers to wash off after swimming as 'even if the water looks clear, it may not be safe'.

'There is a lot of unknown and potentially hazardous debris floating in the ocean and below the surface as well as pollutants, sewerage and chemical runoff that have now made their way to the beaches,' SLSNSW director of lifesaving Joel Wiseman said.

The Central Coast Council is warning swimmers not to make contact with 'our waterways as it may be detrimental to health' (pictured: Shelly Beach which is closed until Tuesday)

Surf Life Saving NSW has advised beachgoers to wash off after swimming as 'even if the water looks clear, it may not be safe' (pictured: Avoca beach which is closed until Tuesday)

'Many beaches will be closed this weekend, but if people are going to swim we're advising them to swim between the flags as always and make sure they thoroughly wash off after getting out of the water.'

SLSNSW advises that the public should be extra cautious swimming at beaches that are in close proximity to lagoons, river mouths or waterway runoffs.

All beaches on the state's mid north and lower north coast will also most likely remain closed for the entire weekend due to severe flooding in the region.

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage has warned that storm water pollution may be impacting all swimming sites across the state, including Gordon's Bay and Clovelly Beach in the eastern suburbs.

The warnings come after dozens of homes at Stuarts Point on the NSW mid-north coast were forced to evacuate on Friday night after a septic tank system leaked sewage into yards (pictured, flooding in Kempsey)

The Local Emergency Operations Controller confirmed there was a major health risk for anyone who came into contact with the water over concerns it was full of bacteria (pictured, flooding in Kempsey)

'As a general precaution, swimming at Sydney's oceans beaches should be avoided for up to one day after heavy rainfall or for as long as stormwater is present', the department said.

The warnings come after dozens of homes at Stuarts Point on the NSW mid-north coast were forced to evacuate on Friday night after a septic tank system leaked sewage into yards and streets.

The Local Emergency Operations Controller confirmed there was a major health risk for anyone who came into contact with the water over concerns it was full of bacteria.

'Vehicles outside the contaminated area can be moved but occupants must undergo decontamination and evacuation registration prior to departure,' LEOC said in a statement.

The state and parts of southern Queensland were battered by wild rain which started more than a week ago, with 400mm seen in a day around Port Macquarie.

Sydney itself saw days of 120mm, with flooding affecting huge swathes of the west and north-west.
From Little Irelanders to POW Avenue, Andrew Madden and Gareth Cross take a closer look at some of the more unusual things in the Assembly and further afield this week.

Monday:

Monday in the Assembly saw TUV leader Jim Allister voice his concerns over the decision not to install a centenary stone on the grounds of Stormont.

He raised a point of order to highlight his displeasure, but was quickly shot down by the Speaker, Alex Maskey, who said this was not a point of order and asked him to take his seat.

Mr Allister, however, would not let the matter rest. He sat down but then proceeded to shout: Its an embarrassment for you  its a shame, its an absolute shame that the centenary of Northern Ireland, by virtue of an [Assembly] commission that you chair, is denied to be celebrated.

Mr Maskey responded: Mr Allister, do not accuse this speaker of being unfair or of abusing my position  I advise you not to do that. The TUV leader then branded the commission a scandal.

Mr Allister also had issues later in the day, criticising Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon for her negative remarks around Boris Johnsons vanity project of a fixed link between NI and GB.

Mr Allister said: I have to suggest to the minister that she let herself down and the people of Northern Ireland by the pejorative, contemptuous and ill-considered response that she made before the ink was dry on the interim report, he said.

I do suggest to the minister its time she took off her nationalist blinkers and was something more than a little Irelander.

His words would come back to bite him the following day.

Sinn Feins Pat Sheehan drew groans from unionist benches when discussing the centenary stone topic, after he referred to Prince of Wales Avenue in Belfast as POW Avenue.

Tuesday:

Jim Allister would be censured for his remarks and behaviour on Monday, with Speaker Alex Maskey commenting: I have been concerned about Mr Allisters behaviour on a number of recent occasions, he has made ill-tempered remarks. Mr Allister will not be called to speak for three sitting days, starting from this morning.

The TUV leader then tried to raise a point of order, but the speaker hit back: I can count, I have determined a three-day suspension, I can add to that. Dont tempt me.

Before getting to the first item of business, Sinn Feins Linda Dillon rose to make a point of order. She said that Ulster Unionist representative Alan Chambers made remarks during a debate in the chamber on Monday that he is engaging with loyalist paramilitaries.

These are armed criminal gangs, engaging in drug dealing and racketeering, she said, asking the speaker if it is right that a member of this House should be doing so? There was one slight problem, however, Alan Chambers did not speak in the chamber on Monday, a fact he soon made known.

Ms Dillon later cleared up the matter, stating she was mistaken and meant to refer to DUP MLA Trevor Clarke. She apologised to Mr Chambers, who accepted her mea culpa.

Wednesday:

Over in Westminster, SDLP MP Claire Hanna spoke during a debate regarding online anonymity. She had an apt description for the internet as a whole. The internet is essentially a large public space with an anti-social behaviour problem, she said.

Ms Hanna urged Westminster to do more to protect people from online abuse and said people should not be allowed to hide behind anonymous accounts to spew hatred.

Back at Stormont the Assemblys Executive Office committee was told it was hard to identify whether Brexit or the coronavirus pandemic was causing issues for businesses.

Fergal OBrien from the Republic of Ireland business group Ibec said that while post-Brexit teething problems were being overcome, moving goods on and off the island was becoming more complex and costly.

Sometimes its hard to detangle what was Covid and what was Brexit, he said.

UUP MLA John Stewart said he found it staggering that Economy Minister Diane Dodds stated she did not have any direct role in efforts to end a pay dispute between further education colleges and unions.

Perhaps she can clarify what exactly is the role of the Economy Minister, he asked.

Further education colleges clearly come under the departmental responsibility of the Department for the Economy, Mr Stewart said. The role of a minister is not just to push out good news stories, it is also to get their hands dirty when the difficult issues arise. The Economy Minister`s understanding of departmental responsibility seems confused.

Thursday:

Stormonts Health Committee received a presentation from department officials on the Hyponatraemia Related Deaths Report recommendations. Sinn Fein were quick to voice their displeasure, with committee chair Colm Gildernew hitting out at the fact they had only received a briefing paper 18 hours before the meeting.

Caral Ni Chuilin had even sterner words regarding the report itself. I find it the most unambitious, disappointing, defensive response to an inquiry that dealt with the untimely death of children that I have ever seen, she said.

I think that, frankly, its a disgrace... I dont see an implementation plan at all, adding that the piece of work is completely scandalous.

Over in Westminster the DUPs Carla Lockhart tabled an urgent question for the NI Secretary Brandon Lewis over his decision to go over Stormonts head to commission abortion services here.

Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh was not too happy with the move, saying it is not democracy, while fellow Scott Benton described the new regulations as a democratic and constitutional assault on Northern Ireland.

Mr Lewis defended the move telling the Commons that he accepted it was an emotive issue, but he was aware of two women who tried to take their own lives after being unable to travel to England from Northern Ireland.

The issue raised its head later during Arlene Foster and Michelle ONeills press conference in Dungannon. The First Minister said Westminsters previous move to legislate on abortion had only been taken because the Stormont was not functioning at the time.

Rounding on Brandon Lewis, she warned: There was no devolution at the time, there is devolution now, and he should back off.

Friday:

It came to light on Friday that the Irish Government has fully repaid the 3.2bn loan it got from the UK during the last financial crisis.

Making the announcement, Dublins Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said: I welcome the completion of the repayment of the UK bilateral loan today. This repayment marks the completion of another step along our journey since exiting the EU-IMF financial assistance programme in December 2013.

Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken felt there was something missing from Mr Donohoes statement.

Must have missed the thank you UK for help in bailing us out, especially when the rest of the international community were prevaricating  your welcome, he tweeted.

Mr Donohoe, or Mr Aiken, also didnt mention the millions in interest the UK received from the Republic as part of the loan.
Saturday: Rush (2013) BBC4, 9pm - During the 1970s, rubber burnt and tempers frayed between two very different Formula 1 drivers: charismatic ladies' man James Hunt and incredibly ambitious Austrian speed fiend Niki Lauda.

Their daredevil duels reached a horrifying crescendo at the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring when Lauda's Ferrari burst into flames, trapping him in the inferno. Just six weeks later, Lauda emerged from hospital with extensive scarring, determined to prevent Hunt from claiming the chequered flag at Monza.

This incredible story of courage and resilience is dramatised in Rush, Ron Howard's superb biopic that charts the rivalry between Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) from their early days through to the glamour of the Formula 1 circuit.

Sunday

Wonder Woman (2017) ITV2, 6.15p.m.

Diana (Gal Gadot) is an Amazonian princess, who lives on the island of Themyscira under the benevolent rule of her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen).

During the First World War, handsome US Army spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash-lands in the sea close to the island and Diana rescues him from a watery grave. He tells the Amazons about the conflict with the Germans, whose forces are marshalled by iron-fisted General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston).

Horrified by mankind's self-destruction, Diana bids tearful farewell to her clan and prepares to head to the front, via London. Wonder Woman is a muscular introduction to the DC Comics warrior princess, and Gadot is positively luminous in the title role.

Monday

Road to Perdition (2002) Sony Movies, 9p.m.

Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is a devoted husband and father who lives a secret life as a mob hitman in Depression-era Chicago. When his son witnesses his involvement in a killing it results in a fellow gangster attempting to kill off Sullivan's entire family - forcing him and his surviving son, Michael Jr (Tyler Hoechlin), to go on the run.

His desire for revenge eventually leads him to cross the infamous mob boss Al Capone - with terrible repercussions.

Based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, director Sam Mendes' follow-up to American Beauty is a very different affair. This dark period chase drama is meticulously constructed and boasts an incredible cast, most notably a suitably restrained Hanks as Sullivan and the downright eerie Jude Law as assassin Harlen Maguire.

Tuesday

Jack Reacher (2012) ITV4, 9 p.m.

Emotionally unstable sniper James Barr (Joseph Sikora) is arrested for the murder of five innocent people outside PNC Park in Pennsylvania. Before Barr slips into a coma, he writes down three words - Get Jack Reacher.

Soon after, former military officer Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) makes contact with lead detective Emerson (David Oyelowo) and District Attorney Rodin (Richard Jenkins) to help put Barr behind bars. Rodin's daughter, defence attorney Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike), isn't convinced her client is guilty so she hires Jack to check the forensics.

Based on the book One Shot by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is a robust thriller punctuated by smartly orchestrated action sequences, none more chilling than opening scenes of the sniper taking aim at innocent bystanders on a riverbank.
The Danone Ireland Wexford plant has been chosen as the manufacturing site for an innovative new baby food product for the UK and European markets.

In a boost to Danone's Irish operations, the French dairy and baby food giant is to make Europe's first pre-measured, packaged baby formula milk product at its production facility in Rocklands, on the outskirts of Wexford town.

Danone is launching the new format through its Aptamil product - initially in the UK before rolling it out across the rest of Europe.

The company which also makes baby food at its production plant in Cork, and sells to China and other markets, has signed a manufacturing partnership with the Japanese food maker Meiji.

The deal will combine Danone's formula milk recipes and Meiji's patented tab production technology and it will be the first time baby milk has been sold in Europe in a pre-measured tab.

'We believe this format innovation has the potential to revolutionise the formula milk category in Europe,' said Jean Michel Lequin, director of Danone's Wexford formula milk production facility.

Junior Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said the move underlines Ireland's global reputation for food innovation.

The Wexford factory employs 350 people and produces dairy products for export to more than 40 countries.

The product move follows market research showing that European consumers want greater convenience in using formula milk food. The pre-measured format will enable parents to have an accurate amount of formula when preparing a milk feed and will help to reduce mess and waste.

Gustavo Hildenbrand, general manager of Danone Specialised Nutrition in the UK and Ireland, said breast milk is the gold standard when it comes to feeding babies but parents are telling Danone that when they wish to move on from breast milk, they are looking for ways to make formula milk feeds simpler and more convenient.

Meiji has pioneered a technique that applies compression and humidification to powdered formula milk, resulting in a crumble-resistant cube of formula, which readily dissolves in hot water. The technology has been installed in the Danone Wexford plant.
Storm Keating has revealed that she underwent emergency spinal surgery after being diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome.

Taking to Instagram on Friday night, where she shared a snap of her hand and hospital gown, the Australian fashion designer, 39, said it had been the 'most frightening week' of her life.

Storm told how she had initially been rushed to hospital for a 'very bad prolapsed disc', which needed 'surgical intervention', with things taking an even more serious turn when it escalated to cauda equina syndrome.

Cauda equina syndrome is a rare and severe type of spinal stenosis that causes the nerves in the lower back to become severely compressed.

Emergency: Storm Keating has revealed that she underwent emergency spinal surgery after being diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome (pictured earlier this month)

In a lengthy Instagram post, the mother-of-two said that she 'wouldnt wish what Ive been through on anyone.'

Beginning her message, she said: 'Its been a long and trialling week, the most frightening week of my life.

'But I feel so utterly grateful to Dr Syed Aftab and all the amazing specialists, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and aids at #CromwellHospital who have assisted me through this.

'On Saturday I was rushed in with what we already knew was a very bad prolapsed disc, which had more recently escalated to the point where it needed surgical intervention.'

Hospital stay: Taking to Instagram on Friday night, where she shared a snap of her hand and hospital gown, the Australian fashion designer, 39, said it had been the 'most frightening week' of her life

Shock: Storm told how she had initially been rushed to hospital for a 'very bad prolapsed disc', which needed 'surgical intervention', with things taking an even more serious turn when it escalated to cauda equina syndrome (pictured with Ronan in 2018)

Detailing how her condition escalated, she continued: 'Whilst stabilising in hospital however, this then escalated to Cauda Equina Compression/ Syndrome which required emergency spinal surgery to avoid permanent damage.

What is cauda equina syndrome? Cauda equina syndrome is a serious condition where the nerves at the very bottom of the spinal cord become compressed. Symptoms include: lower back pain

numbness in your groin

paralysis of one or both legs

rectal pain

loss of bowel control (bowel incontinence)

loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)

pain in the inside of your thighs Doctors advise seeking medical assistance immediately if a person develops these symptoms. They should visit their GP or the accident and emergency (A&E) department of the nearest hospital. If cauda equina syndrome is not promptly treated, the nerves to the bladder and bowel can become permanently damaged. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

'If it wasnt for Dr Aftab and his acute diligence, care, attentiveness and skills, I would not be walking out of this hospital with the prospects of leading the normal life I had always envisioned I would.'

The condition causes the nerves in the lower back to suddenly become compressed and can lead to loss of sensation, incontinence and paralysis if not treated immediately.

Sharing her gratitude to the medical staff that helped her, Storm continued: 'There are no words that will ever come close to describing my gratitude to you Syed, thank you.

'And to Georgia and all the wonderful nurses and healthcare assistants who wiped my tears, comforted my fears, cleaned me up and allowed me to keep my dignity in moments where I thought I would lose it... you are amazing human beings to do what you do, thank you.'

Turning to her family, she said: 'My little girl turns one year old tomorrow and I cant wait to get home to her (just in time!) and to my amazing family who have been supporting each other and holding the fort together in my absence this last week.

'It couldnt have been easy and especially knowing the way my baby @rokeating worries! So baba, @jackrkeating and @missyykeating you are my heroes and I love you and I cant wait to get home and see you!!!!'

The Australian fashion designer concluding her post, writing: 'Finally I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone for your well wishes this last week, they filled me with strength and courage. I hope that by sharing my story, its a small reminder for everyone to take care of your back!

'Many of us take our spine for granted and often our health too... but sometimes the unexpected can throw a real curve ball if youre not paying attention or if youre ignoring your body.

'Im very lucky but I wouldnt wish what Ive been through on anyone. We share our highs on Insta but sometimes its good to share our lows too. This has been one of mine .'

Ordeal: In a lengthy Instagram post, the mother-of-two told how it had been 'most frightening week of my life' and added that she 'wouldnt wish what Ive been through on anyone'

Storm gave birth to her daughter, Coco, in March last year and she also shares three-year-old son Cooper with Ronan.

The happy couple met in September 2012 while they were both working on The X Factor Australia.

They tied the knot in a romantic Scottish ceremony in 2015 before announcing in December 2016 that they were expecting their first child.

Ronan shares three other children with ex-wife Yvonne Connolly: daughters Missy, 19, and Ali, 15, and son Jack, 21.
narvikk/iStockBy DR. TARUN JAIN and DR. SAMUEL ROTHMAN, ABC News



(NEW YORK) -- Even with millions of vaccine shots pricking arms every day, epidemiologists are warning that it's too soon for states to ease up on public COVID-19 measures without risking another surge.



Although more than 47 million people in the United States have been fully vaccinated -- 32 states, plus Washington, D.C., now are offering vaccines to anyone 16 or older -- experts agree we're nowhere near herd immunity.



But several states -- Iowa, Mississippi, Texas and Wyoming among them -- have fully reopened, repealing all COVID-19-related mandates. Other states are continuing to loosen their own restrictions.



Nationwide "the number of cases in the country has plateaued. That's not good. They should keep going down and down," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. "We've seen this before: When you plateau like that, there really is a danger of a resurgence."



Meanwhile, there are worrying signs the pandemic may be accelerating in some parts of the country, with 20 states now reporting more than a 10% increase in the number of new cases. Epidemiologists interviewed by ABC News said there are myriad reasons it's too soon to ease mandates, including the new and more contagious COVID-19 variants, undetected cases and worries about long COVID.



"There's a real danger in the United States of having yet another surge of cases in spite of vaccinations" due to both relaxing restriction and the possible variants, said Dr. Stanley H. Weiss, a professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health. "I think that the risk of the variants further propagating the epidemic is very real."



That's because some versions of the virus now circulating across the globe have developed worrying mutations that could help them spread faster and farther.



Houston was one of the first major U.S. cities with a confirmation of the B.1.1.7 variant, aka the U.K. variant. While the positivity rate is decreasing in Harris County, the number of variants is increasing, according to Rafael Lemaitre, communications director for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.



"We see the urgency to vaccinate as a race against those variants," Lemaitre added. Harris County remains at a severe threat level -- with the usage of intensive care beds, average total cases and positivity rate still high.



Using multiple metrics to inform reopening, like Harris County is doing, is recommended by epidemiologists who said that looking only at case numbers or vaccination rates by themselves isn't sufficient.



"Cases alone may not tell a full story," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist with Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor. "Testing may not tell a good story either, because there's a decrease in testing."



A greater focus on vaccinations has meant less testing for COVID-19.



"You have all the variants that haven't been detected because of limited testing," Weiss explained. "If you don't look, you don't find."



The concern for asymptomatic spread also affects another part of the equation. Experts say that beyond the variants, there's another worrying reason it may be too early to ease restrictions: the risk of long-haul symptoms. Although older adults are more likely to die of COVID-19, younger adults can be spreaders  and may develop long-term health problems that doctors are still working to fully understand.



While 71% of adults 65 and older have received at least 1 dose of the vaccine, lower-risk younger adults are still at risk for complications from an infection.



"We talk about outcomes as if it's binary. Either you're unlucky and you die or you have a mild case, and you get over it. But we're learning more and more about these long-term effects," said Dr. Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston.



Troisi and Weiss both noted the death of Texas Roadhouse founder and CEO Kent Taylor. He died by suicide last week after suffering from unbearable chronic symptoms related to the virus, including tinnitus, a ringing in the ears commonly reported in long COVID.



About "10 to 40% of people who are infected may get those longer-term consequences, some of which can affect the heart, some of which can affect a person's nervous system and pain," Weiss said.



Despite these concerns, epidemiologists still remain cautiously optimistic.



"It's not all or nothing," Brownstein said. "We can take things gradually, look at the data and continue to reopen. The more challenging situation will be -- as opposed to a dimmer switch -- a full light switch on. That's when we start seeing unnecessary upticks and, more importantly, hospitalizations."



A large part of returning to normal will also depend on personal responsibility. In Texas, where restrictions have been lifted completely, Lemaitre noted that Houston residents and businesses are still working together to require masks and reopen safely, removing politics from the equation.



"We all have some responsibility for our health," Troisi said. "I don't think we emphasize this enough, but there's a community responsibility to wear a mask and to practice social distancing."



"We're a global society," she added. "There's a public health saying that there's no 'peeing section' in the swimming pool."



Tarun Jain, M.D., a chief resident physician in internal medicine and pediatrics, and Samuel Rothman, M.D., a resident physician in psychiatry, are contributors to the ABC News Medical Unit. ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos contributed to this report.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Europe also experienced a scare over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine and distribution in several countries was temporarily halted. Most of those countries have resumed using it, after the E.U. drug agency vouched for its safety. But public confidence in the shot has been severely undermined.

The hitches in Europes vaccine rollout come as some countries, like Germany, are facing a spike in new cases. The next few weeks will decide whether we can get the pandemic under control in the foreseeable future, Helge Braun, an aide to Germanys chancellor, Angela Merkel, told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. If the number of infections rises rapidly at the same time as the vaccination, the risk increases that the next virus mutation will become immune to the vaccine.

The agency said a new warning label would be added to the vaccine so that people in the medical community could watch for rare complications that could lead to blood clots and brain bleeds.

Trust in the AstraZeneca vaccine is essential to fighting the pandemic worldwide. The shot is more easily stored and less expensive than Pfizers or Modernas, and for now, it is sold without the goal of earning a profit.

The European Union has exported more vaccine doses than it has administered. On Wednesday, it revealed emergency legislation that would curb exports of Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in its countries for the next six weeks.
By Mir Afroz Zaman

Dhaka, Mar 27 (UNI) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina are set to have substantive discussions on this (Saturday) afternoon with the focus on trade, connectivity and COVID-19 cooperation.

The two South Asian countries, celebrating 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations, want to progress together with others in the region at a "faster pace."

Neither Bangladesh nor the Indian side specifically mentioned the bilateral instruments to be signed after the talks but disaster management, trade and oceanography are likely to be areas of cooperation documents.

The Indian Prime Minister said the next 25 years will be crucial for both the countries  Bangladesh and India.

Modi said his ongoing visit will contribute to even stronger bilateral relations between the two countries. Were committed to further deepening and diversifying our relations.

Connectivity is one of the issues that might get priority, an official told UNB adding that Bangladesh wants enhanced connectivity with India and beyond.

Prime Minister Hasina will have a one-to-one meeting with her Indian counterpart at the Prime Ministers Office before having delegation-level talks at the PMO.

In a pre-arrival statement, Modi said he will be having "substantive discussions" with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following their very productive virtual meeting in December last year.

They will jointly inaugurate some joint projects virtually and witness the signing of MoUs between the two countries after the talks.

During the Hasina-Modi virtual Summit held in December last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the need for early signing of an interim agreement for sharing of the Teesta waters, as agreed upon by both the governments in 2011. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated Indias sincere commitment and continued efforts of the Government of India in that regard.

The two leaders, during the Summit, underscored the need for early conclusion of Framework of Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of six joint rivers, namely, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar.

Modi is scheduled to visit Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, before holding talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Haisna, to pay tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara. He is the first Indian dignitary to ever visit the place.

The Indian Prime Minister said he will pay homage to Bangabandhu, alongside Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the ongoing Mujib Borsho celebrations.

He will place a wreath at the Complex, plant a sapling and sign visitors book there after visiting the Mausoleum.

He will be offering prayers to Goddess Kali at the ancient Jashoreshwari Kali Temple, one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in the Puranic tradition.

"Im particularly looking forward to my interaction with representatives of the Matua community at Orakandi, from where Sri SriHarichandra Thakur ji disseminated his pious message," Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi, as part of his two-day visit to Bangladesh, met senior political leaders from the 14-Party Alliance on Friday.

Senior Awami Leaders Amir Hossain Amu, MP and Tofail Ahmed, MP; Syed Nazibul Maizvandary, MP, Rashed Khan Menon, MP, Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, Pirjadda Mostafa Amir Faisal Mozaddedi, Fazle Hossain Badsha, MP, Syed Tayabul Maizvandary, Shirin Akhter, MP and Sharif Nurul Ambia were among the 14-party leaders.

Discussions centred on diverse issues of bilateral relations were held during the meeting to strengthen ties between the two nations.

Modi also interacted with Opposition Leader in Parliament Raushan Ershad, MP, Ghulam Muhammed Quader, MP, Ziauddin Bablu and Ruhul Amin Howlader.

The engagement involved discussions on a wide gamut of issues pertaining to the two countries' bilateral relations.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen met Prime Minister Narendra Modiand both reflected on deepening the fraternal ties and strengthening the all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that transcends a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Modi met the community leaders, including representatives of minorities in Bangladesh, Freedom Fighters, friends of India and youth icons.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and together celebrated Mujib Borsho- the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and 50 years of Bangladeshs Independence.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Ministers from her cabinet welcomed Prime Minister Modi. A salute of 19 guns and Guard of honour were accorded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Soon after his arrival, Modi visited the National Martyrs Memorial and paid tributes to the martyrs Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

Prime Minister Modi also planted an Arjun sapling on the memorial premises and signed the visitors book in the monument.

He wrote, "I pray that the eternal flame at Savar remains a lasting reminder of the noble victory of truth and courage over deceit and oppression.

Modi will meet President Abdul Hamid before leaving Dhaka by a special flight on Saturday evening.

Foreign Minister Dr Momen will see him off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

UNI MAZ SY 1501
Rolls-Royce has begun building the world's largest jet engine which is designed to slash emissions for airlines post-pandemic, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

In a significant bet on a recovery in the aviation industry, the British engineer has started constructing a demonstration version of its vast UltraFan engine in Derby, East Midlands after seven years of preparations.

The Government-backed project has so far cost more than 500million, with around a third paid for by the taxpayer.

Clean: The green UltraFan engine is designed to slash harmful emissions

The test model is due to be completed by the end of the year. The engine is 25 per cent more fuel efficient than Rolls' first Trent engines. It can also run on sustainable fuels made from waste products such as cooking oil.

Trials will take place in Rolls-Royce's new 90million testing facility  a 'cathedral of space' with ultra-thick walls to limit noise.

UltraFan, with a fan diameter of almost 12ft, is larger than engines produced by US rival General Electric. Its carbon titanium fan system has been built in Bristol and its 50MW gearbox  powerful enough to run 500 family cars  in Dahlewitz, Germany. The engine will be suitable for both larger aircraft and the single aisle planes used for short-haul flights.

Rolls-Royce engineering and technology director Simon Burr said: 'This engine is not like anything else. When you see it your eyes are on stalks. It's truly a work of art. We've tested all the component elements and they've worked really well.'

Green: The engine is 25 per cent more fuel efficient than Rolls' first Trent engines

Burr said the engine is considerably quieter than previous propulsion systems. 'If you live near Heathrow you want to hear a whisper overhead. I used to live under the flight path so that matters to us.'

The long-term future of the UltraFan project, launched in 2014, remains in doubt. The grounding of flights due to Covid has thrown Rolls-Royce and its customers  including Airbus and Boeing  into crisis.

Fututristic: Trent engines at Rolls-Royce's new 90million testing facility  a 'cathedral of space' with ultra-thick walls to limit noise

Chief executive Warren East has committed funds to the creation of the technology. Bringing it to market towards the end of the decade will require further investment and a pick-up in demand for new plans. The prototype has received funding from the UK, Germany and the EU.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, said: 'The UltraFan project is a perfect example of how we are working with industry to deliver green, sustainable flight for decades to come. Backed with significant government support, this project represents the scale of ambition for Britain's crucial aerospace sector.'

East is attempting to invest in green technologies to secure the future of the 115-year-old business, while shedding thousands of jobs and selling off assets to boost the balance sheet.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that the company plans to use an attempt on the world all-electric airspeed record this spring as a launch pad for a push into electric planes and flying taxis.

However, Burr played down fears that UltraFan could be overtaken by green technologies before it launches. 'There is simply no way you'll be able to travel across the Atlantic with a battery,' he said, adding that its weight would make that impractical.

Last week, East's efforts to slim down the group were dealt a blow when the 130 million sale of Norwegian engines arm Bergen to a Russian group was blocked on national security grounds. Spanish aerospace group Aciturri is reportedly planning a 1.5billion bid for its ITP Aero division.
A mother of six children was fatally shot in North Carolina during a case of road rage on Thursday as the woman and her husband were on a getaway trip, the authorities said.

Officials said they responded around noon to a report of a person shot on Interstate 95 in Lumberton, N.C., about 125 miles from Charlotte, N.C.

They discovered Julie Eberly, 47, of Manheim, Pa., had been shot through the passenger door of the vehicle her husband, Ryan, had been driving. She was taken to Southeastern Health in Lumberton, where she later died, the Robeson County Sheriffs Office said. Mr. Eberly was not injured.

The couple celebrated their anniversary this week, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins of Robeson County said on Facebook. They were headed to Hilton Head Island, S.C., for a getaway, the sheriff said.
Security forces in Myanmar have been accused of opening fire on armed civilians, killing dozens of innocent people, including children, in a bloody crackdown on the annual armed forces day.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the regime had hit a new low on Saturday as soldiers and police sought to suppress protests in the deadliest day since last months military coup.

An independent researcher in Yangon put the death toll at 100, with the bloodshed having spread over more than two dozen cities and towns.

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The slaughter provoked an international outcry, with the British ambassador among the diplomatic missions raising concerns that children are among the dead.

Mr Raab said: Todays killing of unarmed civilians, including children, marks a new low.

We will work with our international partners to end this senseless violence, hold those responsible to account, and secure a path back to democracy.

Dan Chugg, the British ambassador in Yangon, said that the security forces have disgraced themselves by shooting unarmed civilians.

At a time of economic crisis, Covid and a worsening humanitarian situation, todays military parade and extrajudicial killings speak volumes for the priorities of the military junta, he said.

The European Unions delegation to Myanmar said the 76th armed forces day was a day of terror and dishonour, adding: The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts.

The coup started on February 1 when the military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyis elected government. Suppression of the resistance against the junta has grown steadily more forceful, and with it so has the death toll.

Junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing used a televised speech to criticise terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquillity and social security.

Amnesty Internationals deputy regional director for campaigns, Ming Yu Hah, said: These abhorrent killings again show the generals brazen disregard for the inadequate pressure applied so far by the international community.

This comes a day after the military announced that further protests would be met with shots to the head.

The cost of international inaction is being counted in bodies, including children shot dead in their homes.
Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, 59 students of Andhra University College of Engineering tested COVID positive.

Earlier today, District collector Vinay Chand reviewed the situation of Covid cases with Andhra Medical College (AMC) principal Sudhakar and District medical and health officer Dr P Suryanarayana in Andhra University.

Suryanarayana told ANI, "On Friday, 59 Andhra University Engineering College students who live in hostels tested positive. After a student tested positive, the health officials collected samples of 850 students, of which 59 tested positive."

"An asymptomatic student was living in University's hostel. After he tested positive, the health officials collected samples of 850 students, of which 450 results came out by the evening. Of them, 59 tested positive. Andhra University authorities, with the help of medical personnel, created two hostel blocks for isolation and four blocks for quarantine," he said.

Today, Andhra Pradesh reported 947 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 8,97,810.

India recorded 62,258 new COVID-19 cases, 30,386 recoveries, and 291 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry on Saturday. With this, the total cases in the country mounted to 1,19,08,910 including 4,52,647 active cases and 1,12,95,023 recoveries. The death toll has gone up to 1,61,240.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as many as 11,64,915 samples were tested on March 24.

A total of 5,81,09,773 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) will meet the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at 12 noon on Saturday to raise 'some serious concerns', as polling for the first phase of state assembly elections is underway.

Taking to Twitter, the (AITC) questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) on how the voting percentage reduced drastically to half within five minutes.

"What is happening @ECISVEEP?! Could you explain how voting percentage drastically reduced to half within a gap of just 5 minutes?! Shocking! @CEOWestBengal, please look into this urgently!" AITC tweeted.

Meanwhile, the voter turnout for the first phase for polling in West Bengal stood at 15.30 per cent as of 10:19 am on Saturday.

Hours before the first phase of polling began today, the Purba Medinipur district witnessed violence as bombing and firing took place in the Satsatmal village at the Argoal gram panchayat in Bhagabanpur Assembly constituency, injuring two security personnel.

BJP candidate from Paschim Medinipur Samit Das also accused the TMC of creating a disturbance in the rural areas of the district.

In the first phase of West Bengal elections, 30 seats covering all assembly constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a segment of Bankura, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur are going for polls.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women. The polling will conclude at 6:30 pm.

The state is witnessing a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the fray.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The number of passengers fell 50.4 percent decline year over year in February at Midland International Airport.

The city of Midland reported 22,832 passengers boarded an airplane during the month. In January that year-over-year decrease was 48.2 percent. During the fiscal year, passenger numbers have dropped 49.5 percent.

The individual airlines reported a year-over-year declines in boarding from 42.7 percent (American Eagle) to 55.0 percent (Southwest Airlines) in February. Southwest still holds the highest share of the 22,832 passengers leaving Midland International (40.69 percent). American Eagle posted a 30.45 percent share of the passengers. The rest flew United. In February 2020, 45,992 boarded one of the three airlines.

Parking revenues were down 19.9 percent during the month. That was better than the 37.9 percent decline in January and the 46.1 percent drop in December.

Midland International Airport report

Boardings

February 2021: 22,832

February 2020: 45,992

Percentage difference: -50.4

Fiscal year total: 133,323(-49.5 percent compared to 2019-20)

Share of passengers

American Eagle 6,953

Southwest 9,292

United 6,587

Total 22,832

Fuel sales

(in gallons)

February 2021: 298,538

February 2020: 515,058

Percentage difference: -42.0

Fiscal year total: 1,549,455 (-45.3 percent compared to 2019-20)

Parking revenues

February 2021: $270,620

February 2020: $337,680

Percentage difference: -19.9

Fiscal year total: $1,100,154 (-40.1 percent compared to 2019-20)

Source: City of Midland
Shattered mothers are raising the alarm about how transgender ideology is ravaging their troubled teenage and young adult sons who are caught in the jaws of a gender identity crisis.

Some of their boys are now taking cross-sex hormones, like estrogen and spironolactone, and are on the path to losing their fertility as they put themselves at significant risk of a variety of diseases and medical complications.

Nine mothers whom The Christian Post interviewed in February spoke on condition of anonymity, many out of fear that if their identities are revealed state social services agencies might remove their children from their custody.

Names, locations and identifying details in this report have been changed to ensure their anonymity. Many of their sons are highly intelligent and academically gifted, while others are on the autism spectrum or have mental health challenges like ADHD.

Source:The Christian Post
In another episode of someone just got extremely lucky', a Thai woman found an orange Melo pearl that is worth crores in her meal. Yes, you read that right!

Kodchakorn Tantiwiwatkul had bought sea snails for Rs 163 from a local market for making dinner in Satun Province.

 Twitter

As she was cutting the snails into smaller pieces for making dinner, she noticed that one of the snail shells had a round orange object inside. She thought it was a rock but later she discovered that it was a six-gram Melo pearl. She was shocked. The pearl was 1.5cm in diameter. She assumed it only to be a small fortune according to its quality.



Her family and she decided to keep the fortunate discovery of the pearl to themselves and didnt tell anyone as they were scared that the snail vendor might ask her to return it.

However, Kodchakorn has now decided to sell the pearl to pay for her mothers medical expenses.

In an interview with Daily Mail, she said, I showed it to my mother and she said its a Melo pearl and very valuable. We also watched the news on the television where a fisherman sold his for a fortune.

 Unsplash

Kodchakorns father Niwat Tantiwiwatkul said that they needed money and he recently had an accident which made things worse. Not only this, his wife also needs cancer treatment and now they might be able to afford that. The whole familys medical bills amount to more than Rs 23.34 lakh.



Niwat said, We cant wait any longer. Now, we are desperate. My wife was diagnosed with cancer while I had an accident. This Melo pearl is our only hope to help them access the better treatment.

The family has now decided to find potential buyers who will offer them a good price for the valuable Melo pearl.

 Twitter

There is a wide variety of Melo pearls that range from orange to tan to brown. However, orange is the most valuable shade of all. These pearls are usually found in the South China Sea and the Andaman Sea off the coast of Myanmar.



Didnt they just get extremely lucky?
ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Minnesota Emergency Response Initiative, through Americorps, returns this summer.

It is a unique program that places Americorps members in communities to tackle a wide range of pandemic-caused needs.

There was such a need last year, the organization felt it was necessary to continue the service.

This service provides assistance in education, battling hunger, homelessness, and isolation.

Today is the last day for an organization or site to apply for assistance.

Last year was the first Emergency Response Initiative due to an increased need during the pandemic.

Because of the success, Americorps wanted to continue to provide that support.

School partners, especially, have expressed interest in help with their summer programs.

Tutoring is a huge need in many communities.

The program's goal is to double its staff and impact this year.

"In a pandemic where we see social inequalities and inequities exacerbated further because of the economic impact, the impact of our schools, and the community. We really see that normal level of Americorp service needs are even more significant," says Andrew Mueller, the Director of Talent Acquisition, Reading and Math, INC.

Right now, there are six organizations in Rochester looking for 20 members to help them out this summer.

The deadline for individuals to apply is May 19th.

Across Minnesota, there are over 100 different cities where schools and organizations have asked for the organization's support and Americorps is hoping for over 700 individuals to serve.
A tornado warning for parts of Wake, Nash and Johnston counties has expired, the National Weather Service said. But there could be hazardous weather again on Sunday.

Severe thunderstorms have been rolling through the Triangle and most of North Carolina this weekend, the National Weather Service said Saturday.

NWS issued a hazardous weather warning for the Triangle region early Saturday, alerting to possible severe thunderstorms that could sweep through the region in the afternoon and early evening on both days of the weekend.

Dark clouds and hail were reported across the region. Some power outages were reported across central North Carolina, according to Duke Energys outage map, including several hundred in Raleigh, as of 6:45 p.m.

WRAL reported on air that lightning struck a home in North Raleigh, but no injuries were reported.

Brandon Locklear, a meteorologist at the NWS in Raleigh, said while Saturday may bring storms in the Triangle, Sunday is the main focus.

He said Sundays storms likely will be widespread and felt across the state  as part of a line of storms stretching from Maryland to the Gulf of Mexico. While some pockets of the state could be spared from the hazardous conditions, he said all residents should expect storms Sunday.

Locklear said people should be wary of powerful winds that could knock over trees across the state, as well as hail and possible tornadoes forming.

Sunday forecast in the Triangle

Sundays early forecast brings warm weather in the morning, even as it carries winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour, Locklear said. He said people might go outside to enjoy the warm weather, but stressed that they should be prepared for the storms.

If youre going to venture outdoors, you need to be able to get to a safe place fairly quickly, he said.

The storms are expected to hit North Carolina between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m., and in the Triangle from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m., on Sunday.

Locklear said the priority should be finding a sturdy building when seeking shelter, but if thats not available, to get into a car. A picnic shelter or a tree will not protect you, he warned.

Story continues

Most people injured or killed during storms are hit by falling trees, Locklear added.

For those in areas that receive tornado warnings, he said its important to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible  citing interior closets and bathrooms as the types of places to seek shelter.

Locklear added that the NWS watch will provide information about the storm before it hits Sunday.

The watch gives you enough time to say: Okay, now I really need to start paying attention. Where are my kids? What am I planning to do for the next couple of hours? he said. This is when I need to start being able to have at least some plan in place, to be able to quickly respond and get to a safe location.
Beverly Cleary passed away at the age of 104 on Thursday.

The writer was well known for her much-beloved children's books, including The Mouse And The Motorcycle, Henry Huggins, and numerous others.

The author passed away in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where she had been a resident since the 1960s; no cause of death was given.

Rest in peace: Beverly Cleary, who was known for writing several beloved children's books, died on Thursday at the age of 104

Cleary was predeceased by her husband Clarence and is survived by her children Malcolm and Marianne, as well as her three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Upon her death, Suzanne Collins, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books issued a statement to mourn the writer's passing and celebrate her legacy.

The business figure said, 'generations of children count themselves lucky-too lucky-to have the very real characters Beverly Cleary created... as true friends who helped shape their growing-up years.'

She continued, 'Her timeless books are an affirmation of her everlasting connection to the pleasures, challenges, and triumphs that are part of every childhood.'

Cleary was born on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, and moved with her family to Portland when she was six.

Paying tribute: Suzanne Collins, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books, said that Cleary's books were 'an affirmation' to 'the pleasures, challenges, and triumphs that are part of every childhood'

In her early years, the writer had difficulty reading, which she eventually overcame when she started third grade.

After graduating high school, she obtained a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Washington.

During her time as a librarian, Cleary began to sympathize with young children who were not able to find books with characters that they could relate to and sought to write stories that featured understandable protagonists.

Her first novel, entitled Henry Huggins, was published in 1950 and became the first in a series of books centered around the character.

A spinoff series focused on sisters Ramona and Beezus Quimby began with a 1955 novel that spawned several sequels.

Spinoff: Cleary started writing a series centered around Ramona and Beezus Quimby, who originally appeared in her 1950 novel Henry Huggins

A movie centered around the two was released in 2010 with actresses Selena Gomez and Joey King playing the titular characters.

The feature was helmed by Aquamarine director Elizabeth Allen and received mostly positive critical reception.

A short-lived Canadian television series was also produced, which aired for a single season in 1988.

The final book in the Ramona series, entitled Ramona's World, was published in 1999.

Cleary received several awards for her writing during her lifetime, most of which were given for her contributions to children's literature.

On the big screen: In 2010, an film adaptation of the Ramona series starring Selena Gomez and Joey King was released to mostly positive reviews

In 1975, the author was awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, now known as the Children's Literature Legacy Award, by the American Library Association.

Nine years later, the writer won the John Newbery Medal for her novel Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was written to appeal to young adults.

In 2000, she was named a Library of Congress Living Legend for her creative contributions to American life.

Three years later, Cleary received the National Medal of Arts alongside figures such as Ron Howard and Buddy Guy.
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
Colombo, March 27 : Sri Lanka will receive 20,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 next month, a Minister announced here.

State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana said on Friday that Sri Lanka will receive the first batch most likely before the local Sinhala and Tamil New Year, reports Xinhua news agency.

The cabinet earlier this week granted approval to purchase 7 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccines, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, with India restricting its exports on the AstraZeneca vaccines, an official from Sri Lanka's State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) told Xinhua that the SPC had begun discussions with AstraZeneca in the UK to purchase at least 8.5 million doses once it received local approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

The official said discussions were also ongoing with Johnson and Johnson to purchase its vaccines and order would be placed once local approval is granted.

Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a mass scale vaccination program as it began inoculating all those above 30 in the urban Western Province from mid-February, after frontline and health workers were administered the AstraZeneca jabs.
The legal argument has been settled.

The bickering, badgering, wrangling and posturing on ideological, philosophical and partisan-political grounds, however, show no signs of abating any time soon.

With the Supreme Court of Canadas delivery Thursday of a split-decision (6-3) ruling that the federal government has the right to impose minimum carbon-pricing requirements on the provinces, the constitutional challenge launched by three provinces  Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan (with Manitoba as a supportive intervener)  has been set aside and the court has affirmed the federal governments right to impose measures in cases of urgent national concern.

Premier Brian Pallister presented his own plan before dropping it. (Kevin King / Pool files)

The majority ruling, written by Chief Justice Richard Wagner, declares climate change "a threat of the highest order to the country, and indeed the world," adding that "Canada is not seeking to invoke the national concern doctrine too lightly. The undisputed existence of a threat to the future of humanity cannot be ignored."

If nothing else, that description should serve as a reminder that before the coronavirus pandemic redirected the worlds attention and effort to the COVID-19 fight, the immediate and fast-escalating threat of a global climate calamity was a top-of-mind issue for the worlds scientific community and increasing numbers in the political and public spheres.

Climate change, its worth remembering, has not taken a few months off to let humanity deal with COVID-19. As evidenced by the numerous wildfires, record-breaking storms, ice-cap-melting temperatures and variously situated droughts and floods that have added horrific insult to global warmings planetary injury, the crisis is intensifying with each passing month.

Canadas answer to the clarion call for climate-change action has been the imposition of a carbon tax as a means of disincentivizing fossil-fuel use in pursuit of an energy transformation that will allow Canada to meet its Paris Accord commitments regarding greenhouse-gas emissions. The Supreme Court ruling endorses the critical need for such a plan.

The next step, one might imagine, would be for elected leaders to use the high courts declaration as a rallying cry to get Canadians refocused on the gravely serious, painfully challenging and urgently necessary business of reducing this countrys contribution  relatively small though it may be  to global warming.

Poll Loading... Should Premier Pallister continue a legal fight against the federal carbon tax? No, the Supreme Court ruled it is constitutional Yes, the federal governments carbon pricing legislation interferes with the province's ability to develop natural resources Pallister should reinstate his own cancelled carbon tax and avoid the whole problem Should Premier Pallister continue a legal fight against the federal carbon tax? No, the Supreme Court ruled it is constitutional 54% (609 votes) Yes, the federal governments carbon pricing legislation interferes with the province's ability to develop natural resources 32% (359 votes) Pallister should reinstate his own cancelled carbon tax and avoid the whole problem 14% (153 votes) Total Votes: 1121 View ResultsHide Results

One might imagine ... but one would be incorrect. Here in Manitoba  the home of the much-ballyhooed Climate and Green Plan, which once included a carbon tax but had that element stripped out of the document by Premier Brian Pallister, apparently in a fit of pique after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed him the Manitoba standard wasnt sufficiently aggressive  news of the Supreme Court decision was met with an insistence by the premier that he intends to carry on his fight against the carbon tax because he thinks "we have a better plan."

If "we" do, Mr. Pallister has yet to share it with Manitobans. One might be inclined to believe that the premiers enthusiasm for another public dust-up with the federal government has eclipsed his ability to accept jurisprudential reality. He might be correct in asserting this province deserves a unique carbon-tax framework that recognizes its abundance of clean hydroelectric energy, but for all practical purposes, his window of opportunity to negotiate a made-in-Manitoba compromise on the federal carbon tax closed the moment the high courts ruling landed.

Its time for Mr. Pallister, and the other Conservative premiers who vowed to fight the carbon tax all the way to the Supreme Court, to abandon their contrarian crusade and redirect their energies toward real and meaningful climate-action change.
"Our posture's gonna be that we're posted outside of DC, awaiting the president's orders. We hope he will give us the orders. We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as the militia."

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, in November, looking ahead to Jan. 6
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York Police Department is asking the publics help locating a New Brighton man who was last seen at a hospital in Brooklyn.

Lung Kwong Chan, 69, of the 100 block of Henderson Avenue, was last seen inside of the Maimonides Medical Center on Friday afternoon, police said.

Chan is described as standing 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, brown eyes and gray hair, police said.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.
Justin Rudelson is an expert on Uyghur affairs who currently serves as a learning support specialist at Akiba Yavneh Academy of Dallas, an Orthodox Jewish pre-K through high school in Dallas, Texas. The author of The Uighurs in the Future of Central Asia and Oasis Identities, Rudelson spent time conducting fieldwork in anthropology with the Uyghurs in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in 1984, as well as bridging relations between China and Israel through desert development in the region. As a human rights activist and educator, he is an advisor to and board member of the Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) advocacy group.

Rudelson recently spoke with RFAs Uyghur Service about his work with UHRP on a campaign to bring awareness to what the U.S. recently labeled policies of genocide targeting Uyghurs in the XUAR, including extralegal incarceration, forced sterilization and abortions, torture, rape, forced labor, discrimination, and cultural eradication. Up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are believed to have been held in a vast network of internment camps in the region since 2017. Rudelson also discussed how the Jewish tradition of Passover, which will be observed around the world on Saturday, is a time for Jewswho endured their own genocide at the hand of Nazi Germanyto reflect on and express solidarity with the Uyghur people.

RFA: You've been working on a a campaign recently. Can you describe what its about?

Rudelson: Well, this is a campaign to try to bring awareness and empathy for people and the genocide that theyre facing in China to the Jewish people of the world ... Of course, were all too aware of what's going on. It reminds us of what happened to the Jews during the Holocaust. And were saying that if Jews don't stand up around the world, that theyre essentially complicit in this situation ... We have a Passover Seder, which is essentially a very large holiday, one of our most sacred holidays, where we recreate during a meal with our families the exodus from Egypt led by Moses, and we have to experience what it's like to be slaves and to be in slavery.

And then we experience the joy of what it's like to go to freedom. And we eat ceremonial foods that remind us of what happened. We read the story. And on this Seder, we're not only reading the story of the Jews but we're also reading about the Uyghur genocide to remind people that in our faith we cannot be free unless all people are free, and so we're praying for the Uyghurs to be free and we're doing several ceremonial thingssymbolic thingsto invite Uyghurs into our Seders and remember them during this terrible time in their history.

We have created a Haggadah, which essentially means the telling, and that's a booklet that essentially helps guide us through the Seder performance. And this year we're including in all our prayers, prayers for Uyghur liberation and freedom.

RFA: So, what are the similarities between the Uyghurs and the Jews, do you think?

Rudelson: We are both really ancient peoples who have ancient traditions. And we've also been through periods where the pharaoh and then the Nazis try to destroy our religion. Very similarly, there was oppression of women and rape and, of course, mass murder and genocide.

The elder people, their beards were shaved, they were forbidden to read their religious books. And it's very similar to what's going on. Of course, we were forced labor, we were slaves in Egypt, and part of this idea of being slaves in Egypt is that we tell our children that we always have to reach out to foreigners and people who are oppressed and having difficult conditions every year, specifically because we were strangers in a strange land in Egypt. And so, the difference is that for Jews we fled out of Egypt. For Uyghurs, they're in their own homeland and they've essentially been colonized by China. China claims that this is their land. So that's very different. So, Uyghurs are not fleeing out of Xinjiang. They want to stay in Xinjiang.

Teaching secrets of survival

RFA: In the Haggadah, you say there are certain prayers, certain important topics, that you have highlighted. Can you read something for our audience to have an understanding of what you are planning to do?

Rudelson: Well, a couple of symbolic things firstbecause of Uyghur forced labor in cotton, on the Seder table, we have symbolic foods and we're putting cotton balls around to commemorate Uyghur forced labor. We're also setting an empty chair at our dinner table for a Uyghur guest who can't join us because of anti-Uyghur oppression and genocide.

But one of the things that we do is we talk about the fact of never again that Jews, the Holocaust, genocide, should never happen again. So, one of the very famous Jewish poets wrote a beautiful account that Id like to read about never again.

First they told the Uyghur men that they could not wear beards and then they put the Uyghurs in slave labor. And I did not speak out because I wasn't sure what the Uyghurs were. And then they took the Uyghur women to camps and abused them, and I did not speak out because they seemed so far away. And then the Uyghurs began to disappear, and I awoke, and I realized I had been unfaithful to the words never again.

I can tell you that this campaign has increased to measures beyond anything we expected. Some of the experts were saying we should try to do this in five synagogues. Now were reaching perhaps a million to two million people.

We're really hoping to bring together a coalition of Jews and Muslims and Christians and people of all faiths into understanding how important it is to stand up for the Uyghur people and to pressure China to change their policies of genocide in the country because we know this is just taking too long for the world to stand up and we as Jews can't wait anymore. We have to be very active and that's why we're having so many Jewish people supporting what we're doing now.

Its amazing how many people are coming together in this and working with Uyghur exiles throughout the world to put this together. We will have Uyghurs at our Seders and essentially teach Uyghurs. We consider the Seder and the Haggadah to be one of our secrets for survival in exile. And we hope that the Uyghur people will not have to go in exile in order to survive, but we want them to basically survive by learning their own history and perhaps also learning our history and how we survived and what they can do to ensure their survival as a people and a culture.

Reported by Alim Seytoff for RFAs Uyghur Service.
The U.S. vaccination campaign is accelerating rapidly, with more than 91 million people  roughly a third of the adult population  having received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccination by Saturday. And nearly every state has announced that it will meet President Bidens directive to make all adults eligible by May 1.

But as of Saturday afternoon, two states  Arkansas and New York  still had not declared a timeline for their residents, according to a New York Times vaccine rollout tracker.

A third state, Wyoming, has also not said when all adults would be able to get the shot, but eligibility in the state expands on a county-by-county basis, a spokeswoman for the states Department of Health said, and 20 of the states 23 counties now allow all adults to get vaccinated. She said she expected full access quite soon.

In Arkansas, where a Times database shows that about 13 percent of the population of three million has been fully vaccinated, Gov. Asa Hutchinson this week extended eligibility to military veterans who are at least 18 years old. That decision came soon after appointments opened up for additional essential workers and adults between 16 and 64 who have some health conditions.
Editor: The president must remember he was elected to look after the needs of citizens, not to benefit illegal aliens, including Dreamers.

They are not entitled to free education, free medical service or public welfare. If they have problems, let them blame the people who dumped them across our borders.

America is a country of legal immigrants. Lets not change the rules. All illegals should be deported to the country of their origin and made to reapply for reentry. We have laws, lets enforce them.

HANS G. SCHWARZ

SPRING BROOK TWP.

Editor: The situation at our border is a crisis and a humanitarian disaster.

Our president calls it a challenge and blames former President Trump. He created it with his statements about immigration during the Democratic debates in 2019 and lack of planning. There are 15,000 unaccompanied children in custody at our southern border. Fox News reported that a Homeland Security source estimated that 15% to 25% of the people crossing the border illegally were COVID-positive and there have reports that some asylum seekers being released by the Border Patrol into our communities have tested positive for the virus. This is an outrage.

Based on 2019 figures provided by Health and Human Services the daily influx shelter costs are at $800 per migrant. Now his administration has awarded an $86 million contract for hotel rooms to hold 1,200 migrant families. Homeless veterans and other citizens sleep under bridges while millions are spent on people in many cases entering our country illegally or unauthorized.

Every government has immigration laws for a purpose. Illegal aliens are thieves who steal from every citizen. No amount of left-wing editing of the terminology to undocumented can change that.

Our borders should remain closed until we create a system that would allow those who have been checked for COVID-19, had their backgrounds checked and their reasons for entering verified and put in place a timely procedure for citizenship. That system will also protect our national security.

EDWARD ZINDELL

JERMYN

Editor: Nurses often forgotten in the battle against COVID-19 are in primary care physicians offices. They see patients first.

As a member of the nursing staff at a primary care physicians office, the way we do things has changed.

Patients are screened for COVID-19 through questions and a temperature check. We progress to: Have you recently been in close contact with anyone, or have you recently been tested for COVID-19? Have you or anyone in your household traveled in the last 21 days?

The nurse:

 Picks up on a possible case of COVID-19 or similar symptoms that may need further testing. This may require the patient to wait in a car or he may be directed into an open room. The nurse will alert staff to use personal protective equipment or allow the patient to register and stay in the waiting room.

 Some patients do not take this seriously or are in COVID-19 fatigue. When a nurse attempts to question a patient the nurse is hit with: All my answers are no ; I had my two shots; I answered these this morning at my other doctors or I had the COVID. My favorite answer: I dont know why we have to do all of this. This is just a hoax.

We attempt to find locations for elderly patients to obtain vaccines and continue to teach patients about isolation vs. quarantine and other issues.

So, although I take nothing away from colleagues in acute care settings and nursing homes, please remember those of us who battle elsewhere.

JUDITH SENKOW-RICHARDS

DICKSON CITY

Editor: People wonder if something can be done about high health care costs.

In The Wealth of Humans Ryan Avent says: Hospitals have to offer doctors and nurses higher and higher salaries, even though those doctors and nurses arent tending many more patients than they were a generation or two ago.

He adds, This dynamic is generally considered to be a bad thing. It is the reason that ... health care cost(s) so much.

JIM NEVILLE

SCRANTON

Editor: Some Republicans complained about President Biden recently criticizing states such as Texas and Mississippi for Neanderthal thinking.

He used the term in reference to the lifting of mask mandates in states where COVID-19 remains a threat. If anyone should be offended it is Neanderthals.

RICHARD OMALLEY

PECKVILLE
The Marsh Fritillary (Fritilean Reisc as Gaeilge) butterfly is an Annex II species. This means it is one of the few butterfly species in Ireland that is protected. In 2013 a review of the status of this butterfly identified its populations as inadequate and in decline.

Annually, this butterfly can be observed on the wing in flight between May and June each year. However, it is at this time of year we can assess the populations for the coming season as the tiny caterpillars born last autumn that overwintered in a larval web are emerging from their winter hibernation and can be observed feeding on their food plant Devils Bit Scabious (odhrach bhallach as Gaeilge).

The caterpillars at this time of year are small, black in colour and have spikes covering their bodies to deter predators. It is believed that the black colour of the caterpillar enables them to absorb solar radiation, allowing them to become active early in the year in relatively cold conditions, as they can attain body temperatures well above ambient values.

During the early spring, the larvae live in small groups. The larvae eventually disperse to live individually, prior to pupation, about the end of April. The pupa is white in colour with orange and black spots while the adult butterfly that emerges is brightly coloured with black, orange and white markings.

Although the populations are considered in decline, many groups and individuals are working to protect the species on this island.

Annually, all around Ireland, citizen scientists would be watching for this tiny caterpillar in their community  however, with travel restrictions in 2021, many cannot complete the spring Marsh Fritillary nest survey.

Their food plant, Devils Bit Scabious, is typically found growing in grassland habitat. So as the weather is brighter these days, if you are aware of the Marsh Fritillary in your local area, become a citizen scientist by identifying a spring caterpillar nest and submitting your record to the National Biodiversity Data centre.

If you come across a wildlife species that you would like help identifying I would be happy to help. Contact me at bogs@ipcc.ie.
New Jersey residents Joe Klock and his wife sat at a computer for a virtual tour of a house in Greenville. The windows didnt open and close properly. But knowing how competitive the current real estate market is, they put in an offer sight unseen. Their bid was 5 percent above the asking price.

They were outbid.

It may be for the best. Klock said he worried about a possible smell in the house, which had cats.

I saw air purifiers in every room and it made us wonder, but we werent there to smell it, he said. We had to rely on our daughter in Greenville who toured it for us.

The combination of a hot real estate market and pandemic-related social distancing has led to a surge in buyers doing the previously unthinkable: making an offer on a home  perhaps their biggest purchase in life  without ever walking through the front door. For the four-week period that ended March 14, 39 percent of homes sold above list price, according to a report from real estate brokerage Redfin.

Mike Roach with Top Guns Realty said one of his clients put in an offer sight unseen this week. They plan to come to Greenville in a few days to see it in person. In the past year, he has sold two houses and two lots without an in-person showing.

Buyers dont want to lose the opportunity, he said. Before the pandemic, we didnt have things like that.

Nick Littlefield with Stones Edge Team has a client in Michigan in the process of buying a home after a virtual tour. Even those close by are taking part in the trend, putting down offers before the sellers have even started showing the house. That means theyre putting down a non-refundable deposit just for the chance to inspect the home, he said.

Theyre trying to beat everyone and put in an offer as soon as they see the coming soon status, Littlefield explained.

Littlefield said he does not recommend the strategy unless there is no other choice.

I completely get it, but as an agent who sees stuff go wrong, I cant advise it, he said.

Some buyers have turned to Redfin, an online real estate company. The Seattle-based, tech-powered brokerage allowed virtual tours before it became common. It employs agents, who are salaried, to offer physical tours as well. As a company made to thrive during a pandemic, its stock price rose more than 400 percent between March 2020 and February 2021. Its full-year revenue increased 14 percent year-over-year to $886.1 million in 2020.

Redfin has attracted users like the Klocks because it charges a lower-than-average 1.5 percent listing fee for sellers. If the seller also buys a home on Redfin within a year, the fee is lowered further to 1 percent. And in some areas, Redfin refunds part of the commission paid by buyers. The number of homes sold on Redfin in Greenville increased 40 percent in January 2021 compared to the previous January.

Jeff Young, a Redfin agent in Greenville, said the past years real estate market has been the wildest in memory. Home inventory dropped in the Upstate at the same time that so many out-of-state buyers were looking for homes to take advantage of low mortgage rates. For two to three months last year, Young said up to 75 percent of his clients were coming from out of state.

The market was pretty crazy at the end of 2019 and then things dropped off when COVID first hit and then after a few months it exploded, he said.

Hes been surprised to see that most of the people he worked with in the past year were suddenly OK with putting offers down based on virtual tours. Many ask for a video tour and, if they like it, theyll fly down for an in-person tour  if its not too late.

Klock said he prefers to view houses in person but it is hard to do from New Jersey. If they can't make it down fast enough, he has to rely on his daughter and his Redfin agent.

There arent many homes on the market and those that are, if theyre reasonably priced, it sells in hours, Klock said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to the media after a tour of part of the Rio Grande river on a Texas Department of Public Safety boat in Mission, Texas, on March 26, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

GOP Senators Describe Heartbreaking Situation at Visit to Border as Biden Defends Policies

'It is a man made crisisThis was avoidable,' Sen. Cruz said.

Republican senators decried the Biden administrations handling of the border crisis at a press conference held Friday from the U.S.-Mexico border.

They called the situation a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis that was preventable, and denounced the border policies enacted by President Joe Biden, calling on the administration to reverse them.

All of us today witnessed the Biden cages. What is occurring here on the border is heartbreaking and it is a tragedy, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters on Friday.

Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) led a congressional delegation of 17 of their colleagues, who are not from border states, to Mission, Texas, to see the conditions at the border firsthand. The group late Thursday met with Border Patrol agents on their midnight patrol, and on Friday were given a boat tour of the Rio Grande, a river that acts as a natural border in some parts of Texas.

GOP senators stand aboard a Texas Department of Public Safety boat for a tour of part of the Rio Grande river in Mission, Texas, on March 26, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

They also on Friday visited the temporary processing facility in Donna, Texas, which recently made headlines after photos emerged showing unaccompanied minors sleeping in crowded conditions on the floor.

We saw cages, after cages, after cages of little girls of little boys lying side by side, touching each other, covered with reflective emergency blankets, said Cruz, describing the conditions he witnessed at the Donna facility. There was no six foot space. There was no three-foot space. There wasnt a three inch space between the children lined up one after the other, after the other. And children, as young as infants, we saw playpens with infants and toddlers playing. We also saw a group of children who just today tested positive for COVID-19.

Unaccompanied minors sleep side by side on the floor at a temporary processing facility in Donna, Texas, on March 23, 2021. (CBP)

Cruz said he was concerned over the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, at the facility.

The Donna facility alone reports roughly 10 percent of the individuals being held there are testing positive for COVID 19rates dramatically higher than the U.S. population. And the Biden administration is taking people who are testing positive for COVID-19 and locking them in cages side by side. This is inhumane, the senator said. He said the situation is a direct consequence of policy decisions by the Biden administration.

This needs to stop. It is a crisis, it is a tragedy and it is a man made crisis. This was avoidable. This was preventable, Cruz said.

The senator released video footage of the Donna facility on Twitter Friday afternoon. These are the Biden cages  Thousands of kids, in the midst of a pandemic, crammed in at 1500% capacity. This is just one of the pods at Donna. There are SEVEN more, equally full, he wrote.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) described the Donna facility as young people crammed in like sardines, something none of us would want for any of our own children.

And as we tried and did video what was happening there to share with the country in the world, the Biden administration censors tried to stop us, he added.

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment on remarks made by GOP senators at the border.

Since taking office, Biden has reversed a number of border policies from the Trump administration, including pausing border wall construction and announcing the removal of the Remain in Mexico policywhich required asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while awaiting immigration proceedings. The Biden administration has also been accepting unaccompanied minors, effectively reinstating the Obama-era catch and release policy. Adults and family units are still being expelled from the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told NBC News on March 21.

An ongoing immigration policy tracker by the Heritage Foundation found that Biden has rolled back almost all of former President Donald Trumps immigration policies.

Cornyn told reporters that officials on the ground are overwhelmed with the surge in illegal immigrants.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks to the media in Mission, Texas, on March 26, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Border Patrol and Health and Human Services and the non-governmental organizations that are struggling to deal with this flood of humanity, tell us they cannot get ahead of this flood humanity without policy changes in Washington, DC, he told reporters.

Human and drug smugglers know how to exploit U.S. laws to their benefit, Cornyn said. So ending catch and release, making sure people with legitimate claims get to present them to an immigration judge, I think should be a priority, he added.

Related Coverage Ted Cruz Releases Video Footage From US-Mexico Border

Barrasso recounted that when the senators were with Border Patrol at night on Thursday, the group could see the traffickers and the coyotes and the smugglers on the other side of the river  they were taunting our border agents saying, You cannot stop us now.'

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) described the border situation as insanity.

Every day, thousands of migrants are racing towards our border. Yet those migrants are not running away from Border Patrol officers, theyre running to the Border Patrol officers because they know and their smugglers and their traffickers know that they can game our asylum system, Cotton said. They can be released into the country in a matter of days, sometimes a matter of hours and they will never have to go back to their home country.

President Joe Biden answers questions during the first news conference of his presidency in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 25, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Biden, in his first presidential news conference on Thursday, repeatedly defended his border policies and blamed Trump for the current situation. He dismissed the current border crisis as something happens every single year and that nothing has changed. Biden also claimed that the vast majority of family units who cross the border illegally are being sent back.

But Barasso contested the Biden claims, telling reporters, Thats not true. And either he doesnt know it or wont admit it to the American people.

The senators who are here today will tell you its not true. The men and women in the field will tell you its not true. Its time to let the press in to see what is happening. And the tragedy that this administration has brought on to our nation, Barasso said.

Biden on Thursday said there will be a military facility at Fort Bliss in Texas to hold 5,000 beds for unaccompanied minorschildren who unlawfully enter the country without an adultthat would be open this week at the border. Were providing for the space, again, to be able to get these kids out of the Border Patrol facilities, which no childno one should be in any longer than 72 hours, he told reporters.

Border Patrol apprehended 100,441 illegal border-crossers along the southern border in February, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

A total of 16,513 unaccompanied minors were in the custody of either CBP or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as of March 23, according to the HHS Administration for Children and Families.

Bowen Xiao contributed to this report.
Police in Belarus detained more than 200 people and cordoned off streets in the capital, Minsk, to prevent fresh protests on March 27, as the opposition vowed to breathe new life into the pro-democracy movement after braving months of repression.

Belarus was rocked by massive protests in the wake of an August election that authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed extended his iron-fisted rule for a sixth term, despite the opposition and West saying the vote was rigged.

Hundreds of thousands took to the streets for weeks to protest the election, but harsh winter weather and a brutal crackdown slowed the protest movements momentum in recent months.

The opposition Telegram channel Nexta, which helps mobilize and coordinate protests, told its 1.4 million followers that the events on March 27 would be the first mass exit of Belarusians this year.

Were back to the streets, Nexta wrote, signaling that the opposition is prepared for a new wave of protests in the form of scattered rallies across the country. We have prepared a new scenario. This tactic is designed to exhaust and disorient the security forces. It is also important for us to protect people."

The Viasna human rights center reported police had detained at least 240 people, including five journalists. Nearly all the detentions were in Minsk.

Protest organizers had planned for protests in the city center, but due to a heavy security presence and cordoned off streets they called for supporters to gather in courtyards and adjacent streets near Yakub Kolas Square.

Photos and video from central Minsk showed military vehicles, police vans, and blocked off streets, with security forces reportedly randomly detaining people and throwing them into minivans. Pro-government protesters waving flags from cars were also observed.

The Interior Ministry said that, across the country, not a single unauthorized mass event was recorded.

Small groups with unregistered symbols were seen in Minsk. Some protesters were taken in for investigation, the Interior Ministry said.

Viasna reported that police were carrying out spot detentions and looking at peoples phones in central parts of the city and in side streets near to where protesters were to gather.

Among those detained were two editors of the independent Tut.by news website, Galina Ulasik and her colleague Anna Kaltygina.

Another outlet, Nasha Niva, with 90,000 Telegram followers, said its editor in chief, Yahor Martsinovich, a photographer, and a reporter were detained.

By evening, all five journalists had been released.

The relatively muted protests came days after scattered demonstrations in Minsk on March 25 to mark Freedom Day, commemorating the founding of a short-lived democratic Belarusian republic more than 100 years ago. Viasna reported police detained at least 176 people on that day.

Since protests erupted last summer, more than 30,000 people have been detained, hundreds beaten, several killed, and there have been widespread reports of torture.

Most the opposition leadership has been arrested or forced into exile, including Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has been rallying international support for the pro-democracy movement since relocating to Lithuania.

In response to the repression, the West has slapped sanctions on top officials and refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of the former Soviet republic.
Hundreds of people on Friday began the recovery process after a series of tornadoes a day earlier cut a swath of destruction through Alabama, killing five people in Calhoun County and injuring many others as storms pummeled homes and businesses from one end of the state to the other.

All of the twisters were spawned by supercell thunderstorms, said John De Block, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

One of the twisters, which formed in the southwestern part of the state, carved up ground for more than an hour and traveled about 100 miles, causing heavy damage in the Bibb County city of Centreville.

Here is full coverage of the storms

While the NWS assessment is not yet complete, the weather service on Friday confirmed Shelby County had been hit by an EF-3 tornado with 140 mph winds that travelled 34 miles from southwest of Helena to northeast of Vandiver.

Storms on Thursday heavily damaged homes and businesses and devastated the landscape in Pelham, Helena and the unincorporated subdivision of Eagle Point.

An EF-1 tornado was also confirmed in south Roebuck in Jefferson County in the area northeast of Birmingham and in southwest Pickens County.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the damage stretched from Gadsden Highway all the way to Oporto Madrid Boulevard, affecting Roebuck, Roebuck Springs and South East Lake.

I just believe its a miracle our citizens are safe and not hurt, Woodfin said.

Im in shock. Im numb.

Chris Darden of the National Weather Service said Friday that the deadly storm which hit Ohatchee in Calhoun County was at least a high-end EF-2 tornado with at least 135 mph winds at least a half-mile wide. The storm started in Southern Mississippi and wound its way across Alabama, cutting through the northern part of Calhoun County.

Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown on Friday identified the five killed there as Joe Wayne Harris, 74; Barbara Harris, 69; Ebonique Harris, 38; Emily Myra Wilborn, 72; and James William Geno, 72.

Latasha Harris-Ramos told WBRC that her mother, father and sister -- Joe Wayne, Barbara, and Ebonique Harris -- all died when the tornado struck their home. Latasha, who lives in Virginia, tried reaching her family, and then her brother called and told her that her sister had died and they couldnt find her parents. She got in the car and drove down immediately.

Im in a lot of pain. Im in shock. Im numb, she told the station.

A fourth family member is currently being treated at Childrens of Alabama in Birmingham.

Myeshia Turner, 41, said the family were loving people who always hosted parties. The couple had been married 52 years. We had a lot of good times out here, Turner said, holding a few mementos fished out of the wreckage.

Turner said her own family, who lived a few steps away in another trailer, had nothing left.

Tornado damage off Grayton Road in Ohatchee where three members of the Harris family died Wednesday. Posted by al.com on Friday, March 26, 2021

Barbara Harris was known for working at Samco in Ragland, Turner said.

Sheldon Abbott was another family member who lost his home. He said Joe Wayne Harris was old school, a man who loved to hunt, fish and was everything country.

Barbara Harris, Abbott said, was a good loving woman who was always there for anybody who needed something. Ebonique Harris, he added, was like a sister.

You could turn to her anytime you needed anything, he said.

Ebonique Harris was a social worker with the Alabama Department of Human Resources for six years. DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said in a statement coworkers are deeply saddened.

Ms. Harris dedicated herself to the protection of vulnerable children and adults in Calhoun County, Buckner said. She was an exceptional employee whose passing is a great loss to the department.

Geno, another of the five killed, would have turned 72 today.

His daughter, Lisa Stevens, wrote in a message Friday that her mother had died on Christmas Eve, and her father had been lonely in recent months, The Anniston Star reported. She and her husband, Bruce, had been caring for him every day since.

My dad was an amazing man, Stevens wrote. He will truly be missed.

Geno went by J.W., said his neighbor, Dwight Jennings, and had been a rodeo bull rider in his youth. He could make anything out of wood, and loved to angle for catfish, Jennings said. The two of them had planned to go fishing this weekend. Jennings spent hours searching for Genos dog. The animal was found alive.

Geno lived in a small converted shed off Mud Street that he was converting into a house, said another of his neighbors, Gracen Gibbs, who had lived in a trailer on the property for the past five years. He hadnt been there that long, Gibbs said.

Gracen, her husband Chase, 23, and their three children spent Friday morning sifting through broken toys, photographs, clothing and what was left of their belongings, which were tossed by the storm into a pasture.

Gracen took her children and sheltered with her mother, Mary Darden, in Odenville. Chase had only left the trailer 20 minutes before the storm hit.

Chase knew the Harris family through Ebonique. Theyre just good folks, man, he said. That was a real family.

Family members of another of the victims, 71-year-old Emily Myra Wilborn, picked through the rubble of her mobile home Friday morning, The Star reported.

She was the type of person that would put up anybody who needed a place to stay, said ex-husband John Sams, who was among those searching through the wreckage Friday.

She loved her grandbabies, said granddaughter Summer Hightower. For her, everybody was family. She was a kind of person who would take a homeless person in and feed them.

Neighbor Deborah Barnes said she saw Wilborn daily, during chance encounters while dog-walking. She described Wilborn as generous and always willing to offer help.

She was really a pleasure to everybody, Barnes said.

Another loss for Ohatchee, a community of about 1,170 people not far from the Etowah County line, was the 142-year-old Ragan Chapel United Methodist Church, founded in 1879.

Church caretaker Josh Farmer was inside the old parsonage behind the church when ABC 33/40 meteorologist James Spann told people in the area to get to their safe space. Farmer ran to the church and found shelter inside a hallway closet.

Once the storm passed, Farmer knew something had happened because part of the closet ceiling now looked out into the sky. He opened the door, but took several minutes to realize the enormity of what was gone.

When I walked out of the closet, it was the most self-aware moment of my life, Farmer said. I thought, OK, am I still here? But I didnt realize half of the church was gone and the other half was completely demolished.

Danny Poss, pastor for the past year, said it was no accident that just about the only thing that was left of the white, picturesque country church was the closet that sheltered Farmer.

That was Gods design, Poss said.

A tragic afternoon

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday extended condolences to the victims. She said President Joe Bidens administration was in close contact with state and local officials, but hadnt received any requests for federal assistance yet.

There is a certain threshold that must be met to qualify for federal assistance, and Alabama on Friday was in the very early stages of the assessment, said Gov. Kay Iveys press secretary, Gina Maiola.

If we meet the proper threshold, Alabamians can count on the governor to apply for federal money, Maiola said. Governor Ivey is eager to get on the ground and see the damage herself, and we will do that as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Emergency management agencies across Alabama on Friday began their assessment process, which they said wont be quick.

The Shelby County EMA issued preliminary numbers midday Friday but said the numbers were expected to grow. Though no fatalities were reported, at least seven people there were treated for injuries.

Between 30 to 50 homes were damaged in the Pelham area, and 12 in Helena. In northern Shelby County, along the U.S. 280 and Shelby County highway 41 corridors, 57 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged, and 279 homes had moderate or light damage.

Roughly 30 homes were destroyed and 150 damaged in the area of Hugh Daniel Drive, many in the Greystone Farms community. In Eagle Point, which is in unincorporated Shelby County, and the Cahaba Valley Fire jurisdiction, there were about 27 homes with major damage, 32 with moderate damage and 97 with minor damage.

Larry and Mary Rose DeArman sheltered in a basement closet as the tornado slammed into their Eagle Point house, collapsing it into a pile of bricks.

I could see the house splitting apart. ... could see the sky, and then debris hit me in the head, said Mary Rose, 69.

Neighbors lowered ladders into the basement so that the DeArmans could climb out. They both escaped serious injuries.

These storms have caused a tremendous amount of property damage in Shelby County and around the entire state, Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego said Friday.

My heart goes out to all of those effected by this natural disaster, and I want everyone to know that our office is working around the clock with other agencies and volunteers to assist with damage control, recovery, and the protection of damaged areas, Samaniego said.

Calhoun County authorities on Friday did not yet have a damage estimate but described Thursdays storms as a tragic afternoon.

Were no stranger to this. We dont like it but were blessed with good people in our county and surrounding counties,' said Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade. We had warning. We knew this was coming. And bad things still happened.

The sheriff said much of the devastation happened in the unincorporated areas, which was certainly more fortunate than the storm hitting the more densely populated areas.

It could have been worse, but to those people who lost their homes and lost lives, this is devastating,' Wade said.

Its something we wish didnt happen. You cant make it better for them. Our job is to be there for them.

The Associated Press, Tribune Media Service and AL.com journalist Mike Cason contributed to this report.
New Delhi, March 27 : Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Saturday admitted his mistake and said "sorry" for slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for omitting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's role in the freedom of Bangladesh.

In a tweet, Tharoor admitted his mistake and wrote, "I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. Yesterday, on the basis of a quick reading of headlines and tweets, I tweeted "everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh," implying that Narendra Modi had omitted to acknowledge Indira Gandhi. It turns out he did: Sorry!" He also attached a news report which quoted Prime Minister for hailing the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her contribution in freedom of Bangladesh.

Modi said, "Indira Gandhi's contribution in freedom of Bangladesh is publicly known." On Friday, while taking a pot shot at Modi, who is on two-day visit to Bangladesh, his first foreign visit amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Tharoor has slammed the Prime Minister.

Bangladesh won its independence in 1971 following a brief war between India and Pakistan.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
NORWALK  Spring break typically conjures up images of sunny days and trips to tropical destinations, not temperatures in the 30s and whipping winds.

But the latter is what Norwalk Public Schools families faced this year during their spring break scheduled in mid-March. The poor weather, along with scheduling conflicts created by the earlier winter break, has prompted many parents to speak out about moving spring break back to April.

The March break affects a lot of teacher families in the whole area, not just Norwalk, parent Cara ONeill said at a recent Board of Education meeting. Those of us that teach in Norwalk but live in other districts have children that are off in April, which creates child care issues and therefore sub shortages in Norwalk. Parents that teach in surrounding towns but live in Norwalk, have the same problem in reverse. ... Nothing good came from a March break.

The district is asking for parental input as it contemplates future spring break scheduling. Historically, Norwalk had spring break in April like many surrounding districts. But in 2019, the Board of Education voted to approve a March break for the 2020-21 school years to provide students with a more consistent period of uninterrupted instruction during a time period when students are most attentive and receptive to learning, according to an email sent to parents.

March breaks are common in private schools and school districts in other parts of the country, but the change sparked concerns and petitions when originally proposed. Many parents also noted the timing was close to testing and speculated that contributed to the decision.

Initial fears about the new timing were realized this year when families were faced with a blustery spring break and few activities for their children. Many camps werent open, limiting options for families in need of child care.

The kids just had some time off in February, and March is too cold and miserable to consider going outside for fun, said Cathy Hura Bartone. Also going from March to June with no break is burnout for the kids.

Daisy Sebastian, a mother of four whose children go to West Rocks Middle School and Silvermine Elementary School, wrote to the BOE and superintendent when the decision to switch the calendar was first made. She also posted on social media, urging other parents to write in as well.

I have a few issues with this decision, she said. The board and superintendent made this decision without the input from the parents and teachers, the people it directly impacts.

Sebastian is also a Norwalk parents who teaches in another district. She noted many Norwalk teachers also live in other districts, causing scheduling snafus for those whose breaks might not align with their childrens breaks. Neighboring districts, including Stamford, Greenwich and Bridgeport, all have their spring breaks in April.

I am interested to know the data on how many teachers are out during other districts April break and how many kids will be absent because parents are taking their kids out of school during their vacation, Sebastian said.

Joe Giandurco, vice president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers, echoed similar sentiments at the meeting.

An early spring break now sets up students, families and staff with a long 13-week stretch to the end of the school year, he said. This is a long slog and a schedule set up to optimize test scores, not learning outcomes. We can do better than that for students and staff. We look forward to the reinstatement of April break.

As the district plans its calendar for the 2022-23 school year, its also sending out a survey to gauge parental preference after the outcry surrounding this years break.

This is a topic that has generated a lot of discussion and differing opinions in recent weeks, the email sent to parents read. While state law sets a minimum number of total school days, Connecticut does not require regional school calendars. Each district in Fairfield County sets their own calendar. The result is different days off from town to town, even when spring break is scheduled for April. For this reason, the choice for vacation timing comes down to community preference.

There are some parents, though, who prefer the March break.

This year in particular it worked well for my family, said parent Sarah Thomson McGurren. We didnt need to stick around for sports. We could visit colleges. We needed the break earlier after a long hard COVID year. I can appreciate how this affects teachers families especially if they live outside Norwalk, but it was not a problem for our family and I personally hope it continues.

erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com
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Image: Getty.

China will extend tariffs on Australian wine exports for another five years, with the taxes expected to be as high as 218.4 per cent.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has described the charges as anti-dumping measures, with the charges to apply from Sunday.

Chinas domestic wine industry has suffered material damage, and there is a causal relationship between the dumping and subsidies and the material damage, the ministry said in a press release.

The Ministry of Commerce conducted investigations in strict accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations and [World Trade Organisation] rules, and made the final ruling.

It alleged that dumping had occurred in imported Australian wine, substantially undercutting the local wine industry, and that Australian exporters had been selling wine at below a fair market rate.

The Asian megapower last year announced it would impose temporary tariffs on Australian wine from 28 November for four months, with barley, beef, coal, timber and lobster also caught up in the trade sanctions.

(Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the move on Saturday, describing it as "not okay".

He said Australia will "continue to be patient" as it works through the issues with China.

"We completely reject [this allegation] that has been placed on Australian product and by their own admission, publicly, as some form of retaliation for Australians standing up for our values, that's not okay," Morrison said.

The Australian wine industry is expected to appeal to the World Trade Organisation to resolve the dispute, according to Reuters.

While its disappointing, the industry is not surprised by todays decision, said Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive of Australian Grape & Wine.

We continue to reject the allegations levelled against Australian Grape & Wine members and have approached both investigations as collaboratively and transparently as possible.

Story continues

He said the industry is now focused on developing new markets and repairing the Chinese-Australian trade relationship.

"The Government will be extremely disappointed if China makes a final determination to impose duties  we are not aware of any evidence that Australian wine has been dumped or injuriously subsidised in the Chinese market, Trade Minister Dan Tehan said.

"The Government will continue to work closely with the Australian wine industry, including on possible next steps in the event that final duties are imposed."

Prior to the trade spat, China had imported nearly 40 per cent of Australias wine exports, with the relationship valued at $1.28 billion in 2019.
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, a cleric and founder of the now-banned Islamic Defenders Front, reads from a document at the East Jakarta District Court as he stands trial on charges of violating COVID-19 restrictions, March 26, 2021.

A hard-line Indonesian cleric slammed discrimination in enforcement of quarantine laws as he appeared in court for the first time on Friday to respond to charges that he violated COVID-19 restrictions by urging others to attend his gatherings last year.

Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, founder of the now-disbanded Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) vigilante group whose trial opened earlier this month, said police did not take action against many large gatherings that flouted COVID-19 protocols. He cited crowds who got close to President Joko Jokowi Widodo when he visited East Nusa Tenggara province last month, as an example.

There have been many gatherings that violated COVID-19 health protocols in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, by national public figures from celebrities to officials, including ministers and the president, Rizieq said as he made his first in-person appearance at the East Jakarta Court, reading from a 55-page statement and invoking Quranic verses about justice.

But the police and prosecutors are focusing only on the gathering to celebrate the Prophet Mohammads birthday in Petamburan, he said, referring to the event at his Jakarta home that attracted his supporters in November.

He pointed out that Jokowis visit to East Nusa Tenggara in February attracted a crowd of thousands of people as the president handed out gifts.

It is clear that legal action against [FPI gatherings] is a form of legal discrimination that violates the constitution, said the preacher known for his firebrand rhetoric.

Court appearance

Fridays hearing followed two sessions that were conducted via a video conference to observe COVID-19 health guidelines, despite his objection. A poor internet connection disrupted the trials opening session on March 16, prompting the judges to adjourn the first session until three days later.

Rizieq has insisted that he be allowed to attend hearings in person, saying he would not be able to defend himself effectively during a remote trial.

The judges finally relented after arguing that a virtual trial was warranted because Rizieq had many supporters whose presence at the court could increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

In November, thousands of Rizieqs supporters thronged Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to welcome him back to Indonesia after the cleric had spent three years in Saudi Arabia.

That same week, Rizieq held at least three religious gatherings attended by thousands of people in Jakarta and neighboring West Java. These events drew criticism and calls for authorities to take action against the violations of social distancing rules.

Rizieq paid a fine of 50 million rupiah (U.S. $3,469) to Jakarta authorities for flouting those rules and later apologized publicly.

He was arrested in December after tuning himself in for questioning in connection with the gatherings.

Rizieq faces five separate charges, including inciting others to commit a crime, by urging his followers to attend his gatherings and violating health quarantine laws. He could face up to six years in prison if convicted.

On Friday he urged the judges to dismiss the charges.

Stop the legal process that is wrongful to me and my friends and release us unconditionally for the sake of fulfilling justice, Rizieq said.

Defense attorney Aziz Yanuar said his client rejected the online trial because he wanted to defend himself without being obstructed by technical matters.

It is difficult for him to provide facts when there are technical problems and poor internet connection, Aziz told BenarNews.

The lawyer questioned an additional charge against Rizieq linked to FPIs legal status at that time. Prosecutors accused Rizieq of violating a law on mass organizations for conducting activities on behalf of FPI because the groups permit had expired in 2019.

The charge did not exist in the investigation and the police case file. How did the prosecutors come up with that, Aziz said.

Rizieq claimed that the charge related to the organization was trumped up to sway the judges that Im the leader of an illegal organization and a dangerous person.

Fridays hearing was closed to the public and the media, with only Rizieq and members of his legal team allowed inside the courtroom. His lawyers released the statement and a photo of Rizieq delivering it in court.

Outside the courthouse, dozens of the clerics supporters rallied after police prevented them from entering the courtroom.

A day earlier, Jakarta police spokesman Yusri Yunus said 2,000 personnel were on standby to safeguard the trial, and urged Rizieqs supporters not to come to the court.

Supporters killed

Rizieq founded FPI in 1998, and since then, he and the groups members have had several brushes with the law.

On Dec. 7, Indonesian police said they shot and killed six Rizieqs supporters who were traveling in a convoy with him, claiming self-defense.

One month later, the National Commission on Human Rights said its investigation found police acted unlawfully in the killings of four of Rizieqs followers.

FPI, meanwhile, said the six were victims of extrajudicial killings.

The Indonesian government officially banned the FPI in late December 2020 after it accused the group of violating the law and disrupting peace and security. In addition, 35 members and former members had been convicted on terrorism charges.

The decision to ban the organization was taken jointly by Indonesias home, law and communications ministers, the police and counter terrorism heads, and the attorney general.
Sydney, Nov. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Eswatini-Swaziland-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW





Until 2011 the state-owned Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications also acted as the industry regulator and had a stake in the countrys sole mobile network, in an uneasy partnership with MTN Eswatini.



A new independent regulatory authority was established in late 2013 and has since embarked on significant changes to the telecom sector. Eswatini Telecom was provided with a unified licence in early 2016, while MTN Eswatini secured spectrum in the 1800MHz band to provide LTE services. Eswatini Mobile has launched GSM, 3G and LTE services, supported by a network sharing agreement with MTN Eswatini.



Mobile market penetration in Eswatini is well above the average for the region, though this is largely due to subscribers taking SIM cards from both networks in order to access cheaper on-net calls. Subscriber growth has slowed in recent years and has been affected by the economic slow-down resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.



The internet sector has been open to competition with a small number of licensed ISPs, but prices have remained high and market penetration relatively low. One provider still controls an 80% of the market. Although DSL services were introduced in 2008, development of the sector has been hampered by the limited fixed-line infrastructure and a lack of competition in the access and backbone network.



Eswatini is landlocked and so depends on neighbouring countries for international fibre bandwidth. This has meant that access pricing is relatively high, though prices have fallen more recently in line with greater bandwidth availability resulting from several new submarine fibre optic cable systems that have reached the region in recent years. In addition, Paratus in September 2020 completed a terrestrial cable linking Mozambique with South Africa and running through Eswatini.



BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has had a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.



On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.



Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.



The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.



Key Developments:



MTN Eswatini consolidates dominance in the mobile market, expands LTE service reach, reduces the cost of postpaid monthly data bundles by 70%;

Regulator imposes sliding scale reduction in call termination rates through to 2023;

Paratus completes 750km terrestrial cable linking Maputo through Eswatini to Johannesburg;

Mbabane Internet Exchange Point (MB-IX) is opened to route local traffic;

Report update includes operator data to Q3 2020, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, regulators market report for 2019; recent market developments.
I am privileged and deeply excited to have the opportunity to serve as the President and CEO of the Conservation Society of CaliforniaOakland Zoo.

As Executive Vice President, Dehejia served under Dr. Parrott, and the two teamed together in key Zoo operations, functions and campaigns over the years, including the challenges surrounding Zoos closure and re-openings over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am very excited to know that Nik will be taking over my role as President and CEO of the Conservation Society of CaliforniaOakland Zoo. We have worked together for over fourteen years, and I am confident he has the leadership skills to take the Zoo to new heights, and help the Oakland Zoo reach its tremendous potential, said Dr. Joel Parrott.

Managing many Zoo growth initiatives, Dehejia has also been instrumental in creating and nurturing deeper cross-collaboration functions throughout the Zoos leadership team. His management has helped the Zoo develop efficiencies and establish new systems for ticketing, guest relations, staff engagement, membership growth, public engagement and more.

Obtaining his MBA from UC Berkeleys Haas Business School and with a background in business development, Dehejia began working at Oakland Zoo in 2006, tasked with navigating the Zoo through the development needs of the Zoos massive $72M, 56-acre California Trail expansion; a project 20 years in the making that opened to the public in 2018. Dehejia was soon promoted to CFO, before becoming Executive Vice President in 2019. His appointment to become President & CEO was voted and approved unanimously by Oakland Zoos Board of Trustees.

After we canvassed the country for a new CEO, the Board of Trustees unanimously selected Nik Dehejia  he was clearly the best candidate. We could not be more delighted to have someone who understands our community, history, and vision for the future. His commitment to wildlife conservation, education, and access is unquestionable. We are fortunate to have such an outstanding leader who is ready to guide the organization to the next level, said Nancy Clark, Co-Chair, Board of Trustees for Oakland Zoo.

Dehejia is a member of the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Honors and Awards Committee and the AZA Trends Committee, as well as a board member of the Regional Parks Foundation. Deeply invested in wildlife conservation, he envisions expanding upon and continuing to evolve the animal welfare and conservation-based focus Dr. Parrott built at Oakland Zoo over the past decades. Visiting some of the Zoos conservation partners in Africa in 2019, Dehejias passion for wildlife and species conservation only grew after seeing firsthand the Zoos impact has in those areas through its annual support and in-kind services.

Along with conservation efforts, he is making it a priority for deeper involvement in the local and greater community and developing programs to increase access and inclusion across the Zoo as an organization. Universal access to the Zoo, across all demographics and capabilities, is part of his vision.

"I am privileged and deeply excited to have the opportunity to serve as the President and CEO of the Conservation Society of CaliforniaOakland Zoo. We are once again at a critical moment in time where wildlife and wild places need to be protected and revered. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped us realize, more than ever, the importance of connecting to nature and each other. Our ecosystem and the world we all live in is complex and diverse, and I stand ready to be a voice for all who need our help. We are all living things, human and animal, and our collective future is in our hands," said Nik Dehejia.

A 24-year resident in the Bay Area, he has served as a board member for Heyday Books, Community Initiatives, and Slide Ranch. Before Oakland Zoo, Nik worked in international public policy at the World Resources Institute and World Bank, in corporate responsibility at Business for Social Responsibility, and in a more traditionally commercial role at Levi Strauss & Co. The father of two teenagers, Nik lives in Alameda.


Nikol Pashinyan's stay as the Prime Minister of Armenia means a civil war. Political scientist Stepan Danielyan wrote about this on his Facebook.

"The whole problem is that the Corpse [i.e., Pashinyan] has no prospect of remaining prime minister at least because a considerable part of the society will not accept it under any circumstances; it is ruled. His stay [in power] means a civil war, and it will happen.

The problem is something else: the more his staying [in power] prolongs, the collapse of the state continues that much moreand which is the meaning of prolonging of his stay. It is already sabotage, and it is strange that there are still people who do not understand this simple thing," Danielyan wrote.
DEAR ABBY: Last year, my across-the-street neighbor backed into my car. At least, thats what I think happened.

My car was parked legally on the street, and there was a huge dent in it. I called the police and, based on the location of the dent and the neighbors driveway, the officer determined that the neighbor had backed into it. Furthermore, light blue paint from my car was on her cars bumper.

When the officer went across the street, the neighbor came running out screaming at him. She was hysterical and belligerent, and she denied it. Eventually, the officer told me that even though he was certain she did it, there was nothing he could do since it was her word against mine.

I had never met this woman before, but she is mean, and I often hear her screaming and cussing at her small children. Last week, I arrived at work to discover that my company had hired a new clerk. Ill give you one guess who it is. I dont think she realizes Im her neighbor. I must interact with her often at work, and so far, Ive been professional but chilly toward her.

At some point, shes going to see me in my yard and realize Im her neighbor. Should I clear the air now, or should I pretend it never happened? Im still angry because she cost me a lot of money. -- ANGRY NEIGHBOR

DEAR NEIGHBOR: I see nothing to be gained by clearing the air with someone you know is emotionally unstable. Let it ride, keep your distance and remain cool. If her problems manifest at the office, she may not be there long. And at home, stay away from her AND her driveway.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips.

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DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for almost four years. We live together along with my two older sons, ages 30 and 33.

He doesnt spend much time with me because hes either working or hanging out with the guys at the bar. I do have jealousy issues. He looks at and talks to other women when I am with him.

My former husband used to be out every day until late in the evenings until I caught him cheating with my best friend. Its hard for me to trust again. I truly love my boyfriend, and I dont want to lose him. Should I be jealous or let it go? -- UNDERVALUED IN INDIANA

DEAR UNDERVALUED: Your insecurity is something you need to work on because your jealousy could drive a wedge between you and your boyfriend. If his looking at and conversing with women were a threat to your relationship, its likely something would already have happened.

Did your former husband look at women and engage them in conversation? I have a hunch he didnt do it openly. That your best friend helped him cheat was another betrayal, for which you have my sympathy. But please dont project their sins onto your boyfriend.

Talk to him. Tell him you need more time together. Make plans for a regular date night and arrange for your sons to be absent. If you still dont have enough of his company and he likes hanging out with his guy friends at the bar, consider tagging along occasionally.

** ** **

DEAR READERS: At sundown, the first night of the major Jewish holiday of Passover begins. It celebrates the first and most momentous event in Jewish history -- the liberation of the Jewish people in Egypt. Wishing a happy Passover to my Jewish readers! -- Love, ABBY

** ** **

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

** ** **

To receive a collection of Abbys most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

(EDITORS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Sue Roush, sroush@amuniversal.com.)

COPYRIGHT 2021 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

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IRVINE, Calif., March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hodes Milman, LLP, has secured a settlement in the amount of $851.6 million on behalf of victims who were sexually abused and assaulted by George Tyndall at the University of Southern California (USC). The settlement is the largest sexual abuse settlement in history  larger than those involving the Catholic Church and the Michigan State University incidents.

Jeff Milman, a senior partner of Orange County-based Hodes Milman, stated:

"On behalf of our entire law firm, my partner Dan Hodes, and my hard-working colleagues, John Manly, Vince Finaldi, Andy Rubenstein, and Michael Pierce and other dedicated legal teams, it gives me great pride to know that we have been able to financially recover on behalf of over 850 women who may now close this chapter in their lives. We worked together in an unprecedented action, changing California laws so all sexual assault survivors could seek justice even after decades had passed, and remain anonymous to protect their identities. USC's cooperation in resolving these claims is acknowledged, and we hope this sends a message for the future that sexual accusations must be handled swiftly or the consequences will be severe."

The former USC gynecologist's conduct included inappropriate touching, photographing sensitive body parts, making inappropriate comments about their bodies, and performing medically unnecessary physical exams. He surrendered his medical license, as hundreds of women came forward with allegations of misconduct against Tyndall.

These experiences have left many of the victims with deep-seated trauma and long-term psychological damage. The financial compensation provided by the settlement will help victims obtain the resources and justice needed for their losses.

The grand total awarded is $851.6 million for 710 plaintiffs. This is broken down into two settlements of $842.4 million for 702 plaintiffs and $9.2 million for 8 plaintiffs.

The case average for Hodes Milman clients who were assaulted by Tyndall is about $1.2 million. This is significantly larger than those who joined the class action, who on average received around $2500 or higher per case.

In addition to the monetary payouts, Hodes Milman also achieved significant changes to the statute of limitations for these cases, allowing more victims to come forward and obtain legal remedies.

Also, USC will make changes to its school policies and operations to improve the safety of its students and prevent future abuse from happening. For instance, the school will now maintain a centralized record-keeping system to track misconduct complaints and monitor the responses of school officials.

Hodes Milman worked in conjunction with other lawyers from firms located throughout the country to secure the settlement.

For over 30 years, the attorneys at Hodes Milman have worked hard to make Southern California a safer place by holding negligent parties accountable for their actions.

The firm provides legal support for families and individuals located throughout Southern California in counties such as Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside.

Related Links

https://verdictvictory.com/blog/sexual-assault-settlement-george-tyndall-usc-scandal

SOURCE Hodes Milman, LLP
Los Angeles, March 27 : Camila Mendes, star of the popular show "Riverdale", has broken up with her boyfriend, photographer Grayson Vaughn, after dating for almost a year.

"There was no drama at all, and they are still friends. Their relationship just ran its course," a source told eonline.com.

The report also observed that Mendes has deleted all photos of Vaughn from her Instagram feed and is not following him, though he still follows her.

Mendes' shooting schedule was one of the biggest reasons behind their break up. She had gone to Canada to shoot for "Riverdale" in September 2020. The 26-year-old had then posted a picture of them kissing on the jetway, before she took off in her plane. She had captioned it: "That long distance kind of love."

"Camila has been shooting in Canada and travel has been banned, so the pandemic didn't make it easy to see each other," the source added.
Once upon a time, there was a young girl from the colonies who dreamed of having something in common with a princess: a pony, a lavish wedding, a handsome prince, maybe even a walk-in wardrobe.

But birthing a baby on the bathroom floor? No, the fairytales failed to condition me to yearn for the one experience that I would actually end up sharing with a member of the British royal family. But here we are: Zara Tindall, the Queens granddaughter, equestrian and now mother of three, has joined the exclusive club of women like me who have birthed their children not in the sterile environment of hospital or the inflatable tub of homebirth dreams, but in the room that usually hosts far more prosaic activities. Welcome!

Zara Tindall welcomed her third child, a boy, this week. Credit:Getty

As her husband, Mike Tindall, explained on his podcast, that wasnt the plan: they simply realised that they werent going to make it to the hospital in time. As a fellow unplanned bathroom birther, I imagine that, as Zara inhales her newborns sweetness, she might feel a similar sentiment that I did: What the hell just happened?!

Maybe theres an air of wonder, or perhaps shes horrified that little Lucas entered the world next to the loo. She might be disappointed, shocked even. (One in three Australian women identify their births as traumatic, according to the Australasian Birth Trauma Association). But my hope for her, and every birthing person, is not to be too quick to brand a birth bad or good: after two very different experiences, Ive learned that birth often has layers of meaning, and categorising it does a disservice to its complexities.
You got your COVID-19 vaccine, so now what? While the process of getting vaccinated differs from state to state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reminds that there are a few things you should know before and after getting your jabincluding what you shouldn't do post-vaccination. Read onand to ensure your health and the health of others, dont miss these Signs Your Illness is Actually Coronavirus in Disguise.

1 Dont Leave the Vaccine Site Immediately

Woman goes out to the street from the door of her house with a face mask

You may be anxious to leave the vaccination site, but the CDC advises you to wait a little big just in case you have an extremely rare allergic reaction. After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, you should be monitored on site for at least 15 minutes, they write on their website. You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and rare severe allergic reactions here. 

2 Dont Lose Your Vaccine Card

Doctor is holding a vaccination record card

When you get vaccinated, you should get a vaccination card specifying what COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it. Keep your vaccination card in case you need it for future use. Consider taking a picture of your vaccination card as a backup copy, says the CDC. And, if for some reason you do not receive one, they suggest contacting the vaccination provider site where you got vaccinated or your state health department to find out how you can get a card.

3 Dont Forget to Sign Up with V-Safe

nurse and man with face masks

The CDC reminds you to sign up for v-safe, a free, smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Through v-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after vaccination. V-safe also reminds you to get your second dose if you need one, they write.

4 Dont Get Any Other Vaccines

Moderna and Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

Dont plan on getting any other vaccinationincluding flu or shinglesfor at least 14 days after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, if you have recently received any other vaccine first, wait at least 14 days before getting your COVID-19 vaccine. If for some reason you do get COVID-19 vaccine within two weeks of another vaccine, you do not need to be revaccinated with either vaccine. You should still complete both vaccine series on schedule, they advise,

Story continues

5 Dont Stress If You Experience Common Side Effects

Senior woman with arm pain

There are a few common side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, including pain, redness, and swelling at the vaccination site, and fatigue, muscle pain, headache, chills, fever, or nausea. Get helpful tips on how to reduce any pain or discomfort, the CDC suggests, reminding that it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination.

6 Dont Go Back to Your Pre-Pandemic Activities

After the first shot, dont plan on celebrating with friends and family. The CDC warns that you are not considered fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, or 2 weeks after the single-dose J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. You should keep using all the tools available to protect yourself and others until you are fully vaccinated, they explain. After you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you may be able to start doing some things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.

7 Dont Forget to Go Back for Your Second Shot

Woman in medical protective mask getting injection in arm vaccination.

And, one very important reminder, dont forget that second shot. If you receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine), you will need 2 shots to be fully protected. You should get your second shot even if you have side effects after the first shot, unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to get it, they say. However, if you receive the Johnson&Johnsons Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine, you dont need a second.

8 Keep Protecting Yourself and Others

Woman put on medical protective mask for protection against coronavirus.

So follow Dr. Anthony Faucis fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you livewear a face mask that fits snugly and is double layered, dont travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don't go indoors with people you're not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, get vaccinated when it becomes available to you, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
Reuters

A two-decades old defence pact between the Philippines and the United States has been revamped and its new terms submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for his consideration, Manila's ambassador to Washington told Reuters. The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for war games and exercises, will end in August if Duterte decides to terminate the deal. Duterte unilaterally cancelled the VFA last year in an angry rebuke after an ally was denied a U.S. visa, but twice suspended its termination to create what Philippine officials say is a window for better terms to be agreed.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  More than 100 Soldiers assigned to the Tennessee National Guards 252nd Military Police Company returned home Friday, March 26, after an 11-month overseas deployment as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Welcomed home by their families, friends, and fellow service members, the 252nd returned to Smyrnas Volunteer Training Site at approximately 3 p.m., conducted a short in processing, and were then released to their families to go home.



We are all excited to be back, said Capt. Aaron Johnson, commander of the 252nd Military Police Company. The deployment went really well and all of the Soldiers excelled at everything they did. We worked hard and are proud of what we accomplished.



Headquartered in Cleveland and with a detachment in Oneida, the 252nd mobilized this past April. They were one of the first units from Tennessee to train and deploy in support of overseas contingency operations in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.



These Tennesseans were mobilizing just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessees Adjutant General. They overcame countless challenges brought on by the many unknowns at the beginning, but were adaptive and agile and focused on their mission. Im proud of the great job they did and all they persevered through as they exemplified selfless-service. One of their most difficult tasks was to leave their home and families during a tumultuous time and trust us here at home to look after them.


OTTAWA  In defiance of a House of Commons committee, the president of the Public Health Agency of Canada still wont explain why two government scientists were fired 18 months after being escorted from Canadas highestsecurity laboratory.

Iain Stewart had been given a deadline of Friday to provide an explanation to members of the special committee on CanadaChina relations for why PHAC terminated the employment of Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, in January.

Instead, he sent the MPs a letter saying that the Privacy Act does not allow him to share employment or labourrelations matters concerning public servants.

Questions about an RCMP investigation into the two Canadian government scientists should be directed to the Mounties, Stewart added.

The pair were escorted out of the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in July 2019 over what was described at the time as a possible policy breach and administrative matter.

In his letter Friday, Stewart linked their departure to a number of review processes initiated by PHAC in 2018, relating to possible breaches of security protocols at the NML.

The Winnipeg lab is Canadas highestsecurity laboratory, designed to deal safely with deadly contagious germs such as Ebola.

PHAC has previously said the pairs escorted exit had nothing to do with the fact that four months earlier, Qiu had been responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In his letter, Stewart said the pair have had no access to PHAC facilities, infrastructure or assets since July 2019.

Their employment was officially terminated last Jan. 20, and ever since, PHAC has steadfastly refused to reveal why. Stewart cited the Privacy Act in his letter to MPs.

The Privacy Act does not expressly contemplate the provision of personal information to parliamentarians about employment or labour relations matters concerning public servants, he wrote.

However, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said opposition members of the committee have no intention of letting the matter go.

Together with Bloc Quebecois MP Stephane Bergeron, they have forced an emergency committee meeting to be held next week.

At that meeting, Genuis said he will introduce a motion to compel PHAC to hand over to the committee all documents related to the two scientists, without any redactions. The motion will call for the parliamentary law clerk to vet the documents to determine what, if anything, needs to be blacked out for security or privacy reasons.

Were certainly not going to let this go, Genuis said in an interview.

Clearly, theres something more here  Weve clearly got a problem here and were going to follow it up in a pointed way.

At a testy committee meeting earlier this week, Stewart said he would explore the option of providing an explanation to committee members in confidence. His letter Friday did not mention that option or why it has evidently been ruled out.

Genuis said witnesses cant simply ignore orders to provide information to Commons committees, which he argued bear certain features in common with a court  there is a requirement to respect motions.

Parliamentary committees arent just a group of people getting together to talk about a topic. They have particular powers as a function of the fact that were a democracy and our institutions should be subject to democratic oversight.

The governing Liberals have been using procedural tactics to block opposition demands for more ministerial aides and civil servants to testify at committees examining the WE Charity affair and allegations of sexual misconduct in the senior ranks of the military.

On Thursday, government House leader Pablo Rodriguez accused opposition parties of an abuse of power and declared that aides will be instructed not to appear at committees in future, on the principle that its cabinet ministers, not their staffers, who should be held accountable.

However, in the case of the PHAC president, Liberal committee members went along earlier this week with a motion ordering Stewart to explain the firing of the two scientists by midafternoon Friday. That motion, introduced by Genuis, passed unanimously.

By Joan Bryden
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed her gratitude to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying the government of India always stands by Bangladesh through thick and thin.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to attend the celebrations of the country's 50th year of liberation from Pakistan and the 100th birth anniversary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Sheikh Hasina.

"I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Modi Ji and the people of India," Hasina said.

On the last day of the 10-day celebrations to mark the country's 50th year of liberation from Pakistan, Modi and Hasina enjoyed the music of legendary classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty at the National Parade Square in Dhaka, along with the President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid, and others.

Sheikh Hasina said, "The Prime Minister of India made us glorified with his priceless presence in this pandemic period. The people of Bangladesh are grateful to Modi Ji and the people of India, who served the most for the people of Bangladesh in 1971."

Hasina added that India must play a leading role in building a politically and economically prosperous South Asia. "We can make this region a hunger-free, poverty-free zone. We will achieve the goal set by the UN by 2031," she said.

"I am grateful to India for nominating Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize in 2019. India is our friendly neighbour, and the two countries share a long standing relationship. The government of India had provided all kinds of assistance to the people of Bangladesh who took refuge there to save their lives from the atrocity, rape and arson of the Pakistani army in 1971. The Indian government and its people gave shelter, served food and assured medical help to around 1 million helpless people from Bangladesh," she said.

"In 1971, many army officers from India shed their blood for the independence of Bangladesh. I respectfully remember their contributions. India's cooperation will never be forgotten. I'm personally grateful to the people and government of India. After all my family members were killed during the war, I was at my husband's workplace in Germany with my sister and children. I had lost everyone. There was no arrangement to stay in that country. At that time, then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito gave us shelter," Sheikh Hasina said.

The Bangladesh premier also appreciated the policies of Modi, and his slogan "Neighbours first and foremost", saying that Bangladesh receiving 2 million Covid vaccine doses from India establishes this principle.

With the inauguration of the Maitri Bridge, India will now be able to use the Chittagong Port and Mongla Port, Sheikh Hasina assured to PM Modi.

"May Bangladesh-India friendship be long-lasting for all kinds of cooperation," she said.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid said, "During my stay in India for nine months during the liberation war in 1971, I myself witnessed how the government of India and its people gave shelter to 10 million people and refugees from Bangladesh. I hope all the unresolved issues will be settled soon. Bangladesh is always grateful to India."
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The high-profile visit of PM Modi began on a stormy note, with four supporters of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam being shot dead

New Delhi/Dhaka: Addressing Bangladesh's 50th Independence anniversary at the National Parade Square in Dhaka in the presence of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the first day of his two-day visit that began on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the immense contribution of the founder of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the sacrifices made by both the Indian Army and the people of Bangladesh in securing independence from Pakistan. PM Modi also revealed that he had participated in a Satyagraha in India in 1971 as a youth in support of Bangladeshs struggle for independence and had even courted arrest and gone to jail. He recalled the atrocities and heinous crimes committed by the Pakistani Army in 1971 on the people of Bangladesh and said photographs of these did not let people sleep for days.

The high-profile visit of PM Modi began on a stormy note, with four supporters of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam being shot dead after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town, according to international news agency reports from Dhaka. The four were apparently shot dead during protests being staged by the Islamist group against PM Modis visit. Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, told news agency AFP that upto 1,500 supporters of the hardline group attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans. Other reports said hundreds of protesters also staged protests outside Dhakas Baitul Mokarram Mosque to oppose the visit, resulting in clashes and injuries after they attacked the Police.

Meanwhile, in a special gesture, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Ministers from her cabinet welcomed PM Modi at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival in Dhaka earlier in the day. A salute of 19 guns and Guard of honour were accorded to PM Modi. The Bangladesh PM praised India for its current development partnership and support during the Covid Pandemic and recalled the historic support of India for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. She also recalled the horrific assassination nearly 46 years ago of her father and founder of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib on August 15, 1975, and the killing of several of her family members on that day. Sheikh Hasina was abroad at the time.

Earlier in the day, soon after his arrival in Dhaka, PM Modi visited the National Martyrs Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh, at Savar, about 35 km north-west of Dhaka to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. PM Modi signed the visitors book in the monument and wrote, I pray that the eternal flame at Savar remains a lasting reminder of the noble victory of truth and courage over deceit and oppression.

Bangladesh is celebrating 50 years of its existence this year and both countries are also celebrating 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations with each other this year. The Indian armed forces victory over Pakistan in the war in December, 1971, had led to the liberation of the erstwhile East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an Independent nation. The Pakistani Armys crackdown began in March, 1971, and officially three million people were killed during the nine-month long war. PM Modis historic visit is to celebrate Mujib Borsho- the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladeshs war of liberation.

Paying homage to the martyrs of the freedom struggle, PM Modi said, The photographs showing the atrocities and heinous crimes committed by the Pakistani Army did not let people sleep for days. We will not forget those who secured independence for Bangladesh by sacrificing oceans of blood. We will not forget (their sacrifice). ... Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged as a ray of hope or the people both here and in India.

PM Modi added, I must have been 20-22 years of age when I along with several of my colleagues offered a Satyagraha in support of Bangladeshs struggle for Independence. I courted arrest while supporting the struggle for Bangladeshs independence and went to jail. PM Modi also recalled the efforts of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Bangladesh liberation war.

PM Modi further said, I salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who stood with the brothers and sisters of Bangladesh in Muktijuddo (liberation war). Those who gave their blood in Muktijuddo, sacrificed themselves, and played a very big role in realising the dream of independent Bangladesh. This is one of the most memorable days of my life. I am grateful that Bangladesh has included me in this event. I am grateful that Bangladesh has invited India to take part in this function. It is a matter of our pride that we got the opportunity to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the Gandhi Peace Prize. India had conferred the prestigious award posthumously on Sheikh Mujib for the year 2020 just ahead of the visit.

PM Modi also praised the leadership of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and mentioned the rapid strides in development made by Bangladesh under her leadership. He said Bangladesh had proved those wrong who had raised doubts and questioned the identity of Bangladesh. He also spoke about the current strong ties between the two nations, the supply of Indian-manufactured Covid vaccines to Bangladesh and landmark agreements between the two nations such as the Land Boundary Agreement.

We must remember that we've similar opportunities in fields of trade and commerce, but at the same time, we've similar threats like terrorism. The ideas and powers behind such types of inhumane acts are still active. We must remain vigilant and united to counter them, PM Modi said, adding that both India and Bangladesh have the power of democracy and vision for the future, and it is necessary for the region the two countries progress together. That is why Indian and Bangladeshi governments are making meaningful efforts in this direction, he said.



During the course of the day, he also met met Political leaders from Bangladeshs ruling 14 Party Alliance and discussed diverse issues of bilateral relations were held during the meeting to strengthen ties between the two nations. But he also met met and interacted with opposition leaders from various political parties of Bangladesh. Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr A.K. Abdul Momen also called on PM Modi. Apart from this, PM Modi also met the Community leaders including Representatives of Minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Mukhtijoddhas (freedom fighters), Friends of India and Youth Icons.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Police said four bodies of members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a hardline Islamist group, were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town where the group's main leaders are based. We got four bodies here. They are all hit with bullets. Three of them are madrasa students and another a tailor, Alauddin Talukder, a police inspector at the hospital, told news agency AFP. He said at least four other demonstrators were critically injured but did not say who opened fire. Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, said upto 1,500 supporters of Hefazat attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans. They attacked us all of a sudden," he said, without confirming whether any protesters were killed. Hathazari is home to one of Bangladesh's largest madrasas and is the headquarters of the Hefazat, which was formed in 2010 and is believed to be the country's largest hardline Islamist outfit.

According to other international news agency reports, by Friday afternoon, hundreds of protesters had also gathered outside Dhakas Baitul Mokarram Mosque after which violent clashes broke out after one faction of protesters began waving their shoes as a sign of disrespect to PM Modi, while another group tried to stop them. Protesters reportedly threw stones at the police, who were heavily present on the streets near the Mosque.
Students at William R. Satz Middle School in Holmdel got a surprise Thursday when actor Rob Lowe appeared virtually while the students were reading the classic novel, The Outsiders, according to a report by People.

Lowe played the character Sodapop Curtis in Francis Ford Coppolas film adaptation of the classic book by S.E. Hinton.

The students at the Monmouth County school were able to ask Lowe questions through the live video app Komi and pick his brain about his role in the film that launched his career.

I was really lucky to know what I wanted to do when I was young, Lowe told the students. I knew I wanted to be an actor when I was eight. I really pursued it. But there was a moment in time right before The Outsiders where it kind of looked like it wasnt going to happen for me.

The book was published in 1967 and is a coming-of-age story about two rival youth gangs, the greasers and the socs, and is a staple in classrooms for middle school students and was required reading for many.

The film is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year and also featured a ton of young stars who went on to have huge careers including Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane and C. Thomas Howell.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
A man has been rushed to a medical post after being bitten in the leg by a shark at a holiday spot in Western Australias north-west.

The attack occurred about 12.15pm off the coast in Coral Bay, a popular family-friendly snorkelling spot 150 kilometres south of Exmouth in the states Gascoyne region.

The man was taken to shore by a boat and taken by St John Ambulance to the Coral Bay nursing post on Robinson Street, where he received treatment for an 8 centimetre gash to the calf.

The injury is believed to be non-life-threatening.
Brian Levin "Mr. Levin represents parties in consumer and securities-related class actions and whistleblower actions, as well as parties in business disputes, including corporate divorces, employment matters, and general business litigation."

Brian Levin, a leading attorney in Securities Litigation Law in the Miami, Florida, area, has joined the exclusive Haute Lawyer Network by Haute Living.

The Haute Lawyer Network, well known for its exclusive and luxurious lifestyle publication Haute Living, is privileged to present Mr. Brian Levin as a member and expert in his field.

Haute Lawyer offers a prominent collective of leading attorneys. The invitation-only network features only two lawyers per market. This partnership allows Haute Lawyer to connect its affluent readers with industry-leading attorneys in their area.

ABOUT BRIAN LEVIN

Brian Levin is the managing partner of Levin Law, P.A., and has both a domestic and international practice, primarily representing individual investors, institutional investors, family offices, and others in claims for investment-related wrongdoing against brokerage firms, private banks, investment advisors, commodities firms, hedge funds, and others. He also represents financial-industry professionals, including financial advisors, private bankers, hedge-fund employees, professional traders, and others in employment-related and trading claims against financial institutions.

In addition, Mr. Levin represents parties in consumer and securities-related class actions and whistleblower actions, as well as parties in business disputes, including corporate divorces, employment matters, and general business litigation. He has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of aggrieved investors. Mr. Levin has represented parties from throughout the world, including Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, Canada, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Israel, and China.

Mr. Levin is also a frequent speaker on securities and investment-related topics.

Mr. Levin grew up in Michigan and graduated from James Madison College at Michigan State University with a B.A. in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, cum laude. He then moved to Miami, Florida, and attended the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the University of Miami Business Law Review.

Mr. Levin began his legal career as a law clerk at Boies Schiller & Flexner, LLP, a national law firm, where he specialized in securities law and general complex commercial litigation. After graduating from law school, he worked at a boutique securities litigation defense firm, where he represented the largest hedge fund administrator in the world. After leaving that defense firm, Mr. Levin practiced at a Miami-based boutique law firm for nearly twelve (12) years, six (6) of which he spent as a partner there, focusing on the same practice areas that he now focuses on.

Visit Brian Levin's website: https://www.levinlawpa.com/

For more on Brian Levin, visit his Haute Lawyer profile: https://hauteliving.com/hautelawyer/member/brian-levin/
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS related abuses has awarded more compensations to victims of police brutality in the state.

Doris Okuwobi, the chairperson of the panel, on Saturday gave judgement on six petitions.

Four of the petitioners were awarded compensations in different sums, while the two others received nothing.

A total amount of N16.25 million was awarded as compensation on Saturday. This makes the total amount of compensation so far N43.75 million.

Compensations

In one of the petitions, Felicia Opara petitioned the Nigerian Police Force for arresting and brutalising her during the #EndSARS protests.

She had earlier narrated to the panel how she was arrested and beaten by several officers for filming the violence that occurred during the protest at Surulere on October 12, 2020.

Giving judgement on the matter, Mrs Okuwobi, a retired judge, said the panel found that the appropriate authorities were unable to bring perpetrators of the torture and abuses against the petitioner to book.

The police are aware of the fundamental rights of people guaranteed in the Constitution. The culture of impunity and violence as observed in some officers of the Police Force has given them wrong mentality that brutality and excessive force are fundamental to achieving success in policing in Nigeria.

The judge recommended an apology letter to the petitioner by the Nigerian Police force, training of officers on human rights laws and enforcement and necessary disciplinary action against erring officers.

Compensation in sum of N750,000 is hereby awarded to the petitioner, the judge ruled.

In the second petition, the judge awarded N10 million as compensation to the family of Olusegun Openiyi who was killed by police officers in 2017.

Mrs Okuwobi said based on the evidence given by the petitioner, the panel found that the petitioners fact was not challenged and controverted by the respondent and is credible and strong enough for compensation.

Medical evidence confirmed death was caused by gunshot from the accused police officer, investigation was not properly conducted, she said.

The panel recommended a scholarship for one biological child of the victim and the prosecution of the named officer, Jide Akintola.

No compensation

The next petition, of an alleged killing of a physically challenged man, Francis Idum, by police officers at Ajisegiri Street, Ilupeju, however, received no compensation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the relative of the deceased narrated before the panel how Mr Idum was killed by a bullet allegedly shot by police officers when they came to arrest some cultists at Ilupeju on July 15, 2019.

Giving a ruling on the matter, Mrs Okuwobi said the panel found out that the deceased was killed by an unidentified person taking into evidence the testimony of the respondent.

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The retired judge said the petitioner did not establish his case by showing that it was a weapon handled by the police that killed the deceased.

After the deceased has been shot, his corpse was taken away by police officers led by the Area Commander, Area F Command, while the shell of a bullet with serial number BS99m, Lugar pistol was recovered beside the body of the deceased, she said.

The panel chair said despite several petitions written to the police and the state government on the incident, the police could not carry out the operation they went for on July 15 at Asigeri street due to the overwhelming crowd and volatile situation on the ground.

There was no direct evidence given as to the exact person who shot the deceased, none of the petitioners witnesses that testified in respect of the case were eyewitnesses of the incident as they were not at the scene when he was shot.

The petitioner could not establish that the bullet whose shell was found near the deceased was from the weapon used by the police. The evidence of the police witnesses and the movement of arms register remain uncontroverted as the police only signed out AK 47 as operational weapons for that day.

Mrs Okuwobi ruled that the petitioner could not establish his case and the panel is unable to award any compensation.

No compensation for multiple slaps

Also, in the case of Oladoyin Ademola, a petitioner who testified that the multiple slaps he received from police officers at Dopemu checkpoint resulted in him suffering cataract, the panel awarded no compensation.

Mrs Okuwobi said the panel found that police officers were at the Dopemu checkpoint and the DPO of Dopemu police station ought to be investigated.

The petitioner did not connect the cataract he suffered to the act of the police. The panel cannot hold the police responsible for the cataract he suffered, the retired judge said.

Mrs Okuwobi said the panel is unable to award any compensation in his case.

The panel also awarded N5 million compensation to Blessing Omorogie, another petitioner who suffered a deformity on her face as a result of gunshot injuries.

The petitioner led uncontested evidence which was credible enough to be acted upon by the panel. The assailant is still in prison and there is no doubt to her case, Mrs Okuwobi said.

The judge added that the petitioners right to life under Section 33 of the Constitution was threatened but she had no power or means to pursue the enforcement of her fundamental rights.

The grievous harm done to the petitioner is unlawful, she was inflicted with a grave injury, and requires plastic surgery. N5million is awarded to the petitioner, Mrs Okuwobi ruled.

Unlawful detention

The last petitioner, Tella Adesanya, received compensation of N500,000 for his unlawful detention in the police custody without being charged to court and the trauma he suffered.

Mr Adesanya had narrated to the panel that he was arrested at a checkpoint in Mushin local government for allegedly hitting someone with his car.

The petition is uncontested on facts before the panel that the petitioner was arrested, detained for 3 days and not taken to any court, the judge said.

She added that the panel found out that a bribe was given to the police officer before he was released and the petitioners car is still in the custody of the police to date.

She awarded N500,000 to the petitioner for his unlawful detention and trauma suffered, adding that his car should be released immediately.
United Methodist Disaster Relief Warehouse and Decatur Church of Christ's Project Unify drove down with supplies to help those affected by the tornadoes in Hoover and Ohatchee.

"Tornado buckets, cleaning buckets, wood strips, tarps and shelves were on that box trailer," said Cindy Sandlin, the United Methodist warehouse operations manager.

Two box trucks left Friday morning. Sandlin received a call that supplies for storm cleanup are now needed in Pelham. A volunteer will drive a truck there on Saturday.

Sandlin said they're starting to see more volunteers.

"We are starting to see an uptick in volunteers as people get vaccinated and the pandemic gets under control," said Sandlin.

Sandlin said United Methodist Disaster Relief Warehouse started collecting items after Hurricane Katrina.

"Katrina was the catalyst of what changed the way disaster relief was handled in the United States," said Sandlin.

Cody Michael, the outreach minister for the Decatur Church of Christ's Project Unify, brought chainsaws down with him to start helping people clear their homes. He's headed to Hoover to see what supplies are needed.

This is Project Unify's 28th trip with supplies to help those needed after a natural disaster. They started helping with disaster relief in 2018, after the Carolinas were hit by Hurricane Florence.

"As we're there, we find out what people need the most, and we report that back to our congregations, as well as the community and local churches," said Michael. "Then, we come back, pick that stuff up and we bring that all down in our trailers and start handing stuff out."

A group of Project Unify's volunteers just got back from Texas. They brought water to areas that needed it. Michael said they're still working with those in Fultondale to help with construction.

To donate or volunteer at the United Methodist Disaster Relief Warehouse, click here.

Go onto Project Unify's Facebook page to volunteer or donate.
Beto ORourke has ridiculed Ted Cruz for the much-derided videos that he posted from the border with Mexico, saying that if he was looking for a crisis to cosplay senator for, then he could point him in the right direction.

The former Texas Democratic representative then tweeted the many problems that Texans face from day-to-day that the senator could be addressing instead of posting footage from the banks of the Rio Grande.

Mr Cruz and 18 other Republican senators visited the southern border, to see the crisis that is playing out  the huge surge in migrants seen in recent weeks.

The Texas senator also tweeted early on Friday morning that human traffickers and cartel members were yelling at the group of Republican senators from across the river, the Senate GOP twitter account later saying they were heckled.

Thats Mexico, and you can see theres three smugglers right there, standing on the Mexico side, looking at us, Mr Cruz says in the video. Figures can be seen moving about in the distance.

Read more:

Theyve been shining their flashlights at us, theyre yelling at us, the senator adds.

Mr ORourke, who ran against Mr Cruz for his Senate seat in 2018 and made an unsuccessful bid to be the Democratic candidate in the 2020 election, responded to the posts later on Friday.

Youre in a Border Patrol boat armed with machine guns, he wrote. The only threat you face is unarmed children and families who are seeking asylum (as well as the occasional heckler).

If youre looking for a crisis to cosplay senator for, Im happy to point you in the right direction.

Mr ORourke continued: The state you represent in the Senate is the least insured in the nation.

That means your constituents are dying of diabetes, curable cancers, and the flu (as well as 50,000 from Covid in the last year alone) because they cant afford a doctor or medicine, he continued.

The list continued with the fact that 110 Texans died in mass shootings in the past two years; that hundred of thousands worked two or three jobs at minimum wage; and that Houston leads the nations in evictions during the pandemic.

With regards to the situation at the border, Mr ORourke said that if the senator was interested in actually working on solutions to ease what is happening at the border then he had a number of ideas regarding addressing the underlying factors that cause migrants to travel north.

The Biden administration is under increasing pressure to tackle the surge in migrants at the border  especially because many are unaccompanied children.
Picture this: A wildfire breaks out in mountains near Napa Valley. Soon after, two Napa County-based planes are pouring water on the flames in an attempt to prevent the next Glass Fire.

Vintner and Howell Mountain resident Randy Dunn wants this to be more than a dream. He said the local environmental coalition Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture seeks to have two rapid response planes on standby in the county by fire season.

These wouldnt be massive air tankers. Rather, they would be smaller, single-engine Fire Boss planes, ready to drop up to 800 gallons of water on a fire and then scoop more out from a Lake Berryessa or Lake Hennessey.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.

The cost to rent the service from a private company for six months is $1.5 million. Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture is offering to pay and would fundraise if and when some issues are worked out with Cal Fire.

I feel quite confident I can raise that. If you look at $1.5 million in the wine industry, its like nothing compared to the losses we incurred, Dunn said.

If the idea comes to fruition, Growers/Vintners for Responsible Agriculture would bring the two planes here as an experiment. The planes during fire season would sit at a local airport fueled and loaded with water, with pilots ready to fly.
A passenger shows a green QR code on his phone to show his health status to security upon arrival at the Wenzhou railway station in Wenzhou, China on Feb. 28, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Citizens Concerned After Beijing Introduces COVID-19 Vaccination in QR Code

Chinese health authorities recently announced that COVID-19 vaccination records and nucleic acid testing results will be automatically integrated into the citizens digital health codes. But the plan has sparked public concerns.

The Chinese-language Epoch Times spoke with some citizens who said that the regime might make vaccination compulsory. They are reluctant to get inoculated with Chinese-made vaccines due to quality concerns and lack of transparency. They also believe that if vaccination information is included in their health codes, the data could be used to discriminate against them and their movements will be more restricted.

On March 23, the National Health Commission held a press conference on the topic of digital health technology. Mao Qunan, the director of the commissions planning department, announced that China has achieved the one-code access of the digital health code. The next step is to automatically integrate nucleic acid testing results, vaccination records, and contact tracing information into the health code. The one-code access would be installed in smartphones and used as a tracker by authorities.

Beijing has implemented a color-based digital health code system last year to curb the spread of COVID-19. The system relies on mobile technology and big data to track peoples whereabouts in order to determine if they have travelled to high-risk areas or have been exposed to people infected with the disease. The automatically generated quick response codes (QR codes) are assigned to people as an indicator of their health status. Three colors are used: a green code indicates that that there are no travel restrictions; a yellow code indicates that travel is limited to most public places; a red code indicates that travel is restricted and self-quarantine may be required. The health code is checked everywhere, like a digital pass. For instance, people who dont have a green code are denied entry to most public places and residential neighborhoods.

The digital QR health code is connected with Chinese public security departments as part of the regimes big data surveillance and control. Chinese online media The News Lens commented that the use of the health code system is worrisome, given that local governments can use this system to suppress dissidents such as petitioners, political prisoners, and rights defenders, using health issue as an excuse. With a red code, people will get trapped and excluded from any public services, the report said.

A staff worker wears a protective masks while checking a womans health QR code by the entrance prior to an outdoor screening event in Shanghai, China, on July 25, 2020. (Yifan Ding/Getty Images)

Public Concerns

The Chinese-language Epoch Times spoke with some Chinese citizens this week about the new changes to the digital health code system.

Hua Po, a Beijing-based current affairs commentator, said that getting vaccinated should be a personal choice. Now they [want to] put all the testing and vaccination information into the health code. It would be very inconvenient and one can be discriminated against if they dont want to be vaccinated.

A resident from Wuhan surnamed Wu said, The inclusion of vaccination in the health code may be a sign that the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] will force people to show proof of vaccination in some public places in the future, that is, mandatory vaccination in disguise. The health code is something like a digital pass.

I have seen reports that some places have started to force people to get vaccinated. It hasnt started in my area, but the propaganda for it has already begunit might become mandatory in the future, he added.

A medical worker inoculates a man with a COVID-19 vaccine at the Chaoyang Museum of Urban Planning in Beijing, China on Jan. 15, 2021. (NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Some netizens on Chinese social media asked, Are they [the CCP] preparing to implement forced vaccination, just like the forced abortion they did during the years of the one-child policy?

Many Chinese people in the mainland are reluctant to get vaccinated due to concerns about the quality of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines and the authorities lack of transparency over their side effects.

A resident from Shanghai surnamed Wang told the publication: No one knows the side effects of the vaccines now. All vaccines have side effects. Why should I get vaccinated?! I will only do it if I have to.

Hua Po believes that COVID-19 vaccine research was done for such a short period of time, and there is a lack of information on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

Some people are unwilling to take the risk, and they dont want to be experimented on. You cant force them, he said.

Some netizens said that government officials should take the lead in getting inoculated with Chinese-made vaccines in order to prove to the public that the vaccines are safe.

Hua Po said, Russias Putin took the lead in getting vaccinated. Chinese people have doubts about homegrown vaccines. I think when the officials, civil servants, and medical staff take the lead in getting vaccinated in public, then the people will have less doubts.

But those [authorities] who encourage the common people to get vaccinated have not been vaccinated. I think the officials should take the lead in this matter, he emphasized.

As of March 25, 10 people died in Hong Kong after receiving Chinese-made vaccines in three weeks. But its unclear whether the vaccines contributed to the deaths.

Luo Ya contributed to the report.
POTTSVILLE  More Schuylkill County Republican leaders urged Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. to resign Friday in the wake of allegations he sexually harassed four female county employees at the courthouse.

The severity of the allegations and intensity of the federal lawsuit (preclude) Commissioner Halcovage from effectively executing his duties to the citizens of Schuylkill County, the letter from the officers of the county Republican Committee reads in part.

They were joined by the countys three state representatives, all Republicans, who also asked Halcovage in a separate letter to step down immediately and implied impeachment proceedings might start if he did not.

We believe it is in the best interests of all involved  including you, your family, and the people of Schuylkill County  that you resign from office immediately, according to the letter, which was signed by state Reps. Joe Kerwin, R-125, Jerry Knowles, R-124, and Tim Twardzik, R-123.

County committee Chairman Howard D. Merrick Jr., Vice Chairman Robert Bylone, assistant chairs Mary Labert, Larry Padora and Ben Wiessner, and Secretary Carolyn Bonkoski signed the first letter.

The letters increase the pressure on Halcovage to leave the office he first obtained in 2011, when he and Frank J. Staudenmeier won back the majority on the board of commissioners for Republicans. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2019.

The committees letter followed by one day a letter signed by the six female Republican row officers  Clerk of Courts Maria T. Casey, Recorder of Deeds Ann Dudish, Register of Wills Theresa Gaffney (whose name was originally and inadvertently left off the letter), Treasurer Linda L. Marchalk, Prothonotary Bridget McGowan Miller and Acting Controller Sharyn Yackenchick  all asking Halcovage to resign.

An internal county investigation of the employees allegations concluded that Halcovage committed the alleged acts and would have been fired if he were not an elected official. As an elected official, however, he cannot be fired; the only way to remove him from office is to have the state Legislature impeach and convict him.

After an investigation, state Attorney General Josh Shapiros office declined to file any criminal charges against Halcovage.

On March 16, the four employees filed a federal lawsuit against Halcovage, the county and other county officials asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

The women alleged continuing sexual harassment by Halcovage, and, in at least one case, sexual contact.

That lawsuit, in which the employees are identified only as Jane Doe, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4, is pending before Scranton-based U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion. None of the defendants has filed an answer to the lawsuit.

The committee leaders wrote that Halcovage has lost the ability to serve.

A dark cloud hovers over our courthouse and all the hardworking, honorable men and women serving the citizens of Schuylkill County, the committees letter reads in part.

The legislators letter termed the allegations serious and outlined the process of impeachment, as defined by Article VI of the state Constitution, that Halcovage could face if he did not resign.

An elected official may be impeached and removed from office for any misbehavior in office,  the legislators wrote. We are hopeful that you comprehend the urgency of this situation and avoid the specter of such proceeding.

Although the letter refers to the admissions you already have made, it does not specify them, and Halcovage is not known to have made any admissions about what allegedly occurred.

The letter speaks for itself, is the only comment Knowles made Friday about the document.

State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, whose district includes all of Schuylkill County, said Friday that removing Halcovage by impeachment will not be easy.

The possible impeachment of a county commissioner is a very serious and difficult matter, he said. This will take some time as we carefully consider the options available to us in a bipartisan manner, taking into account the legal rights of the alleged victims as well as the legal rights of the alleged perpetrator.

Argall also said the result, no matter what it is, will not be reached quickly.

If we decide that this is the appropriate way to address this issue, it will not be resolved quickly, he said. It will require considerable research, testimony from both sides, and a full debate in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate. Its a sad day in Schuylkill County but we must address this matter in a way that is fair to all.

Hugh A. Reiley, chairman of the Schuylkill County Democratic Committee, released a statement Friday saying he welcomes the GOP committees statement and also urges Halcovage to resign.

The Schuylkill County Democratic Committee condemns all sexual harassment and assault, and we support all victims, Reileys statement reads in part.

Gerard J. Geiger, Stroudsburg, Halcovages lawyer, could not be reached Friday for comment on the letters.
Mermaid Arts Centre is streaming the film 'Iorram' (Boat Song) via mermaidartscentre.ie.

The first cinema documentary entirely in Scottish Gaelic, 'Iorram' is a lyrical portrait of life in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, past and present.

Director Alastair Cole takes the audience on an immersive journey into the heart of a thousand-year-old community, blending archive sound recordings with contemporary visuals shot over the past three years, set to an original score by acclaimed folk musician Aidan O'Rourke.

At the core of the film is an extraordinary trove of sound archives, recorded by pioneering Scottish ethnographers in the mid-20th century, who visited the Outer Hebrides to capture the hardship and romance of life lived in precarious balance with the sea. These newly restored recordings preserve an oral history of lore and legends, tall tales and tragedies, passed down through generations of Gaelic speakers reaching back hundreds of years.

This soundtrack from the past is accompanied by images of the working rhythm of the islands today, on land and on water. The tough realities of fishing and gutting in all weathers and seasons co-exist alongside superstitions and visions of mermaids, faerie folk and mysterious vanishing islands.

The first film score by Aidan O'Rourke (of multi-award-winning folk group Lau) weaves together sound and vision in an emotional and cinematic narrative of toil, laughter and loss.

The sea has always sustained this community, while also holding the power to ravage the lives of the families who rely upon it. The film offers whispers and shadows of people and tragic events long since gone, yet whose memory continues to shape life on the islands today. As Scotland and the UK enter a new future, this provides a reminder that the threads of history and identity at this furthest edge of the British Isles are woven, unmistakably, in the lyrical power of the Gaelic language.
When the pandemic began, the nations governors suited up for a new role as state bodyguards, issuing emergency orders to shutter schools, close cinemas and ban indoor dining in an effort to curb a mushrooming threat.

But not everyone likes killjoys, no matter how well-intentioned.

Now, state legislatures  saying the governors have gone too far  are churning out laws aimed at reining in the power of their executives to respond to the pandemic and emergencies like it.

A Kansas bill that became law this week requires Gov. Laura Kelly to suspend all emergency orders and give legislators the option to void any that she reissues. Mask mandates are likely to be among the first to fall. Ohio legislators overrode Gov. Mike DeWines veto this week, limiting his powers to make emergency declarations. Utah lawmakers voted for an April 10 end to mask requirements and to rein in powers of the governor and state health officials to deal with crises; the bill became law on Wednesday.

Those are but some of the 300-odd proposals to curb governors emergency powers that have won approval or are awaiting action in State House and Senate chambers  although most will, as usual, be winnowed out in committee and never come to a vote.
A man and woman are dead after a murder-suicide in Tarrant that happened in front of two young girls.

The horrific scene was discovered early Friday at a home on Hatchet Avenue. The adults were found on the kitchen floor, both dead from gunshot wounds. Investigators believe the male shot the female in the head, put the girls in a bedroom and then eventually turned the gun on himself.

Their children  ages 6 and 2  were found unharmed in a bedroom where, authorities said, it appeared they had been all night.

Tarrant police Lt. Phillip George said police received a call about midnight from family members of the man who said he had called his mother in Georgia and told her he messed up. Officers went to the home to investigate but didnt see anything to indicate anyone was inside the home. They knocked on the door, but no one answered and there wasnt enough probably cause to enter unless someone with a key allowed them in, George said.

Police were summoned back to the home about 6:30 a.m. Friday after the womans sister made forced entry into the house. She quickly called 911 and got her nieces out of the house. They are now in her care.

Authorities have not yet released the names of the man and woman.
Photo: (Photo : Rene Asmussen from Pexels)

A possible mom-to-baby COVID-19 transmission was reported in Japan. According to the Japan Pediatric Society, this is the first case of such nature recorded in the country.

Aside from the transmission of the coronavirus, the newborn baby is reported to be healthy.

In the Japan Pediatric Society report, the mother of the newborn baby tested positive for the coronavirus, and the baby tested positive as well. Doctors tested the baby immediately after it was born.

ALSO READ: 2020 Was a Baby Bust, Not a Baby Boom: Statistics Reveal

Observations among moms and babies during the coronavirus pandemic

The Japan Pediatric Society started surveying medical institutions last year. That was in September and October when they received answers from more than 1,100 medical facilities.

Three hundred thirty-four institutions that JPS surveyed accepted pregnant women who tested positive with the coronavirus.

According to the data gathered, only 31 institutions admitted pregnant women infected with COVID-19 during the period concerned. Fifty-two moms gave birth in these 31 medical institutions. Among the 52 babies born, one tested positive for the coronavirus.

The mom-to-baby COVID-19 transmission

According to Japan Times, the newborn baby may have contracted the virus while inside the mom's womb.

According to Ichiro Morioko, the professor of Nihon University, School of Medicine, who compiled the report, it is possible. However, a mom-to-baby COVID-19 transmission does not happen frequently.

Morioko added that the possibility of a newborn baby who contracted the virus developing severe symptoms is not high.

ALSO READ: Baby Born with Double Penis and Two Separate Scrotums to Undergo Numerous Procedures

Other Cases of Mom-to-Baby COVID-19 Transmission

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal published a case about a premature baby who contracted the virus from a mother who already tested positive for COVID-19.

According to Science Daily, this case is a shred of additional evidence to the belief that COVID-19 can be transmitted in the utero. Also, the case only proved that pregnant women should be extra careful to avoid the virus's contraction.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention explains that as of now, there is minimal information about the risks of COVID-19 to newborn babies who have mothers that tested positive for the coronavirus.

The limited information about this matter includes:

It is not clear whether the newborn babies that got the virus contracted it before, during, or after birth.

Most babies recovered from the mild symptoms they had, or they did not exhibit any symptoms.

There are some reports of newborn babies that exhibited severe coronavirus illness.

Taking care of a newborn during the pandemic

According to the CDC, taking care of newborn babies could be risky. There are still no known risks about COVID-19 and newborns of mothers with COVID-19. However, CDC suggests that parents become extra careful.

When taking care of a newborn baby, you should follow the following steps:

Wearing masks is advisable,

Wash hands before carrying the baby

If it is not possible to wash hands, then hand sanitizers or alcohol may do

ALSO READ: New Research Says Babies Need Close Contact With Parents
Helena Christensen helped brighten up the day on Saturday when she ventured out in New York City for lunch outdoors with a friend.

The 52-year-old legendary model and photographer looked lovely in a red-and-white patterned sundress as she stepped out with her loyal dog Kuma.

Her dress featured mid-length sleeves and was cinched around the waist to highlight her hourglass figure.

Sunny vibe: Helena Christensen, 52, looked youthful in a red-and-white patterned sundress while venturing out in New York City on Saturday with her dog Kuma for lunch on the grass

She accessorized with a square scarlet handbag with intricate designs of a bird illustrated on one side.

The 5ft10in Danish beauty showcased her tan legs in the dress and kept her look fairly casual with a set of green suede trainers.

Helena wore her lustrous brunette locks down and swept back with a bright yellow floral clip.

She and Kuma headed to a grass spot in the city where she met up with a male friend to enjoy her salad outdoors.

Casual: The 5ft10in Danish beauty showed off her tanned legs in the short dress while wearing an intricate scarlet handbag and green-suede trainers

Catching up: She enjoyed a salad on the lawn while chatting with a male friend in all black

Her friend was dressed more casually than her with a black graphic tank top, black jeans and weathered shit sneakers.

Late last month, Helena serenaded her trusty companion Kuma by marking the cute dog's fifth birthday.

'This little angel is 5 today  I never had a dog before her and had no idea how much love and joy these four-legged friends bring into our lives,' she confessed in her caption to model snaps of the two pals exploring nature.

'Kuma is so smart, loyal, protective, incredibly loving and more than anything, very funny. She makes us laugh all day long.

'I was going through a rough time when we got her and its fair to say she pretty much saved my spirit. They say we dont deserve dogs and perhaps thats true, but I will do my damn best to deserve Kuma every single day shes with me ,' she concluded.

Birthday girl: Late last month, Helena serenaded her trusty companion Kuma by marking the cute dog's fifth birthday

Sweet: 'This little angel is 5 today  I never had a dog before her and had no idea how much love and joy these four-legged friends bring into our lives,' she confessed in her caption to model snaps of the two pals exploring nature

Lifesaver: 'I was going through a rough time when we got her and its fair to say she pretty much saved my spirit,' the photographer confessed; seen together on February 24 in NYC

In addition to photos of the gorgeous blue-eyed pooch as a puppy, Helena shared images of the dog posing with her son, Mingus Lucien Reedus.

Mingus, 21, is her son with longtime Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, whom she dated from 1998 until 2003.

Around the same time as her Kuma tribute, the Copenhagen-born model shared a photo of her son looking all grown up while posing with her and the photographer Cass Bird.

'Not sure i can call it bring your kid to work day anymore,' Helena joked about her now-adult son.

Family: In addition to photos of the gorgeous blue-eyed pooch as a puppy, Helena shared images of the dog posing with her son, Mingus Lucien Reedus, 21
Telephone conversation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba

On March 26, 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

The Foreign Ministers discussed current issues of Belarusian-Cuban cooperation, including interaction within integration associations and international organizations.

The parties noted the need for further development of the political dialogue, exchanged views on the main international problems of mutual interest.

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THIRTY new jobs are on the way to Limerick after a marine firm bought a majority stake in a Raheen based company.

Green Rebel Marine, which is based at Cork Harbour has invested 7m in IDS Monitoring, located at the Raheen Industrial Estate.

The firm said it will see 30 jobs created across the next two years.

IDS Monitoring designs, manufactures and supports state-of-the-art data acquisition systems that monitor key parameters offshore.

The firms proprietary technology has been deployed for use on hundreds of data buoys in over 30 countries.

As part of the deal, IDS Monitorings team will join the geophysics division, the aerial survey team, vessel operations and other Green Rebel specialist groups.

Its hoped this will provide a well resourced, one-stop solution for detailed marine surveying off the Irish coast.

Green Rebel Marine founder Pearse Flynn said: Through our series of strategic acquisitions, Green Rebel Marine is now well placed to meet the surveying needs of any provider looking to place power generation equipment offshore. The acquisition of IDS Monitoring means that we continue to build a wholly owned Irish solution, bringing together the best experience on the island to help undertake hugely detailed and precise survey work. I look forward to working further with the team at IDS Monitoring to develop and deploy their proprietary technology as Ireland looks towards a greener and more sustainable future.

He added: We will be bringing on board an outstanding team with leading and most importantly proven technology. The senior management team in the GRM group will greatly benefit from the addition of John to the team as he has more than 30 years experience collecting and processing data at sea.

John Wallace of IDS-Monitoring said: Last year we began discussions and from the outset it was clear that there was a perfect synergy with aligned ambitions. The discussions that followed culminated in IDS-Monitoring joining the Green Rebel Marine Group, creating an ambitious single point of contact for all marine data requirements. We already deliver data on many marine projects in Ireland and abroad and with this new investment we will very significantly build capacity and greatly expand our fleet of Floating Lidar solutions.

Green Rebel Marine was established last year to service the future needs of offshore wind farms. The company has already acquired Crosshaven Boatyard in Cork, and the first in a fleet of survey vessels, the Roman Rebel.

Plans for offshore wind farms are at an advanced stage with a number of potential fixed and floating operators examining sites along the coast from Dundalk in Co Louth, to the Cork coast and beyond.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 04:12:46|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes the accord calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean forces from embattled Tigray will aid victims of the conflict, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

The secretary-general welcomed Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki agreeing to pull back from the border area, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres.

The secretary-general "expresses the hope that the announcement would be followed by tangible and speedy implementation on the ground to further facilitate the necessary assistance to civilians," Haq said. "The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have agreed to conduct a joint investigation into the human rights violations and abuses allegedly committed by all parties in the context of the Tigray conflict."

The secretary-general also welcomes the accord as part of a much-needed accountability process for the victims, the spokesman said.

While the two leaders reached the withdrawal agreement in the Eritrean capital of Asmara, the Ethiopian prime minister's office issued a statement saying the Ethiopian National Defense Forces will take over guarding the Ethiopian border areas immediately.

Eritrean forces were first reported in Ethiopia's northernmost region shortly after Ethiopia launched attacks in early November against Tigrayan rebels. From almost the start of hostilities, there were reports of atrocities committed by both sides.

The two countries established diplomatic relations in 2018, following a two-year border war which ended in 2000. Enditem
Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. James McGovern will visit two Western Massachusetts sites integral to the COVID fight Saturday.

Warren and McGovern will first tour the Vaccination Center on the campus of the Berkshire Community College. The Pittsfield site is one of three locations in Berkshire County run by the Berkshire Vaccination Collaborative. So far, the Collaborative has delivered more than 19,000 vaccinations.

U.S. Rep. James McGovern will visit Western Mass sites with Warren Saturfday. McGovern is seen in this file photo taken earlier this mornth at UMass.

Later in the day, the pair will visit the Hatfield warehouse and distribution center for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The Food Bank has seen a 15 percent increase in the amount of food needed to help families in the four counties of Western Mass. In the last year.

Since the COVID crisis started in March of 2020, the Food Bank has distributed food to over 106,000 individuals each month. The Hatfield facility maintains a partnership with 170 independent local food pantries, meal programs and shelters in addition to its own 78 direct-to-household distribution sites.
It was a busy week in New York. New York City had two special elections in the Bronx, and since no candidate got more than 50% of the vote, that means the contests will be decided with ranked-choice voting. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that nursing homes will once again allow visits, almost exactly a year after a controversial Health Department directive instructing nursing homes to accept patients recovering from COVID-19. Plus, we got some dolphins in the East River as a treat.

Keep reading for the rest of this weeks news.

Another Cuomo scandal

The hits keep coming for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as each week seems to bring a new scandal. According to multiple reports, Cuomo and the state Department of Health provided priority coronavirus tests at the beginning of the pandemic to those with ties to the governor, including his family members and a pharmaceutical company president manufacturing COVID-19 tests for the state. At the time, the supply of testing kits was extremely low, as was the states capacity to perform the tests, and Cuomo was urging New Yorkers not to get tested unless they were exposed to someone who had the virus or they were feeling ill. After the news about the alleged preferential treatment broke, Assembly Member Charles Lavine, chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the impeachment investigation would include these new reports. Earlier in the week, the committee held a meeting to introduce the lawyers from the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell who would be helping to conduct the investigation. At that meeting, Lavine warned that the investigation would likely take months, rather than weeks.

Pot deal reached

Although the bill language remained unpublished as of Friday, state lawmakers and the governor reportedly reached a deal to legalize recreational marijuana, with plans to pass a bill before the budget. According to reports, the deal reflects many of the aspects included in the proposal previously introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and state Sen. Liz Krueger, known as the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. The deal would set aside 40% of tax revenues for a social equity community grant fund, with 40% of that money going to education and 20% going toward drug treatment and education. The deal would also permit people to grow up to six plants at their private residence, purchase up to three ounces of marijuana and would impose a 9% sales tax at the state level and a 4% sales tax at the local level for municipalities that choose to impose it. Additionally, towns, cities and villages would be able to opt out of sales, a change from the governors proposal this year that gave that option to entire counties.

Nursing home immunity close to repeal

The state Senate passed legislation to repeal a law that was part of last years budget that provided immunity to nursing homes and hospitals related to care of patients with COVID-19. Although some of those protections were partially repealed last year, this legislation would fully eliminate the legal protections that were previously established. The measure unanimously passed the state Senate after already passing the Assembly. The bill now awaits a signature from Cuomo, who has not signaled what he will do.

Police reforms passed in NYC

The New York City Council passed a package of police reform bills, including one that would roll back qualified immunity for police officers. The legal doctrine has long been used by police officers to protect themselves against lawsuits that they violated someones constitutional rights. Although ostensibly meant to help officers perform their duties without fear of being sued for actions they may be forced to take, qualified immunity has made it incredibly hard to hold police officers accountable for alleged instances of brutality. While the legislation does not completely eliminate qualified immunity, it establishes that it cannot be used as a defense against charges of excessive force. Mayor Bill de Blasio said he plans to sign the bill. It was part of a larger package that codified de Blasios police reform plan required by the state. The reforms drew scrutiny from both police unions, who said they handicap cops, and criminal justice activists, who said it didnt go far enough.

3K expansion in NYC

De Blasio pledged the citys preschool for 3-year-olds program would expand to all of the citys community school districts by the fall, a culmination of one of the mayors landmark programs and a major part of his legacy. Its an offshoot of his universal pre-K initiative, and one of the few big successes de Blasio can tout as he prepares to leave office. The expansion comes thanks to federal money from the latest COVID-19 stimulus package.
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers taking part in military training in the Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, in China's Xinjiang region, on Jan. 4, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Fighting Us on a Daily Basis: Expert Sounds Alarm on CCPs Political Warfare

Propaganda. Censorship. Disinformation. Espionage. Blackmail. Bribes. Sexual enticement. Coercion. Assassination. Kidnapping. Physical attacks. Gang violence. Cyber attacks. Malign influence campaigns.

These are just some of the weapons used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its all-encompassing war against the free world, according to Kerry Gershaneck, author of the 2020 book (pdf) Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating Chinas Plan to Win Without Fighting.

Dubbed political warfare, although also known by other names such as unrestricted warfare, this mode of war stops just short of full-fledged military assaults. But its no less lethal, he notes, given that the goal is to win against an enemy without firing a single shot.

The CCP is willing to fight war with everything. There are no boundaries, Gershaneck, who has been a visiting scholar at Taiwans National Chengchi University for the past three years, told The Epoch Times in an interview.

Its a concept the West doesnt understand, he said.

In his book, Gershaneck, who previously served in senior strategic communications and in counterintelligence assignments in the U.S. government and taught at universities in Southeast Asia, recounts drawing blank looks from instructors at the institutes that train State Department and Pentagon staff when he inquired about the topic.

I may as well have asked them to explain how they taught quantum mechanics or matter-antimatter asymmetry, for they had no idea what I was talking about, he writes, recalling an interaction a few years ago with instructors who taught public affairs at the State Departments Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

Institutional Ignorance

This ignorance, which pervaded successive U.S. administrations from the end of the Cold War until President Donald Trump took office, was the result of the West being lulled into a false sense of security after defeating the Soviet Union, Gershaneck said. At the end of the Cold War, Democracy had prevailed once and for all over communism, the thinking went.

We naively ignored the other growing threatand that was the Peoples Republic of China, he said.

The Chinese regime would eventually become more democratic as it increased its trade and engagements with the international community, the thinking went. So the United States shut down the political warfare apparatus it had built during the Cold War.

We dismantled the U.S. Information Agency, Gershaneck said. We stopped teaching [political warfare] in our military, higher-level schools. We stopped teaching it in the Foreign Service Institute.  We stopped teaching it in  schools like Georgetown and others that feed a lot of our candidates for foreign service.

Alongside ignorance, there was also willful blindness among those in Washington who did perceive the Chinese threat. Among bureaucrats, many filed the issue in the not my job category, Gershaneck said.

They saw it and they thought it was too much trouble. So Its not my job to fight Beijings malign influences intimidation, its coercion, its infiltration, subversion, he said.

For elected officials, theyd be thinking, I dont want to know it exists because that might interfere with my funding for my next campaign, according to Gershaneck.

The book also details that Beijing has proven adept at manipulating Americas political, business, and cultural elite through a variety of methods including economic coercion, bribery, threats, and psychological manipulation.

The net result is that the United States had been in a death spiral for many years, leading up to the turnaround brought about by the Trump administration.

Key people across the whole of government [in the administration]  were beginning to understand the very serious threats, he said.

With the State Department taking the lead, the Trump administration pushed back against an array of CCP predations from its crackdowns in Hong Kong and Xinjiang to its theft of U.S. technology.

I think now, based on the foundation that was set under the Trump administration, the new administration will have more backbone and will have more understanding of the threat, Gershaneck said. Theyre older and wiser.

United Front

The Chinese regime has found particular success in its United Front operations aimed at influencing Americas elite to get them to act in ways approved by Beijing, Gershaneck says.

Dubbed by CCP leaders as a magic weapon, United Front work involves the efforts of thousands of overseas groups that carry out political influence operations, suppress dissident movements, gather intelligence, and facilitate the transfer of technology to China. Many of the groups are coordinated by a Party agency called the United Front Work Department (UFWD).

An investigation last year by Newsweek found about 600 such groups in the United States.

United Front organizations have been allowed to operate with near impunity in the United States for many, many years, Gershaneck said.

During his time at a U.S. think tank and in academia, Gershaneck witnessed firsthand the regimes United Front operations in action. He found that Chinese influence agents were very successful in wooing analysts, academic figures, and business leaders.

I saw how Chinese agents of influence  [and] United Front Work Department operatives were welcomed in education institutions and think tanks, he said.

These Americans, the targets of influence operations, would be invited to dinners or flown to China, to be wined and dined by Chinese operatives who might supply them with valuable insider information, such as activity behind the curtains among the CCPs top leadership.

So they think theyre important. They have no idea  how manipulated they have been, Gershaneck said.

This psychological manipulation of U.S. targets is a testament to the effectiveness of the CCPs United Front efforts, according to Gershaneck.

All too often, Ive seen Americans who interact routinely with UFWD personnel do exactly what the CCP wants them to doadvocate on behalf of the CCP as part of their normal thought process, he said.

Theyve been conditioned to basically parrot the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] position on almost any issue without being told to do it.

Gershaneck says the United States needs to get serious about identifying and exposing United Front groups and operatives in the country, and taking legal action against them.

The Trump administration started this process by designating the National Association for Chinas Peaceful Unification, an organization controlled by the UFWD, as a foreign mission. It also did the same for the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, the body that promotes Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes on American college campuses and in school classrooms.

More broadly, the United States needs to do more to start defending itself against the CCPs political warfare offensive, Gershaneck said. The first step is to understand the nature of the threat; the second is to come up with a comprehensive strategy to push back, which includes building institutional and educational apparatuses to combat the regimes assaults.

If this can be done, then we have a fighting chance, he said.

If we dont fight back, theyre going to win without firing a shot.

Gershanecks book Political Warfare: Strategies for Combating Chinas Plan to Win Without Fighting is provided for free here by Marine Corps University Press.
 Read the full article on Motorious

A collection of old school muscle is uncovered in Alaska, and the highlight is the F-Body hiding under a car cover...

A big part of being successful while on the hunt for barn finds is going to car shows and meeting fellow enthusiasts. After meeting Preston and his father Terry at a Fairbanks, Alaska car event a little over a week earlier, Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter decided to pay the duo a visit. The father/son team have quite the collection of cars to show off, many of which are in original condition and have not been restored or tampered with.

Walking up to Preston and Terrys North Pole, Alaska home, a stunning collection of restored classics immediately catch the eye but hidden under covers is a slew of breathtaking vintage cars that are right up the Barn Find Hunters alley.

Starting with a 1969 Ford Torino Cobra that was built with an unusual combination of options, the guys were eager to share their trophies. The 428 car has its original green paint and black interior and was optioned with factory hood pins, an air conditioner, and an automatic transmission but didnt include a tachometer. According to the Marti Report it was the only one ordered with a clock, a $15.59 option that made this a one off car.

Also in the collection is a pair of Mustangs, one of which is a 1967 Fastback purchased from the original owner. It is the only one that was ordered in Candy Apple Red with a 289 C-code V8 and styled wheels. The other Mustang is a 65 convertible purchased at the same time from the same guy.

Not much is known about the car other than it is also a C-code 289 optioned car but features a 3-speed transmission unlike the 67 which has a 4-speed. Behind the house, the backyard is a Pontiac graveyard with many rare cars, some to be used for parts and others awaiting their time to shine again.

For the finale, Preston shows off a 1969 Trans Am 400 Ram Air IV that he purchased from Pontiac executive Jim Wanger. Wanger had taken it back to Pontiac for restoration, so it is not really a barn find, but that doesnt stop anyone from being completely awe struck by the beautiful car. Keeping true to the meaning of the hobby, just as if this group of guys that just met were old friends, Preston offered Tom the opportunity to take it on a ride.

Via: Barn Find Hunter

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Chattanooga is now planning on moving forward with the second lowest bid for a hotel to provide 100 rooms for the homeless, East Ridge officials said Friday after a meeting with city officials.

The second lowest bid is in a hotel in the Chattanooga city limits, instead of the Budgetel in East Ridge that got East Ridge officials up in arms.

The homeless topic was the most discussed matter at the East Ridge council meeting. Two residents of the city spoke to the council with different views. One told the council he was disturbed and embarrassed about the mayor and council members initial reaction to the proposal for the homeless to be moved to East Ridge. He said that the arrangement would provide a safe room and access to social services for those that need it.

Another resident told the council that allowing it would be a point of concern for him, saying he had seen other such residences and knows the conditions and environments these places created. With his understanding that the arrangement would be temporary and just until June, he questioned Chattanoogas goal. Is there a permanent plan to move them anywhere? he asked. He said Chattanooga has a larger police department than does East Ridge to deal with issues this could cause. Its passing the buck, he said.

Councilman Jacky Cagle said that he did not like the way the council and mayor found out about the plan. He said if they had come to an agreement with East Ridge beforehand, possibly a place could have been found for the people to live. East Ridge has its own homeless population, he said, but not the large number that would be moved into the city.

Vice Mayor Mike Chauncey agreed and added the concern that the Budgetel is already not in compliance with the citys long-term stay ordinance. City Attorney Mark Litchford said this is not a new issue and that the city has been looking into it. It is a question of code enforcement, he said, and officials will ensure that the hotel is in compliance with the citys ordinances.

We truly understand the homeless problem, said Mayor Brian Williams, but we were unaware of the actions that Chattanooga had taken, and we found out about it from a posting on social media. He said at that time he tried to contact Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke but was unable to meet until Thursday morning.

After the discussion, he said Chattanooga decided to pause the involvement with East Ridge. It should have been done through an interlocal agreement, he said. "It is not easy to make a decision without having any facts and when you are blindsided," said the mayor. He said that the homeless condition is a dire need in the region, and that East Ridge is still trying to gather information, but that Chattanooga did not think about the burden it would put on East Ridge's resources and taxpayers.

East Ridge has an extended stay ordinance that would affect the plan for homeless people to be moved to the hotel for three months, said City Manager Chris Dorsey after a meeting with Chattanooga on Friday morning. It should have been done with an interlocal agreement, he said. Mr. Dorsey said Chattanooga has a much larger budget than East Ridge and is fortunate to have services or community services department that can help with these issues. He said that East Ridge is fortunate to have churches and volunteers to help.

The city has received 18 applications for liquor licenses for the two stores that will be allowed to open in East Ridge. Mr. Dorsey said four are for District A in the east side of the city and 14 are for District B on the west end. Council member Esther Helton said it was obvious where people want to be, and asked for a third zone to be created around the Exit One development. The proposal will be on the agenda of the council meeting for April 8.

The city manager also announced that the westbound Bachman Tunnel on Ringgold Road will be closed while bank stabilization is being done. It is expected to be reopened April 16. In the meantime, traffic will be rerouted to South Terrace and Germantown Roads and the traffic light at that intersection will be adjusted for the additional traffic.

Items on the agenda for the April 8 meeting will include discussion of building a new dog park and approving bids for the construction of the new playground and installation of the utilities needed for the water feature.
On November 24, CNN announced that Joe Biden had made his Cabinet picks. Only two have not been confirmed by the Senate. One, Neera Tanden for OMB director, has withdrawn her candidacy, and one other, Eric Ladner for science adviser, is nominated but not yet scheduled for confirmation. On December 3, Biden said, "I'm going to keep my commitment that the administration, both in the White House and outside in the Cabinet, is going to look like the country."

The 26-seat Cabinet consists of the president; the vice president; 15 Executive Branch agency secretaries; and, in this current administration, nine other positions, one of which (the president's chief of staff) does not require Senate confirmation. In total, Biden will make around 4,000 appointments, with close to 1,300 of them requiring Senate confirmation.

Earlier this week, Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth took issue with the lack of Asians among Biden's Cabinet secretaries and declared, "I am a no vote on the floor on all non-diversity nominees." She also stated, "You know, I will vote for racial minorities and I will vote for LGBTQ. But anybody else I'm not voting for." Hawaii senator Mazie Hirono said she was prepared to join Duckworth in this effort.

If this is such an issue, why wait four months to raise an objection, and especially now that all but two have been confirmed? A day late and a dollar short. Seems both ineffectual and hypocritical to complain after nothing more can be done.

The women withdrew their objection and declared their support a day later after the administration promised thatan AAPI (Asian American or Pacific Islander) would occupy a senior White House position and act as a liaison for AAPI issues and appointees. Racist extortion works.

Biden has already appointed more than 1,000 people to the approximately 2,700 positions that do not require Senate confirmation. Of those requiring Senate confirmation, 29 nominees have been confirmed, 5 have been announced, and 37 are under consideration by the Senate.

Here's the demographic breakdown of the current Cabinet, including the unconfirmed nominee. Percentage in parenthesis represents percent among United States population.

Sex :

Male (49.2%)  14 or 56%

Female (50.8%)  11 or 44%

Race (some overlap among categories) :

White, including Hispanic (76.3%)  17 or 68%

Black (13.4%)  6 or 24%

AAPI (5.9%)  2 or 8%

Native American (1.3%)  1 or 4%

Miscellaneous factors :

LGBT is a tough one (depending on the survey, the percentage of adults that identify as other than straight in America ranges from 0.6% to 12%)  1 or 4%

Hispanic heritage (18.5%)  3 or 12%

Foreign-born (13.6%)  2 or 8%

Jewish (2.6%)  6 or 24%

Doctorates (excluding law) (1.3%)  4 or 16%

Lawyers (0.5%)  14 or 56%

If statistical equity is what one is looking for, then Whites, Hispanics, and the foreign-born are under-represented in Biden's Cabinet, and all other groups are over-represented, including Asians.

The real statistical anomalies are in education. A little more than one percent of the population has a doctoral (D. or Ph.D.) degree, yet those holding them make up 16% of the Cabinet. Half of one percent of Americans are lawyers, but 56% of the Cabinet has graduated from law school.

Looks like significant education, coupled with relevant expertise, is normal for most Cabinet secretaries. To drive home the point of the value of education in public service, Senator Duckworth has a Ph.D. in Human Services from Capella, and Senator Hirono graduated from Georgetown Law. If they truly care about Asians rising to the level of Cabinet secretary, they should get themselves on the Education Subcommittee and fight like hell to do away with numerical limitations for Asians at our country's best universities.

They could really make a difference.

Here is raw data for the above statistics:

Joe Biden, President Male, White, Syracuse U Law

Kamala Harris, Vice President Female, Black (Jamaican heritage), Asian, (Indian heritage), UC Hastings Law

Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture Male, White, Albany Law

Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce Female, White, Yale Law

Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense Male, Black, General (Retired), MA Education Auburn, MBA Webster

Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education Male, White (Puerto Rican heritage, Hispanic surname), D.Ed. U Connecticut

Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy Female, White (Canadian-born), Harvard Law

Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services Male, White (Mexican heritage, Hispanic surname), Stanford Law

Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security Male, White (Cuban-born, not Hispanic), Jewish, Loyola Law

Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Female, Black, Cleveland-Marshall Law

Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior Female, Native American, U New Mexico Law

Marty Walsh, Secretary of Labor Male, White, BA Boston

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State Male, White, Jewish, Columbia Law

Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation Male, White, Gay, BA Harvard, BA Oxford

Dr. Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury Female, White, Jewish, Ph.D. Economics Yale

Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Male, White, MSFS Georgetown

Merrick Garland, Attorney General White, Male, Jewish, Harvard Law

Ron Klain, White House Chief of Staff (Senate confirmation not required) Male, White, Jewish, Harvard Law

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Female, Black, MPA U Wisconsin

Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence Female, White, Jewish, Georgetown Law

Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative Female, Asian (Chinese heritage), Harvard Law

Michael Regan, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Male, Black, MPA George Washington

Vacant, Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Dr. Cecilia Rouse, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Female, Black, Ph.D. Economics Oxford

Vacant, Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

Eric Ladner, nominated Male, White, Ph.D. Mathematics, Oxford

Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the Small Business Administration Female, White (Mexican heritage, Hispanic surname), BS Wharton



Anony Mee is a retired public servant.

Image: Senators Hirono and Duckworth by Andrea Widburg.
Myanmar's military junta yesterday warned protesters will be 'shot in the head' if they demonstrate during the country's armed forces day today.

In the first acknowledgement of a shoot-to-kill order by the army, a broadcast on the MRTV news channel said: 'You can be in danger of getting shot to the head and back.'

At least 320 people have been killed since the military seized power last month, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

One in four died from shots to the head.

The US and the UK have announced tough sanctions against two military-owned conglomerates with vast holdings in many sectors.

Myanmar's military junta yesterday warned protesters will be 'shot in the head' if they demonstrate during the country's armed forces day today. Pictured: An anti-coup student protester is welcomed home with flowers by the residents of her neighbourhood after being released from jail on Friday in Yangon, Myanmar

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said its tally includes only documented cases, with the actual number of casualties 'likely much higher.'

It said 11 people were killed Thursday, when it also managed to verify 23 deaths that occurred previously.

Myanmar news agencies, including the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima, reported that three more people had been shot dead by security forces in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar.

Video posted on Mizzima TVs YouTube channel showed protesters risking getting hit by gunfire to carry the bloody body of one young man who the report said had later died.

Social media posts, many including photos of bodies, indicated that as many as seven people may have been killed in various cities by nightfall on Friday. Those reports could not immediately be confirmed.

At least 320 people have been killed since the military seized power last month, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners

The Assistance Association described a typical deadly confrontation Thursday in Taunggyi, in Shan state in eastern Myanmar, when 'the junta used live ammunition, trying to create a combat zone of residential areas, resulting in four civilians shot and killed, one dead body was dragged away, some other civilians were injured.

'Moreover, junta forces raided houses and violently arrested youths and civilians, thereafter destroying motorcycles, cars and barricades. They stormed streets unprovoked, shouted obscenities and vandalized property.'

State television MRTV on Friday night showed an announcement urging young people - who have been at the forefront of the protests and prominent among the casualties - to learn a lesson from those killed already about the danger of being shot in the head or back.

The warning was taken as an explicit threat because a great number of the fatalities among the protesters have come from being shot in the head, suggesting they have been targeted for death.

The announcement suggested that some young people were taking part in protesting as if it was a game, and urged their parents and friends to talk them out of participating.

The association said as of Thursday, 2,981 people had been arrested, charged or sentenced in the crackdown since the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Most, including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, remain detained.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said its tally includes only documented cases, with the actual number of casualties 'likely much higher.' It said 11 people were killed Thursday, when it also managed to verify 23 deaths that occurred previously

MRTV reported that 322 detainees were released Friday from Insein Prison, describing them as being accused of breaking a public order law by having 'demonstrated violently.'

On Wednesday, more than 600 others were freed from the same prison, also without being formally charged by a court.

The army's seizure of power halted the Southeast Asian nations move toward democracy that began when Suu Kyis party took office in 2016 for its first term, after more than five decades of military rule.

At about 4 a.m. Friday, unidentified people tossed firebombs at the headquarters of Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party in Yangon, but nearby residents managed to put out the fire before it could cause any major damage.

Anti-coup protesters squat behind a barricade that separates them from security forces on the opposite side of the road in the Dala township of Yangon, Myanmar

Anti-coup protesters attend to a man with a bandage on his right leg in the Dala township of Yangon

The movement against the junta and its takeover received a major boost Thursday when the United States and Britain announced tough sanctions against two military-owned conglomerates with vast holdings in many sectors.

The U.S. Treasury Department said its action against Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited and Myanmar Economic Corporation Limited targets the armys control of large parts of the countrys economy, 'which is a vital financial lifeline for the military junta.'

The sanctions against the two companies and their holdings block access to any property they control in the United States and effectively bars any U.S. person or company from conducting any sort of business with them, including supplying them with funds or providing goods or services.

Myanmars homegrown Civil Disobedience Movement against military rule is targeting the economy in order to make it difficult for the junta to govern. It has advocated work stoppages by state enterprise workers, bank closures and disinvestment by foreign companies.

South Korean peace activists lie on a street to pay tribute to the victims of the recent protests in Myanmar, during a rally against Myanmar's military coup in Seoul, South Korea

South Korean peace activists lie on a street to pay tribute to the victims of the recent protests in Myanmar, during a rally against Myanmar's military coup in Seoul, South Korea

Anti-coup protesters march with flag during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, on Friday

Myanmars economy is already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which surged there in the second half of last year.

The World Bank, in a Asia-wide review released Friday, forecast that Myanmars economy will contract by 10% in 2021 after growing a meager 1.7% in 2020 and 6.8% in 2019.

The Civil Disobedience Movement, or CDM, which was founded largely by medical workers, has drawn plaudits for its strategy, including a nomination for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize by six social science professors at the University of Oslo in Norway.

'Our nomination is a recognition of this anti-coup resistance that is working for peace and democracy through non-violent means,' said their nomination letter.

Anti-coup protesters march with a banner in Mandalay, Myanmar. Protesters against last month's military takeover in Myanmar returned to the streets in large numbers Thursday, a day after staging a 'silence strike' in which people were urged to stay home and businesses to close for the day. The banner reads 'Mya Taung Strike'

Residents gesture with a three-fingers salute, a symbol of resistance, as the protesters march past them in Mandalay

Speaking for the six, Professor Kristian Stokke told The Associated Press their hope is that 'the Peace Prize nomination will generate further international recognition and support for the movement and its peaceful aims and means.'

A leading member of the CDM, who asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety, said the nomination 'reiterates the need for the junta ... to refrain from any type of violence and peacefully and immediately transfer the power to the democratically elected leaders of the nation.'

Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize for 1991 for leading a nonviolent struggle against a previous military dictatorship.

Yanghee Lee, the former independent U.N. expert for human rights in Myanmar, applauded the nomination of the CDM with a tweet that read: 'Absolutely fantastic. Absolutely appropriate. Absolutely worthy.'
When Rick Frost recalls joining the Winnipeg Foundation as its chief executive officer in 1997, he remembers being struck by Winnipeggers desire to give.

When Rick Frost recalls joining the Winnipeg Foundation as its chief executive officer in 1997, he remembers being struck by Winnipeggers desire to give.

"I was automatically impressed by the generosity of people," Frost says. "It was immediately obvious from the first week that there were people coming to the foundation willing to make generous gifts to support community projects."

The 73-year-old announced his retirement last May. His last day will be April 26, which is the registered charitys 100th anniversary.

"I think its appropriate that someone in the next generation take the foundation into its second century," he says.

Frost leaves the foundation after its most successful year yet. In 2020, the foundation distributed $73 million to community organizations, compared to the approximately $5 million it handed out the year Frost became its fifth executive director.

There have been many milestones over the past 24 years. Under Frosts leadership, the foundation made the largest grant in its history: $6 million to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in 2003.

Frost championed several leadership initiatives at the foundation, including the Nourishing Potential and Literacy for Life granting programs and the Growing Active Kids Fund. These endowments, in place to serve the needs of children in Winnipeg, are especially close to his heart.

The Downtown Green Spaces Strategy, launched in 2008, has been another highlight for Frost. The initiative has supported numerous projects, including the revitalization of Old Market Square and the creation of the Saint-Boniface Belvedere walkway along the Red River

"Ive always felt that the image of our city nationally is created within 10 blocks of Portage and Main," Frost says. "So to me, the vibrancy of downtown is fundamental to our city."

The foundations vision is a Winnipeg where community life flourishes for everyone.

"I think we all want everyone to have a fair shot at success in the world," Frost says. "Many of (the) equity-based policies that weve put in place over the last 20 years, most recently those related to reconciliation, are all vitally important to the long-term vitality of our city and to the quality of life we all want to enjoy as citizens of Winnipeg."

Prior to joining the foundation, Frost spent 25 years working in municipal service, as chief commissioner of the City of Winnipeg (1989-97) and chief administrative officer of the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Toronto area (1978-89).

The eldest of three children born to small business owners in Dundas  which, at the time, was a town of about 15,000 people on the outskirts of Hamilton  Frosts interest in public service started when he was young.

"The mayor went to my church, so I knew about city government from an early age," he recalls. "I certainly remember my first visit to city hall in Grade 8."

When Frosts time at Winnipegs city hall ended, former mayor Bill Norrie, then a member of the Winnipeg Foundations advisory board, recruited Frost to lead the organization.

In addition to being impressed by Winnipeggers generosity and the sense of camaraderie amongst staff, Frost was immediately struck when he started the job by the impact the foundation could have on the city.

"There were so many opportunities to serve the community," he says. "The Winnipeg Foundation has not a huge amount of money relative to the city budget, but a lot of discretionary money, so the result was you could make things happen fairly easily, and there was a lot of opportunity to do things with people."

If theres a motto or philosophy that has guided Frosts time at the foundation, its that people matter.

"At the end of the day, its individual people trying to create an equal playing field for others, recognizing that equity is so important in our society, and trying to establish it and keep it," he says. "Weve talked about leadership, weve talked a bit about generosity  in all those things, you come back to the point that people matter."

Frosts desire to make Winnipeg a great place stands out for The Forks CEO Paul Jordan.

"He understands the fact that if you make a city interesting to live in, the economic benefits and the health benefits just follow," Jordan says.

In recent years, the Winnipeg Foundation has supported art installations at The Forks focusing on truth and reconciliation. The foundation also sponsored the Centennial River Trail this past winter.

"Were going to miss Rick," Jordan says.

Doneta Brotchie, chair of the foundations board of directors, is thankful for Frosts contributions to the charity.

"He is a great leader of people," she says. "Hes creative, hes collaborative and hes deliberate in what he does. Hes very easy to work with because he brings so much to the table."

"Hes done an excellent job of actually preparing the organization to continue to grow and to be successful, because hes thought long term and hes made longer-term decisions," Brotchie adds.

Frost was pleased when Sky Bridges, currently the chief operating officer at Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, was announced last December as the foundations next CEO.

"Im very impressed by his knowledge and enthusiasm," says Frost, who has had numerous conversations with Bridges over the last few months. "Im very excited by the prospects of his leadership."

Frost has plans to continue serving the community in a volunteer capacity, but top of mind right now is spending time with Nancy, his wife of more than 50 years, and their children and grandchildren. He also has some summer projects planned at their cottage.

As he reflects on more than 30 years of service in Winnipeg, Frost concludes that his career has been an interesting one.

"I look back on it with many fond memories and I feel very blessed that I had the opportunity," he says. "Its a great city with great people, and Im very excited by the future that were all going to share together here."

aaron.epp@gmail.com
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The New Mexico Corrections Department announced Friday afternoon it is considering closing the Springer Correctional Center, prompting an outcry from elected officials and area citizens who warn that closure would leave the region in economic ruin.

The Department announced it is evaluating preliminary plans to close the womens prison due to its 50% occupancy rate, 112-year-old building and lack of financial viability.

I want to be very clear to the community of Springer: We are in only the preliminary planning phase, and no formal timeline has been set, Corrections Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero said in a news release. Part of good operational management is exploring every option for effective oversight  and my responsibility is the states entire correctional system, and the people and workers within it, not one single facility or another.

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She said she wants to make sure every employee at the facility has options for equitable employment in the preliminary closure phase.

Right now, the department is focused on creating a plan for safe inmate transfer and worker reassignment, the release said.

The Springer Correctional Center was originally built in 1909 as the former New Mexico Boys School, the release said. The facility was taken over by the Corrections Department in 2006 and became a womens prison in October 2016.

Due to the age of the facility, the department has consistently required substantial funding from the Legislature for upkeep and maintenance each year, the release states. Closure of the facility will allow for more fiscally responsible operation of the remaining state facilities, while maintaining safe housing for the inmate population.

Springer Mayor Boe Lopez said the prisons closure would essentially mean the towns closure. He said the center employs about 150 people and the announcements timing couldnt be worse because the economy is already being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lopez said he was blindsided by the proposed closure, only finding out about it Thursday. He said hes been trying to get in touch with the department to figure out whats going on to no avail.

I think they could have handled it a whole lot better, the mayor said. Giving the warden a heads up and giving the mayor a heads up, so we can help reassure the community.

Lopez said the decision came after the legislative session ended and the town didnt get the chance to ask the Legislature for help.

He said hes currently working on contacting lawmakers, the Governors Office and others for help. The economic devastation wont affect only Springer, but also all of Colfax County and the northeast region, he said.

Springer is a struggling community as it is, Lopez said. I dont want Springer to be a pile of foreclosure homes.

State Rep. Roger Montoya, D-Velarde, said Friday that he had been fielding calls all day from his constituents concerned about the closure, which he wasnt made aware of until Thursday.

Being a representative for that area, I know that there are limited opportunities for employment and having a facility like the prison has been a godsend, he said.

He said he hopes the closure isnt immediate and theres enough time to come up with a transition plan for the community. He said the area is extremely rural, and rural areas across the state are in dire need of economic development and jobs.

However, prisoner rights activists and attorneys are lauding the closure after years of litigation and allegations of sexual assault.

I cant say we would be sad to see this place shut down, said Steven Robert Allen, director of the New Mexico Prison and Jail Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of incarcerated people.

In addition to systemic sexual violence perpetrated against the women detained there, the basic living conditions are truly horrible, Allen said. The water at Springer is contaminated. Sewage often backs up into the housing units. Inmates are retaliated against whenever they stand up for their basic rights. The leadership at Springer has also done a particularly terrible job of protecting inmates from COVID-19. The place is just a mess.

Lalita Moskowitz, American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico staff attorney, said the prisons closure is good news. She said the building is in a shambles and the facility is consistently understaffed. Moskowitz is one of the many attorneys suing the Corrections Department over sexual assault in the Springer Correctional Center.

One of the other huge things about that facility is (that) access to health care is just abysmal, she said. The nearest medical center is about a 45-minute drive away. They consistently have difficulty keeping medical staff employed at the facility itself.

New Mexico women are imprisoned in the oldest facilities in the state, she said. She noted that the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants is also an extremely old facility riddled with its own problems.

Theres been a lot of attention on this Springer facility from various civil rights attorneys, even in the last few years, that I think really highlighted some of the problems that were happening there, she said. I certainly think that the legal actions contributed to Corrections making this decision.
YPSILANTI, MI  Michigan legend has it that the Rosie The Riveter concept was inspired in part by Rose Will Monroe, who worked at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti Township with 40,000 other women building B-24 bombers for the U.S. Air Force.

One of those women was Almyra Rourke, who received a special 100th birthday celebration Saturday when members of the American Rosie the Riveter Association of Michigan held a wave and walk-by near her home in Ypsilanti.

Dressed in Rosie the Riveter attire, three Rosebuds, or daughters of Riveters, surprised Rourke, who watched with friends, family and neighbors from the community. The women leading the event from the American Rosie the Riveter Association (ARRA) Michigan chapter performed a special Rosie the Riveter drill team chant for the occasion and led the neighborhood in singing Happy Birthday to Rourke.

Its overwhelming, said Rourke, who turns 100 years old on March 29.  Ive had some real serious problems with my health, but Ive survived. I guess I am what you would call a survivor because I recover, and Im my same old happy self.

Rourke started working at the Willow Run factory in February 1942 in the payroll department. At the time, she didnt feel entitled to call herself a Riveter because she wasnt physically building the bombers. After meeting another worker who said she hadnt seen Rourke at Riveter meetings, Rourke realized it was something she could be a part of.

She said, If you hadnt paid me on Friday, I wouldnt have riveted, Rourke said. But that made me realize, and then I started reading, that it was for all women, and it was the first time women had gone out of the home to work during the war. It was the beginning of women working.

Rosie the Riveter was the nickname given to millions of women and girls who stepped into war production jobs during World War II. ARRA is a national, all-volunteer nonprofit organization founded in 1998 to preserve the Rosie the Riveter legacy for generations.

Nancy Zajac, president of the ARRA Willow Run chapter, said that she and other Rosebuds have been doing the walk and wave events since the winter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, there were gatherings among local Rosies so they could learn more about each other and their experiences.

When they do that, they form these friendships because many of their best friends and husbands are gone, Zajac said. They really help us as younger people to know that we can do it. If they can do it, we can do it too, whatever it may be.

Its rare that someone lives to be 100 years old and maintain the activity that Rourke has over the years. She had 10 of her relatives over for dinner the night before, her daughter Shirlee Chapman said, and she exercises several times a week with the National Kidney Foundation on Zoom and Washtenaw Community College, as well as walking around a path in her neighborhood each day.

There isnt much of a secret to living a long life, Rourke said, but she has enjoyed every second.

Every day, I just try to do good things and live a good life Ive just really enjoyed life. Ive been very blessed, Rourke said.

READ MORE:

In-person services return to Ypsilanti Township Civic Center

Lets bring the church to the community, says Ypsilanti pastor

Rosie the Riveter featured on new Ypsilanti Township fire trucks
They say you should never dive into anything, especially marriage.

Well, a Derry girl has torn up the rule book and thrown it away after tying the knot in a dream wedding in one of the world's most stunning locations.

After a three-year engagement, Aoibheann Gillespie-Mules recently married long term partner, Raffy Casinares, on the island of Negros Oriental in the Philippines, where she has been living and working for the past seven years.

Following the ceremony, the happy couple, who both work for Marine Conservation Philippines, wasted no time in sealing their match-up with a loving kiss during a dive in the warm waters surrounding the island, something Aoibheann was very comfortable with, seeing that she is a master dive instructor.

However, due to coronavirus restrictions, the 31-year-old's family were unable to attend the ceremony. She, Raffy, the Mayor of Negros Oriental and two friends/work colleagues were the only ones in attendance.

Aoibheann's mother, Daisy, said she wasn't disappointed at not getting to attend the wedding.

She said: She told me via Whats App about getting married. Weve always used the internet a lot, to keep in touch. I was delighted. Theyd been thinking about it quite a bit and trying to work out where, the Philippines or here (Derry), so it wasnt a big surprise.

Neither wanted a classic' wedding. Aoibheann felt that would have been very stressful and expensive. They wanted something simple just for them. Her Derry friends organised a mad hen-Zoom party the week before which was wonderful and it allowed friends from all over the world to participate. I lasted a couple of hours but it went on for several.

They were married by their local Mayor. I dont think I would have gone if there had been no Covid as they wanted it just for them.

There was no live link, she Whats Apped me with photos soon after. I was sleeping. They got married at 9.00am which was 1.00am. in Derry.

So, the big question is... what does Daisy think of her new son-in-law?

She said: Raffy is wonderful - a very gentle, quiet, hard working man, who adores her and is a very calming influence on her, too.

Hes visited Ireland twice over the past years and went to Australia with Aoibheann to celebrate my 70th in December 2019  he had never been out of the Philippines until he met Aoibheann.

They are now about to embark on a new adventure. Unfortunately, theres little work in the Philippines, due to Covid, so theyre soon coming to Ireland, with their dog, Conan, as Aoibheann has been offered a job in Waterville, Kerry, starting in May.

Im delighted, even though its at the other end of Ireland, at least its on the same land mass as me.

Daisy conceded she was apprehensive when Aoibheann first went to Bali as she was travelling alone, but was 'happy as she was following her dream.'

Daisy added: She was pretty grounded so I trusted shed be OK. As a parent I reckoned my role was to help my weeuns gain their wings. So, of course, theyre going to fly.

Her elder sister, Kate, is 16 years older. She went to Australia after uni, so maybe she had an example there. Her brother, is a marine biologist in Scotland.

Daisy said Aoibheann first 'took to water' when she was just eight months old when she into the sea in a safe bay in South West Donegal where she is originally from.

Daisy added: She swam with City of Derry, was on their swim team and competed a lot with them during her primary school (the Model) and then when at Oakgrove Integrated College.

Her big sister, Kate, lives on the Gold Coast, Australia, so when Aoibheann was eight, we and her brother Ruadhan, who was 11 at the time, visited her The highlight for Aoibheann was snorkelling on the Great Barrier reef from Cairns.

Daisy said Aoibheann first got the 'diving bug' while attending the National University of Ireland in Galway where she graduated with a Marine Science Degree

She added: She went to Mozambique one summer to tag whale sharks on a volunteer programme, set up by the university as she had to learn how to dive. From then on, her dream was to dive more.

When she graduated she headed to Bali to do her Dive Masters training. She then found a dive instructors programme on Phuket, Thailand, that she liked and so trained there to be an Instructor. She stayed there for a few months, after completing the training, to teach and to learn more from her trainers.

She came home in the Spring of 2013, worked in Peadars while she thought 'what next?' That September she got a job in El Nido, on Palawan, Philippines, as a dive Instructor working for Submariner Diving Centre. She met Raffy there, who was also working for SDC. Three years later they decided to look for something different so they were offered jobs with Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP) on the island of Negros Oriental. There, she trained the volunteers who came to work for MCP. They had 35 at any one time from all over the world living with the staff at their base.

As well as working on Conservation. She upped her skills - qualified as a master dive instructor, worked as a Green Fins assessor, got a Tec dive qualification, too. She developed her photography skills and set up her own website.

The last time Daisy saw all her children was during a visit to Kate in December 2019.

Ruadhan, came, too, with his partner Helen. Hes a marine biologist who works for Marine Scotland. They are hoping to get married in Scotland this coming June, after two postponements due to Covid.

So, Daisy would appear to be faced with a dilemna  does she buy a hat or a diving suit!
Opposition is growing in advance of the April 5 start date for the new 12-hour, 7-day schedule for skilled trades at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) north of Detroit.

Management and the UAW say the 12/7 schedule is allowed under terms of the 2019 national contract agreement as a form of alternative work schedule (AWS). The vaguely worded contract language relating to AWS for skilled trades was never explained to workers before ratification. The UAW has attempted to justify adoption of the 12/7 as an alternative to the contracting out of skilled-trades work.

Workers at SHAP [Credit: FCA media]

A SHAP skilled-trades worker, James, (not his real name) told the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter, The contract language was intentionally vague. And besides that, we never saw it. The highlights were nondescript. There was no explanation, no possible way to understand what could potentially happen with the AWS.

The other thing is that skilled trades voted it down. Indeed, despite a decisive 77 percent no vote by skilled trades at SHAP the UAW declared the 2019 contract ratified.

On Friday Stellantis announced that it is temporarily closing five North American assembly plants due to a global shortage of semiconductor chips needed for important vehicle components. The closures impact the Belvidere, Illinois, assembly plant, the Windsor Assembly and Brampton plants in Canada and the Warren Truck plant in the north Detroit suburbs. A fifth Stellantis plant in Mexico will also be temporarily idled.

The 7,800 workers at SHAP that build the highly profitable Ram 1500 pickup will be kept on the job, however, and temporary part-time workers from Warren Truck are even being temporarily transferred to SHAP to keep production running. While auto sales have dropped due to the pandemic, inventory of the highly profitable and popular RAM 1500 has been tight. The 12/7 schedule is clearly aimed at ramping up production without hiring additional workers.

James added, There is a rumor, unconfirmed, that SHAP is 200,000 units behind because of breakdowns over the last month. Now they are supposed to be going into emergency status and putting production on 7-12s for 60 days. Thats the rumor.

If they do, it coincides with what we have to do; seven-twelves. That way theyll be able to run nonstop. They are supposed to have maintenance time, but they are not planning for that.

He explained that under the UAW national contract with the declaration of emergency status, Production is non-stop for 90 days straight. Therefore when a production worker tries to say this only affects skilled trades, I say thats not true; it could be even worse for you guys.

Another skilled-trades worker told the Autoworker Newsletter, They are already short of people for the new schedule. They are already short 12 people in my unit.

Everyone is silent. Management says the schedule is going into effect. They have already published the work schedule based on the team concept and going by seniority. But they are stretched too thin. They dont have enough people. As it is you get really tired. You have to run around the plant to multiple lines to fix a problem.

He said the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made the start of the 12/7 schedule even more unwise. We could be hit by a major wave again, he said referring to upsurge in COVID cases in Michigan. The danger is always there [that you will contract the] virus. It is not a good situation to start 12/7 at this time. Instead they are removing restrictions, they are providing cheap masks.

James agreed, The pandemic is not over. I have had two of my co-workers out.

The second worker added, Besides the long work hours, there is the stress. People are overwhelmed. If they work 12-hour shifts they cant do anything with the family. But the company doesnt care as long as the union agrees with them. Supervisors are stressed out too; some have quit. So they are short of management and short of people.

Angered at the blatant collusion of the UAW with Stellantis management to ram through the highly unpopular 12/7 work schedule, many workers are threatening to withhold payment of union dues as allowed under Michigan law.

I spoke to 2 guys who said they dont want to be part of the union. Some have protested by not paying dues, but they make it hard to do that.

Referring to the 12/7 schedule, James remarked, Why do we need the UAW? We could have gotten this bad deal on our own.

A report in the Detroit Free Press earlier this month pointed to the massive opposition among skilled-trades workers. Many had reached out to the corporate news media hoping to publicize their fight against management and the UAW.

Earlier this month the Autoworker Newsletter reported that skilled-trades workers had issued a fact sheet that pointed to the multiple ways the imposition of the 12/7 violated the UAW constitution and contract language protecting workers from just such a behind-the-back maneuver.

Workers were asked to contact the UAW ethics officer, Wilma Liebman, who served as the chairman of the National Labor Relations Board under President Obama from 200911. Workers told the Autoworker Newsletter that when they called the number, they only got a recording. No one ever responded to their complaint.

The UAW has issued no further statements on the 12/7 schedule or the protests by workers. The Free Press reported that when it asked Stellantis management for further comment, Stellantis re-sent an earlier statement which read, During 2019 bargaining, FCA and the UAW agreed to a series of alternative work schedules for skilled trades to ensure the plants have the appropriate levels of coverage across all production shifts.

The Sterling Heights Assembly Rank-and-File Safety Committee issued a statement opposing the 12/7 schedule at the plant and calling for the mobilization of autoworkers in opposition to the destruction of the eight-hour day.

The very concept of such a long day represents a major step backwards. For more than 150 years, the eight-hour day has been a central demand of the organized workers movement, needed to limit the stress and strain on the body and permit time for recreation, family life and mental development.

By imposing this schedule, the UAW is violating even the language of its own constitution which states that its purpose is To improve working conditions, create a uniform system of shorter hours, higher wages, health care and pensions; to maintain and protect the interests of workers

The second skilled-trades worker said, It is a battle to educate people. Unions have a culture of anti-socialism; they try to make (socialism) look like a monster. They are against anything that benefits people.

There are a lot of billionaires nowthe middle class is falling into poverty. One day it will reach a point where the bubble burstspeople will get fed up. People will turn to socialism.

To join the SHAP Rank-and-File Safety Committee, contact autoworkers@wsws.org.
USA Today has fired its 'race and inclusion' editor for a tweet incorrectly blaming Monday's deadly Boulder shooting on 'an angry white man'.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Colorado, which claimed ten lives, Hemal Jhaveri tweeted: 'It's always an angry white man, always'.

She had been agreeing to a tweet from Deadspin writer Emily Julia DiCaro who had posted : 'Extremely tired of people's lives depending on whether a white man with an AR-15 is having a good day or not.

Jhaveri hastily deleted her tweet when police revealed the shooter was actually Syrian-born Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa.

Alissa, 21, had surrendered to law enforcement officials at the crime scene after he was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with police at the King Soopers grocery store.

Hemal Jhaveri (left) has been fired after agreeing to a tweet by Deadspin writer Emily Julia DiCaro (right) blaming 'an angry white man' for the Boulder shooting

Jhaveri quickly deleted her tweet but it was too late to save her job

Ten people were killed in the rampage, including a police officer. It was the second mass shooting in less than a week in the United States, after a gunman fatally shot eight people at three Atlanta-area day spas on March 16.

But Jhaveri's 8,000-plus followers were quick to accuse her of racism, and USA Today management quickly axed her, she said Friday.

'I am no longer employed at USA TODAY, a company that was my work home for almost eight years,' Jhaveri wrote on Medium.

'On Monday night, I sent a tweet responding to the fact that mass shooters are most likely to be [W]hite men. It was a dashed off over-generalization, tweeted after pictures of the shooter being taken into custody surfaced online.

The shooter was actually Syrian-born Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa. Alissa, 21, had surrendered to law enforcement officials at the crime scene after he was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with police.

'It was a careless error of [judgment], sent at a heated time, that doesn't represent my commitment to racial equality. I regret sending it. I apologized and deleted the tweet.'

However, far from exiting USA Today quietly, Jhaveri fired a broadside at the company and said colleagues had gotten away with far worse.

'White USA TODAY reporters have been able to minimize racialized people in print, our white Editor-In-Chief was thoughtless about black face, and a senior politics editor (also white) showed disregard for journalistic ethics by hosting a taxpayer funded reception for Trump appointees', she wrote.

'All kept their jobs. Going outside of USA TODAY, there's an even longer list of high-profile white journalists who stayed in their positions after accusations of sexual assault, using the n-word, and editorial negligence.

'Sending one wrong tweet that ended up in the hands of Sean Hannity on Fox News though, was enough for this publication to turn tail.

Police outside the King Soopers store in Boulder, Colorado

Jhaveri said she was not shocked that her career at USA Today had ended in controversy - and said 'the ire and anger of alt-right Twitter' had played a part.

'I wish I were more surprised by it, but I'm not. Some part of me has been waiting for this to happen because I can't do the work I do and write the columns I write without invoking the ire and anger of alt-right Twitter', she wrote.

'There is always the threat that tweets which challenge white supremacy will be weaponized by bad faith actors. I had always hoped that when that moment inevitably came, USA TODAY would stand by me and my track record of speaking the truth about systemic racism.

'That, obviously, did not happen.'

Jhaveri's tweet caused an immediate storm on social media, with demands that she be fired from USA Today

A spokesperson for Gannett, USA Today's parent company, told Fox News that the paper was 'founded on the basis of diversity, equity and inclusion' and that 'we hold our employees accountable to these principles both personally and professionally.'

'While we can't discuss personnel matters and don't want to comment on the specifics of her statements on Medium, we firmly believe in and stand by our principles of diversity and inclusion,' the spokesperson added.

Alissa, who made his first court appearance on Thursday, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and a single count of attempted murder, stemming from gunshots he allegedly fired at a second police officer. He will face further attempted-murder charges in the coming weeks.

The suspect, being held without bail, has been transferred to another unspecified lockup outside Boulder County 'due to safety concerns and threats that our jail staff became aware of,' sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield told Reuters. She did not elaborate.
ORWIGSBURG  Blue Mountain School District students must continue to wear masks and socially distance during lunch.

During the public comment part of Thursdays Blue Mountain school board meeting, Roseanne Zelusky, of Orwigsburg, asked the board if there was any possibility of easing restrictions to allow students to take their masks off at their desks and sit wherever they want during lunch.

The socialization of our children right now is being gravely impacted by this, Zelusky said. If you could give them a little leeway here and let them enjoy their last few weeks with their friends and teachers.

Board member Anne Usuka said the school district must continue to follow state guidelines.

We are bound by the Department of Education and Department of Health, and I do not know if there is anything to be done, Usuka said.

High school Principal Kevin Berger said the students do have assigned seats, but they chose the seats at the beginning of the school year.

The rationale for having assigned seats is for contact tracing, Berger said. Safety is number one. Wed be happy to open things up, but we have to follow the guidelines by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the CDC.

In other business Thursday, seven Elementary East students were recognized for accomplishments in reading and community service.

Ann Lucarino and Daun Corse-Phillips, reading specialists at Blue Mountain Elementary East, presented the seven Elementary East students with a community outreach and reading achievement award.

The students have been taking part in a challenge through the Learning A-Z literacy resource company in which they can donate meals to families through reading books.

The students recognized have each donated at least one meal by reading 40 or more books.

They have contributed to the well-being of others, strangers theyve never met, Lucarino said. This is a moment in my teaching career I will never forget.

Along with donating meals to families in need, Lucarino said the students have improved their reading stamina, fluency, decoding, vocabulary and comprehension.

The students are: Aiden Hensley, Kinsley Lorish, Wyatt Tripp and Samson Valenti, second grade; and Gianni Keck, Jonathan Petrokske and Lucia Valenti, third grade.

Right now, its an interesting time in our country, so I really commend these children for giving their points to a family in need, Corse Phillips said.

In other business, the board voted to approve various items related to COVID compensatory education services. The services, outlined by the state, will be offered to students who showed significant regression after the complete shutdown in the spring of 2020.

The board voted to approve: a contract with U.S. Healthcare Services LLC to provide speech therapy services during the summer for a maximum of $6,200; the positions of compensatory education services teachers and speech clinicians at a rate of $30 per hour for a total of 16 hours per teacher or clinician from April 6 to May 26; and the positions of extended school year teachers, speech clinicians and school nurses at a rate of $30 per hour for the summer.
The United States on Friday, March 26, strongly condemned the Houthi militias in Yemen for carrying out an attack against an oil facility in Saudi Arabias Jizan. US State Department spokesman Ned Price addressed the Iran-backed militia's recent attempts to target the city. According to the reports by Khaleej Times, he said that these attacks are unacceptable, dangerous, and they put the lives of civilians at risk.

He further said that the US remains concerned by the frequency of these attacks, including on Saudi Arabia. He called on all parties to commit to a ceasefire and engage in negotiations under UN auspices in conjunction with US Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking. Price urged the Houthis to come to the table and to commit to peace and diplomacy in the region. However, he added that such attacks are not actions of a group that wants peace.

What is happening in Saudi Arabia?

Yemen's Houthi rebels have gradually increased attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past couple of years, making use of drones and other airborne weapons. Just last month, a bomb-laden drone hit a passenger aircraft in Saudi Arabia, setting it on fire. However, no casualties were reported as the aircraft was standing empty.

Saudi Arabias Ministry of Energy on March 25 said that a fire broke out at an oil terminal in Jizan after it was hit by a projectile. In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, the ministry informed that no casualties were reported. The officials added that the projectile attack on a petroleum products distribution terminal resulted in a fire in one of the terminals tanks.

According to Arab News, Saudi Arabia condemned the attack and said that these acts of sabotage target the security of energy supplies. An official ministry spokesperson said that the attack target the kingdom alone, but also petroleum exports, the stability of energy supply to the world, freedom of the world trade, as well as the global economy. The spokesperson added that such attacks also affect maritime traffic and expose coasts and territorial waters to grave environmental catastrophe.

(Image Credits: AP)
Sreenath Chalil Madathil, Ph.D., assistant professor in industrial manufacturing and systems engineering (IMSE) at The University of Texas at El Paso, is working to streamline the process and ease the patient experience at COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the United States to ensure faster vaccine distribution.

Madathil led a team of UTEP faculty, staff and students who observed several of El Paso's drive-though and walk-in clinics in early 2021. The team identified areas that likely created bottlenecks, which produce delays and other issues. They used the information from their observations to develop simulation models to experiment with a clinic's performance to further identify potential slowdowns, calculate resource utilization and reduce patient waiting time.

We are truly pleased to have Dr. Madathil's expertise informing COVID-19 vaccination clinic design and implementation. It's great that his team is so diverse in specialties and includes a student. Moreover, it is exciting to have a project that is so clearly impactful for our community. Learning about this project's existence will help demonstrate to potential students that engineering really is about using your creativity to harness science, math, and technology to make things better for humans and their environment." Patricia Nava, Ph.D., interim dean of UTEP's College of Engineering

Using simulation models, UTEP researchers can track various performance measures such as wait time, number of people in the queue and resource utilization.

"This quantitative scientific methodology will help university and community leaders efficiently plan for resources," Madathil said. "Our experts from IMSE, the College of Business Administration, the College of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, and UTEP administration collaborated to develop these models. Moreover, the administration can test various 'What-if' scenarios if they need to test for potential increased capacity or working time. These models help stakeholders plan and design their vaccination event so that its implementation is carried out seamlessly. Developing such a decision support system is one small example of how we help our community."

Madathil fervently believes in the need to streamline health systems to reduce patient wait times and improve the overall patient experience. He is helping a few hospital systems in El Paso and Washington, D.C., to implement drive-through vaccination clinics. He anticipates the need for similar projects to continue to grow.

"We identified simple bottlenecks that, if not adequately addressed, will result in over mile-long traffic blocks and long waiting times. It is a huge inconvenience and unfair to the current priority population who receive the vaccines to have to wait for over two hours in a car," Madathil said. "We cannot afford to not learn from the mistakes of vaccine distribution to our senior people and improve the process. We must do it correctly the first time. We hope that this simple model helps improve patient experience and speedy recovery of our COVID-19 infected world."

UTEP is one of the largest and most successful Hispanic-serving institutions in the country, with a student body that is 83% Hispanic. It enrolls nearly 25,000 students in 166 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in 10 colleges and schools. With more than $100 million in total annual research expenditures, UTEP is ranked in the top 5% of research institutions nationally and fifth in Texas for federal research expenditures at public universities.
All projects will incorporate innovative green finance instruments and approaches

Manila [The Philippines], Mar 27 (ANI): South Korea-based Green Climate Fund (GCF) has allocated 300 million dollars to support Asian Development Bank's (ADB's) efforts to help southeast Asia shape a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable economic recovery from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Based at Songdo in South Korea, GCF is a global fund created to help developing countries address the challenge of climate change. ADB has received 12 funding approvals totalling 948 million dollars since becoming an accredited GCF entity in 2015.

The ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) Green Recovery Programme aims to leverage GCF and ADB funds to catalyse financing from development partners and private capital sources to support more than 4 billion dollars worth of green infrastructure projects across the region.

Over a 30-year period, the projects are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 119 million tonnes and create 340,000 green jobs in key sectors like sustainable transport, renewable energy and energy efficiency systems, as well as low-carbon agriculture and natural resources.

"The programme will help southeast Asian countries design green stimulus packages and projects that will create climate-friendly jobs, boost economic growth, and help countries fulfill their pledges under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said ADB Vice-President Ahmed M Saeed. (ANI)
A former New Jersey man charged with killing four people told police he shot two of his victims in New Mexico in the back of their heads, dismembered their bodies, and stuffed them in plastic totes, according to court documents released Friday.

Those are just some of the details outlined in a nine-page affidavit released in connection with Sean M. Lannons alleged cross-country killing spree.

Lannon, 47, of Grants, New Mexico was charged Friday in the killings of his ex-wife, Jennifer Lannon, 39, Jesten Mata, 40, and Matthew Miller, 21. The trio was reported missing earlier this year. The remains of all three, along with those of Randal Apostalon, 60, were found in Apostalons pickup truck at an airport in Albuquerque earlier this month. Lannon had previously been charged with murder in the bludgeoning death of New Jersey resident Michael Dabkowski, 66, who was once Lannons teen mentor.

In interviews with police, Lannon kept changing his story about the disappearance of his ex-wife, Mata and Miller, according to the documents, which also list numerous claims Lannon made about the victims and various grievances he said he had with each of them.

Authorities have not indicated whether they believe Lannons claims about the events leading up to the killings and details about the victims to be credible, or whether there is evidence corroborating his claims.

Jennifer Lannon(Provided photo)

The alleged killings

In interviews with investigators, Lannon said he killed his ex-wife, Mata and Miller on separate occasions at the Lannons house in Grants, according to the affidavit. The document did not say when exactly the alleged killings took place, but police have said they believe Jennifer Lannon was killed on or around Jan. 17.

Sean Lannon claimed he found Jennifer Lananon and Mata together, who were in a relationship, and said they had medicated the Lannons kids to sleep, according to police. Mata left the house and Jennifer Lannon began freaking out because she thought the kids were dead, according to the court documents.

She then took a large amount of heroin to overdose, Lannon told investigators. He checked her pulse, found she was still alive and shot her in the head, he claimed. He was about to shoot himself when one of the kids cried out, he told investigators.

Lannon told police he hid Jennifers body and bedding materials in a container in the backyard.

He then lured Mata back to the home a week later and shot him in the back of the head in the laundry room, according to documents.

Lannon made an allegation involving child pornography against Miller, who he said sold drugs to Jennifer Lannon and Mata. Lannon said he lured Miller back to the house a week after that and shot him in the back of the head in the garage, according to the affidavit.

Authorities have not corroborated claims Lannon made about the victims actions involving children.

Lannon told investigators that he dismembered Miller and Mata, placed them in plastic totes, and stored the bodies out back, along with Jennifer, whose body was found intact.

After moving out of the house, Lannon stored the totes at a friends property, before transporting them to Albuquerque, where he kept them in a vehicle parked near a friends apartment, he said.

He intended to move them to a storage unit using Apostalons truck, but said he killed Apostalon when the victim demanded more money for the move, according to the warrant. Police have not said how Lannon knew Apostalon.

Police in Albuquerque are handling the Apostalon investigation and charges have not been filed in that case.

Many of the details in the affidavit contradicted earlier accounts Lannon had given to police.

Police said that Lannon originally told investigators that Mata and Jennifer Lannon had run away together and were last seen getting into a white vehicle on Feb. 3, adding that Miller was probably with them. He claimed they had a large bag of fentanyl pills and were looking to score in Arizona.

As police continued to investigate, Lannon denied any involvement in the disappearances, but increasingly acted upset and violent, friends told police, according to the affidavit.

Lannon was arrested February 24 on an unrelated Grants municipal warrant from October 2020 for assault and battery and detained until March 2. The documents released Friday dont provide details on that case.

He flew out of Albuquerque International Sunport airport March 4, a day before the bodies were found in Apostalons truck, traveling to New Jersey with his kids, police said.

After traveling to New Jersey, Lannon is accused of killing Dabkowski on March 8 in the victims East Greenwich home. He claimed Dabkowski molested him as a child when they were in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and had taken photos of the abuse. Lannon said he went to the house to get those photos, but a struggle ensued.

Authorities have not said if they recovered any photos to corroborate Lannons claim.

He was arrested March 10 in St. Louis, Missouri, apparently on his way back to New Mexico.

The probe continues

Lannon remains jailed in New Jersey on the charges in Dabkowskis death. He claimed to have killed 11 other people in New Mexico, according to prosecutors, but authorities there say they have found no evidence to support that claim.

Albuquerque detectives are planning to travel to New Jersey to continue their investigation, officials said Thursday.

A man sought for questioning in Lannon, Mata and Millers disappearances, Daniel Lemos, 45, of Grants, was arrested Thursday on a warrant from an unrelated case and was cooperating with investigators, police said Friday. He is not a suspect in the killings, police said.

Jennifer Lannons brother, Chris Whitman, expressed relief that Lannon was charged in his sisters death.

Thats encouraging. Its relieving that theres charges brought forth for my sisters killer. We look forward for justice to play out, he said. It just helps us know that closure is coming.

Funeral services for his sister are next week, he said.

Were just looking to remember her with all our friends and family, and just give her the memorial that she deserves.

Police investigate a pickup truck in which four bodies were found Friday, March 5, on the upper level of the parking garage at the Albuquerque International Sunport. (Matthew Reisen/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

NJ Advance Media staff writer Michael Sol Warren contributed to this report.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
The Leesfield Family Foundation is recognizing Dr. Leonard J. Zwerling for his lifetime commitment to health care and the South Florida community by donating two state-of-the art medical diagnostic devices to Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute at South Miami Hospital.

Known as Sonosite SII, the devices will allow cardiovascular specialists to perform complex procedures while mitigating the need for invasive methods, especially in patients with challenging vascular conditions.

The gift  provides us with the best vascular ultrasound imaging possible, ensuring we have safe vascular access to perform our procedures, said Kevin Nicholas, manager of Interventional Services at South Miami Hospital. This technology reduces the risk of major bleeding associated with through the skin procedures and ensures patients are able to have their procedure completed safely and effectively. We cannot thank the foundation enough.

A dedication of the equipment will be held virtually before the end of March.

Zwerling, a cardiology specialist with more than 50 years experience, graduated from Boston U, School of Medicine in 1969 and practices primarily in South Florida.

Since its inception, the Leesfield Family Foundation has also been a supporter of community medical organizations for the betterment of less fortunate Floridians. It provides scholarships to law students who demonstrate a commitment to public service, grants to community organizations -- specifically those that focus on womens and childrens issues -- and supports the work of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Additionally, as part of Zwerlings recognition, the foundation is in discussions with Baptist Health/South Miami Hospital to launch a Leesfield/Zwerling lecture highlighting the psychology of cardiac disease. All members of the South Florida medical community will be invited to attend the virtual lecture series.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 22:09:52|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close





by Xinhua writers Chen Yao and Wang Yu

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Good governance carried out by the Communist Party of China (CPC) has played a critical role in the country's rapid development and contributed to building a multi-polarized world, Spanish communist leaders have said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Maria Teresa Mola, who first visited China in 2008 and paid a second visit 10 years later, said the achievements China made within a decade made her feel that the country had undergone development of 100 years.

Mola, vice-president of the Party of the European Left and a member of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), made the remarks while recalling her visits to Xiaogang Village in east China's Anhui Province -- the birthplace of China's rural reform, and Dongcheng District of China's capital Beijing, where she drew inspiration from the CPC's experience in primary-level party building.

Mola expressed her approval to the CPC's people-oriented development philosophy, saying she was impressed with the remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Italy visit in March 2019 that "for the good of my people, I will put aside my own well-being."

Xi's quote embodies his party's people-centered philosophy, and has an important influence on today's world, Mola said, voicing her belief that China's policies have also contributed to building a multi-polarized world.

China "applies socialism with Chinese characteristics to a deep respect for independence and the decisions of the rest of the countries," she said.

In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided assistance to countries in need, which is in sharp comparison with those apathetic countries merely self-centered on competition, she said, adding that Xi's words mentioned above were not only spoken to the Chinese people, but also to people around the world.

Echoing Mola, PCE President Jose Luis Centella, who has also visited China for several times, said that behind the dramatic changes China has achieved over the past decades are the proper policies implemented by the CPC, such as its reform and opening up.

Recalling his first China trip many years ago, he said that back then many rural Chinese people had a simple wish -- to travel to Beijing. As he visited China in November 2019, the country and the people have gained a fresh look.

Noting the improvement of living conditions and services in the rural area, he said, "I have seen a lot of vitality from the people on the street. They are a very active youth and above all I have seen great advances in the rural world."

Centella said that China has achieved great success in social and economic development, involving fields of poverty reduction, environmental protection, economic growth and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These successes have not been given to them by anyone, but have been achieved thanks to the success of the leaders, to the ability of the Communist Party of China to lead the people," he said.

The CPC's secret to staying dynamic over the past 100 years is that "it has always been linked to the people, (and) it has always been the people's party," Centella said.

During the interview, books related to China were seen on a bookshelf behind Centella, including two volumes of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China."

"Not only me, but the Communist Party of Spain, follow the contributions of President Xi Jinping to international political thought," Centella said.

He observed that the CPC attaches importance to serving the interests of people and formulating policies based on people's need, "in this way to make the Communist Party of China really the party of the people -- something that has been clearly seen in the pandemic."

Having read the first two volumes of the work, Mola said that "it is true that they make us think a lot about the modernization of Marxist thought, of Chinese socialist thought. I think it is a very important advance."

According to Mola, strengthening leadership is essential in 2021 when the world is still in the pandemic.

The fight against COVID-19 proves that no country can address a global challenge on its own, Centella said, stressing the significance of China's proposal of building a community with shared future for mankind, as well as its Belt and Road Initiative.

The two Spanish communists both said that proposals presented by the Chinese leadership have shown the international community that countries can share the fruits of development and jointly build a better world. (Video reporters: Chen Yao, Wang Yu, Liu Chunhui, Yin Jiajie, Yin Gang; Video editor: Zhu Cong)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Groups welcomed the signing into law of a measure that will cut corporate income taxes and provide better fiscal incentives for some industries.

However, they also disagreed with President Rodrigo Dutertes decision to veto, and to not veto, some of its provisions.

The President on Friday signed the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Act, one of the administration's priority measures and its second tax reform package. Among its features is the reduction of corporate taxes from 30%, the highest in the ASEAN region, to 25% for large corporations, and 20% for small and medium enterprises earning 5 million a year.

READ: CREATE-ing opportunities through better fiscal incentives, lower corp taxes

However, Duterte vetoed nine provision of the new law, saying "[w]e must keep this reform's provisions reasonable and not redundant."

In a statement, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines thanked Duterte for finally approving the law that "will not only give relief to our businesses from the pandemic but will in longer term improve the competitiveness of the country as an investment destination."

The group, however, said it disagrees with the President's decision to veto some items, but did not specify them. It also urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue to issue the implementing rules and regulations before the tax deadline in April.

Meanwhile, Action for Economic Reforms said while it agrees with most of the vetoed parts, it questions why the President skipped the provision exempting local petroleum refineries from paying taxes and duties on crude oil imports. Another section includes the crude oil refining industry in the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, which states activities qualified to receive incentives.

"However, it is glaring that one provisionthat of protecting the local crude oil refinery, escaped the presidential veto when the very reasons for striking out other weak provisions apply to this specific firm," AER said. "That is, the protection given to one local crude oil refinery is distortionary, uncompetitive, unfair, rigid, and redundant."

This clearly shows the government is protecting a firm that is "objectively uncompetitive," AER added, while also noting that while the administration has the will to remove weak provisions, "it succumbed to the powerful lobby of one particular oligarch."
When visitors think of Hawaii and social media, they usually think of capturing the kind of images that make the state a popular hashtag on Instagram: beautiful beaches, magnificent sunsets and picturesque landscapes.

For Hawaiis residents, its far different. Its a woman proclaiming that shes from New York as she allegedly assaults a resident of Nanakuli in western Oahu. Its a visitor without a mask screaming and then reportedly spitting on a kupuna, a Native Hawaiian elder, in a supermarket. Its tourists blocking highways to take photos, and reportedly refusing to move when asked.

These videos have gone viral for a reason: Many of Hawaiis residents are rightfully upset over tourists behaving badly.



Your vacation is my home, I live here, Nalani Gasper, the Nanakuli resident who was reportedly assaulted by the self-proclaimed New Yorker, told KITV. ... I understand New York is very different in your ways, and that's fine. But [assault is] not, we don't do disrespect."

Hawaiis success as a destination is a double-edged sword, because the states economy is dependent on visitors. In 2019, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reported that it was the largest single source of private capital for Hawaiis economy. The 10,424,995 visitors that came to the state that year spent $17.75 billion statewide. January 2019 alone saw 820,621 visitors who spent $1.62 billion across the state.

A 2018 report by the state of Hawaiis Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) Research and Economic Analysis Division found the accommodation and food services industry is the top employment sector for the state, comprising 13.6 percent of Hawaiis workforce.

That dependency on tourism became even more clear when the state shut down to visitors in March 2020 because of COVID-19. By mid-2020, the reality of Hawaii tourisms pandemic-driven downturn became palpable. The states unemployment rate peaked at 21.9% in April and May 2020. Compare that to May 2019, when it was at 2.5 percent.

In January 2021, the percentage of visitors by air was down 80% compared with January 2020. The Hawaii Tourism Authority released a January 2021 report stating that spending by the 171,976 visitors that month was down to $383.3 million, an immense decrease compared to January 2019.

Hawaii reopened to tourism in October 2020 with the Safe Travels program, requiring visitors to have a negative COVID-19 test before arrival, and to file paperwork and be certified in advance for entry to the state.

Even with those precautions in place, many residents are wary. In a 2020 survey by the Hawaii Tourism Authority on Attitudes Toward Re-Opening Hawaii to Tourism, approximately 65% of residents said they agreed strongly or somewhat that people from outside Hawaii should not be visiting right now. Approximately 62% disagreed with the statement, I am confident that state and county governments can safely re-open my island to visitors from outside the state of Hawaii.

Hawaii is no stranger to pandemics decimating its native population. Measles may have even helped bring down the Hawaiian monarchy; King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu died in London of the disease, contracted on an 1824 royal visit to the city. And the effects of the islands last smallpox outbreak in 1881 are still fresh in many residents minds, tales of which have been passed down through generations.

One major concern for residents when considering tourisms return is the welfare of their families, and especially kupuna (elders). Multigenerational living is prevalent in Hawaii, and the state has the highest proportion of multigenerational households in the United States. If one person is infected with COVID-19, the entire family  including the more vulnerable elderly members  may be exposed.

Most hospitals in Hawaii have limited capacity and can be easily overrun. For many locals, fear battles with freedom and the positive economic impact of tourism to the state.

Our identity as a place became displaced when tourism was not here, and we were forced to really reflect on how tourism savagely and unapologetically takes resources, space and energy from us (our local communities) as if it were entitled to it, says Pomai Weigert, statewide adviser and liaison for the Hawaii Agritourism Association.

As if we owed tourism our aloha, our culture(s), stories, land and experiences  things that are culturally/historically significant and sacred to us  because it brought in so much money and opportunity, Weigert continued. And weve done it for so long that we just accepted it as our life here. Maybe not even accept, just something we live with, without knowing any different.

Having had a taste of a tourist-free state, some residents have come to prefer the peace. Some much-visited areas, like Hanauma Bay, saw marine life return, rejuvenated by the lack of tourists as natural areas recovered. Residents returned to places like Haena State Park, which had been "loved to death."

From a local lens, it was so incredibly peaceful not having tourists here, said Maui resident Weigert. ... Places weve stopped going to because they had become crowded with tourists could finally be ours again.

I know we need the tourism, but it was nice not having the roads choked up with rental cars, the beaches not crowded and smelling like sunscreen. Hawaii needs another industry to boost its economy, Jason Leanio wrote in response to a Honolulu Civil Beat post on Hawaiis summer tourism season. Until then tourists need to abide by the mandates we have in place to protect the people of Hawaii. Im all for opening up everything but with restrictions in place. Its completely doable if we were all just considerate of each other.

Some Hawaii residents are trying to reach out to tourists before they book that trip to their state. In a viral thread, Twitter user @ivyschampagne wrote about why it was so important to protect the people of Hawaii, and why people should not travel to the state right now.

The ignorance of the tourists is both unknowing and [willfully] supported by their entitlement and the capitalist tourism industry which puts profits over the health of Hawaii, Oahu resident and activist Kawena Kapahu, whose Twitter handle is @Kue_Kawena, told SFGATE. Social media offers essentially the one and only chance to reach these tourists/colonizers before they arrive in our islands and bring their harm with them.

Social media allows us advocates for the community to reach these people with less resources at our disposal while we compete against the tourism industry which has millions to encourage tourists to come harm our communities, he continued. Social media is our chance as organizers, activists, and concerned community members to reach out to the humanity of these plague tourists. An attempt to get them to understand the harm they inflict on our community by risking our lives for their vacations.

Natasha Bourlin is a travel-loving, Hawai'i Island-based freelance writer whos been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, AFAR media, Time Out, USAToday.com and more.


According to a media report, it states that a senior Singaporean civil servant of Indian origin has been appointed as the ASEAN Secretariat's next deputy secretary-general for its economic community.

Satvinder Singh assumed the post on Friday for a term of three years, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced.

r. Satvinder Singh, who succeeds Dr Aladdin D Rillo from the Philippines, will support the ASEAN secretary-general in the implementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025, as well as the realisation of the AEC's goals, The Straits Times reported.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to create a single market and production base for the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital, and skilled labour within the region.

Satvinder Singh joined ASEAN Secretariat as the new Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Economic Community.



The Secretariat looks forward to working with him as he helps the region to build back better and support ASEAN community-building efforts.

Equalisation Levy: US proposes retaliatory tariffs on select Indian goods

Iran, China, Beijing, Tehran sign cooperation agreement

US President Joe Biden's invitation to PM Modi, summit to be held in April
As the country as a whole slowly but steadily moves toward a more efficient and environmentally-friendly future, the seeds of a green energy system have already taken root in Midland.

President Joe Biden's "Plan for A Clean Energy Revolution" aims to put the country on the path to achieving a 100% "clean energy economy" with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, meaning the amount of gases added to the atmosphere will be no more than the amount taken out of it.

DTE Energy, a Detroit-based electric services company, has a similar goal.

"We have big plans to keep building renewables in the state," said David Harwood, DTE director of renewable energy. "We're committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, which is going to be achieved by the retirement of all of our coal plants and the addition of a lot more renewable (energy sources) and other technologies as they come to fruition over the next 20-30 years."

One of those new sources of energy will soon be visible in the skyline of Midland and Saginaw counties -- construction of the 77 wind turbines that will form the Meridian Wind Park is set to begin next month.

The Meridian park received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission in July 2020, and DTE has since been granted special-use operating permits needed to begin construction in each of the three townships that will house the turbines  including Porter and Mount Haley townships in southwestern Midland County and Jonesfield Township in northwestern Saginaw County.

DTE has two large maintenance centers in Michigan that are strategically located in relation to the company's wind farms, Harwood said. One center is in Breckenridge, which covers the wind farms in mid-Michigan and will cover Meridian when it comes online. The second center is in Bad Axe, which covers the parks in Michigan's Thumb region.

From the ground up

Naturally, the first step in developing a wind farm is deciding where to build it.

"We like relatively flat land, and there's a couple reasons for that," said Matt Wagner, DTE renewable energy development manager. "One reason is the wind resource -- we want to know that the wind is going to be at a level on an average that will allow us to have turbines that are operating at a fairly high percentage of the time."

The average turbine's "cut-in speed" -- the wind speed at which blades start rotating and generating power -- is between six and nine miles per hour, Wagner said.

"What we find is that agriculture land suits wind projects very well, because it is relatively flat and to a large extent unobstructed, and you want that for a wind project," Wagner said.

Another advantage of developing on agricultural land is that turbines can be placed in ways that don't have a large impact on the landowners, Wagner said. The relationship can be a "win-win," as the landowners are able to host the turbines and gain revenue through that, while still farming the majority of their land.

Getting approval to begin development on a wind park is a long and "multi-tiered" process, Wagner said. For the Meridian park, DTE might need as many as 200 different approvals of varying sizes, sometimes for each individual turbine.

Seeking approvals can be what Wagner calls a "hierarchical" process. At a local township and county level, developers need to obtain special land-use permits in order to place a project at a certain location. Townships also often require site-plan approvals to determine the specific placement of individual turbines.

On a state level, wind farm developers have to get wetland permits from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). DTE has also worked with EGLE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for wildlife studies. "Tall structure permits" are sought through both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Michigan Department of Transportation's aeronautics division.

Other approvals needed include:

Permission from local airports.

"Right of way" to build access roads between main roads and turbines.

Drain-crossing agreements.

Transportation and hauling permits to bring in construction equipment.

Solar power is next

DTE currently has 15 wind farms across Michigan, with three more coming online in the next two months, said Cynthia Hecht, DTE senior communications specialist. Combined, all 18 parks will be able to produce enough energy to power about 600,000 homes.

Once online and operational, Meridian Wind Park will power about 78,400 homes, Hecht said.

Wagner said the Meridian park is the last self-developed wind project DTE has planned for the near future, as the company is setting its sights on a power source even higher in the sky: solar energy.

Though no specific locations have been identified yet, Wagner said Midland County has "potential" as an area to host solar projects, which are a more cost-effective alternative than wind energy.
The new archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui Ruins site in southwest China's Sichuan Province are a great achievement for the whole world, archaeologists said in recent interviews with Xinhua.

"These discoveries are very important because they explain an important historical period of the Chinese civilization, which helps researchers know more about this important period," said Professor Mohammed Salih Attia, assistant director-general in the department of investigation and excavations at Iraq's State Board for Antiquities and Heritage.

Specialists studying on ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt would also be motivated to compare the similarities and interconnections of their discoveries with those from Sanxingdui Ruins site, Attia said.

Attia called for enhancing cooperation with China to benefit from its advanced experiences in the field of archaeological excavations, to learn about the modern technologies used by Chinese experts.

"We invite Chinese experts to come to Iraq and participate in the excavation operations, as the land of Mesopotamia is rich in ancient civilizations," Attia told Xinhua.

"In Iraq, we have a plan for excavations. We are waiting for the funds allocated for that in the current annual budget, so we can implement it," he added.

Archaeologists have found six new sacrificial pits and unearthed more than 500 items dating back about 3,000 years at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Sichuan Province, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced.

Archaeologists have unearthed various important cultural items from four of the pits, including pieces of gold masks, gold foil, bronze masks, bronze tree relics and several ivory pieces. The rest of the newly discovered pits are still under excavation.

"The excavations include many unique items, which would enrich civilized museums after documenting and identifying, then the world can see the latest archaeological discoveries in China," said Junaid Amer, another archaeological researcher at the Iraqi State Board for Antiquities and Heritage

"Discovering any civilizations are achievements for all humanity, because the cultural diversity is a bridge between the past and the present, for people to understand about and learn from the history," Amer said.
Police ballistic markers stand beside a child's bicycle at a crime scene where a 1-year-old child was shot and killed in New York City, on July 13, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

US Murders Rose Sharply in 2020, Especially in Cities

The number of murders significantly increased in the United States in 2020, particularly in major metropolitan areas, according to newly released crime data.

Cities with a population of 1 million or more saw a roughly 32 percent increase in homicides, according to figures released by the FBI that are drawn from local sources. While every area, including rural counties, saw jumps in homicides, the biggest increases were in cities, especially in cities with 100,000 residents or more.

Overall, the number of homicides spiked to over 20,000. Thats 4,000 more than the year prior and the highest total since 1995, according to an analysis from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

The data confirms a report released last month showing homicide rates in a sample of 34 cities were 30 percent higher in 2020 than in 2019.

Researchers said the sample suggested the national murder rate increase was likely to exceed the previous largest single-year increase of 13 percent in 1968.

Experts believe the rise in killings can be linked to stressors introduced or exacerbated by situations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homicides are linked to all the pandemic conditions: the higher unemployment, mental, emotional, physical, financial stress, and then thats concentrated in areas that typically contain higher amounts of poverty, Christopher Herrmann, assistant professor at the City University of New Yorks John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told The Epoch Times.

Schools are closed, people are out of work, [theres reduced] law enforcement, due to either illness within the rank and file of agencies, the weakened staffing, to officers no longer engaging proactively in community policing, no after-school programs, no sportsI think the combination of all of that just caused an incredible spike of gun violence, said Lisa Dadio, director of The Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven.

The murder rate increased as the year went on, according to the newly released statistics, supporting the theorized link to the pandemic and related restrictions.

Firearms at a gun shop in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 13, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

New York City alone reported 149 more murders in 2020 than in 2019, a 46 percent increase. Chicago saw 774 murders, up from 506, a jump of more than 50 percent. Los Angeles recorded 350 killings, up 38 percent to the highest level since 2008.

Many Americans last year suffered through harsh restrictions amid the CCP virus pandemic. Those restrictions didnt lead to lower death tolls, although they did empty out normally bustling areas.

Kenneth Gray, a senior lecturer at the University of New Havens Criminal Justice Department, said the reasons behind the increase in murders arent clear, but there are some guesses.

In addition to more people being unemployed, you have lockdowns, so theres less people out on the street to act as guardians to stop actions from happening, he told The Epoch Times.

When a crime happens, you have to have a victim at a location, you have to have a person that wants to commit a crime, and you have to have a lack of a guardian, and a guardian, in this case, means somebody that can either see whats going on or intervene and stop it from happening, he said. And during the pandemic, during the lockdown, theres not as many people out and about, and so theres not as many people that could interfere with some event like this from happening.

Police departments being defunded, threatened with funding cuts, or with having their ability to carry out their duties cut back or erased, also likely played a factor, according to Gray.

Protesters at a Black Lives Matter protest march in New York City on July 13, 2020. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

Cities across the United States slashed police funding either immediately or in upcoming budgets. New York City, for example, cut $1 billion from the NYPDs budget. Officials in Portland, Oregon, where murders skyrocketed in 2020, cut $15 million from police funding. Mayor Ted Wheeler recently asked the City Council to approve $2 million to invest in police amid the murder wave.

But police officers are usually aiming to solve murders, not stop them, Tio Hardiman, CEO of Violence Interrupters, told The Epoch Times.

Hardimans group leverages local connections and utilizes face-to-face appeals to try to prevent killings from taking place.

In one recent case in Chicago, a man on parole who was allegedly peeping on his neighbors wife was confronted by the neighbor. The man brandished a firearm and threatened to kill him. Hardiman was called and was able to get the mans grandmother and contacts to convince him to stand down.

We need specially, highly trained individuals that know how to intercept whispers on the street level in order to stop the killing on the front end, Hardiman said. Because everybodys in response mode.

Hardiman, who also is an adjunct professor of criminal and restorative justice at North Park University, called for approaching gun violence as a public health epidemic, with a major focus on convincing young people to push for peace among their peers.

President Joe Biden after a news conference in the East Room of the White House on March 25, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

At a federal level, Democrats are angling for new gun control measures following two recent shootings. President Joe Biden is planning to take executive action, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are crafting gun legislation proposals.

Experts were divided on whether new restrictions would have much of an impact.

Herrmann says that theres solid research showing states that have harsher gun control laws have lower rates of homicide. Examples of laws that work, he asserted, are a mandated waiting period for seven or 14 days and so-called red flag bills, which allow a neighbor or relative to alert authorities to potential wrongdoers, which can lead to guns being seized.

Dadio disagrees.

The majority of people that are committing these types of crimes that were seeing, gun homicides, theyre not getting the gun legally anyway, she said, noting that many shooters are criminals who are already barred from purchasing or possessing firearms.

Chicago is probably a classic example of that. They have some of the strictest gun control laws in the country and have forever, and yet they continue to be plagued by horrific gun violence.
DEAR ABBY: Last year, my across-the-street neighbor backed into my car. At least, thats what I think happened. My car was parked legally on the street, and there was a huge dent in it. I called the police and, based on the location of the dent and the neighbors driveway, the officer determined that the neighbor had backed into it. Furthermore, light blue paint from my car was on her cars bumper.

When the officer went across the street, the neighbor came running out screaming at him. She was hysterical and belligerent, and she denied it. Eventually, the officer told me that even though he was certain she did it, there was nothing he could do since it was her word against mine.

I had never met this woman before, but she is mean, and I often hear her screaming and cussing at her small children. Last week, I arrived at work to discover that my company had hired a new clerk. Ill give you one guess who it is. I dont think she realizes Im her neighbor. I must interact with her often at work, and so far, Ive been professional but chilly toward her.

At some point, shes going to see me in my yard and realize Im her neighbor. Should I clear the air now, or should I pretend it never happened? Im still angry because she cost me a lot of money. -- ANGRY NEIGHBOR

DEAR NEIGHBOR: I see nothing to be gained by clearing the air with someone you know is emotionally unstable. Let it ride, keep your distance and remain cool. If her problems manifest at the office, she may not be there long. And at home, stay away from her AND her driveway.

DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for almost four years. We live together along with my two older sons, ages 30 and 33.

He doesnt spend much time with me because hes either working or hanging out with the guys at the bar. I do have jealousy issues. He looks at and talks to other women when I am with him.

My former husband used to be out every day until late in the evenings until I caught him cheating with my best friend. Its hard for me to trust again. I truly love my boyfriend, and I dont want to lose him. Should I be jealous or let it go? -- UNDERVALUED IN INDIANA

DEAR UNDERVALUED: Your insecurity is something you need to work on because your jealousy could drive a wedge between you and your boyfriend. If his looking at and conversing with women were a threat to your relationship, its likely something would already have happened.

Did your former husband look at women and engage them in conversation? I have a hunch he didnt do it openly. That your best friend helped him cheat was another betrayal, for which you have my sympathy. But please dont project their sins onto your boyfriend.

Talk to him. Tell him you need more time together. Make plans for a regular date night and arrange for your sons to be absent. If you still dont have enough of his company and he likes hanging out with his guy friends at the bar, consider tagging along occasionally.

DEAR READERS: At sundown, the first night of the major Jewish holiday of Passover begins. It celebrates the first and most momentous event in Jewish history -- the liberation of the Jewish people in Egypt. Wishing a happy Passover to my Jewish readers! -- Love, ABBY

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
By Poppy McPherson and Panu Wongcha-um

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Myanmar's ethnic armed factions will not stand by and do nothing if the military junta's forces continue to kill protesters, the leader of one of the main armed groups said on Saturday.

At least 16 protesters were killed by security forces across Myanmar on Saturday, according to local media and witnesses, as the junta celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day.

"The Myanmar Armed Forces Day isnt an armed forces day, its more like the day they killed people," General Yawd Serk, chair of the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army - South (RCSS), told Reuters.

"It isnt for the protection of democracy as well, its how they harm democracy...

"If they continue to shoot at protesters and bully the people, I think all the ethnic groups would not just stand by and do nothing."

The RCSS, which operates near the Thai border, is one of several ethnic armed groups to have denounced the coup and vowed to stand with protesters. Myanmar's two dozen or so ethnic armed factions control vast swathes of the country.

Addressing a military parade earlier, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said the army's job was to protect the people and promote democracy, reiterating his promise of a fresh election made after the army took power on Feb. 1.

The junta says a Nov. 8 ballot, won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), was rigged, forcing the military to take control.

The latest fatalities would bring the total death toll to more than 340 in the army's efforts to stamp out the widespread opposition to the coup.

Many protesters are calling for the formation of a federal army and Yawd Serk said he supported that.

"The ethnic armed groups now have a similar enemy and we need to join hands and hurt those that are hurting the people. We need to join together," he said.

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Michael Perry)
Three years ago, Sheran Seifs husband Denny was diagnosed with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that progressively weakens the muscles. Standing and walking are impossible for him and he can barely speak, Seif says.

And now, the couple is facing a new challenge: getting the COVID-19 shots for Denny. They dont own a wheelchair van to transport the 81-year-old to a pharmacy or mega-site, and are instead looking for a nurse to deliver the vaccine to their home in Red Bank, Seif said.

Multiple therapists who are employed by a hospice program they hired enter their house each week to help Denny with his condition, and Seif said she fears the virus could be brought in. He previously contracted COVID-19 in November, spent 10 days hospitalized and is still recovering four months later, Seif said.

It was a devastating, horrible experience.... I didnt think Id ever see him again. My husband is very anxious about it. Hes really terrified of getting it again, Seif said. Its a great anxiety.

Seifs husband is part of the home-bound population in New Jersey who cannot drive or get into a car to be taken to a vaccine appointment. The vaccine needs to be brought to them.

The state has identified at least 11,000 home-bound individuals across New Jersey with help from the Department of Human Services and is working with home health agencies, community health centers and visiting nurse associations to go into homes.

Donna Leusner, DOH spokeswoman, said there are at least 20 county health departments and 33 local health departments that have plans to vaccinate homebound individuals by partnering with health systems, churches, Meals on Wheels programs, the Visiting Nurse Association and other groups.

Some of them have already done pilots going into the home to vaccinate the homebound both with either Moderna or J&J, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

The DOH has also purchased three customized mobile units to go into underserved communities, such as residential high-rise buildings for seniors, Leusner said. The units are in the process of being registered and licensed.

The state health department said last month bringing Pfizer vaccines to this vulnerable population is challenging because the vials must be stored below a certain temperature. However, officials said increased supplies of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which doesnt have temperature requirements and is only one dose, is making immunizing the home-bound population easier.

Sheran Seif's husband is home bound and will need a nurse to deliver he COVID-19 vaccine to his home.Courtesy of Sheran Feif

The FDA authorized the J&J vaccine for emergency use in the U.S. at the end of February, and 145,700 doses are available for New Jersey officials to order as of Monday, according to CDC data. Now that the J&J vaccine is becoming more readily available, some towns, non-profit health organizations and hospices are taking the lead.

The Visiting Nurse Association of New Jersey launched a small pilot program to vaccinate its home-bound patients in Monmouth County, and vaccinated about 105 people so far, said the non-profits spokeswoman Jenna Vaccaro, Director of Strategic Initiatives for VNA Health Group. The VNA Health Group has about 400 chronically homebound patients in Monmouth County on its current census, she said.

Vaccaro said the organization plans to eventually expand the program across New Jersey and to those who are not under VNAs care.

Connie Wasmer, 86, of Paramus, secured a shot for her home-bound spouse Jack Wasmer through Valley Health Groups hospice agency in North Jersey, which has been caring for her husband who has late-stage Alzheimers. The 87-year-old has been laying in a hospital bed in their living room since last year, unable to move, she said.

After two frustrating months trying to make an appointment, a Valley Hospice nurse who cares for Jack called Connie to say she had about 10 J&J doses for her patients, one of which she could deliver to him.

Even though I was so upset and so concerned for two months... thank god he got it, Connie Wasmer said. Im really relieved.

Some towns are creating lists of home-bound residents to call when doses become available and a medical professional can go to their residence.

In Newark, the health department and housing authority have a program to vaccinate seniors directly in their apartments. About 90 people had signed up when the program was first announced in January.

And in Union County, the county has a list of about 2,200 home bound people and people with disabilities from both a state registry and the meals on wheels program, said spokesman Sebastian DElia. No program is in place to vaccinate those residents yet, but he said once more J&J doses are provided to the county, a mobile unit will go to homes.

Lydia Whitefield, of Cranford, is trying to help get her home-bound neighbor who is in his 80s and lives with his wife immunized.

She said she gave her contact information to the Union Country Aging Department, which is collecting names of home-bound people who arent on the states registry or signed up for meals on wheels.

Hes totally home-bound. He cant get out of the house. He cant get into a car, Whitefield said. People are coming into their home and helping them with their daily activities and people who come into their home are doing everything they can to protect, but my fear is they could be exposed. If theyre exposed, it would be very difficult for them.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister on Saturday admitted his mistake and said "sorry" for slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for omitting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's role in the freedom of Bangladesh.

In a tweet, Tharoor admitted his mistake and wrote, "I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. Yesterday, on the basis of a quick reading of headlines and tweets, I tweeted "everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh," implying that Narendra Modi had omitted to acknowledge Indira Gandhi. It turns out he did: Sorry!"

He also attached a news report which quoted Prime Minister for hailing the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her contribution in freedom of Bangladesh.

Modi said, "Indira Gandhi's contribution in freedom of Bangladesh is publicly known."

On Friday, while taking a pot shot at Modi, who is on two-day visit to Bangladesh, his first foreign visit amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Tharoor has slammed the Prime Minister.

Bangladesh won its independence in 1971 following a brief war between India and Pakistan.

--IANS

aks/rt

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Laois has had another doubled digit rise in Covid-19 cases which has driven the incidence and daily average up again, according to the latest figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

There were 17 new Laois cases reported to NPHET on March 26 as reported in its daily statement on March 28.

The five-day daily incidence is now 13 a day. The incidence has risen to and is now 145.2 per 100,000 population on the back of 123 new cases in two weeks. The national incidence is now 159.9 per 100 k over 14 days on the back of 7613 new cases in the past two weeks..

Offaly continues to have the highest level of disease in Ireland.

MORE ON THE COUNTIES IN TABLE AT THE END OF STORY.

NPHET also announced on Saturday, that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of two additional deaths related to COVID-19. The deaths reported today occurred in March. There has been a total of 4,653 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight, Friday, March 26, NPHET sais the HPSC has been notified of 624 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 233,937 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.*

Of the cases notified today:

309 are men / 313 are women

75% are under 45 years of age

The median age is 32 years old

NPHET highlighted: 308 in Dublin, 41 in Kildare, 38 in Donegal, 31 in Meath, 29 in Offaly and the remaining 177 cases are spread across 18 other counties.

The 7-day average incidence per 100 k is now 87.2 while the 5-day moving average 573 a day nationally.

As of 8 am Saturday there were 304 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 64 are in ICU. There were 21 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

As of March 24th 2021, 732,678 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland:

529,984 people have received their first dose

202,694 people have received their second dose

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced the suspension of vaccination at the private Beacon Hospital over the vaccination of teachers at St Gerard's private secondary school in Bray.

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community including daily data on Irelands COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
When renowned family butchers Philip Warren & Son was suddenly hit with a wave of complaints about the quality of its meat  as well as other products it didnt even produce  the owners were perplexed.

The sixth-generation Cornish butchers pride themselves on supplying award-winning, grass-fed beef to Michelin-starred restaurants such as The Ledbury in London and Rick Steins bistro in Padstow.

But customers started moaning that its black pudding was inedible and, worse, one had found blue plastic inside its Lincolnshire sausages  a product the firm does not make.

Philip Warren & Son (pictured, Ian Warran, right and Philip Warren) began trading in 1880

The problem, as the owners of Philip Warren & Son soon discovered, was not that their standards had slipped. Instead, supermarket Lidl had created a fake brand  called Warren & Sons  to market cut-price meat products. The range also included bacon, sausages and pates, some of which had been produced in Czech factories. One customer complained: If this is the best Philip Warren can come up with, Id give him a severe slap!

The firm is now suing the supermarket for passing off its name by trying to deceive consumers into believing the meat was sourced from an English butcher.

Philip Warren & Son began trading as WW Davey in 1880 but its practices, including farming only on Bodmin Moor, are largely unchanged. Today it turns over at least 11 million a year, has a farm shop in Launceston and employs about 100 staff.

Managing director Ian Warren, 42, whose father Philip took over in 1979, said: Weve got a great product and a loyal customer base. I cant tell you how upsetting it was to get emails complaining about poor-quality meat that was nothing to do with us.

My father has spent 40 years trying to be the best. You work so hard to get the reputation and its tainted overnight. What Lidl did is wrong, its morally unfair. We had to take a stand.

The first he knew about Lidls Warren & Sons brand came in December 2015 when he got an email from one of the supermarkets customers in Somerset, asking if any other butchers stocked its gammon steaks because Lidl didnt always have them.

The firm was sent pictures of Lidl products, asking if they had started to supply to them

He assumed it was a mistake. But emails and phone complaints began to grow. There were comments in the shop, Mr Warren said. Friends sent me pictures of Lidls products, asking if we were supplying them. We had never trademarked our name. It didnt occur to us we needed to.

Documents lodged at the High Court show Lidl received complaints from customers who were confused about the origin of the products. One, ironically, voiced concern about the damage Warrens was doing to Lidls good name by hiding fatty, gristly slices of meat under a good top layer. Another even suggested the supermarket should look into Warrens packaging factory after they bought a product that looked mouldy and was obviously not fit to eat. Another complaint simply said: Get Warren & Sons to supply better products.

The case was heard remotely by deputy High Court judge Daniel Alexander in February. A verdict is expected within the next month.

To Mr Warren, however, the damage has been done. He said: Lidl set out to create a brand and make customers believe theyre buying a provincial, English butchers product. To do that and sell products with foreign meat baffles me. Theyre pulling the wool over customers eyes.

Mr Warren said he did not realise he had a claim until he met an intellectual property lawyer

'Im not anti-supermarket  they do a great job. They play their role and we play ours. But at the minute they want to play their role and have a bit of our role by tricking people.

It was not until he met an intellectual property lawyer by chance in 2018 that he realised he had a claim.

Lawyer Julius Stobbs, founder of Stobbs IP, who took on the case, said: Philip Warren & Son is a real David and Goliath case. As time has gone by the supermarkets  and there are few that dont do this  have got bolder about creating copycat products.

Meat in Lidl was sold under its Hazelmeade Farm label until 2014, when it had a rebrand, asking designers to come up a name to hone in on the provincial English butchers. Warren & Sons launched in 2015, but has now been removed from shelves.

Lidl claimed in court that the complaint was filed too late after the brands launch, and said the butcher was too small to be badly affected.

Lidl GB said: This is an ongoing court case, so we cannot comment.
During the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate for the Salboni constituency, Sushanta Ghosh, was attacked by unknown miscreants.

Ghosh was attacked at Salboni by unidentified men before being escorted away by security.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

The first phase of the assembly polls is witnessing a triangular contest in Salboni between Ghosh, Trinamool Congress' Srikanto Mahato and Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rajib Kundu.

Earlier, the Purba Medinipur district woke up to a chaotic start to the polls as bombing and firing took place in the Bhagabanpur constituency, in which two security personnel were injured. Meanwhile, BJP leader Samit Das has accused the ruling TMC of creating disturbances during the polls.

Voting for the first of the eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday.

All constituencies in Purulia, Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur are going to decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women. The polling will end at 6.30 pm.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
London, March 27 : More than 40,600 people were likely infected with Covid-19 while being treated in hospitals across England for another reason between August 2020 and March this year, local media reported.

Across England as a whole, about 15 per cent of all patients treated for coronavirus between August 1, 2020 and March 21 were infected while in hospital, Xinhua news agency quoted a research by The Guardian newspaper as saying on Friday.

The North Devon district hospital in Barnstaple had the highest rate of such cases among acute trusts in England at 31 per cent, said the report.

Many of the infections were caused by the lack of beds and limitations in the National Health Service (NHS) posed by some hospitals being old, cramped and poorly ventilated, it added.

Meanwhile, the infections were also attributed to health service chiefs' decision that hospitals should keep providing normal care while the second wave of the pandemic was unfolding, despite the potential danger to those receiving non-Covid care, said the report.

"These heartbreaking figures show how patients and NHS staff have been abysmally let down by the failure to suppress the virus ahead of and during the second wave," Layla Moran, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus, was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Rob Harwood, chair of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, told the newspaper: "The NHS went into the current pandemic underfunded, understaffed and overstretched. The knock-on effects -- particularly limited bed and workforce capacity -- has unfortunately meant that controlling the spread of COVID-19 within hospitals has been more difficult than necessary." The UK is the first country in Europe with the Covid-19 death toll passing the grim 100,000 milestone.

The overall death toll currently stood at 126,755, the fifth highest in the world, while the caseload has increased to 4,339,157.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Portland, OR, March 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global hydropower generation market generated $202.4 billion in 2019, and is expected to garner $317.8 billion by 2027, witnessing a CAGR of 5.9% from 2020 to 2027. The report offers an extensive analysis of changing market trends, top investment pockets, value chain, key segments, and competitive landscape.

Increase in demand for electricity across the developing economies and preference for clean energy across the globe drive the global hydropower generation market. However, high capital and operational expenditures hinder the market growth. On the other hand, increase in demand for renewable power and surge in hydropower install capacity create new opportunities in the market.



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Covid-19 Scenario:

Owing to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, the proposed and ongoing government projects aimed at development of hydropower have been postponed.

Uncertainty and liquidity shortages occurred due to pandemic led to risks regarding financing and refinancing of few hydropower projects. In addition, Greenfield development and modernization projects have been stopped due to disruptions in the supply chain.

The impact on operations has been lesser in facilities with high level of automation.

The report provides detailed segmentation of the global hydropower generation market based on capacity and region.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Hydropower Generation Market Request Here

Based on capacity, the large hydro power plant (above 10MW) segment contributed to the largest market share, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total share in 2019, and will maintain its highest contribution during the forecast period. However, the medium hydro power plant (1MW - 10MW) segment is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 6.2% from 2020 to 2027.

Based on region, Asia-Pacific contributed to the highest share in 2019, holding nearly half of the total market share, and will maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2027. Moreover, this region is estimated to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period.

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Leading players of the global hydropower generation market analyzed in the report include Andritz Hydro, CPFL Energia S.A., GE Energy, IHI Corporation, Sinohydro Corporation, China Hydroelectric Corporation, Alstom Hydro, ABB Ltd, China Three Gorges Corporation, and Gerdau S.A.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reassured on hitch free conduct of today's Aba North/South federal constituency by-election in Abia.

Dr Joseph Iloh, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, yesterday.

He said that the commission was fully prepared for the conduct of the election across the 609 polling units in the two local government areas (LGAs) of the constituency.

"We have taken possession of all sensitive and non-sensitive materials and we have started deployment.

"We promise that we will take our materials to all the polling units tomorrow (Saturday) by 8am. Voting starts by 8:30am and stops by 2:30pm.

"We are appealing to everyone who wants to vote to come out, enter the polling booth early enough to enable him cast his vote.

"We are expecting everyone to please give us maximum co-operation," he said.

Mr Geoffrey Achibie, head of department, Voter Education, said that the office was fully prepared, while appealing to politicians and voters to behave well and orderly.

"We have done the awareness, and voter publicity. We have met with the stakeholders and the candidates have signed peace accord.

"We are COVID-19 compliant because we are supplying the voters with sanitisers and facemasks."

Six political parties including Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied People's Movement (APM), National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will feature in the election.
Biden has reversed or loosened some Trump-era restrictions, including the Remain in Mexico policy, while he and his top advisers have repeatedly urged migrants not to make the trek. But numbers have soared at the border, and Republicans have blamed his new approach for attracting the large numbers of migrants that have overwhelmed border processing facilities.
Chennai, March 27 : The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Management of Covid-19 Pandemic has observed the bank employees should be recognised as Covid Warriors, said a top leader of All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA).

"Appreciating the bankers in providing uninterrupted banking services to the people even during the Covid-19 pandemic period, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Management of Covid-19 Pandemic has observed that bankers be recognised as Covid-19 warriors," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA told IANS.

He said it is not clear the central government's stand on the matter as the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance has just forwarded a para of the Parliamentary Standing Committee's 229th report.

Venkatachalam said at least now bank employees may be given the Covid-19 vaccination on priority basis.

"For the past one year, the union has been demanding the government to classify the bankers as Covid-19 Warriors," Venkatachalam said.
New Delhi, March 27 : Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said that case registered by Kerala Police against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) official is a simple ploy by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) to divert attention with eye on state Assembly polls that is scheduled on April 6.

In a candid interview to IANS, Muraleedharan, former Kerala BJP chief, said that an investigation is going on and now registering a case against the ED official by the state police is aimed at the Assembly election.

"It is nothing but an eyewash," he said.

The Minister pointed out that the central investigative agency ED has sent notices on some issues to some of the accused in Kerala gold smuggling case. "If there have been any issue or unlawfulness in those notices they (accused) could have challenged it in court but they did not do it," the Minister said.

"Investigation is going on. At no point of time the investigation was challenged in the court. Now they registering a case against the ED officials, it is a simple ploy to divert attention and a sort of cover up to unlawful activities of the ruling party," Muraleedharan said.

The FIR by the Kerala police against the central investigative agency said that the ED officials had forced one of the key accused Swapna Suresh, to give a statement against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as part of a criminal conspiracy to create false evidence.

Suresh was arrested by the central investigative agency last year for her role in the Kerala gold smuggling case, that is also being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Customs Department.

The gold smuggling case first surfaced when Sarith P.S., a former employee of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, was arrested by the Customs Department on July 5 last year when he was allegedly facilitating the smuggling of 30 kg gold in a diplomatic baggage from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram.

The case turned murkier when the involvement of Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate who was later employed with the Kerala IT Department, came to light.

Her links allegedly stretched to M. Sivasankar, Kerala's senior IAS official and Secretary to the Chief Minister.

Suresh later revealed that Sivasankar was her mentor.

Talking about confusion over announcement of 'metro man' E. Sreedharan as BJP chief ministerial candidate, Muraleedharan said that the party has not named anyone as the Chief Minister candidate.

"The state president had said that the people of Kerala would like to have a person like Sreedharan as the Chief Minister and it does not mean an announcement of his name as Chief Minister has been made," he said.

He further stated that media reports said that he (Sreedharan) has been announced as the Chief Minister candidate and without verifying from the party I reaffirmed it.

"Later on, I came to know that the party had not announced, so naturally I corrected my stand," he said.

When asked why Sreedharan got ticket against the party's practice of not giving ticket to people above 75 years, the Minister said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has told that he got inspired by vigorousness and active nature of Sreedharan at this age of 88 years. He is an agile person both in body and mind. This should not be considered as disqualification." Muraleedharan said that the BJP is confident of coming to power along with its ally AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, and it will form government for the second time in Assam and also form government for the first time in West Bengal and Puducherry.

"The BJP will also improve its position in Kerala," he added.

Voting for 140 member House will take place on April 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 2. The BJP currently has one seat in the state Assembly.

(Shashi Bhushan can be reached at shashi.b@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Fr Michael Commane: I read about them saying how important a person's name is in the Nigerian culture. I always think a person's name is intimate and important and when people respect our names you get an idea they are respectful people."

I'm a fan of The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTE One on Saturday evenings. I make it a must to watch it every week and every week I pick up at least one gem.

On Saturday, March 13 it was a quiet enough show until two young Irish Nigerian women walked on to the stage, sat down and within seconds I found myself glued to the television.

Longford's Felicia Olusanya aka FeliSpeaks and Tullamore's Tolu Makay sat down to be interviewed by Tommy.

The two women are friends since their teens. Tolu Makay sings and FeliSpeaks is a poet. While I gather they are well known in the country, to my shame I had never heard of them before. They attribute TikTok as one of the social platforms that is making black Irish identity really popular.

Tolu Makay, accompanied by the RTE Concert Orchestra sang on New Year's Eve the famous Saw Doctors' N17. I've been listening to her singing it many times since the Tommy Tiernan Show. It really is haunting. She is spectacularly brilliant and I'm finding myself trying to sing those words as she did: 'And as we turned left at Claregalway/I could feel a lump in my throat ' It's simply magic to hear this young Nigerian woman sing that song. And as Tolu Makay says while they are Nigerian born, Ireland has formed a lot of their personality.

And they are so funny too. Makay says they are the first of their own and have no problem at all switching from the Nigerian to the Irish accent.

FeliSpeaks read her poem 'For Our Mothers' on the show.

Her poem is on the English Leaving Certificate curriculum 2021 - 2023. It's about Nigerian culture and how women share their secrets behind closed doors about womanhood and what is expected of women.

It's powerful and listening to it, all I can say is that I can imagine there is a universal tone to it. She was so self-deprecating explaining how it is on the Leaving Cert when she told Tommy that: 'Yeats is right under her name'.

They are so funny. I found myself roaring laughing watching and listening to them. And there was something else that resonated with me. I read about them saying how important a person's name is in the Nigerian culture. I always think a person's name is intimate and important and when people respect our names you get an idea they are respectful people.

Some weeks ago I was on a zoom meeting with Dermot Farrell, the new Archbishop of Dublin. Whatever way he called me by my name I felt he was taking me seriously. How fortunate Ireland is that these two women landed with their families on our shores. I strongly recommend you make it your business to listen to them singing and reciting their poetry. You can find it all on YouTube.

And guess what, I think there were times during the show when Tommy was so mesmerised by the two women that he was stuck for words and that certainly was a first for me to see.

Thank you Tolu Makay and FeliSpeaks. You are brilliant. And how you made me laugh too.
Chennai, March 27 : DMK's Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi said whoever be the political leader, if they are speaking ill about women -- they must be condemned.

In her tweet, without pointing at anyone, Kanimozhi added that "it is good for the society if all keep in mind" that one cannot disrespect women.

This is the social justice that the Dravidian movement and the late E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, always wished for.

The controversy over disrespecting women started a fewdaysback, when one of DMK's Propaganda Secretary Dindigul I Leoni body-shamed women while campaigning in the Thondamuthur constituency for Karthikeya Sivasenapathy.

Leoni said that women have lost their hour-glass figure and have become like a barrel after drinking milk of foreign cows.

The BJP's Culture Wing Secretary Gayatri Raghuraman has asked Kanimozhi to respond to the "sexist" remark made by the party's star campaigner, who's also a TV talk show judge.

AIADMK leader M.P. Rajashekharan had told IANS, "This is intolerable and is a clear indicator of the mind-set of the DMK people. The party must take stringent action against those who make such remarks against women.

"This is not our culture. Tamil culture always holds women in high regard." The DMK candidate from Thondamuthur, Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, is breeding native cows and the speech of Leoni was meant to highlight the use of native cows. However, he went overboard and even made lewd gestures using his fingers to trace the figure while making the speech against women.
As water-splitting technologies improve, often using porous electrode materials to provide greater surface areas for electrochemical reactions, their efficiency is often limited by the formation of bubbles that can block or clog the reactive surfaces. Now, a study at MIT has for the first time analyzed and quantified how bubbles form on these porous electrodes.

Bubble growth and departure are ubiquitous phenomena in gas-evolving reactions, which govern the overall energy and mass transport. However, an in-depth understanding of the relationship between bubble dynamics and the electrochemical processes, in particular, the wettability effect on a gas-evolving porous electrode remains elusive. Here, we report the bubble dynamics and overpotential observed during alkaline water splitting on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) deposited nickel porous electrode. A slight decrease in hydrophilicity induced a drastic transition of bubble dynamics and a significant increase of the transport overpotential. We show that the porous electrode transitioned from a liquid-filled state to a gas-filled state when varying the wettability, which changed the bubble departure sizes and bubble coverage. As a result, there were substantial changes of the transport overpotential. Our work elucidates the fundamental relationship between wettability and water splitting characteristics, which provides a practical scenario for structuring the electrode for gas-evolving reactions. Iwata et al.

The researchers found that there are three different ways bubbles can form on and depart from the surface, and that these can be precisely controlled by adjusting the composition and surface treatment of the electrodes. The work is described in the journal Joule, in a paper by MIT visiting scholar Ryuichi Iwata, graduate student Lenan Zhang, professors Evelyn Wang and Betar Gallant, and three others.





This image shows the interplay among electrode wettability, porous structure, and overpotential. With the decrease of wettability (moving left to right), the gas-evolving electrode transitions from an internal growth and departure mode to a gas-filled mode, associated with a drastic change of bubble behaviors and significant increase of overpotential. Credits: Courtesy of the researchers

Because the reaction constantly produces gas within a liquid medium, the gas forms bubbles that can temporarily block the active electrode surface. Control of the bubbles is a key to realizing a high system performance, says Iwata. Little study had been done on the kinds of porous electrodes that are increasingly being studied for use in such systems.

The team identified three different ways that bubbles can form and release from the surface:

In one, dubbed internal growth and departure, the bubbles are tiny relative to the size of the pores in the electrode. In that case, bubbles float away freely and the surface remains relatively clear, promoting the reaction process.

In another regime, the bubbles are larger than the pores, so they tend to get stuck and clog the openings, significantly curtailing the reaction.

In a third, intermediate regime, called wicking, the bubbles are of medium size and are still partly blocked, but manage to seep out through capillary action.

The team found that the crucial variable in determining which of these regimes takes place is the wettability of the porous surface. This quality, which determines whether water spreads out evenly across the surface or beads up into droplets, can be controlled by adjusting the coating applied to the surface. The team used a polymer called PTFE, and the more of it they sputtered onto the electrode surface, the more hydrophobic it became. It also became more resistant to blockage by larger bubbles.





New experiments showed that the wettability of the surface makes a big difference in the way bubbles form and leave the surface. On the left, a higher-wettability porous surface leads to small bubbles that leave quickly, while lower wettability, right, leads to bigger bubbles that clog the material's pores and reduce efficiency.

The transition is quite abrupt, Zhang says, so even a small change in wettability, brought about by a small change in the surface coatings coverage, can significantly alter the systems performance. Through this finding, he says, weve added a new design parameter, which is the ratio of the bubble departure diameter [the size it reaches before separating from the surface] and the pore size. This is a new indicator for the effectiveness of a porous electrode.

Pore size can be controlled through the way the porous electrodes are made, and the wettability can be controlled precisely through the added coating. Manipulating of these two effects will enable the precise control of these design parameters to ensure that the porous medium is operated under the optimal conditions, Zhang says. This will provide materials designers with a set of parameters to help guide their selection of chemical compounds, manufacturing methods and surface treatments or coatings in order to provide the best performance for a specific application.

While the groups experiments focused on the water-splitting process, the results should be applicable to virtually any gas-evolving electrochemical reaction, the team says, including reactions used to electrochemically convert captured carbon dioxide, for example from power plant emissions.

Whats really exciting is that as the technology of water splitting continues to develop, the fields focus is expanding beyond designing catalyst materials to engineering mass transport, to the point where this technology is poised to be able to scale. Now that were starting to really push the limits of gas evolution rates with good catalysts, we cant ignore the bubbles that are being evolved anymore, which is a good sign. Beta Gallant

The MIT team also included Kyle Wilke, Shuai Gong, and Mingfu He. The work was supported by Toyota Central R&D Labs, the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), the US-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund, and the Natural Science Foundation of China.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-24 23:49:17|Editor: huaxia

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A man and his son enjoy sunshine at the Seine River banks in Paris, France, March 24, 2021. A total of 14,678 new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections in the country to more than 4.3 million. As of Tuesday evening, 26,756 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 infection in France, including 4,634 in intensive care, according to the health authorities. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus situation is worsening across France and the government is considering adding three departments to the list of 16 high-risk areas, where tight restrictions have been in place since last week, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said here on Wednesday.

"We must restrict travel and close certain establishments," he told journalists. "The measures already taken are balanced and effective as long as they are respected."

As many people as possible should work from home in order to curb the spread of the virus, he stressed, adding that more checks will be carried out and enterprises will face sanctions if they fail to respect the rules.

On March 19, the government implemented a partial lockdown for 16 of France's 101 departments, including Paris and its surroundings, as the country saw the daily number of COVID-19 infections nationwide resurge to the highest level since mid-November.

Non-essential shops are closed, inter-regional travel is banned, people are urged to stay home, the only authorized trips are for work when it cannot be done remotely, for medical emergency, buying necessities or for exercising outdoors as long as they are within 10 kilometers of home.

The epidemic situation remains severe with the average number of daily infections staying above 30,000 last week. As of Tuesday evening, 26,756 patients had been hospitalized for COVID-19, including 4,634 in intensive care.

On Wednesday, local media reported that Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot, 74, tested positive last Saturday and has been hospitalized.

Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne, 59, also tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14 and was hospitalized. On Wednesday, she left the hospital and expressed her "thanks to the medical staff" on Twitter.
Beirut, March 27 : Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that dangerous materials were found in the warehouses of the Zahrani oil installations, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Diab said on Friday the German company Combi Lift, hired by the Lebanese government to identify hazardous substances across the country after the huge deadly blasts at the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, Xinhua news agency quoted the NNA as saying.

After reviewing the report, the Lebanese atomic authority confirmed the materials in Zahrani as "nuclear substances", noting they should be dealt with as soon as possible, according to the prime minister.

Two blasts rocked Beirut's port, killing at least 200, wounding about 6,000 others, and destroying a big part of the Lebanese capital.

Investigations pointed to the roughly 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate left at the port as the cause of the explosions.

The German company previously announced that it had found 58 more containers at the Port of Beirut that posed a threat to the city.
While the march is in support of the Atlanta shooting victims, 6 of whom were Asian women, many participants say discrimination against the Asian community is something they have dealt with for years in silence.

Video Transcript

SARAH SCHULTE: This rally began about an hour ago. Several organizations have come together to denounce discrimination against Asian-Americans. And earlier today, in the Northwest suburbs, some high school students organized a March.

KAYLYN AHN: What do we do? Stand up, fight back.

SARAH SCHULTE: Leading the charge is Kaylyn Ahn the Elk Grove high school senior and her classmate Georgeena Mathai organized a march for Asian lives today in Arlington Heights.

GEORGEENA MATHAI: We're just hoping that it's going to send a message to our society and our community that we Asian-Americans are not the ones to blame for this pandemic. There's no reason to harm them, to attack them.

SARAH SCHULTE: While the march is in support of the Atlanta shooting victims, six of whom were Asian women, many participants say discrimination against the Asian community is something they had dealt with for years in silence.

KAYLYN AHN: I think just growing up as Asian-American in, you know, a mostly white neighborhood like Des Plaines, like Arlington Heights, it's kind of difficult at the same time. Because you do experience isolation.

SARAH SCHULTE: Kaylyn Ahn is not only bringing awareness to discrimination, but she says it's important to support Asian-owned businesses. Ahn began and ended the march in front of her aunt's now closed grocery store. Rallying for Asian women and mourning the loss of the Atlanta victims were several organizations coming together in Chicago.

SUNG YEON CHOIMORRO: I don't think many of us are telling our stories for the first time. But it's really being heard for the first time. And I think that really upsets me, because it shouldn't have come to this.

SARAH SCHULTE: While both city and suburban events were attended by people of all cultures, Melanie Budrick takes aim at her own race for not doing enough about racial discrimination.

Story continues

MELANIE BUDRICK: It's not the job of the people of color. It's not the jobs of Black people, of Asian people, of Native people. It's our job. It's my job. It's your job.

[DRUMMING]

SARAH SCHULTE: And back here at Horner Park, as you can see, there are several hundred people that are here for this rally and vigil that will last until about 7 o'clock tonight. Now, people at both events today say that all of this just can't end with marches and rallies. That it's time for some real action and awareness when it comes to discrimination and hate crimes against Asian-Americans.
Deep in the forest, streams are rushing with snowmelt and tips of green are emerging from gaps between fallen leaves. Blooming time for northern Michigan's three-petaled wild orchid, the trillium, is just around the corner. Colorful songbirds are making the long trip back to their summer homes with a season of abundance before them.

With this natural beauty in store, now is the time to start planning a getaway to the forest. Make lifetime memories while hunting for mushrooms, casting a line into a trout stream or catching sight of a free-roaming elk.

Want to get out there? Check out our online state forest tour to inspire your trip. State forests can be found in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, although there are plenty of forested areas to see in parks and recreation areas across the state as well.

The wild character of forests comes with seclusion, so get a hard copy map or download your route before you arrive as cell service can be spotty. Once there, it's time to unplug - the only reason you'll need to take out your phone is to use the camera to capture memories.

State forest pathways, part of the state's trails system, and state forest roads open to ORVs and snowmobiles are two ways to navigate state forests. Some forest roads are maintained seasonally, so do your research in advance before heading out during the winter. Road maps are updated April 1 each year.

Only a small fraction of state forest land is harvested annually, but if you come across an active timber job or planting operation, there are a few things you should know for safety.

First, stay on the trail. Logging companies must keep trails passable and post signage about upcoming activities. Let on-the-ground staff know you're passing through if you'll be close to the action, and don't approach logging or cultivation equipment.

"A machinery operator may not be able to see or hear you while working," said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Resources Division Acting Assistant Chief Dave Lemmien. "Splinters and wood debris from cutting can sometimes fly through the air and could accidentally hit a passerby if they get too close."

Timber harvesters can accommodate equestrian groups if notified in advance. Ride organizers should work with the Michigan Trail Riders Association and the local forest resources unit office in the area you plan to ride.

Ready to call it a day? A state forest campground is where a day hike turns into an overnight adventure, complete with starry skies, a crackling campfire and a true wilderness experience.

"Rustic" is the best way to describe these unique campgrounds. Many of these secluded sites are hike-in or paddle-in only and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Facilities available include basic vault toilets, fire rings and picnic tables. Drinking water comes from a hand pump, a novelty that often delights young adventurers and many adults, too.

Many state forest campgrounds are associated with bodies of water and state pathways for cool hiking opportunities right at the campgrounds.

Here are a few state forest destinations to visit, suggested by DNR staff:

Pigeon River Country State Forest

A must-see is the famed Pigeon River Country State Forest - "the Big Wild," which at 109,000 acres is the largest block of undeveloped land in the northern Lower Peninsula. This forest land is home to Michigan's elk herd and offers opportunities to camp, hike, fish and ride on horseback. Flowing trout streams, cool sinkhole lakes and a network of trails offer scenic views.

For a challenging adventure in this storied landscape, plan a hike on the High Country Pathway, a rugged, weeklong backpacking trail. Shorter trails are perfect for day hikes and picnics. An interpretive center is a great place to learn about the area's history and stage your hike.

Jordan River Valley

It's worth a drive off the beaten path to visit two scenic overlooks perched over the Jordan River Valley in Antrim County. Landslide Hill Scenic Overlook and Dead Man's Hill Overlook provide spectacular views of the forest and river floodplain below, especially when autumn colors begin to turn.

"The Jordan River Pathway is a great area to visit with many points of interest along the trail," said DNR forest management specialist Jason Stephens. "Maybe it's my local bias, but this area is really special."

The Dead Man's Hill Overlook, whose name recalls a tragic lumbering accident a century ago, is the trailhead for 3- and 18-mile hiking loops on the Jordan River Pathway. The 18-mile loop, part of the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail, is popular among backpackers who camp at the Pinney Bridge State Forest Campground.

In addition to excellent hiking in the valley, the Jordan River is a popular water trail for intermediate paddlers. If you don't own a kayak or canoe, local outfitters can help plan a trip.

Mouth of the Two-Hearted River

The mighty Two-Hearted River meets Lake Superior's icy waters along the coastline in Luce County. In this setting perfect for exploration, a walking bridge leads visitors to a rocky beach strewn with a rainbow of stones. Rockhounds can attempt to get lucky and find an agate as they catch a lakeside sunset before retiring next to the fire at a 39-campsite state forest campground. A nearby boat launch is an access point on the Lake Superior East Water Trail, and a short trip inland takes visitors to the spectacular Upper and Lower Tahquamenon Falls.

Sands Lake Quiet Area

In contrast to the nearby bustle of Traverse City, the Sand Lakes Quiet Area in Grand Traverse County is a serene forest designated in 1973 exclusively for nonmotorized uses including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing and birdwatching. Five small, distinctive "marl lakes" can be found along hiking trails that ramble over 2,800 acres of rolling hills. These glacial lakes have an ethereal teal hue due to calcium carbonate content in the water. A few of the lakes are stocked with trout. Trails and lakes can be accessed starting at the Guernsey Lake State Forest Campground.

Big Eric's Bridge State Forest Campground

In the Upper Peninsula, Big Eric's Bridge State Forest Campground, along the banks of the Huron River in Baraga County, is a secluded destination. Visitors will enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, ORV riding and viewing nearby waterfalls, including Big Eric's Falls, flowing over the rocky riverbed.

"It's just a really peaceful, beautiful place," said DNR training coordinator Jan Hebekeuser.

With a campground, road, bridge and falls named after him, who was Big Eric? Eric Erickson, a well-known local figure of an imposing stature, was Henry Ford's lumber camp foreman more than a century ago.

Before you head out, pack the following information with you.

In the outdoors, Leave No Trace principles are the gold standard for responsible recreation, encouraging people to leave the places they love wild and in better shape than they found them.

That means packing out trash of all kinds and leaving wildflowers alone. Occasionally, you may run into something worse than a few candy wrappers - a dump site. In addition to being unsightly, piles of trash in the woods are a danger to people and wildlife. If you encounter one, report it to the Report All Poaching hotline at 1-800-292-7800 or log it with the Adopt-a-Forest Program so a team can take care of it.

Learn more about Michigan's wonderful state forest campgrounds.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories.
The Ultimate Compilation of Bidens Public Lies & Plagiarism | Larry Elder

In his first national address, President Joe Biden said a Philadelphia woman told him she just wants the truth. Well, breaking news, Ms. Philly, Joe Biden spent the last four decades of his career lying. In this episode, Larry highlights the many lies from the current president. From his civil rights record to plagiarizing speeches of past leaders, Biden is anything but a truth-teller. But hey! Hes no Donald Trump, and as far as the media is concerned, thats all that matters.

Larry Elder with Epoch Times show available on YouTube, Rumble, Youmaker, and The Epoch Times website. It also airs on cable on NTD America. Find out where you can watch us on TV.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 01:31:46|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on March 24, 2021 shows a production line at a cosmetic product factory in Istanbul, Turkey. Erkul Cosmetics is one of the leading Turkish companies specialized in the production of color cosmetics, such as lip and eye make-up products, by using high technology. Exporting its products to more than 90 countries, especially the Balkan and European Union countries, the Turkish sector is now trying to increase its trade in China with products specially designed for Chinese consumers. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

by Zeynep Cermen

ISTANBUL, March 26 (Xinhua) -- On the production line of a factory in Turkey's Istanbul, several robotic arms filled the material into the tiny cases with precise moves, before closing the lids, removing the faulty ones, and delivering them into an output basket.

"There we are! The product is ready to use," Ugur Adiyaman, export director of Erkul Cosmetics and a board member of the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters Association (IKMIB), told Xinhua at the end of the line, showing a brand-new mascara box.

Erkul Cosmetics is one of the leading Turkish companies specialized in the production of color cosmetics, such as lip and eye make-up products, by using high technology.

For Adiyaman, the Turkish cosmetics and personal care products market grows by an annual average of 10 percent thanks to the rich endemic tissue of the geography, intense research and development studies of the sector, and production facilities equipped with high technology.

Exporting its products to more than 90 countries, especially the Balkan and European Union countries, the Turkish sector is now trying to increase its trade in China with products specially designed for Chinese consumers.

With the support of the Trade Ministry and the Turkish Exporters Association, IKMIB launched a project dedicated to tap business opportunities in China a year ago.

"We will promote the concept of Turkish goods in the best possible way through bloggers, vloggers as well as live promotions," Adiyaman spoke of the advertising campaigns that will soon be launched in China.

The Turkish teams are currently investigating which colors and which packaging forms will be suitable for the delight of Chinese customers and which products will please them the most.

Colour cosmetics, wet wipes, perfumes, aerosol products, traditional Turkish cologne, and hair-care products are expected to be the main categories that will be exported to China, Adiyaman said.

Turkey's endemic species diversity and climate conditions of four seasons offer vast opportunities to obtain the highest quality raw material, according to him.

"We have rare plants, and the essences obtained from these are unique and strengthen our competitive advantage," he said, mainly referring to Turkey's world-famous rose water products and olive oil soaps.

"Rose water is one of our most essential cosmetic products. With the developing technology, we can produce 43 different rose water-related commodities for the last three years," Adiyaman said, noting such products are very popular among Chinese people.

Meanwhile, the Turkish sector representatives also seek to increase cooperation with Chinese e-commerce platforms, such as Alibaba's Tmall Global, to grasp more opportunities with Chinese companies.

In Adiyaman's view, many Turkish companies will open flagship stores, branch offices, and renting warehouses in China in the upcoming period with the help of the project.

The total exports of the Turkish cosmetics sector in 2020 hit 1.4 billion U.S. dollars with a 15 percent year-on-year increase despite the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the figures of the Turkish Exporters Association.

"Even under the harsh COVID-19 pandemic conditions, women never give up their personal care, they never give up buying and wearing lipstick, even under a mask," Adiyaman said. Enditem
[March 26, 2021] Global Quantum Dots Market Report 2021-2031: Market Innovations Leading to Enhanced Products in Displays, Micro-LEDs, Security Tagging, Medical Diagnostics, Quantum Computing and Agtech

DUBLIN, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Global Market for Quantum Dots 2021-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The multi-billion dollar quantum dot-enabled market will experience further growth this year, with market innovations leading to enhanced products in displays, Micro-LEDs, security tagging, medical diagnostics, quantum computing and Agtech. QDs are a proven and scaled technology and relatively low cost for the high-end applications they add value to. Quantum Dots (QDs) are used in a range of optoelectronic devices, including TVs and displays, light-emitting devices (LEDs), solar cells, photodiodes, thermoelectrics, photoconductors and field-effect transistors, while QD solutions have been used in a number of in vivo and in vitro imaging, sensing and labelling techniques. Report contents include: QD types, properties and production methods.

Global revenues for quantum dots, historical and forecast to 2031.

Market drivers and trends.

Challenges, by market.

Market impact on COVID-19 crisis.

Analysis of QD market segments and the main players in each segment.

Excel database of quantum dot display products.

Quantum dot regulations.

Excel database of quantum dot producers and product developers.

Assessment of quantum dots on glass, quantum dot colour filters (QDCF) for microLEDS and displays, perovskite QDs and inkjet printed QDs.

Assessment of graphene quantum dots and perovskite quantum dots market.

Market assessment of quantum dots in TV displays and smartphone displays, solar cells, security tags, security inks, sensors, quantum dot lasers, quantum dot transistors, photonic crystals, bio-imaging, quantum dot solar windows, biomarkers, solid-material-based memory, thermoelectric materials, quantum dot computers, Agtech, artificial photosynthesis and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

90 company profiles, which include UbiQD, Applied Quantum Materials Inc., Bio Square , Inc., Chang Chun Tuo Cai technology Co., Ltd., Dotz Nano , Nanoco Technologies, Nanosys, Nanolumi, Qblox plus all the main quantum dot display producers. Key Topics Covered: 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Growth in high definition TV demand

1.1.1 QD advantages

1.2 Market growth since 2013

1.3 QD-TVs market

1.4 The Quantum Dot market in 2020

1.5 Cadmium vs. cadmium free

1.5.1 Cadmium QDs

1.5.2 Cadmium-free QDs

1.5.3 European commission ban use of cadmium in TVs and displays

1.5.4 Perovskite quantum dots

1.5.5 Carbon and graphene quantum dots

1.6 Quantum Dot Revenues 2015-2030

1.7 Market drivers and trends

1.8 arket challenges





2 RESEARCH SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY

3 QUANTUM DOTS-PROPERTIES, SYNTHESIS, TYPES

3.1 Properties

3.2 Synthesis

3.3 Types

3.3.1 Cadmium Selenide, Cadmium Sulfide and other materials

3.3.2 Cadmium free quantum dots

3.4 Carbon quantum dots (CDs)

3.4.1 Properties

3.4.2 Applications

3.5 Graphene quantum dots (GQDs)

3.5.1 Properties

3.5.2 Synthesis

3.5.3 Applications

3.5.3.1 Pricing

3.6 Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs)

3.6.1 Properties

3.6.2 Comparison to conventional quantum dots

3.6.3 Synthesis methods

3.6.4 Applications

3.6.4.1 Displays

3.6.5 Producers

3.6.5.1 Avantama AG

3.6.5.2 Green Science Alliance Co. Ltd.

3.6.5.3 Plasmachem GmbH

3.6.5.4 Quantum Solutions LLC

3.6.5.5 Zhijing Nanotech Co. Ltd.

3.6.5.6 Other suppliers

3.7 Quantum rods

3.7.1 Properties

3.7.2 Applications 4 QUANTUM DOTS TECHNOLOGY READINESS (TRL) 5 QUANTUM DOTS INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

5.1 Licensing, collaborations and partnerships

5.2 Supply chain 6 QUANTUM DOTS REGULATIONS

6.1 Europe

6.1.1 Cadmium exemption in TVs and lighting

6.1.2 August 2017 ruling

6.2 United States

6.2.1 Low Volume Exemption (LVE)

6.2.2 New Chemicals Program

6.3 Asia 7 GLOBAL MARKET REVENUES FOR QUANTUM DOTS

7.1 Revenues 2013-2030 8 QUANTUM DOTS IN TVS/DISPLAYS

8.1 Market drivers and trends

8.2 LCDS vs. OLEDs vs. QD-LCDs/QLEDs

8.2.1 Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD)

8.3 QD-LCD TVs/QLEDs

8.4 Quantum dot enhancement film (QDEF) for current QLEDs

8.5 Quantum Dot on Glass (QDOG)

8.6 Quantum dot colour filters

8.7 Quantum dots on-chip

8.8 Electroluminescent quantum dots

8.8.1 QD-Micro-LEDs

8.9 Flexible QD displays

8.9.1 Flexible QLEDs

8.10 Samsung QD Display

8.11 LG's "QNED" LCD TVs

8.12 Industry and research developments 2013-2021

8.13 Global market for quantum dots in TVs and displays

8.13.1 QD-TV unit sales 2016-2031

8.13.2 QD Monitor Unit sales 2015-2031 9 QUANTUM DOTS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS

9.1 Market drivers and trends

9.2 Applications

9.2.1 Nanomaterials in solar cells

9.2.2 Advantages of quantum dots in photovoltaics

9.2.3 Types of quantum dot solar cells

9.2.3.1 Metal-semiconductor/Schottky QD junction solar cell

9.2.3.2 Silicon/QD Film Hydrid Solar Cells

9.2.3.3 Silicon/Graphene QD Film Hydrid Solar Cells

9.2.3.4 Depleted-heterojunction QD solar cell

9.2.3.5 QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSSC)

9.2.3.6 Quantum dot solar windows

9.3 Market challenges

9.4 Industry and research developments 2013-2021

9.5 Global market for quantum dots in photovoltaics

9.6 Quantum dot photovoltaics companies 10 QUANTUM DOTS IN LIGHTING

10.1 Market drivers and trends

10.2 Applications

10.2.1 LED lighting

10.2.2 Horticultural lighting

10.3 Market challenges

10.4 Industry and research developments 2013-2021

10.5 Global market for quantum dots in LED lighting

10.6 Quantum dot lighting companies 11 QUANTUM DOTS IN BIOTECH AND MEDICINE

11.1 Market drivers and trends

11.2 Applications

11.2.1 Imaging and diagnostics

11.2.1.1 Advantages

11.2.1.2 Biomarkers

11.2.1.3 Photodynamic therapy

11.2.1.4 Point-of-care

11.2.2 Drug delivery

11.2.3 Photodynamic therapy

11.3 Market challenges

11.4 Global market for quantum dots in biotechnology and medicine

11.4.1 Imaging and diagnostics

11.4.2 Drug delivery

11.5 Quantum dot biotechnology and medicine companies 12 QUANTUM DOTS IN SECURITY AND ANTI-COUNTERFEITING

12.1 Market drivers and trends

12.2 Applications

12.3 Global market size for quantum dots in security and anti-counterfeiting

12.4 Quantum dot security and anti-counterfeiting Companies 13 QUANTUM DOTS IN SENSORS

13.1 Market drivers and trends

13.2 Applications

13.2.1 Food sensors

13.2.2 Chemical and gas sensors

13.2.3 Biosensors

13.2.4 Image sensors

13.3 Global market size for quantum dots in sensors

13.4 Market challenges

13.5 Quantum dot sensor companies 14 OTHER MARKETS

14.1 AgTech

14.2 Batteries

14.3 Thermoelectrics

14.4 QD Lasers

14.5 Photocatalysts

14.6 Spectrometers

14.7 Quantum computing

14.8 Hydrogen production

14.9 Autonomous vehicles 15 QUANTUM DOT PRODUCER AND PRODUCT DEVELOPER PROFILES 16 REFERENCES



Companies Mentioned Applied Quantum Materials Inc.

Avantama AG

Bio Square Inc.

Chang Chun Tuo Cai technology Co. Ltd.

technology Co. Ltd. Dotz Nano

Green Science Alliance Co. Ltd.

Nanoco Technologies

Nanolumi

Nanosys

Plasmachem GmbH

Qblox

Quantum Solutions LLC

UbiQD

Zhijing Nanotech Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6lo3me Media Contact: Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



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Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-quantum-dots-market-report-2021-2031-market-innovations-leading-to-enhanced-products-in-displays-micro-leds-security-tagging-medical-diagnostics-quantum-computing-and-agtech-301256786.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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The Delhi Police on Saturday appealed to people to avoid public gatherings on Holi and celebrate the festival at home in compliance with guidelines.

It also warned of strict action against those found indulging in public celebrations during the festival.

Amid a surge in cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Tuesday ordered that there would be no public celebrations in the national capital during the upcoming festivals such as Holi and Navaratri.

Chief Secretary Vijay Dev had directed the authorities to ensure strict compliance of the order.

Citing the DDMA order, Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal urged the people to follow COVID-19 protocol, adding that public celebrations and gatherings during Holi shall not be allowed in public places like grounds, parks, markets or religious places.

"According to the DDMA order, people not allowed to go out and play Holi in large numbers. Delhi Police appeals to the public to celebrate Holi with their family members at home. Strict legal action will be taken against those found playing Holi outside in large gatherings," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gov. Whitmer Lowers Flags After Mass Shooting in Boulder, Colorado

Gov. Whitmer Lowers Flags After Mass Shooting in Boulder, Colorado

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 23, 2021

Contact: Press@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Lowers Flags After Mass Shooting in Boulder, Colorado

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Biden, has ordered U.S. and Michigan flags within the State Capitol Complex and upon all public buildings and grounds across the state of Michigan to be lowered to half-staff immediately on Tuesday, March 23 through Saturday, March 27 to honor and remember the 10 victims of the shooting in Boulder, Colorado.

"My heart breaks for the families, loved ones, and communities as our nation mourns this senseless violence," Whitmer said. "Gun violence is a public health crisis that continues to take the lives of Americans every day. We cannot continue to allow these tragedies to happen. Our state grieves alongside those who lost loved ones and the entire Boulder, Colorado community. "

On Monday, a gunman opened fire at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 people. Officials released the names of the 10 people killed in the shooting:

Tralona Bartkowiak

Suzanne Fountain

Teri Leiker

Kevin Mahoney

Lynn Murray

Rikki Olds

Neven Stanisic

Denny Strong

Officer Eric Talley

Jody Waters

The State of Michigan remembers the victims and stands in solidarity with residents of the State of Colorado by lowering flags to half-staff. Michigan residents, businesses, schools, local governments and other organizations also are encouraged to display the flag at half-staff.

To lower flags to half-staff, flags should be hoisted first to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The process is reversed before the flag is lowered for the day.

Flags should be returned to full-staff on Sunday, March 28, 2021.

###
Nancy Mitford in the 1920s

Nancy Mitford was fond of saying, Talk about what you know, and you wont get so angry. Her family were less inclined to agree, though, when she mined her eccentric upper-class upbringing for her many novels.

The eldest of the six Mitford sisters, the daughters of Lord Redesdale, the girls received no formal education; their father was convinced that schools gave women nothing except large calf muscles and poor manners.

Yet despite his best efforts, Nancy went on to become one of the most successful writers of the 20th century.

Her waspish 1950s guide to U or Non-U (U being upper class) laid bare the words that betray our class origins, and instilled terror in the aspirational post-war middle classes who wrote to her in their hundreds asking if she thought they were common or not.

Now the world of U and Non-U, high society in-jokes and social bombs is about to be reignited for a new generation in Emily Mortimers BBC adaptation of The Pursuit Of Love, Nancys most successful novel.

The three-part drama promises to be as glamorous as the Mitford girls own lives, with a cast that includes Dominic West, Lily James and Andrew Scott.

This barely veiled roman a clef was written in three months in 1945 and was a publishing sensation.

In the book she re-cast her own family as the capricious Radletts, with five sisters growing up in a cold country house with no culture or social life. The story is told through the eyes of their Cousin Fanny, and at its heart are the desperate attempts of Linda Radlett to find love.

The public were agog at this window into the world of the upper classes and many thought it must have been purely down to imagination. But as her sister Jessica joked at the time, Nancy has no imagination whatsoever. As the saying goes, truth is often stranger than fiction...

NANCY MITFORD (aka Linda Radlett, played by Lily James)

The story follows Linda Radlett's desperate attempt to find love, through the eyes of Cousin Fanny. Pictured: Lily James as Linda

Nancy immortalised the love of her life Gaston Palewski in the book, as Fabrice de Sauveterre. Pictured: Linda with her lover Fabrice (Assaad Bouab)

Nancys own quest for love was even more tragic than that of her alter ego Linda Radlett. As a naive 23-year-old, Nancy fell in love with Hamish St Clair-Erskine, second son of the Earl of Rosslyn.

So are you U or Non-U? Nancy Mitford first revealed what it is to be U or Non-U  upper-class or aspiring middle-class  in The Pursuit Of Love. Uncle Matthew is a stickler for the correct terms and berates Cousin Fanny for using the word notepaper (Non U) instead of writing paper (U). He blames her lack of breeding on the fact that she went to school  where she was taught to put the milk in first when making tea (very Non-U). More U vs Non-U Pudding  Sweet or Dessert Ice  Ice Cream Jam  Preserve Napkin  Serviette Sofa  Settee or Couch Loo or Lavatory  Toilet or WC Looking Glass  Mirror Rich  Wealthy Smart  Posh Scent  Perfume Advertisement

Hamish was a society butterfly, amusing, vain and, crucially, gay. Nancys brother Tom had had a brief schoolboy dalliance with Hamish at Eton, and warned Nancy that the relationship was doomed to fail.

After five years of unrequited love and a heartless engagement, Hamish brutally broke it off, pretending hed decided to marry someone else.

Less than a month later, Nancy accepted a rash proposal from Peter Rodd, the son of diplomat Lord Rennell. According to a friend, Rodd had been proposing to girls all over town as a joke and Nancy had been foolish enough to take him seriously.

Nancys sister Debo said Rodd lacked the backbone that would make anyone a husband. He was a waster and a drunk, and within a year of their wedding he was having an affair and gambling away Nancys money.

She used Peter, or Prod as he was known to the family, as the inspiration for both of Linda Radletts husbands.

Like her first husband Tony, he was a crasher (Mitford speak for a terrible bore) with a pompous family. And like Lindas second, Christian, he was indifferent to his wifes unhappiness, dragging her off to southern France to help refugees from the Spanish Civil War.

Nancy and Prod lived increasingly separate lives. She had an affair with an officer in the Free French Forces and suffered an ectopic pregnancy which left her unable to have children. It was one of her great regrets.

Shortly afterwards she met the man she thought of as the love of her life  Gaston Palewski, then head of de Gaulles cabinet in exile, who she immortalised in The Pursuit Of Love as Fabrice de Sauveterre. In the book, Fabrice worships Linda, but in reality, Gaston never loved Nancy.

Their relationship continued for decades, but he never offered to formalise it. Instead, when she discovered she had cancer at 64, he told her he was leaving her for a richer, younger woman.

COUSIN FANNY AND THE BOLTER (played by Emily Beecham and Emily Mortimer)

Nancy invented Cousin Fanny to serve as a narrator. Pictured: Linda (Lily James) and Fanny (Emily Beecham) in the bath

Pictured: Emily Beecham as Fanny

In reality, the Mitfords didnt have a Cousin Fanny. Her character is pure invention, written into the book to serve as a narrator and also as the mirror image to Nancys wayward Linda Radlett.

Cousin Fannys mother, The Bolter, abandoned her to run off in search of love and glamour.

The Bolter has a hint of the Mitford sisters to her  Nancys sister Diana infamously left her husband to run off with British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley.

NANCYS FATHER (aka Uncle Matthew, played by Dominic West)

Nancy Mitford's inspiration for Uncle Matthew came from her father, who they called Farve. Pictured: Dominic West as Uncle Matthew

Lord Redesdale, or Farve as the Mitford girls called their father, was the inspiration for Uncle Matthew. His was a world of manly pursuits, where gurls were expected to marry a decent fellow who could handle a gun.

Very few of Nancys fey, artistic male friends passed muster and were loudly referred to as Sewers or, if particularly galling, Damned Sewers.

One potential beau was thrown out of the house when Farve caught sight of a comb peeping out of his breast-pocket, while another was threatened with being horsewhipped for putting his feet on the sofa.

With culture and the arts viewed with disdain, he entertained his children with the child-hunt, a game that would see him give them a head start before setting loose the bloodhounds.

Lord Redesdale had lost a lung in the First World War and the Germans remained the enemy. Like Uncle Matthew, he loathed all things foreign and anyone who suggested the war was over was treated to a volley of verbal abuse and even physical attack.

Unlike his wife, Lord Redesdale rather liked his portrayal in The Pursuit Of Love, so much so that after its publication he answered to Uncle Matthew.

Dolly Wells (pictured) stars as Aunt Sadie, inspired by Nancy's mother Lady Redesdale

NANCYS MOTHER (aka Aunt Sadie, played by Dolly Wells)

The vague, benign character of Aunt Sadie was written as a nicer version of Nancys mother Lady Redesdale.

A society beauty, Sydney Bowles had helped her father run The Lady magazine before marrying David Mitford, later the 2nd Baron Redesdale.

Unlike Aunt Sadie, Sydney recoiled from showing her children any physical affection, prompting Nancy to remark in later life, I liked her company; but I never loved her, for the evident reason that she never loved me. I was never hugged and kissed by her as a small child.

LORD BERNERS (aka Lord Merlin, played by Andrew Scott)

Nancy would escape the London Blitz to stay with her friend Gerald, who inspired the character of Lord Merlin played by Andrew Scott (pictured)

During the Second World War, Nancy would escape the London Blitz to stay with her friend Gerald, Lord Berners, and he is the inspiration for exotic Lord Merlin.

Berners lived in bachelor splendour at his 18th-century estate Faringdon House near Oxford.

Eccentric, rich, with exquisite taste and a disregard for the opinion of others, he kept a flock of doves whose feathers were dyed in rainbow colours so they fluttered over the lawn like confetti and his dogs wore fake pearl necklaces.

The 140ft tower he had built in the grounds was one of the grandest follies ever erected on an English estate. On its door was a sign that read, Members of the Public committing suicide from this tower do so at their own risk.

He was a world-class composer who worked at a piano adorned with a beer mug that played the National Anthem whenever it was lifted. He wrote scores for ballets and the cinema, most notably the 1947 film The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby.

Most bizarrely, he installed a clavichord (a kind of mini piano) in his Rolls-Royce so he could compose on the move. And he liked to drive himself around the lanes wearing a pigs head mask to frighten the locals.

A SECRET SOCIETY... IN THE CUPBOARD!

The Mitford girls would gather in what they called The Hons' Cupboard. Pictured: The Radlett family with Lord Merlin in a scene from the drama

The Mitford girls, like the fictitious Radletts, ran a secret Hons Society where they would discuss at length if someone was an Hon (not just fellow aristocrats, but anyone they liked) or a Counter-Hon (a person they didnt like).

They would congregate in what they called The Hons Cupboard, in reality a large linen cupboard at their home, Swinbrook, chosen because it was the warmest place in the house. Here they dreamt of romance and attempted to learn the facts of life from books on ducks and duck breeding.

THE AWFUL COUNTRY HOUSE

The Radletts country house Alconleigh is partly based on the Mitford home Swinbrook (pictured), which Nancy called Swinebrook

The Radletts country house Alconleigh is partly based on the Mitford home Swinbrook. It was an ugly north-facing pile designed by Nancys father after he sold their stately home.

Nancy called it Swinebrook. One simply couldnt have anybody artistic to stay lest they sicked in the front hall, she once wrote.

'At mealtimes the children would cry the knives and forks are so cold we cant eat with them.

The Pursuit Of Love, later this year, BBC1.
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Every day seems to bring new examples in the news of our cancel culture. Cancel culture is a cancer to our culture.

The examples border on the ridiculous:

Alfred Hitchcocks thriller Psycho is sexist.

The Muppets require a disclaimer from Disney.

Dr. Seuss, the famous childrens author, becomes radioactive for reportedly having engaged in racist drawings.

Mr. Potato Head is sexist.

Disney classics Dumbo and Peter Pan allegedly perpetuate racist stereotypes.

Cartoon skunk Pepe Le Pew is a rapist, and Speedy Gonzalez embodies an anti-Mexican message.

And on it goes. And these are but mild examples.

Im all for being sensitive and trying not to needlessly offend anybody. But the problem now is that feigning offense bestows cultural power, so no amount of sensitivity is enough. Inasmuch as any of this deals with race, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the perfect remedy  judge others by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

But today cancel culture has almost become a joke  only it is not funny. As Tucker Carlson noted recently, one of the great victims of cancel culture is humor.

Above all, cancel culture lacks grace  Gods amazing grace. Lent is the 40 days (Sundays not counted) between Ash Wednesday, when we remember that we were made of dust and to dust we shall one day return and Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead.

Lent is 40 days because when Jesus began His ministry, He fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil. But He did not give in.

Christ lived a perfect life and was the only human being to ever do so. He (who was fully God and fully man) then voluntarily offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins on the cross and offers forgiveness for those who believe.

Recognizing the need to be forgiven is essential to salvation. But there seems to be no forgiveness in cancel culture. Pity the poor soul who offends liberal sensibilities and then seeks atonement. As some learn the hard way, no matter how much abject groveling they do, there is no forgiveness in cancel culture.

Somehow the woke folk see themselves as perfect. They remind me of a 250-year-old dialogue between General Oglethorpe (founder of the American colony of Georgia) and the preacher John Wesley (founder of the Methodist Church).

Said Ogelthorpe: "I never forgive, and I never forget."

Responded Wesley: "Then, Sir, I hope you never sin."

Thankfully, even some on the left recognize that cancel culture is no good for the culture. As even Bill Maher noted recently, the left should stop with the cancel culture, lest it come back to cancel the left one day.

Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law professor emeritus, said, I hope all Americans wake up to thisI hope its not just the shoe is on the other foot test. Now, the conservatives are the victims of cancel culture so theyre big supporters of the Constitution and constitutional rights. During McCarthyism, it was the left that were the victims, and the right were the oppressors.

The Epoch Times noted (3/5/21): 'Americans are showing increased and substantial concern about the growth of cancel culture, said Mark Penn, the director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey.

Well we should. Dr. Peter Lillback founded the Providence Forum and serves as its president emeritus. I once interviewed him about the Christian origins of our freedom as Americans. He said we should learn from William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. In the late 1600s, Penn created a large colony where people could be free to practice their religion as they saw fit. It was a holy experiment. Conscience rights of the individual were to be respected.

Lillback told me in reference to Penn, When he defended the freedom of conscience, he wrote a great book on it. He put on its cover Matthew, chapter seven and verse twelve. Not everyone knows that reference, but its the Golden Rule, do unto others as youd have them do unto you. (The words of Jesus from Matthews Gospel.)

Lillback notes, Basically, what he was saying is: I didnt like it when I was put in the Tower of London for my conscience. Now that Im building my own civilization, Im not going to put you in prison because you disagree with my Quaker faith. He said, The freedom we want for ourselves we must give to others. Amen.

Cancel culture eats away at all these things, throwing forgiveness out the window in the process. Cancel culture is reminiscent of those ancient statues of snakes in the process of eating themselves in a circle. It would be best for all of us for this cancer in our culture to be uprooted and replaced by Christian liberty, grace, and true tolerance.
It was only a few weeks ago reports claimed that Jennifer Lopez and her fiance of two years Alex Rodriguez had pulled the plug on their relationship.

But after both denied the split and claimed to just be 'working through some things,' the pair were back this week in full force as Alex jetted to the Dominican Republic to join Jennifer as she films Shotgun Wedding.

The 51-year-old performer and the 45-year-old MLB star proved their partnership was still going strong, as they shared smiley snaps together on Friday while announcing a new business ambassadorship.

Back on: Jennifer Lopez, 51, and on-again fiance Alex Rodriguez, 48, prove their relationship is still going strong as they join forces for a new campaign amid reports they are 'prioritizing their relationship'

Taking some time out of their relaxing day, the power couple posed with a new health-related product while smiling for the camera.

A-Rod announced that they were 'very excited' about their latest partnership, speaking on behalf of both he and Jennifer  a very coupley thing to do.

The photos seemed to show no trouble in paradise as they nuzzled up together, despite the fact that fans continued to believe they may be on the outs when she had posted photos without her massive engagement ring.

In the most recent set of snaps the Hustlers star seemed to strategically conceal her fingers, leaving followers to wonder whether or not she had slipped it back on her finger.

Trouble in paradise? The pair seemed to bed any issues or notions that they were not still together as they posed for some smiley snaps

Engagement woes: JLo who had posted without her engagement ring on in recent days seemed to strategically shield her fingers from the camera, causing followers to wonder whether or not she had slipped it back on

JLo Glow: She shared a solo selfie in the same bright colored blouse while taking a break from filming

Some believed that the pair's breakup was prompted by third party interference, as reports began to swirl that the former MLB player may have stepped out during their engagement with Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy, 30.

LeCroy had claimed she had been texting with a very famous MLB player last year while in a relationship with castmate Austen Kroll, prompting speculation as to whom it may have been.

She had tried to clear up that anything unsavory had happened on the reunion show with Andy Cohen as she told him: 'He contacted me, and yes, we DMed, but other than that there was nothing  I've never seen him [or] touched him,' but never revealed the player's identity.

However about a month later another Bravo cast member Shep Rose claimed that Madison had revealed that the player in question was A-Rod while they were filming, saying they were messaging but she had to sign an NDA.

Interference: The pair revealed they were 'working through things' amidst claims from the Bravo star that she had DM'd and FaceTimed with A-Rod but she confirmed nothing was physical

Friendly conversation: Rose continued to say that Madison made it seem like Rodriguez had approached her first, which raised quite a few eyebrows after he had denied knowing who she was; pictured February 28

'She's like, "Well, I'm DMing with A-Rod, but we can't talk about that" or "they can't air this because I signed an NDA",' he said while speaking to Cohen on his SiriusXM radio show.

He continued to say that Madison made it seem like he had approached her first, which raised quite a few eyebrows after Rodriguez had denied knowing who she was.

LeCroy continued to give clarity on the situation, telling Page Six that they had 'spoken on the phone' but had 'never been physical,' calling him an 'acquaintance.'

'He's never physically cheated on his fiancee with me,' she said, adding that she's 'talked to him randomly, but not consistent.'

Moving forward: It has been said that the Hustlers star appreciates 'grand gestures' from her fiance as they continue to work on their relationship, him flying back to the DR while she films Shotgun Wedding; pictured March 19

Stepping up: 'It was important to Jennifer that Alex stepped up in a public way and showed his level of commitment to her with a trip to see her while working,' an insider told E!; pictured March 26

With regards to his purported brief split from JLo, the pair chalked it up to a 'bad day,' though Lopez had revealed that the two were in couple's therapy the month prior, telling Allure 'I think it was really helpful for us in our relationship.'

And now it has been said that A-Rod is going above and beyond with grand gestures, as they continue to 'prioritize their relationship,' according to People.

'It was important to Jennifer that Alex stepped up in a public way and showed his level of commitment to her with a trip to see her while working. Jennifer appreciates big gestures like these,' an E! insider seconded.

The pair had to cancel their Italian destination wedding twice on account of the pandemic (it is unclear when or if they will reschedule) but are taking steps to rebuild any fractures in their partnership.
UPDATE: Trooper released from hospital after driver crashed into patrol car

FLINT, MI - A Michigan State Police trooper was hospitalized after being injured in a Friday, March 26 crash involving an alleged drunk driver.

The trooper was conducting a traffic stop on Fenton Road near Lincoln Street in Mundy Township when a 42-year-old driving a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck crashed into the back of the stopped patrol car, police said. The impact pushed the cruiser forward into the trooper and a Ford Fusion that was pulled over.

The trooper was thrown onto the hood of the patrol car and landed in grass on the side of the road, Michigan State Police said in a news release. The driver of the Ford Fusion was not injured.

The trooper was admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be released Saturday.

Police arrested the driver of the Silverado for operating while intoxicated. A local hospital evaluated and released the suspect driver.

This is the second crash involving a Michigan State Police trooper this week. An Upper Peninsula trooper was injured in a two-vehicle crash on Wednesday.

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Ryan Kelley pushed to arrest lawmakers, then stormed the Capitol. Now he wants to be Michigans governor.

Michigan woman gets special 100th birthday surprise from American Rosie the Riveter Association

Volunteers help inform Ypsilanti Housing Commission communities about COVID-19 vaccines
The US was responsible for downing missing flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014 with the loss of all 239 passengers on board, a new book claims.

The American military used electronic jamming technology to make the plane disappear from radar screens before finally shooting it down after a failed bid to re-route it and seize highly-sensitive electronic gear to China.

Thats the startling theory put forward by French journalist Florence de Changy in her new book 'The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370'.

De Changy has been reporting and investigating on the missing airline since the mystery dominated news channels for weeks and months after March 2014.

In the 400-page book, the investigative journalist and Far-Eastern correspondent for the French newspaper Le Monde delves into the numerous theories that have been put forward to explain the mystery of what happened to the plane.

But the idea that the case is a mystery, de Changy argues, is a fabrication in and of itself, perpetuated by those responsible and in-the-know about what really happened to the Boeing 777 on March 8, 2014.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished in 2014. Pictured: The missing aircraft taking off in France in 2011

As de Changy writes, 'It was not possible [] for a Boeing 777 to have simply disappeared.' She ironically calls the disappearance 'the greatest mystery in the history of aviation' which, she believes, is its biggest con.

After the writer goes into great detail over 14 chapters dispelling a number of theories that have been put forward - that the plane was hijacked; that the captain had run amok; that there had been a fire on-board; that there was a hypoxia event in the cabin - de Changy puts forward her own hypothesis in the book's epilogue.

Flight MH370, she suggests, was brought down by the United States Air Force after a failed attempt to intercept the plane and seize a shipment of 'electronic equipment' that was en-route to Beijing, and that the US did not want China to have.

In the months that followed the failed mission and downing of the airliner, de Changy says the governments involved in the aftermath - the US, China, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, and the UK and France in an investigative capacity - embarked on a campaign of distraction and disinformation to hide the atrocity.

The journalist prefaces her hypothesis by saying that it is based on her seven years of investigations across a number of continents that she recalls in the book, but that it is purely her own theory of what happened to flight MH370.

From day one, when the plane vanished as it was flying from Kuala Lumpar to Beijing but vanished off the radar, de Changy says she was struck by the incompetence of the Malaysian authorities, by their blatant disregard for truth and obvious desire not to tell anyone anything of importance.

The details of what happened were reconstituted by trial and error, and assembled like a jigsaw puzzle over subsequent weeks, months and years, in the light of information that was released in dribs and drabs, for the most part diluted in an ocean of false or inaccurate data, she writes.

What is known is that the plane took off from Kuala Lumpar at 12:21 a.m. on Saturday, March 8 2014. It was due to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. on the same day. On board the Boeing 777-200ER were 227 passengers and 12 crew.

The plane was last seen on civilian radar at 1:21 a.m., above the ocean where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. Its intended flight path should have taken it over the South China Sea and Vietnam.

But officials maintain that the plane was tracked on military radar over the Malacca Strait - a narrow stretch of water between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra - having made a U-turn over Malaysia, instead heading towards the Indian ocean.

At 2:25 a.m., officials say military radar detected what could have been the jetliner, 200 miles north-west of Penang Island, suggesting the plane had turned north towards the Andaman Islands.

The disappearing act (left) by Florence de Changy (right). The French reporter has put forward a new theory about what happened to flight MH370 in her new book. de Changy has been reporting on and investigating MH370 since it went missing in 2014

What would become the world's most extensive and expensive ever search mission in the history of aviation was launched, which de Changy alleges was completely pointless, and was even carried out to conceal reality.

The journalist posits that when a magician does a trick, one tactic above all is required for it to be successful: Distraction. In the case of MH370, she argues, the distraction was widespread disinformation.

'In the case of MH370, many different means were deployed at the same time,' she writes. 'The advance of truth has been crippled from day one.'

Analysis of the aircraft's movements identified a 23,000 square mile (60,000 square kilometres) search area in the southern India Ocean, approximately 1,200 miles west of Perth, a city in southwest Australia.

Australia assumed charge of the search on March 17, which de Changy claims was thousands of miles away from the location the plane was actually downed.

The operation was ruinously expensive (103 million) and an abject failure. Nothing was found, not even a seatbelt. When it came to the art of bungling a search operation and providing deliberate or accidental misinformation, Australia ran Malaysia pretty close, writes de Changy.

But there was no U-turn, she claims.

Pictured top: A map showing the key moments of flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, as well as its intended flight path over Vietnam on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpar. Bottom: A map showing the 'crash sit' in the southern Indian Ocean which led to a huge search

De Changy argues that the simplest explanation - that MH370 crashed in the South China Sea shortly after it was last seen on regional signals - was 'quashed and tampered with in record time', despite corroborating evidence at the time.

This was not helped by 24-hour news coverage of the event, she writes, that perpetuated theories, such as that of two mysterious Iranian passengers with fake passports potentially being behind the disaster.

The Iranian passengers turned out to have bought their forged passports in Thailand. Malaysia Airlines refused, for security reasons, to explain how travellers with forged passports had been able to buy tickets.

Interpol said they were not known terrorists. Apparently Iranians do this all the time, to avoid being identified at Iranian at airports. The lead went cold, having been the focus of all the news coverage for 48 hours.

The character of the pilot - Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah - was also quickly brought into question, with suggestions that the event might have been a murder-suicide. However, De Changy argues that no pilot would know how to make a plane totally vanish in the way that MH370 did.

She also points out that for decades, militaries have been trying to make stealth aircraft that is undetectable to others. It's not that easy, she says. In addition, she says that even if the theory Shah had purposefully crashed the airliner, the 'mystery' of the whereabouts of a huge plane carrying 239 people is still not solved.

Far-Eastern correspondent for Le Monde, Florence de Changy investigates the mystery in a new tome. Pictured: Catherine Gang, whose husband Li Zhi was on Flight MH370

Chunks of plane started to turn up on beaches across the region. The best hope was a flaperon (what are now called ailerons), which washed up on the shore of Reunion Island near Madagascar. The French, who were investigating as Reunion is one of their departments, said they were almost certain it came from MH370.

The Malaysian prime minister announced his certainty that it had come from MH370.

But the flaperon had lost its ID plate, and they are so securely attached it really shouldnt have done. De Changy found out that ID plates are routinely removed when airport parts are recycled, so the flaperon could have come from any old plane. She thinks it might even have been planted there.

After hundreds of pages of telling the story of her investigation, and debunking the numerous theories put forward as explanations, de Changy offers her hypothesis.

In the Being-777's cargo was 2.5 tonnes of 'poorly documented Motorola electronics equipment,' she says. The author suggests that this belonged to the US, and that China wanted to get their hands on it. Investigating the cargo, de Changy writes that it had not undergone the proper security screening.

At the time, the US - under Barack Obama's administration - was withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Some believe the mystery cargo to be the remains of a drone downed in Pakistan, or military equipment captured by the Taliban.

Chinese relatives of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 take part in a prayer service at the Metro Park Hotel in Beijing, China (file photo)

De Changy says whatever it was, Beijing - under the new leadership of Xi Jinping at the time - wanted to get its hands of it, and had routed it through Kuala Lumpar to be taken to Beijing on a nigh-time passenger jet.

But when the US caught wind of the plot, de Changy suggests the rival superpower came up with a plan to intercept the cargo, and to force MH370 to land, confiscate the cargo, and send it on its way to Beijing with just a two-hour delay.

At the time, de Changy reports that the US was participating in an air defence operation in the region, and that the plan could be masked as a training operation.

Furthermore, Waypoint IGARI - The 'transfer of control' point, when Malaysia air traffic control hands over to its Vietnamese counterparts on the route being taken by MH370 - is controlled by Singapore, a US ally.

At this point of the flight, de Changy suggests that two US Airborne Early Warning (Awacs) planes could have sandwiched MH370 - from above and below - completely blocking its magnetic field and all communications, rendering it invisible.

At this point, Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah would have been ordered by the US to land the plane at a nearby airbase, likely airbase U-Tapao in Thailand, de Changy says.

In this February 23, 2016 file photo, a waiter walks past a mural of flight MH370 in Shah Alam outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What the planning did not account for, however, was the pilot's refusal to follow such orders, instead perhaps saying he would maintain his course to Beijing until he was told otherwise by Malaysia Airlines.

It's possible that the pilot and co-pilot attempted to take a shortcut to reach Chinese airspace more quickly, de Changy suggests, but their attempt to escape the clutches of the US planes failed.

'The shooting down could have been a blunder,' she writes, 'but it could have also been a last resort to stop the plane and its special cargo from falling into Chinese hands.'

De Changy also says it's a possibility that it was in fact China that struck the plane, reacting to seeing a number of unannounced planes flying into its airspace in a region that is highly volatile.

With its huge navy presence in the region, de Changy says - under the cover of disinformation being spread at the time - the US could have cleared up the crash site while the international search for the plane took place thousands of miles away.

The journalist then details how the US and China responded in the aftermath of the crash, writing how she was struck the uncharacteristic discretion from US officials throughout the crisis, a country that is known for offering support in disasters.

Grace Subathirai Nathan, daughter of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 passenger Anne Daisy, shows a piece of debris believed to be from flight MH370 during a press conference in Putrajaya in 2018

She also notes that the US never issued 'the slightest reproach to Malaysian authorities for such a disaster,' which involved a US-made Boeing plane and thee US nationals on board.

It is also no secret, she writes, that the US has extensive satellite coverage in the region, yet no help has been offered in the form of satellite images from the numerous positions the country has above the South China Sea.

Neither has the US been forthcoming with help and resources in the search for the missing plane, de Changy says.

Despite this, she points to records of calls between Barack Obama and Xi Jinping in the aftermath, the details of which were not fully released, and suggests that the pair could have both been in-the-know about what happened to MH370.

But why would China go along with this, with the majority of the passengers being Chinese citizens? In the crisis, de Changy says that China likely saw an opportunity.

Xi Xingping was less than a year into his time as President, and she writes that the leader was faced with a choice: Either expose the US' responsibility for the disaster, or use it to make a deal.

A Boeing 777 flaperon cut down to match the one from flight MH370 found on Reunion island off the coast of Africa in 2015, is lowered into water to discover its drift characteristics by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation researchers in Tasmania

In the months and years that followed, China begun to aggressively expand in the South China Sea, with the US largely turning a blind eye, offering little resistance.

For example. on May 2, 2014, weeks after the disappearance of MH370, National Offshore Oil Corporation moved its $1 billion oil righ - the Hai Yang Shi You 981 - to a location 17 nautical miles from Triton Island, the southwesternmost island of the disputed Paracel Islands.

'Isn't it ironic that while Australia was attracting the world news headlines, with its claim to be overseeing the largest (bogus) search operation in the history of mankind, China was quietly performing an incomparable more ambitious, more costly and more consequential operation?', de Changy writes.

Other nations have also kept it quiet too, she claims. Malaysia, who bore the brunt of the majority of the criticism in the world's press; Vietnam, whose shores are closest to where de Changy believes the plane came down; France, who own Reunion island where a piece of debris washed ashore on; the UK, whose Air Accidents Investigations Branch established the final crash site of MH370.

All were either knowingly or unknowingly complicit, de Changy claims.

Malaysian Minister of Transport Anthony Loke (centre) looks at the wing flap found on Pemba Island, Tanzania, in 2019 which has been identified a missing part of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Why did everyone lie? Because although the Malaysians didnt actually want the puzzle solved for reasons de Changy explains, they wanted it to be seen to have been solved, so they could forget about it.

France was trying to sell arms to Malaysia, and was happy to oil the wheels. The French report on a mysterious flaperon - that washed up on a far-away shore - was never published.

Malaysia and the US developed a surprisingly close relationship in the months that followed the disappearance, de Changy writes, and by 2016, Vietnam had become America's fastest growing export market.

While the reporter acknowledges - on numerous occasions - that her hypothesis is far-fetched, she stands by her debunking of the other theories that have been put forward, and that the accepted narrative and accusations about the pilot should be widely challenged.

'I have established that MH370 did not U-turn, did not fly over Malaysia and, to cut a long story shot, never crashed in the Southern Indian Ocean. Many more clues point to a covert interception attempt that went terribly wrong, with a fatal accident happening at 2:40 a.m. between Vietnam and China,' she writes.
The RE teacher suspended over a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have defended his right to freedom of speech in a heated telephone call with the father of a Muslim pupil at Batley Grammar School, Mail Online can reveal.

The 'burly Yorkshire lad' in his 20s, who has not been named, is also disclosed as saying British values allowed him to present a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad to his class of year nine students as part of their course work'.

The suspended teacher, who allegedly showed a caricature widely reported as taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, telephoned the irate father after he had called the school and left a message to speak with him.

A petition started by students of the RE teacher has also passed 47,000 signatures today after police whisked him away for his own safety.

Meanwhile, a school governor is backing calls for the teacher to be re-instated, and is said to feel that the teacher is being 'unfairly blamed'.

Protestors gathered outside the school near Bradford, West Yorkshire, for a second day on Friday, with Headteacher Gary Kibble keeping 980 children at home.

It follows Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick saying the protests were 'not right', adding that suggestions the teacher was in hiding are 'very disturbing'.

Protestors are pictured giving a statement to members of the media on Friday outside Batley Grammar School near Bradford, West Yorkshire, where a teacher has been suspended for reportedly showing a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad during a religious studies lesson

Police (officer pictured arriving at the protest yesterday) are providing support to the teacher after protestors gathered outside the school for a second day

Some of the teacher's students have launched a petition to the school (pictured) trying to save his job, which has been signed by over 36,500 people at the time of writing

The Muslim parent demanded to speak to the teacher after his year 9 son returned from school and reported the matter to him.

When the teacher returned the call he told the father that he had warned his pupils that some would find it offensive, but his aim was to pose a question to his class.

He believed he was right to show the cartoon which has offended Muslims across the world.

He wanted to discuss whether the cartoonist was to blame or the terrorists who had committed murder over it in France after the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo had published it.

The angry father said the teacher did not appear apologetic when told that showing the cartoon to his son was offensive and instead was arrogant. The teacher asked the father to voice his concerns to another staff member.

In a group Whatsapp message, shared among Islamic parents and protesters who have demonstrated outside the school and seen by Mail Online, the father said: He should have known better.

I expressed I was not happy with his actions and he had caused offence to the community. He should have known better, after all these images caused international outrage.

He was not apologetic and was arrogant in his response that what he did was right. He stated that he knew some of the pupils would tell their parents.

But the suspended teacher, who has apologised, has been forced to leave his home and into hiding with his family.

A source who is related to one of the school's governors told Mail Online: 'Intimidation all round is the feeling why few people are speaking out on the teachers behalf and asking not to be identified.

Robert Jenrick (pictured, file photo) said protests taking place outside the school were 'not right', adding that suggestions the teacher was in hiding are 'very disturbing'

Protestors gathered outside Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire yesterday. On Thursday, the school 'unequivocally' apologised for showing 'totally inappropriate' material to children

Protestors gathered outside the school on Friday. A protester speaking 'on behalf of the Muslim community' said: 'The teachers have breached the position of trust'

Chained gates at Batley Grammar School, pictured yesterday, after Headteacher Gary Kibble kept 980 children at home

I spoke to my relative who is a governor at the school who has a child there and they feel the teacher Is being unfairly blamed.

The governors are going to consider whether they should ask for the section about blasphemy to be removed from the GCSE RE syllabus which the pupils are taught.

Theyre going to investigate whether other schools in the area may have also used this method of power point teaching with a picture of the Islamic Prophet as required by the GCSE syllabus.

It is clear that the teacher in question did all he could to warn the pupils that some might be offended before he showed the caricature.

But when you get shouting and swearing and protests at the school gates, any chance of having a sensible debate just dies.'

The source added: I feel really sorry for the children. Theyve been through a year of losing out on school because of Covid and now theyve got this to deal with.

Teacher who sparked Batley school 'blasphemy' protests wrote of his love for his 'fantastic' job The RE teacher who sparked a blasphemy protest at the gates after allegedly showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to students is a 'burly Yorkshire lad', it was revealed. The amateur rugby player, who is in his late 20s, had trained to teach in the mid-2010s after going to university in the north of England. In an article about life as a trainee teacher, he wrote: 'Teaching is a fantastic profession. One which I cannot wait to start.' He added: 'You also teach them about life'. He had spoken of his experiences as a trainee teacher, saying how it was a 'fantastic' profession that he 'could not wait' to begin, The Telegraph reports. One neighbour called him a 'nice man', while another called him a 'good, honest, burly Yorkshire lad' who 'always had a smile for us'. Advertisement

Theres never been any question of any racial problems or religious problems between the Muslim children and the non-Muslim children. They mix after school too at each others homes That is why this is all so ridiculous.

At least the school will be closed from Monday for the Easter break until April 9th, so hopefully things will cool down while they work out if the teacher can be brought back.

Meanwhile, Mr Jenrick has said children should be taught 'contentious issues appropriately'.

He told the BBC: 'It must be right that a teacher can appropriately show images of the Prophet Muhammad.

'In a free society, we want religions to be taught to children and for children to be able to question and query them.'

He also told Sky News: 'I was disturbed to see scenes of people protesting outside the school - that is not right.

'We shouldn't have teachers, members of staff of schools, feeling intimidated, and the reports that a teacher may even be in hiding is very disturbing.

'That is not a road we want to go down in this country, so I would strongly urge people who are concerned about this issue not to do that.'

On Thursday, the school 'unequivocally' apologised for showing 'totally inappropriate' material to children, and said a member of staff was suspended pending an investigation.

A protester speaking 'on behalf of the Muslim community' read out a statement outside of the school on Friday, in which he said: 'The teachers have breached the position of trust and failed their duty of safeguarding, and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

'We do not accept that the school has taken this issue seriously, given that it's taken them four days to merely suspend only one of the teachers involved.'

He called on the entire British Muslim community to review the materials being taught in their children's schools.

One protester, whose children attend the school, and who only wanted to be identified as Mr Hussain, said: 'What people are trying to convey here to the media, and to the British public at large, is we would not like any form of extremism, any extremist viewpoints, to be taught to children.'

He said the western world 'is at a loss in understanding the reaction' from the Muslim community when the Prophet Muhammad is 'insulted in any way, shape or form'.

He said: 'A Muslim is required to stand up when Prophet Muhammad is insulted, and when all the prophets are insulted, including all the prophets of the Old Testament, including Jesus.'

Labour MP for Batley and Spen, Tracey Brabin, condemned those who 'seek to fan the flames of this incident', and welcomed the school's apology.

'No teacher should be facing intimidation or threats, there is no excuse for that,' she said. The focus must be on the welfare and education of the children at this school.'

Mr Jenrick said the Department for Education (DfE) is working with the school and local council as it investigates the incident.

Protestors gathered outside Batley Grammar School on Friday. Mr Jenrick said the Department for Education (DfE) is working with the school and local council

Protestors take part in a prayer outside the school. One protestor called on the entire British Muslim community to review the materials being taught in their children's schools

Mr Jenrick said: 'We shouldn't have teachers, members of staff of schools, feeling intimidated, and the reports that a teacher may even be in hiding is very disturbing' (school pictured)

'What I can say is there has to be an appropriate balance - we have to ensure there is free speech, that teachers can teach uninhibited but that has to be done in a respectful and tolerant way and that's a balance to be struck by teaching professionals and the schools concerned,' Mr Jenrick said.

Baroness Warsi, former chairwoman of the Conservative party, said the incident has been 'hijacked by extremists on both sides' to create a culture war.

Speaking to the Today programme, the peer said she had spoken to pupils and parents over the past 24 hours, and 'it's obvious that many pupils were left distressed because of what happened'.

She said: 'What we're forgetting in all of this is the most important party in all of this, which is the kids and their learning.'

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the school should be allowed to investigate the matter 'without a running commentary in the media, on social media, and outside the school gates'.

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, who chairs the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: 'Children's education should not be disrupted by protests in what has already been a difficult year.

'The school is taking action and ought to be trusted to do so. A teacher's identity being shared, making them fear for their safety, is simply unacceptable and could result in enforcement action from the police.

'Schools are places where children learn about ideas, values, difference and respect. This sometimes involves exposing them to contentious issues and different views and ideas. For schools to meet their legal duty to foster good relations between people from different groups, this should be done in a balanced, respectful and sensitive way.'

The DfE came under fire for amplifying divisions after it branded the protests 'completely unacceptable', and said they included 'threats' and 'intimidation'.

Muhammad Shafiq, chief executive of Manchester-based Ramadhan Foundation, said: 'It is alarming that the Department for Education chose to amplify those divisions by attacking the parents and pupils rather than looking how we can come together to have a respectful discussion and seek an end to this issue.'
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Kolkata, March 27 : Tightening its noose around the hair importers on undervalued raw hair exports, the Customs Department has arrested two people, including one businessman.

Industry sources said that the Kolkata Customs is tightening noose on undervalued raw hair exports, as the officers of the Department on Thursday raided the office of an established businessman connected with the human hair trade.

The source said that the racket is a part of larger hawala transaction which may be further investigated by relevant central agencies.

The source said that during searches several incriminating documents and evidence of huge cash transactions related to human hair trade have been retrieved from his premises.

"In this regard, one exporter and one customs clearance agent connected with the human hair consignments cumulatively valued at Rs 9.4 crore, currently under seize at export shed, ACC have been arrested by SIB (Special Investigation Branch)," the source said.

The source said that search for other major players in this undervaluation cartel is still on.

Last month, the Central Customs Department has found smuggling racket of undervaluing the value of the export of the raw human hair from India to other countries and then "smuggling" it to China via land route and has started a probe.

Customs Department has also alerted the officials of the multiple agencies including Goods and Services Tax (GST), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Airport Authorities across India for the new smuggling racket.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Saturday, March 27, 2021

On March 4, 1967, a Communist-controlled newspaper in Rome, Paese Sera, began a series of articles on Clay Shaw, his board membership on the Centro Mondiale, Commerciale (CMC), and the organization's supposed ties to the CIA and right-wing extremists.

Paese Sera, March 5, 1967

Here is part of the first article in the series translated into English. This actually comes from the papers of Jim Garrison.

The third paragraph is on Louis Bloomfield, and Paese Sera got all the facts wrong. Bloomfield was not a "former American major," he was was a major in the Canadian military during World War II. He was not "presently a banker in Montreal," he was a lawyer in Montreal. And, he was not a shareholder in CMC - he represented some of the shareholders.

There is absolutely no evidence that "Bloomfield . . . had participated in the espionage activities of the OSS (now the CIA) during the war."

When these allegations, taken from Paese Sera, appeared in March 1967 in Le Devoir, a French-language newspaper in Montreal, Bloomfield wrote the editor demanding an apology.

No evidence has ever materialized that linked Bloomfield with the OSS. And, yet you can still find discussions of Bloomfield and the OSS in various conspiracy books.

For instance, Jim Garrison mentions this in his book, On The Trail of The Assassins: (page 88)

"One of the major stockholders of the Centro was a Major L. M. Bloomfield, a Montreal resident originally of American nationality and a former agent with the Office of Strategic Services, out of which the United States had formed the C.I.A."

James DiEugenio writes, in a review of my book On The Trail of Delusion, that :

"And although Litwin writes that Bloomfield was not in the OSS, John Kowalski, who has been through the Bloomfield archives, says he did see letters between the legendary World War II Canadian/British intelligence officer William Stephenson and Bloomfield."

Here is the letter that Bloomfield sent to William Stephenson:

William Stephenson was a Canadian who worked for the British Security Coordination (BSC) during World War II. He is best known by his code-name Intrepid. He lobbied people close to FDR to set up some sort of intelligence operation and was instrumental in the founding of the OSS.

Stephenson was a World War II hero. Here is a short bio from the Canadian Encyclopedia.

The letter above is hardly proof that Bloomfield was a member of the OSS. In fact, the letter is addressed to Richard Coit, who worked with Stephenson in the BSC.

Knowing William Stephenson was an honor, not a crime.
Warren Buffetts $8.3 billion proposal to build more Texas power plants fails to address the cause of Februarys deadly power crisis, analysts say, and guarantees a hefty profit for his energy business that would be paid by consumers.

The proposal that Berkshire Hathaway Energy is shopping around to Texas leaders and lawmakers would add natural-gas powered generating capacity for use during emergencies and provide the Omaha billionaires company a 9.3 percent return on investment, paid by electricity customers.

But Texas had enough gas-fired power plants, said Jim Krane, an energy fellow at Rices Baker Institute for Public Policy. Half of them, however, werent functioning because of the unprecedented cold that swept the state.

Its like trying to fix a broken window by putting in a bigger furnace, Krane said. Lets fix the broken window. The furnace is fine. Its the wrong solution for the problem.

On HoustonChronicle.com: This simple paperwork blunder left Texans cold during the deadly freeze

Berkshires Texas Emergency Power Reserve would include 10 new natural gas power plants that would add 10,000 megwatts of generating capacity  enough to power some 2 million Texas homes  to the state grid, according to Chris Brown, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. The plants would be operational by November 2023.

The gas-fired plants, which could withstand freezing temperatures and have seven days of natural gas storage on site, would operate during an emergency and as directed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the states grid manager, Brown said.

The plan comes a month after more than 100 people died during the power crisis in which half of the states power generation capacity was knocked offline during days of subfreezing temperatures.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy representatives have pitched the idea to lawmakers and state leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during meetings in Austin over recent weeks, the company said. It also has hired eight lobbyists in Austin at a cost of more than $300,000, according to records filed with the Texas Ethics Commission.

The additional capacity from the proposed plants would create a more robust grid that in a crisis would provide enough power to ensure that no customer would be without electricity for more than three hours, according to Berkshires plans.

The states power generators oppose the plan.

The $8.3 billion in costs to consumers is absolutely raising the cost for Texas consumers but it isnt raising the reliability for them, said Michele Richmond, executive director of Texas Competitive Power Advocates, a trade association representing power generators and wholesale electricity marketers.

During the freeze, the states supply of natural gas to power plants was hampered by frozen lines that werent built to withstand the near historic low temperatures and the failure of electric pumps that didnt have power.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway asking Texas to approve build of $8 billion worth of power plants

People couldnt get natural gas to their plants and the plants sat idle, said Chris Moser, executive vice president of operations at NRG Energy, which owns retail power brands such Reliant Energy, Direct Energy and Cirro Energy.

Even when ERCOT raised wholesale electricity prices to the state maximum of $9,000 per megawatt hour to lure power suppliers into the market, the extra power couldnt be delivered.

Deregulation rules

Unlike other deregulated power markets across the nation that pay generators to keep plants ready to meet peak demand  whether they operate or not  Texas relies on price to encourage companies to invest in building, maintaining and upgrading power plants.

Berkshire Hathaways plants would only offer backup power, Brown said, and not interfere with the Texas market. It is effectively blackout insurance for all consumers, he said.

The move would create a one-company power reserve paid to produce energy in the future when its needed, experts said.

Why would anybody put their own investment and development money into our existing plants or into building new plants when the state of Texas just paid somebody to build? said Richmond. That will reduce investor confidence in the market. And that is not the signal that we want to send.

Squeezed by low electricity prices, tight margins and competition from cheap wind power, merchant power companies such as NRG Energy, Calpine and Vistra Energy have been reluctant to invest in new power plants or upgrade existing ones.

MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox 

Lenders and investors have agreed. A major new power plant  excluding wind and solar installations  has not been built in Texas since 2017, when Chicago-based Exelon completed two 1,100-megawatt gas-fired power generators, according to ERCOT.

If Texas power companies were guaranteed a 9.3 percent of return, plenty more would be willing to build new plants, NRGs Moser said.

I do not think this is the right route for Texas. But theres certainly other companies that would take a keen interest if theyre going to be passing out guaranteed contracts, Moser said.

Environmental blowback

Further opposition to the Berkshire plan could come from those who support President Joe Bidens effort to reduce climate change by putting the U.S. on a path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Bidens energy plan calls for increasing renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, and reducing the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas. During the past 13 years, the generation mix on Texas power grid has shifted to natural gas and renewables, with wind making the greatest gains. Wind energy generates about 20 percent of the states electricity, up from just 2 percent in 2008, while natural gas has remained nearly steady at 47 percent, according to ERCOT.

Adding more fossil fuel capacity to the grid is not going to address the problem we faced in February, Rices Krane said. Its going to make the lift even heavier when Texas finally gets around to addressing climate change.






Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique (right) stands at attention as the hearse carrying OPP Const. Marc Hovingh leaves Toronto en route back to Manitoulin Island on Monday, November 23, 2020. Ontario's police watchdog says the man involved in a fatal shootout with an officer last year had an arsenal of guns and homemade bombs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
NASA is creating a space food system that provides astronauts with safe and nutritious meals for longer space exploration missions.

The space program's food scientists are working on designing food systems for Mars that vary from those on the International Space Station (ISS), according to a press release.

SPACE WINE: Here's what happens when you age super expensive wine in space

Gone are the days of space food that comes in cubes and semi-liquid nutrition tubes. Today crew members on the ISS can enjoy a Friday night pizza. However, a food system for the Red Planet and beyond needs a little more planning.

NASA

Grace Douglas, lead scientist for NASA's Advanced Food Technology divison, describes why the changes are necessary.

If we're going to start exploring and start becoming more Earth-independent, we need to start understanding how we produce the foods and not just take foods with us, Douglas said on a recent episode of "Houston We Have a Podcast."

NASA food scientists and nutritional biochemists highlight general criteria needed for an interplanetary food system.

Safety - Food grown on the spacecraft and in microgravity will be required to undergo cleaning and testing to reduce foodborne illnesses.

Stability - Crews on multi-year, round-trip missions to Mars will need to bring or grow food that lasts for years and keeps its nutrition value.

Nutrition - The Mars food system needs to be as nutritious as it is delicious

Resource minimization - The food system needs to provide safe, nutritious, palatable food while keeping resource consumption and waste to a minimum.

These, among other criteria, present challenges for designing a food system, and NASA is seeking ideas for addressing these issues through a Deep Space Food Challenge.

Think you could be the next greatest chef providing safe, nutritious, and tasty food for a trip to Mars?

The Deep Space Food Challenge is offering a prize of $500,000 for the best food system submitted by a member of public, according to NASA.

"By specifying the food system requirements and challenges for human expeditions to the Red Planet or other destinations, NASA will be better positioned to overcome these hurdles and ensure the health and performance of astronauts during interplanetary travel."
The National Program Saglyk (Health) and its Action Plan for 2021-2025 have been approved in Turkmenistan. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree to this effect at a government meeting via video link.

According to the document, these measures were taken with the view of further improving the health of the population, increasing life expectancy, developing healthcare in accordance with international standards, as well as establishing a highly efficient healthcare system based on innovative technologies, advanced medical science and practice.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
City Council members last week said theyd received several phone calls from concerned citizens regarding a residential parking ordinance presented for Council approval earlier this month. Discussions during that meeting and questions from constituents prompted the city to more clearly define where vehicles can be parked on residential properties.

Those changes were presented to the Council on Tuesday for a second approval, as is required for an ordinance to take effect. The council approved the ordinance unanimously. Council members Norma Juarez and Teressa King were absent.

During a work session last week, concerned citizen Dina Perez told the council she was upset when she looked into the term unimproved surface. The lowest quote she could find to potentially fix her driveway was about $5,000.

Mayor Charles Starnes said she and others with similar concerns need not be worried.

The intent of the ordinance is to get people from parking their pickup by their front porch, he said.

The goal is to encourage people to stop parking in their front yard and park their vehicle on a proper parking surface.

The changes to the ordinance now more clearly define an improved parking surface as a paved, all-weather surface that will remain level and in place with materials such as concrete, asphalt, brick, paving stone or other similar materials.

If a citizens driveway is currently not up to standard, it is not considered in violation of the ordinance.

City Manager Jeffrey Snyder said parking surfaces made of material not included on the list will be grandfathered in. No changes are necessary unless the property owner decides to fix or upgrade their parking surface. In those cases, the changes will be held to the standards defined in the ordinance.

The ordinance also prohibits parking in alleys, in a right-of-way or public easement and parking a trailer  unless temporarily  in those same locations. The ordinance defines a trailer as any device with an axle designed to carry its load on its own structure.

Parking is prohibited in the front yard, side yard or rear yard of a property.

Exceptions include a responding emergency vehicle, street construction, maintenance or repair vehicles, service utility vehicles engaging in maintaining or extending public service utilities and a vehicle parked in such a location in compliance with a law officer or traffic-control device. Vehicles can be parked in a rear or side yard with no approved parking surface as long as its concealed by a fence at least six-feet high.

The ordinance also has a section for legal nonconforming use. It states that lawful non-conforming use of a paved or unpaved driveway on the effective date of the ordinance is OK. It also notes that any driveways damaged to more than 50 percent of the total driveway surface area must be restored to conformity. Any damages by less than 50 percent of the driveway surface area can be restored as it was before the time it was damaged, provided the work is done within 12 months.

Violations of the ordinance can be penalized with a misdemeanor charge.

Prior to Tuesdays meeting, it was noted that this is not a new ordinance. The last time the city redid zoning ordinances, the revision to illegal parking ordinance was unintentionally neglected.

Citizen Nancy Cox, who spoke to the Council during Thursdays meeting, said she felt it was important that citizens understand that. She believes more education about city ordinances would help.

The city will engage in a very strong public information campaign regarding this, said Mayor Starnes in acknowledgement of Coxs comments.

He later added, well try to avoid as many surprises as we can.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/03/26

As we approach the seventh anniversary of the Sewol tragedy, perhaps inevitably the event has taken on connotations less of a contemporary disaster and more of a historical event. While "Yellow Ribbon" was filmed in 2019, the people spotlighted in this documentary also find themselves seeing that day increasingly as an abstraction. This is true even of those people who lost someone they loved at Sewol, though "Yellow Ribbon" has the unique approach of focusing on people who were less directly affected- those who wear the iconic yellow ribbon.

If you've ever seen a yellow ribbon in South Korea, by the way, that's its intended meaning. Remembrance of the Sewol tragedy was a simple symbolic act that turned into nigh-revolutionary necessity as the presiding government refused to make a serious investigation of just what exactly happened. "Yellow Ribbon" features a lot of footage of the protests but is often short on the context, expecting viewers who had watched it unfold at the time to remember the big moments.

Take the scene of old people handing out free pizzas, for example, which is inexplicable until you remember that this was a part of a counter-protest to a hunger strike by Sewol survivors. But most of "Yellow Ribbon" avoids such grotesque dimensions. Centered around five people with distinct reactions and memories both to Sewol at the time and the following years, the discussion tilts toward the unavoidably personal. Take one graduate student, a high school student when the tragedy happened, who herself had gone on a school trip to Jeju Island by ferry only just recently.

A schoolteacher at the time of the tragedy tells a similarly dark story of just being haunted by the question of what if she had been there with her kids? Would she have saved them? For her, the personal conflict is neverending. Hence why she continues to wear the yellow ribbon. Another man who ran a cafe near the semi-permanent protest site at Gwanghwamun Square just can't stop thinking about all the protestors helplessly waiting for answers about the tragedy that never came.

One human rights activist was just stunned in disbelief by the fact that the people trapped on the ferry weren't saved right away. She remembers still her very first thought, that everything would be fine. One man just had his love of boats destroyed, finding himself unable to use the instrument of his work to help the sinking ferry in sight of his normal route. He's since allowed survivors the use of his own home as they grieve at the sight of their family's passing.

"Yellow Ribbon" is simultaneously haunting but also hopelessly abstract. I mean that both literally and figuratively. The five interviewees, as well as the context director Joo Hyeon-sook provides, suggest that even their secondhand trauma is permanent. They may not ever move on, or want to. However, this same sense of abstraction makes "Yellow Ribbon" poorly suited as a purely informational documentary. As a window into human emotion, however, this production is top notch.

Review by William Schwartz

___________



"Yellow Ribbon" is directed by Joo Hyeon-sook. Release date in Korea: 2021/04/01.
London, March 27 : England fast bowler Jofra Archer will undergo a surgery on his right hand following a scan and subsequent consultant review.

Archer, who returned to England on Tuesday, was also given an injection for the right elbow injury that ruled him out of the current ODI series versus India.

The surgery on Archer's hand will take place on March 29, so that he can recover during the planned break following his elbow injection.

Archer suffered a cut to his hand while cleaning at his home in January shortly before flying out to India to prepare for the Test series. The injury was managed by the ECB's medical team through the tour and it did not impact his availability.

Further investigation and a specialist opinion was sought upon his return to England. In conjunction with the ECB medical panel, it has been decided that a surgery is the best option to manage his injury in the longer term.

The 25-year-old fast bowler was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series against India and will also miss the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

While Archer played only two of the four Tests in India, the first and the third, he played all five T20 Internationals before getting ruled out of the ODI series.
The state has approved two regional COVID-19 vaccination sites in West Springfield and Chicopee, which will be operated by more than 10 communities that joined together to give residents better access to hard-to-get shots.

But the sites, at The Big E in West Springfield and the Castle of Knights in Chicopee, have not received doses of the vaccine yet. The state Department of Public Health has not released any information about how many will be delivered and when they will be received.

It is great news and it will be even better news when they get the vaccines, said state Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee. I am hopeful that when the site opens it will help to alleviate barriers to vaccine access.

We are thrilled, absolutely thrilled, West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt said. Everyone that is involved in this is very happy.

West Springfield in February had a small vaccination site at the Senior Center, where 100 shots were being administered a week. But the state stopped providing doses to small locally run sites to focus on the seven mass vaccination sites, only one of which is in Western Massachusetts, at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield. Chicopee also received approvals to run a vaccination site at the RiverMills Senior Center but never received any vaccines.

In February both were told the state would only provide doses to sites that could inoculate up to 750 people a day, so communities joined forces to create regional vaccination sites.

West Springfield partnered with Agawam, Westfield, Southwick, Granville and Tolland to open a site with the assistance of the Hampden County Sheriffs Department and staff at the Eastern States Exposition. It originally applied with just Westfield and Agawam to open a regional site at The Big E, and when that was rejected in late February, officials added the hilltown communities and tried again, Reichelt said.

Chicopee joined with South Hadley and Granby to open a site on Memorial Drive. Holyoke was also included in the application letter and Sean Gonsalves, the citys health director, confirmed the community is providing staff and resources for the site. But Holyoke was not included in the official approval letter sent on Friday by the Department of Public Health.

I dont think it matters because it is regional and we are running the site and my Vaccination Task Force is taking the lead, said Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau, explaining he expects Holyoke to be involved. Now our goal is to get doses into peoples arms.

He thanked the citys partners, Gov. Charlie Baker and his administration and Wagner and other legislators who advocated to help get the site approved.

Every day, city staff has been listening to the frustration of residents who are tired of searching for an appointment to no avail, Vieau said. This new site gets us one step closer to meeting that demand and it will bring us closer to the end of this pandemic. This is such encouraging news for the local communities it will serve.

Some details still have to be worked out, but Reichelt said once does are available people should be able to register for an appointment on the states website to get a vaccine specifically at one of the sites.

Several officials said they are hoping the sites will begin to be supplied with doses by mid-April. They continue to encourage people who are eligible for a vaccine to take any appointment they can get because it is uncertain when the sites will be opened.

The regional partners will be able to set aside up to 25% of the available vaccines for residents of their communities. The remaining 75% of the doses will be open to anyone eligible no matter where they live, Wagner said after discussing the sites with the MaryLou Sudders, state secretary of Health and Human Services.

The site will be ideal for Agawam, since The Big E is just over the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge from the city line, Mayor William Sapelli said.

There are still a number of older people who were eligible to be vaccinated in February who still have not received a shot, and Sapelli said he feels some have just gotten too frustrated in trying to make an appointment or could not get to the Eastfield Mall and gave up.

Its also going to help get teachers, crossing guards, noon attendants and custodians vaccinated as schools begin to reopen, with all elementary students attending class in person five days a week starting April 5, Sapelli said.

Its especially important in Agawam. We are going full-in for kindergarten to grade five and it is not just teachers who need to be vaccinated, it is all school staff, he said.

Mayors said their focus is now to make sure all the logistics are in place at the two sites so they are prepared to inoculate people as soon as the vaccines arrive.

We are excited about getting the doses, Vieau said. Now the hard work begins to make sure we have a safe, professional, well-organized site.

Related content:
New Delhi: India recorded over 62,000 new COVID-19 cases that took the country's active count to 4.52 lakh, the Union Health Ministry announced on Saturday (March 27, 2021).

According to official data, 62,258 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours in India, which took the country's total caseload to 1.19 crore, of which, 1.12 crore have recovered, while, 1.61 lakh have succumbed to the virus.

Maharashtra, the worst COVID-19-hit state in India, added the most to the total tally in the last 24 hours. The state reported 36,902 coronavirus confirmed cases on Friday, its highest one-day rise since the pandemic began. The sudden surge has now also led Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to order a night curfew in the entire state from March 28.

Earlier on Friday, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare also rushed two High-Level multidisciplinary teams to Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. These teams will reportedly work with the respective State and UT Government to ascertain the reasons for the surge, assist in undertaking gap analysis and recommend requisite COVID-19 control and containment measures.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that India's total COVID-19 vaccinations have touched 5.81 crores. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, reportedly the world's largest coronavirus vaccination campaign, kicked off on January 16, 2021.

Live TV
Hong Kong Epoch Times Host Threatened by Chinese Police After Organ Harvesting Report

A current affairs host at the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times was recently threatened by police in mainland China, who sent her a message: Stop broadcasting programs, or face arrest under the new national security law.

Rachel Wong, host of the Hong Kong Epoch Times Cantonese-language talk shows Shi Shans Outlook and Whats Wrong, said she believed she was targeted by the Chinese regime for exposing its crime of forced organ harvesting in a recent program.

Wong, who hosts daily shows on YouTube covering topics related to the regime in Beijing, reported evidence of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China on a program on March 12. Four days later, a family friend based in mainland China was contacted by local authorities.

Wong told Epoch Times affiliate NTD TV that she received a message from a relative on March 16, telling her that a family friend had been called in for questioning by public security officers in her hometown in mainland China.

The police used threats to try to coerce the friend into pressuring Wong not to do [Epoch Times] programs anymore under the current political climate.

They asked the friend, If the national security law is used against [Epoch Times staff] and targets them in the future and, as a result, Wongs parents no longer have a daughter, it would be very sad, right? according to Wong.

Last year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed a draconian national security law on Hong Kong that punishes what Beijing deems to be acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Since the legislation took effect in July 2020, the CCP has used the law to drastically curtail freedoms in the city, arresting and charging dozens of pro-democracy figures for alleged violations of the legislation.

Many fear the national security law will further restrict press freedom in the city. With much of Hong Kongs media adopting pro-Beijing stances, The Epoch Times is one of the few local media outlets that cover the CCPs abuses in China, Hong Kong, and abroad.

Wong suspects the recent harassment is the result of a program she hosted two weeks ago, exposing the CCPs practice of killing imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners for their organs.

It is the most in-depth episode exposing the CCP since I have begun working in the media, she said.

During the program, Wong played two audio recordings, including a recording of testimony from a police officer who was on duty at the scene of an organ harvesting operation in Liaoning Province.

Transcript of the recording of an armed polices testimony, who was on duty at the scene of an organ harvesting operation in Liaoning Province. (Screenshot from YouTube)

Transcript of the recording of an armed polices testimony, who was on duty at the scene of an organ harvesting operation in Liaoning Province. (Screenshot from YouTube)

The other was of former Commerce Minister Bo Xilai acknowledging that former CCP leader Jiang Zemin had issued commands to kill Falun Gong adherents and sell their organs for profit.

The latter was recorded from a phone call in September 2006 to the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg, where Bo stayed during a visit to Hamburg, Germany, accompanying then-Premier Wen Jiabao.

The transcripts were published online by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, a U.S.-based advocacy group, in 2016.

In 2019, an independent peoples tribunal found, after a year-long investigation, that the CCP was harvesting the organs of prisoners of consciencemainly Falun Gong practitionerson a significant scale. Practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual meditation discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, have been brutally persecuted by the Chinese regime for more than two decades. Millions of adherents have been imprisoned, and hundreds of thousands have been tortured, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center.

While this is the third time Wong has received a threatening message from Chinese public security officials, she asserted that she wouldnt be cowed.

[The CCP] fears the most when it comes to its scandals, such as genocide, mass extermination, and live organ harvesting, she said. If you hide it away, or if you shut the voice down or take a step back, its actually more dangerous.

Wong had a message for the CCP: Any threat or any action they make to me in the future, I will make it public. I do live shows every day, and I can say it every day.
A female infant found dead March 19 at an apartment in Monroe County was killed, authorities announced Friday.

Ryann Bacchus, 2 months old, died of blunt force trauma to the head inflicted on or about March 19, Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac Jr. said in ruling her death homicide, according to a news release from First Assistant Michael Mancuso in the county district attorneys office.

The trauma to the childs head resulted in multiple skull fractures, Mancuso said following an autopsy.

Three people have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy in relation to the childs death, according to the DAs office.

Homicide charges have not yet been filed against anyone, Mancuso says in the release.

Pocono Mountain Regional police said officers were called for the report of a dead infant March 19 at the apartment on Route 447 in Barrett Township. Present at the time were the childs mother, Amanda Green, and Tony Kristiansen, who lives in the apartment and had dialed 911, police said in a news release.

The infants father, Lamont Bacchus, had left the apartment prior to Green and Kristiansen finding the infant dead, police said.

Investigators said they determined Bacchus had assaulted Green earlier that morning or late the previous night, and that he was also found in possession of three bags of heroin. He faces additional charges of simple assault, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police learned Kristiansens 8-year-old daughter also lived in the apartment, but that he had removed her prior to dialing 911, according to the police news release.

Investigation revealed that there was at least an hour and a half delay in calling for any medical assistance for the infant and that Kristiansen had delivered 10 bags of heroin to Green and Bacchus, as well as cleaning up the scene and removing drugs from the house prior to calling for police, the release states.

Kristiansen is also charged with drug possession and drug possession with intent to deliver, as well as tampering with evidence.

Green, 29, and Bacchus, 31, both of New Castle, Delaware, and Kristiansen, 29, remained Friday in the Monroe County prison in lieu of bail, awaiting preliminary hearings to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send their cases toward trial in county court.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
It was while sitting in my wifes car in a recreation park in Moncks Corner that the world manifested itself. I was there for a vaccination. So were hundreds and hundreds of others.

As our vehicles moved progressively forward, men and women from the National Guard provided information and direction. Just seeing them in full camo uniforms lent a certain seriousness to the occasion. This fight, against this virus, feels like a war.

Sitting in the passenger seat, it was interesting to watch all the vehicles proceed in an orderly manner. I couldnt help but wonder about each occupants particular circumstances. Had any of them contracted the virus? Had they lost any loved ones in the last year?

It doesnt take very long to sit in a parking lot at one of these mass inoculation sites to gain a sobering understanding of what the entire world has been facing.

There was a time, not that long ago, Id hear doubtful people ask if I actually knew anybody who was battling COVID-19. I dont seem to hear that question much anymore.

I lowered my window to sign some paperwork. The directions were now being given by nurses and health care workers. I found myself wondering about their individual concerns and circumstances during this past year, as well.

An arms race

As our vehicle pulled to a designated spot, a young man walked to my window and asked my name and date of birth. Even with my mask and sunglasses, he said, from the news, is that you?

I figured he was too young to remember my glory days, but he kindly made this old man feel at ease and calmly advised me on what to expect.

I had been informed that this injection was designed to go directly into the muscle. It did. The tech applied a Band-Aid and wished me good luck. I felt obliged to thank him and his co-workers for their devotion to their jobs.

Im sure I was just another person who rolled up his sleeve. But you couldnt help notice that there were people all over this parking lot doing the same thing.

This was one vaccination location, in one county, in one remote corner of our country. It did a body good to see so many people doing their part.

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We spent the next 15 minutes in another parking spot. This was required to allow for any adverse reaction that might develop.

When that time elapsed and all was well, we were allowed to exit.

Doing the right thing

Remember how it felt to help your neighbor after Hurricane Hugo? How bout after 9/11? Do you recall how so many Americans wanted to help our country heal? And in those heartbreaking days following the Emanuel AME Church shooting, remember the resolve we felt as a community to hold and help each other?

Thats some of what I felt that day as we left Moncks Corner and turned onto Highway 52 for the ride back to Charleston.

It was uplifting to see so many people in line, doing the right thing. Its not only doing whats best for yourself, but also for your family, your neighbor and yes, for your country.

Ive heard some of the stories about certain locations running out of vaccines although people with appointments were still in line. I know of folks who drove long distances, only to be left with nothing but a long drive back home.

It seems to be getting better. I believe my appointment was changed four or five times.

Dont give up. Dont despair. Im scheduled for my second shot sometime in April.

You may experience some of the same feelings that washed over me in that Berkeley County parking lot. Things will only get better, though, if we follow the science and receive the shots as provided.

Do the right thing, for yourself  and the rest of us.
The White House is considering supporting a move by India and South Africa before the World Trade Organization on emergency temporary waiver of some Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules so that greater supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and diagnostic tests can be produced globally, a media report has said.

Such a positive consideration by the Joe Biden administration comes after more than 60 lawmakers, mostly progressives, and a large number of rights and non-profit pharma bodies have approached the White House to support the move of India and South Africa along with hundreds of other nations that have urgently gone to the WTO seeking a time-limited waiver of the TRIPS agreement.

The previous Trump administration had opposed such a move. The Indian Embassy here has also reached out to several lawmakers, including the members of the Indian Caucus, advocacy groups and administration in this regard. The temporary TRIPS waiver would allow countries and manufacturers to directly access and share technologies to produce vaccines and therapeutics without causing trade sanctions or international disputes.

"The White House is weighing whether to suspend intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, in response to pressure from developing nations and subsequent support from progressive lawmakers, according to three sources familiar with the matter," CNBC news said.

According to the news report, the White House convened a meeting of deputy-level policymakers on March 22, but they reached no final decision. "The view is 'We're not safe until the world is safe,' one of the sources said of the support from progressives on Capitol Hill."

At a news conference early this month, Congressmen Rosa DeLauro, Jan Schakowsky, Earl Blumenauer, Lloyd Doggett, Adriano Espaillat, and Andy Levin urged President Joe Biden to support an emergency temporary waiver at the WTO as requested by countries led by India and South Africa.

The lawmakers said in the coming times more than 60 US representatives would collectively write to Biden to announce support for the TRIPS waiver proposed by India and South Africa at the WTO.

The temporary TRIPS waiver would allow countries and manufacturers to directly access and share technologies to produce vaccines and therapeutics without causing trade sanctions or international disputes, they said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also written a letter to Biden in this regard supporting the cause of the progressive members of her party, who now enjoy considerable influence in the Democratic Party.

CNBC said the move would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines. The United States has so far approved three vaccine shots: one developed by American company Pfizer and German-based BioNTech, another produced by U firm Moderna and the third made by American company Johnson & Johnson, it said.

"As part of rebuilding our alliances, we are exploring every avenue to coordinate with our global partners and are evaluating the efficacy of this specific proposal by its true potential to save lives," USTR spokesman Adam Hodge told CNBC. Pharma companies and the US Chambers of Commerce have opposed any move to support India and South Africa at the WTO.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccine: Top UN officials thank India for gifting 200,000 doses

Also read: Supplied more COVID-19 vaccines globally than immunising own people: India tells UN
There, a 30-year-old man, who police said holds a concealed carry license, was with two other people who were being pistol-whipped by a 26-year-old man. It escalated when the 26-year-old then began to shoot the gun at the 30-year-old, who pulled his own gun and shot the 26-year-old in the buttocks, police said. The 30-year-old showed up at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was also in police custody. No charges have been announced.
SHELTON  The long-discussed work on the Derby-Shelton bridge over the Housatonic River will begin this week.

The state Department of Transportation announced last week that the repair and reconfiguration of the bridge  primarily intended to improve access for both cyclists and pedestrians  will start April 1.

The proposed work, according to state officials, includes the moving several utilities and an overall realignment of traffic with a final configuration of three 11-foot travel lanes, two sidewalks  5-foot and roughly 8-foot  and a 10-foot bike lane.

The parapets will be built to meet new safety standards with the current historic shape and finish. The existing lighting will also be upgraded and include decorative light standards.

Emergency Management Director Michael Maglione said Bridge Street, between Howe Avenue and Route 34 in Derby, will be open for two-way traffic.

Mohawk Northeast, Inc. Construction, which won the $6.3 million contract for the work, will maintain a minimum of one 11-foot travel lane in each direction during construction.

Mohawk has shown a willingness to work on the bridge following the best safety measures possible while helping to maintain a normal traffic flow, Maglione said.

Work will begin on the northern side of the structure and progress to the center of the bridge and finish with the reconstruction of the southern parapet. Access to and from the Derby Greenway will be maintained except during the actual construction of an upgraded access point, officials said.

Mohawks bid was almost $1.5 million below its pre-bid estimate on the work, completion of which should be November 2023, officials said.

I am pleased we were able to secure the funds, and I want to thank the Bond Commission for its assistance in making this grant a reality, state Rep. Jason Perillo, R-113, said.

Perillo acknowledged the assistance of Rick Dunne, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments executive director, and Jim Ryan, formerly the president of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, for their invaluable assistance in moving this project forward.

The Derby-Shelton Bridge has tremendous historic value, Perillo said. It was built in 1918 and is one of only a dozen concrete arch bridges in the state. It originally carried two sets of trolley tracks in addition to the vehicular lanes.

This work will help restore the bridge to its original historic feel and will complement in-process redevelopment projects in downtown Shelton, Perillo said.

The project is designed to create an aesthetically pleasing public space along the Derby-Shelton Bridge and provide an attractive gateway that is pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly to the downtown areas, according to Dunne.

Initial funding to get the project started was obtained through the efforts of Perillo and fellow state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria along with former state Reps. Themis Klarides and Linda Gentile.

The project design was performed by AECOM under contract with NVCOG. Details include the replacement of bridge parapet walls, the removal of existing lighting and replacement with period-style light, colored LED up-lighting that will accent the archways and parapets from below the bridge, a second travel lane for traffic heading to Derby, new pavement and curbing, and the shifting of the travel lanes to accommodate wider sidewalks on the south side of the bridge and a cycle track.

The project marks the second major element of a three-part plan developed by the NVCOG to improve traffic flow and pedestrian experience connecting Derby and Shelton, Dunne said.

Beginning with the expansion of the Atwater Bridge crossing of the Naugatuck River on Route 34, which was completed in 2017, the three projects span two rivers from the east bank of the Naugatuck River through downtown Derby and across to the west bank of the Housatonic River at Canal Street in Shelton, Dunne said.

The final phase, Dunne said, is a complete reconstruction of Main and lower Elizabeth streets in Derby, which will be advertised for bid by July 2021. The Main Street project is expected to be completed in 2024.

The Derby-Shelton Bridge project will also offer connectivity with the existing Housatonic Riverwalk trail network in Shelton and the Naugatuck River Greenway in Derby. The project limits will extend from the Bridge Street intersection with Main Street in Derby to the west end of the Derby-Shelton Bridge and along the southeast ramp to Canal Street.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
For Dan Ford, the fight to save the Bridge Academy and Community Center is, in many ways, a fight hes been in for decades -- a struggle for opportunity and sense of place.

The Bridge, a collective of various community organizations located at the old Sargent Card-Clothing Building at 300 Southbridge St. in Worcester is in danger of vanishing. The building, which Ford is the property manager of, is under contract to a buyer. If it sells, Ford and others at the center say theyll be forced out.

The Bridge was given two weeks to come up with $1 million to purchase the building. A community campaign, Save the Bridge, was formed to help fundraise that million dollars. As of the publication of this article, the Save The Bridge fundraiser has two days left and a little more than $50,000 raised.

When I was a kid, I was in a bad way and my school system didnt understand a kid like me, said Ford. Which was, more or less, I learned with my hands. So, I found myself on the street.

While on the street, Ford met a man that owned an auto shop. He told Ford to come in whenever the street was hot. He didnt require anything from him other than that he watch how the garage works and learn.

That opportunity changed his life, Ford says.

Just a couple of years later, Ford found himself off the street and the owner of his own auto shop, East Coast Autowerks, on Washington St. in Worcester.

It just shows that you can make a decent living with your hands, with the technical background, said Ford. Ive had my shop for over 20 years now. Im doing so well that I find myself wanting to give back to the neighborhood.

While working at his garage, Ford found himself offering the same sort of mentorship and teaching that helped guide him in his teenage years. He quickly realized that having a dedicated space for teaching would be more impactful.

And then he had a chance encounter with an old friend, Benjamin Mantyla, who just so happened to be part of a trust that owned the old 19th-century mill building that was in need of upkeep and a renter.

A community campaign to fundraise the million dollars needed to purchase the building, Save The Bridge says it will formally incorporate a youth arts and trades school on the site. (Tom Matthews | MassLive)

The two worked out a deal where Ford would manage the property and get to use the space for his community work. He got to work right away cleaning up and breathing life back into a building that had sat lifeless for years, harboring trash and debris.

I took maybe 10 30-yard containers of trash out of that place, said Ford.

And it was when a friend needed a place to stay that Ford saw the full potential for the more than 3,000-square-foot building, which is known as the The Bridge.

The plans are to create a bridge between the divide, said Ford. To do that, Ford began reaching out and connecting with other community organizations to unite them as one central collective at 300 Southbridge St.

Today, the building has come to be known as The Bridge Academy and Community Center. Inside, Fords vision of various community organizations coming together to help local youth to learn and pursue their interests has come to fruition with nine programs already, or planning, to call the building home.

Those programs include The Bridge Academy, Crash Course Creations, Jubilee Career for the Performing Arts, Inc., Worcester Youth Cooperatives, El Salon, Side Note Programs, Worcester Free Fridge, R and R Jerk Chicken and StandUp for Kids. Lots of other individuals and groups are involved, too, such as Worcester Bike Life, Worcide, artist group Cop JuJu and more.

A community campaign to fundraise the million dollars needed to purchase the building, Save The Bridge says it will formally incorporate a youth arts and trades school on the site. (Tom Matthews | MassLive)

The community of artists, educators and craftspeople find themselves at risk of losing the space theyve worked hard to make their own.

The buildings owner Benjamin Mantyla, who is a member of the Talbert family trust and represents the Talbert family, recently told Ford that a developer had made an offer to purchase the building, and in the interest of family and other members of the trust, they were going to accept it unless the collective could purchase it themselves.

Several attempts by MassLive to reach Mantyla for comment were unsuccessful, but Kelleher & Sadowsky, the real estate company that has listed the building for sale, confirmed the building is under contract.

A community campaign to fundraise the million dollars needed to purchase the building, Save The Bridge says it will formally incorporate a youth arts and trades school on the site. (Tom Matthews | MassLive)

One of Worcesters iconic diners, Miss Worcester Diner, also sits on the 300 Southbridge St. property and would be part of the sale if finalized. Owner Kim Kniskern says there are three possible outcomes for the diner if the property is sold. One, the new owner would continue to let the Kniskern lease the diner. Two, the diner would be sold to her. Or three, she is bought out of her current lease by the new owner.

Im hoping to continue to lease it or buy it straight up, said Kniskern. I want to see the Bridge get the funding and money that they need. And then they would turn around and sell me the deed if they come up with the funds to take over the building.

Members of the Bridges board say it will be a devastating loss if the building is sold, both for the folks involved in the Bridge and the larger Worcester community. But, they say, the work theyve put in there will continue either way.

Vanessa Calixto, who is a board member for the Bridge and serves as director for El Salon, an intentional and inclusive space for BIPOC creatives to feel empowered, says the building has been an important place for Worcester artists.

It was created because I saw the lack of diversity in the artist spaces here in Worcester, said Calixto, speaking on El Salon. ... Children are artistic and creative and they should be able to enter institutions and spaces like that and feel that they are a part of that story, that their creativity matters and their ideas matter. Thats why El Salon was created. And weve been able to do so many events here through El Salon and through Dans good graces of just sharing the space with us.

To board member Frankie Franco, the Bridge represents hope  its an amusement park of dreams, he says.

A community campaign to fundraise the million dollars needed to purchase the building, Save The Bridge says it will formally incorporate a youth arts and trades school on the site. (Tom Matthews | MassLive)

Theres a lot of changes happening in Worcester and the Worcester I know and love is changing, said Franco. I feel like if we are able to purchase this building, it will bring a lot of hope, not only to myself, but to a lot of people who live in the community because we are able to keep some things that we know and love about Worcester within this building.

And while people often say youth are the future, they are also the present, Franco says, and communities need to invest in their success, especially those who do not excel academically.

Youth are going through stuff today right now, said Franco. And this place, the Bridge, will be a lot of help to them to try and navigate their own lives and try to gain the skills that they need in order to thrive in life, with whatever they want to do.

If purchased, Franco says the collective will then focus on making repairs and renovations needed to operate a youth arts and trades school on site.

We will renovate the building to meet the needs of the programs it houses and make structural and safety repairs as they are needed, Save The Bridge posted in its fundraiser. We will fund Community Services, Health Services, Educational Services and Student Boarding. We also will preserve the Miss Worcester Diner, all appropriate amenities and easements, for the current leaseholder and operator to purchase.

A big part of the Bridges identity is the free fridge that sits right outside the buildings main entrance.

A community campaign to fundraise the million dollars needed to purchase the building, Save The Bridge says it will formally incorporate a youth arts and trades school on the site. (Tom Matthews | MassLive)

The program was set up by Lucy Barrett, a Clark University student, to help combat food insecurity in the city. According to board members, people come day and night to drop off and take food.

I think its really important for this fridge to have a group of people that care about it, said Barrett. When I was originally looking for a host, I just wanted someone to say yes. But I have realized that its not possible for just one person to sustain this. There needs to be many moving parts and many individuals who really believe in this mission.

Barrett says for those who look at the building and see a lot of empty space, it might be hard to understand why its worth saving. And in order to understand, one needs to experience the Bridge.

We are at this crazy tide pool between the development downtown, the ballpark and Kelley Square, and the neighborhood of Green Island, said Barrett. I think that saving the Bridge is not just about saving this empty building and the community organizations that make up the Bridge, but its also about allowing Worcester to keep growing as a community that believes in and celebrates the people.

Bridge board member John Powers says if all of the players involved, the trust, interested buyer and city, can see whats at stake here, they might want to do a different project in the neighborhood  and still see economic development from the Bridge.

Were all aware, in this neighborhood, that its not going to be very long before all of these buildings are going to be up for sale, leveled and turned into market-rate condos, said Powers. We understand that the march of progress is on. We just want to be able to re-direct that momentum to provide for the community as well in a way that everybody profits.

Powers says local and state leaders have caught the attention of the campaign and are throwing their support behind the movement.

Weve found quite a lot of money thats available from both the state and several other public and private grant programs to partner with trades in their apprenticeship to make the repairs on this building in a timely and affordable way, said Powers.

On Saturday, the Save The Bridge campaign will hold a rally to celebrate the Bridge and all those who have come together in support of the space, whatever its future may be.

To learn more about the Save The Bridge, or to donate, you can visit their campaign here.

Related Content:
As oil and gas prices rally after an abysmal year, companies may be pushing their luck by greenwashing in their advertising. According to a New York Times article, for years, oil and gas firms have been using their commercials to greenwash their image. Big energy firms, who produce and export predominantly fossil fuels, may have been overplaying their commitment to climate change, the article explains.

Chevrons new commercial is a prime example of this greenwashing, playing on the emotions of families buying into the companys fuel by portraying a father-son relationship with Chevron lighting their way. Yet, more recently the company has faced controversy as an oil refinery in California was responsible for the leaking of 600 gallons of petroleum and water mix into San Francisco bay.

Environmental groups are accusing Chevron of misleading consumers about its move away from fossil fuels for greener alternatives and have filed a first-of-its-kind complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

According to Global Witness, Greenpeace USA, and Earthworks, while viewers are led to believe that Chevron is pursuing cleaner energy solutions, it may actually increase absolute emissions over the coming years.

Chevron replied to this complaint by saying We engage in honest conversations about the energy transition..

Following Bidens election pledge for clean energy and the Keystone XL crude pipeline cancellation, the allegation is getting more attention than similar complaints under previous administrations. Environmental organizations are seeing this as their chance to get more support from a government that is less pro-big oil, as well as drawing public attention through media coverage.

However, we cannot overlook Chevrons announcement earlier this month of a pathway to achieve net-zero over the coming decade. The firm has also set the goal of reducing emissions per barrel by one-third over the next seven years.

To achieve such goals, Chevron stated the need for big offset markets, many big technology breakthroughs, and changes in policy over the next decade.

Related: 13 Million Barrels Of Oil Could Be Affected By Suez Canal Blockage

However, Chevron is not the only company to be accused of greenwashing in recent years. Four U.S. states and the District of Columbia have accused oil companies of greenwashing by making misleading and deceptive claims, although those companies have not been named in the lawsuit.

The FTC has been addressing this type of complaint since the 1990s. In 1996, in a case against Exxon, the FTC said it was the latest in a series of cases challenging deceptive advertising claims for high octane fuel and it is an issue that continues to persist.

In September 2020, The Guardian highlighted five companies whose ads were pulled because of greenwashing; Ryanair, BMW, Fischer Future Heat, Ancol Pet Products, and Shell. The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), much like the FTC, is responsible for ensuring that commercials are not misleading to their viewers.

Greater awareness of the issue could spell trouble for the oil and gas industry as Guy Hayward, the global chief executive of Forsman & Bodenfors, an international ad agency, explains that raising awareness can have knock-on effects. [S]o it becomes a topic in the same way tobacco became a topic. And now I dont know a single person who would work on a tobacco account, he stated.

As the oil and gas industry is fighting back after last years plummet in demand, it is vital that companies communicate their cleaner energy objectives to the public without overstating their position. While fossil fuel is inevitably needed to meet our energy needs over the next few decades, the industry will have to be careful to please regulators and meet government promises for greener oil production.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Support available for both workers and employers over contract disputes



By Chris Cave - Local Democracy Reporter

Help is available to resolve contractual disputes between workers and employers out of court.

The message comes after a tribunal ordered Douglas Borough Council to pay a gully operative more than 5,000 for unlawful deductions of salary.

Guidance is provided on the Manx Industrial Relations Service website for those who think they may have a case.

Industrial Relations Officer Julie Bradley says there is plenty of support on offer:

Media

Contract Dispute Clip
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Investigators said three past students came forward and claimed Jeanette Barbara Valle-Tejeda (above) engaged in sex acts with them

A female high school reading teacher groomed a young student for four years, sexually molesting the girl and even excusing her from other classes so they could be alone, police said.

Jeanette Barbara Valle-Tejeda, 41, also allegedly helped her victim financially and signed her out of school without her mother's permission, reports CBS Miami.

Valle-Tejeda, who has worked at Hialeah high schools in Miami-Dade, Florida for 20 years, now faces multiple charges, including offenses against students by authority figures, engaging in a sexual act with a child and multiple counts of lewd and lascivious battery involving a child.

Investigators said three past students came forward and claimed she engaged in sex acts with them at her home and other schools where she taught. She is being held without bond.

The victim told police that the abuse started when she was 14 and a student at Henry H. Filer Middle School in 2009 and it continued until she turned 18, while she attended Westland Hialeah Senior High School.

An arrest report states, 'The offender groomed Ms. (blank) as a mother figure providing Ms. (blank) financial assistance and other needs. (The victim) visited the subject's residence several times, sleeping overnight at the residence on several occasions.'

Valle-Tejeda, seen here during her arrest, is being held without bond

'The investigation revealed that according to Ms. (blank) the relationship began when she was 14 years old and ended at 18. '

The former student pointed to another alleged victim who told police she and Valle-Tejeda 'were involved in a romantic relationship when she was eleven years old. The offender took advantage of the fact Ms. (blank) was constantly disagreeing with her parents and stepped in as a mother figure.'

The victim told police that the abuse started when she was 14 and a student at Henry H. Filer Middle School (above) in 2009 and it continued until she turned 18, while she attended Westland Hialeah Senior High School

Police confirmed there had been other victims and the Miami-School District said it was shocked by the allegations.

'Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply disturbed about the allegations made against this individual', said a statement.

'As soon as the claims surfaced last month, the employee was removed from the school setting and Miami-Dade Schools Police launched an investigation. The District will be terminating her employment and she will be prevented from seeking future work with this school system.'
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Three teenagers have been charged after a car veered off the road in Hoppers Crossing and rolled on Saturday night, killing a 15-year-old Werribee girl.

Investigators believe the allegedly stolen Subaru Liberty careened off Old Geelong Road in Melbournes south-western suburbs and rolled just after 6.30pm.

The crash scene at Hoppers Crossing on Sunday morning. Credit:Nine News

The girl was taken to hospital where she later died.
YEREVAN.  Past daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: The legal case related to the chief of General Staff of the RA Armed Forces is not only not being resolved, but is further deepening.

And recently, [PM] Nikol Pashinyan introduced the newly appointed chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Artak Davtyan, to the highest officers of the armed forces.

Interesting details about this meeting became known to Past newspaper. According to our government sources, Pashinyan told the generals that as long as he is in power, no commission of inquiry will be set up, no investigation will be conducted in connection with the 44-day [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] war [last fall].

The military was told to be calm, accept Artak Davtyan as chief of the General Staff, discuss among themselves, figure out the shortcomings and mistakes in connection with the [recent] war, and simply work to correct them.

According to rumors circulating behind the scenes, this has also become the reason for the high-ranking officers' more loyal behavior, especially in recent days, although, according to our information, a large part of the generals still hold the same opinion.

It should be reminded that back on February 25, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia had issued a statement demanding the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan and the government.
The Sixers have signed G League Most Valuable Player Paul Reed to a standard contract and Mason Jones to a two-way contract, according to a team press release.

Reed signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia in late November. Playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, Reed was the only player to average at least 22 PPG and 11 RPG during the G League season as he racked up 15 double-doubles.

Drafted in the second round in 2020, Reed has seen action in eight games with Philadelphia.

Jones, a rookie from Arkansas, appeared in 26 games for the Rockets earlier this season on a two-way contract. He was waived earlier this month, then signed a 10-day deal with Houston but the Rockets didnt retain him.

With the Rockets, he averaged 5.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 1.5 APG in 11.8 MPG.

Philadelphia had an open roster spot and didnt need to make a cut to accommodate its moves.
Former Chief Patrol Agents Write to Congress Asking for Help With Border Crisis

Eleven ex-chief border patrol officials wrote a letter to Congress, asking them to address the border crisis.

On behalf of retired Chiefs of the United States Border Patrol, we write with grave concern regarding the current crisis on the southwest border. It is time to address our broken immigration system as well as the push and pull factors encouraging mass migration, and its impacts on border security, reads the letter obtained by Breitbart.

The letter is directed to Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Four of the letters co-authors previously acted as Chief of the Border Patrol, several others were agency heads in the Department of Homeland Security.

There is an unprecedented number of unaccompanied children arriving at the southern border. The rate at which children are arriving on a daily basis will likely eclipse the previous crises. In February, the number of unaccompanied children totaled 9,500, a 61 percent increase from January, the letter reads.

Push factors such as poverty, violence, governance, and a lack of economic opportunity have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the change in administrations, strong signals in policy changes and security postures at the border has created a hyper acceleration in the number of undocumented migrants seeking to enter the United States.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), border patrol apprehended 100,441 illegal immigrants at the southern border in February, representing a 28 percent increase compared to January.

Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump harshly criticized the Biden administration over its policies at the border.

In respect of the growing number of illegal crossings, Trump told Fox News host Lisa Boothe in a podcast, Theyll be coming up by the millions.

He warned that the situation will likely deteriorate toward more severe levels.

Its nothing compared to whats going to be in a couple of months, Trump predicted. As I said before, you have some very bad hombres coming up and were taking them into our country, and its insane.

They go into our country, we never find them again; they never come back, a very tiny percentage comes back, Trump said, referring to the Biden administrations effective return to the Obama-era catch and release policy in which asylum seekers were released into the interior of the country to await a court hearing, often never to be seen again.

Upon taking office, Biden revoked a number of Trumps executive orders regarding immigration policy, including the orders for Resuming the United States Refugee Admissions Program With Enhanced Vetting Capabilities, Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement, and Implementing Immediate Heightened Screening and Vetting of Applications for Visas and Other Immigration Benefits, Ensuring Enforcement of All Laws for Entry Into the United States, and Increasing Transparency Among Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government and for the American People.
UPDATED Wednesday, March 31: Alyssa Elizabeth Garner Cobe, 7, was found Wednesday, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The agency did not release information about where or how she was found.

***

Oregon officials are searching for a 7-year-old girl who went missing from Newport with her mother and is believed to be at risk.

Alyssa Elizabeth Garner Cobe and her mother, Julie Garner, went missing Friday, officials said. The Oregon Department of Human Services is searching for her to assess her safety.

The agency said Alyssa stands 3-foot-10, weighs 63 pounds and has hazel eyes and strawberry blonde hair. Officials believe Garner and her daughter are traveling to Vallejo, California, in a silver 2008 Honda Civic with Oregon license plate No. 942FEF.

Officials ask anyone with information about Alyssa and Garners location to call the Newport Police Department (541-265-3011) or the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline (855-503-7233).

The toll-free hotline allows callers to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services at any time.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding
What can members of Winnipegs Jewish community do to make people of colour feel more at home in their community?

What can members of Winnipegs Jewish community do to make people of colour feel more at home in their community?

That was the question asked Wednesday at an online panel discussion sponsored by the Winnipeg Council of Rabbis, in partnership with the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, as part of the citys anti-racism week.

The discussion followed an instalment of True Colours, a collection of monologues exploring the lives of Jews of colour. For panellist Laurelle Harris, most of her experiences as a "Black Jewish queer" in the Jewish community in Winnipeg "have been quite lovely."

But there have also been times when "it was clear folks didnt understand what it was like to be racialized and a Jew in this town... there was some pretty overt racism in some places."

This included being mistaken for domestic help or wait staff at community events. The Jewish community is a "place of simultaneous inclusion and exclusion," she said, encouraging rabbis "to find ways to make spaces safer."

Jessica Cogans parents are Jews from India, part of the Bene Israel Jews who originate in Mumbai, also known as the Black Jews.

She spoke about the times she was uncomfortable when jokes were told that marginalize people of colour. People often dont call that out because "you dont want to be the problem person, you want to fit in," she said.

That included herself.

"For me, a big part of my upbringing and as an adult, the driving force, was fitting in... There were many times with extended family, with friends, with others in the Jewish community, they would joke or use an offensive Indian accent, but you laugh along because you dont want to be that person that sticks out," she said.

The challenge for Winnipeg, said Rabbi Allan Finkel of Temple Shalom, is the community was almost entirely founded by white Ashkenazi Jews who originated in Eastern Europe.

The community is "not as intrinsically diverse as other Canadian cities," he said, and it is easy for Jews of colour "to feel put upon, labelled externally."

Individuals "will do stupid things," he said, but "as a community, we have to set absolute and high standards."

Rabbi Kliel Rose of Congregation Etz Chayim said he believes anti-racism "has to start on an individual basis"  including with him.

"I thought I was an open and tolerant person, but it turns out when I have a lot of biases, I make a lot of assumptions about other people," he said. "If it happens for me, it has to be happening to others, too."

While proud of what is happening in the Jewish community to address marginalization and racism, "more needs to be done," Rose said.

"What kind of lens are we using to ensure our peripheral vision of including people is wider?" Rose asked. "As a rabbi, some people of colour come to me saying theyve never felt accepted in the Jewish community... I think we are capable of doing better."

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Washington, March 27 : At least two people were killed and eight others injured in multiple shootings that took place in the US state of Virginia, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the incidents took place at around 11 p.m. on Friday near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, Xinhua news agency reported.

While one person was shot dead in a crossfire with police at the oceanfront, the second was pronounced dead in "a separate shooting incident" that needs further investigation, Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate told reporters.

"What you can see is we have a very chaotic incident, a very chaotic night in the Beach. Many different crime scenes," he added.

Friday night's incidents came after the country witnessed two massacres earlier this month.

On March 16, multiple shootings in spas and massage parlours in Atlanta, Georgia, claimed the lives of eight people, among whom six were Asian women.

On March 22, a Syrian immigrant killed 10 people, including a police officer, at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder city, Colorado.
New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday took strong note of the sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country and advised as many as 12 states and Union Territories of taking stringent action, including effective containment and contact tracing.

A review meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan with additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries (Health and Family Welfare) of these states and municipal commissioners and district collectors highlighted that while 90 per cent people are aware, only 44 per cent actually wear face masks.

The ministry also suggested that the states should increase testing in all districts. "Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) to be mostly deployed as a screening tool in flushing out cluster cases from densely populated areas," the ministry said.

Centre noted that one infected person could spread the virus to an average of 406 individuals in a 30-day window without restrictions.

"One infected person could spread COVID-19 to an average of 406 other individuals in a 30-day window without restrictions which could be reduced to just 15 by decreasing physical exposure to 50 per cent and to a further 2.5 (average) by decreasing physical exposure to 75 per cent," the ministry said.

A significant increase in testing and ensuring compliance of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to help in curbing the spread of the virus in these 12 states and UTs has been suggested. These 12 states and Union Territories are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab and Bihar.

The Centre also asked states and UTs to give renewed attention to ensuring 'COVID-appropriate behaviour' in crowded places like markets, inter-state bus stands, schools, colleges, railway stations, etc.

Also, the ministry asked the states to make advance planning of logistics and infrastructure management for past 45 days or so as many unchecked spread of infection among the community may overwhelm the local administration.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) recorded a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donbas throughout the day, March 25, according to the website of the international organization.

"In Donetsk region, the Mission recorded 493 ceasefire violations, most of them shots and bursts of small-arms fire. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 89 ceasefire violations in the region," the Mission said in a daily report, published on its website on March 26.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded one ceasefire violation.

Small-arms were fired near an SMM patrol in government-controlled Pavlopil, Donetsk region.

In addition, the Mission recorded ten howitzers, 15 tanks and one multiple launch rocket system deployed in violation of disengagement lines at three test ranges in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.

According the OSCE, following the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on July 22, 2020, at which an agreement was reached on additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire, starting from 00:01 on July 27, 2020 and until now, the SMM has recorded at least 12,000 violations ceasefire regime in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including 4,692 explosions, 1,540 projectiles in flight, 154 muzzle flares, 63 illumination flares, and at least 6,926 bursts and shots.
2022 Nissan Ariya Right size, right vehicle, right time, right price

By Thom Cannell

Senior Editor And Technology Desk Chief

Michigan Bureau

The Auto Chanel

Auto Central, March 26. 2021; Nissans first BEV (battery-electric vehicle) crossover will be available this year in the USA, contrary to rumors that it wouldnt be certified for North America. Nissan has vast BEV knowledge-over due to over 5 billion miles of on-the-road data from Leafwhich remains available at dealerships.

Nissan plans both 2WD and AWD models for the 2-row, 5-passenger vehicle with the 2WD, plus the largest battery pack, having an approximate range of 300 miles-per-charge. Two batteries are planned, 65kWh and 90kWh, each adaptable to Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 charging. The AWD e-4ORCE will offer less range, but better performance, particularly in snow states. Power output varies from 160 kW to 290 kW and torque output is similar, 221 lb-ft.443 lb-ft.

Having only see prototypes, heres what the company has told us: While Ariya isnt a true mid-sized platform (109.3 wheelbase, 182.9 length), its interior size is. Which is due to the flat floor delivered by the skateboard platform. The interior is truly futuristic, or totally current depending on your viewpoint, as there are no buttons and knobs  controls remain hidden until touched, then with haptic feedback. Natural speech can be used to operate many controls, as well.

The cockpit uses massive color touch screens a 12.3-inch touch screen controlling everything but driving information, which is on another 12.3-inch driver information screenplus theres a color HUD.

Ariya will use Nissans Pro-Pilot 2.0 advanced driver assistance system, and it is standard. Pro-Pilot 2.0 permits hands-off single lane driving thanks to tech that watches to see youre engaged. Plus, it uses e-Pedal, a single pedal for launch, accelerate and decelerate. Of course, it will have every safety acronym and around view monitoring, Alexa integration and wireless CarPlay/Android.

Exterior and interior design, which Nissan calls Timeless Japanese Futurism, seems to deliver on that promise. While there are no preordersyet for Ariya, its MSRP or around $40,000 USD (before any rebates) is spot on and a huge challenge to every other BEV maker.
The vetting of the Minister designate for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta will be continued on Friday, March 26, 2021.

It was adjourned on Thursday after about six hours of questioning.



The questioning started Thursday morning and went for about two hours break and continued in the afternoon.



On Friday, only the leadership of the committee will be allowed to ask questions.



The Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament, Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu made the announcement for the adjournment after the about six hours of vetting.



The nominee returned to Ghana last Saturday after travelling to the US for medical attention.



Mr. Ofori-Atta has been speaking to a variety of issues ranging from the current debt stock to the Agyapa deal.

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Source: graphiconline.com









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SUEZ, Egypt - A giant container ship remained stuck sideways in Egypts Suez Canal for a fifth day Saturday, as authorities made new attempts to free the vessel and reopen a crucial waterway whose blockage is disrupting global shipping and trade.

This satellite image provided by The European Space Agency on Friday, March 26, 2021, shows on the left, routine maritime traffic in the Suez Canal with vessels on March 21, 2021 and on the right, maritime traffic backed up on the canal on March 25. A maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels outside the Suez Canal and others began changing course as dredgers worked frantically to free a giant container ship that has been stuck sideways in the waterway and disrupted global shipping. (ESA via AP)

SUEZ, Egypt - A giant container ship remained stuck sideways in Egypts Suez Canal for a fifth day Saturday, as authorities made new attempts to free the vessel and reopen a crucial waterway whose blockage is disrupting global shipping and trade.

Meanwhile, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said strong winds were not the only cause for the Ever Given running aground on Tuesday, appearing to push back against conflicting assessments offered by others. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei told a news conference Saturday that an investigation was ongoing but did not rule out human or technical error.

The massive Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, got stuck in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about six kilometres (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, that is wedged across the Suez Canal and blocking traffic in the vital waterway is seen Saturday, March 27, 2021. Tugboats and a specialized suction dredger worked to dislodge a giant container ship that has been stuck sideways in Egypt's Suez Canal for the past three days, blocking a crucial waterway for global shipping. (AP Photo/Mohamed Elshahed)

Rabei said he could not predict when the ship might be dislodged. A Dutch salvage firm is attempting to refloat the vessel with tugboats and dredgers, taking advantage of high tides.

Rabei said he remained hopeful that dredging could free the ship without having to resort to removing its cargo, but added that we are in a difficult situation, its a bad incident.

Asked about when they expected to free the vessel and reopen the canal, he said: "I cant say because I do not know.

Shoei Kisen, the company that owns the vessel, said it was considering removing containers if other refloating efforts failed.

This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows the cargo ship MV Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal near Suez, Egypt, Saturday, March 27, 2021. Authorities are preparing to make new attempts to free the giant container vessel stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal for a fifth day and reopen a crucial east-west waterway for global shipping. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Two attempts to free the vessel failed Saturday, according to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the ship's management company, and a canal services provider, Leth agencies, despite hopes that a high tide might give the vesslela boost.

Bernhard Schulte had said earlier that significant progress was made late Friday at the ships stern where its rudder was released from sediment.

It said around a dozen tugboats were working Saturday alongside dredging operations that were removing sand and mud from around the left side of the vessels bow.

Some 9,000 tons of ballast water had been already removed from the vessel, the canal chairman said.

This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows the cargo ship MV Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal near Suez, Egypt, Saturday, March 27, 2021. Authorities are preparing to make new attempts to free the giant container vessel stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal for a fifth day and reopen a crucial east-west waterway for global shipping. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

Since the blockage began, a maritime traffic jam had grown to more than 320 vessels waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake in the middle of the waterway.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given said Friday said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides.

He told the Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur on Friday night that the front of the ship is stuck in sandy clay, but the rear has not been completely pushed into the clay and that is positive because you can use the rear end to pull it free.

The combination of the (tug) boats we will have there, more ground dredged away and the high tide, we hope that will be enough to get the ship free somewhere early next week, he said.

This satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows the cargo ship MV Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal near Suez, Egypt, Friday, March 26, 2021. A maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels Friday outside the Suez Canal and some vessels began changing course as dredgers worked frantically to free a giant container ship that is stuck sideways in the waterway and disrupting global shipping. (Maxar Technologies via AP)

If that doesnt work, the company will remove hundreds of containers from the front of the ship to lighten it, effectively lifting the ship to make it easier to pull free, Berdowski said.

A crane was already on its way that can lift the containers off the ship, he said. Bernhard Schulte also confirmed that a Dutch and an Italian tugboat were scheduled to arrive in Egypt on Sunday.

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly called the ship's predicament "a very extraordinary incident, in his first public comments on the blockage.

The Suez Canal Authority organized the first media trip Saturday to the site where the vessel was stuck. From a distance, a flotilla of tugboats and other salvage equipment appeared minuscule compared to the vessel, a reminder of the scale of effort needed to reopen the canal.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement said Friday that its initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure. However, Rabei seemed to be pushing back against that assessment Saturday, saying that all possibilities, including human and technical errors, were being investigated.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain. Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures. About 10% of world trade flows through the canal. The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

Some vessels began changing course and dozens of ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.

Associated Press writer Mike Corder at The Hague, Netherlands, contributed to this report.
ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- A man initially thought to be a good Samaritan following a hit-and-run cash that fatally injured an 88-year-old woman is now facing charges in her death.

Ryan McRae Cubbage, 37, of Douglas, is charged with failing to stop at a crash causing death, failing to stop at a crash causing serious injury and lying to police.

Jean Beaty, 88, was critically injured June 13 as she walked along 117th Avenue near 56th Street in Clyde Township and was struck by a vehicle. She died several days later at a hospital.

On June 13, Beatys family was surprised when a man in a pickup drove up to their house with a badly injured Beaty inside. He told the family he found her along the side of the road. She asked to be brought home.

Allegan County sheriffs investigators allege the man lied. They now say he was the one who struck Beaty.

Investigators said they located the crash scene that same day and, after an investigation that lasted months because of pending lab analysis, were able to match tire marks and other trace evidence to Cubbages pickup. Police also found a transfer mark on Beatys clothing that matched the tire brand on his truck.

Allegan County sheriffs Capt. Chris Kuhn said investigators were fortunate because an officer had been driving through the area not long before she was injured. He saw her walking along the road and was able to help investigators find the crash scene.

Investigators believe Cubbage struck Beaty after drifting off the road, then correcting at the last minute near Beaty. They think she was struck by a rear panel.

Beaty was conscious after the crash but became progressively worse after her family drove her to Holland Hospital. She died June 22.

An obituary offered a description of Beaty, who was known to many in the community.

Jean was a loving member of the community and the Pearl Methodist Church. She was a social butterfly, was known for her love of walking and for her delicious homemade pies, according to the obituary.

Police said charges in the case were delayed, mostly because of a lag in getting lab analysis returned from the state. Delays surrounding COVID-19 played a role as well.

More from MLive

CMU suspends staff, launches investigation after students it sent to Lansing PR firm report sexual harassment

Two accused of commercial sex trafficking at Allegan County home, spots in Kent County
On Tuesday, March 16, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long walked into Youngs Asian Massage Parlor in Acworth, Ga., and shot five people. Of the five individuals shot only one survived  a Hispanic male. Nearly an hour later and 27 miles south of the first shooting, three more women were found dead at Gold Massage Spa. Minutes after that shooting police received calls about another shooting at Aromatherapy Spa, located across the street from the site of the second shooting. Another woman was found shot to death.

In the end eight people were dead. Six of the eight were Asian women. Two other victims were white. One of the first to address the tragedy was Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office. He calmly told reporters that the suspect was simply having a bad day. To add insult to injury he went on to say that there was no evidence that the killings were hate crimes and according to the suspect, the killings were somehow connected to his addiction to sex.

It was later discovered that Baker promoted shirts on his Facebook page that read: COVID-19: Imported Virus From CHY-NA. Needless to say, he was removed as spokesperson for the case almost immediately. The fact that this man still has a gun and badge (i.e. the power to take anothers life and liberty with impunity) is mind-numbing.

Anti-Asian violence is nothing new to America. Nor is anti-Asian legislation. In 1862 the Anti-Coolie Act was passed by the California legislature to appease white laborers who felt threatened by the presence of Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush. It imposed a tax on these immigrants seeking to do business in the state.

The Page Act of 1875 banned the entry of Chinese women into the United States for moral reasons. Seven years later the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigration by Chinese men, as well.

And how can we forget the infamous Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, which authorized the secretary of war to declare certain areas military zones? This led to the forced relocation of Japanese Americans from the Pacific Coast to relocation camps (i.e. concentration camps) in the western interior of the country. And even though America was at war with Japan, Italy and Germany, far more Japanese Americans were interned in camps than German or Italian Americans. The reason should be obvious.

In short, Americas xenophobia towards Asians is well documented. However, in recent years those of Asian descent have been elevated to a certain status in American society by some in the dominant culture. This promotion should not be confused to mean Asians have been accepted by whites as equals. That is hardly the case. The elevation is part of a well-established scheme used by some whites to drive a racial wedge between Asians and other marginalized racial groups. Namely Blacks.

The idea is to highlight Asian success as a means of perpetuating the myth that the collective plight of Blacks has more to do with the absence of strong family values and the lack of a robust work ethic than the subtle and not-so-subtle racism Blacks encounter on a daily basis. This of course absolves whites of taking any responsibility for the existence of racism or challenging its pernicious effects.

Unfortunately and predictably the divide and conquer ploy to some degree has been effective in thwarting any semblance of Black-Asian unity. Many Blacks believe Asians as a group have swallowed the model minority label hook, line and sinker and have used their seemingly preferred status as a means of climbing further up Americas racial caste system. In fact, Hispanics as a group have also been accused by some Blacks for rebuffing attempts at Black and Brown unity in favor of their own advancement within the system at the expense of Black people.

These attempts at naked assimilation by Asians, Hispanics and even some Blacks from the Caribbean and Africa have caused many American-born Blacks to be distrustful not only of whites but nonwhites and Blacks from the diaspora, as well.

While historically Blacks have spearheaded the fight for civil rights in America and very recently against state-sponsored police violence via the Black Lives Matter movement, neither crusade sought to ignore other marginalized groups, who in many respects have a shared experience.

Thus, when American Blacks feel abandoned or worse, betrayed by those with a shared experience and/or perceived to be allies, it often begs the question  why do we continuously fight for and support those who unfailingly ditch us in our time of need? It is a simple question. Practically pedestrian in nature. But nonetheless deserving of a response.

The short answer is  the quest for justice. The fight for justice requires  in fact, it demands  a complete capitulation to the nobility of the human spirit. It insists we rise above petty squabbles and slights borne of indifference, ignorance and/or stupidity.

This righteous battle we wage stipulates that we never forsake our humanity even when those similarly situated choose to discard theirs at our expense. For we are guided by the words of a great man who once proclaimed that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

In a time that tries the souls of human beings we must challenge ourselves to be better  to do better. To be decent. To temper anger fueled by distrust. To arrest our fears. To be empathetic to the plight of others not simply because in America Black people have long been considered the other, but because the world is what we make it.

Michael A. Jefferson is a local attorney and activist.
Cairo: New Kia cars, cases of Heineken beer, live animals and billions of dollars worth of crude oil and other commodities remained stranded in the Suez Canal on Saturday as tugboats and dredgers tried to free a grounded container ship.

The Ever Given, one of the largest container ships ever built, has been stuck in the canal since Tuesday, creating an increasingly expensive traffic jam on both sides of the waterway that connects Asia to Europe.

Some tankers have already opted to change course and travel around the southern tip of Africa instead, adding weeks to their journeys and raising fears that the valuable cargo could be an appealing target in a region known for piracy.

It could take weeks to dislodge the Ever Given in the Suez Canal. Credit:AP

Detouring around Africa is likely to add a week or two to most ships journeys, depending on where they were when they changed course.
Shin Choon-ho, chairman of South Korea's top noodle maker Nongshim, died Saturday of a chronic illness, the company said. He was 91.





He passed away at 3:38 a.m. while at a hospital for treatment. His funeral will be held Tuesday, the group said in a statement.





Born in 1930, Shin founded Nongshim in 1965 and has managed the firm successfully to make it the country's top instant noodle and snack maker. He became group chairman in 1992.





Under his leadership, Nongshim has rolled out a number of signature items that have been popular both at home and abroad.





Its flagship products include Shin Ramyun, a spicy brand; Chapaghetti, instant black bean noodles; and Neoguri, spicy udon-like noodles. Chapaguri, which is a signature noodle dish from the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," is a mixture of Chapaghetti and Neoguri.





Nongshim will be headed by the founder's son and the current vice chairman, Dong-won.





The late chairman is also the younger brother of Shin Kyuk-ho, the late founder of retail giant Lotte Group. (Yonhap)


Tata Group stocks gained sharply, rising between 2 to 6 per cent after a favourable Supreme Court verdict. (Photo: AFP)

Mumbai: Tata Group stocks gained sharply, rising between 2 to 6 per cent after a favourable Supreme Court verdict in the matter of National Company

Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) reinstating Cyrus Mistry as chairman of

Tata Group.

As the Supreme Court upheld Tata Sons decision to remove Cyrus Mistry

as the chairman of Tata Sons, shares of Tata Group companies started

gaining.

Almost all listed companies shares closed in the green on NSE and BSE, the top gainers included Tata Steel (6.04 per cent), Indian Hotel (5.29 per cent), Tata Power (4.87 per cent), Tata Communications (4.24 per cent), Tata Motors (3.8 per cent), Titan Company (3.79 per cent), Voltas (2.18 per cent), Tata Steel BSL ( earlier Bhusan Steel) (4.96 per cent), Nelco(3.76 per cent).

Other gainers included Tata Investment Corporation (2.76 per cent), Tata Chemicals (1.79 per cent), Tata Consumer (2.19 per cent), and Tata Metaliks (3.26 per cent).

Rallis India and Trent closed flat on profit-taking. Tata Group's flagship company Tata Consultancy Services shares also rose to a high of Rs 3118 after the news break but later saw profit-taking and closed flat at Rs 3,068.15 on BSE.
Rev Dr Leslie Holmes is a distinguished Ulster-born preacher and academic in the USA, who once played with Van Morrison. He has been married to Barbara for 56 years and they have two children, Gary and Erin, and two grandchildren, Hannah and Cameron.

Q. Can you tell us about your background?

A. I was born in Belfast in 1945. My parents were Robbie and Isobel. My sister, Pauline Hanna, is married to Walter and lives in Lisburn. My other sister, Sandra Potter, is married to Billy and lives in Moira. I attended Queen Victoria Primary and Suffolk Primary and, later, Larkfield Secondary School and Belfast Tech. My wife, Barbara, and I were in the same class at the old Queen Victoria Primary. We connected later when we both worked at the Belfast Co-op in York Street. In 1965, we were married at the College Square Presbyterian Church in Belfast, where we both had been baptised. We have two children - Gary is a commander with the US Navy at the Walter Reed Hospital and Erin is a purser with Delta Airlines. Our grandchildren are Hannah and Cameron.

Q. What about your clerical career?

A. Prior to becoming Moderator of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in America, I was Provost and Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Theology at Erskine Theological Seminary in South Carolina. For over 40 years, I was pastor to congregations from 30 to 4,300 members in Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, California, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. I also offered the opening prayer to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. This is the 50th year of my ministry.

Q. How and when did you come to faith?

A. My parents sowed gospel seeds early in my life, but many times I allowed weeds to supplant them. When I was about eight, I had a real sense that God had His hand on me, but spent much of my early adult life running away from that. I was brought to a keen understanding of the Christian gospel soon after Barbara and I emigrated to the United States in 1967 with our then-infant son, Gary. Until then, I had a working understanding of religion to which I knew that I could never measure up. My uncle, Sam Heslip, a Belfast man, who was the pastor of a Presbyterian congregation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, brought me to a new understanding of salvation. Not long after that, Barbara also came to faith.

Q. Have you ever been angry with God?

A. No. However, many times I tried to understand why certain things happen.

When, for example, a couple who have lost a child call on me for pastoral care, I find myself asking God why children, even little babies, sometimes die. In early ministry, my first two funerals were for people younger than me. I was 26. A young mother, just 25, died of cancer. A young man, just 17 and full of life, who seemed to be on the verge of getting saved, was run over and killed by one of his friends. They were just horsing around.

There are many things that I do not understand, but not to the point of being angry with God. Still, I become frustrated and I realise that God knows the answers and that one day I will know them, too.

Q. Are you afraid of hell?

A. No, but I deserve it. However, Christ Jesus, through His death on the cross and resurrection, has saved me from it. I believe in the resurrection of God's son, Jesus, and His words: "Because I live, you also will live."

Q. Would you be comfortable in trying to learn from other people?

A. I have met many people whose understanding of God is different from mine. None of us has a monopoly of truth. More than once, these meetings provided an opportunity to learn. Often, they also opened an opportunity to share my belief that Christ Jesus alone is all truth.

Q. Do you think that the Churches here are fulfilling their mission?

A. Before the pandemic travel restrictions, it was my privilege both to worship with and to preach to northern and southern Irish Christians each year. What I witnessed there greatly encourages my heart about Irish Churches being faithful in fulfilling their mission.

Q. Why are so many people turning their backs on organised religion?

A. We live in an age of searching. We think we are better educated than any prior generation, yet we are also greatly unsettled. On both sides of the Atlantic, our rates of chemical and alcohol abuse are stunning. Sexual immorality is rampant. Sometimes, people turn from the Church because they have judged it by the imperfections of its people, rather than the perfection of its saviour, Jesus.

Q. Has religion helped, or hindered, in Northern Ireland?

A. Christianity has helped in Northern Ireland and, indeed, the world for centuries. The Christian Church has given birth not just to churches, but schools, hospitals and agencies that benefit the whole of humanity. However, religion improperly presented, or not fully understood, has many times been a hindrance and Northern Ireland has seen its share of that. Let's be fair, however, and recognise that, in Northern Ireland alone, more institutions to help people have been established by followers of Jesus Christ than by all other forces combined.

Q. What is your favourite film, book and music?

A. The film is Chariots of Fire. The book? Still the Bible. Music? Beethoven's 9th Symphony. I'm a fan of almost all kinds of music. I learned to play the cornet in the First Old Boys' Band. Later, I played trumpet with The Monarchs, including Van Morrison. I still love a rousing march from a good brass band, or the skirl of the pipes.

Q. Where do you feel closest to God?

A. In the mountains, whether it is Divis, the Mournes, or the Great Smoky Mountains not far from where we live. In any of these places, my heart echoes Psalm 121.

Q. What inscription would you like on your gravestone, if any?

A. I plan to give my body to medical science. I do not expect a gravestone, but I am hoping that people might say, "He was not much, but he had a wonderful saviour."

Q. Have you any major regrets?

A. Frank Sinatra sang, "Regrets, I've had a few." I can neither say nor sing that, for I've had more than a few. However, by His grace, none were so major that Christ's grace on Calvary's cross did not cover them.
Chandigarh, March 27 : Angry over the three Central farm laws passed by the Parliament in September last year, a group of protesting farmers on Saturday heckled Arun Narang, the BJP legislator from Abohar, in Punjab's Malout town, the police said.

Narang's supporters said the Abohar legislator was injured after he was attacked by a group of unruly men. His clothes were allegedly ripped off by the protesters, who also threw black ink on him as soon as he arrived there.

The BJP leaders left the spot in a huff, alleging that the Congress government in the state was behind the incident.

All hell broke loose when Narang reached Malout in Muktsar district to address the media at the BJP party office there. The protesters, who had gathered there ahead of the arrival of the BJP MLA, told Narang that the farm laws passed by the Centre were against the farmers and they should be revoked.

The protesters did not allow the legislator to reach the venue. His vehicle was also disfigured with black paint.

A video of his heckling has gone viral on social media, in which the police could be seen trying to protect and ensure the safety of the legislator. A senior police officer too received injuries in the scuffle.

BJP leaders, including state party President Ashwani Sharma, have been facing the wrath of the farmers since October last year for supporting its government at the Centre over the three contentious farm laws.
Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal state, gestures as she takes part in a rally with party supporters in Bolpur, India, Dec. 29, 2020.

Indias governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to cement its position in crucial polls starting this weekend in West Bengal, an eastern state where it has been shut out for decades.

Trinamool Congress (TMC), the party that controls the state legislature in West Bengal, is in for a tough fight because the BJP, which is in power at the center and in a majority of states along with allies, has vast resources and is determined to become the dominant party nationwide.

Three other states  Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu  and the Union Territory of Puducherry also go to the polls in the next two weeks.

But the battle royale is going to be in West Bengal, said Aditya Nigam, political theorist at New Delhis Center for the Study of Developing Societies, about the state where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has twice attempted a secular coalition of regional parties across India to form a front against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his belligerently nationalist BJP.

Having taken the chief ministerial route himself, Modi understands which chief ministers constitute a threat to his position in the future. Mamata is one of the key contenders in this respect, Nigam told BenarNews, referring to strong regional leaders moving to the national stage.

Modi was chief minister of Gujarat for three consecutive terms, starting in 2001, and since then rose rapidly in the BJPs ranks to become the prime ministerial candidate for the party in the 2014 general election. He steered a BJP-led alliance to an emphatic win in the national polls and won the next general election for the alliance in 2019.

Nigam said that if the TMC had won only 10-odd national parliamentary seats more in the 2019 election, Banerjee might have been a potential prime minister in a non-BJP alliance.

Therefore, the BJP sees the feisty, outspoken and charismatic Banerjee  the only woman in India to head a state government currently  as a serious obstacle in its ambition to dominate India nationwide.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party during a rally ahead of the West Bengal state election at the Brigade Parade ground in Kolkata, March 7, 2021. [AFP]

Defectors greedy and corrupt

This time around, the West Bengal state election is a long drawn-out affair.

Indias Election Commission decided the election would be held in eight phases, from March 27 to April 29, making it the states longest election ever. Votes are scheduled to be counted on May 2.

The West Bengal legislature  called an Assembly  comprises 294 members, elected directly from single-seat constituencies. It sits for a term of five years, unless dissolved. A party needs to win a simple majority to win power  that is, 148 seats.

In the last state election, the TMC won a whopping 211 seats and the BJP a paltry three.

Now, though, the TMC holds 200 seats and the BJP 35, primarily owing to defections from other parties and a few by-election victories.

Among the TMC defections to the BJP were three of Banerjees trusted lieutenants, two of whom were implicated in a financial scam.

Unfazed, Banerjee called these defectors greedy and corrupt.

Observers note that the BJP doesnt have a strong enough grassroots cadre or local leaders in West Bengal and defections are one way to get known faces in the party before the elections.

But BJP bigwig Amit Shah countered by saying that the TMCs slogan, Maa, Mati, Manush, which means Mother, Motherland and Mankind  has been reduced to extortion, corruption and nepotism, which is why people were leaving the party.

Banerjees opponents accuse TMC leaders of running coal, sand, extortion, and cattle smuggling rackets, involving state officials at every level.

Still, Maitra of the Indian Statistical Institute doesnt believe corruption allegations would affect the TMC.

In India, people expect politicians to be corrupt. I dont see these allegations causing any fresh damage to the TMC, he said.

The Muslim vote

One of the big reasons the BJP needs to win West Bengal is so it can successfully implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) it passed in 2019, said political theorist Nigam.

The controversial CAA aims to grant Indian Citizenship to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities on ground of religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, for people who entered the country on or before Dec. 31, 2014, according to a government statement. Notably, the act leaves out Muslims.

The CAA is of particular relevance in West Bengal.

The state has a 2,545-mile international border with Bangladesh and shares with the country the language of Bengali, which has traditionally encouraged Bangladeshi immigrants and refugees to settle in the state. The BJPs leaders have publicly spoken of the need to weed out Bangladeshi immigrants.

In the last state election, the TMC won 98 constituencies that have a significant Muslim population. Muslims constitute 27 percent of West Bengals population, and they are hoping that Banerjee can shield them from CAAs close sibling, the National Register of Citizens, an official citizens list.

West Bengals neighbor, Assam, became the first Indian state to have an updated NRC  which was last drawn up in 1951  and the final list left out nearly 2 million people comprising Bengali Hindus, Bengali Muslims, and other Hindus from various parts of India, many of whom have been housed in controversial detention camps.

In West Bengal, opponents of the CAA-NRC point to the Assam experiment, and fear a repeat in the state, claiming that the future of millions of Bengalis is in jeopardy, given Bengals large migrant and refugee population.

Politically, a big reason for West Bengals importance to the BJP is its mandate to implement the CAA nationwide, Nigam said.

Roiling matters is the case of West Bengals Hindu Matua community, a largely immigrant community from Bangladesh, that makes up between 17 and 20 percent of the states population, and which hopes to gain from the CAA.

The communitys leaders claim they can directly or indirectly influence the outcome in at least 70 of the 294 assembly seats.

Prime Minister Modi, on his two-day trip to Bangladesh on March 26-27, is making a special trip to a Matua temple in Indias neighbor. Many observers see this as a bid to win Matua votes in Bengal.

The BJPs Amit Shah, who is Indias home minister, said last month that the Matua in West Bengal would soon be given citizenship.

Mamata, who is virulently anti-CAA, has been caught in a bind. She needs the Matua vote but does not want to implement the CAA.

At a rally in January, she claimed the Matua would lose their land and identity if the CAA were implemented.

Why do you [Matua] need citizenship? You are already citizens, she said, according to local news reports.

I will never allow the BJP to implement CAA or NRC.
DHAKA: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh. Khan has written to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, congratulating her on the 50th anniversary of the country's Independence and Mujib Borsho, celebrating the centenary year of Bangabandhu.

Bangladesh achieved Independence with the support of the Indian Army and the citizens of the country on March 26, 1971, a day after the Pakistan military began Operation Searchlight, killing 30 lakh innocent people, unarmed civilians, as well as teachers and students of Dhaka University besides raping 3 lakh women.

Pakistan PM, however, did not mention anything regarding the genocide, rape, atrocities and all the crimes against humanity by the auxiliary forces of Pakistan Army, Jamayat-e-Islam in 1971. The letter was sent to the media by the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday evening.

Bangladesh has been demanding an official apology from Pakistan over the genocide during the Liberation War that was a culmination of decades of economic and political deprivation, following Partition of India and Pakistan. Khan sought Bangladesh's support to fortify the existing bonds between the two countries and build new ones for the succeeding generations.

Hasina asked Islamabad to resolve outstanding issues, which include receiving an official apology from Pakistan for the genocide in 1971, repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh, and the division of assets.

Khan wrote: "On this occasion, let us renew our resolve to jointly work for a better future for our peoples and even closer ties between our two countries.

"We would like to fortify our existing bonds with brotherly Bangladesh and build new ones for our succeeding generations, as we believe the destinies of our two peoples are intertwined," the Pakistan PM said in the letter, who had tested Covid positive last week.

British's new strain is even more deadly for patients

US Governors issue joint statement opposing anti-Asian violence

Joe Biden Invites 40 World Leaders including Indian PM Modi to Leaders Summit
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-28 00:10:52|Editor: huaxia

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-- "We need to encourage different civilizations to respect each other and live together in harmony while promoting their exchanges and mutual learning as a bridge of friendship among peoples, a driving force behind human society, and a strong bond for world peace," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in 2014 at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

-- "Throughout the centuries, people have yearned for lasting peace, but war has haunted mankind every step of their progress. As we speak, many children on this planet are subjected to the horror of armed conflicts," Xi noted in the speech.

-- "We need a mind that is broader than the sky as we approach different civilizations ... we should seek wisdom and nourishment from various civilizations to provide support and consolation for people's mind, and work together to tackle the challenges facing mankind," Xi said seven years ago.

-- "Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. Such exchanges and mutual learning form an important drive for human progress and global peace and development," noted Xi in 2014, proposing to the world China's understanding of harmony, which is deeply rooted in the spirit of the Chinese people.

by Xinhua writer Guo Yage

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- "We need to encourage different civilizations to respect each other and live together in harmony while promoting their exchanges and mutual learning as a bridge of friendship among peoples, a driving force behind human society, and a strong bond for world peace," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in 2014 at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

Seven years have passed, but Xi's vision of civilization featuring diversity, equality and inclusiveness in his UNESCO keynote speech is still reverberating in a world that is grappling with the raging COVID-19 pandemic, as well as global political and socio-economic challenges.





SEEDS OF PEACE

"Throughout the centuries, people have yearned for lasting peace, but war has haunted mankind every step of their progress. As we speak, many children on this planet are subjected to the horror of armed conflicts," Xi noted in the speech.

Indeed, for quite some time, people in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries in turmoil have been suffering from unimaginable violence and indignities. Stigmatization, xenophobia, racism and discrimination as well as hate speech have also been running wild in many parts of the world.

Dima al-Kaed, a Syrian citizen, told Xinhua she has lost both her parents during the war. "I once dreamed of changing the world, but the war has changed my dream," she said, holding a photo of herself taken when she graduated from the University of Damascus years ago.

Faiz Ahmed, an Afghan citizen living in the city of Kabul who is about to reach his 50s, said he has spent almost his whole life in an environment of war and violence. "I have not seen a single day of peace in my homeland. I hope that my country could achieve lasting peace and stability as soon as possible, and I pray to experience such a day."

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed," Xi stressed on the importance of the idea of peace in his speech, quoting the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO as saying.

To keep war as far away as possible from mankind, Xi has provided the answer -- to "step up inter-civilization activities in education, science, technology and culture across border, time and space to spread the seeds of the idea of peace far and wide so that they will sprout, take root and grow in the hearts and minds of the world's people, and provide the planet we share with more and more forests of peace."

These are not empty talks. In fact, guided by Xi's wisdom on peace, which has been revealed time and again through his remarks on various occasions, China has been making great contributions to regional and global stability, development and prosperity.

China is now the largest contributor of personnel to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Moreover, the country has played a constructive role in addressing global issues such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the conflicts in the Middle East.

Anita Kiki Gebe, deputy joint special representative of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), awards UN peace medal to a soldier of the 2nd China Medium Utility Helicopter Unit (CMUHU02) in El-Fashir, Sudan, July 17, 2019. (Xinhua)

China always "works to resolve conflicts with peaceful methods and giving priority to the logic of humanity and the logic of the international law over the logic of force and hegemony," said Muhammad Zahra, a Syrian expert on China affairs.

The idea of peace espoused by Xi "does resonate very well with the fundamental principles of harmonious coexistence between people," said Cavince Adhere, an international relations researcher in Kenya. "We have seen this to be the basis of Chinese engagement both at home and abroad."





BROADER MIND

"We need a mind that is broader than the sky as we approach different civilizations ... we should seek wisdom and nourishment from various civilizations to provide support and consolation for people's mind, and work together to tackle the challenges facing mankind," Xi said seven years ago.

His remarks still bear profound significance now, as the world has yet to walk out of the severe global public health crisis -- diversity will support and enrich the global efforts against COVID-19.

While COVID-19 vaccines must be a global public good, accessible and affordable for all, as emphasized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in February, some Western countries have stockpiled large quantities of vaccines against the virus, creating stark inequity between the rich and the poor.

According to a report by The New York Times on Monday, residents of wealthy and middle-income countries have received about 90 percent of the nearly 400 million vaccines delivered so far.

Against such a backdrop, China, as a responsible major country with a broader mind to help humanity prevail against the common enemy, has not only delivered medical supplies and sent expert teams to places in need at the early stage of the fight, but also made an all-out effort to promote the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

So far, China has provided vaccine assistance to 80 countries in need, and is exporting vaccines to 47 countries. It has also decided to provide 10 million vaccine doses to the multilateral vaccine alliance COVAX to meet the urgent needs of developing countries, and to donate vaccines to UN peacekeepers.

As the second batch of the Sinovac vaccines donated by China arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said "the arrival of these vaccines could not have occurred at a more opportune time considering the continued rise in cases."

The second batch of the Sinovac vaccines donated by China arrive in Manila, the Philippines, on March 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

"China the lion has awakened, but it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion," Xi said in 2014 at a gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations, stressing that the Chinese dream is about pursuing peace, questing for happiness, and contributing to the common good of the world.

"As the (Chinese) vaccines were released and aided, this becomes the biggest proof of China's sincerity of intentions and its willingness to lend a helping hand and reaching out to everyone who needs it," Ahmed Bahaa El-Din Shaaban, secretary-general of the Egyptian Socialist Party, told Xinhua.

What China is doing is "beyond nationalism," said Farhat Asif, president of the Islamabad-based Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies. "It's not for the one nation, and it's (for) a community of the shared future. When you're saving somebody, when you're saving a life, it's also saving humanity."





HARMONY WITHOUT UNIFORMITY

"Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. Such exchanges and mutual learning form an important drive for human progress and global peace and development," noted Xi in 2014, proposing to the world China's understanding of harmony, which is deeply rooted in the spirit of the Chinese people.

In today's uncertain world, where protectionism, unilateralism and the so-called "clash of civilizations" are on the rise, and where some Western countries are forming cliques, turning back the wheel of history, inciting division along ideological lines, or instigating confrontation between different groups, Xi's remarks have become even more thought-provoking.

"To meet our common challenges and create a better future for all, we look to culture and civilization to play their role, which is as important as the role played by economy, science and technology," Xi said in 2019 at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.

Through a series of global events, and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS that groups emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the Belt and Road Initiative, and other organizations, Xi has continuously stressed the wisdom of "harmony without uniformity," which the Chinese have come to appreciate. Over the past seven years, during his trips to other countries, the Chinese president has offered to the world the Chinese idea of upholding inclusiveness.

Chinese engineers discuss solutions at the construction site of a joint Argentina-China hydropower megaproject in southern Argentina, April 22, 2020. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has seen resilient cooperation with the Belt and Road (B&R) countries in 2020. (China Gezhouba Group Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)

China has initiated an important dialogue among civilizations, sharing with other countries the ideas that the only way of peaceful coexistence is through understanding, through communication to resolve all differences, said Asif, adding this is "the essence of China's peaceful scene at the global level."

"On international exchanges as an avenue of cementing peace and development across the world, China has also played a very key role," said Adhere.

For example, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has become a key platform to promote multi-civilizational exchanges between China and African countries, he said, adding it is only through these exchanges that people can have mutual understanding.

"This decision by China to promote civilizational exchanges is a key component. It speaks to the aspiration of the UN, the multilateral settings, and it's something that eventually leaves every human being better," he said.

(Xinhua reporters Wu Danni and Li Binian in Cairo, Li Hualing in Nairobi, Shi Xiantao in Kabul, Wang Jian and Zheng Yihan in Damascus, and Liu Tian and Jiang Chao in Islamabad also contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Tang Ji, Shi Xiantao, Wang Jian, Zheng Yihan, Li Hualing, Yang Yi, Liu Chang, Wu Danni, Li Binian, Chen Weihua, Zhao Yan, Zhang Yuan, Liu Tian, Jiang Chao, Zhang Miao, Zhu Wanjun, Yu Lizhen, Wang Dier; video editor: Wang Dier)
On Wednesday, 24 March, Pope Francis sent a video message to the President and to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and to all Bangladeshis on the occasion of centenary celebrations for the birth of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the 50th anniversary of the countrys independence. The following is the English text of the Holy Fathers words.

I welcome this opportunity to offer my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the President, Prime Minister and the beloved people of Bangladesh as the nation celebrates the hundredth birthday of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh. I join all of you in thanking God for the many blessings bestowed upon Bangladesh over these years.

Bangladesh  Golden Bengal (Sonar Bangla)  is a country of unique natural beauty and a modern nation that strives to join unity of language and culture with respect for the different traditions and communities within it. This is one of the legacies which Sheikh Mujibur Rahman left behind for all Bangladeshis. He promoted a culture of encounter and dialogue, marked by wisdom, insight and breadth of vision. He knew that it is only in such a pluralistic and inclusive society, in which every person could live in freedom, peace and security, that a more just and fraternal world can be built.

Bangladesh is a young state, and it has always had a special place in the heart of the Popes, who from the start have expressed solidarity with its people, sought to accompany them in overcoming initial adversities, and supported them in the demanding task of nation building and development. It is my hope that the good relations between the Holy See and Bangladesh will continue to flourish. So too, I trust that the growing climate of interreligious encounter and dialogue, which I witnessed during my visit, will continue to enable believers to express freely their deepest convictions about the meaning and purpose of life, and thus contribute to promoting the spiritual values that are the sure basis for a peaceful and just society.

Dear brothers and sisters, as you mark the hundredth anniversary of your independence, I renew my firm conviction that the future of the democracy and health of the political life of Bangladesh are essentially linked to its founding vision and to the legacy of sincere dialogue and respect for legitimate diversity that you have sought to achieve over these years.

As a friend of Bangladesh, I encourage each of you, particularly the younger generations, to devote yourselves anew to working for peace and prosperity for the noble nation that you represent. And I ask all of you to continue in your work of generosity and humanitarian outreach to the refugees, the poor, the underprivileged and those who have no voice.

With these heartfelt good wishes, I invoke upon Golden Bangladesh and all its citizens an abundance of divine blessings.
Bengaluru, March 27 : Claiming that she had undergone tremendous torture in the last 24 days after a sleaze CD went viral on March 2, the woman at the centre of the controversy released her fourth video clip on Saturday stating that she felt like ending her own life. She also said she would write a detailed suicide note naming (former Karnataka minister) Ramesh Jarkiholi in it for not just exploiting her sexually but also for threatening her family and her.

In her 4.27 minute video clip released from an undisclosed location, the woman alleged she doesn't know whether she should live or die as Jarkiholi's family can go to any extent and is capable of doing anything. "I know they can go to the extent of killing me and my parents," she said.

Quoting Ramesh Jarkiholi, she said that he says that he can pull down a government in a day and he is ready to spend a hefty amount to put everyone in jail to ensure his victory. "What does he mean by saying 'ready to spend any amount'. This is a clear indication and I request people should understand that they are ready to do anything, they can harm my parents or kill me. Precisely for this very reason, I want to write a death note and name Ramesh Jarkiholi in it before killing myself over this 24-day-long torture," she alleged.

Expressing shock over the release of a phone conversation between her and her family members on March 2, she said that she was not aware how this audio clip got leaked.

"After the CD was released on news channels on March 2, I was very frightened, didn't know what to do, where to go. It was all over the media and I knew only one mediaperson with whom I had discussed this issue. I called him and asked what was happening? He replied by saying that he is a very small person in this entire game. Therefore, he told me that all of us need political support and must approach big leaders like Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar," she said.

The woman claimed that the man met her and told her they were going to Karnataka Congress President D. K. Shivakumar's house. "At this juncture, I was also getting multiple calls from her home. I called my mother, she was so scared and was crying. I tried to convince her, but I was so frightened that she may harm herself. So, I told her about going to D. K. Shivakumar's house. We went to his house, but he was not there," she claimed in the video.

Asserting that the release of her personal clip is the biggest evidence she could produce, she claimed she was 100 per cent safe and no one has kidnapped her, but she wasn't so sure about her parents. "The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is saying that they are going to give protection. I request the SIT to bring my family members to Bengaluru and provide security, not in the place where they are now," she pleaded.

"I want my mummy, daddy, two brothers, and my grandmother, wherever they are, to please come to Bengaluru. All that I have to request to the SIT is that if I have to give any statement to them (SIT team), I would do it only in presence of my family members," she added.

Earlier, video clips went viral with Jarkiholi getting intimate with the woman as a result of this he was compelled to resign from the minister's post on March 3.

On March 2, a social activist Dinesh Kalahalli filed a complaint at the Cubbon Park police station against Jarakiholi after the videos were leaked. Within four days he decided to withdraw the complaint. After this, Karnataka constituted a special investigating team (SIT) to probe into the matter.

On March 13, the woman released her first video clip from an undisclosed location asking to be provided security. Jarkiholi had then filed an FIR against unknown persons claiming that the video was fake and that he was being politically targeted.

On March 25, she released another video clip, this time, she even cast aspersions on the SIT, besides expressing confidence in Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah, K. R. Ramesh Kumar and D. K. Shivakumar and sought their support in her battle against Jarkiholi.

After Siddaramaiah, Ramesh Kumar and Shiva Kumar came out in the open to help her out, on March 26 (Friday), she released another short video clip, in which she asserted she had mustered 'enough' courage to file a complaint against Jarakiholi.

She sent her undersigned two-page complaint though her legal counsel, K. N. Jagadish, who formally submitted the complaint to Bengaluru city police commissioner Kamal Pant and the police registered an FIR against Jarakiholi on Friday evening.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 15:05:13|Editor: huaxia

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Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presides over a meeting of the Chairpersons' Council of the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, March 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang emphasized the need to better handle the proposals of national political advisors to let proposals play their roles comprehensively in building a modern socialist China.

Wang made the remarks while presiding over a meeting of the Chairpersons' Council of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee on Friday.

Wang is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

The meeting, which was also attended by vice chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee, specified the ways to oversee the handling of 76 key proposals made during the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC that concluded earlier this month.

Wang called for mobilizing CPPCC National Committee members to better engage with local communities and offer suggestions and recommendations regarding the implementation of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for development. Enditem
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The President of Liberia, George Weah, Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Koroma, Vice President of ECOWAS Commission, Finda Koroma, and others have been confirmed as speakers of the 12th Bola Tinubu Colloquium.

The Colloquium, which will hold virtually on Monday, March 29, seeks to explore the tools for the growth of Nigeria and Africa.

The 12th Colloquium is themed Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth, with Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias President, the Chairman of the occasion.

The Colloquium seeks to discuss peace-building and national cohesion as tools for growth and prosperity in Africa.

Other speakers at the Colloquium are Dani Rodrick, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy; Funmi Olonisakin, Professor of Security, Leadership & Development Kings College, London; Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa Eurasia Group; Mohamed Yahya, Resident Representative in Nigeria, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and Charity Namsoh, Founder/CEO, HoP Africa.

The speakers include policymakers, mediators, innovators, security experts, thought-leaders, academics and individuals in governance.

Through its rich selection of speakers across different sectors, the colloquium seeks to bring relevant discussions and solutions towards national growth in Nigeria and Africa. 

The Bola Tinubu Colloquium is an avenue to bring to fore rich debate and intellectual discussions to project the future of Nigeria and Africa.

The first edition of the colloquium held in 2009.

According to the organisers, the colloquium is a platform for sharing knowledge, experience and information around socio-economic and governance issues.
Colorado authorities have detained a man in connection to the 1979 murder of a local community college employee, one of the oldest cold cases in the state.

James Herman Dye, 64, was arrested on March 22 in Wichita, Kansas, by the Weld County Sheriff's Office for the murder of 29-year-old Evelyn Kay Day. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is awaiting extradition from Kansas.

Day was discovered in the back of her red 1977 Datsun station wagon on the 5700 block of 20th Street in Weld County on November 27. She had been strangled with the belt of her overcoat.

Day was last seen a day earlier, leaving the Business Lab at Aims Community College at 10pm by student Julie Cogburn. Cogburn had last seen Day in the parking lot after the two left the building.

James Herman Dye, 64, was arrested on March 22 in Wichita, Kansas, by the Weld County Sheriff's Office for the murder of 29-year-old Evelyn Kay Day. He has been charged with two counts of first degree murder

Day was discovered in the back of her red 1977 Datsun station wagon on the 5700 block of 20th Street in Weld County on Nov. 27. She had been strangled with the belt of her overcoat

Her husband reported her missing on November 27 with the Evans Police Department.

Authorities reopened the case into Day's murder after the Colorado Bureau of Investigations determined that the DNA component of sperm found on the woman did not match her husband's, Stanley Charles Day.

Detective Byron Kastilahn reopened the case on May 1, 2020. On August 26, 2020, Kastilahn received a report that positively matched sperm DNA to Dye, according to an affidavit for his arrest.

Dye's DNA was also found on Day's coat sleeve and on a fingernail scrapings taken from her right hand.

Authorities reopened the case into Day's murder after the Colorado Bureau of Investigations determined that the DNA component of sperm found on the woman did not match her husband's, Stanley Charles Day

Investigation revealed that Dye was enrolled as a student at the college during the summer and fall quarters of 1979, the winter quarter of 1980 and the summer quarter of 1982

Searching for criminal records for Dye, Kastilahn discovered that the suspect had an extensive criminal history as a multi-state offender with offenses in both Colorado and Kansas.

In Colorado, Dye had been arrested in October 1977 arrest for 2nd degree sexual assault, a February 1981 arrest for sexual assault on a child, an attempted sexual assault arrest from May 1981, a March 1987 arrest for sexual assault and a third degree assault arrest in 1982.

Further investigation revealed that Dye was enrolled as a student at the college during the summer and fall quarters of 1979, the winter quarter of 1980 and the summer quarter of 1982, according to the affidavit.

It was also determined that he was taking a class in close proximity to where Day was working at the time of her killing.

Officials announcing the arrest of Dye during a Friday press conference

Kastilahn reviewed case files for the murder and discovered a Weld County Crime Stoppers tip from Sept. 1988 that mentioned Dye as a suspect at the time.

According to the tip, Dye worked on a farm east of Platteville and was 'either the one who killed the girl or is very much involved in the murder.' The tip further stated that 'on the night of the murder the subject came home with blood all over his clothes.

The affidavit says that the person leaving the tip said that Dye got rid of the clothes and sat down to watch news on the TV. Dye then reportedly told his ex-wife that 'there was a girl killed out at Aims and stated this before it was on the news.' The person leaving the tip was 'slightly uncooperative' when follow up questions came about who the ex-wife was, the affidavit states.

Kastilahn interviewed Dye's ex-wife Maria Hawkins and his two sisters. The defendants sister, Sherry Kubacki, said that Dye's mother Viola Dye even told her that he murdered Day

Kastilahn interviewed Dye's ex-wife Maria Hawkins and his two sisters. The defendants sister, Sherry Kubacki, said that Dye's mother Viola Dye even told her that he murdered Day, according to the affidavit. The detective also found that Dye and Day had both lived in Evans.

When speaking with authorities in Kansas, Dye denied knowing and having a sexual relationship with Day, according to the affidavit.

He denied killing her and also told authorities that he did not remember what he did not know what he was doing at the time of the murder.

Charging documents for Dye's arrest. He has been charged with two counts of first degree murder
A group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress has condemned the unjust and illegitimate detainment of Ihar Losik, a popular blogger and RFE/RL consultant jailed in Belarus, calling for his immediate release in the latest show of support from the highest echelons of government.

In a letter addressed to Losik on March 26, a bipartisan group of lawmakers said they stand shoulder to shoulder with him, his family, and all other Belarusians struggling in the countrys pro-democracy movement amid a violent government crackdown following a presidential election last August that authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed to win and which the opposition says was rigged.

We join the international community in strongly condemning your unjust and illegitimate detainment by the Belarusian authorities, the seven lawmakers said in the letter. We stand ready to hold those complicit in your illegitimate detention to account through targeted sanctions working with our friends and allies in the European Union.

The letter was signed by Representatives Marcy Kaptur (Democrat-Ohio), Bill Keating (Democrat-Massachusetts), David Cicilline (Democrat-Rhode Island), Tom Malinowski (Democrat-New Jersey), James McGovern (Democrat-Massachusetts), Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican-Pennsylvania), and Chris Smith (Republican-New Jersey).

Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, has directed a brutal postelection crackdown in which almost 30,000 people have been detained, hundreds beaten, several killed, and the media targeted.

Losik is among nearly 300 political prisoners caught up in the crackdown.

In response to the suppression of protesters, the West has slapped sanctions on top officials and refuses to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of the former Soviet republic.

The 28-year-old Losik has been in pretrial detention since June 2020 on charges widely considered trumped up.

He was initially charged with allegedly using his popular Telegram channel to "prepare to disrupt public order" ahead of a presidential election last August.

Earlier this month, he tried to slit his wrists and launched a four-day hunger strike after being informed of new, unspecified charges. He had previously launched a six-week hunger strike to protest the original charges.

On March 22, 11 days after he was informed of the new charges, a court extended Losik's pretrial detention to May 25.

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly condemned the move and the new charges, saying the father of a 2-year-old daughter should be released immediately so he can be reunited with his family.

Journalism is not a crime and Ihar has been unjustly detained for far too long. Ihar and his family should not be tortured in this way, Fly wrote, adding that RFE/RL was "deeply distressed" by the new charges and Losik's deteriorating health situation.

The oversight agency for RFE/RL and other U.S. international broadcasters has also condemned the Belarusian authorities' decision to heap further charges on Losik and has demanded his release.

The U.S. State Department and other members of Congress have previously condemned the wrongful detention of Losik and other political prisoners.
The Sokoto State government has shutdown Government Girls Secondary School, Mabera following the suspected outbreak of Gastro Astrisis also known as cholera which has led to the death of two persons in the school.

According to the commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon Kulu Haruma, 70 students were affected, with two deaths recorded so far.

Kuhu Haruma while addressing journalists on the development said 20 of the affected girls are however still at the isolation centre.

Haruma said, "Up to 70 students were affected by the disease at GGSS and we informed the governor immediately and he directed a high powered team from the Ministry of health, which worked nonstop for 24 hours and we now have only 20 left in the isolation centre.

"We are aware that one of the girls from Rabah died while being rushed to the hospital because of the high diarrhoea. We equally lost another girl from Bodinga this morning, making the total deaths so far recorded two".

She further explained that the 20 students on isolation would remain in the school until they were stabilized.

On whether the incident was connected to over population or not, the commissioner said an outbreak is a natural phenomenon that population cannot say to be the determinant of.

In a related development, Sokoto State has placed a 6am to 4pm movement restriction on the state as local government election holds today.

The movement restriction order according to the state commissioner of police (CP), Kola Okunlola, was to allow for a hitch free election across the 23 local government areas of the state.

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Speaking at a stakeholder meeting cum peace accord signing between the 10 participating political parties at the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qu'ranic and General Studies, Okunlola said the movement restriction order was geared towards sustaining the peace in the state.

"There will be movement restriction between 6am and 4pm when voting is expected to conclude for counting. Security agencies will be deployed across all polling units and I expect all party chairmen to control and advise their followers against any act of violence as the law is no respecter of anyone found violating orders," he said.

The CP who said the police would remain impartial like always, added however, they would not hesitate to be hard on anyone trying to cause violence before, during and after the local government election.

Speaking before the 10 political parties signed the peace accord, vice-chancellor of Sokoto State University, Prof. Sani Dangoggo, lauded the degree of level playing ground set for all the participating parties, as well as the seemingly enviable atmosphere that is enjoyed by all in the state, adding that he was very optimistic that the local government election would be peaceful, free and fair.

On his part, the state INEC resident electoral commissioner, Sadiq Abubakar, represented by the head, political parties and monitoring, Ahmed Musa, admonished all contestants and political parties to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship as it's a call to service determine by the vote of the people.

The State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Suleiman, said the commission had made adequate arrangement to ensure a smooth conduct of the election.
The Kerala Cabinet on Friday recommended a judicial probe against central investigation agencies subject to approval from the Election Commission, following ongoing probe into several cases, including the Kerala case.

The decision was taken at a virtual cabinet meeting here chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Speaking to ANI, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Vijayaraghavan alleged that the agencies were being "misused and were guided by political motives".

"The experience of Kerala over the last seven to eight months shows that different central agencies are being misused rather than finding the truth behind We need to know the truth.. they (agencies) have failed miserably. These agencies have always worked with political motives," Vijayaraghavan said.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-government had, in November last year, withdrawn general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for registering cases in the state.

The Cabinet has appointed Retired Judge KV Mohanan as the Commissioner. He will consider the controversial audio recording of Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the case, and a letter written by co-accused PS Sarith.

Another accused in the case, Sandeep Nair, had alleged that Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials had ''pressurised'' him to name Vijayan in the case.

The Kerala gold smuggling case, which is being probed by the Investigation Agency (NIA,) along with the Enforcement Directorate and the customs department, pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels.

The matter had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crores, smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5 last year.

The customs department had also arrested Unitac Builders MD Santhosh Eappen also in a US Dollar smuggling case.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The bye-election for Aba North/South Federal Constituency on Saturday recorded low voter turnout.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the exercise in the commercial city of Aba, reported that the election commenced in most wards at about 9.30 a.m.

At Ward 01, Unit 005 at the Abia Polytechnic in Aba North, only 12 of the 1,890 registered voters cast their votes by 10.30 a.m.

Also in Unit 7, only 10 of the 2,059 registered voters had voted by 10.30 a.m., while seven of the 2,692 registered voters in Unit 8 had cast their votes by about 11 a.m.

At Unit 004 at Eziama High School, only 19 of the 1,280 registered voters had voted, while 12 of 1,031 registered voters at Unit 15 also voted at 11 a.m.

At Eziukwu Ward 1, Unit 005 at Okigwe Primary School, only 22 of the 1,388 registered voters had voted by about 1 p.m.

The Campaign Director for the Peoples Democratic, Christian Okoli, attributed the voter apathy to the prevailing hardship in the country.

Mr Okoli said the electorate went in search of their daily bread rather than coming out to exercise their civic responsibility.

He alleged vote buying by some desperate politicians, saying people should be allowed to vote for a candidate of their choice.

Any society that cannot be allowed to choose their leaders themselves cannot choose good leaders.

We must make a conscious effort to reduce poverty and illiteracy because they are the ingredients for political malpractice, he said.

Meanwhile, an All Progressives Congress party agent, Oliver Monday, described the exercise as smooth but pointed out that voter turnout was low.

Mr Monday said the poor voter turnout was peoples direct way of showing their resentment for the electoral fraud being experienced in virtually every election in the state.

The bye-election in the constituency followed the death of the representative, Prestige Ossy, on February 9 in Germany.

(NAN)
A 5 coin to commemorate King Edward VIII's short-lived reign has sold for a world record 1.65m ($2.28m).

The gold coin with the controversial monarch's bust on one side was struck but never put into circulation as he abdicated after just 11 months.

It is one of only three Edward VIII five pounds coins known to exist, with the other two belonging to the Royal Mint and a private collector in America.

The gold coin with the controversial monarch's bust on one side was struck but never put into circulation as he abdicated after just 11 months

Edward VIII coins are so scarce that it even the Duke of Windsor had a request to obtain a set of his own coinage turned down by his brother

The trial coin, which was designed by Humphrey Paget, sparked a bidding war when it went under the hammer with Heritage Auctions, of Dallas, US.

It is the most expensive British coin ever sold, smashing the 1m private sale of an Edward VIII Pattern Sovereign coin (with a face value of 1) brokered by the Royal Mint in January 2020.

The previous record for the most expensive British coin sold at auction was for a king William IV proof five pounds from 1831, which sold in Monaco last October for 703,000.

Edward VIII coins are so scarce that it even the Duke of Windsor had a request to obtain a set of his own coinage turned down by his brother.

King George VI believed that because the coins had never been issued and not passed through the Royal Proclamation process, they were not deemed to be official.

The Royal Mint had been due to begin production of Edward VIII coinage on January 1, 1937.

Pattern coins had been prepared in readiness before the monarch gave up the throne on December 11, 1936, in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

The front of the 1.4ins diameter coin carries a left facing bust of Edward, with St George on horseback slaying a dragon on its reverse.

The coin was controversial even before his abdication as he chose to show his left side, breaking with centuries-old tradition.

His father, George V, had also been captured from his left, so it was expected he would be shown from his right side as monarchs were supposed to alternate. However, this he declined.

The front of the 1.4ins diameter coin carries a left facing bust of Edward, with St George on horseback slaying a dragon on its reverse

It is one of only three Edward VIII five pounds coins known to exist, with the other two belonging to the Royal Mint and a private collector in America

The coin was consigned for sale from an Asian collector who had owned it since about 2002. Its earlier provenance is not known.

Cristiano Bierrenbach, executive vice president of international numismatics at Heritage, said: 'Since the transition of power from Oliver Cromwell to Charles II, the kings of England had adopted a style of alternating the direction of their busts with each change of monarch.

'This coin was breaking with centuries of British numismatic tradition.

'It is one of the greatest prizes in British numismatics. Uncompromising in terms of its beauty and quality, this coin is one of less than a half dozen believed to be in private hands.

'A surviving letter exchanged between the Duke of Windsor and his brother, George VI, reveals that even Edward himself was refused his request to obtain a set (of Edward VIII coins) for himself.

'This is the coin that even a 'king' couldn't have.

'Its sale was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for bidders.'
Many women retire to a life of poverty because of the choices we, as a country, have made. In a prosperous nation, this is a travesty.

Women should benefit from substantial superannuation to supplement their age pensions. However, until government policymakers prioritise womens dignity, the super system will not fulfil this aim.

Paying super to working women on parental leave would help address structural inequality for women.

Figures show that, on average, women retire with 42 per cent less super than men. One in four reaches the end of their working lives with a super balance of zero.

The events of the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate this inequality and women starting out now on their working lives will be among the most affected. They were more likely to withdraw super than men under the federal governments COVID-19 financial hardship early release super scheme. Young people were twice as likely to have drained their super accounts.
She and her mother were among hundreds gathered in Horner Park on Chicagos North Side for a vigil and rally after a shooting spree at Atlanta-area spas that left eight people killed, six of them Asian women. It was a chance for Amelia to learn about social justice, her mom, Pauline, said, but they are of Asian descent and the gathering also meant more to the two of them.
GARDAI now have clarity that it can receive and administer Covid-19 surplus vaccines from hospitals to its members after instances nationwide which saw local gardai turn down the offer.

In a circular issued to all gardai on Friday and seen by independent.ie, Joseph Nugent, chief administrative officer at Garda HQ, informed all gardai that garda personnel may accept surplus vaccines offered by the Health Service Executive."

Well-placed sources say that there have been instances around the country, where hospitals offered surplus vaccines to local garda management, but these were turned down. This was done because gardai did not want to be appear to be jumping the queue.

But in other parts of the country, such as in Galway, local gardai did accept the offer.

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The source added that the circular now clarifies the position that the force is permitted to accept any vaccine offers from hospitals.

We are on the frontline, we need vaccines and now there is clarity that we can accept them. Some of the recent protests gardai have policed have highlighted how vitally we need vaccines as frontline workers, said a source.

It emerged earlier this week that Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway have vaccinated dozens of gardai in the last few weeks.

Medics contacted the regional HQ Garda station just 500 metres away at the end of every days vaccination and offer and administered its unused shots to frontline officers. This offer was accepted.

The garda circular on Friday issued to all members of the force continued: Where offers of surplus Covid-19 vaccines are made to An Garda Siochana, priority shall be afforded to those immediately available for vaccination, with due regard to those in roles most exposed to Covid-19 infection.
The secret past of a serial liar dramatically cleared of drowning his wife in a swimming pool can today be revealed.

It involves a trail of devastation across two continents, a jail sentence for a multi-million-pound fraud  and the mysterious death of a previous wife along with his four-year-old daughter.

He can now be unmasked as Donald Somers, who as a merchant banker in 2000 stole 12million from a German bank.

A judge in his native New Zealand later branded him as someone who lives by [his] fraudulent and criminal acts.

The man can now be unmasked as Donald Somers, who as a merchant banker in 2000 stole 12million from a German bank

The Daily Mails revelations raise serious questions about why the dishonest past of Donald McPherson  his most recently assumed name  was not put before the jury trying him for Paula Leesons murder.

Last week the 47-year-old  who had set himself up as a property developer but was allegedly in reality a man of straw  walked free from court after the judge stopped the case and instructed the jury to enter a not guilty verdict.

The decision was met with anguish by Miss Leesons family, who since her death had pieced together his deceit and multiple identities.

His trial had heard how he took out seven life insurance policies  worth around 3.5million in the event of her death  allegedly without telling her.

Then despite the fact that she hated swimming and preferred city breaks, in 2017 he booked the couple a holiday chalet with an indoor pool in a remote part of Denmark.

On the last day of the trip, Mr McPherson frantically called an ambulance, saying he had found his wife fully clothed in the pool.

He claimed he had struggled to drag the 47-year-old to safety because he had hurt his shoulder.

On July 24, 2006, police found the bodies of Miss Kulppi and her four-year-old daughter. Investigators concluded that they had been overcome after the 35-year-old deliberately started a fire. But from his prison cell, Somers insisted they had been murdered, reporting several death threats  a suspicion supported by Miss Kulppis parents in Sweden

According to prosecutors, he was tucking into a steak dinner within hours of her death after transferring more than 20,000 from their joint account to start covering his debts.

When he went on trial earlier this month he was accused of murder under his assumed name.

It was a far cry from his childhood as a gifted mathematician whose family recalls him applying to join Nasa aged nine and who began investing in shares as a teenager.

But the Manchester hearing was dramatically stopped as the prosecution was unable to disprove his defence that Miss Leeson had fallen in the pool or jumped  even though the judge said it was clearly more likely that he had killed her.

Jurors were told of his birth name, Alexander Lang  but not of his secret life of fraud or his previous wifes death.

Now the Daily Mail can reveal that when 12million was stolen from Germanys Commerzbank in 2000, he was suspected of involvement. Along with his Swedish wife at the time, Ira Kulppi, he fled to Australia where the couple had a daughter, Natalie, and settled in Cairns, Queensland.

But in 2005 the fraud caught up with Somers and he was extradited to Germany and jailed for three years and three months for embezzlement.

After a whirlwind romance, Mr McPherson and Paula (pictured) bought a house close to her doting parents in Sale and enjoyed a lavish wedding at Peckforton Castle, a stately pile set in rolling Cheshire countryside, in June 2014  it was described as a grand affair on which no expense was spared

Neighbours said Miss Kulppi became a recluse, increasingly afraid of leaving the house.

On July 24, 2006, police found the bodies of Miss Kulppi and her four-year-old daughter. Investigators concluded that they had been overcome after the 35-year-old deliberately started a fire.

But from his prison cell, Somers insisted they had been murdered, reporting several death threats  a suspicion supported by Miss Kulppis parents in Sweden.

German police ultimately concurred with Australian detectives.

Freed to return to New Zealand, Somers admitted obtaining 3,000 of electrical goods by fraud.

A court heard he had 27 convictions for dishonesty.

Then around 2010, using the name Donald McPherson and describing himself as a property developer, he met a British builder while on holiday in Egypt.

Back in Manchester  the city of his fathers birth  he was introduced by the builder to William Leesons civil engineering business, fatefully getting to know his daughter Paula, who handled invoices.

It seems she was besotted with the mysterious newcomer, who would carry around wads of cash tied up in elastic bands. Don claimed he had been dumped as a baby  but this was one of his many lies.

In reality his parents are the only close relatives with whom he has remained in contact throughout a lifetime of deceit.

After a whirlwind romance, Mr McPherson and Paula bought a house close to her doting parents in Sale and enjoyed a lavish wedding at Peckforton Castle, a stately pile set in rolling Cheshire countryside, in June 2014  it was described as a grand affair on which no expense was spared.

Within three years, he had purchased no fewer than seven joint life insurance policies, the trial heard.

Shortly after Miss Leesons death, Mr McPherson allegedly set up an account with an online support group which the jury heard he later referred to as being like a Tinder for widows.

The motive for the alleged killing was the oldest and simplest one in the book, prosecutor David McLachlan QC told jurors at Manchester Crown Court.

Interviewed by detectives, Mr McPherson suggested bruises and grazes on Miss Leesons body may have been caused when she banged her head on the side of the pool when he was trying to pull her out.

He insisted she had known about the life insurance policies.

The pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination could not rule out the possibility that she had fallen into the pool, sustaining injuries during rescue efforts.

The trials collapse was met with furious disbelief by Miss Leesons parents, with her 78-year-old father crying out: Shame on you Don!

Her brother Neville told the judge: You are making a big mistake.

Outside the courtroom, Miss Leesons family branded him untouchable.

The prosecution never sought to raise his fraud conviction in evidence.

Mark Callaghan, head of the Crown Prosecution Services North West Complex Casework Unit, said: We understand the upset at the termination of this trial, but do not believe introducing an unrelated fraud conviction would have made any difference to the outcome.

Confronted about his true past, Mr McPherson declined to comment last night.

But in a statement after the murder trial he said: A tragic accident is what it was and it saddens me, deeply, that the events in question should ever have been seen differently and that I was ever suspected of playing a part in Paulas death.

An inquest held by the Queensland coroner in 2009 concluded that his wife and daughter died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a fire deliberately ignited by Miss Kulppi.
The issue received bids for 2.99 crore shares as against 49.99 lakh shares on offer.

The initial public offer (IPO) of Barbeque Nation Hospitality received bids for 2.99 crore shares as against 49.99 lakh shares on offer, according to the stock exchange data. The issue was subscribed 5.98 times.

The retail individual investors category was subscribed 13.13 times. The qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) category was subscribed 5.11 times. The non-institutional investors category was subscribed 3.10 times.

The issue opened for bidding on Wednesday, 24 March 2021, and closed on Friday, 26 March 2021. The price band for the IPO was set at Rs 498-500 per share. The issue comprised of fresh issue of up to Rs 180 crore and an offer for sale of 54,57,470 equity shares.

Ahead of the IPO, the company on 23 March 2021 finalised allocation of 40,57,861 equity shares to anchor investors at Rs 500 per share, aggregating to Rs 202.89 crore.

Out of net proceeds from the fresh issue of Rs 180 crore, an amount of Rs 54.62 crore is proposed to be utilized for capital expenditure for expansion and opening of new restaurants by the company; and Rs 75 crore is proposed to utilize for prepayment or repayment of all or a portion of certain outstanding borrowings availed by the company on a consolidated basis; and balance for general corporate purposes. The company proposes to add 20 new Barbeque Nation Restaurants in FY2022 and another 6 Barbeque Nation Restaurants in FY2023.

Barbeque Nation Hospitality is one of India's leading casual dining restaurant chains, which owns and operates Barbeque Nation Restaurants and International Barbeque Nation Restaurants. It also owns and operates Toscano Restaurants and UBQ by Barbeque Nation Restaurant.

The first Barbeque Nation Restaurant was launched in 2006 by one of the promoters, Sayaji Hotels (SHL), while the company launched its first Barbeque Nation Restaurant in 2008 and, subsequently, acquired five Barbeque Nation Restaurants owned by SHL in 2012. The company has steadily grown its owned and operated Barbeque Nation Restaurant network from a single restaurant in 2008 to 164 restaurants end December 2020, which includes 147 Barbeque Nation Restaurants across 77 cities in India, 6 International Barbeque Nation Restaurants in 3 countries outside India and 11 casual dining Italian restaurant chains (of which 9 are operated under the brand name Toscano, one restaurant each under the brand names La Terrace and Collage).

On a consolidated basis, the company reported a net loss of Rs 100.65 crore and revenue of Rs 201 crore in the eight months ended on 30 November 2020.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Limited viral vector capacities are faced by the AstraZeneca's and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) latest wave of COVID-19 vaccines as per GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.



The vaccines manufactured by the AstraZeneca's and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) are recombinant vector vaccines that differ in their molecule type from the first wave of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

The vaccines manufactured by the AstraZenecas and Johnson & Johnsons (J&J) are recombinant vector vaccines that differ in their molecule type from the first wave of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Thus limited viral vector capacities are faced by AstraZenecas and Johnson & Johnsons (J&J) latest wave of COVID-19 vaccines.

"Even before the approval of recombinant vector vaccines, the pharma industry was struggling to manufacture a sufficient viral vector to meet the needs of the handful of marketed gene therapies and a growing number of clinical trials. Manufacturing these viruses is a relatively lengthy manufacturing process that is burdensome in terms of equipment and staffing", says Fiona Barry, Associate Editor, PharmSource at GlobalData.



The present market in the EU, Japan, the US, or the UK consists of 14 approved gene therapies and recombinant vector vaccines. Almost 3,000 gene therapy or recombinant vector vaccine pipeline products are in active development (between the Discovery and Pre-Registration stages) currently.



Gene therapies occupy a majority of the share, and fewer than 500 are recombinant vector vaccines. The capacity crunch is also noted to be further impacted upon by the clinical trials for these therapies. The shortage is addressed by the biopharma industry through expanding facilities and improving processes.



Source: Medindia says Fiona Barry, Associate Editor, PharmSource at GlobalData.The present market in the EU, Japan, the US, or the UK consists of 14 approved gene therapies and recombinant vector vaccines. Almost 3,000 gene therapy or recombinant vector vaccine pipeline products are in active development (between the Discovery and Pre-Registration stages) currently.The capacity crunch is also noted to be further impacted upon by the clinical trials for these therapies.Source: Medindia

Since the recombinant vector vaccines use anthey will be forced to compete for the world'swith gene therapies and gene-modified cell therapies, both of which also use viral vectors.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will this year lead a tree planting exercise scheduled for June 11, 2021 to begin an ambitious regreening project.



His gesture will kick-start a national tree-planting project, dubbed Plant a Tree to Green Ghana.



Other high-profile personalities to take part in the exercise at the birth of the project are Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu and Yaa Naa Abubakar Mahama II.



Land and Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor on Friday announced in Parliament House, in Accra, in a statement that the Government of Ghana has targeted five million trees under the project.



They, and a host of other distinguished personalities will be called upon to support the project with their prestige, by publicly planting trees on the day, Mr Jinapor said, in the statement to commemorate The United Nations International Day of Forests which fell on 21st March, 2021.



Mr Jinapor stressed: This project will see to the planting of five million commercial and other trees, in all sixteen (16) Regions.



In one day we are all going plant a tree to green Ghana.



The Minister said the success of the project will increase significantly the forest cover of the country.



In the medium to long term, we intend to ramp-up this campaign to result in the planting of one hundred million (100,000,000) trees. This initiative is aligned with the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy (2016-2040) and our commitments to various international agreements, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), African Landscape Restoration Initiative (AF100) and the Bonn Challenge, he added.



According to the Minister, Government anticipates mobilizing the mass of our population to plant trees, nurture them to maturity, and contribute to the preservation of our environment.



Parliament, political leaders, traditional leaders, Corporate Ghana, activists in the green world, leaders of local government, teachers, nurses, informal sector employees, and ordinary Ghanaians will be galvanized to contribute their resources, energies and support to make Green Ghana



In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21st March of every year as the International Day of Forests.



This day is set aside to create global awareness on the Importance of all types of forests and trees outside forest enclaves. This decision was taken in response to national and international concerns on the high rate of deforestation and forest degradation recorded across the globe.



Further, the consequential adverse impact of Climate Change on the livelihoods and economic development of many nations, especially developing countries, contributed significantly to this global consciousness on the need to protect the global eco-system.



On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving tree planting campaigns.



The global theme for the celebration is Forest Restoration: A Path to Recovery and Well-Being.



However, Ghana has modified this global theme slightly to meet its National Policy on Forestry thus, Forest Landscape Restoration: Planting Five Million Trees in a Day.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A third state, Wyoming, has also not said when all adults would be able to get the shot, but eligibility in the state expands on a county-by-county basis, a spokesperson for the states Department of Health said, and 20 of the states 23 counties now allow all adults to get vaccinated. She said she expected full access quite soon.


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JACKSON, Mississippi -- I know hes bad, but hes a good boy.

Those words spoken by the mother of a 16-year-old boy echoed through a courtroom in the Mississippi Delta as Eddie Spencer stood before the judge waiting to learn his fate. In 1979, Eddie was facing the possibility of the death penalty as one of his victims was left fighting for his life after being shot.

Please dont take my sons life, Eddies mother pled with tears flowing from her eyes.

Eddie Spencer, if that man dies you will be facing the death penalty, responded the judge.

The victim recovered from his injuries and Spencer was headed to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman as a young boy to serve the next 10 years of his life for armed robbery and attempted murder.

By this point, Eddie had been in and out of jail since he was nine.

I know they say prison is designed to rehabilitate, he said. Yes, in my mind and heart I knew I wanted to change, but when I got to prison it was almost like going back to my neighborhood. A majority of the guys that I was in training school with and a lot of the folks from my neighborhood were now in Parchman.

The system teaches you that if you are not hard that people will take advantage of you, so you have to have that image. A lot of times thats not who you are, but thats what you have to be to survive.

In the early years of his sentence, Eddie lived the life of a convict. He knew he had to survive

Three years into his sentence, Eddie began to experience a transformation of his heart. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and began to feel a shift in his life.

I know a lot of people say that everybody who goes to prison meets God and they have that religious experience, Eddie said. I believe that every person when they get locked up has two encounters  one with themselves and one with God, but what you do with that determines your outcome.

Eddie was befriended by Eugene Wigglesworth, a chaplain.

He encouraged me. He told me I could be a leader  something I had never thought I could do. He told me I could influence people for the Lord.

Lee encouraged Eddie to get his GED  something Eddie never dreamed of doing. He had been diagnosed with dysgraphia  a disorder that impairs writing ability.

Not only could I not read, but I couldnt write. Id just lock up, said Eddie. That was a struggle for me.

Lee continued to encourage Eddie to enroll in the GED program which he did. Eddie stuck with the coursework and completed the GED in four and a half years.

That right there was the best, he smiled. That was one thing that I accomplished in life that I didnt give up on. I was so used to anything that was a threat or that I couldnt conquer right then and there, I ran from it or took a shortcut. I couldnt take any shortcuts with that.

As Eddie neared the end of his sentence, he began traveling with Project Aware  a group that spoke to students about the realities of prison.

Because of being in my environment, all I knew were curse words. I wasnt sure that I could speak without using them, but the Lord had begun to change that. I didnt even realize the change that had taken place, he said.

Eddie was released in 1988 and granted clemency by then-Governor Bill Allain.

Coming out, you have to have life skills and learn how to be a productive citizen, Eddie said. There are a lot of people who dont even know what a productive citizen looks like. I had to learn how to communicate and how to respond under pressure. The biggest obstacle was learning how not to react.

Eddie was able to gather local kids in the neighborhood  some gang members  to help him build the foundations for two Habitat for Humanity Houses. It was through that project that he was introduced to Young Life and asked to lead urban ministry. He was hired and worked with Young Life for the next nine years.

Eddie and his wife Betty are celebrating 25 years of marriage this year. Eddie has three children.

Today, Eddie serves as the pastor of Alta Woods United Methodist Church in Jackson and Mt. Salem United Methodist Church in Terry. Hes written two books with co-author LaFon Walcott Burrow -- Inmate 46857 and Put Out the Fire. He walks quietly and leads others  just as chaplain Wigglesworth told him he could do.

If you look at my record, youd say there was no hope for that man, Eddie says. Im grateful and humbled. Some people have a very narrow view of an ex-inmate, but I say that we can use that to give them something to see that can maybe change their minds.

Every person on the earth has received second, third, and fourth chances, he said. If a person has proven themselves and shown that a second chance could benefit them, why would we not walk with them?

Empower Mississippi is an independent, nonprofit advocacy organization.
ALBANY  So, you think replacing Interstate 787 with a boulevard would be impossibly expensive or terrible for commuters? You believe the benefits of such a dramatic project wouldn't make up for its costs?

Well, then I present an alternative proposal, one first floated to a fair amount of fanfare back in the 1990s. The plan is by Len Tantillo, a painter who has made studying and loving the Hudson River a theme of his long career.

Tantillo's plan, as some of you remember, calls for a canal that would meander along Broadway in downtown Albany roughly from the SUNY administration building north to the Central Warehouse. The idea in a nutshell: If Albany can't get to the water because of the highway and railroad tracks, then why not bring the water to Albany?

Tantillo hatched the idea when replacing 787 seemed like an impossibility. It was a time before cities around the country were deciding that taking down highways, particularly those built along the water, was a fine way to enhance their livability. It was a time when getting cars in and out of cities was considered entirely more important than the vitality of the city itself.

Though that time has passed, by and large, and the possibility of taking down 787 no longer seems like a pipe dream, Tantillo's plan is worth revisiting, if only because it would transform Albany. It would make the downtown of New York's capital a destination. If nothing else, the canal is wonderful food for thought and enjoyable to imagine.

As Tantillo told me Friday, part of the beauty of the plan is its relative simplicity. In areas immediately north of downtown, it would require only unearthing basins and a section of the Erie Canal that might just be salvageable.

"It doesn't tear down a single building, and it doesn't interrupt 787," said Tantillo, 74, whose art is now being celebrated at a major Albany Institute of History & Art retrospective. "There's even enough width to keep Broadway operating as a road."

Tantillo's painting of what the canal would like like are enchanting, depicting a newly romantic Albany that looks something akin to, dare I say, an upstate Venice. He envisions pedestrian bridges and restaurants overlooking the water. He depicts river taxis chugging by some of Albany's architectural wonders. He imagines boaters coming up the Hudson to dock in Albany and take in the sights.

It's not hard to understand why former Mayor Jerry Jennings fancied the plan and provided Tantillo with seed money to flesh it out, leading to a 36-page plan. But the initial excitement over the canal faded, succumbing to the pessimism and malaise that dooms so many good ideas in this town. Decades later, the potential of downtown Albany remains unrealized.

There are reasons to reconsider the plan now. President Biden is preparing a plan to spend $3 trillion on infrastructure and rebuilding the economy, and you can bet that U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer will be looking to ensure that New York gets its fair share of the money, if not more. So why not at least Tantillo's idea some consideration?

After all, you don't have to travel to San Antonio's Riverwalk to see what relatively small channels of water can mean for cities. In Ottawa, the Canadian capital about 250 miles northwest of Albany, the Rideau Canal through downtown is a vital part of the city's economy and, in the winter, a massive skating rink.

In Providence, the Rhode Island capital 150 miles southeast of Albany, a long-buried canal uncovered in the 1980s (technically, it's a river) is traversed by tourist-carrying gondolas and is home to regular WaterFire celebrations that, believe me, are worthy of your bucket list.

So, the big question: How much would the canal cost?

Beats me. Tantillo doesn't really know either. Certainly, though, the canal would cost less than taking down 787 and rebuilding it as a boulevard. And, as Tantillo noted, the costs has to be weighed against what the plan would do for property values and tax revenues.

"If it generates enough money, it doesn't cost anything," the Nassau resident said, noting that the project could be constructed in phases.

The canal would aid the planned redevelopment of a bleak area of downtown known, facetiously, as the Parking Lot District, which would almost be be near the canal, and would complement the Skyway project, putting its transformed highway ramp directly over water.

It might lead to big things for one of the city's most problematic buildings: the massive (and massively ugly) Central Warehouse, which would sit on the new waterfront.

But the best thing about the plan, from Tantillo's point of view, is that it would return Albany to a canal and river that has been such a big part of the city's history  and should be vital to its future.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
Bill Griffin waited more than a year for this moment: Newly vaccinated, he embraced his 3-year-old granddaughter for the first time since the pandemic began.

She came running right over. I picked her up and gave her a hug. It was amazing, the 70-year-old said after the reunion last weekend.

Spring has arrived with sunshine and warmer weather, and many older adults who have been vaccinated, like Griffin, are emerging from COVID-19-imposed hibernation.

From shopping in person or going to the gym to bigger milestones like visiting family, the people who were once most at risk from COVID-19 are beginning to move forward with getting their lives on track. Nearly 45% of Americans who are 65 and older are now fully vaccinated.

Visiting grandchildren is a top priority for many older adults. In Arizona Gailen Krug has yet to hold her first grandchild, who was born a month into the pandemic in Minneapolis. Now fully vaccinated, Krug is making plans to travel for her granddaughters first birthday in April.

I cant wait, said Krug, whose only interactions with the girl have been over Zoom and FaceTime. Its very strange to not have her in my life yet.

The excitement she feels, however, is tempered with sadness. Her daughter-in-laws mother, who she had been looking forward to sharing grandma duties with, died of COVID-19 just hours after the babys birth. She contracted it at a nursing home.

Isolated by the pandemic, older adults were hard hit by loneliness caused by restrictions intended to keep people safe. Many of them sat out summer reunions, canceled vacation plans and missed family holiday gatherings in November and December.

In states with older populations, like Maine, Arizona and Florida health officials worried about the emotional and physical toll of loneliness, posing an additional health concern on top of the virus.

But that's changing, and more older people are reappearing in public after they were among the first group to get vaccinated.

Those who are fully vaccinated are ready to get out of Dodge without worrying they were endangering themselves amid a pandemic that has claimed more than 540,000 lives in the United States.

Now theres an extra level of confidence. I am feeling good about moving forward, said Ken Hughes, a 79-year-old Florida resident who is flying with his wife for a pandemic-delayed annual trip to Arizona in April.

Plenty of older adults are eager to hop on a jet to travel. Others are looking forward to the simpler things like eating at a restaurant, going to a movie theater or playing bingo.

Sally Adams, 74, was among several older people who showed up for parking lot bingo in Glendale, Arizona. She felt safe because shed been vaccinated and because she was in her car at the first bingo event in more than year.

Once she fulfills the time to reach peak immunity, she plans to indulge in little things like eating out. Both her and her husband, who is also vaccinated, have only done takeout. Now, they feel like it will be OK to even eat indoors  as long as its not crowded.

Well probably go in and take the farthest table from other people just to be on the safe side, she said.

Indeed, many older adults are taking a cautious approach, especially when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined to ease recommendations for travel.

Frequent traveler Cindy Charest was so excited about the prospect of jetting away for the first time in more than a year that she posted an airplane emoji with a photo of her being vaccinated on social media.

But shes taking a wait-and-see attitude after the CDC recommended against nonessential air travel, for now.

I think I got prematurely excited about it, said Charest, 65, of Westbrook, Maine. But shes ready to jump when the time comes. Shes watching for changing guidance.

Others are also cautious.

Were still in the thick of it, said Claudette Greene, 68, of Portland Maine. "Weve made a lot of progress but were not done with this.

Kathy Bubar said she and her husband are completely vaccinated but are in no hurry to push things. The 73-year-old Portland resident is planning to wait until fall before planning any major travel. She hopes to go on a safari in December.

My goal in all of this is to not be the last person to die from COVID. Im willing to be patient and take as long as it takes, she said.

The Griffins were also cautious before they were reunited with their granddaughter.

Bill Griffin, of Waterboro, didnt dare have close contact with family members until after being vaccinated because he has lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure, all factors that pushed him into a high-risk category for COVID-19.

Everybody wants to live for the moment, but the moment could have been very deadly. We listened to the scientists, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami and Terry Tang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
New Delhi, March 27 : As many as 79.79 per cent voters exercised their franchise in ten hours of polling for 30 Assembly seats in West Bengal on Saturday while the voter turnout was around 72.14 per cent in Assam in the same period.

More than half of the 73-lakh electorate in Bengal's 30 Assembly constituencies have cast their ballot and sealed the fate of 191 candidates who are in the fray on the first day of the eight-phase elections in West Bengal where polling is underway in five districts.

At least 21 female aspirants are contesting elections in West Bengal while 23 in Assam.

In Bengal, the serpentine queues showed people are aware of the importance of the crucial poll that is seeing a bitter battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress-led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP that has pitched every high-profile leader into campaigning in West Bengal.

As per the latest figures from Bengal, the approximate voter turnout trend till 5 p.m. in Bankura was the highest at 80.03 per cent, Jhargram at 80.55 per cent, Purbo Medinipur at 82.42 per cent, Paschim Medinipur at 80.16 per cent and Purulia at 77.13 per cent, according to the Election Commission's voter turnout App.

Data also showed 72.14 per cent voting in 22 districts in Assam till 5 p.m. There was 77.16 per cent voting in Biswanath, 71.10 per cent in Bokakhat, 73.29 per cent in Charaldeo, 72.85 per cent in Dhakuakhana, 70.76 per cent in Dhansiri, 71.10 per cent in Dhemaji, 70.14 per cent in Dibrugarh, 71.34 per cent in Gohpur, 75.16 per cent in Golaghat, 72.49 per cent in Jonai, 71.49 per cent in Jorhat, 74.19 per cent in Kaliabor, 70.43 per cent in Lakhimpur, 77.19 per cent in Majuli, 70.67 in Margherita, 78.20 per cent in Nagaon, 64 per cent in Nazira and 71.63 per cent in Sadiya. The voting percentage in Sivasagar was 77.72 per cent, 67.91 per cent in Sonitpur, 70.63 per cent in Tinsukia and 70.92 per cent in Titabor, till 5 pm.

In Bengal's East Midnapore, two security personnel were reportedly injured in a firing incident that took place early Saturday at the Satsatmal, Bhagwanpur Assembly constituency ahead of voting. Tension prevailed in the Tulsidi village where the incident took place. Security forces are keeping a close vigil in the area, surrounded by forests that were once Maoist hideouts.

There were reports of EVM malfunctioning at 20 booths in Bankura district, eight in Jhargram and 39 in Purulia. EVMs in various booths had stopped working temporarily due to a technical glitch. People said they had to wait for more than two hours to cast their ballot.

In Purulia, allegations were raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a former minister and Trinamool candidate of purportedly distributing cash among voters. The BJP has filed a complaint with the poll body.

Suvendu Adhikari's brother and BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari accused Trinamool Block President Ram Govind Das and his wife for poll rigging at three polling booths, saying "my arrival here created a problem for them to continue with their mischief, so they attacked my car and thrashed my driver".

Dibyendu Adhikari, another of the Adhikari siblings, told the media he got to know that his brother's vehicle was attacked in Contai with the help of Trinamool Block President Ram Govind Das. "Soumendu isn't injured. The driver was beaten up. I've informed the Police Observer." There are seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur -- home ground of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. These seven -- Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar and Egra -- are perceived as sensitive.

Polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security for the first phase when the Jungal Mahal area in the south-western fringes that is said to be Maoist-affected, also voting. The polling will end at 6 p.m.

The polls are being closely watched because of the prestige battle between Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congress man, who is now facing his erstwhile supremo Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh cast his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram during the polling.

Compared to first two hours in the morning, the number of voters increased manifold in the afternoon on polling booths with all section of citizens seen enthusiastically exercising their franchise. Women, particularly first-time voters, carrying voter slips and Aadhaar cards were seen standing in long queues. Special police officers deputed for election duty helped the aged and the physically challenged voters at the polling stations.

Of the five assembly elections scheduled in four states and one Union Territory, West Bengal has the most number of seats and voting spread over eight phases, a maximum. The other seven phases to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. Results will be declared on May 2.

In Assam, voting began across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering eastern Assam's 12 districts at 7 a.m.

The balloting will continue till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.

A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their ballots.

Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.

Election officials said that to avoid crowding, the number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of 1,000.

As a result, the number of polling booths has been augmented by 34.71 per cent to 33,530 from 24,890 in 2016.

To avoid direct contact with the EVM, every elector is being given a hand glove.

In the 2016 elections, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.

According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.

The officials said that to maintain social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols and due to technical snags of the EVMs in some polling stations, the casting of votes caused little slow.

No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where balloting is underway.
Manitobas highest court has dismissed fashion mogul Peter Nygards application for bail  the second time he's tried to get out of jail.

Peter Nygard will remain in Headingley Correctional Centre. (La Liberte Manitoba files / Tadens Mpwene)

Manitobas highest court has dismissed fashion mogul Peter Nygards application for bail  the second time he's tried to get out of jail.

"Ultimately, I am not persuaded that the proposed changes to the bail plan constitute a material change in circumstances," ruled Manitoba Court of Appeal Justice Jennifer Pfuetzner in a written decision released Friday afternoon.

Nygard, 79, has been in custody since Dec. 14, when he was arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant. He faces prosecution in New York on nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering.

He was denied bail last month after Queens Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg ruled she was not satisfied Nygard wouldnt try to tamper with witnesses if he were released.

In her ruling last month, Greenberg said security and monitoring measures proposed by Nygard  to satisfy justice officials he would not flee from a $1-million home on John Bruce Road in Winnipeg  would not prevent him from tampering with alleged victims or witnesses by phone, or having someone do it on his behalf.

In its appeal, Nygards legal team proposed installing sophisticated monitoring software on all of Nygards cellphones and electronic devices that would alert a monitoring service of any suspect communications.

The new plan still didnt address the "flaws" Greenberg identified in the previous plan, Pfuetzner said.

Greenberg "was rightly concerned that others would act on behalf of (Nygard) to contact witnesses and victims," Pfuetzner said.

"The sophisticated technology contemplated by (Nygards) 21st century bail plan could, as counsel for the attorney general adroitly stated, be defeated by someone simply walking in and handing (Nygard) a burner (phone)," she said.

Even if she was wrong and the new bail plan did constitute a "material change in circumstances," keeping Nygard in custody is necessary to maintaining confidence in the justice system, Pfuetzner said.

"I say this having regard not only to the revised bail plan, but to all of the factors considered by (Greenberg), including the extreme nature and scope of the allegations, which paint a picture of criminal conduct that was planned, financed and executed on a staggering scale," Pfuetzner said.

The U.S indictment against Nygard alleges that from 1995 and 2020, Nygard  alongside his business associates and co-conspirators  engaged in a "pattern of criminal conduct involving at least dozens of victims in the United States, the Bahamas and Canada."

Nygard is accused of raping and sex trafficking young girls, often targeting individuals from "disadvantaged backgrounds" with a "history of abuse," and keeping them quiet via "threats, false promises of modelling opportunities" and "other coercive means."

He is being held in protective custody at Headingley Correctional Centre, has a cell to himself that can house up to three prisoners, and exclusive access to a phone 16 hours a day, raising questions he is receiving preferential treatment.

"Mr. Nygard is not receiving any special treatment," a Manitoba Justice spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press, describing the area as comparable to a dorm, with a phone situated in the common area.

"At Headingley, there is a mirrored cell to the one housing Mr. Nygard that has the same amenities, so yes, other inmates in protective custody would have similar access to a phone in their cell. All inmates (in protective custody) would have access to a phone for 16 hours each day."

Inmate cell assignments are subject to regular review, "which could determine an eligible roommate if there is no risk to Mr. Nygard," according to the spokesperson.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
More Vaccine Appointments Available in Murray

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MURRAY - Vaccine appointments are being scheduled in Murray for April 1 and 2.Murray-Calloway County Hospital said Friday that appointments for the first dose of the Moderna vaccine are available between 8 am and 2 pm. Priority is being given to those in phases 1A through 1C and those 50 or older, but anyone 18 or older will be allowed to schedule their first shot.When using the website http://www.MurrayKYvaccine.org, be sure to select April 1st or 2nd to see available appointments (see link below). The Murray Regional Vaccine Site will begin opening scheduling by Thursday for available appointments the following week.Please visit kyvax.com/KYdam to schedule appointments to get the Pfizer vaccine at the Regional Site at KY Dam Village State Park Convention Center (anyone age 16 and older).Utilize http://www.vaccinefinder.org to find local pharmacies with available appointments in the area. This site allows anyone to search by vaccine manufacturer, but it does not include regional sites.If anyone is homebound, they may contact the Calloway County Health Department at 270-753-3381. They are receiving a small weekly allocation of vaccine to administer to those who are homebound, do not have internet access, or who are otherwise vulnerable.Please visit https://govstatus.egov.com/kentucky-vaccine-survey to determine individual eligibility for the vaccine.On the Net:
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 23:55:15|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presides over a symposium on the economic situation via video link attended by local government officials in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

The Chinese economy has got off to a good start this year, said Li, noting that the actual annual growth might be higher than the target of over 6 percent set for 2021.

NANJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has underscored efforts to consolidate the momentum of economic recovery, stimulate the vitality of market entities and enhance the endogenous engines for growth.

Li made the remarks while presiding over a symposium on the economic situation via video link attended by local government officials Thursday.

The Chinese economy has got off to a good start this year, said Li, noting that the actual annual growth might be higher than the target of over 6 percent set for 2021.

Largely due to the lower comparison base of the previous year, some economic indicators have witnessed rapid year-on-year growth, but from a period-on-period viewpoint, the economy has generally been running steady, Li noted.

The premier called for consolidating economic fundamentals and avoiding large fluctuations to keep economic development sound and steady.

Underlining the challenges posed by the complicated international situation and domestic issues, such as employment stress and slow recovery in some industries, Li stressed keeping the economy running within a reasonable range to lay a solid foundation for sustainable and sound development.

He said that policy support for securing employment, people's livelihoods and the operations of market entities will not weaken, and financial services for the real economy shall be strengthened.

Meanwhile, more work should be done to boost employment and people's incomes, while keeping consumer prices stable and improving the ecological environment, which are the major basic tasks for keeping the economy running within a reasonable range, he said.

Government policies should focus on helping market entities get back on their feet, while reform and opening-up should be advanced to inspire their vitality and enhance the endogenous engines for growth, Li said, urging local authorities to make all-out efforts in improving the business environment.

He also demanded solid work to prepare for the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, enhance opening-up and safeguard the stability of industrial and supply chains while seeking further cooperation.

State Councilor Xiao Jie attended the symposium. 
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Vietnamese Ambassador visits fishermen in Indonesia's Natuna island (Photo: VNA)

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement at a regular press conference of the Foreign Ministry on March 25 in reply to reporters' questions concerning measures to protect overseas Vietnamese in the context of discrimination against Asians in the US and some other countries.

According to the spokesperson, representative agencies of Vietnam in foreign countries and domestic authorities maintain close coordination to carry out citizen protection measures to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens abroad.

The Vietnamese Government and related ministries and sectors have regularly requested other nations governments and competent agencies to ensure the safety of and create conditions for overseas Vietnamese to live, work, and study so that they could make practical contributions to socio-economic development in the host country and to the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and countries worldwide, she emphasized.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received information from competent agencies about Indonesias recent detainment of two Vietnamese fishing vessels and their crewmembers from the southern province of Ba Ria  Vung Tau, Ms. Hang said.

On March 18, the ships, coded BV4419TS and BL9333TS with 20 and 12 people onboard, respectively, were captured by Indonesian competent agencies while fishing in the area at the Vietnam  Indonesia boundary line at sea. Vietnamese maritime forces have requested the Indonesian side to release the fishermen and their vessels.

Right after receiving the report, the ministry has directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia to contact local competent agencies asking for verification and information related to the case. The embassy has also been directed to conduct citizen protection measures if necessary, she said./.
Tactical officers and crisis negotiators have responded to Southeast Portland because an armed, wanted man is barricaded in a home there, police say.

Officers tried Friday morning to serve a warrant for firearms-related charges at a Richmond neighborhood home for a 50-year-old wanted man who was believed to be armed, according to Portland police.

The man drove away from his home in the 3700 block of Southeast Brooklyn Street, police said, and officers tried to pull him over. He did not comply and returned to his home, where he is believed to be alone, according to police.

Officers have tried negotiating with the man, but he has refused to come out of his home and has made threats to the public and officers, police said. Tactical and crisis negotiation teams were called to the scene at 3:30 p.m.

A shelter in place order has been issued for an area extending from Southeast 36th through 38th avenues between Woodward and Tibbetts streets, according to police. The order will continue as long as the incident commander is concerned about the safety of the public, said police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen.

Residents are asked to stay inside their homes. No one has been evacuated.

This report will be updated.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding
Kazakh authorities detained at least 20 people as demonstrators staged anti-China protests in towns and cities across the Central Asian nation on March 27.

The protesters rallied against Chinas increasing influence and economic power in the former Soviet republic.

Activists also denounced the mass incarceration of members of indigenous Turkic-speaking communities in Chinas Xinjiang region, including ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs.

Protests were held in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, and in the capital, Nur-Sultan, as well as Oral, Shymkent, and Aqtobe.

In Almaty, several hundred people gathered in a square to denounce what they said was Chinese expansion in Kazakhstan. At least seven protesters were detained on their way to the rally.

In Nur-Sultan, several people were detained on their way to a rally. Police cordoned off a square where protesters were expected to gather.

The protests were called by the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the unregistered Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (DPK).

In recent months, many activists across Kazakhstan have been handed parole-like sentences for their involvement in the activities of the DVK, as well as for taking part in rallies organized by the group.

The DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of Kazakhstans BTA Bank and an outspoken critic of the Kazakh government.

Human rights groups have said Kazakhstans law on public gatherings violates international standards as it requires preliminary permission from authorities to hold rallies and envisions prosecution for organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies, even though the nations constitution guarantees its citizens the right of free assembly.

Kazakh authorities have insisted that there are no political prisoners in the country.
One of Governor Andrew Cuomo's accusers claims he 'made her memorize the words to the song Danny Boy' and wanted her to sing it to top aides in a bizarre 'hazing' incident.

The lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, who was Cuomo's second accuser, came forward with the new allegation to WLNY. In February, Bennett had alleged that Cuomo asked her about her sex life and complained to her about being lonely.

Debra Katz, Bennett's lawyer, told the outlet that Cuomo asked Bennett, 25, to learn the lyrics and asked her to sing it for his senior staff including Melissa DeRosa - who told the governor he was hazing his young policy advisor for health.

The lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, who was Cuomo's second accuser, came forward with the new allegation

Gov. Andrew Cuomo accuser claims he 'made her memorize the words to the song Danny Boy' and wanted her to sing it to top aides in bizarre 'hazing' incident

Stephanie Benton, director of the governor's offices, was also allegedly witnessed the bizarre request, Bloomberg reported.

'It's a bizarre request, but he says, 'I want you to memorize these lyrics',' Katz told WLNY.

'She says, 'I don't want to sing 'Danny Boy.' He says, 'Sing 'Danny Boy,' Katz said.

DeRosa, 38, stepped in and said: 'You're hazing her,' Katz told the outlet.

'The governor then starts booming the song 'Danny Boy' and he's singing himself and saying, 'Sing with me',' Katz said.

DeRosa, the Secretary to the Governor and a member of his inner circle, has repeatedly come to Cuomo's defense, as noted by Bloomberg.

'We've seen more women rise to the highest levels,' she said on March 3, after Cuomo's first three accusers came forward. 'I don't think that this diminishes any of that.'

DeRosa is also named in accounts by at least one other of his accusers, according to the outlet. However, she has continued to defend her boss amid an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

'I would just ask that everyone refrain from judgment until the attorney general is allowed to do her work,' DeRosa said.

Charlotte Bennett, 25, accused Cuomo of propositioning her in his office in June

Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide, came out in December with allegations against him  she further detailed her experience in a February post to Medium

Alyssa McGrath said Cuomo ogled her body, called her and her co-worker 'mingle mamas' and asked about her lack of a wedding ring as well calling her beautiful in Italian

Karen Hinton (left), a press aide, and Jessica Bakeman accused Cuomo of inappropriate actions

James has made significant strides in her investigation into Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment, WLNY reported. Katz said James has already contacted 12 witnesses provided by Bennett.

Cuomo's first accuser, 36-year-old Lindsey Boylan, also named DeRosa in a February 24 blog post in which she accused Cuomo of kissing her and asking her to play strip poker.

'It was all so normalized  particularly by Melissa DeRosa and other top women around him  that only now do I realize how insidious his abuse was,' Boylan wrote.

Since Boylan and Bennett made their allegations, at least six other women have made claims of innapropriate behavior by Cuomo.

Anna Ruch, the third accuser, came forward in early March and claimed Cuomo put his hands on her bare back and asked her if he could kiss her during a wedding reception in September 2019.

Fourth accuser, Ana Liss, served as a policy and operations aide to Cuomo from 2013 to 2015. She claimed that Cuomo called her 'sweetheart' and kissed her on the hand.

The same day that Liss came forward as an alleged victim, Karen Hinton - a former press aide for Cuomo - claimed he was physically 'aroused' when he allegedly hugged her more than two decades ago, becoming his fifth accuser.

The seventh accuser, Jessica Bakeman formerly worked for Politico New York and claimed Cuomo took her hand and did not let go after shaking it, and in another incident put his arm around her shoulder while telling stories to her colleagues.

Eighth accuser Alyssa McGrath, 33, said Cuomo ogled her body, called her and her co-worker 'mingle mamas' and asked about her lack of a wedding ring.

The governor has said he 'never touched anyone inappropriately' and 'never made any inappropriate advances' but has apologized for making anyone feel 'uncomfortable.'
A motorcyclist was fatally injured in a crash late Friday afternoon in Warren County, New Jersey State Police report.

Joshua Valentine, 37, of Lake Hopatcong, was pronounced dead at the crash reported at 5:52 p.m. on Route 46, around mile post 2.6 in Knowlton Township, Trooper Alejandro Goez said.

Valentine, on a Harley-Davidson, and a Nissan Pathfinder were both headed east when the SUV slowed and attempted to turn left into the ACI Truck Stop, police said.

The motorcyclist entered the westbound lane and struck the drivers side of the Nissan, causing the motorcycle to overturn and Valentine to be ejected, according to Goez.

Valentine was wearing a helmet, police said.

The driver of the Nissan suffered minor injuries.

The crash remained under investigation, Goez said Saturday.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Elephants from Nkhotakota Game Reserve have destroyed crops in villages bordering the reserve leaving 72 households food insecure.

The animals are said to have invaded crop fields in Kadam'manja Village, Traditional Authority Mphonde.

The elephants broke the wildlife reserve electric wire fence before destroying maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and groundnuts among other crops.

One of the victims, Elefasi Dakasheni, saidnearly four acres of his maize field has been destroyed.

"I have ca family to look after and with this, I have been rendered destitute, I appeal for food aid for my family," he said.

Another victim, Esnart Elefasi, of Nzumani Village, T.A. Mphonde said one acre of her maize field has been destroyed.

"This has been happening year in and out, and when it does, African Parks does not help. My ground nuts field which I depended on for income has also been destroyed," said Elefasi.

She appealed for help from well-wishers, saying she risks facing hunger this year despite putting much effort in producing food for herself.

Village Headman Kadam'manja bemoaned the destruction of crops by elephants in his area.

"I have been going to African Parks Officials throughout to complain about what their animals are doing here, but they don't help.

"They just take photos but they do not come back with any help; they even tell us bluntly that we don't compensate victims on wild game destruction," he added.

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However, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve Park Manager, Samuel Kamoto the problem is most prevalent in the eastern part of the reserve because people have cultivated next to the part which attract the animals.

"The animals smell the crops when they mature and this attract them to break the fences and destroy the crop because they are just next to the reserve," he said.

Kamoto said so far, two elephants which had broken the fence were killed on Monday but said the park was doing more to prevent such incidences.

The park manager 'unfortunaley African Parks does not compensate victims of wild game crops destruction,' observing the law is silent on the matter.

He however said the park is building Kenya Fence in hotspots which he said had proved effective in preventing animals from coming out of Parks elsewhere.

Kenya fence is an electric fence which prevents animals to cross its demarcation.

Mphonde Extension Planning Area (EPA), Agriculture Extension Development Coordinator, Wildon Munthali Mchina said the elephants have destroyed 11.3 hectares of maize crops, 3.3 hectares of cassava, 0.24 sweet potatoes and 1.2 hectares of Groundnuts.
Poldark star Jack Farthing has been cast as Princes Charles in the upcoming Spencer film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana.

The English actor, 35, who played villain George Warleggan in the BBC One drama series, will follow in the footsteps of Josh O'Connor, who portrays the young prince in Netflix's hit series The Crown.

Twilight actress Stewart, 30, stars as the late Princess of Wales in the flick which focuses on a weekend in the early 1990s when Diana decided her marriage to Charles was over.

Oxford-educated Farthing's previous credits also include George Balfour in The Riot Club, Andy Dumfries in Official Secrets, starring Matt Smith and Keira Knightley, and Marc Fisher in the Netflix romantic comedy Love Wedding Repeat.

Poldark star Jack Farthing has been cast as Princes Charles in the upcoming Spencer film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana

The English actor, 35, who played villain George Warleggan in the BBC One drama series, will follow in the footsteps of Josh O'Connor, who portrays Charles (pictured earlier this month) in Netflix's hit series The Crown

The casting announcement comes after filming of Spencer moved from Germany to the UK for its final stretch. Timothy Spall (Mr Turner), Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water) and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) also feature among the cast.

The feature is directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain and written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. An autumn launch is expected, ahead of the 25th anniversary of Diana's death in 2022.

The production has released numerous images of Stewart in character as the princess, sporting some of her most iconic looks.

This week she was seen perfectly replicating the Princess of Wales' stunning gaze and signature head tilt while sporting a cream polo neck jumper and tartan blazer. It was a look famously worn by Diana while she paid a visit to Portsmouth in 1989, meeting the town's mayor and residents at Eastney Community Centre.

Oxford-educated Farthing's previous credits also include George Balfour in The Riot Club, Andy Dumfries in Official Secrets, starring Matt Smith and Keira Knightley, and Marc Fisher in the Netflix romantic comedy Love Wedding Repeat. Pictured as George Warleggan in Poldark

This week Kristen Stewart was seen perfectly replicating the Princess of Wales' stunning gaze and signature head tilt while sporting a cream polo neck jumper and tartan blazer

It a look famously worn by Diana while she paid a visit to Portsmouth in 1989, meeting the town's mayor and residents at Eastney Community Centre

The image also offers a telling hint about the film's setting, as Kristen's Diana is still wearing her eye-catching blue engagement ring, along with oversized pearl earrings.

Spencer will follow the breakdown of her high-profile, 15-year marriage to Prince Charles and is primarily being filmed at the Schloss Marquardt in Potsdam - a castle which is doubling as Sandringham Estate.

The story is said to take place over three days during one of Diana's final Christmases at the House of Windsor in their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England in 1991.

Last month an accuracy row broke out as royal experts branded the project inaccurate because it's set on a weekend at Sandringham which never happened.

According to royal biographers Robert Jobson and Ingrid Seward, Diana had stopped visiting the estate before the period in which the drama is set.

Way back when: It was revealed in June 2020 that Kristen would depict the late royal in a film which dramatises a 'critical' weekend in the early 1990s (Diana pictured with Prince Harry in 1993)

Incredible: In January, a first look shot of Kristen Stewart as Diana in the film Spencer was released

Speaking on True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat, Robert said: 'I don't even think she was there that weekend. She wasn't even at Sandringham, on this supposed weekend.

'The film will suggest this is where the decision was made to divorce, but she never made that decision. I didn't think she was at Sandringham after 1990 and this was set in 1991.'

Ingrid added: 'The film is based on three days at Sandringham, and the period that it is based on, Diana wasn't going to Sandringham anymore.'

Their comments follows widespread criticism of Netflix drama The Crown, which saw politicians, experts and friends of the Royal Family call for a disclaimer to warn viewers that the show twists the truth.

Friends of close senior royals including Prince Charles even went so far as to accuse it of 'trolling on a Hollywood budget'.

Director Pablo Larrain explained that the drama will not delve into Diana's tragic death, but instead focus on her relationship with the royal and the love she had for children Prince William and Prince Harry.

The filmmaker said: 'We decided to get into a story about identity, and around how a woman decides somehow, not to be the queen...

Director Pablo Larrain explained that the drama will not delve into Diana's tragic death, but instead focus on her relationship with the royal and the love she had for children Prince William and Prince Harry.

The filmmaker said: 'We decided to get into a story about identity, and around how a woman decides somehow, not to be the queen...

'She's a woman who, in the journey of the movie, decides and realises that she wants to be the woman she was before she met Charles.'

When the news was first announced, Twitter was swarmed with questions and comments about Kristen's role.

Pablo quickly defended his decision to cast the American actress in the role, telling Deadline: 'Kristen is one of the greatest actors around today.

'Kristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile an ultimately very strong as well, which is what we need.'

'The combination of those elements made me think of her. The way she responded to the script and how she is approaching the character, it's very beautiful to see. I think she's going to do something stunning and intriguing at the same time.'
Press Release

March 26, 2021 GORDON: DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN DURING HOLY WEEK; COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO RISE Anticipating the temptation by people to congregate during the upcoming Holy Week, Senator and Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon warned the public against letting their guard down. "Next week, we will likely see the number of daily COVID-19 cases go down because people will probably not be testing as much during Holy Week, but we must not be fooled by this. The rate of positivity remains dangerously high so we must continue to be vigilant about the safety measures we are taking," Gordon said. The last several weeks have seen a spike in COVID-19 cases, with PRC data showing an increase in the percentage of positive cases per batch of tests taken this week as compared to the positivity rate in previous months. "We are seeing now that 23% of the tests come out positive, whereas from April 2020 until early March, we were in single digit percentages, the highest being 9% last August. This 23% positivity rate is the highest we have ever seen at the PRC since the start of the pandemic, and it tells us that the virus is spreading unabated," Gordon explained. To prevent the spread of the disease, Gordon called on people to avoid the three Cs: closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded public spaces, and close-contact settings that put people in range of droplets from speaking, coughing, and sneezing. He said, "I know that Holy Week is traditionally a time for Filipino families and friends to get together, but there will be many other opportunities to do so safely in the future. Now is not the time. I Let's each do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Let's also take this opportunity to quietly reflect on Christ's sacrifice for the sake of our salvation and to think of how we can translate that into our own actions for the upliftment of our nation and people." Additionally, Gordon reminded people to be diligent about safety protocols, saying, "wear a mask even at home, especially in the presence of the vulnerable, wear a face shield in addition to a mask when out of the house, practice social distancing, wash your hands often, and eat one by one even if you are sitting together, if possible diagonally across each other instead of directly across. Be exaggerated about your safety protocols if you have to. Hospitals are full and we do not have enough doctors and nurses, so let us avoid getting ourselves and our loved ones sick."
No get-together in 2021: Ham Radio exhibition once again suspended

This year, as well, the Coronavirus pandemic is maintaining a firm grip on world events. Due to current developments regarding the spread of COVID-19, Messe Friedrichshafen has been forced to make a very difficult decision. The Ham Radio international amateur radio exhibition will not take place in the planned time frame of June 25-27, 2021, but instead will be held from June 24 to 26, 2022.

It was not an easy decision for us; however, an exhibition like Ham Radio depends on a high level of international participation. Due to the current uncertainties in the travel sector, it is simply not feasible to hold it this year, explained Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen, sadly. Project Manager Petra Rathgeber also expressed her great disappointment: It is deeply regrettable that the event cannot take place as planned. We were so looking forward to our get-together with the industry. Christian NetShelter, chairman of the German Amateur Radio Club e.V. (DARC), added: We support the decision of Messe Friedrichshafen to cancel this years Ham Radio exhibition at this early date. Naturally, we are very disappointed that our meeting with friends in Friedrichshafen will not take place, after all. However, the online version of Ham Radio that is now planned to take place from June 25 to 27, 2021, is a consolation that we very much look forward to, as it will offer our members of ham-radio friends some interesting surprises.

Exhibitors, visitors and participating partners are currently being notified about these changes.

For further details, visit www.messe-friedrichshafen.de and www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.de/.
Read this afternoon's update from the courthouse carefully because there's a hint that politicos realize the public is quickly losing patience . . .



Check-it . . .



Jackson County announces plans to ease some COVID-19 restrictions in health order

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr.  in consultation with Jackson County Health Department Director Bridgette Shaffer, MPH and Emergency Management Coordinator Troy Schulte  is announcing that in the coming days he plans to modify protocols to the current health order, particularly when it comes to those relating to capacity restrictions.



County Executive White stresses that while some of these restrictions are being eased, the mask mandate and social distancing protocols remain in effect. The new order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, April 9, 2021, the same day Phase 3 of the states vaccination plan is activated, which opens vaccine eligibility to all Missouri adults.



Over the past year, we have made tremendous strides to combat this pandemic and we dont want to lose the progress that weve made, said Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. In order to do that, we must continue to wear face coverings and maintain our distance from others when in public spaces out of respect for those in our community who are waiting to be vaccinated. If we remain diligent in our prevention efforts, we will be one step closer to getting back some normalcy in our daily lives.



Our health department is focused on increasing education of the vaccines that are available, providing access to them, signing up as many residents as possible and getting vaccines in arms, said Jackson County Health Department Director Bridgette Schaffer, MPH. We look forward to receiving increased vaccine supply in the coming weeks to continue our commitment to public health and safety.



The protocols that will be revised beginning April 9 include:



- All essential and non-essential businesses, including gyms, fitness and recreation centers, can open at full capacity. Mask wearing and social distancing are required.



- Restaurants, bars and taverns can operate at full capacity to serve food and alcohol. Mask wearing and social distancing are required.



- There are no capacity limits on gatherings. Mask wearing and social distancing are required.



To sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, visit the Jackson County Health Department website at https://jacohd.org/covid-vaccines.

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Developing . . .


BOONEVILLE, Miss (WTVA)- It has been almost a year since residents at assisted living centers and nursing homes visited with their family members because of the pandemic. Last week, for some facilities visitors were allowed back in.

The director at Longwood Community Living Center told us the center is now 100% vaccinated and case numbers around the city are down. Because of this they are able to reopen.

The director said when they started visits back last week residents and employees were all in tears of joy.

Resident, George Scott has been at Longwood for about three years now. Scott says the staff kept him company when his family wasn't able to visit because of the pandemic. He is excited to be able to see his family though, "Its great, I get to see my grand baby and my boys."

If you want to come to visit anyone at any of the Community Living Center facilities you will still have to follow CDC guidelines. That means having no symptoms, getting your temperature checked, and wearing a mask.
Belarus has been excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest after failing to submit an entry that complies with the nonpolitical nature of the competition, with Minsk denouncing the decision as "politically motivated."



The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a March 26 statement that a second entry submitted by the Belarus state broadcasting authority was in breach of the rules that ensure the contest is not instrumentalized or brought into disrepute.



The first song submitted by the band Galasy ZMesta was rejected earlier this month. That entry -- titled Ill Teach You -- had lyrics such as, "I'll teach you how to dance to the tune.



There had been complaints that the lyrics mocked the mass protest movement against authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.



The EBU extended the deadline to give Belarus's national broadcaster, BTRC, a chance to submit another entry.



The EBUs statement on March 26 said the BTRC had now missed the deadline to submit an eligible entry and regrettably, Belarus will not be participating in the 65th Eurovision Song Contest in May.



It did not provide details about the second entry but said that the EBU and the Eurovision Song Contest's governing board had "carefully scrutinized the new entry submitted by BTRC to assess its eligibility to compete."



Galasy ZMesta band leader Dmitry Butakov told Belarusian state television in an interview broadcast on March 21 that the band had prepared two new songs for the contest, including one about bunnies.

The bands repertoire includes songs that ridicule the European Union and distort the Belarusian language. Members of the band are known for their participation in pro-government rallies, RFE/RL's Belarus Service report, and on their website state: "We cannot remain indifferent" when "under the guise of" political struggle "they try to destroy the country we love and live in."

Belarus's national broadcaster criticized Eurovision on its Telegram channel late on March 26.

"For Europe to be scared to allow a song on stage about rabbits -- this is the final and absolute disgrace," it wrote.

"The decision to disqualify us is politically motivated," Ivan Eismont, who heads Belaruss Eurovision selection committee, was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

It is not the first time that politics has mixed in to affect performers or their songs.



After Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in 2009, the Georgian band Stephane & 3G was to compete with the song We Don't Wanna Put In. The EBU objected to the lyrics and gave the band a chance to replace them, but both the band and the Georgian broadcaster GPB refused to participate in the contest.



Armenias entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 had to change its title after it was seen as referring to the World War I-era mass killings of ethnic Armenians by Ottoman Turkey.



In 2017, when the contest was held in Kyiv, controversy swirled around Russias contestant, Yulia Samoilova, who was barred from entering Ukraine because she had performed in the Russia-annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2015. Russia, in response, decided not to allow her to participate by video or to send another contestant.



The Eurovision Song Contest is to take place May 18-22 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

With reporting by dpa and AFP
Medical Imaging Market Overview

According to Market Research Future (MRFR), the global medical imaging market is estimated to reach USD 45,719.65 Million, with a CAGR of 6.52% from 2025. The report examines the COVID-19 analysis of the crucial aspects that influence the growth of the market . The study addresses current competitors and global market trends, offering a detailed summary of both growth factors and constraints, which may have a positive or negative impact on the industry's outlook during the forecast period.

Get FREE Sample PDF (including COVID19 Impact Analysis) of Market Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1995

Medical/Diagnostic Imaging refers to various imaging modalities to gain visual representations of the bodys interior for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Medical imaging involves multiple types of modalities used to image the human body for the diagnosis and treatment of several illnesses, and thus plays a crucial role in improving health. The medical imaging industry has been transformed from bedside monitoring to high-end digital scanning.

Medical Imaging Market Dynamics

Despite a growing prevalence of chronic diseases, the market for precise diagnostic procedures is growing. In addition, there is a rise in the number of manufacturers and distributors of medical imaging systems worldwide, generating tremendous business opportunities for growth. Such key players are actively involved in integrating innovation into their devices in order to achieve a competitive advantage over their counterparts. With growing technical advancements, point-of-care ultrasound systems are trending and favored by medical professionals as well as patients across the globe.

Moreover, the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis has contributed to an increase in demand for medical imaging technologies such as computed tomography. Many radiologists have claimed that these techniques have been used as crucial screening devices for COVID-19. This factor can also generate lucrative opportunities for medical imaging outsourcing companies to track patients with COVID-19, which can affect the markets growth in the near future. Nevertheless, the scarcity of trained radiologists may hinder the growth of the market over the forecast period.

Medical Imaging Market Segmentation

The global market for Medical Digital Imaging Devices Market Trends has been segmented based on modality, application, and end-user.

Based on modality, the global market for medical imaging market has been segmented into x-ray systems, ultrasound systems, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear imaging.

Based on the application, the global market for medical imaging market has been classified into cardiology, oncology, neurology, and others.

Based on the end-user, the global market for medical imaging market has been categorized as hospitals and clinics, academic institutes, diagnostic centers, and research organizations.

Medical Imaging MarketRegional Analysis

Regionally,the global market for medical imaging market has been segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.

The Americas held for the largest market share for medical imaging in 2018. This was due to the growing development of advanced diagnostic devices and the rising awareness of medical imaging in the region among healthcare professionals. High funding for research and development programs and focused research initiatives in oncology, along with grants from government health departments in the US and Canada, are likely to sustain Americas dominance over the forecast era. For example, in 2018, US federal funding for cancer research resulted in a record 15.5 million cancer survivors in the US.

Europe is the second-largest market for medical imaging. The rising incidence of cancer across European countries is expected to push the growth for medical imaging equipment during the forecast period; therefore, fueling market growth in the European region. For example, breast cancer is the most prevalent among women, accounting for 28% in the European Region.

The Asia Pacific is expected to display the highest market growth over the forecast period due to the rising patient pool and increasing technological advancements combined with the adoption of advanced medical imaging systems. In April 2018, Canon Medical Systems Corporation announced the start of Japan sales of its next-generation intervention system family, Alphenix, after receiving approval from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. These policies result in Asia Pacific being the fastest-growing area on the market for medical imaging. South Korea had a market share of 8.2% in 2018.

In the Middle East and Africa, the market for medical imaging is powered by the steady increase in treatment modalities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and by a growing number of medical imaging distributors.

Medical Imaging Market Key Players

The prominent players identified by MRFR in the global medical imaging Market are Analogic Corporation (US), Canon Medical Systems Corporation (Japan), Siemens AG (Germany), Carestream Health (US), CMR Naviscan (US), Esaote SpA (Italy) , Samsung (South Korea), FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (Japan), Hitachi Ltd (Japan), General Electric Company (US), Hologic, Inc. (US), Medtronic PLC (Ireland), Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd (China), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Koninklijke Philips NV, and others.

Market players functioning in the global medical imaging industry are focused on product releases, approvals, and alliances to achieve market share and keep their product up-to-date and on-demand. In December 2019, for example, Koninklijke Philips NV and The Regional Medical Center (RMC) entered into a strategic five-year agreement worth USD 16 million to offer groundbreaking diagnostic imaging solutions to citizens of South Carolina, USA. Likewise, in October 2019, Siemens and Dallah Health Company entered into a ten-year strategic collaboration in which the organization will be responsible for technology management in the radiology department.

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About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR) ), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
From time to time, whether motivated by politics or articulating a misinformed position, commentators will seek to claim Trinidad and Tobago is a failing state.

I take serious umbrage to that because when one understands what a failing state or economy looks like, it is clear we are very far from that. In fact, by independent measures, we are closer to the opposite side of that spectrum.
Led by Flipkart again, India's online smartphone market reached its highest-ever share at 45 percent in 2020, registering a growth of seven percent (on-year) in a pandemic-hit year, according to a new report.

Flipkart remained the top online platform with 48 percent share, followed by Amazon which captured 44 percent share. Amazon grew 34 percent (on-year) and was the fastest growing online platform, Counterpoint Research said late on Friday.

Xiaomi remained the top online brand with a 40 percent market share driven by the Redmi as well as Poco brand smartphones.

With 19 percent, Samsung captured the second position in the Indian online smartphone market driven by the Galaxy M-series. Samsung captured more than one-third of shipments on Amazon.

Realme was third in the online segment, also with a 19 percent share.

According to Counterpoint, Realme remained the top smartphone brand on Flipkart in 2020, registering a growth of 27 percent (on-year).

Vivo captured the fourth position due to strong shipments of the Y91i, Y20, and V20 series.

"OnePlus was the top online premium smartphone brand on Amazon and captured the fifth position in the overall online smartphone market," the report mentioned.

The top five brands in the online market captured more than 82 percent of the total shipments.

Realme and Poco were the top smartphone brands on Flipkart, capturing more than 50 percent of the shipments on the platform.

The premium online smartphone market also registered a 22 percent (on-year) growth due to these strategies. Apple, OnePlus, and Samsung drove this segment and contributed to almost 90 percent of the shipments in this segment.

"Major online brands are adopting a hybrid channel strategy and expanding their offline stores. Also, as the smartphone brands move to a more ecosystem strategy and multiple devices, the focus will be on consumer experience, which will further grow the offline segment," the findings showed.

Innovations such as O2O (online-to-offline) and financing schemes focusing on low-cost ownership and upgrades will also increase smartphone adoption in the country, the report added.
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This article contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldiers first two episodes.

Can we start with all of these new characters? Last week you explained John Walker, Karli Morgenthau, and the Flag-Smashers, but now theres also Battlestar? Is he from the comics?



Yep. Lemar Hoskins, aka Battlestar, played here by Cle Bennett, first appeared in a 1986 issue of the Captain America comics. He and John Walker, our new Captain America in this show, were military vets who took on a Faustian bargain in order to get superpowers. Thats why the two are so closely linked here, with Lemar serving as Johns bestie/sidekick. Its a pairing that parallels that of Bucky and Sam, which also tracks, as Lemar actually assumed the Bucky alias when he received his superpowers in the comics. (That Bucky connection could be why our Winter Soldier seethes when he finds out Lemar Hoskins codename, Battlestar; maybe that perked up some old memories.)

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Interesting side note: Lemar was renamed Battlestar in the comics when then-Captain America writer Mark Gruenwald learned that buck was often used as a derogatory term for Black men. In the interest of not being racist, Lemar was christened with a far cooler, more unique superhero name, and worked alongside Captain America under his new nom de super.

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What about the Power Broker? Is that a capital-P, capital-B villain from the comics? Or just, like, a lower-case power broker, in the sense of someone in charge of resources? Basically Im hoping this is a crossover from the Robert Caro Cinematic Universe.

Unfortunatelyor perhaps fortunately!this Power Broker has nothing to do with Robert Moses. But the comics give us some important clues: In Marvels stories, the Power Broker was a man, Curtiss Jackson, as well as the organization he ran (Power Broker Inc.). Basically, that groups mad scientist, Karl Malus, tried to re-create the superserum that empowered Captain America, but for profit and/or evil. The comics John Walker, for example, originally got his own superabilities through Power Broker Inc., as did Battlestar, though in terms of extra powers, we dont know what the deal is with those two in the show yet. It seems likely that the Flag-Smashers got their own gifts through the MCUs version of the Power Brokerabout whom were likely to learn more soon.

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The end of the episode sure made a big deal of Zemo. Can you remind me who that is again?

You might remember Helmut Zemo, aka Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), from Captain America: Civil War. (You might also remember Bruhl from movies like Inglourious Basterds and Rush, or from his breakout role in the great German movie Good Bye, Lenin!) Hes the shadowy terrorist who precipitates said Civil War by turning Iron Man, Captain America, and their respective allies against one another. He became radicalized against the Avengers when, like a lot of movie fans, he thought that they seemed a little blithe about civilian casualties. In Zemos case, however, he lost his family in the Battle of Sokovia, depicted in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In Captain America: Civil War, when Zemo considers his work complete, he puts a gun to his own head, but Black Panther saves him and puts him away, and hes apparently been in jail ever since.

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And Sharon? Bucky and Falcon made a passing reference to a Sharon.



Thats Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Sharon is also the niece of Agent Peggy Carter, who was also the lifelong love interest of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), aka the original Captain America. You might remember her from Captain America: The Winter Soldier and/or Captain America: Civil War, in which she and Captain America shared a kiss and some mildly incestuous sexual tension.

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Is Isaiah, the Black supersoldier we meet in Baltimore, someone I should know? And do we know how he became a supersoldier?

Yes, he is! But dont feel bad if you dont: This is the characters first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Isaiah Bradley debuted in the Marvel comics in 2003, starring in a limited series about Black American supersoldiers that came to be during World War II. In this storyline, the experiment leads to the re-creation of the formula that had beefed up Steve Rogers into the man we know as Captain America. The men who participated in this trialand particularly Bradley, the sole survivor of the experimentlead to a new wave of supersoldiers, with Bradley taking on the mantle of Captain America in Rogers stead.

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That means that the second-ever Captain America was a Black man, something that went largely unknownas Sam angrily points out to Bucky, frustrated that neither he nor Steve ever knew about Isaiahs existence. Clearly Isaiah wants nothing to do with Bucky in this present-day timeline, having only known Bucky when he was under Hydras control back in the day. Fighting the Winter Soldier left Isaiah with some deeply traumatic battle scars, and he even did a stint in jail where he was subjected to more experiments. His time as Captain America was certainly quite different from his predecessors, and itll take a lot of work to get him to side with our boys.

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What about the kid who opened the doorwas that Isaiahs grandson? Is he someone important?

Good thinking. The credits say that was Eli Bradley, whom comic book readers will recognize as Patriot, one of the Young Avengers. In those stories, Eli didnt inherit his grandfather Isaiahs superabilities, because Isaiah had fathered Elis mother before the government experimented on him, but later, he shares his blood with Eli when he desperately needs an infusiongranting the younger Bradley powers, too. No idea what Elis presence means here, but it feels notable that two other Young AvengersSpeed and Wiccanjust showed up in WandaVision.

Is Redwing smashed for good? I kinda liked the guy.

Really? Not only was he a drone, he was a narc!

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OK, another thing: Why is everyone in this show so freakin hot? New Captain America? Hot. New Captain Americas girlfriend and best friend? Hot. Old-man supersoldier . kinda hot?

Its better not to ask this question; instead, lets just be grateful for the wonderful butts and gorgeous babes we are blessed with each week. (That said: Maybe someone a little less beautiful would be nice, for balance.)

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Last question. Are all of the villains in the Marvel movies really aliens, androids, or wizards?

Not quite. In addition to all of the aliens (Thanos, Lee Paces hot blue Darth Vader in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Kree in Captain Marvel), androids (e.g., Ultron), and wizards (Agatha Harkness, Doctor Stranges Kaecilius), there are also alien androids (Nebula), alien wizards (Loki, Dormammu, Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thanos after he gets his magic stones), and soon, presumably, android wizards. The greatest omission to the Big Three is probably the mad scientists (Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2, Guy Pearce in Iron Man 3, Hugo Weaving in Captain America: The First Avenger, Michael Keaton in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man: Far From Home  we could go on!), and sometimes, of course, the Greatest Villain of All Is Each Other. Finally, and most crucially, in the comics there are wizards with baby hands.
enato Geci, 21, died on Monday after being found seriously injured in Hounslow

A 31-year-old man has been charged with murder after a 21-year-old victim was stabbed to death in west London.

Renato Geci died in the early hours of Monday morning after being found seriously injured following reports of a disturbance on Granville Avenue in Hounslow.

Police also discovered a second man aged in his 20s at the scene who had suffered stab wounds and has since been released from hospital.

Shaddai Smith, from Romford, east London, was charged yesterday with murder as well as wounding with intent and burglary.

Renato Geci (pictured above), 21, died in the early hours of Monday morning after being found seriously injured following reports of a disturbance in Hounslow, west London

He is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court today.

A 27-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released on bail to a date in mid-April, the Metropolitan Police said.

In a statement, the force said: 'A man has been charged with the murder of 21-year-old Renato Geci who was found with fatal stab wounds in Hounslow on 22 March.'

It added: 'Police were called at around 03:20hrs on Monday, 22 March, to a disturbance at premises in Granville Avenue, Hounslow.

'Officers attended and found two men suffering from stab injuries.

'Renato was treated at the scene by officers and paramedics, but he sadly died at 04:23hrs.'

Forensic investigators at the scene on Granville Avenue on Monday. Police also found a second man who had suffered stab wounds and has since been released from hospital
Recently, the Senate raised the alarm that Nigeria has been losing billions of dollars to foreign instigated illegal mining. This outburst by the senate does not indicate that the criminal act is a recent development. Nigerians, including the senators themselves, know that illegal mining has been going on for a long time with government at all levels turning a blind eye.

It is matter of fact that Nigeria's artisanal and small-scale mining sector has development potential. Presently, it employs hundreds of thousands who receive pittance in return for the primitive methods adopted by the sponsors of the mining operation which exposes them to life-threatening situations. We recall the lead poisoning in parts of the North West that claimed several lives.

Regardless, these artisanal mining activities create opportunities for local infrastructural development which prospects are, unfortunately, undermined by unpatriotic elements who profiteer from the sector at the expense of vulnerable populations.

The harm this trade is causing in the country became so worrisome, lately, with the heightened level of insecurity. Even the security agencies confirm that there is a link between banditry and illegal mining. President Muhammadu Buhari seem to agree, strongly, with this position, enough to propel him to issue a directive banning illegal mining altogether and deployed soldiers to enforce the ban. Before this directive, speculation was rife that collaboration between politically connected Nigerians and some foreign corporations engaged in this nefarious activity drives rural banditry and violent local conflicts in some parts of Nigeria such as North West, North Central and to some extent South West regions. We insist that these politically connected individuals should be named and shamed.

Curiously, it is estimated that 80 per cent of mining in the North West region is carried out illegally and on an artisanal basis by local populations. The mining of large untapped mineral deposits in the area, especially gold, which has strategic importance and economic value, is at the root of most community violence.

However, it is the view of this newspaper that the term illegal mining is absurd because the operation takes place in the open with governments and their agencies in the areas concerned fully aware. It is for this reason that we are compelled to argue that there is ample evidence of the level of political connectedness and state protection the sponsors of the illegal act enjoy. Similarly, in our opinion, the involvement of foreign corporations in this absurdity is another sign of poor governance, failure of regulatory oversight and gross inadequacies in the enforcement of regulatory compliance by respective governmental agencies.

It is our considered opinion that illegal mining, if actually it is illegal, highlights fundamental social, institutional and structural problems in Nigeria's governance system. Experts claim that it reveals the prevailing socio-economic problems in parts of the country, especially the inadequate responses to poverty and poor service delivery by the states. They also note that with the high level of unemployment, particularly among the youth population and the attendant limited income-generating opportunities, illegal mining becomes attractive to these young people who are exploited by the sponsors and recruited as labour force on terms and conditions that are akin to modern day slavery.

Furthermore, legal experts are of the opinion that this unwholesome situation also brings to the fore contradictions in Nigeria's legal and regulatory frameworks. These laws place ownership of all mineral resources including oil and gas in the federal government rather than the state governments who are custodians of all land.

They cite Section 1(1) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 which gives the federal government ownership and absolute control over all mineral resources in the country, including the mining process. This may explain, they allege, why in some cases, state governments refuse to secure and regulate mineral resources because they consider them federal property.

Of recent, calls for the amendment of the Mining Act has become very strident indeed. Those insisting on this amendment to place ownership and control of mineral resources on state governments rather than the federal government see it as a way of addressing the challenge. The involvement of foreign nationals and corporations in this obvious crime against the state is an undesirable complication brought about by some selfish Nigerians who are willing and ready to betray their fatherland for pecuniary reasons. We urge the government to take appropriate diplomatic measures to stop the trend.

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In the meantime, we commend the upper chamber of the National Assembly for taking legislative steps to bring all mining operations under the firm control of the government by facilitating the enactment of a law to regulate the practice.

Already, it has approved the establishment of an agency for the development of solid minerals in the country. The agency to be known as the Nigerian Mineral Development Corporation is to catalyse investments in the mining sector as well as promote and support mining sector growth and other related matters. Will it stop illegal mining? Time will tell.
In 1945, the law caught up with him and he was tried in a Dutch court for selling off the countrys cultural heritage to the Nazis. The Last Vermeer is the story of the investigation that led to his arrest with Danish-born Claes Bang, star of The Burnt Orange Heresy, another film about crime in the art world, as Joseph Piller, the military investigator who arrested and interrogated him.

This is a twisted morality tale about beauty and the eye of the beholder. The conjurer at its centre is a barely recognisable Guy Pearce as Hans Van Meegeren, a Dutch artist, dealer and forger who managed to fake a Vermeer and sell it to Hermann Goering during World War II.

Director Dan Friedkin and two teams of screenwriters have put together a fascinating, if sloppy dramatisation of the case. The films main flaw is its failure to tackle the fact that Van Meegerens efforts to emulate Vermeer look so tacky to the modern eye. How did they fool anybody whos spent just two minutes studying a real Vermeer or even a photograph of one? Thats the question that keeps you from giving yourself over to the film.

A possible answer has come from Jonathan Lopez, author of the book on which the screenplay is based. In the 1930s, he says, art scholars were still learning about Vermeers relatively small output and so, were receptive to the possibility that there were more paintings to be found. More controversially, he also contends that the scholars supposedly expert judgment was distorted by the Nazi love of kitsch. Think about this and the bathos in Van Meegerens maudlin quasi-religious paintings start to make sense.

But the theory doesnt come through in the film which concentrates on Pillers change of attitude to this urbane and imperturbably jokey conman as he gets to know him. Pearce gives one of the best performances of his career, investing Van Meegeren with a quicksilver charm and the kind of confidence that can be acquired only through a lifetime of subterfuge. A measure of his success lies in his immense wealth, together with his ease in promoting harmony between his wife and his mistress.

In contrast, Pillers love life is more troubled. While he spent the war fighting with the Dutch Resistance, his wife (Marie Bach Hansen) remained in Amsterdam, using her job as assistant to a Nazi bureaucrat to spy for the Resistance. Although Piller knows that her work saved lives, he cant forgive her for his conviction that she had to sleep with the enemy to do it.
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

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2021-03-27 - 9:16 p

Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Prime Minister, may not be willing to stain his reign; however, the first stain has already made its mark. The European Parliament's unanimous condemnation of human rights violations in Bahrain on March 11 was the first move tainting his era.

The second stain is taking place now in Jaw Central Prison, with reports on the spread of Coronavirus among political prisoners. The Ministry of the Interior remained silent and has only admitted to 3 positive cases. The official data indicates; however, a larger number. The families of inmates were able to document at least 10 existing cases through the personal number verification service on the Ministry of Health website. 7 cases were not announced by the Ministry of Interior, while the rapid news shows that the number is double amid the silence of prison officials and their "suspicious" refusal to respond to the calls of the prisoners' families.

How would this issue develop? Only the next few days will tell us. It will tell us a lot, not about the fate of the Coronavirus patients in Jaw prison alone, but about the fate of an era that has barely started. Until a few weeks ago, the young prime minister was optimistically talking about the advantage of the open prison experience and instructing officials to begin implementing the alternative penal code. Nonetheless, none of this happened.

Instead, we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe that is about to take place in Jaw Prison, where thousands of citizens have been serving long prison sentences since 2011 for participating in peaceful protests and expressing their opinions, and where the deadly virus has spread now. Will the prime minister start his first year by piling up the corpses of dissidents coming out of Jaw prison? Hopefully, the answer will not be: yes.

The new prime minister has not addressed the political problem that has been ongoing since 10 years ago during his first 100 days in office. He seemed optimistic that he would be able to fulfill economic and "health" promises to fight Coronavirus. But it won't take long before he finds out that this is impossible. Public debt is not controlled, as the IMF predicted that Bahrain's double deficit will continue in the medium term, with public debt rising to 155% of GDP by 2026. Meanwhile, Coronavirus precautions were not able to contain the pandemic as positive cases have increased in recent weeks, including deaths. This week, we found out that Jaw prison has become an epicenter of the pandemic.

If Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa wants a magic key to a successful era, he has to take into consideration the European Parliament's resolution that was issued on Bahrain last week and begin to address its causes. However, if he wants to start his era with the existing problems, he has to brace himself for failure.

Arabic Version
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  With the implementation of enhanced community quarantine in the Greater Manila area starting Monday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said authorities will be do a house-to-house search for possible COVID-19 patients.

In a briefing on Saturday, Roque assured the public this will not violate human rights since this is part and parcel of the quarantine. This will also give special attention to areas placed under granular lockdown, he noted.

Roque also said the government wants to trace, isolate, and quarantine 95% of a COVID-19 patient's close contacts within 24 hours of notification.

To further increase the country's testing capacity, some 500,000 anti-gen test kits will be procured to augment supply of swab test kits, he added. Currently, Roque said the Philippines can conduct 51,000 tests per day, far from the minimum requirement of at least 100,000 given the latest COVID-19 situation.

Roque said more contact tracers will be also deployed.

For local governments outside the Greater Manila area, Roque said they were instructed to implement enhanced prevent, detect, isolation, treatment, and rehabilitation measures to limit mobility and minimize delays in case detection, contact tracing, and isolation in their respective jurisdictions. This will cover areas in Central Luzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region, as well as the provinces of Quezon and Batangas.

The government placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under the strictest ECQ amid a spike in COVID-19 infections.

Health experts agreed a stricter lockdown is the best approach to control the rising number of cases, but they also noted that this should be supported by expanded contact tracing and faster testing.

The country has recorded more than 9,000 COVID-19 infections for two days. To date, cases have reached more than 712,000, with a new all-time high for the number of active cases at 118,122.
NEW YORK, March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the sixth anniversary of the war in Yemen, and the human toll is considerable: 233,000 people have died, more than half of them from indirect causes such as lack of food or healthcare. The country is now on the brink of famine. Action Against Hunger calls on the international community to fund humanitarian operations to match increasingly urgent needs, to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access, and to protect civilians from hunger caused by the conflict.

"In Yemen, children are literally starving. Humanitarian aid has declined dramatically, and it is not reaching those who need it most. We are in a drastic situation that gets a little closer to famine each day," says Willow Rook, Deputy Country Director for Action Against Hunger in Yemen, who just returned from Al Hodeidah region, one of the hardest areas hit by this conflict.

More than 16 million Yemenis are hungry, and 400,000 children under age five are at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition this year if they do not receive urgent treatment. The maritime blockade contributes to the crisis by preventing humanitarian aid, commercial goods, and other basic necessities from entering the country and reaching communities in need quickly.

The war in Yemen intensified in 2020, leaving more than 80% of Yemenis living below the poverty line and at least 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance to survive. The world's worst humanitarian crisis has denied millions of people access to employment, adequate medical care, food and clean water.

Yemen's economy has experienced a further dramatic slowdown in recent months. The country is 90% dependent on imports of wheat and other basic food items, while the value of Yemeni Rial has fallen by 250% from its pre-conflict value. Even when available in the markets, food, water, and basic necessities are unaffordable for many families, who have to pay prices 140% higher than before the war.

"I owned a small fishing boat and provided for all of my family's needs by fishing and selling fish. But, as a result of the war, I was bombed by naval battleships while working at sea. I lost my boat and suffered a great psychological crisis," said one man living in Al Hodiedah region. After he lost his livelihood, he started to rely on the generosity of his relatives.

The man continued, "All the food prices have risen significantly ... They rose very frighteningly. The cost of a bag of flour was 6,000 YER (approximately $6.95 USD), and now it has become more than 11,000 YER (approximately $12.74 USD).1

International donors have contributed just 10% of the $3.85 billion needed for humanitarian operations in Yemen in 2021. Reductions in international aid due to budgetary cuts will make the humanitarian situation for Yemenis even more dire. To break the vicious cycle of conflict and hunger in Yemen, Action Against Hunger calls for new humanitarian financing from donor nations, facilitated imports of essential goods, and greater respect for international humanitarian law by the parties to the conflict.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger, which has operated in Yemen since 2012, implements activities in some of the hardest-hit areas, including Hodeidah, Abyan, Lahj, and Taiz, where more than one in five children suffer from acute malnutrition. In these areas, Action Against Hunger provided lifesaving treatment to 41% more acutely malnourished children in the second half of 2020 compared to earlier in the year, an indication of growing needs.

1 In September, the exchange rate in southern Yemen was 844.09 YER/$1. In February, it stood at 863.72 YER/$1.

SOURCE Action Against Hunger
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took to its official Instagram handle and shared a stunning image of frosty sand dunes of Mars. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has captured the picture with its HiRISE camera. Stunned by the picture, netizens took to the comments section to share their views.

Sand dunes of Mars captured

In the post, NASA has mentioned that Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured the image of frosty sand dunes. They described that the field of sand dunes occupies a crater that stretches for five kilometers that are found in the high-latitudes of Mars northern plains. The stripes and other features in the images are due to the sublimated ice that comes with the seasonal thaw. They further asked the users about the year Mars Reconnaissance Orbitor had reached Mars. They have mentioned four options 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 for response. Take a look at the post.

Since uploaded on Twitter, the image has gathered to 680K likes and accumulated comments from netizens. Some of the users in their comments gave the answer to the question asked by NASA. One user wrote, "Looks like metallic iron oxide sand dunes." Another user wrote, "Woww that's spectacular." Another user commented, "2006". Check out some reactions.

Earlier, the International Space Station (ISS) captured Earth from a circular glass window. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has posted pictures of how Earth looks from space on their Instagram handle. The images have been captured by Mike Hopkins Hopkins, a NASA astronaut while he had taken a break from his job in space. In the post, NASA has mentioned that the picture has been taken from the window of the docked Crew Dragon Resilience. They further wrote that Mike and his three fellow crew members have been at the International Space Station since November 2020.

(Image Credits: NASA Instagram)

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Theres a reason Dolly Parton has such a diverse group of fans. Shes not public with her politics. But there is one area in her life where Parton is uncensored, and thats in her songs. In her 2020 book, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, she writes that, in her songs, she can say what [she] need[s] to say.

Dolly Parton | Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Dolly Parton on politics and songwriting

For the most part, Parton is an open book. But one thing she keeps private is her politics. The Queen of Country feels she doesnt need to march in the streets to express herself. She has songwriting for that. Additionally, in a song, Parton feels she can give a voice to the voiceless.

In my songwriting, Ive never shied away from what is going on in the world, she wrote. I dont voice issues publicly, myself. But in my songs, I can write about whatever I feel. Thats what Im about. I can say what I need to say without having to march in the streets or make big public statements. I express in my own way what I believe other people need to hear and might not be able to write about their feelings.

Daddy Wont Be Home Anymore

One of Partons songs that seems to skew political is Daddy Wont Be Home Anymore, which she wrote at the height of the war in Vietnam.

Daddy Wont Be Home Anymore is about knowing that your husband or your father or your kids are out there in the war, she wrote. They may not be coming home. Many people can relate to that.

RELATED: The Real Story Behind Dolly Partons I Will Always Love You

But Parton insists that the song isnt a political statement.

The way the song is written, its not saying war is wrong, she wrote. Its saying, from a womans point of view, how heartbreaking it is. Im not making a political statement, Im just saying its tragic.

Parton feels its a gift to be able to verbalize the feelings of people without a voice.

The government sent our people to war, she wrote. They had to fight, whether they believed in it or not. And the people left at home are feeling that sorrow and grief and fear and worry over never seeing someone again. As a songwriter, its a wonderful thing to be able to do that, to be able to express things for other people.

Dolly Parton is a feminist in practice

Parton will not say shes a feminist. She feels the movement has become too extreme, and about the hatred of men rather than equality. But in an interview with Jad Abumrad in the podcast series, Dolly Partons America, she does agree that shes a feminist in practice.

Happy #InternationalWomensDay to all you fierce, beautiful, hardworking women  Ive been lucky enough to have so many incredible women stand beside me over the years, including the wonderful @RealLindaPerry! Theres nothing we cant do if we put our heart and soul into it! pic.twitter.com/iKkEC1h0RQ  Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 8, 2021

RELATED: The Artist Dolly Parton Loved to Listen to Growing up Because She Sang About Defending the Women

Yes, thats a good way to say it, she says when Abumrad suggests feminism can be about how you live.

I think thats a good way of saying it, said Parton. I live it. I work it. And I think theres power in it for me.
Poet Amanda Gorman revisits inaugural triumph with Oprah

Amanda Gorman revisits her inauguration day poetry reading that wowed observers, among them Oprah Winfrey, in the Apple TV+ series The Oprah Conversation.

The 23-year-old Gorman stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity, Winfrey said in a statement. I was enthralled by her youthful spirit from the first moment we met, and very much looked forward to hearing her unpack all that has happened to her the past few months.

The interview will be out Friday on the streaming service.

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The first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, Gorman recited The Hill We Climb for the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a wide-ranging interview with Winfrey, Gorman discusses how she approached the poems creation; the literary figures who inspire her; personal stories that shaped her past, and her hopes for the future, the streaming service said in a release Thursday.

It felt meaningful, not only for me but in a broader sense, Gorman says of her poem in a clip from the interview. She describes the work as something that the world needed to hear and that I needed to write. Very rarely do you get that type of luxury as a poet, in which your words arent just meeting the moment, but making the moment in history.

Winfrey is used to making moments, most recently with her CBS interview in which Britains Harry and Meghan, his African American wife, detailed why they left their royal duties and are creating a new, independent life in California. Among the bombshells the couple shared with Winfrey: that someone in the palace had speculated on how dark their then-unborn son, Archie, would be.

Others who have been interviewed for The Oprah Conversation include former President Barack Obama, Matthew McConaughey, Stevie Wonder and author Ibram X. Kendi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to Indo-Bangla cooperation.

Modi is on the concluding leg of his two-day visit to Bangladesh. It is his first trip to a foreign country since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

"Had a wonderful meeting with President Abdul Hamid. We exchanged views on a wide range of subjects pertaining to India-Bangladesh cooperation," the prime minister tweeted.

Read | PM Narendra Modi meets Sheikh Hasina for talks

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a tweet said Modi and Hamid had comprehensive discussions on all aspects of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Before meeting the president, Modi held one-on-one and delegation-level talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. The two countries also inked five MoUs to further boost their bilateral cooperation.

On Friday, the prime minister attended the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the country's independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka.
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Kill the Bill demonstrators today ignored officers' pleas to stay at home as they marched in rallies across Britain to oppose controversial anti-protest legislation - amid fears of another night of violence in Bristol.

Scenes of violence have erupted in Bristol over the past week, with demonstrators seen hurling fireworks and eggs at riot officers while protesting the government's upcoming Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The legislation would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted under the bill liable to fines or jail terms.

In Manchester on Saturday, police made eighteen arrests as pictures showed protesters clashing with officers.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said they were monitoring a 'largely peaceful and contained' group at around 1pm before demonstrators began to cause 'significant disruption' by sitting on tram lines in the city centre.

Dozens of demonstrators held placards reading 'Defend the right to protest' and 'Black Lives Matter' in the city's St Peter's Square.

Demonstrations elsewhere, in Bath, Nottingham, London and Falmouth, appeared mostly peaceful as protests continued against the proposed laws.

Demonstrators in Bath held signs declaring 'Those who make peaceful protest impossible will make violent protest inevitable'.

Riot police were already roaming the streets in Somerset in anticipation of unrest, as young protesters addressed crowds who had gathered to oppose the proposed laws with megaphones.

In Falmouth, hundreds of people gathered at a peaceful rally, while others in Kingston upon Thames marched through the high street with signs reading 'Kill the Bill' and 'We will not be silent.'

And in a separate anti-lockdown protest in Bradford, West Yorkshire, there were violent scenes as demonstrators clashed with police.

Today's protests come after another night of violent clashes with police in Bristol on Friday. Officers were seen beating at least one protester across the thighs as they dispersed a crowd of more than 1,000 people.

Both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the protesters' actions.

In Manchester on Saturday, the city centre ground to a halt as hundreds of people blocked roads and tram tracks. As they marched protesters could be heard chanting 'kill the bill,' 'our streets,' and 'the Tories caused the violence.' Pictured: Police arresting a woman in Manchester on Saturday

Greater Manchester Police reassured the public they were keeping a watchful eye on the protest, but said that it had been 'peaceful' and 'contained.' Pictured: Officers in Manchester restraining demonstrators

Organisers called on demonstrators to keep up social distancing throughout the rally. Most protesters appeared to be wearing masks. Pictured: A demonstrator trying to run from police

Scores of police were seen walking together in Manchester as they were on hand to engage with protesters on Saturday

Protesters who were blocking tram lines in Manchester were seen being moved by police on Saturday as others watched on with their smartphones

This protester in Manchester was pictured being carried by officers as discarded posters lay on the ground

The busy gatherings came despite police urging protestors to consider their actions after Boris Johnson condemned a 'mob intent on violent' following a third night of violence in Bristol on Friday.

Priti Patel also spoke out against the actions of demonstrators she dubbed 'thugs' who were 'only intent on causing trouble' at the marches.

Timeline of the Bristol protests: Sunday, March 21: Around 3,000 were protesting the new policing bill peacefully on College Green before a hardcore of 500 activists arrived outside Bridewell Police Station in Bristol city centre. They torched police vans, smashed windows of buildings and attacked officers. Avon and Somerset Police is investigating assaults on 40 officers and one member of the media. Tuesday, March 23: Two days after the riot around 100 demonstrators gathered on College Green in the heart of the city's student area. On this occasion there was no rioting, but one witness described officers' dispersal of the protesters as 'quite heavy-handed', which was 'shocking to see.' Officers made 15 arrests. Friday, March 26: Ten arrests were made after what police called unacceptable 'violent conduct' at the third Kill the Bill demonstration in Bristol. Some 300 people initially joined a protest march through the city centre against the Government's new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill on Friday night, before the crowd swelled to more than 1,000 as tempers flared. Advertisement

The Home Secretary said she was 'disgusted' by the attacks on police, which saw protesters launch fireworks at officers on horseback outside Bridewell Police Station.

She said the force 'have my full support' and added she believed the 'silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority'.

Prime Minster Boris Johnson branded the violence towards police as 'disgraceful' and said that police and the city had his full support.

Mr Johnson tweeted: 'Last night saw disgraceful attacks against police officers in Bristol.

'Our officers should not have to face having bricks, bottles and fireworks being thrown at them by a mob intent on violence and causing damage to property. The police and the city have my full support.'

Ms Patel also tweeted that it was clear that 'thugs' had only been intent on causing trouble.

She added: 'I am disgusted by the disorder in Bristol and the violence being directed towards the police.

'I'm in no doubt the silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority.

'Despite repeated warnings to disperse, it's clear these thugs were only intent on causing trouble.'

Ahead of the gatherings today, Claire Armes, Chief Superintendent for Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'We're aware some people may still be intending to take part in further protests in Bristol and Bath this weekend.

'Once again, I'm urging them to reconsider for the sake of public health. While Covid restrictions are in place, gatherings of any kind will only put our communities at risk.

'This pandemic has cost many lives and is still a significant challenge for our colleagues in the NHS. Anyone who chooses to flout the restrictions is playing a part in prolonging this difficult situation.

'We fully understand the strength of feeling around the right to protest, but now is not the time. We're again asking people to please do the responsible thing and stay at home this weekend.

'Policing resources are in place to ensure we're able to keep our communities safe and maintain order.'

Officers said they 'have a plan' in place to tackle further protests should demonstrators decide to take to the streets of Bristol again tonight.

Commander for Avon and Somerset Police Mark Runacres said police 'would not tolerate violent protests', and while they did not want to have to act, 'if we need to maintain law and order in the city then we will.'

He added: 'We do have a plan. We have additional resources available to us throughout this weekend but we don't want to have to be using them at all and certainly not to use force and dispersing people.

A demonstrator is detained by police after blocking the tram tracks during a "Kill the Bill" protest in Manchester City Centre

Another teenage protester was seen being arrested after blocking tram tracks in Manchester on Saturday

This man in Manchester was seen holding his smartphone as he was dragged away by an officer on Saturday

FALMOUTH: A protester shouts as she marches through the streets today in opposition to the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Court Bill

BATH: Riot police were already roaming the streets in Somerset in anticipation of unrest today

LONDON: Demonstrations appeared peaceful today as hundreds of Britons gathered in Bath, Nottingham, London, Falmouth and Manchester to protest the proposed laws

BATH AND MANCHESTER: Young protesters address crowds who gathered in Somerset to protest the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

MANCHESTER: Protestors carry placards during a Kill The Bill protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill

NOTTINGHAM: Dozens of demonstrators gather on a hill in Nottingham to protest the proposed policing bill

'But if we need to to maintain law and order in the city then we will - that's our core responsibility. The majority of the wider public in the city and beyond will expect and want us to do that, particularly in light of what occurred last Sunday.

'What happened on Sunday was completely shocking and unacceptable, to me as an individual and a police officer, to us as an organisation and to us as a city.

'There was a letter that was circulated by city leaders on Thursday from people in leadership positions in a variety of organisations across the city, all signing up to support the police response and discourage people from gathering for further protests.'

He added: 'People are showing their appreciation for what we do and their gratitude for the role that we play in the city.

'I've had conversations with senior people in the council throughout the week including the Mayor about how we stop this developing further.

A 'Kill The Bill' demonstration against the Government's Policing Bill in Nottingham on Saturday

MANCHESTER: Demonstrators during the 'Kill The Bill' protest against the proposed law in St Peter's Square today

BATH: A demonstrator holding a 'protect protest' sign speaks to a police officer amid another demonstration today

BATH AND MANCHESTER: People hold signs reading 'The future ain't Priti' and 'Kill the Bill' at protests today

MANCHESTER: Hundreds of protesters sit on the street as they hold placards reading 'Kill the Bill' during a rally today

BATH: A man shouts through a traffic cone as demonstrators walk down a High Street during a protest today

NOTTINGHAM: People held signs reading 'Ban the Bill' and 'Reclaim our Streets' as they demonstrated today

'A frustration that we have is over why and how this is playing out in Bristol, and why this legislation that is government-led is causing people to take to the streets in this way.

'That's harming Bristol and that's not what we want. We don't want that to represent us as a city because that's not what we're about and it's not what we pride ourselves on.'

In Manchester on Saturday, the city centre ground to a halt as hundreds of people blocked roads and tram tracks.

As they marched protesters could be heard chanting 'kill the bill,' 'our streets,' and 'the Tories caused the violence.'

Demonstrators congregated on the tram tracks at Piccadilly Gardens, causing a temporary disruption to tram and bus services in and out of the city centre.

Greater Manchester Police reassured the public they were keeping a watchful eye on the protest, but said that it had been 'peaceful' and 'contained.'

A force spokesperson said: 'Officers are aware and monitoring the protest in the city centre this afternoon. 'The gathering remains peaceful and contained, and patrols are continuing to ensure there is no risk to the wider public.'

Organisers called on demonstrators to keep up social distancing throughout the rally. Most protesters appeared to be wearing masks.

Protesters marched from St Peter's Square to Portland Street before stopping to sit down at the junction of Princess Street, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Police in Nottingham were also on hand as similar protests against the Government's proposed bill took place

This female officer was seen escorting a man as he held two fingers in the air during the protest in Nottingham on Saturday

A 'Kill The Bill' demonstration against the Government's Policing Bill in Nottingham on Saturday

The rally then moved on towards Piccadilly Gardens, where hundreds of demonstrators could be heard singing and chanting.

Around 100 people marched on to Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, where an eight minute silence was held in memory of George Floyd.

Demonstrators then took the knee near to the memorial for George Floyd, who was killed whilst being arrested by police in the US city of Minneapolis in May 2020.

The rally then returned back towards St Peter's Square, where protesters paused again to sit down in the road on Portland Street. Many carried placards which said 'Kill the Bill,' whilst others said 'defend the right to protest' and 'black lives matter.'

The protest was organised by Stand up to Racism Manchester, and was advertised as a peaceful demonstration in opposition to the policing bill.

Demonstrations in Bristol kicked off in the city last Sunday, when 3,000 people protesting peacefully on College Green evolved into chaos after a 500-strong group of hardcore activists arrived outside Bridewell Police Station.

They torched police vans, smashed windows of buildings and attacked officers.

BATH: A woman holds a sign reading 'Hello fascism' as several demonstrations continue across Britain today

BATH: Hundreds marched through the streets in Somerset during the busy demonstrations today

BATH: People held signs reading 'If I can't say no, I can't say yes' and 'I want to be safe not brave' today

FALMOUTH: Other demonstrators danced in the middle of a crowd during a protest in Falmouth today

FALMOUTH: Three demonstrators hold a banner reading 'Kill the policing bill, it's out right to protest' as they march today

LONDON: Demonstrators hold placards during a 'Kill the Bill' protest in Kingston upon Thames today

Avon and Somerset Police is investigating assaults on 40 officers and one member of the media.

The violence continued on Tuesday, when 15 arrests were made, before kicking off again last night.

In the latest demonstration, more than 100 riot officers were deployed to disperse the crowd of more than 1,000 after people began throwing eggs, bottles and traffic cones towards police.

Officers were seen beating at least one protester across the thighs as he refused to go quietly when he was apprehended. Two other videos on social media showed journalists being shoved back by officers.

Ten arrests were made during last night's protests, during which demonstrators had demanded the government scrap a new policing bill which criminalises marches deemed a 'public nuisance.'

At the unrelated anti-lockdown protest in Bradford on Saturday, demonstrators were pictured grappling with police

Thousands of people gathered in the town to demand an end to the coronavirus lockdown. Crowds were heard chanting 'freedom' and 'no more masks

Police officers clash with protesters during an anti-lockdown protest in Bradford. Pictured: Officers were seen wearing masks as they lined up in front of demonstrators

This woman was seen animatedly engaging with an officer while others used their smartphones to film the angry clashes

One woman was seen being held down by officers as they handcuffed her. Behind, other officers appeared to make a separate arrest

This woman was seen with her hands forced behind her back as she was led away by two officers in Bradford on Saturday

At the unrelated anti-lockdown protest in Bradford on Saturday, demonstrators were pictured grappling with police.

Thousands of people gathered in the town to demand an end to the coronavirus lockdown. Crowds were heard chanting 'freedom' and 'no more masks.

A poster advertising the event called it the 'North Unites Rally'. It added: 'Get set for the largest rally in the north. It's time for our communities to fightback for our freedoms, enough is enough!'

'No to the vax agenda, no to health passes, no to government corruption, no to lockdowns'.

It is understood several arrests have been made although West Yorkshire Police are yet to confirm this.

One witness said: 'The protest has suddenly turned ugly as protesters begin to clash with police officers. 'Half of the group are encouraging others to break through the barrier of police officers. At least one person appears to have been arrested.'

The protest has been going on since 1pm on Saturday and speakers were earlier taking it in turns to chant through a microphone.

One man was detained after being 'pinned down on the floor by police'. Another protester was heard saying: 'We're the force from the north and you can't control us.'

One man, who said he had travelled an hour to join the event, said: 'I've come here today for a day out and to stick up for my rights, my freedoms, the things I'm against.
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Dozens protested in Copacabana Beach against the new restriction measures adopted on Friday in Rio de Janeiro, which will impose a ten-day lockdown on shops, restaurants, bars, and other businesses.

Authorities changed the Easter holidays schedule, now starting March 26, to make a longer lockdown in an attempt to reduce the number of commuters.

Last Wednesday, the mayor announced a credit line for small entrepreneurs, emergency aid to low-income families, and financial aid to pay small business employees as many won't be able to open.

Protesters called the help "charity," saying that what they actually want is work.

Rio de Janeiro's streets were not as quiet as the first lockdown in March 2020 but less crowded than recent weeks.

In the city center, where most businesses are affected by the mayor's decree, whole streets were empty. Few passersby walked in the Carioca Plaza, populated by thousands on a regular weekday.

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and death registrations keep rising in the city. In Rio de Janeiro state, 18 municipalities reached a total ICU occupancy for COVID-19 treatment.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A young Northern Ireland mother who was left in a wheelchair after a crash that claimed the lives of two of her friends has said she holds no ill will against the driver.

Rachel Elliott suffered severe head and spinal injuries following the accident in Bundoran, Co Donegal, in 2018. She spent 12 days in intensive care.

Rachel (27), from the Irvinestown area of Co Fermanagh, had been one of five people thrown out the boot of a car after it crashed at speeds of up to 121kph at Single Street, Eastend Bundoran, just after 3am on August 19 2018.

But the mother-of-one said she has forgiven the driver, Joe Gilroy.

The 23-year-old, from Lisnaskea, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of Rachel's friends - Shiva Devine, originally from Belleek, and Conall McAleer, from Boa Island. He will be sentenced by Judge John Aylmer at Donegal Circuit Court on April 20 after a tariff hearing this week.

Rachel said that she is now a better person as she looks at life differently from a wheelchair.

But she said she bears no ill towards Gilroy, who was driving friend Colin Brennan's Peugeot 306 on the night of the horrific crash.

She said: "I just want Joe and his family to know that I hold no ill feeling to him or his family. I don't blame him in any way for being in a wheelchair.

"Joe has to live with this for the rest of his life and that alone is a life sentence. I wish him all the best for the future along with the rest of the families involved because I cannot imagine what they are going through."

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In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement, Rachel said her life has changed forever but in many ways for the better.

She recalled the moment when doctors told her she would never walk again and how she has been forced to adapt.

She said: "To this day I will never forget the day the consultants came in and told me I will be in need of a wheelchair full-time. It has been difficult getting used to my new life in a wheelchair.

"I will be honest and thought I would never get through it but I have come a long way since I got out of hospital and became more independent.

"I thought I would never cope with this life that was given to me, however, I have learned to adjust, overcome and forgive. Due to life in a wheelchair, I feel that I am a better person and an even better mother.

"I deal better with situations now than I would have before resulting in me being in a better place in life. I do still have my daily struggles but at night I find the hardest. At night that is when I cannot switch off from my thoughts and feelings and the loneliness overcomes me."

Rachel said she is concentrating on becoming a better person and living her life with her five-year-old son. She said she wished everyone's pain can ease and singled out driver Joe Gilroy for the remorse he has shown since the crash.

She added: "I have accepted for the time being that this is my life and I have learned to be grateful for life, the life that I have now and that I am still here to watch my wee boy Ronnie grow up. I am learning to be a better mum and a better person.

"The love of my child is what has kept me going. My child is five and I don't know what the years to come will bring for me and him as you don't know what can happen in the future.

"All I know is that Joe is a good, warm-hearted person and this would be heart-breaking for him and his family. He has shown nothing but remorse to us all."
Kabul, March 27 : Taliban militants have warned that they will resume attacks against foreign forces if they do not withdraw from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline, in response to US President Joe Biden offering an unclear timetable on when American troops would be pulled back.

"All responsibility for the prolongation of war, death and destruction will be on the shoulders of those whom committed this violation," dpa news agency quoted the insurgent group as saying in a statement on Friday.

The May 1 deadline is part of an agreement the US administration under former President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban in February 2020 in Doha.

It is now under review by the Biden administration.

Under the deal, the US promised to withdraw all US and international forces from Afghanistan.

In return, the Taliban vowed to cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Since the signing of the deal, there have been no attacks on US-led NATO forces in the country.

However, the Taliban has intensified attacks against the Afghan government.

In addition, there is no tangible progress in ongoing peace talks between the representatives of the Taliban and the government that started in September 2020.

On Thursday, Biden said that he "can't picture" US troops still being in Afghanistan next year, but he did not offer a precise timetable.

The Taliban called Biden's remarks "vague" and emphasised that the Doha agreement is the best option to end the past 20 years of war.

The group added that it was committed to its part under the deal.
Lee Ann Keller, 56, is the president and chief executive officer of Omni Tech International, Ltd. Keller and her wife, Tamara McGovern, own the business located on Ashman Street, across from Kroger in Midland. Omni Tech provides technical and business consulting services. They focus on three different areas. First, they act as commercialization managers helping clients replace environmentally harmful feed stocks with more environmentally bio-friendly products including soybean oil. Second, Omni Tech provides strategic planning and capacity building for non-profit and for-profit organizations. Third, they provide DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) training. Omni Tech has seven employees and eight other people working as contactors in Midland, the U.S., Europe, and China. Keller graduated from Marquette High School and earned a bachelors in mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech. She and Tamara have been married for five years. They live in Sanford. Keller has two daughters while McGovern has a son. McGovern is the vice president of finance for Members First Credit Union.

1. How long have you owned your business? I have been a shareholder for over 20 years. Tammy and I bought out the remaining shareholders (except for one percent) over the last couple of years. Ive been running the company for 20 years.

2. What inspired you to own this business? I always was a little bit of a renegade. Worked for Dow for almost 10 years. Had some little cottage businesses. Then I had the opportunity to go into consulting so I took a leap of faith 25 years ago around when I had my second child. I had created a business and thought the phone would just ring but I learned I had to go out and get involved in the community. Worked for Cornerstone Consulting and then moved on to Omni Tech.

Its been a good fit. Ive always been entrepreneurial even before I knew what one was. The creativity behind it is great. I have technical attributes but I started out majoring in art before I got into engineering.

3. What makes Midland a great place to own a business? The people. A lot of energy and a lot of people who want to do great things. I look at some of the business relationships. Theres a womens business group. I couldnt do it without support of people like that. Nice to have someone to call or tell you when you need to grow up (laughs). We have a good accountant and a good lawyer. Without those people, we wouldnt be as successful. We had to re-strategize from the shareholder model business to a sole proprietorship entity. In Midland, we have a climate of wanting to do better. We want to make the whole region a better place.

4. What are some ways your business is active in the local community? We do a lot of volunteering. Many of our staff are on boards of directors that support organizations in the community. Ann Fillmore has a wealth of experience from working at United Way. Every month, we elect to give back by financially supporting and giving time to a different organization. We comp some of our time so smaller organizations have access to our services.

5. What are some of your interests and hobbies? Right brain-left brain. I have a hidden artist in my soul. I like painting. I have a lot of projects going on at the same time. I love to cook. Were active outdoors: biking, kayaking. Try to read a good book.

6. What are some local businesses that you work with that help make your business a success? Jeff Hert with Rehmann Robson, cant speak highly enough of him. Hes incredible. Helped me reformulate our entire financial plan. We have different banking services. We work a lot with my women in business team made up of CEOs and leaders of other businesses in town.

7. Other thoughts? I am incredibly lucky to have the support of the community, my family, and all of our clients. Weve all been going through this together (the flood and COVID). Were healthy, trying to do the best we can. Incredibly thankful for amount of people who pull together when somethings wrong. We saw our neighbors working tirelessly to clean out homes on our street I think of Sanford Strong, churches, Angela Cole, Dolores Porte, women who amaze me. There are hundreds more like that here. Its humbling. Im proud of a community that takes care of their own I think well make it out of this a stronger community, but not without a little work.
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin believes the chief executive of the Beacon should be held accountable for his actions as vaccine operations were suspended at the private hospital.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced this afternoon that vaccine operations were suspended at the hospital.

The move comes in the wake of revelations that schoolteachers and creche workers were given Covid-19 vaccines by the hospital this week.

The Taoiseach's spokesperson said: The vaccines belong to the Irish people.

There are clear rules and guidelines in relation to their administration. These prioritise the most vulnerable and frontline healthcare workers.

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There are specific rules relating to the allocation of surplus vaccines at the end of a days administration. Clearly, these rules and guidelines were broken by The Beacon Hospital.

What happened was wrong and a breach of trust. Behaviour of this sort undermines confidence in the vaccination programme.

The CEO should be held accountable for his actions by the board of The Beacon Hospital."

In a statement on the suspension of vaccine operations at the Beacon, Minister Donnelly said: "Irelands vaccination programme is the most important public health programme in living memory.

"It is essential that the programme is run in accordance with the agreed prioritisation in order to maximise the benefit of the vaccination programme and the speed with which Ireland can emerge from Covid-19 measures. The provision of vaccines by the Beacon Hospital to a school was entirely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.

"I have considered this matter carefully and have worked with the HSE to assess the operational implications of suspending vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin.

"I have now asked the HSE to suspend vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital with the exception of those people who have already been scheduled to get their vaccine at the centre. Alternative arrangements are being put in place by the HSE.

"In addition, I have asked the HSE to appoint a senior official to immediately examine what happened and make recommendations regarding any actions or changes required.

"I am also writing to the Board of Beacon Hospital to ask them to conduct a review of what happened including consideration of any appropriate response, he added.

Earlier today, TD Paul Murphy became the latest politician to call for the CEO of the Beacon Hospital Michael Cullen to resign following the revelation that schoolteachers and creche workers were given Covid-19 vaccines by the hospital this week.

The People Before Profit Deputy said the Beacon Hospitals distribution of vaccines to teachers ahead of even their own patients is grossly immoral and unethical and said: he must resign.

The actions of the hospital, which it said were undertaken due to time pressure, have come in for heavy criticism and Mr Cullen yesterdayacknowledged they were not in line with the sequencing guidelines in place from the HSE.

Deputy Murphy said: While these vaccines were given to private school teachers 14km down the road, there were patients in the hospital who needed them and were waiting for them. There is no excuse for what happened.

Mr Murphy said the fact this happened in the Beacon inevitably poses the question about whether this has happened with any other vaccines.

He called for a rapid investigation, including representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and patients, to check whether any other vaccines have been diverted.

It's understood Mr Cullen's children attend St Gerard's private school.

Childcare workers and teachers are in Cohort 11 of the Health Service Executive's vaccine roll-out. Cohort 4, including medically vulnerable people aged between 16-69, is the latest cohort to begin receiving vaccines in recent weeks.

Labour leader Alan Kelly yesterday branded Mr Cullens actions as scandalous and said his position is now entirely untenable.

Its beyond belief that the CEO thought this type of behaviour would be appropriate or acceptable and there is now a fundamental question over his judgement.

This two-tier elitism is shocking, and unfortunately, has been enabled by the lack of a cohesive vaccine strategy from the Minister for Health, Mr Kelly said.




Joe Biden, or whoever is pulling the strings, has an ambitious agenda. Too ambitious in a well-functioning democracy for a president who squeaked into the White House and whose party holds only half of the Senate seats. There is no mandate for the kind of sweeping change Biden and his handlers desire.

One can debate whether ours is a well functioning democracy, but I hope it still functions well enough to prevent the kind of radical change the Democrats are pushing for. I believe it probably will, for the next two years at least.

On the face of things, the filibuster is the obstacle to the Democrats radical agenda. As long as its permitted, the Democrats are quite limited in what they can get through the Senate.

The miracle of reconciliation enabled them to pass the latest coronavirus virus relief bill (which was about much more than just relief from the economic effects of the virus). And it might enable them to pass some sort of major infrastructure legislation.

I believe, however, that the Democrats view on the proper magnitude of coronavirus relief was more popular with voters than the Republicans view. This certainly seemed to be the case in Georgia. So its hard to indict our democracy over the passage of the Dems version.

As for infrastructure legislation, its worth remembering that this is something Donald Trump supported. Thus, bipartisan support for such legislation exists (though I cant say Im a fan). Only mistrust and the inability of the parties to work together stand in the way of passing some form of it.

Again, therefore, we shouldnt get too worked up if its enacted via reconciliation.

Many other aspects of Bidens agenda do not enjoy the clear support of the electorate. Fortunately, they are quite unlikely to be deemed proper subjects for reconciliation.

Which leads to the question of whether the Dems can get rid of the filibuster. I doubt that they can, mainly because some Democratic Senators (not just Sen. Joe Manchin) dont want to be put in the position of having to vote on radical agenda items that lack broad public support.

My view on this finds support in a report by CNN. Manu Raju and Lauren Fox write:

The push by liberal Democrats to enact President Joe Bidens sweeping agenda is running into problems beyond just Sen. Joe Manchin: A handful of Democrats are not falling in line and could limit the scope of the partys ambitions on an array of critical issues. Some Senate Democrats like Sen. Jon Tester of Montana are not yet sold on the House-passed bills to expand background checks on gun sales. Eight Democrats are resisting calls to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. And its more than just Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema who are opposed to changing Senate rules so a filibuster can be defeated by 51 votes, rather than 60: The two New Hampshire Democratic senators are resisting those calls as well, in addition to several others who are not yet persuaded that such a change is necessary. No, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, told CNN when asked if she would support eliminating the 60-vote threshold. I think we should look at ways to reform the filibuster, but I dont think getting rid of it is the best approach. New Hampshires junior Democratic senator, Maggie Hassan, who faces a tough reelection bid next year, also has concerns about eliminating the filibuster, a spokesperson said, though backs some reforms.

(Emphasis added)

I dont trust Sen. Tester on anything. But the rest of this passage seems sound.

I highlighted the part about Maggie Hassan facing a tough reelection bid (she trails Gov. Chris Sununu in the polls) because its a central point. Sen. Hassan doesnt want to face the voters in 2022 having voted either for or against much of the Democrats radical agenda. The filibuster protects her from having to do so (and she need not publicly oppose eliminating it as long as Sens. Manchin and Sinema carry that water).

Speaking of Sen. Manchin, Biden has nominated the West Virginia Senators wife, Gayle Conelly Manchin, to serve as co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). She is the former president of the West Virginia Board of Education.

Joe Manchin has been quite clear that he doesnt support eliminating the filibuster, either generally or for things like passing voting reform bills. It would surprise me if he changed his position on this due to the appointment of his wife. (Whether he will be more accommodating to Biden on other matters, I cant say.) In any case, as noted above, Manchin isnt the lone holdout on the filibuster.

Meanwhile, Al Sharpton is threatening to come to West Virginia and call out Sen. Manchin for supporting that racist relic, the filibuster. Somehow, I doubt this threat will keep Manchin up at night.

Sharpton might be considered credible by some Blacks and ultra-lefty Whites in certain areas of the country, but West Virginia isnt one of them. Blacks make up less than 4 percent of that states population and ultra-lefty Whites arent much of a factor, either Theres no reason to believe that Sharpton is taken seriously by more than a handful of West Virginians.

Bring it on, Al.
According to family members, a 68-year-old Kansas woman died one day after her body reacted to a COVID-19 vaccine. In an obituary from Becker Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home, family members wrote that Jeanie Evans from Effingham died unprecedentedly on Wednesday at the Stormont-Vail Hospital due to a "reaction to the COVID vaccine."

Kansas Woman Reportedly Dies Due To Reaction From COVID-19 Vaccine

A probing is underway into the death of the 68-year-old Kansas woman who experienced the vaccine's reaction and received medical treatment but later died. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), it would be "premature to assign a specific cause of death" prior to the completion of the investigation.

According to John Dove, the owner of Dovenest restaurant, he thinks because everybody did know Evans and many grew up with her, they were solemn. He added that people who passed through his restaurant spoke of her and asked if they have heard more about it, reported Local 12.

However, Kansas health officials are stating it is still early to determine what transpired exactly. The Shawnee County Coroner said an autopsy will be undertaken of the woman who died, reported Fox 4.

Kansas officials confirmed on Thursday that the Atchison County woman who experienced anaphylaxis and died upon receiving a novel coronavirus vaccination remarked no association between the shot and her death had been determined. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment also said Thursday that it would probe into the case.

Melissa Eagle was Evans' neighbor. She said she routinely takes her dog named Daisy over to Evans' house. Over the past year, they began to become close and would walk their dogs outdoors. According to Eagle, she saw Evans on Monday, and she appeared normal, reported KSNT.

Joe Biden Pledges 200M Vaccine Shots in 100 Days During 1st Press Conference

Dispatch identified the patient as having difficulty speaking and breathing. It added there were two nurses with her on the scene, and she had been injected with an EpiPen.

The University of Kansas Health System's medical professionals answered questions related to vaccine safety during the report of Evans' death. According to Dr. Steven Stites, the vaccine may not be the culprit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 126 million doses of coronavirus vaccines were administered in the United States from mid-December through March 22. The agency received 2,216 reports of deaths following receiving doses. However, its reviews have found no proof that the vaccines caused such fatalities.

It is unclear whether Evans had underlying health conditions, and KDHE did not disclose which COVID-19 vaccine was injected. Three vaccines have been approved for use in the U.S. so far: Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson.

According to the hospital, a cause of death has not been determined yet, and their thoughts and condolences are with the family. Dove said, for those that do want to be administered the vaccine, that throws a certain level of doubt. And for those of them who might not get the vaccine, that seals it off to him where he would probably wait.

AstraZeneca Vaccine Declared 'Safe' by EU Agency After Countries Halt Use

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
I had my covid vaccine 2 weeks ago ( Covishield). I signed the consent form and I am fine. I fail to understand the sterile debate going on about the consent form. Let us not be hypocrites.

Has anyone ever read the consent form signed by our citizens whenever they undergo surgeries in both public and private hospitals ? What is written there?

Many people suffer medical negligence and die after surgeries that go wrong in our hospitals and clinics. How many cases have been lodged in the courts and if not why not? Precisely because of the consent forms signed prior to surgery. Its not too late to challenge these forms as well. Isnt it?

This does not absolve the Government about its responsibility and its incompetence in designing the new covid vaccine consent form, more so in general about the handling of the covid crisis itself.

We are all aware that this Govt. is devoid of strong leadership and effective communication skills. The last public statement of Pravin Jugnauth to extend the lockdown beyond 31 March 2021 bears testimony to this.

Regarding the price paid for the COVID VACCINE procured from India, Minister Jugatpal revealed in Parliament that we paid USD 15./= per dose for COVISHIELD & COVAXIN. This is the price paid in EUROPE and USA for the Pfizer vaccine.

It is good to know that The Indian Government itself has initially paid Indian Rupees (INTR) 295 per dose in January 2021. This works out to USD 4.10 per dose. On 20th March 2021 the Indian Govt ordered 12million doses at a price of INR 150 per dose ( that is USD 2.08 per dose) with both vaccine makers of India.( SOURCE: Business Today, Livemint and Mint e-paper)

Why are we paying 4 to 7 times the normal price for these vaccines? By the way the vaccine makers are not authorized to sell their vaccines to the private sector in India.

Govt has a duty of explaining this huge price difference to the public to stop speculations and gratuitous allegations if any. For instance Govt must confirm whether the procurement has once again been done through the STC. Has any middleman or woman been involved in the transaction and what is the amount of commission paid to him or her? Is this a G2G transaction? Is the Minister and the Ministry of Health privy and party to these transactions. Ex minister Bodha has said that before his resignation he had ordered 300,000 doses of the vaccines. Now that he is in the opposition can he shed some light on the price at which he ordered these vaccines?

Govt may not believe in freedom of information but the public still has a right to know because at the end of the day it is the public purse that will be spending some Rs 3.6 bn over the next 2 years to keep the population safe from COVID 19.

So now is the time for Govt to come clean on its policy and its actions about the procurement of the vaccines.

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Demonstrators launch fireworks at police officers during a protest against a new proposed policing bill, in Bristol, Britain, on March 21, 2021. (Peter Cziborra/Reuters)

We Have Seen the Fading of Democracy Across the World: Australian MP Warns

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce issued a warning in Parliament last week for Australia to rally its power in order to withstand what he lamented was the fading of democracy around the world.

We have seen the rise of China and, unfortunately, it is run by a regime, not a democracy, he said on Wednesday while debating the annual Appropriation Bill to fund government services.

We have seen the fading of democracy across the world, Joyce said. We always believed that democracy would be the pre-eminent form of government and would grow into the future, but it has not. It is fading. And we are lucky and blessed that we live in a democracy.

His remarks come a week after UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that the combined GDP of autocratic regimes would exceed that of democratic countries within the decadeif left unchallenged by democratic allies.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during House of Representatives Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 25, 2017. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

Joyce warned that Australia may have to prepare itself for a world where the superpower in the regionChinawas not a democracy, but a unitary control.

It is almost a tyranny, a new lineage, which, as weve seen in how the Uyghur people have been dealt with, can be very belligerent, he said.

The member for New England issued his warning in an attempt to bolster the Parliament to pursue a long term vision for the nation to grow.

Our number one goal is not about climate change and our number one goal, to be frank, is not about COVID, Joyce said. Our number one goal in this nation is to make ourselves as powerful as possible, as strong as possible, as quickly as possible, because youve got no hope of managing the other two unless you do that first.

Joyce advocated for the rebuilding of sovereign capabilities such as ambitious infrastructure projects and the manufacturing industry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison inspects plans with Mark Chilcott of Energy Renaissance, and Industry Minister Karen Andrews during a recent visit to their site in Tomago, NSW, on March 4, 2021. (AAP Image/Darren Pateman)

We dont have a sovereign satellite capacity, even in our weather predictions. We use American satellites. We use three Chinese satellites. We borrow information from them. We use Indian, European, and Korean satellites. Australia does not have them, he said.

If these services were switched off, Australia has no alternative, Joyce said.

The Australian and UK politicians sentiments come as Chinese leader Xi Jinping boasted of the Chinese Communist Partys ascendency over democratic allies in a recent address to Party leadership.

The strong West and weak East is history  the East is rising, and the West is declining, Xi declared.

At a recent address to the Aspen Security Conference, Raab warned that democracy is in retreat in the world as tyrannical regimes accumulate more economic prowess than free countries.

But he said that the UKs democratic allies could galvanise their will and take back control to shape a better path forward.

Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab speaks at the Aspen Security Conference on March 17, 2021. (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Raab warned that the combined GDP of autocratic regimes is expected to exceed that of the worlds democracies within this decade.

Just take a second to think about what that means, he told attendees.

Tyranny is richer than freedom. And that matters to us here at home because we know stable, freedom-respecting, democracies are much less likely to go to war, to house terrorists, or to trigger large-scale flows of immigration, he said.

But he said that the future bends towards freedom, and he asserted that the rise of tyranny doesnt have to be an inevitability. Nor was it the end of history, he said. Instead, Raab urged democratic allies to work together.

If we summon the will, and if we galvanise those countries that share our core conviction, together we can and we must, wrest control of history once again and shape a better path ahead, he said.

And I believe Britain has a central, driving, role to play in all of this, he added.
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Like a lot of young lads growing up in those halcyon days for Wexford GAA in the mid 90s, Ciaran Murphy was and still is hurling mad. When Wexford famously brought the Liam McCarthy home following a tense battle against Limerick in the final, Ciaran was going through a battle of his own.

This year marks 25 years since Ciaran underwent a bone marrow transplant at just seven years of age, having been diagnosed with Leukaemia the year before. While they were tough days, both for a young Ciaran and his family, he credits two things with getting him through - the staff at Crumlin Children's Hospital and his local GAA Club, Shelmaliers. He's now lending his support to a major fundraiser which will see a luxury car raffled off to raise funds for both.

'Crumlin played a massive, massive part in my life,' Ciaran explains. 'When I was six, I was diagnosed with Leukaemia. It was in November, 1995. Then in June, 1996, I had a bone marrow transplant. So for probably two years of my life the majority of my time was spent in Crumlin and I attended Crumlin right up until I was 18 years of age.

'I can't speak highly enough of the place. The staff in Crumlin is the one thing I'll never forget. I couldn't even mention all they did. The work they put in and the care they give everyone...looking back now, they're dealing with sick children. You could be in one room where there's a child that's extremely sick and go into another where it's like I was myself a lot of the time, just a child dying to get back home.'

Now a father himself, Ciaran has a new found appreciation of the work that the staff in Crumlin do and how they help families going through the most difficult of times.

'If I look back now, something more poignant to me is that I've now got kids,' he said. 'I've six year-old twins and they are the same age now as I was when I was diagnosed. Looking at it from a parent's perspective, you can't even begin to imagine what it's like.

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'Unfortunately one of my girls was quite sick and had an operation the day after she was born. The feeling of hopeless and helplessness that I had at that time, that's the feeling my parents would have had when it was me in hospital; the feeling that all parents of sick children go through. It's the people in Crumlin and any of the children's hospitals, they get you through these times. Having to deal with someone who may have been sick for a period of time and may have passed away and then having to come back into work the next day, it's just incredible how they can do it and get through it.'

Apart from the care of the staff at Crumlin, it was hurling that got Ciaran through. He became famed for rushing his treatment to be home in time for training at Hollymount.

'I was hurling mad when I was that age,' he laughs. 'My homeplace is just a couple of minutes from Hollymount and that's where me and my two brothers spent every night of the week. My father is still quite heavily involved in the club and at that time he was a selector for the senior team, so we spent every night over at Hollymount with him. That's what kept me going when I was in Crumlin.

'My mother tells me that I'd be coming off a week of heavy chemo and they'd be trying to flush out the lines after it had been done and I'd be in such a hurry to get home because I'd have training the next day. I couldn't understand why the doctors and nurses couldn't understand that this is more important than me getting chemo, getting home for training!

'At six years of age, that is the thing that's most important in your life. The club and the community played such a massive role in my recovery and my life after. It kept things normal for me. I was still the same as everyone else that age. The most important thing was the U10 shield at the weekend. The club was very good to my family as well in terms of providing support to get us through that difficult time. I couldn't be more grateful.'

Now 25 years later, Ciaran was delighted to be presented with the opportunity to give back to both his club and the hospital in which he spent so much time as a child. In a unique raffle, Shelmaliers are offering the chance to win a brand new BMW 3 Series worth over 44,000. The money raised will go towards the development of an external stand, a disabled lift and a gym at Hollymount and 20% of all profits made will also go directly to the Children's Health Foundation Crumlin. For Ciaran, it was the ideal opportunity to give back to both and he's determined to make it a success.

'Twenty-five years on, I was looking for something to do to get involved and give something back and I saw this fundraiser that was coming up with the club,' he said. 'To be able to do something that will benefit Crumlin and the club and community, it's something I really wanted to get involved in. They both did so much for me during that time. 25 years on, it's great to get involved and give back again.'

Tickets for the draw are priced at 25 each, with other prizes also up for grabs including a luxury stay at Faithlegg House Hotel and a 1,500 voucher for Joyce's Expert Wexford. To buy a ticket, visit www.winaluxurycar.ie.
2021-03-27 - 12:17 am

Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Raising Bahrain's public debt ceiling to 15 billion dinars ($39.682 billion) puts further pressure on the country's public budget, while plans to pay off accumulated debts since Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa took office in 1999 are absent.

Debt accumulated due to mismanagement, financial corruption, unnecessary spending on projects such as the Bahrain Circuit, Gulf Air restructuring and other failed investments.

The government has borrowed billions for failed projects or to pay off debt interest. It seems that there was no ceiling to the borrowing. The government increased the ceiling to 13 billion BD in 2017 and to 15 billion in 2020.

What is the fate of these debts and how would they affect people's conditions? Unfortunately, it seems that no one has a clear answer to this question.

"He found plans to raise the debt ceiling, but he did not find a plan for the government to pay off the debt (...) All the government has is merely wishes," said Jamal Fakhro, deputy speaker of the Shura Council.

He wondered "from where will the government bring financial savings to pay off the debt?"

Fakhro knows that the government will not bring financial savings, as it announced by ratifying the draft budget for fiscal years 2021-2022, that it has failed even to rebalance the lost financial balance of the country's finances, how would it be then able to achieve savings?

The country's budget deficit for 2021 is estimated at 1.276 billion dinars in 2021 and 1.145 million dinars in 2022, with a total deficit of 3.4 billion dinars, according to the country's budget figures.

It acknowledges that the fiscal balance plan announced in 2018 in partnership with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait has failed, but has not yet announced an alternative plan to achieve balance or even a final ceiling to borrowing.

Citizens fear that the government plans to lift more subsidies on basic goods and services in order to reduce the deficit it has approved in the public budget for the next two fiscal years.

The main data included in the budget do not show allowances for fuel and electricity support. The government refused to respond clearly to parliamentary inquiries on fuel and energy subsidies.

MP Fadel Al-Sawwad said the MPs raised the issue of continuity of fuel and electricity subsidies to government representatives, but they did not receive a clear answer.

He noted that the budget was vague and did not contain any indication that the government would continue its support.

The Government said that social support for the citizens most in need would continue.

Therefore, there is nothing yet on imposing taxes on banks, corporations or white lands in an attempt to curb public debt, however, doubts continue to be raised about the government's intention to impose more measures that would harm its citizens.

Arabic Version
Some of the week's major mining stories in snapshot

KAZ Minerals PLC (LON:KAZ) received a higher recommended offer from a consortium led by two of its directors, valuing the Kazakh copper producer at around 4.1bn, as they seek to take the company back into private hands.

Chairman Oleg Novachuk and president Vladimir Kim increased their final cash offer to 850 pence per share, together with a special dividend equal to 27 US cents per share, taking the total offer to about 869p per share.

Copper market dynamics have evolved since the announcement of the original offer in October 2020, and the final increased offer fully reflects this change, said Novachuk

The two directors, who together already hold 39.36% of KAZ Minerals, originally bid 640p a share in October, before raising this to 780p a share last month.

Jubilee Metals Group Plc (LON:JLP) posted a four-fold jump in interim pretax profit on higher PGM production and prices and said it expected 2021 to be another transformational year. Pretax profit surged to 24.4mln in the six months to end December, from 6.6mln in the year-earlier period, as revenue more than doubled to 53.4mln. Attributable earnings for the six-month period soared 212% to a record 30.9mln.

Rio Tinto PLC (LON:RIO)(ASX:RIO) is planning a series of seminars to outline how it is working in partnership with what it terms traditional owners. The aim is to improve the companys approach to cultural heritage and community relations after its recent decision to dynamite a major cultural heritage site in Australia.

Emmerson PLC (LON:EML) said it has applied for admission to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and cancel its listing on the standard segment of the exchanges main market. The potash development firm said the cancellation is expected to be effective at 8am on April 27, while its AIM admission is anticipated to begin at the same time.

Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) said incoming chief executive Gary Nagle, head of coal assets at the mining and commodity trading giant, will take over the role of CEO from July 1 after incumbent Ivan Glasenberg retires on June 30.

Caledonia Mining Corporation PLC (LON:CMCL, NYSE:CMCL) posted higher underlying profit for 2020 on record production and higher gold prices.

EQTEC PLC (LON:EQT) and MetalNRG PLC (LON:MNRG) signed a framework partnership agreement to develop sustainable green energy projects. In an announcement, MetalNRG, a natural resource investing and exploration firm, said it set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), MetalNRG Eco Ltd, to develop biomass, waste to energy projects in the UK.

Panthera Resources PLC (LON:PAT) said it had fast-tracked the next phase of exploration at its Bassala gold project in Mali after positive results from a completed soil sampling programme. The next stage, which will see an induced polarisation (IP) survey undertaken, will start this week.

Tirupati Graphite PLC (LON:TGR) has appointed a world-leading graphene scientist and mineral processing technology expert, Dr S. K. Biswal, and strengthened its team across its three business units to support the companys rapid growth.

Oriole Resources PLC (LON:ORR) said it is extremely well placed for 2021 with active drilling campaigns at its core projects in Cameroon and Senegal as well as at its investment projects in Djibouti and Turkey.

Alien Metals Ltd (LON:UFO) set out a details of the programme of work it intends to undertake in the coming months across its extensive portfolio of exploration and development projects. The planned work includes field mapping and verification of new and historic targets on the Elizabeth Hill silver project in Australia, which includes the Munni Munni North licence.
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a sentence imposed in accordance with a statute that is later declared unconstitutional is voidable, not illegal, within the meaning of Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1.Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1 allows the defendant or the state to file a motion to correct an illegal sentence. The Rule defines illegal sentences as those that are not authorized by law or that directly conflict with the law. Illegal sentences can be challenged at any time through several legal avenues.In contrast, sentences that are voidable were facially valid at the time they were imposed and may be challenged through the post-conviction process, which has a set time limit.In the case on appeal, the petitioner pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with the intent to sell and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The firearm offense was enhanced from a Class C felony to a Class B felony pursuant to the criminal gang enhancement statute. A year after the petitioner pleaded guilty, the Court of Criminal Appeals declared the criminal gang enhancement statute unconstitutional.Nearly three years following the intermediate appellate courts decision, the petitioner filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence in the trial court, arguing that the appellate courts decision rendered his sentence illegal. The trial court denied the motion, but the Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that its earlier decision declaring the enhancement statute unconstitutional rendered the petitioners sentence void and illegal under Rule 36.1.In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Criminal Appeals and reinstated the trial courts order denying the petitioners motion, holding that the petitioners sentence was voidable, not void and illegal within the meaning of Rule 36.1. The Court reasoned that, at the time the petitioners sentence was imposed, the criminal gang enhancement statute was presumptively constitutional. His sentence was authorized by law and did not directly conflict with the law. The Court additionally reaffirmed its prior holding enunciated its 1999 decision in Taylor v. State, which explicitly states that a sentence imposed in accordance with a statute in effect at the time of its imposition is not void merely because the statute is later declared unconstitutional. Instead, such a sentence is voidable. Because the petitioners sentence was voidable and not illegal, the Court held that the proper method for challenging his sentence was through a timely petition for post-conviction relief, not a motion to correct an illegal sentence.The unanimous opinion in State v. Reid , authored by Justice Cornelia A. Clark, may be read by visiting the opinions section of TNCourts.gov.
Kolkata, March 27 : Voter turnout on the first day of polling in West Bengal notched as much as 15.30 per cent in about three hours as 73 lakh electorate began polling for the assembly elections on 30 seats on Saturday.

Long ques were witnessed outside most of the polling booths till 10 a.m. in the first phase of Assembly polls when 191 candidates are in the fray.

The approximate voter turnout trend in Bankura district was 18.36 per cent, Jhargram 16.17, Paschim Medinipur 16.75, Purbo Medinipur 13.70 and Purulia 13.97 per cent, according to the Election Commission's voter turnout App.

There are seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur -- the home ground of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. These seven -- Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar and Egra -- are ticked off as sensitive.

Polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security for the first phase when Jungal Mahal area in the south-western fringes that are said to Maoist affected are also voting.

The polls are being closely watched because of prestige battles between Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congress man, who is now facing his erstwhile supremo Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

Compared to first two hours in the morning, the number of voters increased manifold on polling booths with all section of citizens seen enthusiastically exercising their franchise. There were long queue at many polling booths and things were reportedly peaceful.

Of the five assembly elections scheduled in four states and one Union Territory, West Bengal has the maximum number of seats and highest phases staggered into eight.

As the first phase of polling began on Saturday in the state, other seven phases to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. Results will be declared on May 2.

The Election Commission has deployed around 684 companies of central forces that would guard 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.

Besides, the state police is also deployed at strategic locations.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released results for the RBI Assistant Examination 2019. Candidates who have appeared for the examination can now check their results by visiting the official website of the Reserve Bank of India rbi.org.in.

Candidates can also check the result for RBI Assistant Examination by clicking on the given link: https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/content/pdfs/Chandigarh26032021.pdf.

The Prelims of RBI Assistant Examination 2019 was held on 14 and 15 February 2020 and the main examination was held on 22 November 2020. RBI Assistant Result 2021 and Final Merit List is being prepared on the basis of the performance of the candidate in the Online Test, Language Proficiency Test (LPT) and Document Verification.

Steps to check your result:

- Go to the official website of RBI, rbi.org.in.

- Follow the Opportunity section available on the homepage.

- Click on the link "Assistant - 2019: Display of Roll Numbers of Finally Selected Candidates for Appointment in the Bank's Chandigarh & Shimla Office".

- View and download the RBI Assistant Result 2021 and Merit List.

- Take a print of RBI Assistant Result 2021 for future reference.

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Tiger King star Joe Exotic, 58, has revealed that his 26-year-old husband Dillon Passage will remain married to him.

Dillon reportedly called Joe in jail to tell him he wanted a divorce because he was lonely with his husband behind bars and hoped to date other men.

But now Joe's lawyer Francisco Hernandez has told TMZ that he got an email from his client saying Dillon would stay married to him - while doing 'what he thinks he needs to do' as Joe spends the next two decades in prison.

Making it work: Tiger King star Joe Exotic (left), 58, has revealed that his 26-year-old husband Dillon Passage (right) will remain married to him.

Breaking point: Dillon reportedly called Joe in jail to tell him he wanted a divorce because he was lonely with his husband behind bars and hoped to date other men

'Me and Dillon have talked and we are not going to get in a hurry and get a legal divorce,' Joe's email to Francisco reportedly read.

'This has been tough on both of us and he is going to do what he thinks he needs to do and I prefer to stay married right now so things don't get complicated and if I live through this great we will figure it out then.'

However Joe added that Dillon 'still answers the phone three times a day and will continue to be my support.'

Dillon wrote on Instagram Friday: 'I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation.'

His side: Dillon wrote on Instagram Friday: 'I will continue to have Joe in my life and do my best to support him while he undergoes further legal battles to better his situation'

The docuseries star reportedly learned Dillon was pulling the plug on the relationship via a phone call to the Fort Worth, Texas prison where the former animal trainer is serving out a 22-year sentence for plotting to murder rival Carole Baskin.

Exotic - full name Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage - was heartbroken according to his lawyer Francisco, who spoke to TMZ on Friday.

Jilted Joe was considering rushing to file a petition to divorce in order to beat Passage, according to one source but another said he was still weighing his options.

It's over: Dillon reportedly called Joe in jail to tell him he wanted a divorce because he was lonely with his husband behind bars and hoped to date other men

He reportedly emailed a friend while fresh from the phone call, telling them he feels 'abandoned and alone and just wanted to mean something to someone,' per TMZ.

Though the former owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park appeared upset about the split, Dillon said that there are no hard feelings and he would still support Joe through his prison sentence.

Joe was previously wed to Travis Maldonado, who accidentally shot himself in the head at Joe's animal park in October of 2017, just two-months before tying the knot with Dillon.

Nine-months later Joe would be arrested for his murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin.

Tragic: Maldonado-Passage was previously wed to Travis Maldonado, who accidentally shot himself in the head at Joe's animal park in October of 2017, just two-months before tying the knot with Passage

Joe spoke out against his husband earlier this month via an angry tweet that accused Dillon of neglecting him.

He wrote: 'Money destroyed my entire family. I won't allow it to kill my soul. You win, Dillon, [Dillon's manageer] Jeff Duncan, Carole [Baskin.]'

He also made mention of his late husband Maldonado, writing: 'Come March 22nd for Travis's Birthday I am going to keep his promise I made the day he died. I don't need the fame, the money or the bulls***, you can have it all...'

The ex zoo operator wrote in another tweet: '...It's pretty sad to be in prison and still mean f***ing nothing that ya can't even answer a phone. I see where I stand. #justiceforjoeexotic #tigerking.'

Dillon took to Instagram with a lengthy statement in response, which he posted with a photo of himself and his dogs.

Wedding bells: Dillon and Joe tied the knot in December of 2017, just two months after Travis died at 23 years old of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound

In response: Dillon took to Instagram with a lengthy statement in response, which he posted with a photo of himself and his dogs

He wrote: 'I wanted to get a post up to address Joe's recent activity on social media. He and I, like everyone in any relationship, go through their ups and downs. This is magnified by the fact that our relationship is very public and the fact that one of his only outlets is social media.

'Unfortunately it isn't the healthiest place to deal with personal affairs and not how I normally handle my relationship challenges.

'Joe is obviously having a difficult time in prison and I don't think any of us can fault him for that. I've never spoken poorly of Joe, through the ups and the downs and through his good and his bad. I see through all of this and recognize and realize it for what it is; a man in prison just trying to do his best.'

The Florida bartender added: 'The presidential pardon we were all waiting for never came and our hopes were dashed. I remain in support of Joe and want to be there for him. At 25, I also need to make sure I'm healthy, both body and mind. I know even though Joe may rant, he wants the best for me as I do for him. I am certain he wants me to lead a full life as all of you do for the people you love.

Three's company: Joe was in a polyamorous relationship with Travis and John Finlay, 36, at the time they had an unofficial three-partner wedding in 2015, before he and Finlay had a falling out

'Social media is not natural to me and if I'm quiet it's usually because I'm working through all of this and processing to the best of my ability. I didn't and don't want the spotlight. I've been thrown into this and just doing my best to support Joe, live my life, and love my dogs.'

He concluded: 'Be gentle to people on social; you never know the challenges they are dealing with and the hardships they carry. There is always a hidden struggle for all of us.'

Dillon and Joe tied the knot in December of 2017, just two months after Travis died at 23-years-old of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Behind bars: He was arrested in September of 2018 and later convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in his plot to kill Baskin

Presidential pardon: The Kansas native requested a pardon from one-term President Donald Trump back in September, sending him a handwritten letter, later suing the Justice Department in December as a last-ditch effort (pictured in August, 2013)

Joe was in a polyamorous relationship with Travis and John Finlay, 36, at the time they had an unofficial three-partner wedding in 2015, before he and Finlay had a falling out.

He was arrested in September of 2018 and later convicted on 17 federal charges of animal abuse and two counts of attempted murder for hire in his plot to kill Baskin.

The Kansas native requested a pardon from one-term President Donald Trump back in September, sending him a handwritten letter, later suing the Justice Department in December as a last-ditch effort.

He most recently hired a new legal team, as they plan to use unaired Tiger King footage to push for a new trial.

Legal action: He most recently hired a new legal team Phillips & Hunt, who previously represented the family of Baskin's missing husband Don Lewis, as they plan to use unaired Tiger King footage to push for a new trial

Attorney John Phillips of Phillips & Hunt, who previously represented the family of Baskin's missing husband Don Lewis, made the announcement in a video on Joe's Twitter.

He said: 'We are honored to announce that Joe has retained our firm. We're going to seek a new trial, and justice in the criminal and civil courts.'

Joe has also promised some juicy secrets in Tiger King: The Official Tell-All Memoir, which is set to set to be published in November.

He told E! News of the book: 'It's going to be a truth-tell book... Everybody that's ever done anything good, it's going to be in there and anybody that's got bones in your closet, you better look out.'
Chitrakoot : , March 27 (IANS) Three persons were crushed under the wheels of a speeding truck, while two others were left injured in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district. All victims were car mechanics.

Rajapur Police station Head, Jaishankar Singh, said the mechanics were busy taking care of punctured tyres near Pandey Purwa village late Friday when suddenly a loaded truck came from behind and ploughed them down.

The injured were admitted to the hospital while the deceased were sent for autopsy. The truck that caused the accident has been confiscated but the driver is absconding. A man hunt is on.

Following the accident, the movement of traffic was blocked in the area by angry villagers on Saturday morning. The villagers have demanded a ban on overloading and stern action against the accused.
Simon Fraser Universitys Clean Energy Research Group (CERG) says B.C. could do more to support the development geothermal resources as a source of renewable energy.

CERG researchers calculated the estimated future energy demand and determined that the Site C dam project would not be adequate. In a new working paper, the group notes that B.C. sits on the Pacific Rim Ring of Fire, which means that BC and Alberta have abundant geothermal resources that could fulfill future energy demand.

SFU political science professor and CERG lead Andy Hira says the federal and provincial governments have yet to seriously invest in exploring and mapping out geothermal, compared to more advanced jurisdictions like California.

Hira, who co-authored the paper with SFU research associate Nastaran Arianpoo, a mining engineer and geothermal specialist, also notes that there is a lack of regulatory frameworks for geothermal energy development in several provincial and territorial jurisdictions. This creates an uncertain environment for investors and developers to advance projects beyond the exploration phase.

Without that investment and a more supportive regulatory environment, the private sector wont take the risks to develop geothermal, says Hira. The government could incentivize geothermal resource exploration in B.C. and Canada through additional grants and loans for research and development, training, surveying, mapping and drilling.

They also suggest lifting B.C. Hydros moratorium on new power purchase agreements (PPAs) for renewable geothermal projects.

The benefits of geothermal power

Geothermal does not suffer from intermittency or the challenges from weather and seasonality in Canadas northern regions, unlike solar or wind.

Geothermal is a reliable source of renewable energy providing electricity, heat and hot water with zero emissions, says Hira. Advanced geothermal regions from Iceland to California to New Zealand and the Philippines have supported geothermal, whereas Canada remains a laggard but it doesnt have to be this way.

According to Hira, the cost of geothermal projects can be reduced by developing geothermal resources at existing oil and gas drilling sites throughout Western Canada. Cheaper, shallow geothermal fields can provide heat and hot water directly, reducing the need for water heaters and electricity.

Hira also notes that geothermal also requires less above ground space than large scale solar or wind projects, creates more jobs than natural gas and produces far less waste from a lifecycle perspective than solar.

A step forward for one geothermal project in B.C.

The Indigenous-led Clarke Lake Geothermal Development Project in northeastern B.C. shows the potential for geothermal projects in the north, which can provide an engine for local growth and reduce reliance on diesel.

It was announced this month that the Clarke Lake geothermal facility would receive funding from Natural Resources Canada. Additional support for the project is provided by the B.C. government, Indigenous Services Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada.

The Clarke Lake facility is expected to produce enough clean electricity to power up to 14,000 households and by displacing fossil fuel generation will reduce 25,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is equivalent to taking over 5,000 cars off the road.
Jedward have ditched their famous quiff hairstyles in favour of new buzz cuts as they shaved their heads live on the Late Late show.

Twin brothers John and Edward Grimes, 29, shaved their heads for charity in memory of their mother Susanna, who died in 2019 after being diagnosed with cancer.

The duo have helped to raise 2.5 million for the Irish Cancer Society and the show, which airs on Friday, will be dedicated to the charity.

Wow! Jedward have ditched their famous quiff hairstyles in favour of new buzz cuts as they shaved their heads live on the Late Late show

They said: 'We are shaving our quiffs off to support the fighting heroes going through cancer.

'We're honouring the memory of all those who have come and gone, we are sending strength and love to all those suffering. Don't give up.'

Speaking just before his hair was cut, John said: 'We've had this hair for over 10 years. It's part of our identity.

'I don't think we'd be here today if we didn't have the hair, but this is the first time we're going to have our hair like this since the beginning of Jedward.'

Old look: Twin brothers John and Edward Grimes, 29, shaved their heads for charity in memory of their mother Susanna, who died in 2019 after being diagnosed with cancer

Special: Their mother Susanna died following a five-year battle with cancer in February 2019 (pictured 2012)

The duo looked almost unrecognisable as they debuted their new look.

They captioned the snap on Instagram: '2.6 Million Raised by the Irish Public for the Irish Cancer Society the work and services you provide is life changing! @irishcancersociety #Jedward #cancerawareness #cancer #irishcancersociety.'

Last year the boys revealed how they played Fleetwood Mac and held their mother's hand in her final days before she lost her five-year battle with cancer.

he Irish pop duo also described their heartbreak at the prospect of their late mother not meeting their children or attending their weddings.

Heartbreak: Last year the boys revealed how they played Fleetwood Mac and held their mother's hand in her final days before she lost her five-year battle with cancer

Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show, Edward said: 'We were there when she passed and we are thankful that we were there - we were able to hold her hand.

'We had some earphones listening to some music. We listened to some Fleetwood Mac and some of her favourite songs that she liked to play.'

His brother John added: 'It's very disheartening to think that she won't be at our weddings, she won't be there at the birth of our kids, but we always keep her spirit alive like have pictures of her around and tell stories.'

'You just feel so disconnected to the world because the person that kept you anchored in the world and gave birth to you is gone and now you don't know where you should be, what you should be doing.'

The former X Factor stars performed a rendition of Everybody Hurts by R.E.M. dedicated to their mother.

Fans took to Twitter to share how they were 'in tears' following the tribute performance.

One wrote: 'Wow it was such a beautiful performance, had me in tears through it.'

Another penned: 'What a great chat between John, Edward and Ryan Tubridy. I loved your version of #EverybodyHurts & the accompanying music. There were tears but very good tears here.'

Support: Fans took to Twitter to share how they were 'in tears' following the tribute performance
He was identified as the person who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman Sunday in the 3200 block of North Kenmore Avenue and was arrested Thursday afternoon in the 7500 block of South Stewart Avenue, police said.
Chennai, March 27 : DMK President M. K. Stalin on Saturday urged his partymen not to use indecent language while campaigning.

Stalin said speakers at the public rallies should maintain decency in their speeches and the party high command does not accept any indecent speech.

He also added that attempts are being made to prevent DMK's electoral victory by editing and pasting partymen's speeches.

"Partymen should use the words carefully," Stalin urged.

Few days back, one of DMK's Propaganda Secretary Dindigul I Leoni body-shamed women while campaigning in the Thondamuthur constituency for Karthikeya Sivasenapathy.

Leoni said that women have lost their hour-glass figure and have become like a barrel after drinking milk of foreign cows.

DMK's Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi said whoever is the political leader, if they are speaking ill about women -- they must be condemned.

In her tweet, without pointing at anyone, Kanimozhi added that "it is good for the society if all keep in mind" that one cannot disrespect women.

This is the social justice that the Dravidian movement and the late E. V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, always wished for.

Recently the DMK leader and former Union Minister A Raja said Stalin's slipper is worth one rupee more than Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.

More than that, Raja had insulted Palaniswami's late mother in a disgusting manner, PMK Founder S. Ramadoss said.

Ramadoss said it was Stalin's son and party's youth wing leader Udayanidhi Stalin who started the trend of making disgusting remarks about Palaniswami and V. K. Sasikala.
THE CHIEF Executive officer of Marrer Ghana Limited and Susagtad Boat Building and a staunch member of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Mr Novihoho Afaglo has described a statement by the president of National Association of Gratuate Teachers (NAGRAT) as unfortunate and a pure hatred for people with dreadlocks.



According to Mr Afaglo, a body like NAGRAT and the caliber of Mr Angel Carbonou been their Presidebt should no better that asking rastafarians to establish their own schools is against the fundamental human rights and the 1992 Constitution.



He said "I find that statement as pure stupidness because how could Mr Carbonou make a comment like that in this modern age and time. The hair has nothing to do with study."



"This uneducated bodies need not to be allowed to occupy higher positions like this, because it will end up brainwashing the system to create pure hatred to those in dreadlocks," Mr Afaglo fumed.



Speaking in an interview, the CEO said the constitution allows freedom of belief and association and therefore denying one from a school because his/her belief and association is against the fundamental principles of the land.



On the issue of been the standard protocol of the school propounded by the school management board, he said no set of rules and regulations supersedes the rights of the citizen enshrined in the constitution.



He said the time has come for the school management boards in second cycle instruction revise some of the rules and regulations binding the schools because some of these rules are outmoded and needs recap.



The CEO condemned the stance taking by Ghana Education Service in reversing it earlier decision directing the school to admit the two rastafarians.



"If we are been denied education and plainly been abuse in our own land in front of the established protocols then what can we say if foreigners abuse us" he stated.



Mr Afaglo therefore called on civil society groups and human rights watchers in the country to rise and defend the rights of these students so that they are not denied access to quality education.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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An ice jam on the Buckland River has sent water over the village of the Buckland in Northwest Alaska. Buckland, a village of about 400 residents, is 75 air miles southeast of Kotzebue. Photo courtesy of Charles Esmailka
Greg Garrett was overjoyed when he heard that California was abandoning its vaccine eligibility restrictions and opening shots to everyone 16 and older on April 15.

Hallelujah! said Garrett, chief operating officer of the Native American Health Center, where staff have been working furiously to set up vaccination sites at churches, in affordable housing common rooms and community center parking lots in East Oakland.

The neighborhood has one of the highest infection rates in Alameda County, and community clinics like Garretts are critical to bringing shots to residents who would otherwise have a hard time getting them from mainstream health care providers or large mass-vaccination sites. Garrett hopes that opening eligibility  along with the anticipated increase in vaccine supply  will mean his center can inoculate more people, faster, in neighborhoods that need it the most.

In Alameda County, 75% of 65-year-olds are vaccinated, Garrett said. Wheres that other 25%? Were reaching them. Were getting into the crevices and cracks within the social system.

Thats the kind of targeted, hyper-local work that must expand in order to ensure equitable vaccine distribution as the state opens up shots to millions more people next month, say Bay Area community clinic leaders and health officials. The state announced the change in vaccine eligibility on Thursday.

Making sure all communities have equal access will require more funding, staffing and vaccine  and not all of those are promised. Vaccine supply, or lack thereof, is particularly vexing.

Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle

Although Gov. Gavin Newsom projects weekly doses coming to the state will increase from 1.8 million to 2.5 million in the next several weeks and 3 million by May, counties and clinics have not been told whether that will translate to more doses for them and if so, how much and when.

Whats been a challenge is that theres been so much dialogue and so much said about moving forward and getting more doses and opening up. We havent seen that, said Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer. Our allocations are very similar to what they were a month ago. So its very nerve-wracking to hear the governor say its going to be open to everyone without any more supply.

Clinic leaders say more funding appears to be on the way. The recently passed $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package includes $7.5 billion for state and local public health departments to expand community vaccination centers and mobile vaccination units in underserved areas.

One example: Asian Health Services, which provides health care to low-income residents in Oakland and this week completed a one-day vaccination event for 1,000 people, plans to use the money to buy a mobile vaccination van and hire more community health workers. They hope this will help expand vaccinations beyond their existing patients and reach others in the community, said CEO Sherry Hirota.

California has struggled to vaccinate residents equitably, despite state leaders concerted efforts to address disparities by allocating 40% of shots to low-income ZIP codes. A recent CDC report found that California ranks among the five worst states in vaccinating the poorest and most vulnerable residents. State data show Californians in the wealthiest areas are getting vaccinated at higher rates than the poorest areas  42% are at least partially vaccinated in the former, compared to 28% in the latter.

Some worry that as vaccine eligibility opens up to more people, the same barriers that currently make vaccines hard to access for underserved communities  such as not having internet, or not having hours available to book an appointment, or running into language or transportation barriers  will get worse.

I just worry that even more so, those who have access to booking those appointments online, those who have the luxury of time to keep trying and stay on the phone or repeatedly check a website throughout the day are those that are going to get signed up, Dr. Michael Stacey, chief medical officer for LifeLong Medical Care, which operates clinics in Oakland and other East Bay areas.

And we are going to leave behind people in the most vulnerable neighborhoods where they maybe dont have the technology or the Wi-Fi connection or the time to just try and try and recheck and call, he said.

Even when some vaccination sites are set up in high-risk communities, appointments can be snapped up by people outside those areas.

To get around that issue, when LifeLong held a one-day vaccination clinic in San Pablo last weekend, staff texted patients who live in San Pablo and Richmond and asked them to pass the word on to friends and family. They booked about 700 appointments ahead of time and left the rest open for walk-ins. Demand was so high that people started lining up at 4 a.m., Stacey said. In all, the clinic inoculated 1,000 people that day.

Wed like to be able to do more events like that, that really target the neighborhoods that have seen the highest rates of COVID, he said.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

But holding similar vaccine clinics every weekend would require more funding for staff to administer shots and more vaccine, Stacey said. He plans to hire staff with funding that is slated to come their way, but he isnt sure how much more vaccine will arrive in the coming weeks.

In some ways, expanding eligibility will remove barriers that could make vaccinating high-risk communities simpler and more efficient. For example, providers will no longer have to screen for someones age, job or underlying conditions.

Im really excited about the expansion, said Dr. Lynne Rosen, clinical vaccine lead for La Clinica, which has clinics in Oaklands Fruitvale neighborhood and dozens of other East Bay locations. Being at a place where you can take a mobile van into a community, park at a church or school and anyone can walk up to get a vaccine, with no screening ahead of time, is a really nice model.

The state also announced a new policy this week that allows providers in lower-income areas to vaccinate family members who come with an eligible relative to a vaccine appointment. Thats a great idea to improve access, Rosen said.

It makes so much sense to vaccinate family units at the same time, Rosen said. So were not asking them to make multiple trips over weeks when they become eligible. You can do transportation once, show up and get everyone vaccinated. Thats a much more family-friendly model.

As many more people become eligible and rush to get their shots, prioritizing those in the highest-risk areas will help everyone, not just underserved communities, said Stacey of LifeLong.

Even if its available to everybody, I still think there are parts of the Bay Area and parts of California that should still get it first, he said. Both from a standpoint of equity and quite honestly, by targeting the neighborhoods that are most impacted its also the way to most effectively stop transmission and keep cases from growing again. ... So if we can stop transmission in these communities it will actually have a bigger benefit for everyone.

Catherine Ho and Meghan Bobrowsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com meghan.bobrowsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho @MeghanBobrowsky
A San Antonio woman faces up to life in prison after being indicted in three felony cases tied to a pair of aggravated robberies and an alleged kidnapping with a hammer.

The cases involving Princess Hill, 35, were among the more than 250 felony indictments handed down this week by two Bexar County grand juries, the Bexar County District Attorneys Office said Friday.

Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox

Hill was arrested Jan. 29 after a 28-year-old woman was reportedly taken against her will from the 5900 block of Fairgreen. Officers located Hill and the victim at a hotel on the North Side, police said.

The indictment alleges Hill used a hammer to terrorize and inflict bodily injury to abduct another person.

Hill also was indicted on two aggravated robbery charges, accused of using a firearm to rob and threaten a man in December and using a hammer to strike and rob a woman Jan. 25.

If convicted, Hill faces five to 99 years or life in prison, with a possible fine of up to $10,000.

On ExpressNews.com: Suspect accused of fatally shooting man during fight in Northwest Side

Also indicted this week was Jesus Monsivais Jr., 18, accused of murder in the fatal shooting of Oscar Rene Castillo Jr., 41, on Dec. 29.

Police said Castillo was talking on the phone outside his home on Brentcove Street when he was shot twice after he argued with the driver of a pickup. The incident was captured on security video footage from a nearby home.

The driver, later identified as Monsivais, fled but was arrested.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
(@FahadShabbir)

At least 19 people across Myanmar were shot dead by security forces Saturday, according to emergency workers and witnesses, as the junta celebrates Armed Forces Day with a military parade in the capital Naypyidaw

Yangon, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2021 ) :At least 19 people across Myanmar were shot dead by security forces Saturday, according to emergency workers and witnesses, as the junta celebrates Armed Forces Day with a military parade in the capital Naypyidaw.

AFP has independently confirmed that nine died in the central Mandalay region, three in northern Shan state, one in the ancient city of Bagan, and six in Myanmar's commercial hub Yangon.

Local media puts the toll far higher.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2021 Contact: Press@michigan.gov Governor Whitmer Releases Executive Directive On Separation Agreements LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released her first Executive Directive of 2021 on the use of separation agreements by state departments and agencies, safeguarding the state from costly litigation and reaffirming her commitment to accountability and transparency. "The measures laid out in my Executive Directive ensure greater accountability and promote transparency," said Governor Whitmer. "Michiganders should have confidence in the activities of state government, including the expenditure of public funds on separation agreements. I am proud of these measures because they will benefit both state employees and the people of Michigan." The State of Michigan is one of the largest employers in the state. As with any workplace, employees leave for any number of reasons, including good faith disputes, professional opportunities, performance issues, health challenges, or family emergencies. Separation agreements are used for many purposes, including to define the terms of employment during a period of transition; to secure the return of state property; and to mitigate legal exposure and potential costs to taxpayers through a release of claims against the state. Executive Directive No. 2021-01 outlines rules for separation agreements used by the executive branch. The directive prohibits terms in separation agreements that require a party to deny the existence of the agreement or prevent the release of the text of the agreement. In addition, the directive provides that any separation agreement involving a monetary payment must secure a release of claims and be based on a reasonable judgment that securing the release of claims will mitigate financial risk for the state and protect taxpayer money. Under the new directive, separation agreements cannot deny a party the right or opportunity to disclose the underlying facts and circumstances regarding unlawful workplace acts including discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, or fraud. A clause that protects the identity of a victim, however, may be included at the request of the victim. Finally, prior to finalization, all separation agreements must be submitted to the Attorney General for review. The Executive Directive is effective immediately and can be viewed in full here. ###
Bindi Irwin Gives Birth to 1st Child With Husband Chandler Powell, Shares Photo on Instagram

Bindi Irwins baby with husband Chandler Powell has arrived!

On Thursday, the late Steve The Crocodile Hunter Irwins own daughter gave birth to her first child, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell.

The timing couldnt have been more fortuitous. Exactly one year ago, the new parents were wed on the same day Grace was born.

The new mom and dad were ecstatic. On Friday, Irwin and her husband took to Instagram to share a family portrait with their brand-new daughter for the world to see, along with a few heartfelt words of pure joy and celebration.

Bindi Irwin poses for a photo with then-fiance Chandler Powell at the annual Steve Irwin Gala Dinner at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Nov. 9, 2019, in Brisbane, Australia. (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The 22-year-old Australian conservationist captioned on her Instagram:

March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter.  Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandlers family dating back to the 1700s, she continued. Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior. Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad. There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl. She chose the perfect day to be born and we feel tremendously blessed.

Powell, 24, and Irwin first met while he was visiting Australia for a professional wakeboarding competition in 2013. He decided to pay a visit to Australia Zoo. She was giving a tour. And they hit it off.

Wakeboarder Chandler Powell (L) and conservationist/TV personality Bindi Irwin attend Steve Irwin being honored posthumously with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 26, 2018, in Hollywood, Calif. (David Livingston/Getty Images)

After the couples engagement in 2019, she told People she couldnt be happier to find someone who shares her late-fathers traits.

Powell loves wildlife and conservation and he has this strength. Which is necessary when youre jumping on crocs.

After becoming a father himself, Powell shared on his own Instagram:

Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. After waiting for you to arrive for the last 9 months, finally meeting you has been the best moment of my life. You have a big life ahead of you and no matter what, you will be surrounded by a whole lot of love. Thank you for gracing your beautiful mother and me on our wedding anniversary, so excited to have you home

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Prince Andrew was spotted enjoying a horseride in the daffodil-strewn grounds of Windsor Castle this morning with two female companions.

The Duke of York, 61, who lives at the Royal Lodge just three miles away, donned a helmet and padded blue jacket as she headed out into the spring sunshine.

Last week it emerged the Queen is more 'affectionate' towards Andrew than Prince Charles because she 'sees him as a war hero'.

The claims were made during the Channel 4 documentary Queen Elizabeth: Love, Honour and Crown, which aired on March 21.

Prince Andrew was spotted enjoying a horseride amid the daffodils in the grounds of Windsor Castle this morning with two female companions

Royal expert Clive Irving, author of the new biography The Last Queen, suggested that Her Majesty has 'never really understood' her eldest son Charles, 72, - heir to the throne - and is 'puzzled by him'.

He told viewers: 'To this day, she's more openly affectionate to Andrew and more forgiving toward Andrew than she is towards Charles.'

Irving also claimed that Her Majesty is 'constantly frustrated with Prince Charles' - who has just returned from a two-day visit to Greece - because he will 'never live up to her sense of duty'.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, also featured in the documentary discussing the different characters of the siblings. She called Charles 'the polar opposite to younger brother Andrew'.

She said: 'He's [Andrew] noisy, bumptious, very charming, when he wants to be. He can be arrogant and rude; he has some characteristics of his own father.'

Clive Irving, filmed during a recent interview about his latest book, The Last Queen, is one of many royal commentators who appeared in the Channel 4 documentary

Irving also said the Queen was more drawn to being 'openly affectionate' with Prince Andrew (Pictured: Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2019)

Seward added that Andrew's active service in the Navy, following Prince Philip, including piloting helicopters on missions during the Falklands War ensured he had returned 'like a war hero, his mother was proud'.

She said that as first and second in line to the throne at that time, Charles and Andrew represented 'everything the monarchy could be'.

Irving went on to argue that no members of the royal family have 'measured up' to Her Majesty's enduring sense of duty.

He also claims that Prince William is the only royal who fully appreciates the Monarch's 'very dedicated sense of duty', saying: 'All those around the Queen never measure up to that at any point. Her own family has not measured up to that. Charles never measures up to that.'

The Queen's second son stepped back from royal duty in 2019, following questions surrounding his friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

The Duke of York has been accused of failing to help US prosecutors in their investigation into Epstein and the financier Ghislaine Maxwell. Prince Andrew has strenuously denied the claims.

Meanwhile during Charles' whistle-stop visit to Greece with the Duchess of Cornwall this week, the Prince of Wales received the Gold Medal of Honour - Athens' highest distinction - as the country marked the bicentenary of Greece's uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1821.

The Prince of Wales (left) after being presented with the City of Athens Gold Medal of Honour by Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis

Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall prepare to leave Athens after visit to mark Greek independence day

It's been a tumultuous few weeks for The Firm; earlier this month Prince Philip, 99, was discharged from hospital to Windsor Castle to join the Queen, 94.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said that the Duke of Edinburgh 'wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him', while Her Majesty sent flowers and a note of thanks to the medical professionals who performed her husband's heart surgery.

Philip, the nation's longest-serving consort, spent 28 nights as a patient in London at King Edward VII's Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital - his longest ever stay.

He was initially admitted on a precautionary basis for an infection, before having a heart operation midway through his four-week period in hospital.

On Pod Save the Queen this week, royal commentators claimed Philip's health has improved dramatically.

Royal editor Russell Myers said: 'It is good news, very good news, about Philip, I'm told he's doing very well, actually.'

Host Ann Gripper replied: 'Back home and causing trouble, I am sure,' to which Myers quipped: 'No doubt.'
pusaluja

You will have a shot but it's far from a sure thing.You need to do well on the GMAT. That is a critical outstanding component of your profile. It's hard to truly evaluate your profile without it. You probably need to get a 730+ to properly outweigh your GPA and to overcome those in your competitive demographic. Is that doable?Your work experience - promotions, awards, and number of reportees - looks solid. I would like to know more about your accomplishments, but I imagine they will support your stated trajectory to date.What about ECs? Do you have any post-college? The debate society is good, but that's very academic and probably a little dated. That's the one major piece I am missing from this puzzle. If you have been involved in a couple of things outside of work, that would be helpful to know. If not, I would get moving on that now so you can shore up that weakness by the time you apply.If you need application support services - including strategy and essay writing - please reach out for a free consultation.Best,
Cancel culture is an evil norm that destroys a person's life or organization. But before it turns worse, it must be addressed immediately for America's survival.

Jesus Himself became a victim of cancel culture during His time, when the authorities listened to the voice of the people calling for His crucifixion, before paying attention to His defense. With the rise of this wicked practice today, reformation is necessary to prevent the country from destruction.

John Burton, a minister, suggested nine steps to fight cancel culture through his article in The Stream.

First, listen to the accused.

Mere accusations, even with influential people, can already destroy a career or family. Often, the punishment inflicted on the subject being cancelled does not match the crime. Thus, unfair.

The accused must be listened to and be allowed to defend their positions, as well as to seek clarifications from their accusers. Their explanations must be entertained.

Good people must rise up and call for the accused to be given the opportunity to explain their positions before inflicting judgement or punishment.

Second, offer forgiveness.

Rage, anger and aggression towards the people being cancelled immensely overpower the emotion but forgiveness is more powerful.

Burton said that the country has shifted into a culture that celebrates people's destruction. The society has become one that resolves a country's mistake "by eliminating all who err", as well as those who are associated with. An example of this is the slogan during the George Floyd protests that seeks to defund the entire police force instead of just prosecuting the bad cops.

Forgiveness is the better alternative for anger and rage. Forgiveness does not mean condoning the bad behavior but showing love to a person who failed. All men are sinners, after all, who were just forgiven through the blood of Jesus on the cross. Without His forgiveness, everyone deserves hell.

Third, offer a path of redemption.

Burton said that cancel culture is "drunk" on building "a path of destruction". The redemption spirit fights for the accused, not against them. He added that there is a spiritual battle "being played out every day", in which "the spirit of destruction wages war against the spirit of redemption".

Citing John 10:10, the devil condemns people with their sins, deserving of death and destruction. No one is righteous and the penalty, he said, is to be in the hands of the enemy. But God loves mankind enough that He offered a path of redemption. Regardless of the enormity of the people's sins, whether stealing, cheating or even murder, they can be redeemed. The author pointed out that "the power of love is incredible".

Further, Burton stated that if someone fails and is targeted with cancel culture, giving that person a path of redemption is "non-negotiable".

Fourth, rejecting unfounded opinions about motive.

Accusations that have no merit should not be entertained. Burton mentioned about The New York Times columnist Charles Blow's criticism of Pepe Le Pew, describing the cartoon character as one who 'normalized rape culture'. Blow's mere opinion led to the character's removal in a movie.

Destructive and unfounded opinions like this should be ignored.

Fifth, question the rulebook.

Citing a video of Grand Theft Auto game that features lust and murder, the author wondered how the wicked video was allowed to be shown while the innocent character of Pepe Le Pew was cancelled. Values of the cancel culture's proponents must be examined. Their beliefs must be scrutinized before believing in their stance.

Sixth, stop surrendering to the mob.

The mob should be tackled by brave and level-headed people, Burton said. Their call for punishment should be understood that something unholy has driven them for such. Thus, in fighting the cancel culture, people should stand in the gap and urged the subject being cancelled to stand firm.

People should stop heeding the mob and should practice love and forgiveness.

Seventh, love people more than ideologies.

Cancel culture is driven by a throw-away society, wherein people get rid of things or individuals that get in their way. This practice treats ideologies more important than human beings. This is evil and must be fought with the love of Jesus.

Eight, defend the right to differ.

People should be given the right to express their opinions, even if they contradict from the others. They should be allowed to articulate their views on controversial issues, such as election, vaccinations, pandemics or politics, free of being cancelled.

Finally, the need for revival.

The nation needs revival. People should pray for the move of God to overcome America. The author warned that without God's hand upon the country, America itself will be cancelled.

Burton has written 10 books and is a writer of Charisma Magazine. He is also a teacher, prophetic messenger, revivalist and church planter.
SUEZ, Egypt (AP)  A giant container ship remained stuck sideways in Egypts Suez Canal for a fifth day Saturday, as authorities made new attempts to free the vessel and reopen a crucial waterway whose blockage is disrupting global shipping and trade.

Meanwhile, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said strong winds were not the only cause for the Ever Given running aground on Tuesday, appearing to push back against conflicting assessments offered by others. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei told a news conference Saturday that an investigation was ongoing but did not rule out human or technical error.

The massive Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, got stuck in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

Rabei said he could not predict when the ship might be dislodged. A Dutch salvage firm is attempting to refloat the vessel with tugboats and dredgers, taking advantage of high tides.

Rabei said he remains hopeful that dredging could free the ship without having to resort to removing its cargo, but added that we are in a difficult situation, its a bad incident.

Shoei Kisen, the company that owns the vessel, said it was considering removing containers if other refloating efforts fail.

Since the blockage began, a maritime traffic jam has grown to more than 320 vessels waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake in the middle of the waterway.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides.

He told the Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur on Friday night that the front of the ship is stuck in sandy clay, but the rear has not been completely pushed into the clay and that is positive because you can use the rear end to pull it free.

Berdowski said two large tugboats were on their way to the canal and are expected to arrive over the weekend. He said the company aims to harness the power of the tugs, dredging and tides, which he said are expected to be up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) higher Saturday.

The combination of the (tug) boats we will have there, more ground dredged away and the high tide, we hope that will be enough to get the ship free somewhere early next week, he said.

If that doesnt work, the company will remove hundreds of containers from the front of the ship to lighten it, effectively lifting the ship to make it easier to pull free, Berdowski said.

A crane was already on its way that can lift the containers off the ship, he said.

The salvage mission was turning its focus to the ship's lodged bow, after some progress was made towards freeing the ship's stern, the canal service provider Leth Agencies said Saturday.

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly called the ship's predicament "a very extraordinary incident, in his first public comments on the blockage.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the Ever Given's technical manager, said Friday that its initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure. However, Rabei seemed to be pushing back against that assessment Saturday.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain. Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures. About 10% of world trade flows through the canal. The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

Some vessels began changing course and dozens of ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.
Mumbai, March 27 : Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday unveiled their new jersey for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

"The new jersey captures the composition of the five basic elements of the universe -- earth, water, fire, air and sky, each signifying the essence of the five-time champions," said an MI statement.

"These elements hold an astronomical essence as the building blocks of the human body, each signifying a power of the universe. The jersey reflects how MI has been built over the years, resonating stability, cohesion, confidence, compassion and exploration as signified on the jersey by earth, water, fire, air and sky respectively," it said.

The blue and golden colours remain on the jersey but the design has changed a bit. There is a slight change in design almost every year with many IPL teams.

MI won the IPL title in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

MI begin their 2021 campaign on April 9 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai while their second game is against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 13 at the same venue. The Mumbai franchise then plays SunRisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals at the same venue on April 17 and 20.

Latest updates on IPL 2021
She never fails to put on stunning display on social media.

And Dua Lipa didn't disappoint as she looked nothing short of stunning while she sported a pink crop top and mini skirt combo on Friday.

The songstress, 25, took to Instagram to flaunt her toned figure in the houndstooth print two-piece.

Pretty in pink: Dua Lipa didn't disappoint as she looked nothing short of stunning while she sported a pink crop top and mini skirt combo on Friday

Dua struck a series of poses in the crop top and mini skirt combo, she added a pair of black trainers to her casual-chic ensemble.

Dua slicked her raven tresses back in a sleek updo styled into two plaits and added a slick of minimal make-up.

The New Rules hitmaker drew attention to her various tattoos, including one saying 'angel', in the high neck top as she cast her gaze over her shoulder.

Posing: The songstress, 25, took to Instagram to flaunt her toned figure in the houndstooth print two-piece

New snaps: The superstar shared the snap with her 63.4million followers and penned: 'As if butter wouldn't melt.'

Dua also toted a small black handbag with a white dragonfly and number nine keyring, she completed her look with some long black nails.

The superstar shared the snap with her 63.4million followers and penned: 'As if butter wouldn't melt.'

The snaps come after she was nominated for six awards and won for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards earlier this month.

Last Saturday Dua was left feeling 'distressed' after frenzied fans stormed towards her in Mexico City and her security hastily intervened to protect her.

Work it: Dua struck a series of poses in the crop top and mini skirt combo, she added a pair of black trainers to her casual-chic ensemble

In a clip which surfaced on social media, the Dont Start Now hitmaker was seen walking towards her car before being spotted by the crowd.

She was knocked to the side as her security tried to block the charging fans, but Dua managed to escape to her vehicle as they continued to rush towards her.

Her security quickly scrambled to prevent the fans from getting inside the car as onlookers filmed the incident.

It is reported that Dua was left unharmed by the shocking event.

Beauty: Dua slicked her raven tresses back in a sleek updo styled into two plaits and added a slick of minimal make-up

A source told The Sun: 'News that she was in the area spread and obviously people were keen to catch sight of Dua.

'But it turned nasty when two fans rushed up to her. They really ran at her and it looked scary.

'Dua looked really uncomfortable. Thankfully security was there to drag the people away because who knows what could have happened.'

MailOnline have contacted Dua's reps for comment.

It is believed she is in Mexico shooting a new campaign for Yves Saint Laurent, as she shared a series of chic photos last week.
Washington, March 27 : US President Joe Biden has extended invitations to 40 world leaders for an online summit on the climate crisis hosted by his administration next month -- with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the guest list.

The White House said on Friday that the summit - scheduled for April 22 and 23 - is intended to underscore the urgency with which the world must act and highlight the economic benefits of going green, DPA news agency reported.

European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were invited.

So were Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The event is to be streamed live on the internet for public viewing.

The US will announce an "ambitious" new 2030 emissions target for the country by the time the summit gets under way, the White House said, part of Washington's new push to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

Biden urged other leaders to use the summit as a forum in which to outline their own new, more forceful contributions. The next UN climate conference is in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

In one of his first acts as president, Biden re-entered the US to the 2015 Paris accord, which was negotiated during the Obama administration's final term in office, when Biden was vice president.

Former president Donald Trump took the US out of the accord in 2017, arguing that it put too many limits on what US businesses could do. Still, a long lag time meant that the US did not formally exit the deal until November 2020.

Biden named former secretary of state John Kerry as his special envoy for climate change, and gave him a role on the US National Security Council.

Kerry has been working to re-launch US-EU cooperation on climate, meeting with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Pardon my Lucknow chauvinism, but the benighted city once had intimate links with the centre of Shia Islam, Najaf, in Iraq, which Pope Francis visited early March in what must be counted among the pontiffs most epoch-making journeys. His 50 minutes conversation with Shia Islams highest spiritual authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, in his modest, rented house in a Najaf alley, must have enriched both.

A humble and wise man, the Pope said of Sistani. It felt good, for my soul, this meeting. This was no hyperbole; this seemed to reflect the tenor of the conversation, where only interpreters were present.

Yes, that Lucknow link: in 1850, the Begums of Oudh (Awadh) established what came to be known as a bequest, a trust, of Rs 6 million to be spent on the maintenance of the shrines at Najaf and Karbala. Stipends for Indian scholars were also established. After the first war of Independence in 1857, the British administered the bequest, which gave them leverage over the Shia clerical authority from Najaf to Tehran. By default or deliberation, the system continued until 1979 when Saddam Hussein consolidated power in Baghdad. Saddams Baath atheism would have been uncomfortable with Indian indulgence of Shia sectarianism. What would Pope Francis have made of the fact that Allah o Akbar was inscribed on the Iraqi flag only after Operation Desert Storm in 1992?

Another Lucknow link would have come up tangentially: Awadh antecedents of Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Iranian revolution. Khomeinis ancestors migrated from Kuntur, a qasbah not far from Lucknow, known for a line of Shia theologians.

The Pope would have been briefed on the vast difference between Sistani and Ayatollah Khamenei (Khomeini before him) on the role of the clergy in the affairs of the state. The issue had divided the Shia clergy down the middle. How can the Iranian revolution of 1979 be deemed to be an Islamic revolution without the second coming of the messiah who, in Shia theology, happens to be the 12th Imam who had disappeared in Samarra, Iraq. He would appear only on the Day of Judgement.

The clergy in Qom were at sixes and sevens. I was in Qom to meet Ayatollah Montazeri when this was a common topic of discussion. A revolution had come their way, pending Roz e Mahshar, Judgement Day. What label was to be pasted on the great happening? That is when the theory of Vilayat e Faqih or Vali Faqih, the Intermediate Imam, was enunciated. Pending the return of the Imam, an Intermediate system, under the Supreme leader, would govern, guided by the teachings of Islam.

Sistani and a section of the clergy even in Qom see their role differently  as spiritual guides only. Was Francis comfortable with Sistani on this score? The different circumstance of Tehran and Baghdad must have been part of the briefs prepared for Francis.

In 1979, the Shah was eased out and the Ayatullahs ushered into Tehran. Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been moved from Najaf to the suburb of Neauphle-le-Chateau on the outskirts of Paris, was that very year flown to Tehran. Why this complicated trapeze act?

In the mid-1970s, the US had Communist parties coming out of their ears in Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Chile, why, even in Afghanistan. Post Shah fervour in Iran would cause Persian Communist Parties, Tudeh and Mujahedin e Khalq, to surface from the underground. The Ayatollahs, the mosques filled with their cadres, would pounce on the Communists. That the Ayatollahs would be no friends of the Americans became apparent only when the siege of the US embassy in Tehran lasted 444 days, an embarrassment on a scale the Americans had never experienced.

1979 also happened to be the year in which Saddam Hussein consolidated himself in Baghdad. Neither the Ayatollahs nor Saddam were buddies of the US, but each could easily be tempted to seek US help against the other. This suited US officials like Martin Indyk, former Ambassador to Israel, who devised dual-containment  supply arms to both and make them fight. The monkey-between-two-cats policy lasted eight long years.

More to the point for the Pope would have been the after-effects of the post 9/11 wars thrust on Iraq, Syria, Libya, leading to the trek of millions looking for havens in Europe which, in this instance, was fighting xenophobia at home, a creeping aversion to the outsider, resulting in avowedly illiberal politics. True they are religious leaders whose mission was not to discuss politics, but rampaging identity politics are nothing but putrefied religious ideas.

Islamic terror, for instance, is cited as a cause for increasing Islamophobia by politicians like, say, Marine Le Pen in France. Such examples are strewn across Europe and other parts of the world. What was at fault was a one-sided media focus on Islamic terror, fuelling a Muslim sense of helplessness and anger, there being no outlet for his point of view.

Some of this Sistani must have addressed during their conversation. I hope he reminded the Pope that the first act of occupying forces was to vandalise the National Museum, the great storehouse of artefacts, books, scrolls representing one of the worlds great river civilisations.

It might be something of a hyperbole that his meeting with Sistani, laden with peaceful intent, reversed the Jehad or crusade launched in 1095 by one of his earlier predecessors Pope Urban II. The eleventh-century Pope was rattled by the Muslim occupation of the holy lands. Also, within a hundred years of Prophet Muhammads death, the Muslims had established their rule over Spain and beyond. The pace of Muslim spread was unnerving. Pope Francis expedition, on the other hand, provides a soothing touch to a people battered and bruised, having been on the declining side of the civilisational giant wheel for too long, a far cry from the days of Pope Urban.
The Minnesota Supreme Court said that a man who had sex with a woman while she was passed out on his couch cant be convicted of rape because the woman willingly got drunk beforehand. The ruling came in the case of Francois Momulu Khalil, a 24-year-old Minneapolis man who was convicted of third-degree criminal sexual misconduct because the victim was drunk and a jury considered she was mentally incapacitated. Now Khalil will be able to have a new trial in the case.

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The woman, identified in court documents as J.S., met Khalil outside a bar in Minneapolis in May 2017. The woman had been denied entry into the bar because she was intoxicated after taking five shots of vodka and a prescription narcotic. Khalil invited her to a party but when she got there she realized there was no one else there. She blacked out on Khalils couch and says she woke up to find him sexually assaulting her.

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Although Khalils conviction had been upheld by an appeals court, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously ruled he cant be found guilty of rape. In the decision written by Justice Paul Thissen, the state Supreme Court said the lower courts definition of mentally incapacitated in this case unreasonably strains and stretches the plain text of the statute because J.S. was drunk before she met Khalil. The way the state Supreme Court sees it, Khalil could be charged with fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which is a gross misdemeanor and if convicted could mean up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $3,000. Thats quite a contrast to the third-degree conviction that could mean as many as 15 years behind bars and a fine of up to $30,000.

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The state Supreme Court pointed to the Legislature for how the statute was written. Thissen writes that while there is a commonsense understanding that the term mentally incapacitated could include someone who drank voluntarily but cannot exercise judgment sufficiently to express consent to sex, thats not how the states criminal sexual conduct statutes were written.

As surprising as it may be, Minnesota is hardly an outlier. A majority of states say that in order for a victim to be considered to be mentally incapacitated they must have become intoxicated against their will, notes the Washington Post. The Minnesota House of Representatives is currently considering a bill that would change the language of the statute to make clear that its a felony to have sex with someone who is too intoxicated to give consent, regardless of how they got that way. Kelly Moller, a Democratic state lawmaker, issued a statement after the court ruling urging the passage of the bill. Victims who are intoxicated to the degree that they are unable to give consent are entitled to justice. Our laws must clearly reflect that understanding, and todays Supreme Court ruling highlights the urgency lawmakers have to close this and other loopholes, she said.
TROY  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Christ Sun of Justice chapel and cultural center is a showcase for works of art and one homey annual tradition.

Each Christmas, the chapel has one big tree, I mean 20 feet tall, on display and then a smaller tree for students, says congregation member Steve Partisano. Each student wrote his name on a bit of paper to slip inside a Christmas ornament to hang on the tree.
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.
Friday, March 26, 2021













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** Women Leaders Share How They Are Addressing The New Needs Of Working From Home, Homeschooling, And Sheltering In Place During COVID-19

** How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness

** 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became An Author

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** Emotional Intelligence; What It Is, Why It Is So Essential, And How We Can Increase It

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PM Modi visits war memorial, meets Bangladesh leaders, young achievers in Dhaka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh which coincides with the country's 50th Independence Day celebrations. The Prime Minister was greeted by his counterpart Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina when he landed in Dhaka on Friday. While in Dhaka, PM Modi visited the National Martyrs' Memorial, Savar. The Prime Minister paid homage to the freedom fighters who had died in 1971 during the Bangladesh War of Independence. PM Modi planted a sapling of the Arjuna tree at the memorial. The Prime Minister also met with members of the minority community in Bangladesh.

Enforce COVID protocols during Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Easter: MHA to states

With the second wave of coronavirus cases being recorded across the country, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) have asked states to enforce COVID-19 protocols during upcoming festivals. In a letter addressed to chief secretaries and director generals of police (DGPs) of states on Friday, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla called for "strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour in public places and gatherings" to break the chain of transmission in the country.

'Validation of group's values, ethics', says Ratan Tata after Supreme Court rules in favour of Tata Sons

Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has welcomed the Supreme Court's judgement to set aside NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal) verdict in the five-year-old case between Tata Group and Cyrus Mistry. The industrialist, in a tweet, on Friday, minutes after the SC judgement, "appreciated" the top court's verdict, stating that it is a validation of the values and ethics of Tata Group. The apex court on Friday allowed Tata Sons' appeal against the order passed by the National Company Law Tribunal. In a big win for Tata Sons, the apex court upheld Cyrus Mistry's removal from the post of Chairman.

RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank till June 30

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank till June 30, 2021. The decision has been taken in the backdrop of financial condition of the bank which is likely to make the reconstruction process complex and time-consuming, the central bank said in a notification on Friday.

This year most challenging for Indian Railways, showed its resolve to fight back: Piyush Goyal

The year of the lockdown was the most challenging year for Indian Railways, said Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal. The minister said that the pandemic demonstrated the resolve of the Indian Railways to fight back and emerge stronger. The minister was reviewing the performance of zones and divisions with Indian Railways Chairman Suneet Sharma, Railway Board, General Managers and Division Railway Managers. Goyal said in the future, the success of the Indian Railways would define the success of the nation.

Air India sale: New owners of national carrier will be decided by May-end, says Hardeep Singh Puri

The Centre has taken the decision to pick the future owners for Air India by May-end. At a meeting on March 25 it was decided that the government will close the financial bids within 64 days, post which the final announcement will be made, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Puri informed that once the new owners of the national carrier are decided by June, it will take the government another six months to completely handover the airline. The minister stated that previous attempts to privatise Air India were half-hearted and that the airline will find takers this time since it is a first-rate asset.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Many Hoosiers are getting tired of wearing masks. However, local health officials are still encouraging them to do so even when the mask mandate expires on April 6th.

On Tuesday, Governor Holcomb announced that the mask mandate will officially expire in all counties in Indiana beginning April 6th. An advisory will still be in place, but this may not be enough to stop a potential spike in COVID-19 cases. The Vigo County Health Commissioner, Dr. Darren Brucken gives News 10 his insight into the upcoming change.

Data shows new Covid-19 cases and positivity rates are on the decline locally. The state is recording some of the lowest case numbers in over six months. However, the number of cases is slowly climbing back up. Dr. Brukcen sees hospitalizations beginning to rise, especially among young, unvaccinated adults. He believes if we continue to remain cautious after the mask mandate is lifted, we may not see a significant spike.

"We're all apprehensive," Brucken said. "We are all hopeful but apprehensive nonetheless. We hope we don't see a spike from this. I think as people listen to common sense and stay vigilant and stay masked and distanced and continue to do what they need to do on a personal level, control your own variables, we should continue to see a falloff of case counts particularly as vaccinations mount."

Just because the mask mandate is expiring, doesnt mean the coronavirus will stop spreading from person to person.

"Certainly the plea is that the pandemic is not over," Brucken said. We still have people getting cases and people getting sick every day. We are still advising people to wear a mask if they can/"

Masks will still be required at all state-buildings, hospitals, vaccination sites, and k-12 schools. Additionally, local businesses can decide if they will enforce mask-wearing or not. Otherwise, mask-wearing will not be required but is still encouraged, especially with how the virus is spread.

"COVID is a respiratory virus that has to get out of my body and into your body," Brucken said. "So if I have a barrier here and you have a barrier there and we have space between us. The likelihood of me transmitting the virus to you is minimized. If we are unmasked and close together, you are obviously going to be at a lot higher of a risk from contracting it from another person."

Dr. Brucken is also encouraging residents to get their vaccine if the state wants to continue to see a decline in case numbers,

"Everyone needs to get vaccinated as quickly as they can," Brucken said. "The vaccine surplus is starting to build and they are dropping the age requirements very quickly. Please consider getting vaccinated and that is going to help bring an end to this pandemic, finally"

Dr. Brucken told News 10 that he has been in contact with Mayor Bennet and several Vigo County Commissioners. They are hoping to release a plan here locally regarding the mask advisory early next week.
Wednesday, March 17

Harassment through electronic communication was reported on the 1300 block of W. 14th on March 17.

Forgery of checks was reported on the 1100 block of Floydada on March 17.

Fraud through illegal use of credit cards was reported on the 1000 block of Utica on March 17. According to the police report, an unknown person intentionally hacked into an unemployment account and ordered a new debit card and made multiple transactions with that card.

Terroristic threats/state offenses were reported on the 2100 block of Kokomo on March 17. A male subject threatened another with bodily injury.

Two people were arrested for possession of a controlled substance on the 2400 block of N. Columbia on March 17. Derek Jermain Ramirez, 33, was arrested for possession of cocaine, more than or equal to f4 grams but less than 200 grams and for resisting arrest or search of transport. A 20-year-old male was arrested for possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana.

Tuesday, March 23

Larceny from a vehicle was reported on the 900 block of Travis on Tuesday. According to the police report, the victim reported $118 in cash, three flash drive and some loose change were taken from the vehicle, which had been parked at its location since Sunday around 8 p.m. The theft was noticed just before 5 a.m. on March 23. There is no suspect at this time.

Burglary by unforced entry into a residence was reported on the 1400 block of Nassau on March 23. The suspect entered the victims resident and stole property.

Police responded to a report of damaged property on the 700 block of Lexington on March 23. A person knowingly or intentionally caused damaged to a vehicle at the location.

Unauthorized use of a vehicle was reported on the 300 block of Austin on March 23. The suspect borrowed the complainants vehicle and did not return it.

A hit-and-run was reported on the 1300 block of Mesa on March 23. According to the police report, a vehicle was struck while parked in a private parking lot.

Police responded to a report of a person shooting out a window on a pickup with a BB gun, which is classified as criminal mischief, on the 100 block of SE 5th on March 23.

Theft from a vehicle was reported on the 3200 block of Olton Rd. on March 23. A window was broken and a purse was stolen from a vehicle at the location.

A suspected stolen vehicle was spotted on the 700 block of Milwaukee on March 23. Officers spotted a vehicle at the location that was reported stolen. Police secured the vehicle and it was later returned to the owner after processing. There is no suspect at this time.

Douglas Dewayne Wideman, 42, was arrested for driving with an invalid license with previous conviction/suspension without financial restitution on the 500 block of Oakland on March 23. Police conducted a traffic stop after Wideman was spotted going 49 in a 40 mph zone. It was found that he had four municipal warrants, two for failure to appear/bail jumping and one each for failure to maintain financial responsibility and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

A 38-year-old was arrested on a warrant on March 23.
When we think of some classic Bollywood movies, Jab We Met definitely comes in the top 10 that Indian audiences love to watch over and over again. Despite Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor giving us some really fine performances, Jab We Met is one that is mentioned over and over again in the list of their most successful films.

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The filmmaker Imtiaz Ali got recognition surely because of the script. But recently, I ended up watching Pyaar Toh Hona He Tha and that I have seen quite a few times too, and it struck me that there are quite a few similarities between the two.

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After watching the 1998 release Ajay Devgn-Kajol starrer, I can easily say that Jab We Met that released in 2007 was not entirely original. Yep, I was surprised too.

1. Sanjana was the original Geet who goes looking for her boyfriend and in the midst falls in love with Shekhar

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If you have seen the film, you exactly know what we are talking about. Pyaar Toh Hona He Tha features Kajol playing the role of Sanjana. Sanjana is madly in love with her boyfriend Rahul who is not interested in the relationship as much as she is. Rings a bell? Geet and Anshuman also have a similar love story, if we can call it that. And while Sanjana and Geet try to find love, they don't realise the ones they meet on the way, Shekhar and Aditya are the ones.

2. Sanjana misses the train too and lands up in Shekhars village just like Jab We Met

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There is a scene where Sanjana urgently needs to go the washroom and ends up leaving the train. well, which other movie has the famous train leaving episode. That's correct, it's Jab We Met. Not just that, Kajol who plays Sanjana along with Shekhar played by Ajay Devgn ends up going to his village with him. Yep, because the station she got stuck in is Shekhar's village. Geet in Jab We Met too ends up missing her train along with Aditya and suggests him to accompany her back into her village.

3. Punjabi flavour sprinkled throughout the film

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Both movies have a strong Punjabi flavour back in Shekhar and Geet's hometown ( we're still talking about two separate movies). The way they are welcomed by their families, dragged into wedding songs, made to wear wedding outfits makes you feel all Punjabi families are warm, kind and inviting.

4. The chemistry between Shahid-Kareena and Ajay-Kajol is unmissable

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Right from the start, one can tell the girls will fall for the lead boys. Whether it's the on-screen chemistry between Sanjana and Shekhar or Geet and Aditya, it's easy and not a run of the mill story line.





5. Jab We Met has similarities from other films as well

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The movie is a cross of sorts between Dil Hai Ki Manta Mahin for the first few scenes and Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha for the most part. And not many of you would know but even Pyaar Toh Hona He Tha was inspired from Hollywood film The French Kiss.





6. Anshuman from Jab We Met and Rahul from Jab Hona He Tha were one film wonders

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The two supporting actors who feature in the film got famous due to the film. However, their careers didn't take off post that. Anshuman did get a lot spoken about after the release of the film but it didn't land him many offers just like Rahul from Pyar toh Hona He Tha. Their careers never took off after that.





7. Shaadi wala songs are still evergreen from both the films

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Yes, the strangers Sanjana in Pyaar Toh Hona He Tha and Aditya in Jab We Met even end up performing to Aaj Hai Sagai Sun Ladke Ke Bhai and Nagada respectively. So yeah both movies take you through the festivities an singing and dancing.







8. Rahul realises Sanjana is the one and then Sanjana realises maybe not... just like Geet

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After chasing the men who were initially not interested, Sanjana and Geet choose the right ones for them. Just like Anshuman, Rahul realises it was a mistake to dump Sanjana earlier.





9. The ladies in this story goes out of their way to impress the men

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This is not your regular story where the hero falls in love with heroine infact its the other way round. Sanjana leaves no stone unturned to get back with Rahul. Isn't that what Geet does too, leaves her house in the middle of the night to be with Anshuman. These girls are real badass.





10. Not just on-screen but off-screen too, Ajay Devgn and Kajol were dating just like Shahid-Bebo

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Well, the similarities just not limit on-screen but off-screen as well. The filmmakers handpicked couples who were at complete ease with each other and were dating in real life. Could it be more identical?

One can definitely quite a few parallels with the Ajay Devgan-Kajol starrer Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha and the Keanu Reeves-Charlize Theron film Sweet November whenit comes to Jab We Met and agree that it wasn't entirely original.






Q. As political correspondent for BBC NI, your Canadian accent was familiar to audiences here, but you were born Belfast.

A. I lived in Ladybrook in Andersonstown until I was five. Then, in March 1971, we left for Canada. (The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland) Chichester-Clark had resigned and my father said to my mother: "We're getting out of here, there's going to be a bloodbath." He wasn't wrong. I'd two brothers then. Mark is a year older than me and Grant was 18-months-old. I also have a younger brother, Logan, born in Canada.

My father was English and met my mother at a dance in Belfast. He was doing his National Service here. Mum was from the Falls Road and worked in a clothing factory on the Donegall Road. They married in February 1963. My first memory of Canada is walking through the snow at night. I always said I'd move back to Belfast and no one believed me, but I did go back when I was 21.

Q. After graduating from the University of Toronto, you worked in advertising in Belfast, returned to Canada for journalism college, then worked as business correspondent at the Irish News and business editor at the Belfast Telegraph before breaking into politics.

A. I started as political correspondent at the Telegraph on April Fools' Day 1996... I do think God has a sense of humour! Three years later I moved to the BBC.

Q. What an exciting time to cover politics.

A. Yes, but we also spent two years outside Castle Buildings just waiting around for a deal, though of course there'd be big moments. I've funny memories too: once I got pushed out of a media scrum and Ian Paisley boomed "Let the little girl through". The cameras parted like the Red Sea. Someone said "Don't let him patronise you" but I said "If it gets me into this Press conference, I don't care." Later, he took umbrage when I challenged him at a Press conference. After that, he called me "the foreigner". The big characters - Mallon, Hume, Adams, McGuinness, Trimble and Paisley - were very interesting. You wanted the peace but you had to be objective and ask the hard questions.

Q. Yet you walked away from career success to become a nun.

A. It was a surprise for me too as I had a job I loved. I was raised a Catholic. My mother was very devout, my father was Church of England but converted to Catholicism when he married. He'd a prayer that if he couldn't have a strong faith, then his children would have a strong faith.

Faith was very much part of growing up. We went to Mass and I liked to read about the saints. By the 1970s, post-Vatican Two, you'd the feminist movement and when I graduated in the Eighties women had so many choices. I questioned aspects of the Catholic Church, such as why you couldn't have women priests. The sex abuse scandal was horrific. And I couldn't understand why anybody would want to be a nun...

Q. What changed?

A. In my early 40s I began praying more. I'd take nice holidays, but then I went to Peru and was shocked by the poverty. My mother named me after St Martin de Porres and there was a shrine to him at a church in Lima. I prayed there, "Lord, please help me to change, I want to live a life that would be more faithful to you, I want to help other people..." (laughing) "... of course I've nothing too drastic in mind Lord." And then I shopped my way through Peru. But I felt I might return as an aid worker, that my life as a journalist was coming to an end.

Q. That feeling continued back in Belfast?

A. I started to attend Eucharistic Adoration and Divine Mercy at St Michael the Archangel Church in west Belfast. My prayer life developed - I'd be walking past people in the street and pray for blessings on them. One Monday night I'd to present Stormont Today and realised I didn't want to be click-clacking along to a Press conference in my stilettoes, but would rather be at the feet of Jesus, praying. I was torn between my old life and an internal process that had grown from a fleeting desire to give my life to God to being on my mind all the time.

Q. Tell us about a series of pivotal encounters.

A. I was helping at a Church conference in Belfast when Father Peter McVerry, who works with the homeless in Dublin, said something that struck me: "If you want your share in the kingdom of God now, you don't have to wait until the next life, you can have it right now if you're willing to give up everything and follow Jesus." I'm like "Wow, I wouldn't mind my share... but I've got a lot of possessions!" The next day I went on holiday to Italy. Due to a last-minute change, we stayed in a hotel that had been a convent, with a little chapel attached. I went to Mass and felt this great sense of joy.

Back in Belfast, I'd this overwhelming sense that my possessions were choking me. I met the director of vocations and told him: "All I can think of is Woody Allen's quote that 'the third floor of Hell is reserved for journalists and it's full', I don't want to end up on the third floor... " And I'd a good career, a mortgage, mum was getting older, it felt impossible. He suggested a retreat.

The following weekend I'd agreed to take a nun in her 90s to a healing Mass at St Thomas Aquinas School. She was blind and didn't watch TV so didn't know who I was. The first thing she said was: "Will you be a nun?" I thought, "Who's she going to tell?" so replied "Maybe". She said, "When the Lord touches your heart, nothing else will make you happy." At the Mass there was a sign behind the altar: "First, do what is necessary, then do what is possible and the impossible will follow". It was a quote from St Francis of Assisi. I thought "That's for me".

In March 2014, I enjoyed covering St Patrick's Day in Washington but was 95% sure this was my last work trip. The retreat made up my mind. I saw a tree without leaves, knowing it could be transformed and heard in my heart the words of Scripture: "I am the vine, you are the branches."

I'd spent two years thinking about it. It would be so public. I couldn't get a year off from the BBC to try it, I was walking away from everything, there was no going back. But I was totally sure, happy, peaceful... ready for a new life.

Q. Had you felt conflict between faith and your work as a journalist?

A. I'd never have intruded in someone's personal life but latterly there were complicated stories at Stormont and I felt compassion for those involved. Before if I'd reported something that caused difficulty for someone, it never occurred to me how difficult that was for them. Now, I understood the stress they were under.

I also realised the Troubles had broken out because our ties to politics, culture and identity were stronger than our ties to Christ.

Q. Why did you join the Adoration Convent on the Falls Road?

A. Sister Eileen from that convent was at the retreat and someone suggested joining her order. I looked at her brown dress and said, "Oh no, I'm looking for powder blue!" But I went there to pray and was drawn to it. I did a three-day live-in in June and cried the whole way back to the BBC. I couldn't quit work immediately because of financial obligations but worked those out and left in October. I entered on the feast of St Martin de Porres on November 3, 2014.

Q. Were your family supportive?

A. The first person I told was my brother, Logan. I was on such a high. I said "I'm quitting the BBC." He asked "Are you drunk?" He didn't expect it. But all my family supported me. My other two brothers weren't surprised. Mum lived nearby and I was her only daughter but was very generous in accepting it because she wouldn't have the same access to me, though she began volunteering at the convent and we'd say hello to each other most days. My dad died in 2003.

Q. Did you have to give up all your worldly possessions?

A. As a novice you can't own a car and a house. Your money is put in a trust, you can't spend it and you live as if you have nothing. That's because if you feel unsure at any stage, the Church does not want you to feel trapped because you've no money. (Becoming a nun) is a nine-year process. When that finishes you decide what to with do any finances: you might give it to family, the congregation or the poor.

After three years I took my first vows on September 23, 2017, and my final vows were due to be taken on September 23, 2023...

Q. Shockingly, that never happened. You and three others had to leave because the congregation was too small to meet the Catholic Church's standards.

A. It was devastating. On the eve of Ash Wednesday, 2019, we were told we'd have to leave when our vows ran out. We'd be laicized. We were immediately sent in to pray. I just stared at Jesus in disbelief.

Afterwards, Elaine asked "Did you get a word from the Lord?" but I said I'd been too busy glaring at Him. She thought she'd two words in her heart: "Be amazed". I'd renewed my vows for another year so was going to see it out. That was hard, living the life but knowing it's coming to an end. It's like your husband telling you he still loves you but you are breaking up.

I'd sleepless nights, wondering how was I going to live. I don't have the resources I once had. But that's very human thinking - that security lies in money in the bank, a house. I learned my security lies in God who looks after me. I thought I'd lost everything - my status as an Adoration Sister, my home - but I didn't lose my faith. This was God saying I want everything, even those things you love now.

Q. What did you do?

A. I was going to live in mum's apartment but a Downpatrick woman offered us a place in that town. First, Elaine and I went to Florida, where my family has a place.

We took time out to recover, to see what God was asking.

Q. Has adjusting to life outside the convent been hard?

A. I didn't want to be poor but had to accept I'd be in the world without all the trappings you expect for security. I've learned to live one day at a time, not to think "What will happen when I'm 75 and my pension doesn't exist as it would if I'd stayed at the BBC..." But I'm sitting by the fire. I'm doing okay.

Q. Could you still become a nun?

A. The five years at the convent are not transferable... it's not like doing five years at law school, then switching school. Most congregations take younger people though some take a person my age. I'd have to feel drawn to a congregation, do another nine years and I don't really have years any more. Seven years ago my mum was younger. I know she wouldn't stand in my way but I'd have to consider all that.

Q. What do you miss most?

A. The hours of adoration and stillness, the quiet. Elaine and I have a prayer room, pray three times a day and have online Mass daily.

Q. In the convent, did you lose touch with popular culture - music and books?

A. In the car going to Tesco I'd blast out Bruce Springsteen. I was given his autobiography as a Christmas gift and I read that and prayed for him, but most books there were spiritual. My friend (the late journalist) Seamus Kelters came to tell me he'd cancer; he was hopeful of beating it. But every time he came after that the news was worse. I was reading Peter Kreeft's Making Sense of Suffering and felt like throwing it out the convent window, though actually it's excellent.

Q Downpatrick has brought new opportunities...

A I write for the parish magazine, have an online column, Grace Notes, and do PR work for the Saint Patrick Centre. Elaine and I teach online and are Pilgrim Guides on the Saint Patrick's Way Walk. Those words Elaine was given earlier - "Be amazed"? When researching St Patrick, I read that famous line about being "like a stone in the mud" and in the next lines are those words "Be amazed".

Q Any regrets?

A. The mistakes in my life, but they've made me humble. And that I didn't enter the convent earlier.

For further information on Saint Patrick's Way, go to: www.saintpatrickcentre.com
It is the 15th time we are included in the top 100 outsourcing companies by IAOP. 2020 was one of the most challenging years in modern history and being included to the list of industry-makers is a great honor for us and a tribute to the hard efforts of all Intetics professionals and innovators

IAOP announced the annual Global Outsourcing 100 list of the worlds best outsourcing service providers. The list was announced and publicly released during the virtual event - OWS22.

The event brought together hundreds of outsourcing buyers, advisors, providers and academics from around the globe to share strategies for success in todays economy.

In its 15th year, The Global Outsourcing 100 includes leaders and rising stars as well as providers and advisors all in one comprehensive list. Also, IAOP will publish and share the additional sub-lists for service provider and advisor applicants throughout the year. The participation demonstrates a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement that is the hallmark of the outsourcing industry.

It is the 15th time we are included in the top 100 outsourcing companies by IAOP. 2020 was one of the most challenging years in modern history and being included to the list of industry-makers is a great honor for us and a tribute to the hard efforts of all Intetics professionals and innovators, said Boris Kontsevoi, President and CEO of Intetics Inc. Thanks IAOP for trusting us all these years. We do believe that tech leaders will help shape the future.

Judging was based on a set of measurable standards as well as an evaluation by a panel of industry-recognized outsourcing leaders.

The 2021 Evaluation Team included:

Daniel Beimborn, Professor, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Teresa Harris, COP, Global Supplier Relationship Manager, GE

Mary D. Lewis, Sourcing Manager II, Supply Chain Management, Sprint

Heiko Gewald, Professor, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences

Mark Zammett, COP, former Senior Director, Global Security Assessments, CIGNA

To view the 2020 list, in alphabetical order, click here.

About IAOP

IAOP was born, back in 2005, out of the idea there should be an association not simply for those working in outsourcing, but also that defines outsourcing as a profession in its own right. It was a good idea then, and though the industry and "outsourcing" have evolved into various collaborative approaches, it's a good idea now.

IAOPs unique characteristiccore competencyis its ability to bring together this diverse, highly collaborative and passionate group of individuals and organizations from the provider, advisor and buy-side community and provide the tools, resources and connections they need to succeed.

IAOP is truly an association for the members, by the members.

About Intetics

Intetics Inc. is a leading global technology company providing custom software application development, distributed professional teams, software product quality assessment, and all-things-digital solutions built with SMAC, RPA, AI/ML, IoT, blockchain, and GIS/UAV/LBS technologies.

Based on proprietary pioneering business models of Offshore Dedicated Team and Remote In-Sourcing, an advanced Technical Debt Reduction Platform (TETRA) and measurable SLAs for software engineering, Intetics helps innovative organizations capitalize on global talent with our in-depth engineering expertise based on the Predictive Software Engineering framework.

Intetics core strength is the design of software products in conditions of incomplete specifications. We have extensive industry expertise in Education, Healthcare, Logistics, Life Sciences, Finance, Insurance, Communications, and custom ERP, CRM, Intelligent Automation and Geospatial solutions.

Our advanced software engineering background and outstanding quality management platform, along with an unparalleled methodology for talent recruitment, team building and talent retention, guarantee that our clients receive exceptional results for their projects. At Intetics, our outcomes do not just meet clients expectations, they have been exceeding them for a quarter of a century.
By Nina Baker

bakernin@grinnell.edu

Grinnell residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are slowly but surely completing their vaccination series, but some residents are still struggling to get their first dose. An unruly phone system, which has left many callers unable to schedule an appointment even after hours of redialing, has even forced some people to travel outside of the county to get vaccinated.

As of March 27, 3,109 Poweshiek County residents (out of approximately 18,899 total) have completed their vaccination series, and an additional 1,825 residents have received their first  but not second  dose.

March 8 saw Iowa embark on the second tier of its five-tiered Phase 1B vaccination plan, meaning that individuals who are between 18 and 65 with underlying medical conditions are now eligible for a vaccine. Previously, only individuals 65 and older were eligible.

Additionally, Iowans who are first-responders, educators and other essential frontline workers are permitted to request a vaccine if Poweshiek County Public Health (PCPH) has approved their workplace for eligibility. Individuals who believe they may qualify but have not received confirmation with their employer may contact PCPH directly for approval.

On April 5, all residents of Iowa 18 or older will become eligible to receive a vaccine, if vaccine supply expectations are met. This will apply to both permanent and temporary residents of Iowa, meaning that Grinnell College students will be eligible.

Poweshiek County has three vaccination sites: the Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC), the Hy-Vee pharmacy in Grinnell and the Hy-Vee pharmacy in Victor. PCPH, in charge of most immunizations across the county, has also partnered with nursing homes and other private organizations to administer doses to at-risk residents.

For the first half of February, vaccine appointments were made directly through PCPH with only one to two phone operators. On Feb. 12, phones lines at PCPH crashed due to the sheer number of residents trying to schedule vaccine appointments. Because of this, PCPH partnered with Grinnell College to use the Colleges phone systems to streamline scheduling for appointments, allowing multiple phone lines to be opened simultaneously to prevent another crash.

The only way for residents to schedule an appointment is by phone. PCPH instructs residents to call 641-269-9200 and stay on the line only if they are connected to an employee immediately. If not, they are instructed to hang up and redial as soon as possible.

Updates to Poweshiek County Public Healths vaccination clinics can be found on their Facebook page.

The S&B recently spoke to students and Poweshiek County residents about their experiences to scheduling an appointment.

Marna Montgomery

Marna Montgomery said that the first time she tried to schedule an appointment for her 83-year-old mother was the same day the phone lines at PCPH crashed. In the end, she was unable to schedule an appointment. The second time Montgomery tried to get her mother vaccinated she called 358 times over the span of several hours but was still unable to get through to a scheduler on the other end of the line.

I was calling constantly, just constant redial, redial. And the next day I finally got through after two hours, she said, adding that her mother had just gotten her second dose last week.

Montgomery also said that she had friends who had to drive hours to other cities, like Des Moines and Iowa City, to successfully get their appointments.

Montgomery pointed to one friend of hers who was on the phone with PCPH for nearly eight hours before giving up and scheduling an appointment in Des Moines. Shes not alone; of the 3,109 residents with their vaccine series completed, only 2,070 of those were administered within Poweshiek County.

Montgomery said she got the first dose of her vaccine by accident. While working at the Malcom Food Pantry, PCPH was administering vaccines to employees in the same building, and had two extra doses which would have been discarded if not used immediately. As a result, PCPH provided the two does to Montgomery and another worker at the building in order to not waste the remaining vaccines.

Each Moderna vaccine comes within a multidose vial with nine other doses. Once the first does is removed from the vial, each remaining dose must be administrated within six hours or it will be discarded.

Mo Igbaria `24

Mo Igbaria `24 has asthma, which made him eligible for a vaccine beginning March 8. On March 11, PCPH released a brief which instructed residents to call their number beginning at 9 a.m. the next morning to schedule appointments March 17  which would be the first time these newly-eligible residents would be able to get their vaccine.

At 9 a.m. exactly, Igbaria called the GRMC 13 times in order to schedule his appointment for his first dose. Overall, he said, the process went extremely smoothly.

On the morning of March 17, Campus Safety drove Igbaria to the GRMC, where he received his first dose.

The whole process took less than 20 minutes, said Igbaria.

After receiving the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on the morning of March 17, Igbaria said he experienced fatigue, muscle soreness, fever and chills as side-effects, but that they werent very intense.

Jess Brant

Jess Brant and her father began calling PCPH at 9 a.m. on March 12 using both her work phone and her personal phone simultaneously, as well as her dads phone simultaneously to schedule their appointments. Brant, like Igbaria, has asthma, and became eligible on March 8.

Besides the difficulty of the appointment process, Brant said that the overall process had few challenges. On Wednesday, March 17, Brant got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine. I thought it was a pretty streamlined process, said Brant. We didnt wait more than five minutes before we were able to receive the vaccine, and then we waited for 15 after and we were able to leave.

Mike Storbeck

Mike Storbeck, who is eligible for a vaccine due to his diabetes diagnosis, said he called the GRMC 457 times across the span of two hours in order to schedule an appointment.

Sometimes youd get a busy signal, sometimes youd get a message, and then the other times youd get your hopes up because itd start ringing. And then itd ring forever and youd get that same message and youd keep on trying and trying, said Storbeck. I kept thinking I wasnt gonna get it.  I was about ready to give up.

Besides having to call so often, Storbeck didnt encounter many other difficulties with the scheduling process, and he doesnt expect any issues besides mild side-effects once he receives his vaccine.
Dhaka, March 27 : Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that Bangladesh is a strong example of communal harmony, adding that New Delhi will deeply cooperate with Dhaka "all the time".

He made the remarks while addressing members of the Matua community in Gopalganj district following his visit to the Orakandi temple.

The temple is considered to be the holiest place for more than five crore people of the Matua community, founded by Harichand Thakur, living in Bangladesh and Indian state of West Bengal.

"I'm blessed to come to this holy land of Orakandi. It is because of the blessings of Orakandi Thakur. When I first visited Bangladesh in 2015, I hoped that someday I will be able to come here. My wish has been fulfilled today.

"We are moving forward through the way directed by Harichand Thakur and his son GuruChand Thakur," the Prime Minister said.

"Joy Bangla, Joy Hind, Bharat-Bangladesh moitry chirojibi hok." Modi also met members of the Thakur family.

Before visiting Orakandi, he paid homage at paid to Bangladesh's Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by visiting his mausoleum in Tungipara, also in Gopalganj.

He arrived in Tungipara aboard a helicopter after offering morning prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira district.

Modi is the first Indian head of state to visit Tungipara.

The Indian head of state arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit and attended the twin celebrations of the country's 50 years of independence and Bangabandhu's birth centenary.

Later in the day, Hasina and Modi are set to have substantive discussions with focus on trade, connectivity and Covid-19 cooperation.

The one-to-one meeting will take place before delegation-level talks at Hasina's office in Dhaka.

The two sides are also expected to inaugurate some joint projects virtually and witness the signing of MOUs, which will focus on disaster management, trade and oceanography.

Modi will meet President Abdul Hamid before leaving Dhaka by a special flight later in the evening.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will see him off at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Torrance Center will host its first Festival of Ideas from April 23-25 online via Eventfinity. (Courtesy/Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky hopes that the Indian government will reconsider its decision to restrict the export of vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, the press service of the head of state said.

"However, it should be understood that the public statements of certain Ukrainian politicians do not contribute to the positive solution to this issue, but on the contrary strongly hinder. They launched a large-scale and dirty campaign to discredit both the vaccine itself and the vaccination process as a whole," Zelensky said.

The President of Ukraine noted that politicians have lost their heads in pursuit of rapid popularity, and they are indifferent to the fact that Ukrainians can die from their negative statements about the vaccine.

"I urge these politicians: choose very carefully the words you are about to say. Therefore, you will certainly have to answer for each of these words. Both under the law of Ukraine and under God. What is the bigger argument for you  decide for yourself," Zelensky said.
Detailing on the restrictions announced by the Maharashtra CM in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar has stated that the night curfew in the city might begin from 10 or 11 PM on March 28. This comes a day after CM Uddhav Thackeray announced the imposition of the night curfew across the state following a review meeting of the Coronavirus situation in the state. Pednekar has also announced that residential societies that report five or more cases in Mumbai will be sealed by the BMC.

Apart from this, the Mumbai mayor stated that hotels and pubs will cease to operate during hours of the night curfew, adding that only essential services will be allowed during the curfew hours. Pednekar also noted that a higher positivity rate is being reported from high-rises as compared to slums and chawls in the city.

BMC will seal the residential societies with five or more cases. We are seeing a higher positivity rate in high-rises than in slums and 'chawls'. Hotels and pubs to remain closed during the night curfew. Only essential services will be allowed: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar. pic.twitter.com/EqGWIKzf3t  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Maha CM announces slew of restrictions

Announcing a night curfew across the state from March 28 onwards, CM Thackeray asserted that the COVID-19 threat has increased and directed all districts to focus on the availability of health facilities, beds and medicines. While Thackeray stressed that he has no intention of imposing a statewide lockdown, he empowered the District Collectors to impose it in districts where the number of patients is increasing rapidly.

Moreover, he warned that stricter restrictions will have to be imposed in the future if people do not follow COVID-19 prevention norms. Revealing that shopping malls shall remain closed from 8 pm to 7 am as per the new rules, the CM ordered action to be taken against establishments flouting SOPs. On this occasion, Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh called upon the Centre to make the COVID-19 vaccines available in large numbers to the state. He also stressed that the vaccination of teachers, professors and those working in the public transport system should be done on a priority basis.

COVID-19 crisis in Mumbai

Mumbai logged 5,504 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, crossing the 5000 mark for the second day in a row. The doubling rate of cases in India's financial capital now stands at 75 days after the recent flux in the number of infections. India's overall case load stands at 1.18 crore, the third-highest behind the United States and Brazil. The country reported 251 new deaths, taking the overall tally to 1,60,692, data showed.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to increase their daily number of Covid-19 tests to 60,000 tests, the civic authorities said in a press release on Thursday as the number of daily infections in the city is on a steady rise. Citing vaccination as the ultimate remedy for Covid-19, BMC said that the number of daily vaccinations in Mumbai has been raised to 1 lakh.
New research conducted by environmental justice scholars at Vermont's Bennington College reveals that between 2016 and 2020, the U.S. military oversaw the "clandestine burning" of more than 20 million pounds of Aqueous Fire Fighting Foam in low-income communities around the countryeven though there is no evidence that incineration destroys the toxic "forever chemicals" that make up the foam and are linked to a range of cancers, developmental disorders, immune dysfunction, and infertility.

"Weighing out its own liability against the health of these communities, the Pentagon struck the match."

David Bond, Bennington College

"In defiance of common sense and environmental expertise, the Department of Defense (DOD) has enlisted poor communities across the U.S. as unwilling test subjects in its toxic experiment with burning AFFF," David Bond, associate director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College, said (pdf) in a statement earlier this week.

Noting that scientists, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and even Pentagon officials have warned that "burning AFFF is an unproven method and dangerous mix that threatens the health of millions of Americans," Bond characterized the decision of the military to dump huge stockpiles of AFFF and AFFF wastewater into "a handful of habitually negligent incinerators" as a "harebrained" operation as well as a manifestation of environmental injustice.

"In effect," he added, "the Pentagon redistributed its AFFF problem into poor and working-class neighborhoods."

After months of compiling and analyzing dataobtained last year from the Pentagon and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservationthe team from Vermont launched an interactive website this week that publicizes for the first time the results of their investigation into all known shipments of AFFF to hazardous waste incinerators in the U.S.

The Bennington College researchers summarized their findings as follows:

Over 20 million pounds of the toxic firefighting foam AFFF and AFFF wastewater was incinerated between 2016-2020;

The U.S. military, the EPA, and state regulators all expressed serious concern about the ability of incineration to destroy the toxic chemicals in AFFF during this time;

Six incinerators were contracted to burn AFFF. Each is a habitual violator of environmental law. Since 2017, three of the incinerators were out of compliance with environmental law 100% of the time while the other incinerators were out of compliance with environmental law about 50% of the time;

35% of known shipments of AFFF (7.7 million pounds) was burned at the Norlite Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Cohoes, New York, located within a densely populated urban area and less than 400 feet from a public housing complex. Norlite burned 2.47 million pounds of AFFF and 5.3 million pounds of AFFF wastewater, which likely was burned in violation of its Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit;

40% of the national stockpile of AFFF (5.5 million pounds) was sent to "fuel-blending" facilities where it was mixed into fuels for industrial use. It is not clear where the AFFF-laden fuel went next, although the DOD contract stipulates incineration should be the endpoint; and

970,000 pounds of AFFF was burned overseas.

AFFF contains contaminants known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); exposure to trace amounts of these synthetic chemicals is associated with a variety of detrimental health effects, and some have argued that PFAS are so risky that they not only endanger public health but threaten to undermine human reproduction writ large.

Jane Williams, chair of the Sierra Club's National Clean Air team stressed: "We simply must stop burning PFAS compounds."

"Attempting to burn these forever chemicals can generate highly toxic emissions which endanger the health of nearby communities," she said. "Burning also releases gases which are powerful climate forcing chemicals."

According to Williams, "EPA and DOD are both pursuing advanced technologies that can more effectively destroy these compounds without causing these unacceptable impacts."

The pursuit of alternative disposal methods raises the question, posed by the researchers on their website: "If incineration is an unproven means of destroying these toxins, is burning AFFF solving the problem or simply emitting it into the poor communities that so often surround incinerators in the U.S.?"

According to the researchers, the military rushed to burn more than 20 million pounds of AFFF over the past four years because they feared the substance "would be classified as a toxic chemical (and with that designation, would require new safeguards and introduce new liability)."

In a column published Thursday in The Guardian, Bond explained:

Judith Enck, former EPA regional administrator, said the data compiled by the Bennington College team demonstrate that "we have a national problem on our hands."

"Congress needs to throw cold water on the Pentagon's mad dash to burn toxic firefighting foam. There is no evidence that incineration destroys AFFF," she added, calling for "a national ban on burning these forever chemicals."
On the FactCheck page, The Associated Press tracks down some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals that were shared widely on social media. The AP takes those untrue stories, checks them out and sets the records straight in this weekly series of news articles.


By Manuel Mucari

MAPUTO (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist insurgents attacked a convoy of fleeing civilians, including foreign workers, as fighting continued in a northern Mozambique town that is near a number of gas projects, security and diplomatic sources said.

At least one person was killed and a number wounded in Friday's attack, according to three sources and three organizations with employees inside a hotel where people have been taking refuge in the town of Palma.

French energy group Total said on Saturday it had postponed the restart of work at its site near Palma, a logistics hub adjacent to gas projects worth $60 billion. No project staff were among the victims of the fighting, it said.

The attack on Palma began just hours after Total said on Wednesday that it would resume work at its $20 billion project after halting operations in January due to security concerns.

Nearly 200 people had been sheltering in the Amarula Palma hotel during the attack, according to three diplomats and one of the organisations with people inside.

They included a Spanish resident and other foreigners who locked themselves in a protected room in the hotel, a Spanish diplomatic source told Reuters. Spain's foreign ministry confirmed there had been a Spanish citizen in Palma who managed to flee the town.

Before the ambush, rescue efforts had been underway with at least 20 people flown to safety in helicopters, said Lionel Dyck, who runs Dyck Advisory Group, a South African private security company that works with Mozambique's government.

On Friday afternoon, some people attempted to escape in a convoy of vehicles but were ambushed just outside the hotel, according to Dyck, two diplomats and the organizations with people inside.

Dyck said his helicopters evacuated more than 20 survivors on Saturday.

SOME STILL MISSING

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts. Most communications with Palma are down. Officials at Mozambique's foreign ministry, defence ministry and provincial government did not immediately respond to calls or had their phones switched off on Saturday. The national police said they were evaluating the situation, without providing further details.

Story continues

Mozambique's government said on Thursday that security forces were working to restore order in Palma.

The province of Cabo Delgado, where the town is located, has since 2017 been the target of a simmering Islamist insurgency linked to Islamic State.

It was not immediately clear how many people, if any, remained in the Amarula Palma hotel on Saturday and how many were missing. Contacted via Facebook, the hotel said it could not give any information.

South Africa's foreign ministry said some of its citizens had been affected by attacks on foreign nationals on Friday. It did not elaborate.

Cindy Cooke, a South African whose 21-year-old stepson Francois van Niekerk is in Palma, was frantically trying to get information.

His family had not heard from him since Wednesday, though rescuers had been to his location on Saturday and he was not there, she said.

"It's scary. Being there is no joke. They (the insurgents) are ruthless, just ruthless," she said.

Beheadings have been a hallmark of attacks by the insurgents, whose rebellion is rooted in local issues from poverty and unemployment to perceived corruption and religious discrimination.

Portugal's foreign ministry said one of its nationals had been injured in the fighting but did not specify the circumstances. The person had since been rescued, and its embassy in Maputo was working to identify other Portuguese nationals who needed support, the ministry said in an email.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said it spoke to seven people in Palma before communications were cut on Wednesday. They described people fleeing as gunshots rang out, bodies in the streets and insurgents firing at both people and buildings, the group said in a statement.

(Additional reporting by Emma Rumney and Mfuneko Toyana in Johannesburg, David Lewis in Nairobi, Catarina Demony in Lisbon, and Jessica Jones and Belen Carreno in Madrid; Writing by Emma Rumney; Editing by Alexandra Zavis and Frances Kerry)
MONTANA - Thursday night, 19 U.S. Senators, led by Border Patrol, visited the Mexico border along the Rio Grande River. Among them was Senator Steve Daines. On a press conference call with reporters, Sen. Daines detailed what he saw, and talked about the current situation at the border.

"We watched, in real time, crossings here on the Rio Grande. I was on the U.S. side, getting ready to watch more folks cross in a raft. We could hear Mexican cartel members with their flashlights. Very powerful floodlights shining at us from the Mexican side," Sen. Daines said.

The senator says the cartels know that crossing the Rio Grande has a price.

"Sadly, these Mexican cartels are charging thousands of dollars per person to come across the southern border," Sen. Daines said.

Signs on the ground mark a path through the foliage, for those crossing on foot to follow.

"They direct the illegal immigrants where to go once they cross the U.S. border so they can be apprehended and begin to be processed," Sen. Daines said.

Women and children were seen in pens - a holding area for them when Border Patrol finds them. But what's more alarming is the COVID-19 situation.

"They are seeing at least a 10% positive rate. In fact, we just saw young people that tested positive for COVID on one side of a fenced area, and the others on another side," Sen. Daines said.

Sen. Daines was told there is a 1.2 million person backlog of asylum claims. But how does this all impact Montana? He says it's drugs, specifically meth, heroin and fentanyl.

"If you speak with the DEA folks in Montana, they'll tell you the source of meth, heroin and fentanyl is Mexico. It's the Mexican cartels," Sen. Daines said.

It's another illegal business that causes big problems, but brings in big cash.

"They showed us a recent meth seizure, that they found here in this sector, that had a street value of over 2 million dollars," Sen. Daines said.
Battle of Britain is Stephentown topic

STEPHENTOWN - At 6:30 p.m. March 31 and April 7 educator and World War II historian Greig Seidor will offer a two-part class on the Battle of Britain during World War II.

Presented in partnership with the Stephentown Memorial Library, it will be hosted on Zoom, and is free and open to the public. For more information or to register for the class, visit the library website or call us at 518-733-5750.

County begins shared services site work

FULTONVILLE - Montgomery County Executive Matthew L. Ossenfort said last week that construction has begun on the site of the new Shared Services Facility at the Glen Canal View Business Park on Route 5S. The project will move the countys Department of Public Works and Business Development Center out of a flood plain.

The DPW and the Business Development Center were significantly damaged during past storms, costing the county over $300,000 in repairs and protective measures, Ossenfort said. Relocation will diminish the need to move and relocate equipment due to impending storms. Consolidating satellite DPW offices outside of the flood plain will also allow the department to increase their efficiency of emergency service operations during storm events, he said.

Nature events planned by Plateau Alliance

The Rensselaer Plateau Alliance plans three events next month. Pre-registration is required for all events; space is limited for in-person events and masks are required. Learn more, get directions, and register at www.rensselaerplateau.org.

Poestenkill Community Forest, Averill Park: Amphibian Walk, with ecologist Jeff Briggs and Fran Egbert. Saturday, April 10, 10 am - noon. Space is limited, register early via website.

Chestnut Hill Preserve, Stephentown: April Mindful Walk, with Molly Freiberg and Sandy Wilson. Saturday, April 10, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. A slow and gentle celebration of spring, opening our senses to all that we discover. Space is limited.

Clean Energy & Climate Solutions, with Ethan Winter. Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m. via Zoom. Winter, Senior Community Engagement Manager at Cypress Creek Renewables, will discuss climate change, New Yorks ambitious clean energy mandate, and community solar.

Troy Trails Map now available

TROY - Accessible transportation advocates have designed the Troy Trails Map to bring attention to the wealth of natural resources and recreation infrastructure in and around the city.

The map is intended to inspire people to use the spaces to their full capacity and to care for them and advocate on their behalf. The effort is being led by Transport Troy, with support from the Capital Coexist program of the Capital District Transportation Committee.

Copies are available at The Hill at Muza, Rare Form Brewing Company, TAP, and other city businesses, or download at: tinyurl.com/troytrailsmap. Find pickup locations: tinyurl.com/transporttroy.

Meetings

The East Greenbush Board of Education meets 7 p.m. Wednesday March 31. Due to social distancing guidelines, the public may not attend the meeting in person but the meeting will be livestreamed at www.egcsd.org. Public comment will be available during the meeting.
Two militants were killed and a soldier was injured in a gunfight between ultras and security forces in district of on Saturday, police said.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in the Wangam area of South Kashmir's in the evening following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said as the forces were conducting searches in the area, militants opened fired on them.

The forces retaliated, and two militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight, the official said, adding that a soldier was injured.

He said the injured soldier was taken to the Army's 92 Base Hospital here.

The operation is underway, he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
KYODO NEWS - Mar 27, 2021 - 09:43 | All, Japan

A safe-to-swallow oral care product developed by a Japanese startup and manufactured by people with mental disabilities has been selected as a candidate for use by astronauts at the International Space Station.

The product chosen through an open recruitment process is a mint-flavored oral care spray made by disabled workers employed by a nonprofit organization in Niigata Prefecture.

Whether it makes the ISS journey or not will be decided possibly in June based on a comprehensive assessment of safety and other factors. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, if approved, it will be transported to the station around 2022.

The spray was developed by Trife Inc., a startup based in Yokohama near Tokyo that develops OralPeace products. The plant-based products help contain oral bacteria, prevent cavities, and improve the astronauts' health, the company said.

So far, Japanese astronauts have spoken highly of the spray in a survey, calling it "refreshing."

Yoshimi Honda, head of the Niigata nonprofit organization Aozora, welcomed the good news.

"They are gaining confidence by being recognized and receiving positive feedback through their work," Honda said, referring to the 10 workers with disabilities at a workshop in Agano, a Niigata city northwest of Tokyo.

OralPeace products, which are developed with Kyushu University's graduate school of agriculture and other entities, do not require water for rinsing.

As such, they are ideal for people aboard the ISS, where water is very precious, as conventional toothpaste could be harmful over the long term if constantly swallowed, according to the developer.

Trife President Daisuke Teshima said the spray, which requires just one squirt from the container to clean the entire mouth, will be very convenient for astronauts occupied with numerous experiments and activities.

OralPeace products were distributed free of charge to people affected by the major earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture in 2016, southwestern Japan, and Typhoon Faxai in 2019 as part of the company's support for disaster-hit areas.

Since 2014, Trife has entrusted the manufacturing of the OralPeace spray to the Niigata organization as part of efforts to raise the wages of people with disabilities.

The workers' duties include sanitizing the spray solution at a temperature of 85 C, making sure foreign objects are not mixed into containers, and assembling boxes. With the help of Aozora officials, they manufacture about 10,000 units of oral care spray a year.

Disabled workers are assigned to different sections depending on their disability, which can be a strength in the workplace, according to the organization.

"They can meticulously check the cleanliness of containers. They require more time, but I find it easy to count on them," Honda said.

When they heard the news that OralPeace was selected as a candidate for use in the space station, some of them jumped up in the air in celebration, Honda said.

"I am really happy because when I saw merchandise that went to space on TV, I wanted to do the same," said Towa Yokono, a 22-year-old box assembler. "Our work is finally being recognized."

Related coverage:

FEATURE: Elderly Japan residents of Britain wowed by efficient vaccine rollout

FEATURE: A Japanese woman's story of love from war-torn Syria

FEATURE: Okinawan women's civic group chronicles sex crimes by U.S. military
This is how lies turn into laws that make it harder for people to vote.

The same week that a major backer of former President Donald Trump's false election fraud narrative admitted it was unreasonable, Republican lawmakers in Georgia turned legislation inspired by the false narrative into law.

Republicans didn't like the election results in 2020, so in Georgia they've changed the rules to try to keep it from happening again. It's the first presidential battleground to change voting laws since the election but it's unlikely to be the last, with Arizona and others already considering their own restrictions.

When the pandemic scrambled restrictions on when and where Americans could vote and a race-baiting President helped spark a massive uptick in turnout, Republicans lost two Senate seats in what had long been a GOP stronghold and voters handed the state's electoral votes to President Joe Biden.

To their credit, after the election, Georgia state Republican leaders stood by the results and stood up to Trump, drawing his wailing criticism on Twitter and rejecting his ridiculous claims that the election had been rigged and Democrats stole it. Now, however, Georgia Republicans, led by Gov. Brian Kemp -- who faces his own reelection campaign in 2022 -- have acted decisively to protect against election fraud they courageously said didn't happen less than six months ago.

This story is being repeated in swing states across the country. Iowa's Republican governor has already signed legislation into law. Arizona legislators are considering a raft of bills.

Every vote counts when the margins are as close as they've been in key states in recent elections.

New restrictions echo old restrictions

Kemp ignored the alarmed warnings by Black leaders in the state that new curbs on access to the vote were echoes of a racist past.

In the South, where taxes and tests once kept Black Americans from voting, this new 21st-century form of disenfranchisement is being hastily enacted to make it more difficult to vote.

Republicans argued the new law will give more integrity to the system and give Georgians confidence in the electoral process.

But after multiple recounts of the 2020 results and audits in key counties found no fraud, it's also true that what shook GOP confidence in Georgia more than anything was Trump losing.

Amazing time to admit there was no fraud

As the Georgia lawmakers acted to address the flawed perception of voter fraud, those who pushed voter fraud faced jeopardy in court.

Lawyer Sidney Powell, who pushed the most virulent and false claims of fraud in 2020, faces a massive defamation lawsuit by the election infrastructure company Dominion Voting Systems, which was active in Georgia in 2020.

Powell repeatedly pressed the voter fraud myth as fact on the airwaves and in court after the election, but facing Dominion's lawsuit, she said in a filing that "reasonable" people would not accept her statements as "fact" because the legal process hadn't yet played out.

Separately, Dominion sued Fox News this week, asking for $1.6 billion in damages for pushing the same narrative.

"Fox sold a false story of election fraud in order to serve its own commercial purposes, severely injuring Dominion in the process," Dominion wrote in its suit. "If this case does not rise to the level of defamation by a broadcaster, then nothing does."

Even Fox hosts want to move on. When Trump tried to repeat the fraud claims on Fox News on Thursday, he was cut off by host Laura Ingraham.

"Speaking as a lawyer, we're not going to relitigate the past," she told the former President.

There will be more lawsuits

Voting rights groups are already challenging Georgia's new law.

But courts -- and particularly this new Supreme Court -- has shown little appetite for overturning how states want to run their elections.

In Georgia's case it will be a question of whether the state can seize control of elections from local election boards and defrock the state official voters put in place to oversee elections, giving power instead to officials appointed by the GOP-controlled state Legislature.

"It's really a power grab by the Legislature and is, again, very dangerous to democracy and any perception of fairness," said Andrea Young, the head of the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union, during the most recent episode of CNN's Politically Sound podcast. Listen. Subscribe.

Georgia's bill did not go as far as some activists had feared. Republican lawmakers abandoned proposals to curb Sunday voting, a direct assault on voting drives often led by Black churches.

A proposal to require an excuse to cast absentee ballots was also cut.

Having voted to expand weekend voting, Kemp and other Republicans now say the bill will actually expand access to polls.

It does put up roadblocks for voters. But opponents point to other new restrictions and argue the Republicans are clearly hoping there will be be fewer Black and Brown voters in the years to come.

"It's like the Christmas tree of goodies for voter suppression," Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan said Thursday before the bill passed.

The measure will:

Shorten the period to apply for and return mail-in ballots.

Include ID requirements for absentee voting, which adds a new hurdle for people voting by mail. Previously, ballots were verified using signature verification and no fraud was detected in Georgia.

Limit access to absentee ballot drop boxes, while codifying their use and mandating at least one in every county.

Make it more difficult for voters who show up at the wrong precincts to vote with provisional ballots.

Make it illegal to hand out food and drinks to voters in line, which is specifically meant to cut down on efforts by turnout organizations.

What the President can do

Biden said he'll do everything he can to fight voter suppression during his first White House news conference Thursday.

"What I'm worried about is how un-American this whole initiative is. It's sick. It's sick," he said, adding that Republican voters he talks to would reject the proposals.

"I'm not talking about the elected officials. I'm talking about voters. Voters. And so I'm convinced that we'll be able to stop this, because it is the most pernicious thing. This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle."

But Biden will not yet endorse reinterpreting Senate rules so that a majority of 51 Democrats can pass a massive voting rights bill through the Senate.

It's also not clear there are 50 Democrats who support the Democrats' proposal for an update to the Voting Rights Act.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, whose vote would be required, released a statement Thursday questioning elements of the House-passed bill, which in addition to mandating minimum access to polls in every state would take power from state legislators to draw congressional districts.

"Pushing through legislation of this magnitude on a partisan basis may garner short-term benefits, but will inevitably only exacerbate the distrust that millions of Americans harbor against the US government," Manchin said in a statement.

That leaves Democrats focused for now on fighting the Georgia bill and its clones in other states in courts. They'll argue that if American representative democracy is meant to allow all eligible a say in selecting their government, making it more difficult to vote is an assault on that idea.

The question is whether a court system with a large number of Republican-appointed judges will agree -- particularly after the Supreme Court, which ignored Trump's fraud claims, created the environment that led to this crush of more restrictive laws when it ended protections created by the landmark original 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The end of this story is a long way off.
American Rescue Plan Provides Big Savings if You Have Covered California Health Plans

More money for more people equals more and better health insurance coverage for millions of Californians and consumers nationwide  especially vital during this age of COVID-19.

Thats the upshot of President Joe Bidens recently passed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, with health care provisions containing new and expanded financial help to benefit an estimated 3 million Californians, among the 25 million Americans who qualify. The new financial help will greatly reduce monthly health care costs, making health care coverage more affordable and generating savings of hundreds of dollars each month.

Covered California is poised to take a leadership role in ensuring that consumers take full advantage of this unique opportunity that expands the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and reap the benefits of these new health care funds.

The new and expanded financial help provided by the American Rescue Plan is a very big deal for millions of Americans, said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. These new subsidies will help more people get covered, lower health care premium costs and put money back into peoples pockets when they sign up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

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Additionally, Covered California announced that its opening its doors to enroll as many uninsured people as possible into health plans between April and the end of December 2021, because of these American Rescue Plans health care provisions. Major efforts will also launch to recruit consumers who now have expensive health coverage outside of Covered California and havent been able to get financial help in the past.

Answers to some common questions about the new health care provisions in the American Rescue Plan are below.

Who benefits from the American Rescue Plans health care provisions? There are three key categories of Californians who can benefit from the new health care provisions in the American Rescue Plan. They are:

Individuals who are currently uninsured and are eligible for the new financial help through Covered California, with many qualifying for $1 dollar health plans.

Individuals who currently have health coverage directly through an insurer outside of Covered California and are now eligible for financial help for the first time. These consumers may be able to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by switching to the same or similar health coverage through Covered California.

Individuals who are currently insured in Covered California health plans and are now eligible for more financial help.

An estimated 1.2 million currently uninsured Californians can get health coverage that is more affordable than ever before. The American Rescue Plan reduces consumers monthly health coverage costs so that no one will have to pay more than 8.5 percent of their household income on health care premiums.

The deals dont stop there. About 1.4 million consumers who are already enrolled through Covered California will get even more financial assistance. These consumers will see their monthly premiums decrease by an average of $119 per household per month.

Another 430,000 Californians who are insured directly through a health insurance company and are not now getting financial help can see dramatic savings if they switch to Covered California health plans.

Whenwill the new financial help and savings be available? Covered Californiais opening a new special-enrollment period on April 12 that runs through December 31, 2021, and consumers can see savings reflected on their monthly health care bills as soon as May 1 if they enroll by April 30. What do I need to do to get these savings? Existing consumers in California do not need to take any action since Covered California will automatically apply the savings to their accounts. They will see lower health care bills starting in May.

Those who currently dont have health coverage through Covered California can enroll through December 31, 2021 to benefit from this round of new financial help. This includes those consumers who currently are insured through an insurer outside of Covered California and are now eligible to get financial assistance for the first time and switch to more affordable plans.

How long will my health care premium costs stay this low?

The reduced health care premiums under the American Rescue Plan will remain in place for all of 2021 and all of 2022, unless Congress extends or makes these provisions permanent.Q. What are some other benefits of having Covered California health plans?

Covered California health plans cover all COVID-19 vaccinations and testing, as well as any medical treatment necessary due to COVID-19 at no charge or minimal co-payments.

In addition, all Covered California health plans must offer essential benefits under the Affordable Care Act that range from maternity care and hospitalizations to preventive and mental health care. Free preventive health care includes annual checkups with your doctor and screenings for diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.

If you have low household income or no income at all, can you still get health coverage? Yes,you canenroll in quality health plans at no cost or very low cost through Californias Medi-Cal program, if you have lower incomes. Medi-Cal enrollment is year-round. How doyou enroll in Covered California or Medi-Cal? Covered California will launch a new Shop and Compare tool on April 12 onCoveredCA.com that will allow consumers to easily see exactly how they will benefit from the new law. People will be able to see how much new financial help they are eligible for in just a few minutes by entering their ZIP code, household income and the ages of the people in the household.

Those interested in learning more about their health coverage options can also:

Visit www.CoveredCA.com.

Get local help with free and confidential assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.

Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.

Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.
MYRTLE BEACH  Just as spring breakers begin making their way to South Carolina, a QuoteWizard report shows the state is the second riskiest one to visit.

The state leapt from No. 17 in December to No. 2 in March in regard to risk using the same metrics.

"COVID-19-related factors made all the difference," said Nick VinZant, senior research analyst and insurance expert with QuoteWizard.

The study looked at the state's number of dangerous driving incidents, current COVID-19 statistics and number of vulnerable adults. It found that Georgia, South Carolina and California are the riskiest states for spring break travel.

Just The Facts Key Report Findings: South Carolina ranking Seniors with health conditions: 15th Accidents: 4th Speeding: 16th DUI: 48th COVID-19 vaccinations: 13th Hospital capacity: 11th Case rate: 9th Death rate: 22nd

City and chamber officials, however, point to the Myrtle Beach area's COVID cases decreasing, health safety measures in place and traffic control patterns that could be put in place at a moment's notice that make the region a safe place to visit.

"I find the ranking very confusing," said Karen Riordan, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

"If you look at the state numbers and you look at the Governor's statement from (Friday), he would give the state an 'A' if not an 'A+' for how well we did during COVID... I think his point is one that I agree with, which is that every state, every county and every city had a slightly different strategy. No one in the world had ever gone through what we've all gone through the last 12 months."

Notable from the report showed the state ranked fourth overall in vehicle accidents, ninth in COVID-19 case rates and 11th in hospital capacity.

The Grand Strand saw its worst two months of the pandemic during December and January, a change that previewed itself with a rise in cases around Thanksgiving.

In December, health officials, particularly hospitals, struggled with ICU overcrowding, with outlets such as Tidelands Health reaching as high as 120 percent capacity. The area was hit with 4,234 positive COVID-19 cases, or an average of 136.6 per day  a stark departure from 67.2 in November, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

It didnt get any better in January, with 4,848 cases and an average of 161.6 per day.

Prior to this two-month stint, Horry Countys worst month had been July 2020 with 4,402 cases, or an average of 142 per day.

In February 2021, Horry County saw a steep decline in positive cases, with 2,815 reported by DHEC, or an average of 100.5.

Thus far in March, the average is well below 80, with no single day going above the century mark all month.

VinZant said COVID-19 and health-related factors had to play a bigger role this year than it did in the past.

"Each factor of the eight was given the same amount of weight, but when you looked at it, there were more health-related factors than there were dangerous driving factors," he said. "The reason that we did that is because obviously what's been going on in the last year. That plays a major role."

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Horry County's vaccination rate ranks third in the state, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. However, according to the latest CDC data, South Carolina ranks 30th in vaccine distribution in the U.S.

Myrtle Beach, the state's most popular tourism destination, has a mask ordinance through the end of March. On Friday, North Myrtle Beach council voted to end its mask requirement beginning Monday. Horry County Council also does not have a mask mandate in action.

As of the latest statistics Friday, there were 36,521 cases of COVID-19 reported in Horry County and more than 545,000 in the state. Deaths in the county reached 552 and in the state there have been 9,083 deaths.

Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said Myrtle Beach is a very small portion of South Carolina, and even though it is a major destination for visitors, many of the statistics the area sees are based on the area's permanent population rather than factoring in the more than 20 million visitors annually.

"The Grand Strand areas COVID cases are actually down, not to mention the fact that we still have a mask order in place," Bethune said. "Our hotels and restaurants are complying with the order and we have seen that our visitors do as well."

Riordan said there's a notion that the Myrtle Beach area still has college-aged spring breaks, and actually there are more families during spring break. She gave the state "high marks" for improving its COVID numbers. She said QuoteWizard did not reach out to the chamber for data.

"The stats that we've been seeing locally and even statewide don't culminate to the No. 2 most riskiest state in the United States of America by any stretch," she said. "I don't agree with their assessments and I think that most people who are living in Horry County and who are running a business in Horry County would also probably scratch their heads over that ranking.

"To me, it seems very sensationalistic and I don't think that it's based on the facts that are on the ground right now."

Bethune said that more than two months ago, city management and police department devised a public safety plan in anticipation of the area's increased tourism.

"It includes a very flexible traffic management plan that can be implemented at a moment's notice at any time of the day or night, she said. "We work with our business community and our chamber of commerce to help us inform our visitors of our laws and what they can expect while in Myrtle Beach."

Bethune said it is important that visitors "know that we expect them to obey our laws and practice health and safety guidelines."

"Our police use message boards to ensure that our visitors entering the city know what to expect and our officers are prepared to enforce our laws in a professional, fair and firm manner," Bethune added.

Myrtle Beach Police does not keep track of whether drivers who commit offenses are from the area or are tourists.

Plans are in the works to increase hospital bed availability by local health care providers, though the buildings are still a while away from being complete.

The full report can be found here: https://quotewizard.com/news/posts/riskiest-places-to-travel-during-the-holidays.

QuoteWizard is a LendingTree company and one of the nation's leading online insurance marketplaces, according to a release from the company.

Nick Masuda contributed to this report.
Heart failure deaths are persistently higher in rural areas of the United States compared with urban areas, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The research also showed race disparities in heart failure are prevalent in rural and urban areas with greatest increases among Black adults under 65 years old.

Heart failure deaths have been increasing nationally since 2011, but there is significant geographic variation in these patterns based on race.

This work demonstrates a persistent and troubling rural disadvantage with significantly higher rates of death in rural areas compared with urban areas." Dr. Sadiya Khan, lead study author, assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Medicine cardiologist

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE this month.

Possible factors for the disparities are higher levels of adverse social factors (e.g., lower income), risk factors such as obesity and diabetes in rural areas and fewer physicians, specifically cardiologists.

"Research is needed to identify barriers and define best strategies to prevent heart failure and optimize guideline-directed medical therapies, once heart failure develops," Khan said.

This is the first study that:

Focuses on geographic heterogeneity in heart failure mortality rates by rural or urban area

Demonstrates patterns of heart failure mortality are changing unfavorably with increases since 2011 in both rural and urban areas; these increases are greater among younger adults under age 65 years with greatest increases among Black men younger than 65.

The study used national death certificate data from the Centers for Disease Control that capture all deaths that occur in the U.S. Investigators identified cardiovascular deaths related to heart failure that occurred since 2011 and calculated annual age-adjusted mortality rates and trends in rural and urban areas, overall, by age groups and by race and sex.
 Senators Durbin and Lee re-introduce "Smarter Sentencing Act" to reduce federal drug mandatory minimums | Main | Great coverage of recent "second chance" reforms and scholarship at CCRC 

March 27, 2021

"Focusing Presidential Clemency Decision-Making"

The title of this post is the title of this new paper now available via SSRN authored by Paul J. Larkin, Jr. Here is its abstract:

The Article II Pardon Clause grants the President authority to grant clemency to any offender. The clause contains only two limitations. The President cannot excuse someone from responsibility for a state offense, nor can he prevent Congress from impeaching and removing a federal official. Otherwise, the Presidents authority is plenary. The clause authorizes the President to grant clemency as he sees fit, but does not tell him when he should feel that way. As a matter of history, Presidents have generally used their authority for legitimate reasons, such as freeing someone who was wrongfully convicted, who is suffering under an unduly onerous punishment, or who deserves to be forgiven. Nevertheless, neither any President nor the Department of Justice Pardon Attorney, who is ostensibly responsible for managing the governments clemency process, has recommended a rigorous standard for Presidents to use when making clemency decisions. The Pardon Attorney has compiled a list of relevant factors, which is quite useful, but that list does not identify which factors are necessary and sufficient, nor does it assign those factors an ordinal relationship. The result is that a President is left to act like a chancellor in equity by relying on his subjective assessment of the the totality of the circumstances. This Article offers a way to make clemency decisions in a reasonable, orderly manner that would systematize and regularize the Pardon Attorneys recommendation process and Presidential decision-making. Pardons and commutations differ from each other in material ways, and Presidents should analyze them separately. In the case of pardons, Presidents should answer a series of questions  an algorithm, if you will  that would guide them when deciding whether to forgive an offender. In the case of commutations, Presidents should make decisions on a category-by-category basis, rather than try, in effect, to resentence each offender. Together, those approaches would help Presidents make objectively based decisions that are consistent with longstanding rationales for punishment and the purposes of the criminal justice system. The hope is that, in so doing, Presidents will be able act justly as well as to persuade the public that the federal clemency system is open to all, not merely to the Presidents financial or political allies, cronies, supporters, or people he knows. The focused approaches suggested here should help Presidents create the fact and appearance of objectivity in clemency decision-making.

March 27, 2021 at 09:25 AM | Permalink

Comments

Consideration for clemency by category is a reasonable concept. At the same time, clemency needs to be unfettered.

Posted by: beth curtis | Mar 28, 2021 12:18:27 PM

I wish that the President would give clemency to all non violent offenders serving sentences that rapist and murderers don't even get for non violent drug charges. It is so sad that there is so many men and women sitting in prison doing life sentences for non violent conspiracy charges. My boyfriend received a life sentence plus 60 years for non violent drug conspiracy, He went to trial and this was the sentence he was given. He knows he did wrong by selling drugs but he don't deserve to die in prison because of it. He didn't kill anyone. He is a changed man and to be given a second chance is all these thousands of people in prison would give anything for. President Biden please find it in your heart to let these people out of prison and give them a second chance.

Posted by: Tonya R | May 13, 2021 5:22:26 PM

Post a comment
New Delhi, March 27 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday visited the vaccination centres of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run health institutions, to review preparedness for the third phase, beginning from April 1.

Vardhan said: "We must take precautions as the cases are on rise again. We must adhere to the safety protocol like washing hands thoroughly with soap or using sanitizer, wear mask and maintain social distancing." North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash was with Harsh Vardhan during the inspection.

Vardhan visited the Hindu Rao hospital, Poly Clinic, Bara Hindu Rao, Balak Ram Hospital, Kasturba Hospital to inspect the preparedness for third phase of vaccination.

He also interacted with the medical staff on the drive preparedness.

"When we have the facility of vaccination that is too free of cost everyone must get the jab for themselves as well as for others. Vaccine shots will protect us against the coronavirus, and so we should be administered those doses and also encourage others for the same. It is free of cost in every government health institution," Prakash added.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Voting wraps up this weekend for nearly 6,000 Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama over whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The results will likely be released next week.

It must be stated clearly: The campaign to bring the RWDSU in at Amazon arises not from a rank-and-file rebellion of the working class, but from strategic calculations of the ruling class.

In this March 30, 2020 file photo, workers at Amazons fulfillment center in Staten Island gather outside to protest work conditions in the companys New York warehouse [Credit: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File]

The campaign has received unprecedented, favorable attention from the corporate media and from the national political establishment. President Biden intervened directly at the beginning of the month with a video that all but endorsed a yes vote, a first for a sitting president. A train of Democratic Congresspeople, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, have traveled to Bessemer to support the campaign. Even Republican Senator Marco Rubio, the notorious right-wing anticommunist, has thrown in his support, along with favorable reports from right-wing media such as the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.

All of them claim, in one form or another, that the RWDSU will provide Amazon workers with leverage against one of the most powerful and ruthless corporations on the planet.

No doubt, these Amazon workers are looking for a way to fight the company. Conditions at Amazon are intolerable. Workers are subjected to 10 hour shifts with only 30-minute breaks, forced to make rate by sophisticated electronic tracking equipment. These conditions drive workers to injury, when they are often then thrown out of the warehouse and denied workers comp.

But when a capitalist politician claims to support the rights of workers, workers should check their wallets. Behind their claims of support for Amazon workers, ulterior motives are at work, in accordance with a definite class strategy.

What is the situation which the capitalist ruling class faces today? Above all, it is the threat of uncontrollable social opposition by the working class.

For the past year, both parties have pursued policies that have led to the deaths of 550,000 people in the United States, and over 2.7 million worldwide, from the coronavirus pandemic, keeping millions of workers on the job to continue pumping out profit for major corporations. Combined with the trillions of dollars in bailouts for Wall Street, the super-rich are doing better now than ever. US billionaires alone have made more than $1.3 trillion dollars over the past year, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos leading the pack.

They know perfectly well that there will be hell to pay for this reckless and criminal subordination of human lives to profit. Once struggles begin to break out among workers anywhere in the country, they reason, they can rapidly spread into a nationwide and even international struggle of the working class.

Moreover, the capitalists are preparing for war all over the world, including with nuclear-armed Russia and China. The Biden administration is doubling US military spending in the Pacific and ringing mainland China with long-range missiles.

Under these conditions, the ruling class needs a mechanism for disciplining the working class and channeling its anger. They have such mechanisms in the trade unions. This is why Democrats and sections of the Republicans are aggressively intervening in the unionization campaign in Bessemer. The unions are key instruments of class rule, defenders not of workers, but of the capitalist system. They work, not to organize workers against management, but to organize management against the workers.

Generations ago, the unions, while subordinating workers to the Democrats and cracking down on left-wing and socialist workers, still conducted strikes and oversaw a general rise in the standard of living. But the time when this pro-capitalist double-bookkeeping could continue has long since passed, and the unions have been converted into strikebreaking organizations, on the direct payroll of the companies. Since the early 1980s, the unions have imposed one sellout after another, slashing wages, closing workplaces and enforcing unsafe working conditions.

Two years ago, the unions themselves laid out their role explicitly in arguments before the US Supreme Court. Union security is the tradeoff for no strikes, a lawyer for the public employees union said in Janus v AFSCME. Without safeguarding the financial interests of the union bureaucracy, he said, you can raise an untold specter of labor unrest throughout the country. He made these arguments as teachers in West Virginia were rebelling against the unions attempt to shut down their strike with a sellout contract, a stand that triggered a wave of teacher strikes throughout the country.

Over the past 12 months, the unions have thrown their weight behind preventing an untold specter of labor unrest during the coronavirus pandemic. The United Auto Workers, staggered by a wildcat strike in March that shut down production in US auto plants, forced autoworkers back to work in May. The UAW has worked with management to conceal the spread of infections and deaths in the industry. The United Food and Commercial Workers, the parent union of the RWDSU, has worked to keep meatpacking plants open, even as more than 285 meatpacking workers have died. The RWDSU itself has played the same role in meatpacking plants throughout the South.

This year, the Biden administration has relied on Randi Weingarten and the American Federation of Teachers to break the opposition of educators and reopen school districts throughout the country. In Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oakland and other major districts around the country, the unions have enforced reopening agreements, in some cases without even the pretense of a vote by the membership.

The unionization campaign in Bessemer is a top-down operation, an intervention led by the Democrats and the union bureaucracy, not a rank-and-file upswell. Moreover, the unions president, Stuart Appelbaum, is a longstanding conduit between the union bureaucracy and the Pentagon, who has traveled the world in the interests of the US war machine.

The RWDSU has not even raised any demands in relation to wages or working conditions in the plant. In an attempt to cover this up, and to bolster its apparently flagging appeal among younger black workers, it has brought in Black Lives Matter and associated groups to drape the campaign in racial colors, presenting it as a continuation of the Civil Rights movement.

The reality is that the unions, far from fighting for the principle of equality of all races and nationalities, work to inject poisonous nationalism and divide workers from different countries, as well as immigrants and native-born, against each other. This America First nationalism, which the unions embraced long before the election of Donald Trump, serves only to break the unity of the working class, forcing workers to accept cuts in the name of their capitalists supposed right to earn a profit.

In the United States, Amazon has bitterly opposed attempts to unionize its warehouses. But in Europe, its facilities are mostly unionized, and the unions have worked hand-in-glove with the company there to enforce conditions that are little better than in the United States, while keeping them on the job during the pandemic or calling, at most, token strikes to allow workers to blow off steam.

If workers vote to certify the RWDSU in Bessemer, it will work to ensnare the initiative of workers in a web of federal labor laws that are designed to prevent workers from conducting a struggle. If the company attempts to challenge the outcome of the vote, the RWDSU will leave the issue up to the courts, while demanding that workers remain on the job. And it will aim to sanction, without any meaningful change, the same conditions that exist now at Amazon, only lending them the imprimatur of having been agreed to by the workers legally-sanctioned representative.

Workers need organization. They cannot face a giant corporation like Amazon alone, without coordinating their struggles with the rest of the companys global 1.3 million-person workforce, and with workers in other industries. But this cannot be accomplished by bringing in an organization that is hostile to their most basic interests.

Whatever the outcome of the vote, a new orientation is needed. Where the unions promote corporatism and class collaboration, workers need an anti-capitalist perspective. Where the unions promote national chauvinism, working class internationalism is needed. Where the union proceeds from what management is willing to part with, workers must proceed from what they urgently require.

The organizational embodiment of this perspective is the rank-and-file committee. With the assistance of the WSWS and the Socialist Equality Party, workers are building a rapidly growing network of such committees among teachers, autoworkers, health care workers and Amazon workers.

These committees have played the leading role in mobilizing opposition to the betrayals of the unions. In Detroit, when the UAW forced workers back into the plants last year, safety committees were formed to expose unsafe conditions and pierce the management-union cover-up of infections. In school districts throughout the country, rank-and-file safety committees are leading the opposition to the reopening of schools, which has been sanctioned by the teachers unions.

The fight to establish and build rank-and-file committees must be developed and expanded. This must be combined with a new political strategy to mobilize the working class in the US and internationally in the fight for socialist policies, including the expropriation of pandemic profiteers like Amazon owner Jeff Bezos and the transformation of Amazon and other logistics companies into public utilities, democratically controlled and collectively owned by the working class.

Join this fight today! Contact the WSWS International Amazon Workers Voice for more information.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) at an unspecified location near the Rio Grande River in Texas, on March 26, 2021. (Courtesy of Sen. Ted Cruz)

GOP Senators Tour Border Area, Release Graphic Images of Children in Cages

A group of Republican senators on March 26 visited the Rio Grande Valleythe busiest corridor for illegal crossingsand toured a holding facility, releasing graphic images of children packed into what Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called cages.

Cruz, who along with 18 of his Senate colleagues took part in a congressional delegation that toured the border area, shared a video from a facility in Donna, Texas. It showed children who had made their way into the United States illegally, packed inside a holding facility.

The Texas Republican described the scene as footage of the Biden Cages and blamed President Joe Biden for the increasing number of illegal immigrants coming into the country.

Footage of the Biden Cages inside the Donna, Texas DHS facility where kids are packed inside. What the Biden administration is doing is inhumane and unconscionable. But worst of all, it was preventable. pic.twitter.com/Z1vf3hLyTR  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 26, 2021

This is inhumane, it is wrong, and it is the direct consequence of policy decisions by the Biden administration to stop building the wall, to return to catch-and-release, and to end the stay-in-Mexico policy, Cruz said at a press conference.

At the presser, Cruz said that the Biden administration hasnt allowed media inside the Donna facility.

We requested that media accompany us in the facility. The Biden administration said no, Cruz said.

He later shared a series of graphic images from Donna, writing on Twitter that these are the pictures the Biden administration doesnt want the American people to see.

These are the pictures the Biden administration doesnt want the American people to see. This is why they wont allow the press. This is the CBP facility in Donna, Texas. This is a humanitarian and a public health crisis. pic.twitter.com/UlibmvAeGN  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 26, 2021

The Biden administration has sought to control media depictions of how people in U.S. custody are being treated, and how that compares to what was done in the Trump years. News organizations say they have repeatedly sought access to holding facilities and been blocked.

Biden has pointed to the need to establish safeguards for COVID-19 transmission and protecting the privacy of children as they work to set up their system for processing immigrants.

I will commit to transparency as soon as I am in the position to implement what we are doing, the president said at a news conference on March 25. When pressed on how long it would take for that to happen, Biden said he didnt know, but that youll have full access to everything once we get this thing moving.

Biden also pushed back against claims that his policies are responsible for the border surge, which has seen over 100,000 encounters between illegal immigrants and border agents in February, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics. This is the highest number since a May 2019 spike of just over 144,000 illegal crossings.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), one of the senators who were part of the 19-strong congressional delegation visiting the border area, shared photos and footage of illegal immigrants being housed under a bridge, saying that the situation is even worse than he expected.

Sadly its worse than imagined, to the point where CBP has been forced to house migrants under a bridge, he wrote in a tweet.

Sadly its worse than imagined, to the point where @CBP has been forced to house migrants under a bridge. https://t.co/vkr86cB20e pic.twitter.com/56tfVF44Pe  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

Biden, at the March 25 press conference, sought to portray the border surge as a seasonal spike and not, as critics have said, a result of decisions such as halting construction of border wall projects started under former President Donald Trump, or his support for immigration reform that would, if it clears the divided Senate, give a pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States illegally.

It happens every year, Biden said of the surge in illegal border crossings. Does anybody suggest that there was a 31 percent increase under Trump because he was a nice guy and he was doing good things at the border? Thats not the reason theyre coming.

Its because of earthquakes, floods. Its because of lack of food. Its because of gang violence. Its because of a whole range of things.

A reporter at the press conference asked Biden about the children detained at the facility in Donna, saying its at over 1,500 percent capacity, filled mostly with unaccompanied minors.

There are kids that are sleeping on floors. They are packed into these pods. Ive spoken to lawyers who say that theysome of these children have not seen the sun in days, the reporter asked. What is your reaction to these images that have come out from that particular facility?

That is totally unacceptable, Biden said, adding that there are plans to be moving a thousand of those kids out quickly.

Tillis, in a separate tweet, shared a photo of young children housed inside the Donna facility, adding the caption Here are babies handed over by smugglers. Babies.

Here are babies handed over by smugglers. Babies. pic.twitter.com/bECBwBvwvd  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

Biden said that his administration is continuing to quickly expel most adults and families under a public health order imposed at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The difference is that the government is allowing teens and children, at least temporarily, to stay in the country.

The situation along the U.S.Mexico border has become an early challenge for the administration, drawing more questions than any other subject at the press conference.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The body of a missing Irish woman has been recovered from a lake in New Hampshire, USA.

State police in the area confirmed that Sinead Lyons' body was found in Ossipee Lake on Friday, two weeks after she went missing.

In a statement, the police said the 41-year-old had been discovered by New Hampshire Fish and Game officers at around 2pm during a coordinated search of the lake near in the town of Ossipee, New Hampshire.

Ms Lyons had last been seen walking her dog, a German Shepherd named Flossie on or around March 11.

The next day her white Volvo station wagon was discovered parked in the Ossipee Lake area.

Its understood she had travelled to pick her dog up from a friend before going for a walk.

Sinead's sister, Sandra, had been posting regular updates on the search and had appealed for any information regarding the whereabouts of her older sister.

The police thanked the public for "providing information leading to her discovery and to our partners in public safety who assisted in several coordinated searches."

Capt. Michael Eastman of the state police said that they believe what they have believed all along in terms of what happened to Ms Lyons, that she was walking along the edge of a "pressure ridge" and fell through the ice where a major river comes into the lake.

A pressure ridge is an ice hazard where ice shelves meet and overlap and fold. They account for a significant portion of mortality of people walking and driving on ice.

He added: "I would say that's probably where she went into the water. It's more than likely she's been down there for the entirety of this investigation."

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On Friday night Sandra Lyons took to social media in tribute to her sister.

She posted: Its with a heavy heart that I write this, my beautiful big sister has been found along with Flossie. They have both sadly passed away and are shining down on us all from the nights sky.

"My family and I are so touched by the kindness, generosity and love that we have been shown. We would like to thank each of you for this.

"We would like to thank the officers of New Hampshire State Police and for those that worked along side them to find my big sis.

"Sinead I love you, your light will never be dimmed, your laughter and joy will never be forgotten.

"Love you, your little sis, Sandra.

In an earlier appeal on social media to help find her missing sister, Sandra had said her "beautiful big sister Sinead and her dog Flossie are still missing.

"There have been no confirmed sightings of either my sister or Flossie.

"Please help find them, I would like to thank everyone for sharing my posts please keep doing so. Our family have been amazed by the kindness that we have been shown by everyone. Together we will find them!"

Local news reports said the day after the missing woman's car was found, authorities kicked off a multi-agency search that included land, water, and air.

Crews canvassed the area by foot, with drones and a helicopter.

State Police Lt James Fogarty said the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department put its airboat on the ice and explored open-water areas of the lake.

A remote vehicle was also used to check under the ice, according to WMUR-9News.

Fogarty said he had evidence to believe Lyons had been in the Ossipee area and may have gone on a hiking trip with her dog, and from the start of the search he said there was no reason to suspect foul play.
Well never solve our challenges on the U.S.-Mexico border until we reach a shared understanding of whats actually happening.

Consider this misleading November 2018 tweet from then-President Donald Trump about the influx of migrants crossing the border at that time.

Catch and Release is an obsolete term. It is now Catch and Detain. Illegal immigrants trying to come into the U.S.A., often proudly flying the flag of their nation as they ask for U.S. asylum, will be detained or turned away.

As Trump pointed out, those migrants, most of them coming from Central Americas Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador  were seeking asylum.

There was no catch involved.

The migrants were not trying to sneak into the country. They were openly coming to the border and turning themselves in to authorities.

There also was nothing illegal about what they were doing. They were utilizing a legal process to gain entry into this country.

Unfortunately, willful ignorance has permeated much of our immigration debate, taking a complex problem with no easy solutions and reducing it to a set of archaic buzzwords that dont apply to our current circumstances.

Two months into Joe Bidens presidency, he faces a migrant influx, resulting in overcrowded detention facilities and an overwhelmed migrant processing system.

Biden calls it a predictable seasonal increase in migrant arrivals and its true that border apprehensions tend to go up in winter months.

Also, any suggestion that were seeing an unprecedented spike in migrant arrivals is false.

In February, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 96,974 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. In May 2019, under Trump, there were 132,856 border apprehensions.

Republican elected officials, eager to pin a failure on Biden, claim his policies invited the recent influx.

In a March 22 tweet, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Biden has emphasized the humane treatment of immigrants. Cornyn meant it as an insult, contrasting it with former Democratic President Bill Clintons insistence on shutting down illegal immigration.

Of course, whats happening now, by and large, is not illegal activity. Its the overloading of a legal process by Central Americans desperately trying to escape gang violence, political repression and climate-induced deprivation.

But GOP leaders insist on pretending that this is 2001 and not 2021, that the old paradigm  individual job-seeking Mexican men being smuggled across the border  is still the dominant one.

Its an easier narrative to spin than the current reality: Central American families and unaccompanied minors turning themselves in to the Border Patrol and applying for asylum.

In 2011, 86 percent of border apprehensions were Mexican nationals. By 2019, 81 percent of all apprehensions involved people from Northern Triangle countries.

During a border visit to the Rio Grande Valley on Friday, freshman U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, said, (Trump) got elected because he said he was going to fix it (the border). And he was trying to fix it. And he was unelected. Now weve had a guy come in thats changed it all.

Thats the standard GOP message. Truth be told, however, Biden has not yet done all that much to change Trumps border policies.

He has continued Trumps use of Title 42, a federal public-health law, which the former president employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to expel Central American asylum seekers.

Bidens only stated exception on the use of Title 42 is for unaccompanied children.

Biden also has allowed asylum seekers forced to endlessly camp out in Mexican border towns under Trump to gradually cross the border and have their cases processed in the U.S.

Regardless of which party is in power, however, U.S. policy on asylum seekers has long been based on the concept of deterrence.

In 1989, during the first year of George H.W. Bushs presidency, the head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service unveiled a plan to send a message to Central Americans making frivolous asylum claims by imprisoning them at the border if their request was not deemed valid.

During a major influx of Central American kids in 2014, then-President Barack Obama deported a planeload of migrant women and children to Honduras.

Josh Earnest, Obamas White House spokesman, said this about Central American refugees: Theyre entitled to due process, but they will not be welcome to this country with open arms.

Of course, Trump took deterrence to extremes, separating migrant children from their parents and deliberately restricting the number of individuals processed each day at ports of entry.

Contrary to what Republican leaders are saying, Biden hasnt opened the border. He has simply tried to find a balance between deterrence and compassion. Its not an easy balance to strike.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
ANN ARBOR, MI  The life sciences building at the University of Michigan will now be known as Mary Sue Coleman Hall, honoring one of the universitys former presidents.

The UM Board of Regents unanimously voted on Thursday, March 25 to rename the building in honor of Coleman, who served as the universitys president for 12 years before retiring in 2014. Its the first academic building on the Ann Arbor campus to be named for a woman.

To me, this richly deserved naming of Mary Sue Coleman Hall is a reflection of all she has done to enhance (UM) and heighten the impact of higher education on our society, UM President Mark Schlissel said.

Coleman was the first woman to serve as president of UM, according to a university news release. During her tenure, she was named one of Time Magazines 10 best college presidents, the release states.

At UM, Coleman hired the first director and 25 faculty for the Life Sciences program, according to the release. Coleman led the 2009 acquisition of the North Campus Research Complex from Pfizer, and the complex now houses more than 3,500 people, the release states.

Coleman was also a founding president of the University Research Corridor, a collaboration between UM, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.

I am deeply honored and touched by this action from Schlissel, Chair Denise Ilitch and the entire Board of Regents. For me, helping to build the Life Sciences Institute into the research powerhouse it is today was the opportunity of a lifetime, Coleman said.

READ MORE:

Student advocacy driving force behind University of Michigan discontinuing fossil fuel investments

University of Michigan grads can experience virtual commencement ceremony at Big House

Future civil rights attorneys gaining experience through University of Michigan initiative
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Presidential spokesman Harry Roque assured financial assistance for workers who will be affected by the one week implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the NCR Plus bubble.

In a briefing Saturday, Roque said the government is now finalizing the source of funds and the guidelines for the distribution of cash aid.

"Sa Lunes po, nag-commit po ang economic team na unang-una malalaman na kung saan kukunin ang assistance, kung magkano ang assistance, at kung ano iyong pamamaraan para madistribute ito," Roque explained.

[Translation: The economic team committed that they will first announce on Monday where to source the assistance, how much will this be, and how this will be distributed.]

The Palace announced that Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizalalso known as the NCR Pluswill be placed under the strictest community quarantine as COVID-19 infections continue to spike. This means movement will be limited and only selected industries will be allowed to operate.

During the same period last year, many areas were also placed under lockdown after the country reported its first coronavirus case. Many had no choice but to remain in their homes with no means to earn.

The government then distributed financial assistance through various forms of programs like the Labor Department's Tulong Paghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced workers program that gave beneficiaries 5,000 each.

Local chief executives are now saying more should benefit from the assistance, but this could mean lower amounts for each beneficiary, Roque said.

Latest data from the Department of Health showed total COVID-19 cases in the country have breached 712,000, with a new all-time high for the number of active cases at 118,122. Some 581,000 patients have recovered, and around 13,000 have died.
If Dolly Parton were an ice cream, what flavor would she be?

Now we know. The country star has teamed with Jenis, an artisan ice cream company based in Ohio, for a limited-edition flavor in her honor: Strawberry Pretzel Pie.

Dolly Parton is the person we all want to be when we grow up: An unstoppable force for good with the power to bring people together, the Jenis website says. Strawberry Pretzel Pie is our ode to the Queen of Country and a throwback to the triple decker pie from the potlucks of our youths. Layers of salty pretzel streusel, subtly sweet and effortlessly tangy cream cheese ice cream, and lipstick red strawberry sauce.

Itll be available online and at Jenis scoop shops around the country -- including one in Birmingham at Pepper Place -- starting April 8. The flavor will be sold in scoops and pints, with a limit of two pints per purchase. Online sales start at 11 a.m. CT that day.

Proceeds from sales will benefit Partons Imagination Library program, which provides free books to kids age 5 and younger.

This is a limited flavor -- we made one run, about 10k pints -- and based on our recent releases, we expect it to SELL VERY FAST, the Jenis website says. To give everybody an equal shot of getting it, most of the pints will be available online for nationwide shipping. The remainder will be split across our shops. If you prefer to buy the flavor from your neighborhood shop, we recommend getting there early (like before open) on release day. Otherwise, your best bet will be to buy it online at noon the day it drops. We cant guarantee availability (or reserve pints), so please plan accordingly!

Jenis ice cream costs $12 per pint, according to the website. Shipping to Alabama is $13 via FedEx, the site says.

The company -- officially known as Jenis Splendid Ice Creams -- has teamed with other celebrities for flavors in the past, including Tyler the Creator (Pluto Bleu) and President Joe Biden (White House Chocolate Chip).

Other Jenis flavors include Skillet Cinnamon Roll, Sweet Cream Biscuits & Peach Jam, Lemon Bar, Texas Sheet Cake, Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
An incident which led to an oil spillage in the Owenvarragh River is being investigated by gardai.

On Wednesday evening, March 10, Jeshua Taucher and Melanie Croce received a tip-off about the spillage from friends who had been walking through Courtown Woods.

Having alerted the relevant authorities, Jeshua and Melanie subsequently tried to locate the source of the spillage and narrowed it down a 500m area near Ballycanew. They then updated the authorities with the coordinates.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District, Gerry Forde of Wexford County Council said: 'Gardai are investigating the water pollution matter. Our teams were there on Friday and Saturday doing a clean-up operation.

'It does appear to have occurred through people trying to steal a certain amount of oil. At this stage we don't think there was much damage. We will have a full report at the next meeting,' said Mr Forde.

Meanwhile, Jeshua confirmed that, following the incident, he and Melanie have decided to set up a committee to safeguard the Owenvarragh River.

'There's always an opportunity to learn from situations like this and build a better response in case it happens again,' he said. 'If it does happen again somebody needs to be prosecuted or the landowner needs to make a claim.

'We're going to set up a Clear Waters Committee, we've already got 10 people on board, there's no community body or trust in place for the whole of the Owenvarragh despite it being the second biggest river in Wexford.'

And Jeshua said the response to this incident had been heartening for all involved.

'What this incident proves is how deeply the community cares about the health of the river, we had a huge response from the public and the local representatives.

'There's not enough protections in place for the river, we should be looking at ways to increase the pride we feel in the river and enhance its eco-systems. It's no good pointing the finger and blaming one another, we need to take action.'
But Id say probably the funniest thing is just communication. When you live in a place where English is the second or third language, you tend to be very efficient in the way that you speak. But when you come home to Australia, that actually sounds quite rude. I was in a [Melbourne] taxi and I just said, turn left. Normally, I would ask, can you please take the next left? In Hong Kong, honestly, that would confuse a lot of people. David Jenkins with wife Fay and their daughter Amelia in a Richmond park. Credit:Simon Schluter Mr Jenkins is among the 16 per cent of returned Australians now working remotely for their overseas employer, according to an Advance.org survey. His wife, Fay, an architect, is among the 15 per cent planning to build their own business.

They returned because of the mounting civil unrest between pro-China and pro-democracy forces in Hong Kong rather than COVID-19. Melbourne, they decided, offered a more stable childhood for their three-year-old daughter, Amelia. Also the natural environment: The parks, the fact that she can run around and chase insects and things. She loves that, Mr Jenkins says. Every time I see her doing that, I think we made the right decision. They are in the 37 per cent who plan to stay in Australia permanently. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Advance.orgs focus groups with returned expats have turned up recurring themes about a changing Australia.

One of them is an Americanisation of politics and culture, chief executive Johanna Pitman says. Other people, particularly those returning from Asian countries, have suggested Australia has become more insular and inward-looking. Loading Ms Frances King, who spent a total of eight years in the United States, says: I actually feel that Australia is realising the vision of its own potential, and people are proud of that. After spending so much time on our own shores, appreciating our own country and pouring talents into our local industries over the last year, we are prouder than ever to call Australia home. She is among those working remotely for their overseas employer, rising with the early-morning cockatoos to catch her teams afternoons  unthinkable little more than a year ago in an industry coalesced around a few Manhattan blocks and steeped in a culture of face-to-face lunches and meetings.

In the evenings and weekends, she joins old friends, who in post-lockdown Melbourne, she has noticed, are more inclined to spend time in their immediate neighbourhood than in familiar haunts elsewhere in the city. At the same time, I feel that everyone is down for doing something different: lets go for a hike, or lets see what comedy show is on tonight, Ms Frances King says. I feel people want hyper-local but also to explore scenes in Melbourne they realised they didnt spend enough time at until it was all taken away from them. She is in the 35 per cent of survey respondents who intend to return abroad when COVID-19 is under control, although she concedes it may end up as a two-month farewell tour with friends. Until then, Ms Frances King plans to squeeze everything from her home city.

The thing that gets me is the space here, she says. In New York, all you can see is buildings on the horizon. What I feel is special about Melbourne is that big sky and those sunsets and sunrises we get that are absolutely spectacular. Her parents in St Kilda even have a backyard. Loading Recruiters and experts interviewed by The Sunday Age say the influx of talented Australians has not offset the number of skilled workers who have either returned to their own countries or been prevented from arriving. But this means opportunities. I think the recovery is taking everyone by surprise, in the white-collar area in particular, says Suzie McInerney, chief executive of Six Degrees Executive. In some cases, there are shallow pools anyway so definitely the war for talent is really hot at the moment.

Ms Pitman, from Advance.org, says while previous studies have revealed a reluctance from some companies to take on returned Australians  one reason being a perceived lack of local networks  it is now a really important time to snap up all this talent. Employer surveys from recruitment company Robert Half suggest 70 per cent of Australian businesses were willing to increase their initial salary offering to secure new candidates. A further 70 per cent said they were planning to increase salaries for existing staff in the next year. It is this, Australias promising job market, that became the final lever for London-based lawyers Andrew Jiang and Jess Welk to call time on a bleak and isolated northern hemisphere winter. Jess Welk and Andrew Jiang have moved home to Melbourne permanently because of the COVID-19 crisis in the United Kingdom. Credit:Scott McNaughton

Mr Jiangs secondment by his Australian firm was secure, but spiralling COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom closed Ms Welks chances of ongoing contracts in her specialisation of property law. Loading She was putting her feelers out in Australia for jobs and the feedback she was getting was a lot more positive than in London, Mr Jiang says. This was about mid-December. At that time, we thought its time to move back to Australia. Ms Welk is among the 36 per cent of returned Australians who, according to the Advance.org survey, are working in a new job.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during much of the Trump administration, said in an interview aired Friday that he believes COVID-19 likely originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, but he did not provide evidence to support the theory.

Redfields personal opinion is not in line with the prevailing scientific premise that the virus emerged either through animal-to-human transmission or shipment of frozen food products.

I still think the most likely etiology of this pathology in Wuhan was from a laboratory, Redfield told CNN. Other people dont believe that. Thats fine.

He said he didnt think there was an intentional effort to leak the virus and that he believes COVID began to spread by September or October of 2019. When the menacing illness first came to the attention of the U.S. public in January 2020, it was thought to have emerged the previous month.

A team compiled by the World Health Organization visited the central Chinese metropolis of Wuhan and is preparing a report on the viruss potential source. The group has already said it does not consider a lab leak to be the most likely origin.

That compilation of the report has been controversial, and China has faced accusations of a lack of transparency with international investigators.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology is located within 10 miles of the wet market believed by some to have played a role in sparking the pandemic, which has killed more than 2.7 million people around the world.

Redfield told CNN he was expressing only opinion as he cast doubt on the notion that one of the most infectious viruses that we know in humanity went from a bat to a human.

Science will eventually figure it out, he said.

___

2021 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Queensland health authorities are scrambling to find the mystery source of a new case of the deadly UK strain of coronavirus which has been found in Brisbane.

A 26-year-old landscaper from Stafford in the city's north tested positive to Covid on Thursday night, sparking exposure alerts for venues including a busy Westfield shopping centre.

With the man having no link to hotel quarantine, officials are baffled as to how the landscaper caught the B117 variant - better known as the UK strain.

It is understood the infection is somehow linked to the doctor in hotel quarantine who caught the same variant on March 12, but the pair are not known to each other - forcing contact tracers to scramble to find a link.

On Saturday, another new case was found - a close contact of the 26-year-old man, but from a different household.

Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop at Westfield shopping centre, Carindale, Brisbane, is one of the new Covid hotspots from 12 noon to 2.16pm on March 20

Genomic sequencing has linked the case to the Princess Alexandra hospital cluster which was discovered earlier this month but officials do not know how the landscaper contracted the virus.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday he is confident in Queensland's 'strong' contact tracing system.

Some other Australian states have responded to the case of highly contagious strain by reintroducing travel restrictions.

New South Wales has shut its border to anyone who has been to the exposure sites listed by Queensland Health and if already in the state they are required to get tested and self-isolate.

Tasmania has also closed their border to anyone who has been to the listed exposure sites within 14 days of wanting to travel to the state.

Victoria has designated the Brisbane and Moreton regions as an 'orange zone' requiring those wanting to travel to get a permit and a Covid test.

In Western Australia, anyone who has arrived from Queensland since March 20 or who has been to the hotspot locations in the last 14 days must self-isolate and get tested.

Before his positive test the man visited venues across Brisbane over a number of days since last Friday.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday repeated urgent calls for anyone who was in any part of Westfield Carindale shopping centre from 12 noon to 2.16pm on Saturday, March 20, to immediately isolate and get tested.

Kmart in Carindale Westfield, Brisbane, has been added to the list of hotspots as WA imposes new restrictions of immediate quarantine for any traveller exposed during the alert times

Also anyone who went to Mamma's Italian Restaurant, Redcliffe, on March 21 from 12.40pm to 3.10pm should immediately quarantine for 14 days and get tested.

Hotspots added to the alert list on Friday evening include Shinobi Ramen Noodle Shop and Kmart at Westfield Shopping Centre Carindale on Saturday March 20 from 12 noon to 2.16pm

While at Westfield Carindale the man also visited Fresh Sensations, Harris Scarfe and Robins Kitchen and Go Vita.

KFC's drive-thru at Everton Park has also been added to the list of low-risk venues for anybody there on Monday March 22 for the five minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm.

The Queensland outbreak has prompted Western Australia to hand down a snap quarantine rules for potentially exposed travellers to isolate and get tested.

The KFC drive-thru at Everton Park, Brisbane has been put on the hotspot list for only 5 minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm on March 22

The restrictions apply to anyone in Queensland since March 20 who was at the designated hotspots during the alert times.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said anyone entering WA from Friday who had been at the hotspots would need to quarantine.

The infected man - who has no connection to Queensland's hotel quarantine program and has not been overseas - has been taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital for treatment.

Queensland Health said the latest locally acquired Covid case is linked to the previous cluster announced on March 12.

On Friday afternoon, Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young said it was likely there was an unidentified intermediary who had passed the virus on to the man.

'We will know more in the next 24 hours, but in the meantime, those identified as visiting the locations in today's Public Health Alert should immediately get tested and isolate until you receive your results,' she said.

Dr Young said the Public Health Unit will reach out to close contacts, who will be required to quarantine.

'The detail from the genomic testing is getting faster and better  we know that the gentleman who tested positive on late Thursday night was highly contagious,' she said.

'We therefore cannot afford to be complacent  if you have any Covid symptoms at all, please come forward and get tested.'

The infection prompted Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to close aged care facilities, hospitals and prisons to visitors in the Brisbane City and Moreton Bay council areas from 12pm on Friday.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has closed aged care centres, hospitals and prisons to visitors in Brisbane following a case of coronavirus outside hotel quarantine (pictured, testing in February)

Crowds on an escalator at Carindale Shopping Centre in Brisbane - one of the venues in the city listed as potential exposure sites to Covid-19

Queensland venues on alert Anyone who has been to the following venues must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days: Saturday 20 March Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop, Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre Carindale 12pm-2.16pm Saturday 20 March Black Hops Brewery East Brisbane 12pm-2pm Sunday 21 March Mammas Italian Restaurant 69 Redcliffe Parade Redcliffe 12.30pm-3.10pm Saturday 20 March Green Beacon brewing Co. Teneriffe 2pm-3.12pm Saturday 20 March Eatons Hill Hotel Eatons Hill 3.44pm-5.30pm Monday 22 March PCYC Pine Rivers Bray Park 7.16am-8.10am Monday 22 March KCF Training (gym) New Birtinya 9.15am 11.30am Monday 22 March Plus Fitness New Minyama 2.30pm 3.30pm Tuesday 23 March Plus Fitness New Minyama 7.30am 8.30am Tuesday 23 March Hamilton Hotel - Sports bar New Hamilton 2.20pm 4.45pm Tuesday 23 March Hamilton Hotel - Pokies room New Hamilton 4.45pm 5.23pm Friday March 26 FitStop Gym, 6/338 Lytton Rd, Morningside 6.50am-8am Friday 26 March Spinnaker Park Cafe 222 Alf ORourke Drive New Callemondah 10.22am-11.23am Friday 26 March Auckland House 60 Flinders Parade New Gladstone Central 7.23pm-9.30pm Saturday 27 March Auckland House 60 Flinders Parade New Gladstone Central 7.33am-8.20am Saturday 27 March Savour Cafe, Merthyr Village Shopping Centre New Farm 10.30am 12.10pm Monday 29 March Premium Pilates & Fitness Coorparoo 9.25am 10.30am Get tested immediately and quarantine until you get a negative result: Tuesday 16 March Body Plus Physio New Caboolture 08.30am 08.50am Tuesday 16 March Nextra Toowong Village New Toowong 9:30am 10:00am Tuesday 16 March Silky Oakes New Strathpine 12pm 12.05pm Tuesday 16 March Price Line Pharmacy New Albany Creek 12.30pm 12.40pm Tuesday 16 March Grilld New Eatons Hill 1pm 1.30pm Tuesday 16 March Meat at Billys New Ashgrove 2:30pm 2:45pm Wednesday 17 March Tafe New Southbank 8am 4.30pm Wednesday 17 March Woolworths Everton Park New Everton Park 1.39pm 2.13pm Thursday 18 March Plus Fitness New Everton Park 8.00am 9.30am Thursday 18 March Milton Fruit Bowl New Milton 9:00am 9:20am Thursday 18 March World Gym New North Lakes 9.15am 9.45am Thursday 18 March Basil and Vine New Burpengary 10am 10.15am Thursday 18 March Giant Chemist Pacific Fair Shopping Centre New Broadbeach 1.45pm 2pm Thursday 18 March Electric Chair Barber Shop New Everton Park 3.15pm 4.14pm Thursday 18 March Studio Pilates New Grange 4.30pm 5.15pm Friday 19 March Lawnton Country Markets Bakery New Lawnton 6.11am 6.26am Friday 19 March Plus Fitness New Everton Park 7.30am 9am Friday 19 March Woolworths New Paddington 10am 10:15am Friday 19 March Bakers Delight New Paddington 10:15am 10:30am Friday 19 March Westfield New North Lakes 11.20am 11.50am Friday 19 March Little Red Dumpling Carseldine 12.10pm 1.16pm Friday 19 March Studio Pilates New Grange 12.15pm 1pm Friday 19 March Woolworths Carseldine 1.10pm 1.20pm Friday 19 March TBs Wine and Beer New Rosalie 2:30pm 2:45pm Friday 19 March Newstead Brewing Co. New Newstead 3.54pm 5.29pm Friday 19 March Aldi Bald Hills 5.10pm 5.18pm Friday 19 March Super Cheap Auto Bald Hills 5.30pm 5.33pm Friday 19 March Reef Seafood & Sushi Brisbane New Newstead 5.37pm 6.35pm Friday 19 March The Standard Market Company, Gasworks Plaza 76 Skyring Tce New Newstead 6.35pm 6.45pm Friday 19 March Public Toilet, Gasworks Plaza (located to the right of the escalator from the car park) New Newstead 6.46pm 6.47pm Saturday 20 March Plus Fitness 24/7 Gym Everton Park New Everton Park 7.40am 8.34am Saturday 20 March Coles Everton Park Everton Plaza Shopping Centre New Everton Park 8.39am 8.44am Saturday 20 March Neighbourhood Market Co. New Everton Park 8.45am 8.55am Saturday 20 March Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre - any part of the shopping centre Carindale 12pm 2.16pm Saturday 20 March Black Hops Brewery East Brisbane 2pm 3pm Saturday 20 March The Bavarian Eagle Street Pier New Brisbane City 2.15pm 4pm Saturday 20 March Market Organics (store only) 190 Enoggera Road Newmarket 2.45pm 3pm Saturday 20 March Riverland Brisbane New Brisbane City 4.10pm 6.32pm Saturday 20 March Viscosity New Fortitude Valley 6.42pm 7.31pm Saturday 20 March XCargo New Fortitude Valley 7.35pm 9.32pm Saturday 20 March Baskins-Robbins 2/489 South Pine Road Everton Park 9.20pm 9.25pm Sunday 21 March The Standard Market Company, Gasworks Plaza 76 Skyring Tce Newstead 9.50am 10.20am Sunday 21 March Presents of Mind New Paddington 10:15am 10:30am Sunday 21 March Genki Mart 3/24 South Pine Road Alderley 10.30am 10.46am Sunday 21 March Subway Strathpine Plaza Shopping Centre Strathpine 12.50pm 1pm Sunday 21 March Burrito Bar Everton Park New Everton Park 3.24pm 3.33pm Sunday 21 March Liquorland, Dolphins Central Shopping Centre Ashmole Road and Klingner Road Kippa-Ring 4 .40pm 4.50pm Monday 22 March Bunnings Rothwell Cnr Anzac Avenue and Bremner Road Rothwell 7 .14am 7.27am Monday 22 March Cafe Lavenue Carseldine 8.51am 8.58am Monday 22 March Ashgrove Fresh Fruit Shop New Ashgrove 9:20am 9:30am Monday 22 March Zambrero Aspley 12.05pm 12.34pm Monday 22 March Jacobs Bakery Aspley 12.40pm 12.48pm Monday 22 March Bunnings Stafford 450 Stafford Road Stafford 12.40pm 12.50pm Monday 22 March Bunnings Lawnton 3.15pm 3.30pm Monday 22 March Strathpine Plaza Shopping Centre Strathpine 3.43pm 3.49pm Monday 22 March Woolworths Mountain Creek New Mountain Creek 4.15pm 4.40pm Tuesday 23 March Redcliffe Train Line  Kippa-Ring to Lawnton Kippa Ring to Lawnton 7.00am 8.00am Tuesday 23 March Cafe Lavenue Carseldine 8am 8.29am Tuesday 23 March Woolworths New Paddington 9:10am 9:25am Tuesday 23 March Westfield (Dymocks and Woolworths) New North Lakes 11am 12pm Tuesday 23 March Nutrition Warehouse New Maroochydore 11.15am 11.30am Tuesday 23 March Brightwater Medical Centre at Brightwater Shopping Centre New Mountain Creek 12pm 12.45pm Tuesday 23 March Sushi Train Carseldine 12pm 12.45pm Tuesday 23 March Zambrero Lawnton 12.51pm 12.55pm Tuesday 23 March QML Pathology at Brightwater Shopping Centre New Mountain Creek 1pm 1.15pm Tuesday 23 March Lawnton Fruit Market Lawnton 1.57pm 2.05pm Tuesday 23 March Redcliffe Train Line  Lawnton to Kippa-Ring Lawnton to Kippa Ring 2.00pm 3.00pm Tuesday 23 March Rosalie Gourmet Market Deli New Rosalie 2:30pm 2:45pm Tuesday 23 March Poolwerx Strathpine Strathpine 3.15pm 3.27pm Tuesday 23 March Nellas Gourmet Tucker Lawnton 3.37pm 3.47pm Tuesday 23 March Woolworths New Strathpine 4pm 4.30pm Tuesday 23 March Dan Murphys Strathpine 7.26pm 7.36pm Wednesday 24 March Tafe New Southbank 8am 4.30pm Wednesday 24 March IGA New Milton 9:05am 9:15am Wednesday 24 March Milton Fruit Bowl New Milton 9:20am 9:30am Wednesday 24 March Redcliffe Train Line  Lawnton to Kippa-Ring Lawnton to Kippa Ring 2.30pm 3.30pm Wednesday 24 March Lawnton Country Markets Lawnton 2.36pm 2.43pm Wednesday 24 March Coles Everton Park Everton Plaza Shopping Centre New Everton Park 3.24pm 3.33pm Wednesday 24 March Uroko Sushi on Train New Everton Park 7.19pm 7.33pm Thursday 25 March Cafe Lavenue Carseldine 8am 8.29am Thursday 25 March Aldi Stafford, Stafford City Shopping Centre 400 Stafford Road Stafford 8.30am 8.45am Thursday 25 March World Gym New North Lakes 8.45am 9.45am Thursday 25 March Meats at Billys New Ashgrove 9:10am 9:20am Thursday 25 March Officeworks New Rothwell 12pm 12.30pm Thursday 25 March Cafe Lavenue Carseldine 12.34pm 1.34pm Thursday 25 March Gin Gin Public Toilet (male) opposite Gin Gin Bakery Gin Gin 1.25pm 1.26pm Thursday 25 March Gin Gin Bakery 41 Mulgrave St Gin Gin 1.26pm 1.33pm Thursday 25 March Westfield New North Lakes 2pm 3pm Thursday 25 March Miriam Vale Road Star Roadhouse  male toilet Miriam Vale 2.35pm 2.45pm Thursday 25 March Nundah Respiratory Clinic 1270 Sandgate Road Nundah 11.15am 11.40am Thursday 25 March Olivers Real Food New Maryborough West 11.50am 12.09pm Thursday 25 March Cold Rock Ice Creamery Raby Bay 3.50pm 4pm Thursday 25 March Woolworths Cleveland Cleveland 4.00pm 4.40pm Thursday 25 March Redcliffe Train Line  Lawnton to Kippa-Ring Lawnton to Kippa Ring 5.45pm 6.45pm Thursday 25 March BWS - Lawnton Drive 820 Gympie Road Lawnton 6.15pm 6.30pm Thursday 25 March Hanwoori Korean BBQ Restaurant Brisbane City 6.30pm 7.30pm Thursday 25 March Wintergarden carpark Brisbane City 6.19pm 7.50pm Thursday 25 March Ceres Pizza Cafe Strathpine 7.00pm 7.58pm Friday 26 March World Gym New North Lakes 10am 10.30am Friday 26 March Nurse Station cafe (Patrons) South Brisbane 10.15am 10.30am Friday 26 March SPAR Carina Megafresh Carina 11.30am 11.45am Friday 26 March Coles, Stockland Gladstone Gladstone Central 12.09pm 12.33pm Friday 26 March Woolworths Coorparoo Coorparoo 12.55pm 1.30pm Friday 26 March Niche & Co Cafe Tugun 1.40pm 1.55pm Friday 26 March Chempro Chemist Tugun 1.55pm 2.10pm Friday 26 March Redcliffe Train Line  Lawnton to Kippa-Ring Lawnton to Kippa Ring 2.30pm 3.30pm Friday 26 March Woolworths Kippa-Ring 272 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring 3pm 3.20pm Friday 26 March Stockland Gladstone (including BWS) Gladstone 4.46pm 5.00pm Saturday 27 March IGA Redcliffe Redcliffe 12.50pm 12.55pm Saturday 27 March Sunlit Asian Supermarket Westfield Garden City Upper Mount Gravatt 2.30pm 2.45pm Saturday 27 March Dominos Pizza Greenslopes 3.30pm 3.40pm Sunday 28 March 7-Eleven Updated Mackenzie 1.30am 1.40am Sunday 28 March 52 Espresso Updated Nobby Beach 6.15am 6.45am Sunday 28 March LeanChef Kitchn Updated Surfers Paradise (Chevron Island) 10am 10.30am Sunday 28 March Stable Coffee Kitchen New Tugun 10.27am 10.48am Sunday 28 March HOTA Markets Bundall 10.45am 11.30am Sunday 28 March Surf Life Saving Competition Tugun Beach 12.30pm 2pm Sunday 28 March Epic Escape Room Updated Southport 1.45pm 5.20pm Sunday 28 March Kirra Surf Shop 6/8 Creek Street Updated Coolangatta 2.35pm 3.05pm Sunday 28 March Southport Park Shopping Centre New Southport 3pm 4pm Sunday 28 March Woolworths Updated Southport Park 3.14pm 3.35pm Sunday 28 March Tugun Supermarket Tugun 5.20pm 5.30pm Monday 29 March Rafiki Cafe Updated Mermaid Beach 6.45am 6.50am Low risk contacts - monitor for symptoms: Tuesday 23 March Outside Westpac - Peninsula Fair Shopping Centre 272 Anzac Avenue Kippa-Ring 3pm 3.30pm Advertisement

The 26-year-old returned two positive results after being tested for the virus earlier on Thursday.

'We will be issuing health alerts throughout the day and I urge the media to really put out these venues,' she said.

'We absolutely want people, especially over the next two  three days, to come forward and get tested if you are feeling unwell and you have symptoms.'

Dr Young said the man developed symptoms on Monday.

'He became reasonably unwell, and stayed home,' she said.

She raised the possibility the case was connected to an outbreak involving two hotel quarantine guests and a doctor at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital earlier this month.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said a 26-year-old man had tested positive to Covid-19

That outbreak also led to a ban on visitors to hospitals in the greater Brisbane area and an order for those who visited high-risk locations to self-isolate.

Brisbane previously entered a hard three-day lockdown in January after a Brisbane quarantine hotel cleaner contracted the UK strain of the virus.

'I would hope we don't need to have more restrictions, but it just depends what unfolds over the next 24-48 hours,' Dr Young said on Friday.

The state's health authorities have also issued an urgent alert for 96 suburbs across Brisbane after coronavirus fragments were detected in sewage water.

Residents line up outside a 24-hour COVID testing clinic south of Brisbane during the city's three-day lockdown in January. Genomic testing is underway to uncover how a 26-year-old caught the virus in the latest outbreak

Covid-19 traces were also found in the Luggage Point treatment plant in the city's east.

Dr Young urged anyone experiencing symptoms of the virus - however mild - to come forward for a test.

'It is very important people with symptoms come forward right away and get tested  we can't be complacent, we're still in this pandemic,' she said.

The landscaper while infectious had visited venues across Brisbane including a Bunnings in his own suburb of Stafford (pictured)

'It is critical we detect any cases that we may not be aware of as quickly as possible through our testing system, to contain any potential spread.

'We are concerned by the new variants that are emerging overseas that are more contagious than previous variants we have seen in Queensland.

'It's also possible that this detection relates to previous COVID-19 cases that can shed viral fragments for a couple of months after they are no longer infectious.'
Despite contrary evidence, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has denied that Peter Ogban, the university professor jailed for election fraud, rigged the election in favour of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Akpabio, the APC candidate in the Akwa Ibom North-West District 2019 election, was, however, defeated in the election by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, and his hope of returning to the Senate dashed.

A state High Court in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday, found Mr Ogban, a professor of Soil Science at the University of Calabar, and a returning officer in the district election, guilty of fraudulent manipulation of election results, publishing and announcing of false results in two local government areas  Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, without the option of fine, in one of the charges, and asked to pay a fine of N100,000 in another of the charge.

The case, considered as a landmark in Nigerias election history, was prosecuted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

How the professor was nailed

Before his conviction and sentencing, Mr Ogban, in one of the court sessions, clearly told the court how the results of the district election were falsified in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas to give the APC an unfair advantage over its main rival, the PDP.

For instance, 5,000 fake votes were added to the APCs score in Oruk Anam, in the election.

Mr Ogban, during cross examination by the prosecution counsel, admitted that the votes he entered for both APC and the PDP in the two local government areas were not taken from results collated at the constituency.

As his defence, he said the votes he entered were read out to him by the local government areas returning officers.

However, two INEC witnesses  John Enoidem and Itemobong Ekaidem  contradicted the professors claim.

The witnesses, who are university lecturers, were collation officers in the two local government areas. They told the court that what Mr Ogban entered as scores for APC and PDP were not what they presented to him.

The Guardian newspaper captured the court session where the two INEC witnesses were cross examined

In their testimonies, they said the results they collated at the council level, which were presented to Ogban, differed from the results he finally declared.

For the Oruk Anam Council result, Enoidem noted that while his result showed that the APC scored 10,534 votes and the PDP 25,123 votes, the accused declared that the APC polled 15,534, while PDP got 20,123 votes.

He, thereby, reduced PDPs votes by 5,000 and increased APC score by the same number of ballots. Ekaidem added that while the results for Etim Ekpo Council showed that APC scored 2,671 votes and PDP got 6,603, the result Ogban finally declared showed that APC scored 5,671 votes compared to PDPs 3,306, amounting to a difference of 3,000 in favour of the former, the paper reported.

Akpabios version

Meanwhile, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Akpabio, said on Saturday that he has been vindicated by the court judgement against the professor.

He was reacting to a statement from the PDP which celebrated the judgement a huge lesson for compromised individuals working to subvert the will of the people.

Contrarily, Akpabio was a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the election of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.

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He is vindicated that the perpetrators of the electoral fraud are being brought to justice, at last the chickens are coming home to roost, the ministers spokesperson, Anietie Ekong, said in a statement in Abuja.

Mr Akpabio said the jailed professor joined the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, to deny him victory in the election.

In that election, Akpabios votes totaling about 61,329 scored at his home Local Government Area  Essien Udim, having been collated, were not announced by Ogban in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Rather, Ogban who served as the Senatorial District Returning Officer joined the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Uyo where the votes and scores of Akpabio were cancelled in various polling units and collation centers of various LGAs constituting Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.

This was including 61,329 votes of his home LGA, Mr Ekong said.

Mr Ogban was not working for Mr Akpabio who had challenged the election result at the tribunal, Mr Ekong said.

For the avoidance of doubt Ogban never announced Akpabio as the winner of any election, instead he cancelled his lawful votes and announced his opponent as the winner of the manipulated election.

It is the height of mischief for anyone to say that a man who arbitrarily cancelled lawfully collated votes of the APC and announced PDP winner of the election was working for Akpabio.

In due time, we believe all the conspirators will be brought to justice as Ogban, either through the judiciary or divine intervention.

What we know about the election

The 2019 election was Mr Akpabios toughest political battle till date. He lost his bid to return to the Senate, failed to unseat his successor, Governor Udom Emmanuel whom he fell out with, failed to get the APC to win a single seat at the National Assembly, and could not also get President Muhammed Buhari to win in Akwa Ibom.

During the district election, Mr Akpabios challenger, Mr Ekpenyong of the PDP, was leading with a wide margin, until the APC began to scramble for suspicious votes which they could use to change the election course.

INEC, at some point, suspended the announcement of the election results in Essien Udim Local Government Area where Mr Akpabio hails from.

If we accept the results from the local government area, Akpabios votes will overshoot that of Chris Ekpenyong, an official of INEC told PREMIUM TIMES, at that time.

There are issues in the results which we are yet to be resolved, the official had said.

The elections in the area were marred by pockets of violence.

I have records of presiding officers who were speaking to me in low tones because of where they were and what was going on. God gave the returning officer wisdom, and today he is alive, the resident electoral commissioner Mr Igini had said, when he told journalists and representatives of political parties why the commission could not announce the results from Essien Udim.

INEC later conducted a rerun election in the area, as ordered by the Court of Appeal, Calabar.

But Mr Akpabio backed out of it, leaving the PDP to win easily, even though the election was still characterised by violence, including INEC officials being held hostage in Mr Akpabios ward.

My case an eye-opener, says jailed professor

Before he received his jail sentence, Mr Ogban, while begging the judge, Augustine Odokwo, to have mercy on him, said his case was an eye-opener.

This is an eye-opener for anyone who participated in local, state or national activities to do so with dexterity and not take anything for granted to avoid an innocent person being embarrassed, he said to the judge.

I should be pardoned for the inability to do this which is why I am here today. I plead that you grant me 100 per cent mercy and allow me to go and continue with my responsibilities.

If I lose my source of income, it means all of my dependents I have mentioned will suffer, especially the condition of my aged mother.

Another professor faces trial for election fraud

Meanwhile, Ignatius Uduk, a professor of Human Kinetics in the Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Uyo, has also been charged for election fraud in Akwa Ibom State.

He is accused of unlawful generation of election results in favour of PDP in Essien Udim State Constituency election in 2019 and lying under oath.

Mr Uduk was remanded in custody in December after the court issued a warrant of arrest on him.

This is the first time INEC is prosecuting professors for electoral fraud.
Ex-Militants, under the third phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), have threatened to demand for return of their arms and ammunition from the federal government over the inability of the government to finalise their demobilisation and training, 11 years after the amnesty was granted.

According to the third phase agitators, though, recent talks with the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col Milland Dixon Dikio, is yielding desired results in their quest to get included in the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process 11 years after, they may be forced to abandon the Amnesty Programme and return to the creeks if the demobilisation process is not completed.

The national chairman of the group, Mr Tonye Bobo, while speaking, yesterday, during a call on the leadership and members of the Federated Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Yenagoa, urged the amnesty office to document those that surrendered their arms and ammunition but are yet to be properly integrated and allocated slots under the programme to ensure complete peace in the Niger Delta region.

Bobo, who admitted that though issues of factions, division and court action among the third phase beneficiaries may have also contributed to some delay in complete demobilisation, the discussions between the third phase and other ex-agitators with the interim administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col Milland Dixon Dikio, are yielding good signs. "Col Dikio has tried to solve most of the issues confronting the ex-agitators, but the office should be funded to do more by the federal government."

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He also demanded that the third phase beneficiaries of the programme be included in education and vocational training for its delegates. "It's unfortunate that we have stayed for 11 years plus and the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme is not completed, we are just trying to calm our followers, but our patience should not be considered as foolishness.

"That is why when we saw the vision of Col Dikio for Amnesty programme, we decided to key in to restore peace in the region. I want to assure you, if the needful is not done, there will be more agitations, we are only trying to calm our people for us to change the narrative. We are seeking maximum support from the government to the office of the interim administrator of the Amnesty programme, all the funds required and are due to the office should be released.

"We want the funding for amnesty programme to move down to first line charges, those that were disarmed and not documented should be carried along. This is because all these while, they have been crying that if government is not reasoning with them, they will be demanding for their arms and ammunitions that they submitted to the government."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 21:43:33|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday announced sanctions on relevant U.S. and Canadian individuals and entity, citing the two countries' recent moves of imposing unilateral, disinformation-based sanctions on relevant individuals and entity in China's Xinjiang. Enditem
The message which comes from Knock is the great value that silence has for faith, Pope Francis underscored in a video message sent on Friday, 19 March, to the Irish faithful on the occasion of the celebration for the elevation of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Knock to an International Shrine of Special Eucharistic and Marian Devotion. The following is a translation of the Holy Fathers message, which he offered in Italian.

Brothers and Sisters,

Good evening!

I gladly avail myself of this means of communication in order to be with you at such an important moment in the life of the Shrine.

Ever since the apparition of 21 August 1879, when the Blessed Virgin Mary, together with Saint Joseph and Saint John the Apostle, appeared to some villagers in Knock, the Irish people have expressed their devotion wherever they have found themselves. You have been a missionary people. It is good to remember how many priests left their homeland in order to become evangelizers. Nor can we forget the many lay people who emigrated to many lands and kept alive their devotion to Our Lady of Knock. How many families in the course of almost a century and a half have passed on the faith to their children and gathered their daily labours around the prayer of the Rosary, with the image of our Lady of Knock at its centre! The arms of the Virgin, outstretched in prayer, continue today to show how fundamental the life of prayer is, which comes as a message of hope from this Shrine. As you know, in her apparition at Knock, the Virgin does not say a word. Yet even her silence is a language; indeed, it is the most expressive language that is given to us. The message which comes from Knock is the great value that silence has for faith.

It is silence before the mystery, which does not mean giving up on understanding, but understanding while aided and supported by the mystery of the love of Jesus who offered himself for all of us as the Lamb sacrificed for the salvation of humanity. It is silence in the face of the great mystery of love, which finds no possible response other than to surrender oneself with trust to the will of the merciful Father. And, finally, it is silence that Jesus asks for when he taught us: When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Mt 6:6-8).

Dear brothers and sisters present in Knock, and all of you who are following this solemn moment through the new communications media! The elevation of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Knock to an International Shrine of Special Eucharistic and Marian Devotion is a great responsibility. You commit yourselves to keeping your arms always wide open as a sign of welcome to every pilgrim who reaches you from every part of the world, asking nothing of them, but only recognizing them as brothers or sisters who wish to share the same experience of prayer in mutual fraternity. May welcome be combined with charity and become an effective witness of a heart which is open to receive the Word of God and the fortifying grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Eucharistic mystery, which unites us in communion with the Risen Lord and with one another, always be the support for us to live faithfully our vocation to be missionary disciples, like the Virgin Mary who made herself a pilgrim of the Gospel of her Son. May she protect us and console us with her merciful face.

I greet you, I greet you all, as I implore a blessing for you, and I ask you, please, to pray for me!
China, the Peoples Republic, is on the move. We all know that. We also know that due to Biden relatives dealings with President-for-life Xi, our new Administration, helmed by Joe Biden, is severely compromised and flatfooted with respect to prudent interaction with the populous monolith. Morally. Financially. Even categorically.

But is that all we need be concerned with? There are other, undiscussed but highly relevant, variables impacting on our delicate- balance dealings with the PRC.

We are correctly concerned with the official threat presented by a newly assertive Communist China, especially under the lifetime stewardship/despotic regime of Xi JinPing, in for life.

The Chinese Navy, in a population of better than 1.4 billion people, give or take, is now acknowledged as formidable by military leaders such as our State Department and such former military as four-star General Jack M. Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army. A no-nonsense former paratrooper and formidable company commander, Keane knows whereof he speaks when he addresses threats in the Pacific theatre.

Those paying attention to the juggernaut of the Peoples Republic, especially under the auspices of Xi and the significant feebleness of the new White House under a severely compromised chief executive, should be mindful of the dangerous imbalance.

Increasing evidences of cognitive frailty and perhaps advancing dementia has not escaped notice by Xi and those around him in the power tier of the fully armed nation west of the rising sun, east of an increasingly self-absorbed EU. Adding to our exposure is the significantly anemic appetite shown by this current White House and its behind-the-strings handlers for a renewed arms race.

Indeed, the current slew of Obama retreads seem more than satisfied to concern themselves more with linguistic niceties and pronoun embargoes than with foreign entanglements, national defense or refurbishment in the presence of blatant adversary.

Actions taken by the prior administration, that of Donald J. Trump, to re-arm and update our tattered military after President Barack Obama were laudable but have been met with near-reversals almost heedlessly self-destructive by Trumps successor, Joe Biden. The reversals effected by almost stunning executive orders of frenetic delusional suddenness and ill-advisedness have been noted by our enemies. One humiliating result is the recent Alaskan Summit where our diplomats were treated to a lengthy 16-minute tongue-lashing unprecedented in modern times.

One cannot forget that the Chinese are a long-time humiliation-based society. Losing face is no mere temporary coloring of the cheek, quickly forgotten. Under President Trump, the same officials who were peremptory and lacerating with our assigns Messrs. Blinken and Sullivan, were deferential and propitiatory. That mode has decidedly muted.

And the new, weaker face of the U.S. has serious implications for our future interactions with China and even of course with North Korea and Iran.

Weakness is toxic in dealing with the Chinese, as I observed when I first arrived to work as a Vice President and professor in one of the 67 universities in Wuhan, Zhejiang Province. When I arrived in Beijing, then transferred to Wuhan, I was confronted on Day Three of my new position with a fiat I took great exception to. I was told, with a briny impassivity, that two newcomers, just graduated from Columbia and there to be instructors, 22 and 23 years old, wanted the apartment I had been given. Enraged at the attempt to manhandle me so blatantly, for people with zero teaching or managerial experience of any kind compared with my resume of both managerial and extensive teaching at college levels, I stood my ground.

If you expect me to give up my apartment to those two [green] arrivals, I will leave, tonight, back to the United States.

The university had invested thousands of dollars in me, set up a better than average office for me, and had arranged an entire 6 day-a-week schedule for me at various of the technical lecture halls on the spacious campus. They werent in a hurry to let go of a committed, experienced veteran without anyone to replace her, which would take weeks at the earliest, if even that.

I was dead serious. That was evident to those present. They withdrew their peremptory request and did not repeat it; although they did not stop trying to take advantage, which didnt go unnoticed. They tried during the course of months to extract new and ever-more discourteous concessions for which they had not contracted. Or offered to pay. I refused those, too, as presumptuous and galling.

The point being: My stony resolve not to accommodate to their brassy requests stood me in very good stead. Those who do bend and kowtow get shafted, it became evident as time passed.

It is no secret: The vaunted naval superiority of the United States has been superseded by the newly emboldened burgeoning naval services of the Peoples Republic. But just as important is the paucity of females attendant on the Chinese preference for males and the long interregnum of the one-child policy, when millions of girls were sacrificed, aborted or adopted by Western couples. So, there are generations of missing females. No brides for Chinese males. In some cases, China has gone to other countries to snatch females: Tibet. Malaysia. Korea. Even Japan.

Furthermore, this absence of females means the testosterone and aggression levels are fairly high, without outlet. The natural outlet for such backup is investment in other pursuits. A major alternative, for China, is the military, and their manpower is massive and mighty. Thus, China fight and conquers with unusual ferocity and dedication,not having the normal avenues of release most nations enjoy.

That alone should give the West more than adequate reason to pause and take stock of their presumptions of superiority.

Chinese propragand poster via James Vaughn CC BY-NC- SA 2.0 license
The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) revised its methods paper and published the German original version "Allgemeine Methoden 6.0" (General Methods 6.0) on http://www. iqwig. de in November 2020. This document is the basis for the scientific work of the Institute and its external experts as well as for the collaboration with its contracting agencies, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) and Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). The English translation is now available on http://www. iqwig. de/ en/ about-us/ methods/ methods-paper/ .

New features include statements on the investigation of the relationship between volume of services and quality, a section on different treatment periods in studies, and a more concrete approach to the assessment of clinical relevance.

In contrast to the draft published for commenting in December 2019, the published Version 6.0 no longer contains a section on determining the extent of added benefit in the case of continuous data, as further clarification is needed here. In a future draft, IQWiG will therefore revise the derivation of thresholds and submit an updated proposal for renewed commenting.

The General Methods summarize the scientific standards used by the Institute. In order to reflect the expansion of the Institute's legal tasks and the further development of standards in scientific disciplines, this manual is updated regularly - partly in smaller steps, partly by fundamental revision, which is then reflected in a new version number.

Minimum volumes: How are volume of services and quality related?

In Germany, hospitals may only provide and charge for certain elective services if they have performed them frequently enough in previous years. This is based on findings on the relationship between the volume of services and the quality of treatment outcome. On behalf of the G-BA, for several interventions IQWiG already investigated whether a positive correlation is proven. Section 5.2 describes the Institute's approach to information retrieval and assessment in these cases: possible volume-outcome relationships are examined on the basis of observational studies or controlled intervention studies.

Different mean observation periods may reduce the certainty of conclusions

In oncology in particular, the dossiers submitted by manufacturers for the early benefit assessment of new drugs often contain data from studies in which the mean observation periods differ in the two groups to be compared. This makes it difficult to conduct fair comparisons in which the adverse effects of treatments should neither be over- nor underestimated.

The manufacturers usually argue that treatment in one arm was discontinued or switched more often. However, IQWiG stresses that simple statistical methods based on relative frequencies or incidence densities cannot adequately compensate for the decrease in the certainty of conclusions that this causes. For this reason, in Version 6.0, the Institute emphasizes the necessity of complete data collection and in the new Section 9.3.12 calls for the use of adequate survival time methods, also in the case of treatment discontinuation or switching.

In the course of the commenting procedure, the Institute adopted a proposal of the biometric societies and in the above section no longer refers only to "different mean observation periods", but generally to "variable observation periods". The new section now also includes references to special methods of survival time analysis, such as how to deal with competing risks.

Shift of emphasis in the assessment of clinical relevance

In order to assess the clinical relevance of a difference between two treatment alternatives, in recent years responder analyses with a response criterion for patient-relevant outcomes such as "health-related quality of life" or "symptoms" have been increasingly performed. IQWiG has now specified when responder analyses will be used for the assessment, that is, the required minimum scale range of the score of a measurement instrument (Section 9.3.3). This is intended to provide clarity for manufacturers and to prevent arbitrary responder analyses based on incomprehensible responder definitions.

Further changes and updates

The Institute also supplemented or modified many other parts of the General Methods. For example, Section 3.1.3 on the presentation of aspects of harm in benefit assessments now contains more details than before. In Chapter 5, renamed "Assessments of health care", the Institute fundamentally revised its comments on evidence-based guidelines. And in Section 9.3.7 on meta-analyses, the methodological approach for applying the Knapp-Hartung method in meta-analyses with random effects, which was introduced in 2016 in the last revision of the methods paper, was substantiated.

An overview of the main changes is given in the methods paper, which now comprises almost 300 A4 pages, under the heading "What is new?"

Active participation in the commenting procedure

IQWiG published the draft for the new version of the General Methods at the end of 2019 and called for comments. The Institute then received 40 comments, some of them very detailed. After the deadline for the submission of comments expired, a debate with persons who had submitted comments was held in June 2020.

Helpful suggestions from the commenting procedure were incorporated into the present version. In addition to the major adjustments mentioned above, the Institute, among other things, adopted a further proposal by statistical societies and supplemented the methods for meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies in Section 9.3.7. The removal of the section on the assessment of open-label studies with subjective outcomes, which was criticized in the commenting procedure, should also be mentioned here. Due to new literature on the topic published in the meantime, the final version of the General Methods no longer includes this section.

Together with the methods paper, IQWiG publishes a documentation and evaluation of the hearing in which, on the one hand, all written comments are documented in full. On the other hand, the document contains the Institute's response to the comments submitted, which address all main arguments of the comments. IQWiG will provide timely information on the next processing step.
Councillors have called for a memorial stone or plaque to be considered to honour the late Seamus Murphy, a 'stalwart in Balbriggan' remembered for his tireless work in the community.

Cllrs Tony Murphy (NP) and Grainne Maguire (NP) paid tribute to the Balbriggan man at a recent Local Area Committee meeting, and asked that the Chief Executive acknowledge 'the uncompromising support the late Seamus Murphy has given to the townspeople of Balbriggan over his lifetime, and that a fitting installation ie memorial stone or plaque be considered when the time is appropriate.'

Addressing the Area Committee, Cllr Murphy said he was mindful of so many loved ones in Fingal who had passed, but that he would like Seamus Murphy to be commemorated 'in a way that befits the support he gave to the people of Balbriggan over the years.'

Cllr Murphy said Cllr Maguire had dealings with Mr Murphy and had witnessed first-hand his dedication to the local community.

Cllr Maguire spoke of a man who epitomised 'what community is about', a private and modest individual who contributed to the community without seeking recognition for the work he carried out.

Cllr Maguire said it would be fitting if, 'when the time is right', Fingal County Council worked with Mr Murphy's family to commemorate his legacy in Balbriggan.

She said many people had come forward following Mr Murphy's death praising him for the work he carried out for them, and this needed to be acknowledged.

Cllr Tom O'Leary (FG) fondly remembered a quiet man, whom he had the pleasure to know, and who had 'some tough personal challenges himself' but carried on with dignity and good humour.

A report from the council stated that a memorial stone or plaque is subject to the Naming and Commemorative Memorial Policy, which was adopted by the Council in 2016.

As part of this policy, a proposed memorial stone or plaque would in the first instance be considered by the Naming and Commemorative Memorial Committee.

The report stated it should be noted that the policy states 'Nominees will have to have died at least 20 years previously or have passed the centenary of their birth which ever is earlier.'

The report was accepted by the Local Area Committee.
Leaders from seven Northeast Pennsylvania counties are objecting to a proposed COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Mohegan Sun Pocono, arguing a single central location would put an undue burden on their at-risk populations.

During a meeting of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania last week, Luzerne County Manager David Pedri said he suggested the casino, which previously hosted a mass-testing site, as a location for a regional vaccine clinic because it is centrally located and has close access to Interstates 81 and 80.

If theres going to be a mass vaccination site, it makes sense to put it here, Pedri said Friday.

He said the decision on where to place the site rests with the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, which did not immediately comment on when plans would be finalized.

The possibility of a Luzerne County-based mass vaccination site, however, did not appear to sit well with county commissioners in a number of Northeast Pennsylvania counties.

In a letter to Wolf dated Thursday, which was obtained by The Citizens Voice, commissioners from seven counties said their input during the meeting was limited to an opinion on the site location and expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed site.

(Phase 1A) residents of the nine counties in the northeast except Luzerne would travel on average over 60 miles to a location at Mohegan Sun, the letter says. In many cases, travel would be as much as 75-90 miles, or over a two-hour drive. We feel strongly that this cannot be the only option for those that have already waited this long, without any luck thus far to get a vaccine, and who are prioritized for inoculation.

Commissioners from Bradford, Carbon, Monroe, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties signed the document.

Leaders from Lackawanna County did not sign the letter because they are preparing to open their own community vaccination site next week, Commissioner Debi Domenick said.

Wolf toured the site on Thursday and the county plans to open it one day per week to appointments for people in the first phase, she said.

Domenick said she supports having more options for residents to get vaccinated.

Were not against Gov. Wolfs plan for a regional vaccination site, she said. Were not against any plan for any type of vaccination site because, obviously, the more sites running, the more lives we can hopefully save.

The letter by the commissioners who voiced opposition to the proposal says the signing counties want to offer their assistance and expertise in the vaccine distribution plan, and proposes sending half the daily allotment of vaccine to the casino while diverting the other half to each of the counties based on population.

Their proposal calls for vaccine to be distributed as follows: 9% to Bradford, 9% to Carbon, 31% to Lackawanna, 24% to Monroe, 9% to Pike, 6% to Susquehanna, 8% to Wayne and 4% to Wyoming.

Any vaccine clinic that is focused on a specific phase must allow Pennsylvania residents who are in a higher prioritized phase to be included so that no one who is eligible is turned away, the letter continues. None of us can justify or recommend that our not-yet-vaccinated elderly, high-risk, or health care providers drive one-two hours to a vaccination site because they are not eligible for the closer-to-home clinic.

Officials from the state Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency did not immediately return messages seeking comment about the letter Friday.

Mohegan Sun Pocono spokesperson Cody Chapman said the casino is aware the state Department of Health is evaluating multiple locations to become regional vaccination sites at some point in the future.

Pedri said he understood the concerns of the commissioners and that he has no objection to their suggestion either.

If the state would also consider that as an option, Im fine with that as well, Pedri said. I just want to see more vaccine coming to Northeast Pennsylvania.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP)  An Arkansas firefighter resigned Friday after his arrest for an alleged assault on an Asian American man, officials said.

The resignation of Benjamin Snodgrass, 44, a Bentonville firefighter for 14 years, was effective immediately, according to a statement from the City of Bentonville.

He expressed regret and an apology for any embarrassment to his family, fellow firefighters, friends and the City of Bentonville, the city stated.

The resignation came after he was placed on administrative leave for being charged with misdemeanor battery and public intoxication.

He was arrested March 13 outside the Oaklawn casino in Hot Springs where he refused to take a breath test and was taken to Garland County jail. Snodgrass says he confronted an Asian American man for not being American, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The man said Snodgrass approached him outside the casino, asked if he knew he was in America and started pushing him. He said Snodgrass then struck him several times before he hit Snodgrass with a fist in self-defense.

Snodgrass was released on a $1,500 bond and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is scheduled for May 6 in Garland County District Court.

Bentonville Mayor Stephanie Orman said in a statement Thursday that a task force has been formed to guide the citys diversity and inclusion efforts.

The City of Bentonville does not condone or tolerate any form of discrimination or violence, she said.

The incident comes at a time of increasing national attention to reports of violence against Asian Americans, particularly since the March 16 shootings where eight people, including six Asian women, were fatally shot at three massage businesses in the Atlanta area.
David Dilling has decades of experience in the air filtration business, but the past year has created more challenges  and opportunities  for him than any time he can remember.

The 54-year-old San Antonio native owns Filters4Air, an air filter manufacturing and installation company based on the East Side that he started in 1995. Dilling struck out on his own after learning the business working for his father, who spent his career producing and selling low-cost air filters.

Dilling expanded his business over the years, largely by focusing on higher-quality air filters for use in schools, commercial buildings and homes. He now employs 17 people.

As the pandemic arrived in San Antonio last March, a large segment of Dillings business  installing air filters in schools  evaporated as students moved to online learning. Dilling shifted the business and hired laid-off seamstresses to make face masks from air filters.

The masks were a hit, and Dilling said he shipped them to customers across the country. Hes still receiving orders for mask filters a year later.

Dilling said he expects overall revenue at Filters4Air to double in 2021 compared with last year as consumers put more of a premium on air filtration, even as the number of COVID-19 cases declines.

On ExpressNews.com: Pandemic prompted Central Electric to speed up tech investments

Dilling recently sat down with the San Antonio Express-News to discuss how his business has made it through the pandemic and recent supply shortages. The following has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Howd you come to own Filters4Air?

A: I started this about 26 years ago. And my first order, I couldnt afford boxes so I got the boxes out of the dumpster at (a nearby drugstore). They were bringing in Christmas ornaments that said Made in China, so I taped over all those and shipped my first shipment. Now we make probably a little over 1.2 million filters a year.

Q: What got you into the filter business?

A: My father had a business that made cheap fiberglass filters for retail businesses, like Kmarts and H-E-B. And then after college, I worked for him. I broke off, started my own company making better quality air filters, the pleated air filters. I wasnt getting paid enough  thats why I left. I was getting paid $6.25 an hour, the minimum wage at the time.

Q: So the niche for your business is making filters for buildings that require higher-quality air than normal?

A: Were doing it for everything. We have three companies here. We have a manufacturing company. We also have a filter-changing company that goes out and changes filters in commercial businesses and school districts. And then also we have a home deliver service, which is kind of like Dollar Shave Club. Its a subscription, and people can sign up for it however they want: monthly, bimonthly, quarterly. And then we do some Amazon business also.

Q: W hy do people need air filters?

A: You need it keep your (HVAC) unit clean, your coils clean and to keep your unit running at optimum efficiency. You also need to take allergens out of the air, and it takes dust out of the air. Its just important  its the air you breathe.

Q: Whats the biggest segment of the business?

A: Manufacturing, but the fastest-growing part is online.

Q: How was your business doing early on in 2020, as the pandemic hit San Antonio?

A: We generally grow every year, and it was good. But the problem is, we had a whole bunch of school-district business, and the schools were closed, so they didnt need filters. So one of the hospitals here in town, I heard they were taking apart pleated air filters and using the inserts to put in masks for filters. And I said, Well, I can give you a higher quality one and one that takes out more particles. So we started making these little air filters, cutting them out of our material and shipping them all over the United States. They go in a mask, and you put it in, and it will almost make it like an N95 mask. So we started doing that, and that took off.

Q: Were you thinking, I need to find a new revenue stream as soon as possible when you saw schools close?

A: Oh, yeah. Because we werent sure what was going to happen. But the good thing about the pandemic  not that its been a good thing  is people are concerned about their air filtration, where before they probably took it for granted. From that standpoint, our business has exploded because were shipping product to Israel, to every state in the U.S.

Q: Can you talk about how you pivoted to mask-making when you hadnt done that before as a business?

A: I was doing a news story with Channel 12, and someone saw it and said, Do you sell those masks? I said, No, we just made them for employees because we couldnt find any masks. So we tried to figure out the best, easiest way to do it. We had to make a pocket, so we figured out the best way for us to make this, but the problem was you couldnt find any elastic because everyone was buying it up. So we bought clothesline, and thats why its a drawstring. We didnt sew stuff, so we bought sewing machines and started sewing. It was insane.

We wanted to keep our people busy. I told our employees when (the pandemic) started, We have a certain amount of money were willing to go through, because we dont know whats going to happen. And then things just kind of exploded.

Q: Did you have to bring on new workers to make masks?

A: We did. We went to some of these retail stores that were closed that did alterations, and we got a couple people from there. So thats how that started. Now we hardly sell any masks anymore, but we still sell (mask filters). Thats what will get your mask right up to an N95. We got orders yesterday online, but its not like it was. We were probably doing 500 orders a day, maybe more, for months. We didnt have enough phone lines.

Q: Were you ever worried early on that your business wouldnt be able to make it through the pandemic and the business closures?

A: I was nervous we were going to have a drop in revenue. But since I started the business, I knew we had to make it work because thats how we make our living. It was sink or swim, and we had to swim.

On ExpressNews.com: Friends of Sound records still spinning with 'soul, funk and world music, man

Q: Youd mentioned dealing with supply shortages recently, from sourcing the material that filters are made out of to elastic for masks. How do you overcome supply problems when youre trying to make as much product as possible?

A: We have good relationships with our suppliers. But the problem is, youre also looking at trucking shortages now, because everyone has been so busy during the pandemic. Youve got corrugated (material) shortages. A lot of our material, like our filters, are paper. Well, youre competing against people making pizza boxes, with all the home delivery, and against Amazon. So youre competing for the same type of products  of course, prices go up. Its slower making product, so your labor costs go up.

2020 was the most challenging year, and this year is still challenging because of supply. Its very stressful for manufacturers.

Q: What are your expectations for 2021?

A: Our revenue will double. And we had a big 2020 also, but 2021, it looks like our revenue will double because of people concerned by their filtration. But also were picking up new customers, and we have a shorter lead time (on filters). Were getting calls from people we hadnt heard from.

Q: As we start seeing vaccinations increase and eventually put the pandemic in the rearview mirror, how do you think youll have to shift your business again?

A: I think its going to grow because people are concerned about filtration, the quality of their filtration. So I think its a huge growth opportunity for us.

diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net
Facts destroy lies, rumors about Xinjiang cotton

People's Daily Online) 17:11, March 26, 2021

Chinese internet users have been angered after retail brands including H&M and Nike announced that they would prohibit the use of cotton produced in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the name of the "forced labor" and "discrimination against ethnic minorities" illusion.

A cotton harvesting machine works in a field in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 17, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Facts speak louder than words. The following facts about Xinjiang's cotton will make the truth better known to the world.

Xinjiang produces world-class cotton thanks to its exceptional natural advantages. Large temperature differences between day and night in the summer and abundant sunshine make Xinjiang an ideal place to cultivate cotton. Xinjiang's long-staple cotton is the world's top variety and has been in short supply for many years.

The output of cotton per unit stood at 2,062.7 kilograms per hectare in 2020, up by 93.8 kilograms per hectare from the previous year, ranking first in the country, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics.

Xinjiang cotton barely meets China's own demand. China will see its cotton production in 2021 reach about 5.95 million tons, with a total demand of about 7.8 million tons and an annual shortfall of about 1.85 million tons.

Aerial photo taken on Oct. 17, 2020 shows a cotton harvesting machine working in a field in Manas County, Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Changji, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

The annual output of Xinjiang cotton is 5.2 million tons, accounting for about 87 percent of domestic production and about 67 percent of domestic consumption. The country has to import about 2 million tons of cotton every year to meet domestic demand.

Cotton production has become highly mechanized in Xinjiang. Even in the busy cotton harvesting season, there is no need for a large number of cotton pickers.

According to statistics released by Xinjiang's agricultural department, 69.83 percent of cotton in the region was harvested by machines in 2020, and the figure reached 95 percent in northern Xinjiang.

In fact, during the nearly 50-day cotton harvesting season in Xinjiang, cotton pickers can earn more than 10,000 yuan (about $1,530) on average. In recent years, the number of Han cotton pickers from places other than Xinjiang has decreased, mainly because these people have increased their incomes via other channels. The fact that fewer people are going to Xinjiang as cotton pickers means local people are not forced to work there.

Meanwhile, workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang choose their occupations according to their own wishes. They sign labor contracts with employers and earn salaries in accordance with China's Labor Law and other laws and regulations, and on the principle of equality and free will. They also enjoy freedom in choosing where they work.

The Chinese side has invited EU diplomatic envoys to China to visit the region many times, but they delayed the visits in every possible way for various reasons and even put forward unreasonable demands. To put it bluntly, they did not dare to face the real Xinjiang, fearing that the reality of a stable and prosperous Xinjiang, where people live and work in peace and contentment, would expose their lies.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Five provinces to follow Phuket model for tourism reopening

BANGKOK: Foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to visit six tourism provinces beginning Apr 1.

tourismeconomicsCOVID-19Coronavirus

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 27 March 2021, 09:34AM

Promthep Cape, one of the islands best-known locations, hopes to see large numbers of local tourists soon. Photo: Bangkok Post

Those who have been inoculated must still be quarantined. However, the mandatory isolation period has been reduced from 14 to seven days for them, reports the Bangkok Post.

In July, Phuket will be the first province to waive the quarantine requirement for foreign visitors who have been vaccinated, as part of the governments plan to reopen the country.

Minister of Tourism and Sport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Friday (Mar 26) said the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved a three-stage roadmap to reopen six major tourism provinces  Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga, Surat Thani (Koh Samui), Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Chiang Mai  to vaccinated foreign visitors.

From April to June, inoculated foreign visitors arriving in these provinces will only be required to undergo quarantine in hotels or other designated facilities for seven days, he said.

From July to September, vaccinated tourists can visit Phuket without having to undergo quarantine under the Phuket Tourism Sandbox campaign, which is touted as a model for the reopening of the countrys tourism industry, Mr Phiphat said.

Despite the quarantine waiver, the travel activities of tourists will be restricted to sealed routes on Phuket for seven days before they are allowed to visit other locations, he said. Tourists are still required to use contact tracing apps, Mr Phiphat added.

He said that between October and December, Phukets sandbox model will be applied to five other tourism provinces. A full reopening of the country is expected to take place in January, Mr Phiphat said.

The CESA approved in the reopening plan in principle to allow foreign tourists who have received two vaccine doses to visit Phuket from July 1 without having to undergo quarantine, as proposed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mr Phiphat said.

The TAT will have to discuss the matter with the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the cabinet next week, he said. Phuket will be the first and only province which will be exempted from quarantine from July 1.

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the plan to reopen these tourism provinces needs the support of local residents and the TAT will have to present details of where tourists would be allowed to visit for consideration by the CCSA next week.

Phuket is better-equipped to serve as the sandbox model to accommodate tourists first as the government will expedite the two-dose vaccination [process] for at least 70% of the population in Phuket before July 1, Mr Yuthasak said.

About 100,000 foreign tourists are expected to arrive in Phuket between April and June and more foreign arrivals are expected from July onward, he said.

In total, about 6.5 million foreign visitors are expected to arrive this year after the reopening of the country, Mr Yuthasak said, adding that an early reopening for vaccinated foreign tourists will help with a quick economic recovery.

According to the sandbox proposal, the reopening plan in Phuket will depend largely on vaccine allocation to the tourist island province. Herd immunity must be achieved by inoculating 70% of the population before foreign visitors are allowed in by the reopening date.

Under the proposal, at least 466,587 residents living on Phuket island need to receive two doses each. The proposal aims to secure 933,174 doses.

To reach the herd immunity goal within a specific time frame, the first round of inoculations should start on April 15, while the second should be rolled out from May 15.

Under the plan, tourists who want to join the proposed quarantine-free programme are required to show a vaccine certificate, vaccine passport or International Air Transport Association (IATA) travel pass.

Meanwhile, Pattaya mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem said that the city has asked the government for additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines to prepare for reopening on Oct 1.

The request was made at a meeting between Mr Phiphat and members of the local private sector to discuss marketing strategies to promote tourism in Pattaya.

Currently, Pattaya has a quota of 864,386 doses, but about 135,000 more doses will be needed for nearby municipalities which support tourism in Pattaya, Mr Sonthaya said.
Asia

India: Bokaro steel workers in Jharkhand state demand pay rise

Hundreds of employees demonstrated inside the Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL) plant on March 19 to demand a wage rise outstanding since 2017. BSL employs nearly 8,000 workers. Workers said they have been holding protests in every department and have threatened to strike if management does not consider their demands.

BSL made a net profit of $1.38 billion in the third quarter of the 202021 financial year, the highest of all Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) subsidiaries. A meeting between SAIL management and the National Joint Committee for Steel on March 16 failed to win any agreement. A second meeting has been organised for March 31.

Tamil Nadu: Royal Enfield workers protest

Royal Enfield motorcycle manufacturing workers began a lunch boycott inside the Oragadam plant near Chennai, Tamil Nadu on March 22. The boycott was in protest against management attempts to create a company union at the plant and undermine the worker-initiated Royal Enfield Employees Union.

Management has registered its union and has conducted elections for office bearers. A majority of workers, however, have boycotted the so-called election process.

In 2018, the motorcycle workers led a historic strike, along with Yamaha workers and MSI employees, after management attempted to reclassify company apprentices as FTE (Fixed term employment) and NEEM workers. In 2019, workers led another strike to stop management transferring union leaders and union militants to various other factories and showrooms across in India.

Patna hospital nurses demonstrate over cancellation of leave

Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) nursing staff protested on March 21 near the office of the hospital superintendent over the health departments decision to cancel all leave during the Holi festival.

The department cancelled leave of all medical staff, including doctors and nurses, until April 5 in what it said was a COVID-19 precautionary measure. The protest forced the closure of all outpatient services and operating theatres.

Punjab government employees rally for better pay

Clerical staff at all state government departments wore black badges on March 22 and rallied at the District Administrative Complex to demand implementation of the 6th Pay Commission. The demonstration was called by the State Ministerial Services Union.

Revenue, finance, irrigation, social security and horticulture workers who attended the rally said they wanted immediate implementation of the 6th Pay Commission report and payment of the dearness allowance. They denounced the state government for cutting jobs in government schools and offices.

Andhra Pradesh staff demand ongoing employment

Laid-off medical staff protested outside the state collectorate in Guntur on March 21. The demonstration was organised by Andhra Pradesh Medical Covid Warriors Association members. Last year, staff nurses, anaesthetists, lab technicians and nursing orderlies were hired on a six-month temporary basis to boost health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The medical workers, however, were dismissed in January, despite the worsening COVID-19 crisis. The now unemployed medical workers have been staging demonstrations, including hunger protests, over the past month.

Demonstrators said there are numerous vacancies in teaching hospitals, district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres throughout the state.

New Delhi insurance employees oppose privatisation

Insurance sector workers protested across the country on March 18 against foreign direct investment (FDI) limit increases. The All India Insurance Employees Association and other finance sector unions called the strike.

The Life Insurance Corporation employees also participated, denouncing the governments proposal to privatise the corporation and lift the current FDI limit from 49 percent to 74 per cent.

Sri Lankan educators protest appointment of untrained principals

Thousands of Sri Lankan educators demonstrated against government moves to appoint 4,600 principals and 300 education administrators without holding proper qualification examinations.

The March 19 protest began near the Buddhadasa Stadium in Pelawatta and marched to the Isurupaya ministry of education. The demonstration continued in defiance of police obstruction and harassment.

Bank of Ceylon Employees demand a living wage

Hundreds of Bank of Ceylon employees protested on March 23 outside the bank headquarters demanding a living wage, permanent jobs for temporary staff and the provision of pensions.

Carrying flags and banners, they marched from the banks head office to Temple Trees, the prime ministers official residence. Police blocked the march, allowing only two representatives to the building to present a message with their claims.

Government dental surgeons strike in Sri Lanka

About one hundred government dental surgeons walked out on strike across the country on March 22 to demand government action to prevent the service collapsing.

The Government Dental Surgeons Association released a press release voicing the grievances and accusing the deputy director general of dental services of causing an unprecedented collapse in the system. Dental surgeons want the retirement age to be increased to 63 years, all vacant dental surgeons vacancies to be filled and other basic demands.

Sri Lankan water workers demand pay rise

Hundreds of workers demonstrated outside the National Water Supply and Drainage Board Head Office in Ratmalana on March 23.

Their claims include an immediate 30 percent salary increase and resolution of past salary anomalies, removal of inequities in the new service constitution and a decent pension scheme for all employees. The workers threatened future strike action if these demands are not met.

Sri Lankan government workers march for salary increases

Over hundreds of government workers held a rally and marched to the Ministry of Finance on March 23 to demand a 15,000-rupee ($US75) monthly salary increase for public sector workers and 25,000-rupee minimum wage for private sector employees.

They also want health workers to be given a COVID allowance, increased uniform allowances, permanent jobs for the temporary health employees and pensions for all state sector workers. Health workers, development officers, Unemployed Graduates Union members and private sector employees addressed the rally.

Australia and New Zealand

Western Australia mental health workers strike

More than 100 mental health workers in Perth, the state capital, walked out on Wednesday over inadequate funding for child mental health services. Strikers included clinical psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists from eight different services, as well as staff from Perth Childrens Hospital mental health ward.

The health workers are concerned that the underfunded services have propelled case numbers to unsustainable and dangerous levels. Two days prior to the strike, Western Australias largest hospital issued a code yellow, meaning it was unable to treat patients in its emergency department.

The Health Services Union (HSUWA) told the media that clinics had taken 92 referrals this month and seen a growing number of young patients attempting to take their own life because they had to wait three months for treatment. The under-funded system has been blamed for the suicide last year of a 13-year-old Perth girl who had not received support or treatment in time.

The HSUWA and the state Labor government have presided over the recent rapid increase in referral numbers from 300 in 2013 to over 800, leading to the current crisis.

New Zealand home care workers strike

Homecare support workers employed by Auckland-based Lifewise have begun limited strike action over the organisations refusal to offer liveable pay and better conditions. The workers began striking from midday until 3 p.m. from March 24, for up to 13 days.

Lifewise is a charitable trust which is a part of the Methodist Church and employs over 200 support workers. Workers who are members of E Tu union have been striking and picketing since December for increased sick and bereavement leave and fair hours of work in the collective agreement.

The carers have to be available to work for up to 42 hours, yet are only guaranteed a fraction of that. One worker told Newsroom she is paid $25.50 an hour for her 25 guaranteed hours, plus any additional hours the employer might give her. She gets nothing for the remaining time (usually 17 hours) that she is available. Between client visits there are often gaps of two or three hours, for which she isnt paid but which is never long enough to go home.

Another grievance is the way Lifewise calculates payment for travel time between clients. From every client visit, 8.5 minutes is deemed as travel time and paid at the rate of only $19.40 an hour. Client visits can be as short as 15 minutes, in which case more than half that time is paid at the lower rate. Lifewise has threatened three separate lockouts of workers during the course of the dispute.
La. Army National Guard Spc. Ashlynn Cleveland loads a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe, during a mass vaccination event held at LSU's Tiger Stadium, in a partnership with the La. Dept. of Health, the La. National Guard and LSU, Sunday, March 14, 2021. It was expected that 800 doses would be administered by appointment, said La. National Guard Lt. Col. Dorrie Staal, Deputy Commander of Task Force Vaccine.
Lewis Brown with his parents Adam and Jennifer, and sisters Mischka, Riley and AllieMay

Kilcoole boy Lewis Brown (4) is in urgent need of surgery to correct a dislocated hip but his parents say they are 'getting the run around' about when that may happen.

Lewis has spina bifida which occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly.

'Lewis is a happy active boy who loves to play with his sisters,' said his mum Jennifer. 'He loves to play with his three sisters. We just want our boy to be comfortable and not be in pain,' she said.

'He doesn't sleep properly due to his hip as he can never get comfortable.'

Jennifer said that they have been promised hip surgery for the last two years for his dislocated hip. Because of it, his legs are two different lengths.

She said that the surgery would mean more independence and comfort, and less pain for Lewis, who would be able to stand and do a little more for himself. At times when she lifts him, Jennifer hears a pop and Lewis starts to cry.

Expand Close An x-ray of Lewiss dislocated hip / Facebook

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Whatsapp An x-ray of Lewiss dislocated hip

'My son even suffered a severe pressure sore due to his dislocated hip,' she said. 'Besides using his wheelchair Lewis loves to play on the floor with his sisters and the only way he can move is to bum shuffle around as he can't crawl due to his dislocated hip.

'His pressure sore got so bad you could see his tail-bone.'

In hospital, a plastic surgeon told Jennifer and her husband Adam that all they could do was keep him up off the floor for a few weeks while it healed.

Enable Ireland and the nursing team from Temple Street children's hospital have been a massive support to Lewis and his family, Jennifer said, and have made representations on his behalf regarding the pressure sore and surgery.

Jennifer said that she has received various vague assurances but still has no date for surgery.

'We were told Lewis would be first priority and would get surgery in January 2021. We were told we would get a letter in the door around Christmas time 2020 for a date for hip surgery.

'We never received that letter and we are still waiting.

'Before that we were promised in October 2019 that he would be having surgery soon.'

Lewis should have started playschool in 2019 for two years and should be going to primary school this September.

'Unfortunately this has been delayed,' said Jennifer.

'It took seven months for his pressure sore to heal and we are still waiting for surgery. It's awful to think that our boy is being held back all because of hip surgery.'

She fears that without the operation, the pressure sore will come back.

'I'd be lost without his team in Enable Ireland, especially his physiotherapist who has been amazing,' said Jennifer.

The physiotherapist has said that after surgery he would be well able to bear weight on his legs and use a walker.

At the moment Jennifer can't even put him standing up at all.

'When Lewis was born we were told he was going to die,' she said.

'He's better now than we thought he would be. He is such a good boy. If you can see what he can do with a dislocated hip, you can only imagine what he could do without it. We want him to be more independent and fulfil his potential.

'I think it's a disgrace. We've been getting excuse after excuse.

'If I or my husband had a dislocated hip it would be dealt with, so why not for Lewis? Just because he has spina bifida?

'He's a brilliant child and he's just being put into a box.'

A spokesman for the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that wile they don't comment on individual cases, the constituency office is always available to help with queries and cases.

'Any contacts made to our office are dealt with sensitively and in the strictest of confidence.'
The Centre told the Supreme Court that India could not be the capital of illegal migrants from across the world. It also while justified the detention of Rohingya Muslims in Jammu who are expected to be deported to Myanmar, as per a TOI report.

The Centre also said the Supreme Court did not have the domain to dictate to the Centre about its foreign relations. The court was hearing the plea of a Delhi-based Rohingya Muslim, who earlier without success sought its intervention to stop the deportation of his brethren from Assam, as he said there was genocide going on in Myanmar.

What is going on

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was representing the person, read out a judgment of the International Court of Justice indicting the Myanmar military junta for alleged genocide of Rohingya in Rakhine province since 2016-17.

DNA

When we know that they face extermination in Myanmar at the hands of the military, which has now usurped power through a coup, how could India not respect the right to life and human rights of Rohingya and push them into Myanmar? he asked. The UN special rapporteur too wanted to intervene in support of Bhushans client and pointed out that conventions bound India to provide shelter to the persecuted Rohingya.

Why there is no case

But solicitor general Tushar Mehta for the Centre and senior advocate Harish Salve for J&K opposed the rapporteurs intervention and convinced the bench led by CJI SA Bobde not to hear the rapporteurs counsel CU Singh, who insisted on assisting the court. Bobde said, You can assist when we seek it. At present, we do not want to hear you.

Mehta and Salve said India was not a signatory to the Refugee Convention and hence, Bhushans argument of non-refoulement did not hold legal weight. Mehta said, The MHA in an affidavit has told SC that continued stay of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar in India is absolutely illegal and has serious national security ramifications.

Express

When Bhushan alleged that the detention of 150 Rohingyas in Jammu was illegal and so was the proposal for their deportation, Mehta said the government was proceeding in accordance with the Foreigners Act and it would not deport anyone unless Myanmar confirmed their identity as their citizen. Bhushan said India should not believe what Myanmar says as that country had been indicted by the ICJ for genocide of Rohingya.



Mehta and Salve said, It is not within the domain of the SC to dictate to the government of India as to what kind of relationship or trust it should have with other nations.

The bench agreed. It reserved its order on the application argued by Bhushan.
His businesses are responsible for a considerable chunk of the Covid-related litigation currently before the courts but the chances are you would not recognise Paddy McKillen Jnr if he passed you in the street.

The media-shy businessman is battling the State over restrictions which have closed pubs and restaurants and halted 60pc of construction.

Companies in his Press Up hospitality and entertainment group, which he runs in partnership with close friend Matt Ryan, are also suing several major insurers over their refusal to pay out on business interruption claims.

The sums at stake in the cases run to tens of millions of euro but their outcome could have a much larger financial impact as publicans, hoteliers and builders around the country stand to benefit should they be successful.

A son of low-key Belfast-born businessman Paddy McKillen Snr, the younger Paddy (38) also shuns the spotlight.

Educated at St Michaels College in Dublin and UCD, his first foray into business was with Captain Americas in 2007. This was a partnership with Mr Ryan. The pair set up Press Up. Fourteen years later its portfolio includes 65 hotels, bars, restaurants, cinemas, venues and nightclubs.

They are also partners in construction group Oakmount, set up in 2014.

Mr McKillen has a 50pc stake in both businesses, his father owns 25pc, while the remainder is divided between Mr Ryan and business associate Liam Cunningham.

The businesses employed over 1,800 people directly before the pandemic hit.

Mr McKillen has never spoken publicly about his success.

When the business got attention at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2019, it was Mr Ryan who represented the partnership. However, Mr McKillens decision to eschew the limelight does not mean he is a pushover. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Former Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey learned this in 2019 when the Press Up company, which owns Dublins Dean Hotel, issued a robust defence to her personal injuries claim after she fell off an indoor swing. Ms Bailey withdrew the claim after the Irish Independent revealed she ran a 10km race three weeks after the incident, contrary to her claim she was unable to run at all for three months.

They just dont sit down and do nothing, said a source who has worked with Mr McKillen and Mr Ryan.

If they think something is wrong, they will not take things lying down. If they think legal action is required, they are not afraid to take it.

Paddy McKillen Snr is thought to be hands off in the business, leaving it to his son and Mr Ryan. The older McKillen built up an empire of commercial buildings, shopping centres and stores in the 1980s before growing an international property portfolio.

Despite this he only became widely known as a result of a number of high-stakes legal battles. In one landmark case Paddy Snr prevented the transfer of 2.1bn in performing loans into Nama. He also came out on top in a bitter battle with the billionaire Barclay brothers over the Maybourne Hotel Group in London.

His refusal to lie down in the face of adversity has clearly rubbed off on his son.

In the past week alone six Press Up companies initiated High Court proceedings against insurer Specialist Underwriting Services Ltd, while a lawsuit against the State seeking an indemnity or compensation for losses sustained by 18 group companies as a result of the enforced closure of hotels and pubs was before the Commercial Court.

Companies in the group are involved in litigation against FBD over its refusal to pay out for business interruption.

Lawsuits by two other firms in the group against insurers Axa and RSA over the same issue have been designated agreed test cases and will have a bearing on claims made by hundreds of other businesses.

A lawsuit against Allianz by Press Ups Mayson Hotel could also become a test case.

They believe that if businesses are shut down, they should be properly compensated and protected. When this is all over, people will have their lives to live and will want places to go to enjoy themselves, the source said.

In its lawsuit against the State over pub and restaurant closures, Press Up estimated it faced losses of 20m for 2020.

Meanwhile, an Oakmount company is taking proceedings aimed at restarting the construction of housing.

In court yesterday, counsel Rossa Fanning SC said his clients were not trying to minimise or trivialise the seriousness of public health crisis and recognised the Health Minister had a difficult job in deciding which activities to permit and which to prohibit.

But he said there was an extreme commercial urgency underlying the situation.

What I apprehend here is the minister favoured certain types of industry, perhaps through representations from the IDA or from the industry, on non-public health grounds. On what basis can the Intel factory be built down in Leixlip and housing not be built in Dublin? That is what the case comes down to, he said.
Manitoba Hydro's finances have been "shrouded in secrecy" by the province, which has systematically dismantled the regulatory system and choked off public access to information, a coalition of consumer and anti-poverty groups have told the Public Utilities Board.

Manitoba Hydro's finances have been "shrouded in secrecy" by the province, which has systematically dismantled the regulatory system and choked off public access to information, a coalition of consumer and anti-poverty groups have told the Public Utilities Board.

The Consumers Coalition  which includes the Consumers' Association of Canada (Manitoba), Harvest Manitoba and the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg  has taken the extraordinary step of appealing directly to the PUB to hold a special hearing on electricity rates in response to an unprecedented effort on the part of the provincial government to suppress all financial information about Hydro's current and future operations.

The PUB has not held a Hydro rate hearing since fall 2018 and the Crown utility has no plans to make a rate application in the near future.

KEVIN KING / POOL Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister

In its application, a copy of which was obtained by the Free Press, the coalition argues Premier Brian Pallister and his Progressive Conservative government's efforts to systematically close down avenues of public insight and oversight means the "long-term health of Manitoba Hydro is fundamentally unclear."

As evidence, the coalition cited the recent revelation of a $5-billion power sale to Saskatchewan  a deal that was downplayed in provincial news releases and all but ignored in the recent review of Hydro capital projects by former Saskatchewan Tory premier Brad Wall.

Sources told the Free Press the province downplayed the Saskatchewan sales to avoid undermining the political narrative of Wall's report, which harshly criticized the former NDP government for its decision to build the Keeyask generating station and Bipole III transmission line.

"The public interest is not well served when fundamental aspects of Manitoba Hydros rate making process are either not undertaken or shrouded in secrecy," the coalition application states.

The recent review of Manitoba Hydro capital projects by former Saskatchewan Tory premier Brad Wall all but ignored a deal for a $5-billion power sale to Saskatchewan. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Mark Taylor

Much of the concern is focused on Bill 35, a proposed law before the legislature that dramatically reduces regulatory oversight of electricity rates. The bill, if passed, would require Hydro to submit full general rate applications to the PUB only once every five years, allowing cabinet to set rates in the interim.

The coalition raises other concerns about the province's failure to approve and publish annual business plans, Hydro's refusal to produce annual integrated financial forecasts that detail the future state of revenues and expenditures and its inability to provide a timeline for publication of a new, multi-year strategic plan that it has been working on for two years.

The NDP opposition has also lodged a formal complaint about lack of access to Hydro executives at the standing committee on Crown services. The meetings often provide an opportunity to dig into Hydro's finances.

"The public interest is not well served when fundamental aspects of Manitoba Hydros rate making process are either not undertaken or shrouded in secrecy."  Consumers Coalition application for a PUB special hearing on electricity rates

An NDP spokesperson said that there have been only three meetings of the committee with Hydro officials since Pallister became premier in 2016.

Others who have been following Bill 35 and the dwindling public access to information about Hydro believe that what is happening here is part of a pattern exhibited by the Pallister government.

"There is a persistent pattern of behaviour here... that is disturbing," said Paul Thomas, a political scientist who has written extensively on government accountability.

"It has become a hallmark of this government to get heavily involved in the business of a Crown corporation to somehow protect itself against adverse publicity."

Thomas noted that while the NDP government also intervened directly in the business affairs of supposedly arms-length Crown corporations, it was much better at publicly disclosing its involvement.

Pallister's government, Thomas said, prefers to use "more submerged methods of persuasion," issuing directives that are well outside channels of public scrutiny.

"This behaviour contradicts the usual rhetoric of the Progressive Conservative party that Crown corporations should operate in a businesslike and efficient manner, free of political interference."

Hydro denied any concerted effort to shut down access to information.

Spokesperson Bruce Owen said the utility stopped drafting integrated financial forecasts several years ago because it had undertaken a broad operational review called Strategy 2040 that has been approved by the board of directors. There is no timetable right now for when that will be made public, he added.

Owen said the forecasts could be produced again in the future, but only after additional work is done on the development of something called the "integrated resource plan."

"It has become a hallmark of this government to get heavily involved in the business of a Crown corporation to somehow protect itself against adverse publicity."  Political scientist Paul Thomas

He also said Hydro's annual business plan was submitted to Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton last March and is waiting on approval. A spokesperson for Wharton's office said it was delayed by the pandemic but that an updated document for 2021-22 will be approved and released shortly.

Pallister refused an interview request but his office issued a written statement.

"These allegations are completely false," it said. "Despite a co-ordinated effort by the NDP and their friends to suggest otherwise, our government has been committed to moving Hydros financial and operational information from the dark  where it lived for years under the former government  into the light where it belongs so that Manitobans can have a full and true picture of what is happening with Manitobas largest and most important Crown corporation."

Some financial information is available through Hydro's annual and quarterly reports and through the provincial budget and public accounts. However, it's very general and often does not present a clear picture of what's going on inside the utility.

Typically, that baseline of information has been augmented in the public hearings that accompany the PUB rate hearings process.

"... our government has been committed to moving Hydros financial and operational information from the dark  where it lived for years under the former government  into the light where it belongs so that Manitobans can have a full and true picture of what is happening with Manitobas largest and most important Crown corporation."  Statement from Brian Pallister's office

It has been two years since Hydro appeared before the PUB in any context, and 2 1/2 years since it underwent a full general rate application hearing.

The future of Bill 35 is also complicating matters. First introduced last year, it has been designated for fall debate and voting by the opposition NDP, which is allowed to identify up to five bills that can be delayed in the spring session of the legislature.

That delay means the Pallister government may once again have to use its budget implementation bill to set a Hydro rate increase without any detailed oversight or public hearings.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
A group of more than a dozen Republican senators led by Ted Cruz and John Cornyn visited the southern border on Friday to see firsthand the situation of the migrant children and families coming into the United States.

Ted Cruz earlier said that there is a "humanitarian, national security, and health crisis" on the southern border because of the political decisions made by President Joe Biden.

The 19 Republican senators received a briefing by officials on the situation at the border before they toured the Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas.

According to Ted Cruz, the facility designed for 250 migrants already had almost 4,000. The senators also took a boat tour in Mission, Texas, according to a USA Today report.

"All of us today witnessed the Biden cages. What is occurring here on the border is heartbreaking, and it is a tragedy. This is inhumane, it is wrong," Cruz said in a press briefing.

Cruz further noted that the Donna facility had a 10 percent COVID-positivity rate, which is a rate much higher than the U.S. average.

Sen. John Barrasso said that border agents told them that their jobs got harder since Jan. 20, when Biden became the president.

Republican senators had released pictures of the migrant families and unaccompanied children inside the southern border facilities.

Sen. Thom Tillis released photos of babies, which he said had been handed over by smugglers, Fox News reported.

Here are babies handed over by smugglers. Babies. pic.twitter.com/bECBwBvwvd  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

These are the pictures the Biden administration doesnt want the American people to see. This is why they wont allow the press.



This is the CBP facility in Donna, Texas.



This is a humanitarian and a public health crisis. pic.twitter.com/UlibmvAeGN  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 26, 2021

Separately, Rep. Joaquin Castor and a group of Democratic House members also toured the Carrizo Springs in Texas, which serves as a temporary facility for migrant children and is run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Castro said in a press conference that they want to find solutions for this situation.

"We want to figure out how this system can work better, so that it's more humane, more respectful of people's dignity," Castro said after touring the Carrizo Springs facility.

RELATED ARTICLE: Biden Downplays Number of Migrant Crossings in First Press Conference

President Joe Biden's Response

On Thursday, Biden said he would not apologize for undoing former President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

A senior Biden official projected that the numbers of migrants arriving at the southern border would likely rise during "spring caravans," and the government is eyeing to go after smuggling organizations that were manipulating migrants.

Smugglers had been encouraging parents to send their children alone as a result of the shift in the immigration policies under Biden's presidency, according to a Reuters report.

Last week, the Biden administration announced a new facility for migrant children in West Texas, which HHS would use to house and care for young new arrivals.

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul said the Biden administration had created this crisis of migrant children coming to the U.S., NPR reported. McCaul added that the traffickers are smart, as well as the cartels, and "they know our laws, policies."

Immigration officials have recorded more than 100,000 migrants trying to cross the southern border in February, with more than 14,000 migrant teens and children now in U.S. custody.

READ MORE: Biden "Limits" Sharing of Info About Migrant Surge, Officials Claim

WATCH: New Images Reveal Crowded Conditions For Migrants At Border Patrol Facilities - From TODAY






Vietnam and China are the only two economies in East Asia and Pacific experiencing a V-shaped rebound where output has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Vietnams GDP growth in 2021 is set to rebound to 6.6%, higher than the governments target of 6.5%.

Only China and Vietnam are experiencing a V-shaped rebound where output has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, stated the World Bank (WB) in its latest economic update for East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) released today [March 26].

In the other major economies, output remained on average around 5% below pre-pandemic levels, it said, adding hardest hit of all have been the Pacific Island countries with tourism-reliant economies.

According to the WBs report, economic performance has depended on the effectiveness of virus containment, the ability to take advantage of the revival of international trade, and the capacity of governments to provide fiscal and monetary support.

In 2020, poverty in the region stopped declining for the first time in decades. An estimated 32 million people in the region failed to escape poverty (at a poverty line of $5.50/ day) due to the pandemic.

The economic shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has stalled poverty reduction and increased inequality, said Victoria Kwakwa, Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank. As countries begin to rebound in 2021, they will need to take urgent action to protect vulnerable populations and ensure a recovery which is inclusive, green and resilient.

Inequality increased, driven by the pandemic and resulting shutdowns, as well as unequal access to social services and digital technologies. In some countries, children in the poorest two-fifths of households were 20% less likely to be engaged in learning than children of the top one-fifth.

Women are suffering more violence than previously: 25% of respondents in Laos and 83% in Indonesia said that domestic violence worsened due to Covid-19.

Growth in the region is expected to accelerate from an estimated 1.2% in 2020 to 7.5% in 2021.

International cooperation more important than ever

The report estimates that US stimulus could add one percentage point on average to the growth of countries in the region in 2021 and advance recovery by about three months on average.

Risks to the outlook come from slow implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, which could slow growth by as much as 1 percentage point in some countries.

The report calls for action to contain the disease, support the economy, and green the recovery. It warns that with current stocks and allocation of vaccines, industrial countries would achieve more than 80% population coverage by the end of 2021, while developing countries will achieve only about 55% coverage.

In many EAP countries, relief is less than earning losses, stimulus has not fully remedied deficient demand, and public investment is not a significant part of recovery efforts, even as public debt has increased on average by seven percentage points of GDP. And green measures are outstripped by brown activities in the stimulus packages across the region: on average only one-in-four recovery measures taken by countries in the region are climate friendly.

We need international cooperation more than ever, to contain the disease, support the economy, and green the recovery, said Aaditya Mattoo, Chief Economist for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank.

The report calls for international cooperation in the production and approval of vaccines as well as in allocation based on need, to help contain Covid-19. Fiscal coordination would magnify the collective impact because some governments tend to under-provide stimulus. And apart from cooperative reduction in emissions, international assistance would help poorer developing countries take deeper climate action.

Hanoitimes
Two moped-riding thieves who stole more than 40,000 in cash and perfume in a series of heists in Londons West End have been jailed.

Alfie Atherton, 29, and Reed Roberts, 30, targeted several businesses between January 29 to March 3 last year.

The pair used stolen mopeds with fake number plates and concealed their identities with full-face motorcycle helmets and high-vis jackets to carry out raids across the capital.

On Friday at Snaresbrook Crown Court Atherton was sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail while Roberts was locked up for seven years and six months.

At an earlier hearing, Atherton pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted burglary and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place while Roberts pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery.

Alfie Atherton (pictured) has been jailed for 10 years and six months in jail after pleading guilty to pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted burglary and one count of possession of a bladed article

Reed Roberts, 30, was locked up for seven years and six months after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery

The pair were convicted following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Services Flying Squad.

Detective Constable Lenny OKeeffe, the investigating officer, said: Atherton and Roberts caused chaos in the West End, even threatening and using violence, in their bid to steal cash and high-value goods.

Atherton even caused more than 45,000 worth of damage to two stores when he attempted to steal even more expensive goods.

They soon discovered that crime does not pay and thanks to the investigative work by the Flying Squad, they will instead be spending a lengthy period of time behind bars.

On February 1 2020 a cash delivery was about to be made to a supermarket in Clerkenwell Road when the guard was confronted by a man wearing a fluorescent yellow jacket and a black motorcycle helmet, who attacked his arms and forced the victim to release the cash box.

The suspect grabbed the cash box and jumped onto a nearby waiting moped, which made off at speed. The driver of the moped was wearing a green jacket with a lighter coloured logo near the wrist.

A witness later saw two men cutting the cash box open an angle grinder in nearby Marjery Street. The suspects gained access to the box, which contained 22,000. They took the money, left the box and rode away again on the moped.

Detectives from the Flying Squad began investigating and made numerous enquiries, including reviewing CCTV, and tracked the moped to a gated residential car park in Flaxman Terrace.

The pair were seen arriving in convoy in two different cars, a Nissan Qashqai and a Vauxhall Astra, before pulling on their disguises and leaving on the two-wheeled machine.

Detectives linked the crime to a smash and grab robbery at a high-end department store in Marlborough Street, W1B, three days earlier.

At about 1.15am on January 29 2020 two men on a moped threw a large concrete slab through a window of the store  which cost more than 1,000 to repair.

One of the suspects  later identified as Atherton  climbed through the hole and filled a very large, white rubble sack with more than 20,500 worth of a high-end brand of perfume and aftershave. He was wearing a black full faced crash helmet, blue top, black waterproof trousers and black gloves.

As he was leaving the venue and dragging the bag towards the moped, he was confronted by a store security guard. Atherton then produced a large Rambo style knife and said get back or I will stab you.

The thieves made-off along Carnaby Street where they decanted some of stolen products and dropped the knife.

They were again spotted on CCTV entering the car park in Flaxman Terrace.

Footage released by Metropolitan Police showed the pair putting items from the perfume store into a large white bag

They were confronted by a security guard who was threatened by Atherton with a large 'Rambo knife' and told to get back or he would be stabbed

Following further enquiries, detectives also linked Atherton to two attempted smash and grab burglaries at designer stores in New Bond Street in the early hours of 3 March 2020.

At about 1:40am on 3 March 2020, four suspects on three mopeds were seen driving along New Bond Street. The mopeds approached a designer shop and one of the bikes rammed the front door, causing the door to break.

The moped continually rammed the security shutter, but the suspects were unable to gain entry. The moped was left in the doorwell and the suspects made off in the wrong direction along New Bond Street.

Shortly afterwards, the suspects approached another designer store and attempted to smash the glass front window with a concrete block. However, the suspects were forced to flee when a security guard in the road reversed his vehicle into one of the bikes, causing some bodywork or plastic trim to break off the bike. The debris from the moped was later seized by police.

The moped is seen outside the perfume store after the break-in in footage released by the Metropolitan Police

CCTV footage captured a man  later identified as Atherton  carrying a white motorcycle helmet at the car park in Flaxman Terrace. He later drove off on a moped. After the incident, the moped returned to the car park in Flaxman Terrace driven by Atherton  who was wearing the white helmet.

The damage to the two designer stores totalled more than 45,000.

After gathering enough evidence, Flying Squad detectives arrested Atherton and Roberts at their home address on 11 June 2020.

The knife recovered from the crime scene which was dropped in Carnaby Street after being used to threaten a store security guard

When detectives searched Roberts address, they recovered the clothing worn by the suspect in the shop of the smash and grab robbery on 29 January 2020 as well as the fluorescent jacket and a black motorcycle helmet worn by the suspect in the cash in transit robbery on 1 February 2020 and the green jacket worn by the getaway moped driver. Detectives also recovered six bottles of the same brand of aftershave stolen during the robbery of the department store.

The Qashqai captured on CCTV was also registered to Roberts. When officers searched the vehicle, they found a quantity of cutting disks - as used in angle grinders - in the boot.

Forensic evidence also linked Atherton to the concrete block thrown through the window of the department store on 29 January, 2020 as well as the Rambo knife used in the robbery which was dropped in Carnaby Street.

The court heard that the car park in Flaxman Terrace was the staging area which Atherton and Roberts used prior to and post each offence. Neither lived at the address and could not account for why they had access to the car park.

Atherton and Roberts were both charged on 12 June 2020 and were convicted as above.

The court heard that both defendants have previous convictions for smash and grab robberies in the West End.
In late February, President Joe Biden's administration issued new guidelines regarding use of recreational marijuana for staffers. A White House official told NBC News that these new rules would effectively protect our national security while modernizing policies to ensure that talented and otherwise well-qualified applicants with limited marijuana use will not be barred from serving the American people.

The guidelines require staffers to stop using marijuana during their employment, as the substance is still illegal at the federal level, and submit to random drug testing.

However, in what appeared to be a conflict with this new policy, White House press secretary Jan Psaki announced that five White House staffers were terminated because of their previous use of cannabis. A report from the Daily Beast said the number was actually in the dozens, with some relegated to remote work.

Psaki later clarified the White House position, stating that "a number" of the five people terminated had additional security issues in their past, and that the new guidelines have allowed "around a dozen" White House staff members to continue serving who would have been disqualified in previous administrations.

This morning, California state Sen. Scott Wiener tweeted his opposition to the actions, referencing the 1936 film "Reefer Madness," which has become a historical touchstone for scaremongering regarding cannabis use.

"It's just disappointing, because we finally have a president who gets it on a lot of issues," Wiener told SFGATE. "He's not been great on cannabis, but he's getting better. The idea that you have these young White House staffers that got fired or otherwise harmed because they use cannabis, it's just very disappointing and I hope that the administration can reverse those decisions."

His sentiments echoed a chorus of 30 Democratic lawmakers who sent a letter Thursday to President Biden asking the administration to stop punishing staffers for recreational cannabis use. It's the type of letter that Wiener said he'd be willing to sign himself.

"It just surprised me," Wiener said. "I know there's weird federal law around federal employment. I think there's a lot of support in Congress for not being punitive around cannabis, even bipartisan support. So hopefully if there is something that can legally be fixed, it can be fixed."
The awesomeness is back! The biggest Superheroes of Hollywood return to save the day on the ultimate destination of the biggest Hollywood hits, &flix. With its flagship property Flix Superheroes airing weeknights at 9, the channel brings a multiverse that is a must-watch with blockbuster titles like Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity Wars, Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming and more for those who truly love superheroes 3000! Taking the awesomeness to the next level for these passionate fans, &flix has released a special music video Awesome In Disguise in collaboration with the leading multilingual pop-folk band When Chai Met Toast. An ode to those who inspire us to take the leap of faith, the upbeat soundtrack depicts how its not just the suits and superpowers, but the heart which is where the awesomeness stems from.

The track which is a foot-tapping melody talks about a journey of bringing together a group of marvellous people to unleash what makes them awesome and extraordinary. Packed with mesmerising acoustics, the music inspires you to #LeapForth with faith that puts you on the path of redefining yourself. Along with the band comprising members Achyuth Jaigopal, Ashwin Gopakumar, Pai Sailesh and Pale Francis, the music video also brings forth those individuals who have achieved nothing short of miraculous feats through their spectacular show of strength, skill and sheer will.

Featuring in this video will be Parul Arora, the National Gold Medalist Gymnast who aced backflips in a saree, Anam Hashim, Indias only professional street bike freestyle athlete to have won at an International event and Sagar Waghela, the star boy of the skateboarding circuit who and more. Other featured talents include Manasi Joshi, Indian para-badminton player, the current World Champion and a changemaker in the sporting world and Hydroman aka. Jaydeep Gohil, Indias first underwater dancer.

Speaking about the music video, Kartik Mahadev, Business Head, Premium Channels, ZEEL said, As a young brand , &flix has constantly innovated to address consumer needs with a string of category first initiatives and special curation of content. With the growing popularity of Hollywood movies across the country, the Superhero genre has seen strong consumer interest. TO understand this better we recently released a study capturing Movie lovers in India called : Hollywood Is For Everyone. The study revealed that 90% movie lovers claim to have grown up with Superheroes from Hollywood. As a channel, we are excited with the latest edition of Flix Superheroes that brings the biggest titles from the Marvel universe to the movie fans. With these movies, its not just about the mask and capes that make the Superheroes awesome but the awesomeness that starts from within which is truly inspiring and needs be celebrated. We are thrilled to have collaborated with When Chai Met Toast who with their distinct music have brought this version of the Superheroes to life. We are excited to bring this track to movie fans as we celebrate the spirit of awesome humans around us.

Speaking about the association, lead vocalist of When Chai met Toasts Ashwin Gopakumar said, We were exhilarated at this opportunity to collaborate with &flix as we truly believe in the message that it takes one to be awesome from within. Being ardent superhero fans ourselves, it was exciting to work on a project that celebrated real-life icons who inspire us. With this as the guiding force, over the course of this production, we have passionately involved ourselves to create something special that exalts these real-life icons with the music video. We had great fun shooting the same with the many talented individuals who each possessed unabashed passion and courage that truly inspires us. We are certain that fans are sure to be delighted.
Outside Batley Grammar School on Friday morning, the protesters were unequivocal: they would continue demonstrating until the teacher was sacked.

Four days after reports emerged that an RE teacher had shown his class a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad  in an apparently misguided attempt to educate about blasphemy  anger in the West Yorkshire town showed no signs of abating.

Thirty men and teenagers spent the morning outside the school, which is attended by children as young as four, and demanded that the principal apologise (he already has done) and that the teacher concerned be fired (he has been suspended).

The person [the Prophet Muhammad] who you are attacking here, we hold more dear to us than the air we breathe, said a 25-year-old, who gave his name only as Tainy. This is how deep this is to our community.

Read more:

Its much bigger than a school issue. The content he used should not be used. If you want to teach about blasphemy, you can reference that in your lesson  You can have a conversation; you dont need to show the picture. You can talk about it without showing it.

Tainy himself, like many of those protesting, had no direct link to the school  which amid the chaos had been kept shut for the day.

But he said he had been left reeling at hearing that the caricature  thought to be an image from Charlie Hebdo  had been shown to pupils.

This is not a precedent we are going to allow, he said. In this country, you cant say anything about people who are LGBT or anything anti-Israel, and thats fine, but Islam is okay? It has to stop.

What was the action they were calling for? He should never teach again, said Tainys friend Hash Hash, 20. Even if they say this was a mistake, how can it be? How could a teacher possibly not know how much hurt this picture has caused? Well keep coming here until he is gone.

The demonstration  which followed similar protests on Thursday  lasted about three hours before most people started leaving for Friday prayers. It was a peaceful, rather mundane affair. With no pupils or teachers in school, those who gathered mainly milled about and chatted. One read a statement to reporters (who at one point probably outnumbered the protesters). "We do not accept that the school has taken this issue seriously given that its taken them four days to merely suspend only one of the teachers involved, it said.

Binyamin Abbas stands in front of Batley Grammar School protests (The Independent)

By Friday afternoon, at the Al Hashim Academy, one of Batleys best-known mosques, the mood felt much the same.

We would like to see serious action taken, said the imam, Khabbaab Ahmad. This is no ordinary matter. Its a serious issue here. It has caused a lot of hurt.

Did he believe that protesting outside a place attended by four-year-olds was an appropriate course of action?

Well, if there were alternative ways of addressing this, that would be nice, but the alternatives are not there. I dont know what other options they have, he said. The demonstration  we do not tell anyone to go there  but whoever is there, they do have their own points and if those points can be addressed [by the school], they wouldnt be there.

Such flare-ups could be avoided in future, he suggested, by allowing parents  and the community  to have a greater input in the curriculum in the first place.

Officials at the school  which was founded in 1612 and has about 850 pupils aged between 4 and 16  will be hoping that the Easter break acts as a cooling-off period.

In a statement, the schools headteacher, Gary Kibble, promised a full investigation. The school unequivocally apologises for using a totally inappropriate image in a recent religious studies lesson, he said. It should not have been used. A member of staff has also relayed their most sincere apologies.

His words and actions were supported by the local MP, Tracy Brabin, who said that no teacher should be facing intimidation or threats and that the focus should now be on the welfare and education of the children at this school.

She added: Those who seek to fan the flames of this incident will only provoke hate and division in our community.

Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon a petition appeared on the Change.org website, purporting to have been created by a student and requesting that the teacher remain.

He had the intent to educate, the post states. He does not deserve such large repercussions. He is not racist and did not support the Islamiphobic [sic] cartoons in any manner. This has got out of hand.

By 9pm on Friday it was approaching 25,000 signatures.

Yet any hopes that such arguments might persuade or placate the protesters appear forlorn.

This [showing the image] isnt a mistake, said Binyamin Abbas, a 37-year-old father-of-three who has two teenage children at the school. Hes a religious teacher. He knows whats wrong and right. He should not teach again. We need an inquiry: why what has happened has been allowed to happen. We will keep protesting until that happens.

As a parent, was he himself not worried by the disruption to education that picketing the place would cause?

Of course, he replied. But we send our children to school to learn and become good citizens. Being taught this extremism is the true disruption here.
Pauly DelVecchio is a world-renowned DJ who loves food almost as much as his co-star Big Daddy Sitch. Showbiz Cheat Sheet spoke with DJ Pauly D about his latest food venture. During our conversation, we also picked the reality stars brain about his favorite places to eat while filming Jersey Shore in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Plus, DelVecchio shared his go-to drunk food now.

DJ Pauly D | Matthew Eisman/FilmMagic

Food has always been a staple among the Jersey Shore roommates

Jersey Shore is a show about family. And nothing brings a family together like food. During the early seasons of the show, Sunday dinner became a staple in the household.

Sunday family dinner was very important because it brought us together, Mike The Situation Sorrentino explained to Vulture. Someone would set the table, and someone would make the salad, and we would all eat together and say grace. We came together [at] Sunday dinner and put our differences aside, and we always had differences.

While the cast of Jersey Shore get together in a different way now, they still make it a point to enjoy meals together and host Sunday dinners when they can.

DJ Pauly Ds go-to spot at the Jersey Shore is Steaks Unlimited

During our conversation with the Jersey Shore star about his new ghost kitchen, Pauly Ds Italian Subs, we had to ask about DelVecchios favorite spots to eat in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. My favorite spot to eat is Steaks Unlimited, DelVecchio said. The Jersey Shore staple is located right across from another common hangout on the series  Beachcomber Bar and Grille.

On @FrankieEdgar 's recommendation we are hitting Steaks Unlimited on the Jersey shore. Phenomenal! pic.twitter.com/POLfUwKdXF  Duane Finley (@DuaneFinleyMMA) October 9, 2014

RELATED: Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Fans Think Angelina Pivarnick and Chris Larangeira Will Be on a Marriage Counseling Show

Its where we used to go after the club, DelVecchio explained. It was like a staple, like after the club and youre drunk, you want some good food. We got the [best] cheesesteaks over there. Now, DelVecchios drunk food preferences have changed a bit.

DJ Pauly Ds favorite drunk food is Chick-Fil-A

Its been a few years since DelVecchio has been back to Danny Merks now-famous Jersey Shore house. Ironically, that means his trips to Steaks Unlimited have been quite limited. Nowadays, DelVecchio prefers Chick-Fil-A when hes drunk.

My go-to drunk food right now would have to be Chick-Fil-A, DelVecchio shared with Showbiz. Like many of us, DelVecchio often finds himself craving their chicken on Sundays when the fast-food chain is closed.

[When] I used to travel, we would be in the airport on a Sunday [craving Chick-Fil-A] and its closed, DelVecchio lamented. Im like, Come on!'

Nikki Hall cooks for Pauly DelVecchio now

Anymore, DelVecchio has been enjoying his girlfriends cooking. Double Shot at Love star Nikki Hall enjoys whipping up meals, as documented on her social media. And while the Jamaica native often prepares delicious cuisine from the island, its her chicken parmigiana that DelVecchio likes best.

My favorite thing Nikki [cooks] for me is chicken parm, DelVecchio told us. Its actually really good. DelVecchio said Hall never made the Italian dish before dating him. Now, chicken parm is a regular meal for the reality stars. We have it every Sunday, DelVecchio said.
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Greater Noida: The Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) on Friday (March 26) announced that it will be organising a National Lok Adalat online from April 10. The aim of starting this online forum will be to address the disputes between home buyers and developers.

This is the first time a lok adalat is being set up for resolving issues related to real estate. This step will help and reduce the pending cases.

The authorities will organise Lok adalats online from Greater Noida and Lucknow offices on four dates, which are April 10, July 10, September 11 and December 11.

As per the data by UP Rera, over 70 percent of the pending cases are from Noida, Greater Noida, Yamuna Expressway and Ghaziabad areas. A total of 6,500 cases are pending right now.

ALSO READ: LIC home loan at 6.90%, these are the key documents you will require

These cases are filed over issues like flat size, parking space, flat cost escalation, interest waiver and refund of investment, informed the UP Rera officials.

The step was taken after UP state legal service authority directed Rera to organise lok adalats.

The homebuyers can file an application on the UP Reras portal and get their cases settled. The National Lok Adalat is an effort to provide speedy justice to home buyers. If this initiative runs smoothly, we can organise lok adalats next year too. We want to know how beneficial this exercise is going to be for consumers, Hindustan Times quoted legal advisor to UP Rera and nodal officer of the lok adalat, Anand Shukla.

The complaints are filed under sections 31 and 63 of Rera Act, informed the authorities, adding that the cases where a settlement is possible will be taken up for hearing in the lok adalats.

Through the lok adalats, homebuyers will get a transparent amicable settlement and speedy disposal of their cases, said Rajesh Kumar Tyagi, secretary of UP Rera.

The UP Rera officials will send the link for online hearing to the complainant buyer and the realtor before the opening date, which is April 10.
YEREVAN.  Past daily of Armenia writes: According to Past newspapers information, the issue related to the sharp increase in the number of infected people, due to the next wave of the coronavirus, is one of the priority issues being discussed in the government these days.

According to our information, there were several closed consultations in the government in connection with this circumstance; the question of whether it is expedient to again transition to tightening the restrictions (including a total lockdown) was mainly discussed, but those in charge of the economic bloc expressed the opinion that such a step would have irreversible consequences for the state, as a number of sectors (restaurants, hotels, etc.) are trying to repair their losses. They reported to [PM Nikol] Pashinyan that such a step would raise a new wave of discontent and would inflict another blow on [his] already rather low [popularity] rating.

On the other hand, the relevant officials said that how much some sectors work these few months is important, as the authorities will be able to compare the statistical figures with the same period last year, when there was a total lockdown [in Armenia] and the borders were completely closed, and to serve lavish figures to the public.
Valeo Foods, the Irish owner of brands including Batchelors, Kettle, and Kelkin is being circled by the former boss of Premier Foods in a continuing sales process thats likely to value the business at about 1.7bn.

Valeo, headed by former Aer Lingus executive Seamus Kearney, is owned by CapVest, the private equity firm that was established by Cavan financier Seamus Fitzpatrick.

CapVest hired Goldman Sachs a number of months ago to run a sales process that has lured potential bidders.

Sky News reported yesterday that ex-Premier Foods CEO Gavin Darby is among those now sizing up a potential run at Valeo, whose brands also include Rowse Honey, Silvermints, Chef, Odlums and Shamrock.

Mr Darby is reportedly working alongside private equity group Cinven as he lays the groundwork for a tilt at the Irish company.

CapVest declined to comment.

Private equity groups Bain, Advent International and PAI Partners are also among those running the rule over Valeo, it was reported.

Mr Darby ran Premier Foods for six years and would become Valeos chairman if his bid succeeds.

Premier Foods owns a suite of household brands such as Bisto, Birds Custard, Mr Kipling and Oxo.

In 2017, Mr Darby narrowly avoided a bid by shareholders to oust him from the group and in 2018 announced he would leave the business in early 2019.

Valeo Foods was established in 2010 as a portfolio business of CapVest. It has expanded significantly then via bolt-on acquisitions. It has annual sales of more than 1.2bn.

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Bengaluru, March 28 : Former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was booked after a woman had accused him of sexually harassing her and released a video where both of them were purportedly seen in a compromising position, has said that as it came to light who the real 'mahanayak' (big leader) is in this case, he will soon file a complaint against state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar.

Jarkiholi was forced to resign on March 3 after the CD was released to several news channels on March 2, in which he could be allegedly seen in a compromising position with a woman. Since March 2, the sleaze CD saga has witnessed many twists and turns with the woman in the alleged CD releasing video clips one after the other from an undisclosed location, accusing the former minister of exploiting her sexually besides threatening her family. So far she has released five video clips since March 13.

Jarkiholi alleged that in this case Shivakumar is a criminal-minded politician and he would pay the price for this.

"I have gathered as many as 11 pieces of evidence and I will soon hand over these to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is probing the case," he said.

The former Minister said that now that everybody knows who the "mahanayak" is and what he's done.

"I will take him to court for sure," he said and vowed that he would neither forgive him nor allow him to forget what he has done to him.

Using a cuss word against the Karnataka Congress chief on multiple occasions, he charged that Shivakumar is unfit to politics and there will be no chance of forgiving him this time.

"No one should indulge in such politics. It's best if Shivakumar retires," he said.

Jarkiholi claimed that the parents of the woman in the CD case have also confirmed who is the mahanayak.

"Neither my family nor I have ever cheated any woman. If anyone proves that I have cheated any woman, I will hang myself. Let the police kick and drag me to the police station, if I am proved guilty even slightest," he said.

Jarkiholi pointed out that with Shivakumar already admitting to his close association with Naresh Gowda, who is one of the accused in the scandal, it is clear that he was actively involved in a conspiracy against him.

Repeatedly claiming that he was 'innocent' in the Sleaze CD case, Jarkiholi said that he would provide all required support to defeat Shivakumar in the next Elections in Kanakapura, whoever is ready to fight him.

"I will join anyone who is ready to fight and defeat him in Kanakapura, which is home turf for a long time," he said.

Jarkiholi and Shivakumar had been nursing grudge against each other since 2018, after the former opposed his interference in matters of Belagavi district, that sends 18 MLAs to Assembly, where Jarkiholi family comprising of five brothers - Ramesh, Bhimshi, Balachandra, who are with BJP and Satish and Lakhan with Congress party, whose influence runs large in the sugar bowl of Karnataka.

Jarakiholi's spat with Shivakumar became public in 2018 ultimately led to fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by H. D. Kumarswamy.

He joined BJP with one condition that he be given the water resources portfolio that Shivakumar held and his office that allotted in Vidhan Soudha to prove a point.
Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, believes President Biden's press conference performance Thursday raises questions about his fitness for office.

The Texas congressman said Friday that Biden's behavior at his first solo press conference 'should concern every American who wants to know that their president is fit for duty and in control,' Fox News reported.

'The president of the United States was armed with a picture book of friendly reporters to call on and with what appeared to be prepared answers, but he still could barely make it through his first press conference,' Jackson said.

Biden's first formal news conference came 65 days after he took office, far longer of a wait than many of his predecessors, and he answered reporters' questions for a little over an hour.

Among the notable developments were Biden's announcements that he plans to seek reelection in 2024 with Vice President Harris as his running mate, he is open to revamping the filibuster to achieve passage of his policy priorities and he does not envision U.S. forces in Afghanistan next year, The Washington Post reported.

Joe's Biden's fitness for office has been questioned by Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, above, who says Biden's behavior at his first solo press conference Thursday 'should concern every American who wants to know that their president is fit for duty and in control.' The news conference came 64 days after he took office

Biden, 78, drew attention with a physical misstep last week, stumbling multiple times and falling as he boarded Air Force One

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki avoided questions about whether the president was examined by a doctor after his fall

Jackson and other Republicans were critical of the president's first official meeting with the news media.

'If President Biden cannot handle questions from his cheerleaders in the White House press corps, then it is concerning to think about how he represents the American people when speaking to foreign leaders,' Jackson said.

Biden, 78, drew attention with a physical misstep last week, stumbling multiple times and falling as he boarded Air Force One. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki avoided questions about whether the president was examined by a doctor afterward.

Jackson said Biden's performance should concern every American who wants to know that their president is fit for duty and in control.'

The Department of Defense inspector general issued a review of Jackson's service as the top White House physician, concluding the former Rear Admiral made 'sexual and denigrating' comments about a female subordinate, violated the policy for drinking alcohol while on a presidential trip and took prescription-strength sleeping medication

Jackson claimed the report was politically motivated and brought out old allegations because of his support for former President Donald Trump, who backed Jackson's 2020 congressional bid

Jackson's own ability to serve in White House came under scrutiny after a watchdog report revealed he drank alcohol and took Ambien on a presidential trip.

The investigation of Jackson, who sits on the House Armed Services subcommittee overseeing military personnel, was launched in 2018 and examined allegations dating back to his time serving during the Obama and Trump administrations.

On a presidential trip to the Philippines in April 2014, four witnesses who traveled with then-President Barack Obama said Jackson became intoxicated and made inappropriate comments about a female medical subordinate, the report said.

Two years later in Argentina, two witnesses said they saw Jackson drinking a beer while he was serving as the physician to the president and in charge of providing medical care for a presidential trip, despite regulations prohibiting him from drinking for 24 hours before the President's arrival until two hours after he left.

The report also detailed a series of incidents under Obama and former President Donald Trump in which Jackson lost his temper, cursing at subordinates.

Jackson claimed the report was politically motivated, saying the inspector general 'resurrected' old allegations against him because he refused to 'turn my back on President (Donald) Trump,' who was a vocal supporter of his 2020 congressional bid.

Jackson, who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral, told CNN he rejected 'any allegation that I consumed alcohol while on duty.'
For seven months, 5-year-old Megan has seen her kindergarten teacher only on a screen. So she was thrilled at the prospect of heading into her Oakland classroom this week to meet in person.

Instead, Megan will encounter a stranger on Tuesday, a substitute assigned to teach her Montclair Elementary class for the next two weeks.

Thats because an agreement between the district and the teachers union gave teachers the option of returning in late March but didnt require it. Officials hoped an $800 stipend would lure enough back to reopen schools starting with preschool through second grade, more than two weeks before all schools reopen to eligible students on April 19.

In many schools, it didnt work. Too many teachers opted out, and more than a dozen schools will not reopen as planned Tuesday, with another 30 partially reopening to only the most vulnerable students.

Meanwhile, San Francisco is grappling with its own reopening challenges. Officials are worried they wont have enough teachers to cover all classrooms, and some families still dont know whether their children will be going back two or five days a week.

In both districts, many families are still unsure if or when their childrens teachers will return to classrooms, whether transportation will be available and whether after-school programs will be running.

This was not the way school reopening was supposed to go, families said.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

The setbacks and confusion plaguing a return to in-person learning in Oakland and San Francisco are frustrating families eager for a return to normalcy after a year of distance learning during which many children struggled with social isolation, learning loss and mental health issues.

Oakland and San Francisco already lagged behind many large districts across the country in bringing back students, despite prioritizing educators for vaccinations and having authorization from health officials to reopen months ago. Both districts have been wrangling with labor unions and facilities issues as well as school boards focused on more than just reopening schools.

The problems could mean a significant loss of state funding tied to reopening most schools by mid-May, as well as a future financial toll from Oakland and San Francisco families fleeing to reopened private schools or public schools in neighboring districts.

To be sure, reopening big urban school districts  San Francisco has more than 52,000 students and Oakland more than 36,000  is complicated. Despite many officials working long days to bring students back, there were bound to be hiccups and unexpected problems.

This has been a challenging time for everyone, said San Francisco district spokesperson Gentle Blythe. We are following public health guidelines that keep shifting and detailed labor agreements that took countless hours to reach. Weve been setting up and inspecting thousands of classrooms and creating schedules for nearly 22,000 students. As hard as we try, its understandable there is confusion.

Each school district in California has had to figure out how to reopen  and when  on their own, with buy-in from labor unions. Some Bay Area students have been back in classrooms at least part time since September, while others remain online only, despite similar coronavirus case rates in their communities.

San Francisco and Oakland plan to reopen to elementary students in April, as well as students with high needs, including foster youths, homeless students, recent immigrants and those in special education programs. While Oakland plans to also bring back sixth-graders, neither district has a comprehensive plan to reopen middle and high schools.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

In San Francisco, a recent agreement calls for district schools to start reopening on April 12, phasing in elementary students and vulnerable students across all grades with the highest needs.

But like Oakland, the district is questioning whether it will have enough teachers to reopen to all families that want to come back.

So far, 13% of San Francisco educators scheduled to return  or 274 staff members  have applied to remain online-only, saying they or a family member are at increased risk for severe illness because of COVID-19.

California educators have had priority status for vaccinations for more than a month, although its unclear how many teachers have had both doses.

Unlike many school districts that require a formal legal process to receive accommodation to remain at home, San Francisco officials agreed to accept a doctors note as proof. Those with accommodations will continue to teach remotely, with substitutes or other staff covering the in-person part of the schedule.

In the reopened Novato schools, just one central office staff member out of 800 employees, including teachers, has a medical waiver to remain online. In Manteca, where schools have been open since the fall, none of the 1,100 teachers has such a waiver, district officials said.

We are currently working to recruit and hire additional substitutes, said San Francisco district spokesperson Laura Dudnick. We will continue to monitor these numbers to make every effort to staff every classroom for the spring.

Parent Sharon Ng, whose third-grade daughter attends San Franciscos Webster Elementary, said she knows there will be problems with reopening, but shes excited for her daughter to meet her teacher.

Its more important that were doing something and its not perfect, she said. Its definitely scary and frustrating and all these things, but the benefits outweigh the hassle.

Oakland school board President Shanthi Gonzales, who has been pushing for schools to reopen as soon as possible, acknowledged bumps in navigating the process, including the shortage of teachers returning Tuesday.

About 700 of 2,400 educators eligible to return have agreed to do so Tuesday, union officials said.

Ideally, everybody would have been thrilled about coming back, but I understand there is lot of fear and trepidation, she said. I know weve already lost families to private schools and charter schools. We have to provide something really good so families will come back.

The reversal on reopening some schools could impede that effort.

COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California.

At Melrose Leadership Academy, 70% of teachers opted to return on Tuesday, but for the first week of in-person learning, they are offering families only self-guided tours of the school or in-person parent-teacher conferences.

Parent Laura Powell was furious.

These activities obviously dont qualify as instruction, she said in a letter to Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. The children will be supervised by their parents during these activities, and no required instruction will be provided.

Melrose had previously scheduled minimum days for this week, which prevented a return to in-person learning, officials said. Since the following week is spring break, the schools students wont return to class until April 12.

It makes me wonder if there are financial incentives at play in claiming that a school has reopened when it is not actually providing in-person instruction, she told The Chronicle.

Parent Timadge Berkhadley said Peralta Elementary staff notified families a few teachers were unable to return on Tuesday for personal reasons.

Her second-grade daughter wont return now until April 19, given a lack of substitutes and staff to cover all the classrooms.

Its unfortunate that schools werent ready, she said. Weve been out of school for a year. Its poor planning at the expense of the kids.

Despite some Oakland parents disappointment that kids will have to wait or have substitutes, they are eager to get them back in class.

Teacher Erin Ronhovde said her school, East Oakland Pride, will be among those partially reopening. She said she and other teachers felt the reopening was rushed, with little time to make personal arrangements and prepare for a shift to teaching both online and in person each day.

Families are still confused about the schedule, whether their child will be at school in the afternoons two or four days a week and the students and teachers have not had time to prepare students for the emotional shift, Ronhovde said.

For most teachers at my school we just needed more time, she said. We owe it to families to have a plan and not have them drop their kids in a building where teachers are not ready to teach.

Megans mom, Annie Gottbehuet, said her daughter was sad and upset when she learned that her teacher wouldnt be there until mid-April, but shes planning to send her daughter back Tuesday anyway.

Im really nervous about sending her to school with someone who is not her teacher as her first experience walking into the school, she said. The lack of interaction that shes getting with her peers and a teacher trumps not having her teacher there.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Jilltucker
Ahead of the festive season, gold prices in India seem to have gone down as it fell below Rs 44,000 per 10 gram of 22-carat gold on Saturday. As per the Good Returns website, it also saw a dip of Rs 160 per 10 gram for both 22-carat and 24-carat gold.

After this, the gold rates (10 gram of 22 carat) fell down to Rs 43,760 from the previous Rs 43,920 and the price of 24-carat gold fell to Rs 44,760 from Rs 44,920 per 10 grams. Notably, gold rates plunged by over Rs 10,000 or 18% per 10 gm in the last 6 months from Rs 56,200 per 10 gm in August last year.

The website also revealed that the price of 22-carat gold in Delhi is Rs 43,850 per 10 gm, while in Chennai it is trading at Rs 42,160 In Mumbai, the precious metal is being sold at Rs 43,760, In Vadodara and Ahmedabad, the prices remained below Rs 44,000  Rs 44,200 to be specific (for the ten grams of 22-carat gold).

Gold prices slipped towards a one-week low on Friday, on course for a first weekly decline in three, with bullion pressured by a rallying dollar following positive US economic data and as vaccine roll-outs gathered steam.

Spot gold was down 0.2% at $1,724.03 per ounce by 0420 GMT on Friday, having hit a one-week low of $1,721.46 in the previous session. US gold futures were down 0.1% at $1,722.70 per ounce.
In an ever-changing academic year unlike any other, Lehigh Valley colleges and universities are now addressing changes that could make campuses more like they were pre-COVID-19.

That includes whether to require vaccinations, planning in-person commencements and when to return to all in-person classes.

On Thursday, Rutgers University announced it will require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before the fall semester, one of the first colleges in the country to tie enrollment to vaccination.

The university will not require faculty and staff to get vaccinated, though it strongly encourages them to do so, officials said.

Requiring vaccinations for students has precedent in higher education, with some campuses requiring vaccinations including TDap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), meningitis, and hepatitis.

The Harvard Law Review wrote this month about how colleges and universities may lawfully impose a COVID-19 vaccination mandate on students as a condition of returning to campus.

Lehigh University in its most recent update said it is considering adding the COVID-19 vaccine to its list of required vaccinations for students. Nothing has been finalized yet and the timeline remains uncertain, university spokeswoman Lori Friedman said.

Lafayette Colleges physician will make future decisions about requiring the vaccine, based on further evaluations from the FDA and aligned with any state recommendations, Lafayette spokesman Mark Eyerly said.

Moravian College in Bethlehem does not yet have plans in place for the fall, including whether a vaccine would be required for returning students, spokesman Mike Corr said. Discussion is still underway but nothing close to finalized yet, he said.

Muhlenberg College is keeping its current campus COVID-19 guidelines and procedures in place until a time when most campus community members or visitors have had the opportunity to be vaccinated. At that time we will review our guidelines, said Brian Speer, Muhlenbergs vice president of communications.

Fo the past few months Muhlenberg, Cedar Crest and Lafayette colleges have been trying to arrange vaccine clinics for their campuses.

Our success is, of course, tied to the availability of the vaccine, Speer said.

Cedar Crest applied in December to be a point of distribution for students and staff.

We have not yet been authorized to deliver the vaccine on site despite our willingness and ability to safely deliver these vaccinations through our health center and School of Nursing, Cedar Crest CFO and Treasurer Audra Kahr said.

The areas two community colleges are working with Lehigh Valley Health Network to host mass vaccination drive-through clinics open to the public and eligible students and staff.

Northampton Community College is hosting one on March 27, and Lehigh Carbon Community College is working with Lehigh County Emergency Management and LVHN to set up a similar clinic at the colleges Schnecksville campus.

LCCC students and staff would be able to make appointments for these clinics according to priority protocol established by CDC, Linda Baker, LCCCs executive director of college relations.

President Joe Biden has directed states to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1.

While commencement ceremonies were online last year, some schools are holding versions of in-person ceremonies this spring.

Lehigh University is planning separate ceremonies for undergraduates and graduate students by year, as well as a single, virtual commencement address.

Lafayette and Muhlenberg colleges are holding an in-person commencements in May with limited guests and remote access available. Lafayettes will be outdoors in Fisher Stadium rain or shine, while Muhlenbergs will be in the PPL Center in Allentown.

LCCC has chosen a virtual commencement again this year where speeches and the reading of graduate names are pre-recorded and played May 12.

A team has been working on the presentation for several months, with the goal to make it a meaningful, student-centered ceremony, Baker said. The program will include photos of the graduates in their cap and gown, which is provided to interested graduates free of charge, as well as presentation of the Student of the Year, and other honors.

Vaccines may not be required this fall, but some schools have already announced they will return to full in-person classes later this year.

Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and the University of Connecticut announced they are returning to in-person lessons for the fall, a near normal semester.

Harvard announced it expects a full return to campus.

Northampton Community College plans to fully reopen this fall, while offering in-person and online programs similar to the pre-pandemic semesters.

Im excited to say our campuses will be fully open this fall, NCC President Mark Erickson said in a news release. We anticipate a vibrant presence of students, faculty, and staff back on campus, creating the energy and engagement that has been the hallmark of this college for decades.

The community college with campuses in Northampton and Monroe counties said it will follow state and federal guidelines for social distancing and masking, and require an online health check to enter campus, but is not requiring members of the NCC community to get vaccinated, Katherine Noll, associate director of communications at NCC.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
Purba Medinipur: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikaris brother Soumendu Adhikaris vehicle was attacked by miscreants at Sabajput area in Contai and his driver was thrashed allegedly by Trinamool Congress (TMC) members, as polling for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections is underway.

Soumendu and his brother Dibyendu Adhikari alleged that TMC block president Ram Govind Das had orchestrated the attack and that he was involved in poll rigging in three booths. Soumendu was unharmed in the incident.

Speaking to ANI, Soumendu said, "Under the leadership of TMC block president Ram Govind Das and his wife, poll rigging was taking place at three polling booths. My arrival here created a problem for them to continue with their mischiefs, due to which they attacked my car and thrashed my driver," he said.

Meanwhile, Dibyendu said that he had informed the police about the incident and called on the Election Commission (EC) to take strong action in the matter.

"With the help of TMC block president Ram Govind Das, some people attacked the car and beat up the driver. They were trying to rig the polls there. I have informed the police and the Election Commission should take strong action," said Dibyendu.

He also recalled the attack on CPIM candidate from Garbeta Sushanta Ghosh, calling it unfortunate. The driver, Ramon Das, alleged that some bohiragato (outsider) goons had suddenly attacked him while he was speaking with Soumendu.West Bengal has a history of violence in the Legislative Assembly elections.

Additionally, sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas that are voting in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal on Saturday.

Polling for the first of the eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday with voters deciding the fate of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.

All constituencies in Purulia, Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur are going to decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women candidates in the fray. The polling will end at 6.30 pm.

The BJP and TMC have been at loggerheads over various issues and an intense tussle of power between the two parties has been seen during the run-up to the assembly elections.

Live TV
Dharampal Gulati was born on 27th March 1923 in Sialkot in present Pakistan. His father was a spice shop in the town of Chunilal Gulati, named Mahashian di Hatti, also known as The Digi Chilli Vele. In the year 1933, at the age of 10, he droved out of school and worked in various jobs, including carpentry, rice trading, and hardware selling before joining to help his father in his spice business.

Joining his father's spice shop in Sialkot, Gulati helped expand the shop in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Lyallpur, and Multan in Punjab. He calculates the business in Mallika Ahluwalia's book, Divided by Partition: United by Registration, which is currently growing with a turnover of between Rs 500 crores to Rs 800 crores.

However, in 1947, with the partition of India, the family was forced to leave Sialkot and make that trip whatever it would be in present India. The family spent time in a refugee camp in Amritsar before building in New Delhi to join their sister. He bought a Tanga for 650 rupees and operated around New Delhi Railway Station, Qutub Road, and Karol Bagh to meet the ends. Finding the mouths of the other Tangawalas, and with little monetary reward, he opened a small stall to sell the sugarcane, which he closed without any possibility.

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The prosecution yesterday tendered before a Federal High Court in Abuja $1.3million cash among other currencies in the trial of a member of the Presidential Committee on the Procurement of Arms and Equipment in the Armed Forces, Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd).

Umar and his firm, Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited, are being tried on a three-count charge of alleged money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and classified documents without authority.

Umar is accused of receiving $1.3million cash from a firm, Worldwide Consortium PTY Limited in 2016, through Easy Jet, an act said to constitute a violation of the Money Laundering Act 2011.

At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, lead prosecution lawyer, Mr. Labaran Magaji tendered the cash, through a witness, Mr. Stephen Olatubosun.

Magaji also tendered some other currencies, stating that all the items were recovered from the defendants' possession.

When Magaji was done with the witness, lead defence witness, Mr. Hassan Liman (SAN) cross-examined Olatubosun.

Liman later told the court that his clients intended to make a no-case submission.

He said the prosecution had not been able to establish a prima facie case against the defendants to warrant their being required to enter a defence.

Trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered that the cash tendered by the prosecution should be deposited in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by the court's Chief Registrar pending the conclusion of trial.

Justice Ewko then adjourned till May 27 for the adoption of parties' written submissions in relation to the defendants' no-case submission.
Child Abuse Suspects Appear in Court

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A McCracken County couple facing a child abuse charge appeared in court Friday.According to the McCracken Circuit Court Clerk, 25-year-old David Saunders and 23-year-old Autumn Saunders appeared for a motion hour. A bond hearing was scheduled for April 5.David is facing a charge of first-degree criminal abuse after detectives were called to a local hospital on October 7 after a staff member reported a case of possible child abuse.David brought in a 3-year-old boy who reportedly had a fractured arm and suspicious bruising. Detectives say David later admitted to inflicting the injuries.A grand jury indicted Autumn on March 11 for criminal abuse of a child 12 or under. Deputies told the grand jury that Autumn was aware of the abuse.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed two judges from the Constitutional Court, deepening a feud with the top court over anti-graft reform.

In a March 27 decree, Zelenskiy removed Constitutional Court Chairman Oleksandr Tupytskiy and another judge, Oleksandr Kasminin, for continuing to threaten Ukraines independence and national security.

Both judges were appointed by pro-Russia former President Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted in 2014 following the Euromaidan protests.

The decree comes after the Constitutional Court in October struck down some anti-corruption legislation and curbed the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAZK). The court decision dealt a blow to reforms demanded by the West and threatened to impact lending from the International Monetary Fund.

In response to the court ruling, Zelenskiy vowed to reverse its decision and continue with his anti-graft reform agenda.

In the decree, Zelenskiy invoked a parliamentary decision calling Yanukovychs rule from 2010 to 2014 a usurpation of power.

Certain judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine appointed by Viktor Yanukovych, by continuing to exercise their powers, threaten Ukraines independence and national security, which violates the constitution, human and civil rights, and freedoms, the decree states.

Its unclear if Zelenskiys decree is valid, potentially setting off a fresh dispute with the powerful court.

In December, Zelenskiy issued a decree suspending Tupytskiy, who is facing a preliminary investigation over suspected witness tampering and bribery.

The Constitutional Court then ruled that the president had exceeded his powers, in what Tupytskiy called an attempted constitutional coup against the judges.

According to Ukraines constitution, constitutional judges can only be dismissed by a vote of two-thirds of its 18 members.

With reporting by AFP, RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, and the Kyiv Post
BBC licence fee money is being used to pay the legal bills for Martin Bashir who is facing a probe into how he secured an interview with Princess Diana, more than 25 years ago.

Bashir, who is the BBC's Religious Affairs editor, is one of several current or former staff who were involved in the controversial broadcast.

The BBC is covering the legal fees of those who are going to be called to give evidence at an independent investigation into how the the interview was secured.

Martin Bashir, pictured right, will give evidence at an independent investigation into how he secured the 1995 interview with Princess Diana, left

The 1995 interview caused major controversy with Diana claiming there were 'three people' in her marriage to Prince Charles

According to The Telegraph, Bashir, 58, faces being sacked if the inquiry is critical of his methods convincing Diana to speak on camera about her marriage to Prince Charles.

It said the legal fees could mount up to several hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The investigation is being led by former Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson.

The former director-general of the BBC, Lord Hall, is also being investigated by the inquiry.

The Telegraph claimed Bashir is being represented by Lewis Silkin, which specialises in employment law.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it was not launching a criminal invesitigation into the interview.

The Metropolitan Police said 'no further action' will be taken over allegations connected to the Panorama programme broadcast in 1995.

A former employee of Earl Spencer, who claims he was the subject of false documents allegedly used to gain access to Diana, had earlier made a formal complaint to the force.

A legal representative of Alan Waller, who used to work for Diana's brother Earl Spencer as head of security, wrote to the Met alleging unlawful activity.

Commander Alex Murray said earlier this month: 'In recent months the Metropolitan Police Service received correspondence alleging unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995. This was carefully assessed by specialist detectives.

'They obtained legal advice from Metropolitan Police lawyers, independent counsel and from the Crown Prosecution Service.

'Following this detailed assessment and in view of the advice we received, we have determined that it is not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into these allegations. No further action will be taken.

'In this matter, as in any other, should any significant new evidence come to light we will assess it.'

It has been alleged that Bashir used two mocked-up bank statements to falsely show Mr Waller was receiving payments as a way to persuade the earl to give him access to Diana.

Bashir, pictured, is alleged to have used mocked-up bank statements to help secure the dramatic interview

The BBC has previously said in a statement that during an internal corporation investigation in 1996, Mr Bashir admitted commissioning mocked-up bank documents.

They had been shown to Earl Spencer, but he said they had played no part in securing the princess's appearance on Panorama.

Earl Spencer has alleged Bashir showed him fake financial documents relating to Diana's former private secretary Patrick Jephson, and another former royal household member, and told outlandish and untrue stories about the royal family to gain access to his sister.

His claims have led the BBC to appoint Lord Dyson, former Master of the Rolls and head of civil justice, to lead a new independent investigation, which has already begun, to discover what steps the BBC and Bashir took to land the interview with Diana.

The now infamous Panorama interview was clearly the deciding factor in influencing the Queen to urge her son and his estranged wife to divorce.

The princess called royal officials 'the enemy' and questioned the Prince of Wales's suitability to be King.

The 55-minute broadcast in 1995 was seen as an attack on both Charles and the royal family, with Diana arranging the interview in secret without even telling senior members of her Kensington Palace household.

'I would think that the top job (being king), as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don't know whether he could adapt to that,' the princess told Martin Bashir.

Diana, who appeared sad-eyed and spoke with her head dipped, opened up about her struggles with royal life, how she felt isolated and unsupported and how her husband's staff wanted to undermine her.

'The enemy was my husband's department, because I always got more publicity, my work was more, was discussed much more than him,' she said.

She confessed to adultery with cavalry officer James Hewitt, and said of Charles' affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall: 'There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.'

Diana also talked frankly about her post-natal depression, self-harm and bulimia, and her desire to become a 'Queen of people's hearts'.

A quarter of a century later, an independent investigation is examining the lengths Bashir went to to secure Diana's co-operation.

According to the Telegraph, it is understood Bashir is being represented by James Davies of Lewis Silkin.

He told the paper: 'It is common practice for an employer to contribute to an employees legal costs in circumstances such as this. Surely, you would not expect BBC employees to be given less assistance than those working in other organisations merely on account of its source of funding.'

The BBC claimed it was 'determined to get to the truth of what happened. Thats why we have appointed Lord Dyson to lead a fully independent investigation. In line with standard practice, we provide a capped contribution for legal support where former or current staff are required to participate.'
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's largest Christian bloc, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), warned prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri on Saturday against sidelining President Michel Aoun and other parliamentary interests in talks over forming a cabinet.

Hariri and Aoun have been at loggerheads over the cabinet for months, dashing hopes of a reversal of Lebanon's deepening financial meltdown. Hariri has said Aoun's party is trying to dictate cabinet seats in order to gain veto power.

The FPM, which is headed by Gebran Bassil, who is also Aoun's son-in-law, accused Hariri of trying to orchestrate a majority for his own supporters.

"The political committee warns of the dangers of sidelining methods that the prime minister-designate is using when dealing with the president and concerned parliamentary blocs," an FPM statement said.

Hariri's Future Movement party responded by criticising Bassil. "We don't understand the fact that he considers the president's political decision a ring on his own finger," it said in a statement, using an Arabic expression to indicate he was attempting to control decision-making in the presidential palace.

The party said its priority remained forming a government of non-partisan specialists to halt the financial collapse.

Veteran Sunni politician Hariri was nominated in October to form a cabinet after Hassan Diab's government resigned in the wake of the Beirut port blast, which killed 200 people and damaged large swathes of the city.

Diab's government has stayed on in a caretaker capacity.

On Monday, the 18th meeting between Hariri and Aoun failed to produce any concrete results.

Lebanon is in the throes of a deep financial crisis that is posing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. A new cabinet is needed to carry out reforms that could unlock foreign aid.

(Writing by Maha El Dahan; Editing by Frances Kerry and David Holmes)
[March 26, 2021]

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS EBIX, EH, FUBO, MPLN INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits

NEW ORLEANS, March 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits:

EHang Holdings Limited (EH)

Class Period: 12/12/2019 - 2/16/2021 (and on February 16, 2021, only for those who purchased shares at or above the price of $112.00).

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 19, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-ehang-holdings-limited-american-depositary-shares-securities-litigation

fuboTV Inc. (FUBO)

Class Period: 3/23/2020 - 1/4/2021

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 19, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-fubotv-inc-securities-litigation







Ebix, Inc. (EBIX)

Class Period: 11/9/2020 - 2/19/2021

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 23, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-ebix-inc-securities-litigation-1

MultiPlan Corporation f/k/a Churchill Capital Corp. III (MPLN)

Class Period: 7/12/2020 - 11/10/2020 and/or were holders of Churchill Capital Corp. III (Churchill) Class A common stock entitled to vote on Churchills merger with and acquisition of Polaris Parent Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries completed in October 2020.

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 26, 2021

SECURITIES FRAUD, MISLEADING PROSPECTUS

To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-multiplan-corporation-securities-litigation

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above.

If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the country continues to wrestle with the loss of the eight people killed at Atlanta-area spas  including six women of Asian descent  organizers in Cleveland plan to march Sunday against racism against Asian Americans.

The #StopAsianHateMarch will take place from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday at 3238 Payne Avenue, in Clevelands AsiaTown neighborhood. AsiaTown Cleveland, OCA Greater Cleveland and OPAWL organized the event. OPAWL is an Ohio-based grassroots organization founded to elevate Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander women and nonbinary people.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began in early 2020, Asian Americans have become more vulnerable to verbal and physical abuse, harassment, and civil rights violations. A national report by Stop AAPI Hate shows that in 2020, there were 3,292 attacks or abuse recorded. So far, in 2021, there have been 503 reported incidents.

OPAWL leadership council member Manoa Hui said organizers of Sundays march plan to ask attendees to sign a letter including a list of demands for elected officials to increase funding for additional resources to the community. They are asking for 24-hour-accessible hotlines to call in incidents, mental-health resources, and to develop a community ambassador program.

Ward 7 city councilman Basheer Jones helped them with a resolution condemning racism against Asian Americans in Cleveland. Jones represents Midtown and AsiaTown neighborhoods, as well as the historic Hough district and St. Clair-Superior. Hui applauded the resolution but said words and condemnation are just the beginning.

We really appreciate the recent resolutions, but resolutions are not going to stop people from being killed, or its not going to improve the quality of our lives, Hui said. Resolutions and statements are the bare minimum. Its about recognizing us and humanizing us.

Another task of the Asian-American community is to ask for non-police community led safety solutions. They are asking the Cleveland City Council to create and fund violence prevention, crisis intervention, and transformative justice programs that are both culturally and linguistically accessible, and focus on protecting the most vulnerable members of the Asian community.

Hui said organizers dont want to use Sundays event to blame anyone, including former president Donald Trump who insinuated that Chinese and Asian people were responsible for the pandemic. He even gave racist nicknames to the virus calling it the Chinese Virus and The Kung Flu. Instead, they want to shed light on how overt and unconscious racism impacts their lives.

As soon as I heard that this virus could be traced back to China, I was immediately afraid for my parents, for my sister, for my family, and for my Asian-American friends, Hui said. I knew immediately that it was going to be bad for us, and even without Donald Trumps help, people were going to blame us for the virus.

Robert Aaron Long, 21, is accused of shooting and killing eight people at three different spas in Cherokee and Fulton County in Georgia on Mar. 16. Seven of the eight people were women. Six were of Asian descent, and two were white. Long is charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.

The motive of the killing spree stemmed from a typical stereotype that Asian women are sex workers. Long had a history of going to Asian parlors for sex, his friends and family have told reports.

Long is not charged with a hate crime as of Friday.

A crime analysis from Feb. 11 shows no reported incidents of violence targeting Asian Americans in Cleveland within the past year, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

However, since March of 2020, 29 anti-Asian hate incidents have been reported in Ohio to the Stop AAPI Hate reporting tool.

Hui said there is some hesitation among some Asian-American community members not to report crimes committed against them because of language and cultural barriers and fear of the police because some of them are undocumented immigrants.

If you want to help us, you have the choice to join us and listen to our stories, Hui said. We dont have to participate in the systems that are hurting us.
Living in China  South Africans' experience

10:42, March 27, 2021 By Wang Lei ( People's Daily Online

There's no place like home. No matter where you might go, be it on holiday or for work, home will always be home. But sometimes, you may find solace in a foreign place.

Kwena Sitebe, a teacher, and Thembekile Mphuti, a grade 12 student, speak to the People's Daily Online SA about their experiences while living in Beijing, the capital of China.

Big city, small town

18-year-old Thembi, who originally comes from Vanderbijlpark, Johannesburg, moved to Beijing to join her mother three years ago. She is currently doing her 12th grade and looks forward to furthering her studies in China.

Thembekile Mphuti (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Besides the change in eating habits she acquired during the lockdown, Thembi has a great affinity for her guitar and spent most of her time practicing on it when she first got to China. It took her a while to readjust to the culture as well as the major differences in the school's curriculum. With the help of her mother, who is currently teaching in Beijing, Thembi has adjusted well to living in China. Many of her fellow students have migrated online due to the pandemic last year. Life away from her peers and friends was not exactly exciting, so she had to adapt to being on her own, including with the help of her guitar. Life in Beijing has since steadily returned to normal: "I will now go out and explore the city again, taking long walks in the city and eating at different restaurants," exclaimed Thembi.

Kwena, on the other hand, had a different experience when she first landed in China. Speaking English as a first language is an asset for her, and a growing number of South Africans are taking advantage of this innate skill to secure good jobs in China, particularly teaching jobs. There is a large community of South African expats currently living abroad who have jumped at this opportunity.

27-year-old Kwena was working at a local South African bank when she stumbled across an advertisement seeking teachers in China. She seized the opportunity, even though teaching in small towns was not so much fun. "Most Chinese in smaller towns have never seen or interacted with people from Africa before," she said.

Now that she's moved to a major city, Beijing, and has her fellow South Africans as friends, life for her in China has become more fun, with all kinds of activities to partake in, including the nightlife that has returned to normal since the easing of regulations and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

China as a great stepping stone for other opportunities

Both ladies speak of the amazing opportunities that are available to them abroad and both mentioned that they don't have any plans on going back to South Africa anytime soon. The rich culture as well as the wide range of food options are among their favourite reasons for continuing to live in China.

When asked about any advice they would give to their fellow Africans who would love to move to China, Kwena says more than anything one must have patience and strength. "You will face adversity but it is worth it at the end of the day," she said.

China might not be on the cards for them as a permanent place of residence, but having gained a taste of experience living abroad, you could say that the world in now their oyster.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Beijing, March 27 : China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment has kicked-off a roughly two-year targeted project to investigate pollution control along the Yellow River and some of its major tributaries.

This project involves nine provincial regions ranging from where the country's second-longest river originates to where it flows into the sea, Xinhua news agency quoted Vice Minister Zhai Qing as saying on Friday.

Combining on-site investigation with technologies such as satellite remote sensing, infrared and sonar sensing, and big data, the ministry will ascertain the amount of pollution and monitor pollutant inflows.

With an investigation into industrial, agricultural, and urban sewage pollution, the Ministry aims to trace the source of polluted water and tailor solutions for significant problems of different areas.

Based on the two-year investigation, the ministry vowed to complete all pollution control work by 2025.

Since 2019, it has launched similar projects along the Yangtze River and the Bohai Sea coastline.
Abortion is black genocide: Angela Stanton-King declares at Roe v. Wade premiere

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ORLANDO, Fla.  Angela Stanton-King, a pro-life advocate and the goddaughter of Alveda King, recently condemned the big abortion industry for targeting people of color and committing a black genocide in America.

The Atlanta, Georgia-native attended the movie premiere of Roe v. Wade held at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26 and had a message to share with her black brothers and sisters.

"I'm here today because it's important for us to make sure that we are speaking out and making sure that the black community is aware of this black genocide, how abortion has specifically targeted black life, Stanton-King told CP of why she wanted to attend the premiere of such a controversial film.

"When we are saying that 'black lives matter,' we have to acknowledge the fact that black life begins in the womb, she continued. So when we talk about white supremacy, the black community needs to understand that they're playing a role in white supremacy when they're aborting the black lives of their own children.

Roe v. Wade is based on the events that led to one of the nation's most contentious U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

The film will hit theaters on April 2 and features a star-studded cast, including Hollywood actors Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Corbin Bernsen, John Schneider, Stacey Dash and Nick Loeb.

The film depicts the history of "what happened from 1966 through 1973" that led to the Supreme Court's decision declaring existing state laws banning abortion unconstitutional. It also goes into the history of how Planned Parenthood was launched and highlights the beliefs of its founder, Margaret Sanger, and her mission to eradicate blacks and people with disabilities.

Alveda King told American Family Association in 2019 that Sanger, the founder of the Birth Control League and later Planned Parenthood, said colored people are like weeds, and they need to be eliminated. They need to be exterminated.

Stanton-King attended the movie screening on behalf of Martin Luther King Jr.s niece, Alveda King, a longtime pro-life advocate who's featured in the film.

"My godmother, Alveda King, had a huge part in this movie. Now that she has kind of grown a little bit older, she's passing the torch and I'm here to be a voice to let people know, 'Hey, when we say black lives matter, we're gonna talk about Roe v. Wade and why it needs to be overturned, Stanton-King declared.

The reality TV star of the BET Network docuseries From the Bottom Up, said she first met Alveda King 15 years ago, back when Stanton-King was actually in favor of abortion.

She told me that I would be a pro-life advocate. Back then I was pro-choice, I didn't believe her. But look, I'm here now. I've been walking with her for the last 15 years and she is absolutely a pro-life warrior, she gushed.

"She has stood up in this movement prior to President Trump, before when we had been fighting and no one had heard our voice about how important it is to stand up and begin to fight for life in the womb.

"Civil rights for life! We are fighting! We just want people to understand how important it is for people of color to understand how they have been targeted.

Stanton-King, who's also the community outreach coordinator for The Alive Center, said she wants people to know that "Planned Parenthood clinics are in 85 percent of black neighborhoods," while white suburban neighborhood get fertility clinics.

It's time that we wake up and understand what we mean when we say, black lives matter, she concluded.

Stanton-King is the founder and president of the American King Foundation whose mission is to reunite American families separated by mass incarceration with a pathway to justice, economic stability, and relational wellness, according to its website.

In 2004, she was convicted on federal conspiracy charges for her involvement in a car theft ring and served time in prison. While incarcerated, she gave birth to her child. In February 2020, she received a full pardon from then-President Trump.

Later that year, she ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Georgia's 5th Congressional District as a Republican, but lost to Democrat Nikema Williams for the seat once held by the late Rep. John Lewis who died in July 2020.

As previously reported by CP, Roe v. Wade, a Nick Loeb-directed film, encountered several obstacles, including Facebook banning their ads and losing cast members who opposed the film's mission.

The featured film tells "the untold story of how people lied, how the media lied, and how the courts were manipulated" to legalize abortion nationwide, which has led to the killing of more than 60 million Americans, Loeb previously said in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Despite many setbacks, the film will be in theaters nationwide on April 2. For more information, visit "Roe v. Wade" movie.com.






Panaji, March 27 : The timeline of the liberation of Goa from colonial Portuguese yoke on Saturday became a subject of light debate between Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, during the inauguration of a new complex for the Bombay High Court bench in the tiny coastal state.

Prasad in his speech at the inauguration function on Saturday questioned and called for an appraisal of the reasons behind the 'delay' in the liberation of Goa in 1961, 14 years after the Indian independence.

Bobde in his speech responded by saying that Goa may have been liberated some years after the independence of India, but added that the most significant issue was that the transition of power was virtually bloodless.

"One question has baffled me always. India became free in 1947. Why did Goa have to wait till 1961? When India's independence is close to 75 years and we are celebrating the 70th year of India's independence. It is time to have an honest appraisal, why (did) Goa's liberation took so long?" Prasad said.

"We have the best relations with Portugal, we wish them well. Many of the Portuguese PMs are from Goa, it is a matter of great pride. That relationship is there, it should continue, but there has to be an honest appraisal. I thought today I must flag that concern..." Prasad said.

The 14-year 'delay' in the Liberation of Goa has been raised by BJP leaders in the past, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who has blamed the leadership of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for prolonging the integration of Goa with an independent India.

However, in his speech, Bobde, who has served in Goa as a visiting justice of the Bombay High Court in the past, said that unlike the liberation of the then princely state of Hyderabad, Goa's liberation was a relatively conflict-free affair.

"It may be later than the rest of the country, but the most significant thing I think about the liberation of Goa is that it was completely bloodless. No shots were fired, no corpses carried away, when the Liberation took place," Bobde said.

"A few incidents did take place, but basically it was not a conflict between the two armies, which is very different from the liberation in other places like Hyderabdad," he also said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Witnessing a steady rise in daily



infections over the past few weeks, Tamil Nadu crossed the 2000 mark on Saturday, registering 2,089 new COVID-19 cases.

With this, the caseload has gone up to 8,77,279 and the death toll to 12,659 following nine more fatalities, the health department said.

The state saw the number of cases cross the 1,000 mark on March 19 after over 80 days, when it touched 1,087, a bulletin said.

The last time the state witnessed its COVID-19 graph breaching the 2,000 mark was on June 17, 2020.

According to the bulletin, recoveries mounted to 8,52,463 today with 1,241 patients being discharged, leaving 12,157 active cases.

Chennai accounted for most of the new infections with 775 cases, taking the aggregate to 2,45,483. The metropolis also leads in the number of fatalities with 4,226.

A total of 85,173 samples were tested on Saturday, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 1,92,62,447.

Chengalpet reported 186 cases today, Coimbatore 185, Thiruvallur 110.As many as 23 districts reported fresh infections in double digits.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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And now there are 11. Eleven jurisdictions in the United States have now legalized the act of suicide when it is the product of consultation between a terminally ill patient and a qualified medical person.

New Mexicos Legislature is the latest to approve such a bill called the End-of-Life Options Act. Other states  California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia  already have similar laws on the books.

Variously called Right to Die, Death with Dignity or Assisted Suicide, these laws allow an incurably sick resident of the state who has fewer than six months to live, is over the age of 18 and found to be of sound mind to self-administer a fatal dose of prescription medicine to end their life. In Montana, this is allowed only after a court ruling.

There are no federal laws on patient assisted suicide (PAS) but 36 states outlaw it. Four states remain non-committal.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Whether we are watching a new legalized suicide trend with the recent action in New Mexico isnt known. But for sure, it is a controversial issue with a multitude of unanswerable questions.

Surely there are those terminally ill patients who have logically decided it is their time to depart the earth. But what about the profoundly depressed or in-pain patients who see no way out save for the law that will help them commit suicide? Shouldnt society be offering them better life solutions first?

One only need look north to see how this kind of law can morph into the almost inconceivable.

In Canada, where assisted suicide was made legal in 2016, legislators recently voted to amend their Medical Assistance in Dying Act (MAiD) to allow disabled people  both physically and mentally impaired (excluding advanced Alzheimers patients)  to choose death. The disabled need not be near imminent death under Canadian law; they simply must assert that they have a grievous and irremediable medical condition and believe they will die in the foreseeable future.

Arent we all going to die in the foreseeable future? And what group of people could conceivably be included next under this fatal umbrella? Prisoners with long sentences or only those on death row? Do we use it as a bargaining chip with the worst criminals like hard-core child sexual predators offering them castration or patient assisted suicide? Where does legalization of suicide stop?

Religious organizations, ethics scholars and disabled advocacy groups have deep concerns about Canadas move. They are worried about the ramifications and believe the infirm could become targets of mistreatment by caretakers and/or coerced into asking for suicide help. One Canadian journalist has asked the question, Is Canada careening off a moral cliff?

Harold Braswell, a professor of health care ethics at Saint Louis University calls the Canadian move to widen the pool of those eligible to ask for PAS as suicide promoting. He seeks to educate society about the real-life consequences.

Theology can remind secular people like myself that its entirely possible to talk about disabled people without floating the idea of killing them or mentioning that, if I were to become one, Id want to end my own life, Braswell said.

PAS laws must certainly be a godsend for those of sound mind who are truly ready to go. And the lesson weve learned from Oregon  where this nations first assisted-suicide law was passed more than 20 years ago  is its clear the law is publicly debated much more than it is actually used.

Data show hundreds more deadly prescriptions are written than are acted upon. Between 1998, when the first Oregon resident took the legalized way out, and the end of last year a total of 2,518 terminally ill Oregonians got the prescription. 1,657 actually ingested the medication and died, or 66% of those who asked for help. It should be noted the number of Oregon PAS deaths goes up every year.

Who has the right to stand in the way of someone who is fatally ill and truly wants to hasten their own death? If you believe in individual rights the answer is no one. But including the disabled and mentally ill surely cannot be the most ethical way to go.

www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com.




The Philippines announced Saturday that more than 24 million people in and around Manila will go into lockdown next week, as hospitals in the capital struggle to cope with a surge in coronavirus infections.







The tougher restrictions in the country's economic heartland  which accounts for about a fifth of the population  come as more contagious variants of the virus fuel a resurgence in cases.







The week-long rules announced by presidential spokesman Harry Roque apply to Metro Manila and four surrounding provinces, which have already been placed in a travel bubble to try to prevent the spike spreading across the country.







"The virus is the enemy, not the government," Roque said.







"While we're at home we expect the infection rates to slow. The government is ready to provide assistance."







From Monday, people will have to work from home unless they are considered essential workers and public transport will be halted.







All mass gatherings will be banned, night-time curfews from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am will be enforced and non-essential businesses will be shut. (AFP)


When Trinity opened its house in Hinsdale, only one client lived there initially. But learning that the owner wanted to offer the home to up to 10 residents at a time, according to the complaints, Village President Thomas Cauley, Jr. told the owner of Trinity and nearby homeowners, some of whom were objecting to the house being used for recovering alcoholics, that the Trinity home would not be allowed.
The Huron County Drug Task Force arrested a 36 year old Bad Axe man for trafficking heroin in the early hours of Saturday March 27.

Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson said the man, whose name has not been released, had been the focus of an ongoing drug investigation.
Colorado Shooting Suspect Passed Check in Legal Gun Purchase

BOULDER, Colo.The suspect in the Colorado supermarket shootings bought a firearm at a local gun store after passing a background check, and he also had a second weapon with him that he didnt use in the attack that killed 10 people this week, authorities and the gun store owner said Friday.

Investigators are working to determine the motive for the shooting, but they dont know yet why the suspect chose the King Soopers grocery store in Boulder or what led him to carry out the rampage, Police Chief Maris Herold said at a news conference.

Like the rest of the community, we too want to know whywhy that King Soopers, why Boulder, why Monday, Herold said. It will be something haunting for all of us until we figure that out. Sometimes you just dont figure these things out. But, I am hoping that we will.

Police outside a King Soopers grocery store where a shooting took place in Boulder, Colo., on March 22, 2021. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

The quick response by officers, who traded gunfire with the suspect, kept many people inside the store out of danger, said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, who declined to say how many people were in the supermarket. The first officer on scene was killed.

Their actions saved other civilians from being killed, Dougherty said about the officers. They charged into the store and immediately faced a very significant amount of gunfire from the shooter, who at first they were unable to locate.

More charges will be filed against 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa in the coming weeks in connection with firing at officers, Dougherty said.

John Mark Eagleton, owner of Eagles Nest Armory in the Denver suburb of Arvada, said in a statement that his store was cooperating with authorities as they investigate. The suspect passed a background check conducted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation before purchasing a gun, Eagleton said.

Alissa used a Ruger AR-556 pistol, which resembles an AR-15 rifle with a slightly shorter stock, in the shooting, Herold said. An arrest affidavit says Alissa purchased it on March 16, six days before the shooting.

He also had a 9 mm handgun, which the police chief said was not believed to have been used in the attack. Herold didnt say how Alissa obtained it.

We are absolutely shocked by what happened and our hearts are broken for the victims and families that are left behind. Ensuring every sale that occurs at our shop is lawful, has always been and will always remain the highest priority for our business, Eagleton said in the statement.

The front of the Eagles Nest Armory gun shop in Arvada, Colo., on March 26, 2021. (Thomas Peipert/AP Photo)

The gun store is in a shopping center that also has a chiropractic clinic, yoga studio and foot massage parlor. It is less than a half-mile from one of the restaurants Alissas family owns and about 3 miles from his familys house in Arvada. A different King Soopers store is across the street.

Colorado has a universal background check law covering almost all gun sales, but misdemeanor convictions generally do not prevent people from purchasing weapons.

Alissa was convicted in 2018 of misdemeanor assault after he knocked a fellow high school student to the floor, climbed on top of him and punched him in the head several times, according to police documents. He was sentenced to probation and community service.

If Alissa had been convicted of a felony, his gun purchase would have been prohibited under federal law.

Dougherty, the district attorney, said Friday that the FBI and other agencies were looking into the background of Alissa and the victims and didnt yet have information to share. He said federal agencies were looking into other firearms that might be connected to him but refused to elaborate.

Dougherty said officials will limit how much they reveal about the investigation, which is expected to take months, to protect Alissas right to a fair trial and ensure it takes place in Boulder County.

If we share too much about the facts of the investigation, its possible well see a motion by the defense to move this trial to somewhere else in the state of Colorado, Dougherty said. And I want to make sure that the people of Boulder have the opportunity for this trial to be held and for justice to be done here.

Alissa made his first court appearance Thursday, where his public defender asked for a mental health evaluation but provided no details about his mental state. He is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder over shots fired at a police officer who was not hurt.

Alissa was treated at a hospital before going to jail, his hands bound during the transfer by the handcuffs used by Officer Eric Talley, who died in the attack. Alissa has been moved to a jail outside Boulder County due to safety concerns stemming from threats made against him, county sheriffs spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield said in a statement Friday.

Alissa is being held without bail and has not yet entered a plea. His next court hearing will not be scheduled for two to three months to allow his attorneys to evaluate his mental state and evidence collected by investigators.

A Catholic funeral Mass for Talley will be celebrated Monday at a cathedral in downtown Denver. His funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in the Boulder County city of Lafayette. The 51-year-old joined the Police Department in 2010. He had seven children.

Officer Eric Talley in a file photo. (Courtesy of Boulder Police Department via AP)

By Patty Nieberg and James Anderson
Armed horse riders wielding spears and swords took over a beach in north Devon on Saturday as filming continued for The Witcher series two.

Dozens of actors gathered to shoot exciting scenes for the next instalment of the hotly-anticipated Netflix fantasy drama.

The extras riding the horses were kitted out in elaborate armour made of frightening skeletons as they galloped along the windy British shores.

Exciting: Armed horse riders wielding spears and swords took over a beach in north Devon on Saturday as filming continued for The Witcher series two

Meanwhile the horses looked equally ready for battle in metal armour covering their muzzles.

The actors were prepped to shoot a tense battle scene as they held up spears and swords as their horses set off.

Clearly intrigued by the excitement, several members of the public gathered on the beach to watch the filming as the camera crew also stood by.

Filming: Dozens of actors gathered to shoot exciting scenes for the next instalment of the hotly-anticipated Netflix fantasy drama

Ready for battle: The extras riding the horses were kitted out in elaborate armour made of frightening skeletons as they galloped along the windy British shores

Last week Netflix revealed that Adjoa Andoh and Simon Callow are set to join the cast for series two.

The streaming service confirmed that the Bridgerton star, 58, and actor, 71, would also be joined by Cassie Clare, Liz Carr, Graham McTavish, Kevin Doyle and Chris Fulton amongst the new arrivals.

It was announced Adjoa would take on the role of Nenneke, a priestess of Melitele who knew Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) as a child, while Simon will portray Codringher who is one half of the Dorian detective agency with Fenn - played by Liz.

Cassie, meanwhile, will play the sorceress Philippa Eilhart, and Outlander's Graham will take on the role of Dijkstra, the head of the Redanian Secret Service.

Tense: Meanwhile the horses looked equally ready for battle in metal armour covering their muzzles

Drama: The actors were prepped to shoot a tense battle scene as they held up spears and swords as their horses set off

Downton Abbey actor Kevin is set to portray Balian, an elf seeking refuge in The Continent, and Chris - who appeared briefly in Bridgerton as Sir Phillip Crane, was revealed to be the mage Rience, whose mission is to find and kill Ciri (Freya Allan).

Netflix also revealed The Witcher's second season will see Geralt take Ciri to his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, which is the safest place he can take her after the Battle of Sodden at the end of season one.

Believing Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) to be dead after the battle, Geralt tries to protect Ciri as war rages between the Continent's kings, elves, humans, and demons.

Exciting: Bridgerton's Adjoa Andoh (pictured) and Simon Callow lead the stars set to join The Witcher's second season, Netflix announced on Monday

But, the Cintra princess and Witcher also has to come to terms with something more dangerous - the power that resides inside her.

The Witcher follows the journey of its eponymous character, a mutated monster hunter who travels across The Continent on his quest to slay monstrous beasts.

At the end of season one Geralt finally united with Ciri, he became her warden by the Law Of Surprise after saving her father's life before she was born.

From his past: It was announced that Adjoa would take on the role of Nenneke who is a priestess of Melitele who knew Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill, pictured) as a child

In August, fans were left delighted after The Witcher resumed production for its second series.

Filming on the Netflix fantasy drama had to be put on hold earlier in the year due to the global pandemic.

But Stephen Surjik, who directed two episodes in its first season, told fans the show was up and running again.

Intriguing: Simon will portray Codringher who is one half of the Dorian detective agency with Fenn - played by newcomer Liz Carr

Sharing a snap on Instagram from set, he said: 'It's T minus 3 min to ignition and lift off for our second run at Witcher S2. Everyone is being cautious but spirits are high.'

He said the cast and crew are having to maintain social distance on set amid the new restrictions.

The release date for the highly-anticipated second series is not yet known, but Netflix have revealed that a limited six-part spin off series called Blood Origin was also in the works.
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New York, NY, March 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This is an updated report on Effuel reviews and where to buy Effuel ECO OBD2 device; provided by FitLivings.

MUST SEE: Critical New Effuel ECO OBD2 Report - This May Change Your Mind

Effuel ECO OBD2 is a new performance chip recently introduced into the automobile industry that carries the potential to revolutionize the way automobiles utilize fuel. As stated on its official website - ordereffuel.com, this compact-sized device can help your personal vehicle experience improved mileage and more torque. Available at an affordable price, everyone can easily get their hands on this device to help cut back on gas prices.

(HUGE DISCOUNT AVAILABLE) Order Effuel ECO OBD2 Device at the Lowest Price Available Right Here!

The worlds economy is highly unpredictable and often leads to unpredictable rises in gas prices. While some people are able to cope with these sudden changes, most of them are dramatically affected and are forced to reduce their daily commute or switch to public transport to save enough money to live a comfortable life.

However, we all know how uncomfortable it can get, waiting for buses and trains every single day. So, instead of reducing the usage of their personal vehicles, people are now in search of any potential solution that can make their cars more fuel-efficient.

Investing in a hybrid car is one option but it requires lots of savings in hand which not everyone can afford. Alternatively, you can try installing a performance chip in your vehicle to cut back on gas consumption, and one of such chips includes the Effuel device.

What is a performance chip and how does Effuel ECO OBD2 work for your car? How much do you need to invest in order to get Effuel installed in your car and is it worth your money? Find out in this Effuel ECO OBD2 review below.

Effuel Review 2021

Effuel is a newly launched performance-boosting chip that works to increase the efficiency of your car. As soon as you plug it in its respective OBD2 socket, it can help save you hundreds of dollars that you may otherwise have to spend on the gas station every month. As per Ordereffuel.com, what makes this device desirable is that it does not come with a large manual filled with complex instructions. All you need to do is install it into its respective port and allow it to work. Within a few weeks, users may expect to experience up to a 35% boost in the average fuel efficiency of their cars.

While the primary purpose of installing the Effuel chip in your car is to save money, there is another very important reason why users may find it attractive. This performance chip can not only let you save money on gas and make your commute easier and affordable but it can help you accomplish all this while playing your part in the conservation of the worlds atmosphere.

Automobiles are extremely dangerous for the environment because of the constant combustion taking place inside their engines. These combustion processes lead to the release of toxic gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the air and pollute it even more. However, when you install the Effuel ECO OBD2 chip in your car, it can reduce the amount of gas required by your cars engine to work.

As a result, the combustion can significantly reduce and so does the emission of gases secondary to it. As a result, you can expect your vehicle to become more eco-friendly just with the installation of a tiny device in it.

To place an order for this fuel-saving, environment-preserving performance chip, you can visit its official website online. Currently, its rates are around $40 per chip which are quite affordable as a one-time investment. The presence of discounts on bulk orders can further sweeten up the deal for most customers.

Check Out This Latest Effuel ECO OBD2 Report - Does This Chip Really Work? More Details Can Be Found Here

How Does Effuel Work To Make Your Car More Fuel-efficient?

To understand how Effuel works for your car, it is important to know what ECU is. ECU is the abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit which, according to car experts, is equivalent to the human brain. This is because this device helps in various aspects of your car performance, such as car engine optimization, fuel efficiency, and overall working of the car. This is the same unit that Effuel targets as soon as you plug it into the system.

Here is how this happens.

As soon as you plug this device into its respective OBD2 port, it immediately gets to work, collecting data as you keep driving the car for up to 150 miles. Once it has collected enough data, it works on processing it to understand your driving habits as well as the overall behavior of your car. According to the processed data, the Effuel device then focuses on tuning the performance of your cars engine as well as fuel consumption. Some experts also believe that it can help boost the power and torque inside the vehicle to maximize fuel efficiency.

Keep in mind that it only works in cars that have an OBD2 port compatible with this chip. Most cars sold in the United States after 1996 usually have this port somewhere around their steering wheels. Moreover, the Effuel chip is also intended for cars with fuel-injected engines only.

(ACT NOW AND SAVE) Click Here to Order Effuel For The Best Price Available Online

Is Effuel Legit or a Scam?

According to the company behind this chip, Effuel has been designed keeping in mind the latest technology and recent interventions in the automobile industry. The fact that all recent automobiles come with control units to support their mileage represents the fact that the industry favors the use of such performance chips to help users save money on their daily fuel consumption.

Being a compact electronic chip with silicon semiconductors and a graphite body, it can be directly installed into the control unit of the car by the users themselves. It works by assessing the driving habits as well as the current engine efficiency, and uses the collected data to alter the engine optimization. The best feature about the Effuel performance chip is that whatever changes it induces into the system of a car are potentially reversible and as soon as you take it out of the system, the car automatically goes back to default settings immediately. This feature makes this device legit in a way that it cannot alter or damage your car in a permanent manner.

The company behind Effuel is so confident about the working of this device that they also offer a money-back guarantee on every order. The presence of this refund policy also makes it more legit and a product that is worth trying.

(SPECIAL PROMO DEAL ) Click Here To Get Effuel ECO OBD2 For an Exclusive Discounted Price Today

Instructions To Install Effuel ECO OBD2 In Your Car

Multiple Effuel Reddit reviews and user testimonials have mentioned that this device is extremely easy to install and use inside a car. The Effuel website has also outlined the instructions in a few very easy-to-follow steps which are mentioned below:



Ensure that your car is turned off Find the OBD2 plug inside the car. It can be near the glove box or in proximity to the steering wheel. It is often concealed by a lid or a cover so make sure you look for it carefully. Insert the Effuel device into the plug, put the key back in the ignition hole, and move it to the primary stage. Turn on the device by pressing the respective button located on it. Give it a minute to adjust itself before properly starting the car. As soon as the Effuel connects with the ECU of your vehicle, you can continue driving.

As soon as you complete these six steps, the Effuel ECO OBD2 performance chip can start working to collect information about your driving habits as well as your vehicles performance for the next 150 miles.

What To Expect From Effuel Performance Boosting Chip?

The official Effuel website have mentioned how users can expect this tiny chip to produce the following benefits as soon as it gets installed into your cars system:



Reduction in the fuel consumption of the car

Increase in the fuel efficiency of the car by 15 to 35%

A chance to save money without altering your driving habits in any way

Contribution to the preservation of the environment by making your car more eco-friendly

However, remember that every automobile is different from the other; therefore, the exact level of benefits that Effuel can bring about in its performance can vary from one car to another.

Also check out what Effuel customer reviews are saying about this product. Can it really help you save money on gas? Find Out More Here!

Evaluating The Pros and Cons of Effuel ECO OBD2 Device

As per the manufacturers of the Effuel performance chip, it can significantly help to cut back on gas prices on a daily basis. However, many users may still hesitate to purchase it just based on what its company has to say. To make things clear for them, the following list of pros and cons has been compiled and can be of great help.

PROS

It is easy to use and install with no need to spend money on hiring a mechanic

It can help cut back on money spent on gas

It helps improve fuel efficiency without inducing any permanent changes in the structure or functions of the car

It is a one-time investment with benefits potentially lasting for years

It is extremely affordable and available at a discount if users purchase it in bulk

It does not require the users to make any uncomfortable modifications in their driving habits

It can provide basic information about the speed, fuel efficiency, and power of your car without having to take a tour to a professional and expensive car workshop

It is eco-friendly and reduces the amount of toxic gas emission from your vehicles engine

CONS



Effuel might not be compatible with all cars, especially the ones that were sold before 1996 within the United States, and before 2001 in Europe. Moreover, efficiency and performance results may vary.

It is only available online and can be ordered through its official website.

The stock is limited and may finish any time in the future so interested users need to place an order right away.

Where To Buy Effuel ECO OBD2 Device? Pricing and Shipping Details

To place your order for this performance chip now, visit ordereffuel.com. Comparing its price with the rates of other similar devices in the market, you can find that it is economical and can be afforded by most users. Moreover, the presence of deals and discounts on it can further make it a valuable investment, especially in the long run.

The following deals are currently available for users to avail on Effuel ECO OBD2 performance chip:



Standard Package: One Effuel device can be purchased for $39.98 along with delivery charges

Buy One Get One Deal: Get two devices at a price of $59.97 and free delivery

Best Value Deal: Buy a pack of three Effuel devices for $79.96 with free delivery

The device can be delivered to all parts of the world and the company ensures that it will provide the highest level of responsiveness to all its buyers.

To make sure that there are no doubts in the minds of the customers regarding its legitimacy, the company is offering a money-back guarantee on every order that a user places through the official platform. This refund policy states that the user can ask for a complete refund of the money he paid on the purchase of the Effuel device within 30 days of order placement. All he needs to do is contact the company by emailing support@effuelshop.com or calling at 855-227-0908. The company will take a few days to verify the order and refund the complete amount without asking any questions.

Keep in mind that because Effuel ECO OBD2 is a new device, the company has not given any platform the rights to sell it so far. Therefore, if you come across any Effuel Amazon listings or find it in any physical store, make sure to avoid it. The risk of getting into an Effuel scam is very high so users must only place an order through the official website.

Effuel ECO OBD2 Reviews - Ending Notes

Effuel is a new performance chip introduced into the automobile industry to help users save on gas money. It works to monitor your driving habits as well as the performance of your cars engines to introduce default changes that can rev up the performance of your vehicle to a great extent.

Effuel ECO OBD2 device is currently up for grabs in multiple solo and package deals along with a 30-day refund policy. To learn more about this device or to place an order, visit the official website now.

Effuel ECO OBD2 Reviews 2021 & Frequently Asked Questions

Does Effuel work in every car?

Unfortunately, Effuel only works in cars with an Electronic Control Unit compatible and an OBD2 port. However, the good news is that most cars, especially the ones sold after 1996 in the United States support this chip since they fulfill both criteria successfully.



Is it safe to use the Effuel device in my car?

According to the official website, it is completely safe to use as it does not cause any permanent changes in the engine or working of your car. As soon as you remove it, which is extremely easy and can be done by the user within seconds, the car automatically restores default settings.



How much time will my order take to reach me?

The company takes 3 to 17 working days on average to ship the order from its warehouse to the final destination. However, slight variations may still occur on the basis of several factors, like the time required for the package for customs clearance. For any inquiries related to shipping delays, customers are free to contact the company at any time.



Why is Effuel better than other performance boosters?

According to ordereffuel.com, the technology used by the Effuel chip is backed by years of research and development. This compact device is also easy to install and remove and can help maximize fuel efficiency without permanently damaging the car in any way. Moreover, despite being a new product, a number of customer reviews support its benefits.



How much time will it take to install Effuel into my car?

You will hardly need 5 minutes to complete the installation process for the Effuel ECO OBD2 chip. All you need to do is find the OBD2 plug, insert the device in it, wait for a few minutes for its activation and continue driving as per the usual norm. There is no need to call for professional help or hire a mechanic as the entire process is user-friendly.

(LIMITED STOCK) Click Here to Order Effuel Device For an Exclusive Discounted Price

Product Contact:

Effuel ECO OBD2

support@effuelshop.com

About FitLivings:

This press release has been created by FitLivings, a US based company that provides its readers with product reviews and reports helping consumers make informed decisions. Individual results may vary and this product review has been published for information purposes only. Any purchase done from this link is subject to final terms and conditions of the website that is selling the product. The content on this release does not take any responsibility directly or indirectly.

To contact FitLivings regarding this press release, please email at info@fitlivings.com

Attachment
The former Kettle Valley Railway right-of-way has many spectacular viewpoints in the Okanagan Valley. One of them is at the Little Tunnel on the KVR Trail from Penticton northeast to Chute Lake. The Little Tunnel is on the left looking south toward Penticton.
One official in West Chester Township, Ohio, took a unique step in combating anti-Asian sentiment, stripping off his shirt during a town hall meeting to show scars from war.

The official made his daring gambit as anti-Asian violence continues to rise in the United States, including a mass shooting in Atlanta that took eight lives, six of whom were Asian women.

Investigators are still looking into whether the suspect in that case will be charged with a hate crime.

Lee Wong, 69, a Board of Trustees member of the town, was in a meeting on Tuesday night when he decided to display the effects fighting for the U.S. Army had on his body.

Lee Wong, 69, is an Army veteran who showed off his scars during a recent town hall meeting

The West Chester Township Board of Trustees member was at a meeting on Tuesday night

During the meeting, he decided to lift his shirt, showing scars from his days in the military

'I have put up with a lot of (expletive) in silence, excuse me the language, too afraid to speak out, fearing more abuse and discrimination,' Wong said.

'I'm getting a little hot on this issue here. People question my patriotism, that I don't look American enough, They can't get over this face. I want to show you something, I don't have to live in fear, intimidation, insults.

'I'm 69 years old and I'm gonna show you what patriotism - the questions about patriotism - looks like,' Wong says during the meeting as he begins to unbutton his shirt.

'Here is my proof,' Wong says as he lifts up his undershirt, exposing a rash of scars across his chest.

'This is sustained through my service in the U.S. military. Now is this patriot enough?'

As he put down his shirt, Wong then went on to talk about the strange looks he'd been getting and how his patriotism had been questioned, before going on to reference the Constitution and his desire for all to be treated equally.

According to Fox News, Wong is a 20-year veteran who immigrated to the United States from China 51 years ago at age 18.

Wong served from 1975 to 1995, the Journal-News previously reported, and sustained the injury at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

The Republican has also campaigned in a 'Make America Great Again' hat, suggesting he's a supporter of Donald Trump, who famously avoided being drafted into the military.

Wong told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he hadn't planned on the viral moment beforehand.

Wong served in the military from 1975 to 1995, although it's not clear where he got his scars

'The timing was right in light of what's happening in this country,' Wong stated.

'In that moment, I don't know what came over me. I just knew I had to say something.'

The Board of Trustees member claims he has received positive feedback for the town hall meeting moment.

Wong also says he was attacked for being Asian back in the 1960s

'People thank me for my service,' Wong said. 'People are glad I spoke. West Chester is a diverse community and we don't need that kind of rhetoric.'

'I deliberately went to the army to learn about Americanism and democracy,' Wong said about his service.

Wong has seen a rise in anti-Asian sentiment in his neighborhood recently, including a boy who pulled back his eyelids when looking at Wong at the grocery store.

FOX19 reports that Wong was also beat up for being Asian back in the 1960s, putting him in a hospital.

'When someone comes up and says that to me, it's like a stab in my heart,' Wong said about being told he didn't look American enough.

'I am always considered an outsider, that's not right and they are just getting bolder and bolder,' Wong said to the Journal-News about those with hatred.

'I'm just afraid it might come down to what's happening in Atlanta, sooner or later if we don't speak up.'

Nevertheless, Wong has some hope about the society he wants to see once again.

'Love one another, your neighbor, be kind, be gentle, treat other people with dignity and respect,' he said to FOX19.
Rangers employed by the Carlsbad Police Department to patrol the citys parks, beaches and open-space preserves earned such high marks in their first nine months that the pilot program became permanent Tuesday.

Trespassing, vandalism, off-leash dogs and illegal campsites are addressed by the two full-time, unarmed, uniformed rangers, who carry handcuffs, a Taser and pepper spray. They patrol individually, working four 10-hour days a week, and are authorized to issue citations for minor violations.

Job well done, Mayor Matt Hall said before the City Council voted unanimously to make the pilot program permanent. Its been a real plus all along our open-space areas.

Carlsbad is one of the few cities in San Diego County to hire full-time park rangers, though several city parks have live-in caretakers. Some cities, such as Escondido, employ full- or part-time rangers in their parks and recreation department.

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El Cajons police department created two park ranger positions earlier this year, partly because of recent complaints about animal control and homeless issues. Del Mar, the countys smallest city, has one park ranger to back up lifeguards and sheriffs deputies patrolling the citys beaches. Most of the full-time park rangers in San Diego County are county or state employees.

Carlsbad has 27 parks, nearly 50 miles of trails, and 13 nature preserves, the largest of which is the Lake Calavera preserve in the citys northeastern quadrant. The Lake Calavera trails are popular with hikers and mountain bikers. The summit of a volcanic plug, once a column of molten lava, is a frequent destination at the elevation of 513 feet.

At Batiquitos Lagoon, in Carlsbads southwestern quadrant near Encinitas, one of the most frequent problems has been people letting their dogs run without a leash on the preserves two-mile trail, said Deb Mossa, vice president of the lagoon foundations board.

Since the inception of the ranger program, that has diminished considerably, Mossa told the City Council. That has just been wonderful for Batiquitos.

It really has made a difference, said Fred Sandquist, president of the lagoon foundation.

Mossa and Sandquist both praised the rangers for their friendly and professional way of dealing with the public.

City Council members said they have heard nothing but positive comments from residents about the program.

This program was based on a philosophy of education first, police Capt. Mickey Williams told the council.

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In all cases, the rangers talk to people first and try to gain their cooperation before issuing citations or taking another action, he said.

Statistics presented Tuesday back up that approach.

The two rangers made a total of 4,684 educational contacts and issued 1,310 verbal warnings, 109 written warnings, and 10 citations during their first nine months.

Most of their time was spent in the nature preserves, where the rangers made about 90 percent of their educational contacts. They made 477 of the contacts and issued four of the citations at parks, beaches and lagoons.

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The ranger program is expected to cost the city a little under $300,000 in the fiscal year ahead.

Nearly half of the cost of the pilot program, or about $98,000, was provided by the San Diego Association of Governments, the regions planning agency. That money is unavailable for the permanent program.

The vehicle used for the program, a Toyota Tacoma truck, was purchased and outfitted using $50,875 in asset forfeiture funds, which are the proceeds from property seized in drug enforcement efforts.

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philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

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New York, March 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Wide Field Imaging Devices Market Research Report by Modality, by Application, by End-user - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06033889/?utm_source=GNW



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies - USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. This helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available.



1. The Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market is expected to grow from USD 428.67 Million in 2020 to USD 631.57 Million by the end of 2025.

2. The Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market is expected to grow from EUR 375.87 Million in 2020 to EUR 553.77 Million by the end of 2025.

3. The Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market is expected to grow from GBP 334.15 Million in 2020 to GBP 492.30 Million by the end of 2025.

4. The Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market is expected to grow from JPY 45,750.90 Million in 2020 to JPY 67,404.52 Million by the end of 2025.

5. The Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market is expected to grow from AUD 622.49 Million in 2020 to AUD 917.12 Million by the end of 2025.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Wide Field Imaging Devices to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Modality, the Wide Field Imaging Devices Market studied across Hand-held and Tabletop.



Based on Application, the Wide Field Imaging Devices Market studied across Choroidal melanoma, Diabetic retinopathy, Hemoglobinopathy, Retinal vein occlusion, Retinopathy of prematurity, and Uveitis.



Based on End-user, the Wide Field Imaging Devices Market studied across Ambulatory surgical centers, Hospitals, and Specialty clinics.



Based on Geography, the Wide Field Imaging Devices Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Wide Field Imaging Devices Market including Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Centervue S.p.a, Clarity Medical Systems, Inc., Epipole Ltd., Forus Health Pvt Ltd, Heidelberg Engineering Inc., Medibell Medical Vision Technologies Ltd, oDocs Eye Care, Optos, Phoenix Technology Group, LLC, and Visunex Medical Systems, Inc..



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Wide Field Imaging Devices Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets

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__________________________
Jemulpo (modern Incheon) harbor in the late 19th or early 20th century. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection



By Robert Neff



It was very popular for American travelers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to publish accounts of their overseas excursions in their hometown newspapers. Clarence E. Edwords, a physician and writer from San Francisco, was no exception, and, in fact, published accounts in several newspapers of his travels in the Far East from 1907 through 1909.



According to one newspaper, the good doctor would provide a weekly letter to the editor so that it could be enjoyed by the newspaper's readers. "The letters will not be too long to make them tedious, but will [be] spicy and full of information concerning the countries which he will visit," explained the editor and added that this new feature was costing the newspaper "some expense."



Edwords was not one to disappoint his readers as evidenced by his account of his travel to Korea in mid-September 1907. Upon arrival, he declared the "Hermit Kingdom" to be "undoubtedly the queerest country" he had ever visited. But after spending only three days in country he felt confident in his observations to write about the thing that impressed him the most  Korea's complicated political situation.





Korean soldiers with their Russian instructors in the late 1890s. Robert Neff Collection



Koreans possess, he declared, a "most passive" character but to the casual observer they project a most warlike appearance. As an example, he derisively described Korea's military:









"Their soldiers are a sight to behold, and if fools and noise would win a battle the Koreans could certainly conquer the world. They dress their soldiers in a coat of armor that is terrifying to young children, and for arms they carry long spears, bows and arrows, great two handed swords, old guns that look as if they were made about the time gunpowder was invented by the Chinese so far back that the date is forgotten. I often wonder what would be the effect if one of these old guns were fired. I am under the impression that the man behind the gun would be in a bad fix after the explosion."



His description seems like something he gleaned from the Western books written about Korea in the 1880s. Korea's military, although small, was armed with fairly modern weapons and even had a small navy  consisting of a couple of small armed-steamers and, as one American exaggeratedly commented, commanded by twenty admirals. By the time Edwords supposedly arrived, Japan had, for the most part, disarmed Korea's military.





Korean soldiers in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection



Edwords also contradicts his view of Koreans being passive and unlikely to commit violence when he described the Japanese expat community. He claimed that Korea was too dangerous for lone Japanese to walk the streets in Korea as they always had to be on "the alert for surprises and assassinations."



"They always go out in squads of from three to a dozen, and I am told that the reason for this is that numerous individual Japanese who have gone alone in the streets have disappeared and no one could ever learn what became of them, and no inquiry could ever trace their disappearance to the Koreans."





Japanese soldiers in Seoul in 1913. Robert Neff Collection

He acknowledged that there was unrest in the interior but blamed it upon the Chinese and Russians who were trying to "induce the simple-minded Koreans to rebel and try to throw off the yoke so recently placed on their necks by the war-like" Japanese. He was referring to the protectorate that Japan had placed over Korea and with "exceedingly slim tenure."



He warned that "while the [Koreans] have been in a lethargy for centuries they have all the fatalism of the Orient that is necessary to make them resent the interference of any other country," and that it would not be many years before Japan found itself in another war against the Russians, Chinese and Koreans  the story would be different "than the one recently told in the Russo-Japanese War."



The Korean political situation wasn't the only thing described by his whimsical pen. Despite Korea "being dragged out of its seclusion" though the Japanese protectorate and the introduction of "modern improvements, telephones, street cars, and dozens of other conveniences which we of civilization think are necessities," the interior of the country was just as wild as it had been centuries ago.



Tomorrow we will look at just how wild Korea's interior was  at least according to Edwords.





A busy street in Seoul in the summer of 1908 (Bozoky Dezso Exhibit held at the Seoul History Museum in November 2019)
NEWS PROVIDED BY

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

March 26, 2021



NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the recent mass killings:

The media would have us believe that Christianity inspired the Atlanta killer, Robert Aaron Long, to go on his rampage. We are also told that Islam had nothing to do with inspiring the Boulder killer, Ahmed Al Aliwi Alissa, to go on his rampage. They are right about the latter but wrong about the former: In both cases, religion had nothing to do with their behavior.

Long and Alissa are alike in one sense: both have serious psychosocial issues and neither has any friends. That should be the focus of our concern, not their religion.

The professoriate was quick to blame Long's Christianity for his killing spree. Susan Shaw, professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at Oregon State University, was first out of the starting block. She traced his behavior to the "purity culture" of his Baptist upbringing. Many others followed suit. Indeed, blaming the "purity culture" became a mantra.

CNN's Don Lemon cited the "purity culture," as did feminist author Jessica Valenti. Trinity religion professor Mark Silk said it was the "evangelical purity culture" that drove Long. So did Katelyn Beaty, former managing editor of Christianity Today. Predictably, lgbtqnation, a popular gay website, came to the same conclusion. Ashlie D. Steven, a food specialist at Salon, agreed. None of these people are social scientists.



Perhaps the most creative critic of the Atlanta killer is Chris Hedges, a former reporter for the New York Times. He blamed the killings on the "rampant misogyny, hyper-masculinity and racism that lie at the center of the belief system of the Christian right, as well as define the core beliefs of American imperialism." In other words, Long was not responsible for the murdersChristianity and American foreign policy were.

If Christianity is responsible for the Atlanta killer's behavior, why is he such an anomaly? After all, most Americans are Christians, yet there is virtually no evidence that Christianitywhich forbids murderplays a role in mass shootings, or for that matter in shootings of any kind. There was, however, something seriously wrong with the killer.

As we have seen many times, most mass shooters are loners, men who have no friends. By itself, this condition does not cause someone to act violentlythere must be other factorsbut it almost always plays a role.

Nico Straughan went to high school with Long. He noticed that the killer was a "very quiet" individual. Another classmate, Jonathan Desire, said Long was "quiet, calm, and collected." A female student who went to school with Long described him as "quiet and really to himself." Another fellow student concurred, saying, "he didn't have a ton of friends and really kept to himself."

Yes, young people who don't have friends tend to be quiet and keep to themselves. Importantly, Long was recently kicked out of his house by his family, leaving him even more alone. He was thrown out because of his internet pornography habit. As it turns out, Long was not lying when he said he was a porn addict. Indeed, he spent time in halfway houses trying to find a cure.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jay Baker attributed Long's killing spree to his desire to rid himself of his porn addiction. He said it was "a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate." Similarly, Tyler Bayless, who roomed with Long for a few months, said the killer would become "very emotionally distraught that he frequented these places."

Marripedia is a social science encyclopedia that deals with many social and cultural issues. Regarding sexual addiction it says, "Pornography and 'cybersex' are highly addictive and can lead to sexually compulsive behaviors." Moreover, porn addicts are "23 times more likely than those without a problem to state that discovering online sexual material was the worst thing that had ever happened in their life."

This describes Long to a tee. He sought desperately to free himself of his porn addiction, choosing to finish the job by finishing the massage parlor women. Had he been an atheist, he would have acted the same way. It was his inability to form meaningful bonds with others, and his addiction to pornography, that is the root of his problem, not Christianity.

In the case of Alissa, the Boulder mass killer, he also suffered from severe psychosocial problems, though of a different sort from what bedeviled Long.

Alissa was paranoid and had a serious inability to control his impulses. His brother said that Alissa would describe "being chased, someone is behind him, someone is looking for him." He also had rage issues: he had a police record for bursts of anger, assaulting students and threatening to kill members of the wrestling team.

Like Long, he had no friends. His brother labeled him "very anti-social." A high school classmate noted that Alissa "didn't really have a lot of friends."

What links the Atlanta killer and the Boulder killer are a host of serious personal disorders and a serious absence of bonds. They are to blame for their actions, not outside forces. Christian bashing may make the bigots feel good, but it is of no explanatory value in understanding this issue.
Submitted to the Tribune

Warranty Deeds

Week of March 1-12

Houses to Homes, LLC to Charles and Jennifer Harris; parcel of land located in City of Bad Axe

Trilbus Regentin to Neal and Shannon Regentin; parcel of land located in Dwight Township

Hines Trust No. 1 to Sister Sister Staging & Design LLC; parcel of land located in Lake Township

Chase William Murphy and Rachel Dawn Murphy to David Jay and Stephanie Mae Segroves, Jr.; parcel of land located in Village of Pigeon

Jordan Licht to Dustin M. Kady and Sarah M. Muether; parcel of land located in Oliver Township

Donald R. Temple Trust to Steven and Mary Long; parcel of land located in Colfax Township

Rodger A. Smith to Randall and Deborah Warchuck and Dennis and Rachel Warchuck; parcel of land located in Sherman Township

Dennis P. and Mary L. Homrich to Troy S. and Angela M. Wells; parcel of land located in Huron Township

Caleb and Mackenzie Price-Sundblad to Benjamin Smith; parcel of land located in City of Harbor Beach

Giannini Family Trust to Andrew S. and Jennifer M. Montgomery; parcel of land located in Caseville Township

Karl and Delphine Trepkowski to Troy James and Katie Ann Helewski; parcel of land located in Bingham Township

Alan L. and Anne C. Backus to Joshua and Heather Mischler and Jessica McElroy; parcel of land located in City of Harbor Beach

Raymond C. Vansteenkiste Trust to Robert Brian Yucha; parcel of land located in Hume Township

Melvin Volz Estate to Dale H. and Lisa C. Volz; parcel of land located in Sebewaing Township

Gary M. and Stephanie B. Bash to Brad Kimble; parcel of land located in Port Austin Township

Alan Licht, Dave Licht and Michael Licht to Jordan and Katie Licht; parcel of land located in McKinley Township

Thumbco to Jacob L. and Laura Carpenter; parcel of land located in Fairhaven Township

David and Charlotte Thuemmel to Warren R. and Michelle M. Braun and Larry H. and Leah L. Braun Trust; parcel of land located in Rubicon Township

Chelsea M. Yaroch to Jeffery Thorn; parcel of land located in City of Bad Axe

Eldon Knoblock Estate to Brian K. Hoody; parcel of land located in Port Austin Township

Probate Court

Week of March 4-10

Estate of Ricky H. Bailey, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,128-DE - Informal Probate, Affidavit of Publication filed

Estate of Eldon Knoblock, Deceased, of Port Austin, File #20-41,973-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed, Reporter/Recorder Certificate of Ordering Transcript on Appeal filed, Appearance and Proof of Service filed, Stipulated Order Staying Release of Funds to Estate filed, Claim of Appeal filed

Estate of Willet Earl Oeschger, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #21-42,123-DE - Informal Probate, Last Will and Testament filed, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Waiver/Consent filed (x2), Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed, Notice of Hearing with Remote Participation filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Kristine E. Kalis, Deceased, of Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, File #20-42,045-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Judith G. Davidson, Deceased, of Owendale, File #16-40,634-DE - Informal Probate, Inventory filed

Estate of Charles E. Halbert, Deceased, of Caseville, File #19-41,692-DA - Formal Probate, Defendant's Request to Produce filed, Proof of Service filed, Notice of Submission of Order filed (x2), Proof of Service filed

Estate of Gordon W. Lasceski, Deceased, of Kinde, File #19-41,740-DA - Formal Probate, Amended Inventory filed,Proof of Service filed

Estate of Robert C. Bonini, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #18-41,243-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Margo B. Bonini, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #18-41,244-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Maryann V. Bruzewski-Malkiewicz, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #20-42,073-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Disallowance of Claim filed (x2), Proof of Service filed

Estate of Andrew T. Wozniak, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #20-42,009-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed (x3), Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed

Estate of Thomas A. Richardson, Deceased, of Caseville, File #14-39,758-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Continued Administration filed

Estate of Rodger Micklash, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #20-41,987-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Mailing filed

Estate of Michael T. Yob, Deceased, of Caseville, File #18-41,256-DE - Informal Probate, Certificate of Completion filed

Estate of James A. Manary, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #18-41,343-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Audrey M. Messing, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #21-42,137-DE - Informal Probate, Last Will and Testament filed, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Supplemental Testimony to Identify Nonheir Devisees filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative filed, Notice of Appointment and Duties of Personal Representative filed, Notice of Creditor's filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed

Estate of Theresa Glass, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,104-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Hearing filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Doreen M. Dickinson, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #18-41,186-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Continued Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Gayle P. Vincent, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #20-41,945-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of John K. Wittstock, Deceased, of Caseville, File #20-42,043-DE - Informal Probate, Inventory filed

Estate of Dawn M. Booms, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #20-41,980-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Sandra K. Rose, Deceased, of Caseville, File #21-42,114-DE - Informal Probate, Statement and Proof of Claim filed (x2)

Estate of Betty M. Mausolf, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #21-42,151-DE - Informal Probate, Last Will and Testament filed, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed

Estate of Shawn W. Koehn, Deceased, of Elkton, File #20-41,873-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Continued Administration filed

Estate of Theodore M. Kowalski, Deceased, of Port Austin, File #42-149-DE - Informal Probate, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority filed, Inventory filed

Estate of Elaine M. Stocker, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,144-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Appointment and Duties of Personal Representative filed, Personal Representative Notice to the Friend of the Court filed

Estate of Thomas J. Homrich, Deceased, of Port Austin, File #17(1)-41,013-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Gary A. Dudzinski, Deceased, of Kinde, File #20-41,896-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed (x2)

Estate of Merrily R. Kirchen, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #19-41,747-DE - Formal Probate, Order for Complete Estate Settlement filed, Order of Discharge filed

Week of March 11-17

Estate of Francis G. Olsowy, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,154-DE - Informal Probate, Will filed, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Supplemental Testimony to Identify Nonheir Devisees filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Virginia L. Olsowy, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,155-DE - Informal Probate, Will filed, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Supplemental Testimony to Identify Nonheir Devisees filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Thelma M. Duda, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #21-42,113-DE - Informal Probate, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative filed, Testimony to Identify Heirs filed, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative filed, Notice of Appointment and Duties of Personal Representative filed, Notice Regarding Attorney Fees filed, Personal Representative Notice to the Friend of the Court filed, Notice to Creditors filed, Proof of Service filed, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Mary F. Armbruster, Deceased, of Kinde, File #11-38,752-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed

Estate of Kenneth A. Chaplinski, Deceased, of Escondido, California, File #20-41,974-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed

Estate of Lisa E. Archibald, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #21-42,141-DE - Informal Probate, Register's Statement filed, Acceptance of Appointment filed, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Theresa R. Glass, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,104-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Sandra K. Rose, Deceased, of Caseville, File #21-42,114-DE - Informal Probate, Affidavit of Publication filed

Estate of Phyllis A. Kreh, Deceased, of Owendale, File #16-40,467-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Continued Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Rosemary L. Abraham, Deceased, of Ubly, File #20-42,050-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Ricky H. Bailey, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #21-42,128-DE - Informal Probate, Statement and Proof of Claim filed

Estate of Charles E. Halbert, Deceased, of Caseville, File #19-41,692-DA - Formal Probate, Order Exercising Jurisdiction over Real Estate filed, Order Following Court Auction of Real Estate filed

Estate of Matthew J. Grant, Deceased, of Ubly, File #16-40,491-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Continued Administration filed

Estate of Eldon Knoblock, Deceased, of Port Austin, File #20-41,973-DE - Informal Probate, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Luvina J. Triplett, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #19-41,764-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Annabelle J. Bolzman, Deceased, of Bad Axe, File #19-41,800-DE - Informal Probate, Waiver/Consent filed, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Service filed

Estate of Joseph W. Ayotte, Deceased, of Hampton, VA, File #20-41,870-DE - Informal Probate, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration filed, Proof of Mailing filed

Estate of Betty M. Mausolf, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #21-42,151-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Appointment and Duties of Personal Representative filed, Proof of Service filed, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Theodore M. Kowalski, Deceased, of Port Austin, File #21-42,149-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of Audrey M. Messing, Deceased, of Harbor Beach, File #21-42,137-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed

Estate of John W. Oeschger, Deceased, of Sebewaing, File #21-42,123-DE - Informal Probate, Notice of Duties for Personal Representative filed
(Natural News) Health officials publicly criticized AstraZeneca following reports that the pharmaceutical company used outdated information to show how well its coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine worked.

On Monday, March 22, AstraZeneca published reports stating that the vaccine it developed in partnership with Oxford University showed 79 percent efficacy in stopping symptomatic illness in trials conducted in the United States, Chile and Peru.

In addition, the company reported that the shot was 100 percent effective against severe or critical forms of the disease and posed no increased risk of blood clots. It also noted that for participants over the age of 65, vaccine efficacy was 80 percent.

But members of the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), an independent committee overseeing the trials, reportedly told federal officials that they had seen data that showed the vaccine might only be 69 to 74 percent effective and that they strongly recommended that this information be included in AstraZenecas public statement.

NIAID urges AstraZeneca to provide up-to-date efficacy data

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) confirmed the reports. It stated that the monitoring panel has expressed concern that AstraZeneca may have included outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data.

In its statement, NIAID urged AstraZeneca to work with the DSMB to review the efficacy data and ensure the most accurate, up-to-date efficacy data be made public as quickly as possible.

NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci called it an unfortunate unforced error.

This kind of thing does  nothing but really cast some doubt about the vaccines and may contribute to the hesitancy, he told ABCs Good Morning America.

The data really are quite good but when they put it into the press release it wasnt completely accurate.

AstraZeneca said the latest published results were based on an interim analysis of data through Feb. 17, adding that it would immediately engage with the DSMB to share its full analysis.

Dr. Larry Corey, an internationally renowned expert in vaccine development, said the monitoring panels rebuke was something he had not seen before. He praised the panel for speaking up, saying it showed the system of checks and balances worked.

AstraZenecas COVID-19 shot has faced questions since late last year when the drugmaker published two different efficacy readings from an earlier trial as a result of a dosing error.

Earlier this month, more than a dozen countries from the European Union temporarily suspended giving out the shot after reports linked it to a rare blood clotting disorder. (Related: New research points to link between AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots.)

Germany and France resumed inoculations after the E.U.s drug regulator, European Medicines Agency (EMA), cleared the vaccine last week. However, an opinion poll on Monday showed Europeans remained skeptical about its safety.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been granted conditional marketing or emergency use authorization in more than 70 countries.

General public not high on getting coronavirus shot

Even before controversies hounded AstraZeneca, the general publics confidence in coronavirus vaccines was not high. Even frontline workers were not sold on it at the onset of inoculations.

Reports circulated that a large percentage of frontline workers in hospitals and nursing homes have refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. There were reports that about 50 percent of frontline workers in Californias Riverside County have refused to take the vaccine and that an estimated 60 percent of Ohio nursing home employees have refused the vaccine.

A survey of 2,053 New York City firefighters also found that more than half said they would refuse the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available to them.

Vaccines didnt really curb deaths related to infectious diseases in the past. This is according to Ivan Illich, a Roman Catholic priest, who mentioned this in his book Medical Nemesis.

The combined death rate from scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough and measles among children up to fifteen shows that nearly 90 percent of the total decline in mortality between 1860 and 1965 had occurred before the introduction of antibiotics and widespread immunization, Illich wrote.

In part, this recession may be attributed to improved housing and to a decrease in the virulence of micro-organisms, but by far the most important factor was a higher host-resistance due to better nutrition.

The husband and wife team of John and Sonja McKinlay, epidemiologists at Boston University, supported Illichs claims by pointing out in an article published in 1977 that 92.3 percent of the mortality rate decline in the 20th century happened between 1900 and 1950  before most vaccines existed.

The couple also noted that all medical measures, including antibiotics and surgeries, appear to have contributed little to the overall decline in mortality in the United States since 1900  having in many instances been introduced several decades after a marked decline had already set in and having no detectable influence in most instances.

Follow Immunization.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

Reuters.com

Rappler.com

WakingTimes.com
China and Iran, both subject to U.S. sanctions, signed a 25-year cooperation agreement in Tehran on Saturday.

Why it matters: China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran's economy over that time period in exchange for a steady and heavily discounted supply of oil from the country, according to a draft of the agreement obtained by the New York Times.

What they're saying: Relations between the two countries have now reached the level of strategic partnership and China seeks to comprehensively improve relations with Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to Reuters.

Our relations with Iran will not be affected by the current situation, but will be permanent and strategic."

Thought bubble, via Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian: Iran has become ever more dependent on China, which has offered it a rare economic lifeline amid heavy U.S. sanctions.

The big picture: The agreement may deepen Chinas influence in the Middle East and undermine U.S. efforts to keep Iran isolated due the unresolved dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, per the NYT.

Iran's leaders indicated in January that they're willing to strike a nuclear agreement with the Biden administration.

But Biden said last month that Iran will first have to stop enriching uranium above levels set by the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement before the countries can revive the deal.

The U.S. reentering the 2015 Iran nuclear deal remains unpopular with U.S. ally Israel.

Go deeper ... 43 senators to Biden: Use "full force" of diplomatic, economic tools to check Iran
India and Bangladesh want stability, love and peace instead of instability, terror and unrest in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he underlined that the two friendly neighbours want to see the world progressing through their own development.

Prime Minister Modi made the remarks while speaking to the Matua community members after offering prayers at their temple in Gopalganj's Orakandi - the birthplace of Hindu mystic figure and community's spiritual guru Harichand Thakur.

"Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own development. Both the countries want to see stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world," Modi said.

Modi said he was waiting for this opportunity for many years and during his visit to Bangladesh in 2015, he had expressed desire to visit Orakandi, which has come true now.

This place is a pilgrimage site for the spiritual relationship between India and Bangladesh, he said.

"I was speaking to some people here. They were saying who could have thought that India's Prime Minister would visit Orakandi," Modi said, adding that he was feeling the same emotions as felt by the Matua community members in India after coming to Orakandi, from where Harichand Thakur disseminated his pious message.

Orakandi is the abode of Hindu Matua community, a large number of whom are residents of neighbouring West Bengal.

Prime Minister Modi announced that India will upgrade one girls' middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi.

"My visit to the Orakandi Thakurbari is an experience I will remember for life. This is a very sacred place, which is closely associated with the Matua Community," Modi later tweeted.

Analysts said Modi's planned temple visits carry a political significance at the time of the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by BJP MP from West Bengal Shantanu Thakur during his visit to Orakandi.

The Matua community's vote may determine the winner in some seats in the elections to the West Bengal state assembly, the first phase of which began on Saturday.

In his speech, Modi said the Matua community celebrates 'Baroni Shanan Utshab' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur and a large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival.

"To make this pilgrimage easier for citizens of India, efforts will be made on behalf of the Government of India," he said.

"We are also committed to grand events and various works reflecting the glorious history of the Matua community in Thakurnagar (West Bengal)," Modi said.

"I have always been very close to the family members of the Thakurbari," he added.

"The way India and Bangladesh governments are working towards strengthening their ties, Harichand Thakur and Thakurbari have been doing this for ages. This place symbolises the spiritual tryst of India and Bangladesh," he said.

In his address, Modi said that it was important for both India and Bangladesh to come together and fight common challenges.

He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India and Bangladesh proved their capabilities.

"Both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering that it is its duty that the 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," Modi added.

He said India is moving forward with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas', and Bangladesh is its co-passenger in it.

"Bangladesh is presenting a strong example of development and change in front of the world and India is your co-passenger in these efforts," he added.

Modi also mentioned that every year a large number of people travel from India to Orakandi to participate in 'Baruni Snan' on occasion of the birth anniversary of Shri Shri Hari Chand Thakur and more efforts would be made to ease their travel.

Last time when Prime Minister Modi visited Bangladesh in 2015, he offered puja at Dhakeshwari temple in the national capital.

Bangladesh has taken extra security measures for the Indian premier's visit in the wake of protests by few leftist and Islamist groups.

In 2016, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) said their latest vital sample statistics report found the country's total population to be 15.89 crore by the end of 2015 with the number of Hindus at 1.70 crore in the Muslim-majority nation.

Also Read: Choice 'between disinvestment and closing down': Hardeep Singh Puri on Air India sale

Also Read: Covovax trials finally begin in India; hope to launch by Sept: Adar Poonawalla

Also Read: TRAI lists SBI, HDFC, Kotak Mahindra, LIC among defaulters for not complying with SMS norms
Google is currently planning to make Android smartphones into digital wallets, car keys, and other things that people find essential in their everyday lives. The tech giant company added that users will only need to bring their smartphones with them once its innovation is complete.



According to Toms Guide's latest report, Google is near to making its new technology a reality. The search-engine giant is now working towards an all-digital environment, where almost all individuals will only need to carry their smartphones, thanks to its conducted efforts for its latest Android Ready SE Alliance project.

"In order to accelerate adoption of these new Android use cases, we are announcing the formation of the Android Ready SE Alliance," said Google via its official blog post.

"SE vendors are joining hands with Google to create a set of open-source, validated, and ready-to-use SE Applets," added the software giant.

How Titan M chip works

Google Security Blog's previous report explained that the company already started using its Titan M chip on Google Pixel 3 flagship back in 2018. And now, the tech giant firm is planning to use this technology to develop a new cache for open source apps that are specifically designed to work with SE chipsets and hardware.

Also Read: Google Releases New Update to Fix Android Apps Issue; Do This to Fix Your Chrome Browser and WebView

With the formation of the latest Android Ready SE Alliance, Google has now launched a new program called StrongBox. This technology can help users store various digital things, such as car keys.

On the other hand, StrongBox's modules are different since they use their own secure storage.

What OEMs need if they want to use Android Ready SE

Google confirmed that its upcoming technology is available for the use of various OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Here are the things they need:

An OEM needs to have an appropriate and validated hardware part for their SE vendor.

They need to work with Google to provision Attestation Keys/Certificates in the SE factory.

An OEM also needs to integrate HAL code.

An SE upgrade mechanism is also required if they want to use Google's innovation.

If you want to know more details about the new Android Ready SE Alliance, all you need to do is click here.

For more news updates about Google and its upcoming technologies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google Wants to Have Its Own SoC Design; Claims That Custom Chip Could be the New Motherboard

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Giuliano de Leon

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Did the polls miss this voter accidentally or even on purpose? Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

From a great height, and in the popular-culture memory of the 2020 election, the polls falsely predicted a big and easy Joe Biden win over Donald Trump, and it wound up so close that people were rioting over the results two months later. A more sophisticated take would include Republican over-performance in congressional and especially state legislative contests as well.

So is it finally time, as some Know-Nothings always insist, to abolish polling or at least refuse ever to pay attention to polls? No, its not, at least for those of us who agree that even flawed data is better than no data. But an educated reckoning with polling error is in order, and Nate Silver, whose FiveThirtyEight site involves a lot of slicing and dicing of polling data, offers a good first take that is already spurring some debate. Silver is offering this analysis in conjunction with a new and substantially revised Pollster Ranking is an indication of how 2020 has affected our understanding of who is and isnt more or less getting things right.

As documented by Silver and others, here are some observations on what we learned about political polling during and after 2020:

Polling inaccuracy was high, but probably not as high as it seemed

According to FiveThirtyEights analysis, the combined average polling error of surveys of the presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial races over the 21 days prior to elections in 2019-2020 was 6.3 percent. That was significantly higher than average, but actually lower than in the 2015-2016 cycle. Average error in the presidential general election of 2020, however, was over 10 percent (the same as it was in 2016, actually). Keep in mind that this involves comparing polls somewhat far out with the final results, so part of this error could actually reflect late trends rather than inaccurate polling.

Remember as well that national polls reflect the national popular vote, not state-by-state results. Polls showing Biden with a high single-digit lead (the final RealClearPolitics average margin for Biden was 7.2 percent) seem way off after an Election Night that felt very tense and close, and in light of how close Trump came to pulling off an Electoral College win. Still, Biden ultimately won the national popular vote by 4.5 percent, the largest presidential margin since 1996.

The close battle for control of the House and the Senate also came as a surprise to some pollsters. But then again, both expectations and the GOP advantage in individual races distorted perceptions a bit. RealClearPolitics polling averages gave Democrats a 6.8 percent congressional generic ballot advantage. Democrats ultimately won the national House popular vote by 3.1 percent, but that was only enough to give them a narrow House majority at a time when pundits thought theyd build on their existing majority. As for the Senate, FiveThirtyEights largely poll-based projections misfired on just one contest, in North Carolina. There were polling errors, but in terms of the bottom-line results, they werent off by much. As Silver puts it, the overall dynamics of 2020 meant that a decidedly mediocre year for the polls was being mistaken for a terrible one when that conclusion wasnt necessarily justified.

Polls did skew Democratic to an unusual extent

Polling errors can occur in either direction, of course. And part of what made 2020 polls seem so far off is that they tended to err in a pro-Democratic direction, with an average statistical bias of 4.8 percent, as Silver observes:

Interestingly, the bias was actually smaller for Trumps presidential race against Biden (4.2 points) than in races for Congress or governor. But either way, that isnt a good performance: Its the largest bias in either direction in the cycles covered by our pollster ratings database, exceeding the previous record of a 3.8-point Republican bias in 1998.

The New York Timess Nate Cohn thinks this evidence of systemic bias is far more troubling than raw error numbers, in part because it suggests systemic mistakes in either sampling voters or weighting the results. But theres not much consensus as to the nature of the problem. One popular Republican theory  known as the shy Trump voter, itself a variation on the shy Tory voter hypothesis in the United Kingdom a while back  is that for various reasons GOP voters were loath to respond honestly to pollsters. But a very different explanation (one that David Shor pioneered), and one that may just indicate 2020 was an aberration, is that during the COVID-19 pandemic Democratic voters were more likely to stay home, and thus were more likely to respond to pollsters. Still another 2020-specific explanation is that a lot of Democrats who in this election only were disproportionately prone to voting by mail ran into obstacles doing so and either didnt vote or had their votes discarded.

But some analysts  including Cohn  have been insisting since 2016 that pollsters are systemically failing to reach Trump-leaning demographic groups, or are underestimating their likelihood to vote. That could indicate a problem that wont go away automatically, particularly if Trump himself continues to stay in the public eye.

2020 turned perceptions of good and bad pollsters nearly upside down

For those of us who read and interpret polls as part of our efforts to understand political phenomena, the who got it right? looks at the 2020 results have come as a shock. Pollsters thought to have shoddy methodologies and partisan bias did relatively well, as Silver (perhaps ruefully) acknowledged:

[L]ets give a shout-out to the pollsters with the lowest average error. Those were AtlasIntel (2.2 percentage points), Trafalgar Group (2.6 points), Rasmussen Reports/Pulse Opinion Research (2.8 points), Harris Insights & Analytics (3.3 points) and Opinion Savvy/InsiderAdvantage (3.5 points).

Noting the pro-GOP slant of most of these outlets, Nate observes that having partisan house effects doesnt represent bias if you get the results right! Then again, its possible they got the results right for the wrong reasons (house effects rather than discerning underlying dynamics other pollsters missed).

In any event, its equally clear a lot of big-name media-sponsored polls had a bad year in 2020, notably Monmouth (which only called 45 percent of the contests correctly in the final 21 days of the 2020 cycle, and had an average error of over ten percent), Quinnipiac, and SSRS (a frequent CNN polling partner). Interestingly, these poor performers (in 2020, at least) all use a live telephone methodology, while the above 2020 winners are all robocallers or online pollsters (or use a combination of non-live-caller methods). And that leads to another realization:

Its no longer clear theres such a thing as gold-standard polls

The term gold-standard polls has in the recent past been applied to surveys that adhered to top industry standards for transparency, and also used live telephone interviews as their primary technique. As Silver explains in great detail, while transparency still does have an impact on the verifiable reliability of polls, hes no longer willing to grant the traditional live-interview firms special status, or a bonus in FiveThirtyEights pollster rankings.

If you read those rankings, you may still see a lot of familiar names near the top that didnt have a great year in 2020 (e.g., Monmouth with an A) because the system is based on data from multiple election cycles. But there are others that would never have met any traditional gold standard definitions (e.g., robocall/online pollsters Emerson College and Trafalgar Group, who both get an A-minus).

Polling averages still make the most sense, for now

The problem with treating all polls as worthless, or choosing polling data selectively based on whose results fit some preconceived expectation of what polls should show, is that it really does push political analysis in the direction of spin and genuinely made-up results. Looking at polling averages doesnt eliminate the risk of industry-wide error or bias, but it does reduce it somewhat. And just because even good pollsters have a bad year doesnt mean they are no better than the charlatans (and they pop up every cycle) who just make up what they are paid to report with no real methodology at all.

Treating polling data as just part of the picture in analyzing political races (which many traditional handicappers like the Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball do) is the safest approach. And even many poll-focused analysts (like, yes, FiveThirtyEight) insist on expressing their projections in terms of probabilities rather than predictions or calls to remind everyone that no poll is infallible.

But as the proliferation of critiques and defenses of political polling illustrate, these are difficult times for that industry and for the writers, gabbers, campaigns, and elected officials who rely on it. Maybe 2020s issues were mostly the product of changing methodologies, a pandemic, and the ever-disruptive Donald J. Trump. If so, maybe future polls could show more accurate results.
Mr Daniel Baccah, a member of the Keta branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has hailed Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, as the most outstanding in the lineage of Speakers of the Parliament of the Fourth Republic.



Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the performance of the Speaker so far, he said We have all seen this in the way he stood up to Jubilee House over cuts in the budgetary allocations to the Legislature and the Judiciary.



We have also seen the way he has so far been neutral to the interest of both his party, the NDCs side of the House and the NPPs side of the House; so much so that the NDCs Communications Officer has accused him.



According to him, Bagbin has so far lived up to the Speakership duty to fight for the ordinary Ghanaian. If ever there was a Speaker who has been so effective and resourceful in such a short time  less than six months into office  we dare anybody to name him, he said.



He added, It is so refreshing and heartwarming that the most outstanding Speaker of the Fourth Republican Parliament is from the NDC, our great party. The high standards that Speaker Alban Bagbin is setting is to the pride and good name of us all Akatamansonians.



He said Speaker Bagbin had since educated that he was the Speaker of Parliament, not a member of the Minority caucus and that even though he was NDC, his position demanded that he was neutral.



Mr Beccah advised those attacking the Speaker to put an end to it as it was unhealthy for democracy.



As a party, our philosophy is one that demands fairness and firmness and there is no better ambassador of these in Parliament than the current Speaker. The tone he has set shows that the Executive is not going to have a walk in the park and at the same time Parliament is not going to be a hotbed of nation-wrecking politics. And this is what the NDC has always stood for.



He reminded that the same Bagbin that was being accused as a traitor, was the same man who led the NDC in Parliament when the NDC was in the minority under the Kufuor regime. If he did not sell his conscience as Minority Leader, is it now that he is Speaker that he will sell his conscience? he asked.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has requested Japan's support in Ghanas bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council from 2022 to 2023.



The Foreign Minister also urged Japan to support Ghana's candidature for membership of the UN Board on Narcotic Drugs for 2022 to 2025 as well as for members of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2022 to 2027.



Madam Botchwey made the request when Mr Himeno Tsutomu, the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, paid a courtesy call on her in Accra.



The meeting, which was at the instance of Mr Himeno, enabled the Minister to brief the Ambassador on the priorities of the Akufo-Addo Administration in its second term.



On the UN Security Council Reform, the Minister said Ghana attached great importance to global governance, hence the Security Council Reforms, which was why Ghana had been a strong advocate of reforms within the UN to make it more democratic and representative to address the complex challenges of international peace and security.



She recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was instrumental in the processes leading to the Ezulwini Consensus and assured that Ghana would continue to adhere to it and work closely with Japan to move the negotiations forward, and in the right direction.



Madam Botchwey acknowledged the excellent tradition of cooperation and support for each others candidature for positions at various multilateral institutions and expressed the hope that both countries would continue with the cooperation and support in that regard.



She expressed appreciation to the Government of Japan for the immense support and cooperation it had provided to successive governments of Ghana in their diplomatic relations and pledged her determination to work with Mr Himeno to further strengthen the bonds of friendship based on respect, solidarity and development.



As regards the priority areas for Ghana-Japan relations, the Minister said strengthening diplomatic relations, deepening economic, trade, investment and technical cooperation, promoting cultural partnership and collaboration on global issues were the key issues.



On strengthening diplomatic relations, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said the Government intended to promote the exchange of high-level visits and interactions between Ghanaian and Japanese leaders at all levels.



She said Ministers of State had been encouraged to engage more with their Japanese counterparts and request the Ambassador to assist in facilitating such engagements when the need arose.



She expressed the hope that the two sides could work together to ensure that Prime Minister Yoshohide Suga paid a visit to Ghana sometime next year.



With deepening trade and investment cooperation, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said the establishment of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Accra in December, 2020 and the Japan-Ghana Business Council in December, 2019, were evidence of the joint commitment of the two countries to enhance growth in trade and investment.



Mr Himeno briefed the Minister on preparations towards the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development scheduled for 2022 in Tunisia, as well as the Nutrition Summit to be held in Japan in December, 2021.



He touched on topical issues of interest to Japan, notably the UN Security Council Reform, North Korea and Japans contribution to peace and security in Africa, and development cooperation projects in Ghana such as improvement in the Tema Motorway Roundabout (phase two).

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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David Camerons flagship legacy project, the National Citizen Service, is failing to deliver despite being handed 90 per cent of the governments youth budget  with concerns in Whitehall that the scheme should now be defunded, The Independent can reveal.

The NCS, of which the former prime minister is chair of patrons, was set up to run summer programmes for 16- and 17-year-olds to help them become better citizens, and has received 1.3bn in taxpayers money since 2011.

However, despite warnings as long ago as 2017 that it was failing to deliver value for money, participation has continued to dwindle, while executives take six-figure salaries, with one former board member criticising the programme as little more than a holiday camp for mostly middle-class kids.

Cameron, who stepped down as prime minister in 2016, has faced criticism for allegedly contacting the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in a bid to secure access to the governments Covid loans scheme for Greensill Capital, a finance firm that has paid him as an adviser. The continued high funding of NCS, which was handed 97.5m of the governments 113.5m for youth services in the 2021 spending review, has raised questions about Camerons continued influence in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which is responsible for NCS and the youth budget.

Jo Stevens, the shadow DCMS secretary, said: There are serious questions for both David Cameron and the government to answer. The former prime minister seems to be under the impression he is still in office. Any abuse of his access to ministers and influence over them makes a mockery of promises of transparency around lobbying. Labour has already asked the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, to investigate serious concerns over the former Tory prime minister's lobbying over Greensill.

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We will be tabling a question in parliament regarding his lobbying over the National Citizen Service.

Mark Gifford, who became NCS chief executive just before the pandemic struck, said Cameron was a great source of advice but would never interfere in conversations around funding. Cameron did not respond to a request for comment.

This week the NCSs annual report warned that the future of the programme was in jeopardy, with the National Audit Office reporting that, given the uncertain outcome of the governments spring review, there was material uncertainty regarding the funding of NCS, casting significant doubt on the NCS Trusts ability to continue as a going concern.

A whistleblower inside DCMS went further, telling The Independent: NCS has become a running joke in government circles. When the subject is raised, people roll their eyes because it doesnt work. Its not delivered value for money, but to defund it after ploughing 1.3bn into it these last 10 years would be to admit failure, so DCMS has kept throwing good money after bad. Now, with austerity biting hard and other youth groups struggling and the government committed to a more levelling-up agenda, its a perfect moment for DCMS to shake things up.

With the projects future in the balance, The Independent has uncovered concerns at every level of the organisation about how the money is spent and whether the NCS is delivering on its aims.

Out of touch

Camerons vision when he founded NCS in 2011 was of a three-week summer programme to make young people aged 16 and 17 better citizens, involving social mixing, a week-long away-from-home residential and life-skills training, culminating in social action delivered by the young people. It was a laudable vision and, with lavish funding, it grew at pace to become the largest youth group for teenagers in the UK.

The former PM poses for a selfie with the projects board of patrons in 2017 (PA)

NCS has enjoyed powerful support, with a board of patrons, chaired by Cameron, that includes TV stars such as Baroness Brady and Bear Grylls; politicians, in the former prime minister and Lord Adonis; and high-profile media figures in former director of BBC news James Harding and ITVs political editor, Robert Peston.

Yet its flaws were evident well before the pandemic. Top of the governments concerns has been poor value for taxpayers money.

A National Audit Office report in 2017 warned that NCS would need to quadruple to 360,000 participants a year by 2020-21 to justify itself as value for money.

Jermain Jackman, 26, the first black winner of The Voice, served as youth representative on the NCS board for two years until December 2020. He says the pressure from Whitehall on NCS to grow at a fast rate was not sustainable. I attended NCS at 16 and have been a passionate supporter of it, so it gives me no pleasure to be critical, but NCS was set up by politicians and civil servants without proper consultation with young people and so it is not surprising it has led to an organisation that is out of touch and struggling to deliver, he said.

NCS have national and regional youth boards, but from what I saw and what they told me, the people on the youth boards were not listened to. There was a lot of frustration and people wondered what was the point.

NCS has failed to cut through to the youth of the country and even after 10 years and hundreds of millions of pounds, too many young people see the programme as a holiday camp for mostly middle-class kids.

Reaching the right people?

In 2018, just 16 per cent of NCS participants were eligible for free school meals (FSM), compared with the national average of 17.3 per cent. NCS said its 2019 and 2020 FSM rate rose to 22 per cent, and that disadvantaged youths were therefore well represented, but critics say the proportion of young people from low-income households should be much higher. DCMS has also pressed NCS to work on targeting disadvantaged groups, with the project claiming in board minutes to be working hard to target those who were under-represented.

However, a former NCS employee said: There was no attempt to specially target disadvantaged young people. If anything, there was a drive to get high-profile private schools on board, including when NCS visited schools like Harrow. We were hardly ever successful. There were also visits to prominent independent schools where David Cameron went along to try to convince them. We would deliver assemblies but not get many sign-ups. It seemed that elite pupils had more attractive summer options than NCS.

Cameron speaks to teenagers at a scheme in Wales in 2012 (PA)

What proportion did NCS feel was the appropriate FSM benchmark to aim for? Miriam Jordan Keane, chief marketing officer for the project, told The Independent: I will be happy when every young person on free school meals is benefiting. Asked how many this amounted to, she admitted: I wont lie, I dont know the number. (The actual number  approximately 66,000  is about three to four times what they have achieved so far.) Keane added: For social cohesion, we need to represent all of society, but we should over-index young people who need it most. Its fair we accept we havent done very well in reaching disadvantaged kids.

People were told to bring swimming gear to go kayaking or sailing, but the place they were sent had no water

Asked the same question, Gifford took a different view. I am happy we overperform compared to FSM national averages and that it is right to keep it a universal rather than a stigmatised programme. Our performance is strong; our targeting of disadvantaged communities is very good.

Meanwhile, there have been concerns that the projects leadership team does not reflect the young people it is purporting to serve. Asked to identify the NCS senior leadership team and whether they are all white, there was a long pause before Gifford said: I am just thinking how people reference themselves, but from a visual perspective, yes, theyre all white. Lack of racial and ethnic diversity is problematic, he admitted. Its something I have raised with the board since I joined and its one of the reasons I initiated for all of NCS to have anti-racism training. So far, Gifford has made two appointments to the senior leadership team  one permanent, one interim. Both were white.

No positive impact

To achieve value for money according to the National Audit Office report, NCS would have to reduce the cost per participant by 25 per cent, from 1,723 in 2019-20 to about 1,300. There are two things it needs to do to achieve this  dramatically increase participants and radically slash costs. But with participation in decline, value for money seems a receding possibility.

Gifford said: My job is to drive up volume and drive down costs. I have closed our London headquarters and significantly cut our overheads. Asked about his plan to boost participation, he said: I think the days of seeing 100,000 people in a big residential programme have gone. He added that they were reimagining NCS so that it offered a portfolio of services that is still awesome but with some of it done digitally, depending on what the public purse looks like and that he hoped 300,000 young people could have an NCS experience.

70% drop in youth funding in the past decade, during which time the NCS has received 1.3bn

The size of the grant to NCS is determined by participation targets set by DCMS and the number of young people signed up to NCS programmes. NCS consistently falls well short of these targets. A former staffer described the pressure to pull in the numbers: Every year when DCMS announced the target, which in 2019 was around 110,000, there would be a general sigh around the office because we all knew it was not going to happen. That year, around 91,000 young people actually turned up, so we were about 19,000 short. One reason we struggled to hit targets is because some people who have a poor experience on NCS plaster it all over social media, which makes it hard to recruit the following year.

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The ex-staffer added that issues included accommodation being sub-standard and not cleaned properly as well as false advertising. People were told to bring swimming gear to go kayaking or sailing, but the place they were sent had no water. In one case, a young person in a wheelchair arrived to accommodation that wasnt wheelchair accessible and they had to move everyone on the fly, but then failed to tell the parents, which caused alarm. Once, so few young people turned up that they were told to invite their friends, which included a 20-year-old who pitched up in his car and caused safeguarding issues.

Keane said: Yes, our service has been patchy. We have 129 programme delivery partners countrywide and we have to make our provision as consistent as possible. There is work to be done, but in the main, young people benefit from the experience and feel positive about it.

Theresa May helps unveil a new NCS course as prime minister in 2017 (PA)

Because NCS is offered free or for up to 50 for those who can afford it, many young people sign up for the programme but never turn up. This difference between sign-ups and turn-ups has cost the taxpayer 25m in the three years to 2019. Keane said: We have been trying to reduce attrition levels. When there are no-shows, there are certain sunk costs paid to our delivery partners that we cant recoup  like accommodation already booked and food already ordered.

An independent report by Kantar for DCMS in 2018 assessed NCS against its key performance indicators  social cohesion, social mobility and social engagement  and found that its autumn programme failed on all counts. In each case, Kantar said it had no positive impact, adding that it had no significant impacts on participants trust in others, in the ethnic diversity of their friendship groups, on their positivity towards the future, their wellbeing or loneliness. Yet NCS has continued regardless, spending over 60m on its two-week autumn programmes in the last three years alone. Gifford said the organisation was reviewing its strategy, and said: We are working hard to transform the trust, be edgier, and embrace digital more.

No we can

NCS had to cancel its summer programme last year because of the pandemic, but was still given 82m by government, of which 13m was spent on a repurposed online summer programme that mainly comprised a digital hub called Staying Connected. This hub  meant to keep teenagers engaged, informed and entertained  was launched on 20 April and attracted 350,000 unique visitors. But a freedom of information request revealed that the average time they spent on the site was just 91 seconds.

The NCS ex-employee said: The number of unique site visits is a bit meaningless because NCS spent a fortune on Facebook adverts to drive people to the site, so it was paid marketing that drove the clicks. For the first month, there was just a collection of blogs and videos and enough content to keep you there for maybe 10 minutes, max. They were trying to justify the money they got from government, but it was pathetic.

750 youth centres closed in the past four years, with 4,500 jobs lost

How can NCS justify a 91-second experience as value for taxpayers money? Gifford said: I absolutely can. That is only one measure. We held the view that the pandemic could be over by May, that the summer would be OK. If you were to ask me, could we have pivoted quicker? Thats a legitimate question. We need to adapt faster to changes in technology and in the lives of young people.

NCS paid an undisclosed six-figure sum to advertising agency Karmarama to refresh their message in 2019 and the result was a new motto No we can. Former board member Jackman said: The problem with the rebrand was that it tried to make NCS sound rebellious, but it isnt. Dont package it as a Transformer if theres a Barbie inside. The rebrand was an opportunity missed. There are a host of young people on NCS youth boards with tons of ideas. I said, Why not have a 5,000 prize and let them shape it? It fell on deaf ears. Our young peoples voices were ignored, causing lots of frustration.

The NCS ex-staffer said: The rebranding fiasco went down like a lead balloon in the office. We all thought it was ridiculous. What does No we can even mean? Karmarama had done recruitment ads for the army so they thought they knew how to reach that age group, but it was a total flop. Keane said: Our former CEO also thought it made no sense, but as I said to him, we are not the target market. Karmarama co-created the campaign with 16- and 17-year-olds. It improved all our brand-tracking metrics  our media sign-ups improved significantly on the back of the rebrand.

Missing every target The 2019/20 programme failed to meet any of the NCSs own key performance indicators for social cohesion, social mobility, leadership and civic engagement

Keane is paid 145,000; the former chief people officer was paid 155,000 plus a company car before she left in 2019; and at least six employees earn over 100,000 a year, according to the annual accounts. An ex-employee told The Independent that the projects salaries across the board were higher than similar organisations, with their role paying about 25 per cent more than the market rate.

So is NCS a gravy train? Gifford, who is paid 150,000, said: If you are asking whether the NCS should have a review of its pay policy that makes it better aligned to the third sector and takes into account market forces, yes, I agree. The specific salaries you mention were both matters for my predecessor.

A struggling sector

While NCSs funding doubled between 2014 and 2020, overall money for the youth services sector has dropped by 70 per cent since 2011. The Local Government Association called for some of NCSs funding to be given to councils, with a spokesman saying the NCS programme, which lasts two to four weeks, achieves low participation rates and cannot replace year-round provision.

The National Youth Agency, which champions the youth sector, also weighed in. Its CEO, Leigh Middleton, said: NCS delivers social mixing, volunteering opportunities and residential trips; however, with limited funding, a national programme is not the answer. He called for funding of local youth provision year-round.

1,723 spent per person in the 2019/20 programme. The National Audit Office says anything above 1,314 is not value for money

Some worry that the government will cut NCS funding, yet decline to pass the benefits to the sector. A spokesperson for UK Youth, a network of 8,000 youth organisations, said: Government cant just fund NCS, theyve got to fund a range of services for young people and they need a coherent long-term strategy. To start, they must deliver on their Conservative Party manifesto commitment to invest 500m in youth services.

Can it continue?

The NCS ex-staffer said: NCS is full of great, passionate people but it has been badly let down by the people at the top. Mark Gifford is a new broom and has a reforming agenda, but he got side-swiped by the pandemic, which hit within weeks of his arrival. You have to feel sorry for him  but there are a lot of people on the senior leadership team who are poor and you wonder how they got there.

Jackman said that Giffords appointment, at least, gave cause for hope. He said: Things under Mark have improved: he put the entire organisation through anti-racism training after I brought it to their attention, staff morale has improved and young people on the youth boards feel more heard on his watch. He has done remarkably well in his first year, but the amount of money poured into NCS is jaw-dropping and at a time when youth services for hard-to-reach young people have been decimated, it seems right to ask: what does the future of NCS look like?

Gifford had no public or youth sector experience, but came with a strong operational background after 20 years at Waitrose and John Lewis and is said to be focused on costs and running a tight ship. He hopes their regular summer and autumn programmes can go ahead and  Covid permitting  is targeting 60,000 to physically attend this year.

What will happen next is DCMSs call, but its not simple, because as the August minutes for NCS made clear, defunding and, in effect, closing NCS would cost [the taxpayer] circa 70m.

The DCMS whistleblower said: This is a genuine moment for us to re-evaluate NCS and see it in context of how we fund the youth sector as a whole. A whole spectrum of options will be considered. Moving forward, I suspect funding might have to be more evenly spread.

Officially, however, DCMS remains tight-lipped. Asked when we can expect their spring review report to be published, a spokesperson said: The review will take place through the spring and the findings will be made public at the appropriate time.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and children burn leavened items in final preparation for the Passover holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel

Israel enters the Passover holiday this weekend much as it has the past two years: in political limbo after inconclusive elections, and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus future on the line.

A final tally from an election on Tuesday showed Mr Netanyahus right-wing Likud and kindred factions short of a majority in parliament. But his rivals also came up short.

According to the final results published by Israels Central Elections Committee, a Netanyahu-led coalition would control 52 seats in the 120-member parliament.

An opposition grouping would control 57 seats.

Both Mr Netanyahu and those seeking to topple him were deep in complex coalition arithmetic yesterday as Israelis  politically exhausted after four elections in two years  prepared for the March 27-April 3 Passover festival.

Mr Netanyahus opponents called for him to step aside and allow a new era to begin.

For the fourth time in two years, Netanyahu has failed and not succeeded in achieving a parliamentary majority of 61, Gideon Saar, a Likud defector, wrote on Twitter.

I call on Netanyahu: move aside, free Israel and allow the country to move forward.

Mr Saar leads the New Hope party, which won six seats and is looking to persuade Likud supporters that while Mr Netanyahu was their passport to power since 2009, he may now have become an obstacle to them.

Yair Lapid, another Netanyahu opponent whose centre-left party Yesh Atid won 17 seats, retweeted Mr Saars call with the message Listen to Gideon.

By contrast, Mr Netanyahu on Twitter confined himself yesterday to saying that more than a million Israelis had voted for Likud, making it the largest party in Israel.

As they shopped ahead of the Passover holidays commencement at sunset today, some Israelis said they were weary of elections.

Passover is supposed to represent our exodus from Egypt, right? So what will it take to get an exodus from this political crisis?, said Ran Peretz (46) in Tel Aviv.

Others couldnt resist referencing more recent events in Egypt.

Netanyahu is the political equivalent of the ship blocking the Suez Canal, was the headline of an article in the Haaretz newspaper by commentator Amos Harel.

Mr Netanyahus political fate may depend on the leaders of two wild-card parties.

Although poles apart politically, far-right Naftali Bennetts Yamina party won seven seats, and Mansour Abbass Arab Islamist faction won four seats  and under Israels coalition system both are potential kingmakers wielding influence disproportionate to their number of seats.

But, complicating the negotiations, some of Mr Netanyahus natural right-wing allies have said they will not support him if he partners with Abbas United Arab List, which has pro-Palestinian

sympathies.

And Mr Netanyahu finds himself for the first time in the recent run of elections without his close US ally, former president Donald Trump, who made a series of policy changes that aligned closely with Netanyahu.

In an apparent easing of the Trump-era approach, the Biden administration announced on Thursday that it will give the Palestinians $15m (12.7m) to aid their Covid-19 response.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh welcomed the move as an important step in the right direction to reshape the relationship with the U.S. administration.
There have been two further deaths of people with Covid-19 and 624 new cases of the virus confirmed by the National Public Health Emergency Team this evening.

This takes the total number of people who have died with Covid-19 in Ireland to 4,653 while the case count in the State has risen to 233,937.

As of Wednesday, March 24, 732,678 vaccine doses have been administered, of which 529,984 were first doses and 202,694 second doses.

Earlier today, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that vaccine operations were to be suspended at the Beacon Hospital following on from the revelation that teachers and creche workers received vaccine doses there this week.

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Taoiseach Micheal Martin believes the chief executive of the Beacon should be held accountable for his actions as vaccine operations were suspended at the private hospital.

The Taoiseach's spokesperson said: The vaccines belong to the Irish people.

There are clear rules and guidelines in relation to their administration. These prioritise the most vulnerable and frontline healthcare workers.

There are specific rules relating to the allocation of surplus vaccines at the end of a days administration. Clearly, these rules and guidelines were broken by The Beacon Hospital.

What happened was wrong and a breach of trust. Behaviour of this sort undermines confidence in the vaccination programme.

The CEO should be held accountable for his actions by the board of The Beacon Hospital."

After what Minister Donnelly said was careful consideration, he asked for vaccine operations to be suspended at the hospital.

In addition, I have asked the HSE to appoint a senior official to immediately examine what happened and make recommendations regarding any actions or changes required, Minister Donnelly said.

"I am also writing to the Board of Beacon Hospital to ask them to conduct a review of what happened including consideration of any appropriate response, he added.

More to follow..

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 Flash

Angola has received the Chinese government's donation of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, said government sources.

Angolan Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Domingos Vieira Lopes, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Angola Gong Tao welcomed the donation Thursday at Luanda international airport, said the sources.

On behalf of the Angolan government and people, Lutucuta thanked the Chinese government and people for the donation and support in Angola's fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

"China is the first country to provide Angola with epidemic prevention support and has provided Angola with anti-epidemic materials on many occasions and shared with Angola advanced anti-epidemic experience to help it better cope with the challenge of the epidemic," said the minister, noting that China is also the first country to provide vaccine assistance to Angola.

While expressing Angola's deep gratitude for China's selfless help, Lutucuta reiterated that the assisted vaccine, developed and produced by Sinopharm, has been put in urgent use in many countries and has been widely recognized by the international community as having excellent protective efficacy.

In his speech, Ambassador Gong said that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments of both China and Angola are actively carrying out anti-COVID-19 cooperation in line with the principle of putting the people and life in the first place and China is the first country to lend a helping hand to Angola.

"China has donated several batches of anti-epidemic materials to Angola, helped it build a laboratory, sent a medical team to Angola to help fight the epidemic, and helped Angola purchase a large number of anti-epidemic supplies in China," said Gong. "China will continue to support Angola's fight against the epidemic and its economic and social development within its capacity."

Gong added that the Chinese government would launch a program to assist and secure COVID-19 vaccination for its citizens living abroad, hoping the Angolan government would provide support and assistance for the vaccination of Chinese citizens in Angola.




FLINT, MI  A court date has been set for a contracting firm cited by Michigan officials for allegedly dumping construction material in a Flint neighborhood rather than properly disposing it.

WT Stevens is to appear for a pretrial hearing before Genesee County District Judge David Guinn at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 29.

The former contractor received more than $27 million from the City of Flint to replace lead pipes. He was cited by both the Genesee County Drain Commission and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for failing to have a soil erosion plan at the dump site. WT Stevens was also cited for placing leftover construction material including soil, concrete and debris (commonly called spoils) in a north side Flint neighborhood instead of properly disposing of it.

The company reportedly started leaving materials at the sites in 2018. When the new administration came into office in November 2019, nearby residents complained of large spoils piles filling the property, with uncontrolled debris washing into street drains, missing manhole covers in the roadway, and a public road being blocked off. Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, Flints Health Adviser, called the dump in a predominantly Black neighborhood another example of environmental racism.

We will continue to fight hard on behalf of the residents. It is not fair or just for them to have to tolerate these failures, and we will make every contractor live up to their contractual obligations, said Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley.

Flint has worked successfully with the contractor to make significant improvements to the property, but more work still needs to be completed to be in compliance with the county and the state, the city stated in a press release.

The contractor filed a material disposal plan that said it would not dispose of material within the city. However, piles of spoils  sometimes with what appeared to be pipes sticking out from the dirt and gravel  filled the properties off Premier Street.

The properties are zoned A-2 residential, which allows only for medium density housing and some limited other uses such as schools and churches. The contractor purchased 14 residential parcels from the Genesee County Land Bank in January 2018, citing an intention to build a garage/storage facility on the site, but a storage garage also would be a violation of the areas residential zoning. The contractor even received a letter of support from the previous administration.

Read more:

Flint residents angry about massive spoil pile created by water crisis contractor

Lawsuit alleges employees with Flint water contractor were accused of dealing drugs

Pipe replacement firms in Flint focused on making money, meeting transcripts show
(Photo : Pexels/Magnus Mueller) Spyware on Android phones

Google's monthly updates are done in order to help keep Android safe from any malicious attacks. So long as you are careful when you are downloading apps outside the Play Store, keeping your device secure is very easy, even as new attackers try to distribute dangerous viruses.

Spyware takes new form

Just this week, mobile security researchers have discovered spyware that pretends to be a system update that could take total control of the phone after it is installed.

The spyware was first discovered by security firm Zimperium. The said malware is surprisingly sophisticated. After it is installed through a bundled app outside of the Play Store, it masks itself using the same notification as a verified update from Google.

Also Read: WhatsApp Sues Spyware Firm Behind U.S. Servers Tampering Using Pegasus

As soon as it is active, nothing is safe from it.

The spyware can view and upload messages, user contacts, bookmarks, and search history. It can track locations, capture photos using the camera, record both phone calls and external audio, and even steal copied content from the phone's clipboard.

It is important to note that the app that included the spyware was never available in the Play Store, so most Android users do not have to worry about losing control of their phones. It is possible that it was a targeted attack, considering how thoroughly the malware scans a particular device.

Even so, it is an excellent reminder to keep your phone up to date and secure with verified patches from Google and to only download external APKs that you trust, like APK Mirror.

Protecting smartphones from spyware

This is a warning sign if you usually get odd or unusual social media messages, emails, or text messages. You should delete those unusual messages without clicking on any links or downloading any files.

These messages will attempt to lure users into clicking a link or executing software that hosts a spyware payload to catch a victim unaware.

So, what should you do?

You can do a malware scan. There is a variety of antivirus solutions available on both smartphones and computers, which may be able to detect and remove basic forms of spyware, malware, and other computer or mobile viruses.

Although it is the easiest solution, it does not prove effective in every case.

You can also change all of your passwords. Many central accounts, like email addresses, act as a hub for other accounts and password recovery, so it is best to keep it safe, as per ZDNet.

Enable two-factor authentication or 2FA, in which account activity and logins need further consent from a mobile device. It can also help protect individual accounts. Also, consider creating a new email address.

You also need to update your OS. When an operating system releases a new version, which often comes with security patches and upgrades, it can cause conflict and problems with spyware. So, it is best to keep it updated.

Also, protect your smartphone device physically. Use a pattern, a PIN code, or enable biometrics that can protect your mobile device from future tampering. This will be added protection to your smartphone.

Related Article: Goontact Spyware Targets Android and iOS Users in Japan, Korea, and Chinese-Speaking Countries

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sieeka Khan

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
South Bend, Ind.s sole independent bookstore, Brain Lair Bookstore, may be only three years old, but its roots go back many years, to owner Kathy Burnettes childhood in a rough Chicago neighborhood. It was books that got me through that, she said, though she has never forgotten how terrible it was that she was about 12 years old before shed ever read a book featuring Black characters.

Brain Lair, which until recently was located in a retail space a five-minute drive from Notre Dame Universitys campus, is currently an online bookstore. Bookshelves curated by Brain Lair are also located inside local businesses, with the bookstore splitting the proceeds with the businesses making these books available to their customers. It also recently entered into an arrangement with the new South Bend Childrens Museum to make a selection of books available for its visitors.

Brain Lairs e-commerce transactions went from 10 per month pre-pandemic, to more than 100 daily last spring and over 300 daily in June. Burnette closed the store to customer traffic in the summer and did not renew the lease at the end of December. With the influx of online sales, Burnette noted, We were warehousing. It was just so many books in our small space. She added: When this pandemic is over and Ive found the perfect space, thats when I will reopen as a community center bookstore. Right now I am going directly to the people. Customers can pick up orders on the porch of Brain Lairs former location, and local delivery is also available.

Burnettes current operating model is working. Brain Lairs sales in the latter half of 2020 were three times those for all of 2019, Burnette said, primarily due to a spike in sales of adult titles after the death of George Floyd. Its three bestselling books last year were all adult titles: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg, and How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Sales have remained strong into 2021, keeping Burnette and her one part-time employee working hard.

Burnette didnt start out as a bookseller. She worked first as a teacher and then as a school librarian for 16 years, convinced, she said, that if you can effect changes in the schools, thatd change everything, since teachers are key to formulating childrens perspectives. Burnette said that Chimamanda Ngozie Adichies 2009 TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story, inspired her to use her position in the schools to both update the offerings in the library stacks and to encourage teachers to update their curricula with more diverse reads. But it was the presidential election in 2016 that compelled Burnette to turn to booksellingto change things, she said. The day after Donald Trump was elected president, Burnette submitted her resignation to the school and began the process of opening a bookstore.

After raising $10,000 and finding a temporary space, Burnette opened her doors in July 2018. Brain Lair, an anagram of librarian, specializes in books with characters from marginalized communities. Burnettes goal is to give kids access to books that are inclusive, which meant, she said, that she intended to move the store around, to make sure I brought books to them. Burnette said she selects her inventory based on whatever Im interested in, adding that she is advised in her choices by a group that includes young readers, childrens book experts, and librarians. I make sure I know whats coming out, she said.

Burnette is firm on what she will stock and what she wont. Being a mission-driven store, she wont even special order books that dont fit into her objective of providing customers with diverse titles. She also carries only a few of the classics, explaining that such reads are not universal, not everybodys story. Brain Lair has always carried a small selection of adult titles in addition to its childrens books, but her stock of adult titles has expanded this past year in response to customer demand.

Though Burnette for a time believed that her most recent location would be the permanent one for her physical store, she is unfazed by Brain Lairs pivot to online sales. What I am doing now is what I set out to do in the first place, she said. I envisioned that I would not be in one place for more than three months. Im going with my original vision to provide access to books to the kids who probably cant get them normally.
The Senate is taking up a big bill on voting rights. What do you think the 50 Republican members are going to do?

A. Invite the Democrats to a wine-tasting party in which the last 10 lawmakers standing get to make all the decisions.

B. Have Mitch McConnell announce that as much as I would like to defeat this bill, effective government is more important than partisan advantage.

C. Filibusterfilibusterfilibuster.

Yeah, yeah. Terrible to feel so cynical, isnt it? Well, well see. The House put a lot of important reforms in the bill, many of them aimed at making it easier for citizens to vote. But today lets look at another piece of the story that doesnt get enough attention.

Gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is the age-old practice of trying to fix the boundaries of electoral districts to make sure your side gets as much advantage as possible. Its named for Elbridge Gerry, who was governor of Massachusetts in 1812 after the legislature passed a bill setting the lines of state Senate districts to give his party a big boost. That required a lot of creative map-drawing, and critics thought one of the districts wound up looking like a salamander  or, wags said, a Gerry-mander.

Now, the bill wasnt Gerrys idea. His son-in-law said he found it exceedingly disagreeable and pretty much all he did was reluctantly sign it. But its an excellent lesson in how careful you have to be if youre planning to become a historical figure. You can devote your life to creating a new nation, championing the Bill of Rights, getting elected as James Madisons vice president, and in the end the one thing people will remember about you is a district shaped like an amphibian.

The bill now headed toward McConnells dustheap would require states to establish independent redistricting commissions when they prepare new maps for their legislatures and congressional districts based on the 2020 census. In days of yore this was a job for a bunch of guys sitting around a table full of maps, slowly divvying things up. Now its done with computers, which makes it much, much easier to game the system.

You have software that can give you 10,000 distinct variations in a number of minutes, said Edwin Bender, executive director of the National Institute on Money in Politics. Check out its website for an index that will tell you, for instance, that in the fast-growing state of Texas, only 9 percent of the 2018 state legislative races featured a real contest. A large chunk didnt have even a second contender.

Gerrymandering is one of the main reasons many of us vote in elections in which the minority party has about as much chance of winning as ascending into heaven.

Pretend youre a member of Congress. (Go ahead  pretend.) An angel appears to you with two maps of your seven-district state. In one, your party has at least a 40-50 percent chance of winning six. In the other, it has no hope whatsoever of taking four; a 65 percent chance of getting two; and a 97.7 percent chance of winning the one in which you happen to be running.

What would you do? If you quickly choose the very competitive option, congratulations! You are a person of strong moral principle who is highly unlikely to ever run for public office.

Right now in Louisiana, voters are picking a successor to Cedric Richmond, who gave up his House seat for a job as a White House adviser. The district, which resembles a very long and thin dragon balancing a ball on its nose, seems drawn to squish in as many Democrats  particularly Black Democrats  as humanly possible. So it was no surprise that it was all Democrats who came out on top in a special election this month, and two of them will face off in a runoff in April.

I am represented in Washington by Congressman Jerry Nadler, the powerful Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. One conservative publication tastefully described his district as something that skips around the city like a bachelorette party bus.

That would presume that the partygoers wanted to start on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, travel all the way down the borough across the Brooklyn Bridge and then down a little tiny passage to Borough Park. It looks less like a salamander than a Pekingese on a leash that stretches along Brooklyn and over to a very sturdy pole thats stuck far away on the citys northern end.

This mapmaking affects everything. Remember that anti-transgender bathroom law North Carolina passed in 2016? The folks who voted on it came from a brilliantly gerrymandered state legislature in which Republicans, who got only about half the statewide vote, nevertheless controlled a supermajority.

Democrats are well aware that theyve been losing the redistricting game, but its going to take a lot of effort for them to turn things around. At which point theyd probably start redrawing future maps to their advantage. What we need is a reform-populist movement dedicated to dividing the states up more fairly. Its up to you to start complaining, people. Elbridge Gerry is watching from above.
Thomas Caffrey was also alleged to have taken 150 in cash from the till from the General Merchants stand in Forestside

A man has been accused of stealing staff tips from a coffee kiosk in one of Belfasts biggest shopping centres.

Thomas Caffrey appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Saturday where he was also alleged to have taken 150 in cash from the till from the General Merchants stand in Forestside on Friday.

Objecting to the 31-year-old being released on bail a police officer told the court the kiosk was broken into at around 2.30am.

The officer said police could link Caffrey to the incident from clothing seen on CCTV footage recorded at the Simon Community hostel in Belfast at which he is living.

Caffrey told officers he had gone out for a walk that night to clear his head and couldnt remember what time he returned to the hostel.

His solicitor told the court the case was at the very early stages of the investigation with forensics and other CCTV footage still outstanding.

The lawyer said that if Caffrey were released he could contact the Housing Executive to seek emergency accommodation, which he could not do if refused bail.

However, District Judge Mark Hamill said he would only grant bail subject to a suitable address being found, with a curfew and electronic tag to fitted.

Judge Hamill adjourned the case to Newtownards Court on April 21.
Lou Ann Homan-Saylor lives in Angola at the White Picket Gardens. She can be contacted at locketoftime@aol.com.
People have been queuing for a drop-in Covid vaccination bus as part of a new scheme to tackle the low take-up of vaccinations.

The temporary facility was set up in the car park of Sainsbury's in Bury Park, Luton, earlier today - with sites also at Luton Central Mosque and Luton Town Hall.

The move is in a bid to tackle the rise in coronavirus cases in the area after people testing positive increased four per cent from the previous week.

People have been queuing for a drop-in Covid vaccination bus as part of a new scheme to tackle the low take-up of vaccinations

The temporary facility was set up in the car park of Sainsbury's in Bury Park, Luton, earlier today - with sites also at Luton Central Mosque and Luton Town Hall

The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) told the BBC: 'Recent data shows that Luton is falling behind other areas in terms of the number of eligible residents booking to receive their Covid-19 vaccination.'

The CCG is working alongside Luton Borough Council in an attempt to reach out to the over-50s and anyone who is clinically vulnerable.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, it was revealed that Luton was also among the bottom ten areas in the country for carers' Covid-19 vaccine uptake.

Just 56.9 per cent of care home workers in the area had their first dose of the vaccine by March 14  the most recent day local data is available - lower than the 76 per cent average, according to figures from NHS England.

It comes after the UK registered a further 694,959 vaccinations on Friday - 411,305 first doses and 283,654 second doses - taking the total number of people to have received their first dose to 29,727,435

The move is in a bid to tackle the rise in coronavirus cases in the area after people testing positive increased four per cent from the previous week

The CCG is working alongside Luton Borough Council in an attempt to reach out to the over-50s and anyone who is clinically vulnerable

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has since said the Government may make Covid vaccines compulsory for care home staff - as he admitted mandatory vaccination was 'something we are looking at'.

He also claimed 'many' care homes have supported the proposal.

It comes after the UK registered a further 694,959 vaccinations on Friday - 411,305 first doses and 283,654 second doses - taking the total number of people to have received their first dose to 29,727,435.
A Megans Law offender incarcerated in state prison faces new charges he raped a young boy in Scranton several years ago.

James J. Tisdale, 43, will face arraignment on charges of child rape, statutory sexual assault, unlawful restraint and related counts, Scranton Detectives Jeff Gilroy and Vince Uher charged in a criminal complaint.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

In late February, Gilroy observed a forensic interview with a 12-year-old boy at the Childrens Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania. After keeping it to himself for years, the victim disclosed what had happened.

According to the complaint, Tisdale assaulted the child sometime around 2014 or 2015. The victim said that Tisdale showed him a pornographic website one evening and said he wanted to do the things in the videos.

The victim disclosed Tisdale raped and fondled him, according to the complaint. He threatened to kill the victim if he told his mother or anyone else what happened, police charged.

A Megans Law registrant, Tisdale pleaded no contest in 2019 to a felony count of corruption of minors. Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle sentenced him July 22, 2019, to 27 to 84 months in state prison. In that case, police alleged Tisdale, who at the time lived on Spruce Street, molested and abused a 9-year-old girl.

Before that, Tisdale was on the Megans Law offender registry for a child pornography conviction. Lackawanna County Judge Vito P. Geroulo sentenced Tisdale in February 2017 to 15 to 48 months in prison.

Tisdale is currently serving time at the State Correctional Institution  Albion in Erie County.
The Irish Hairdressers Federation has today called on the Government to allow hair salons to reopen for those who are fully vaccinated.

The move would provide an essential boost to the mental health and wellbeing of elderly people, who have been cocooning for over a year, the federation said in a statement.

A reopening of salons for fully vaccinated people would also prove a major boost for frontline healthcare workers who have been under extreme pressure in the past twelve months, the group which represents over 500 salon owners and 7,000 employees said.

Elderly people have been cocooning for the past year, and it would be such a great boost for their mental health and general wellbeing to be able to pop down to the salon and talk to people in a safe, controlled environment, Danielle Kennedy, Irish Hairdressers Federation President, said.

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They get out of the house, get their hair done, feel refreshed and come away feeling great. Not a day goes by where we dont think about our heroic frontline healthcare workers who have been suffering under huge strain and trauma with this crisis for the past year.

I dont know anybody who would deny them the boost they deserve, and it would be great if they could enjoy a trip to their hair salon or barber, Ms Kennedy said.

The federation is asking the Government to consider their proposal with the wellbeing of these two groups in mind, as they have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

Hairdressers and barbers are closed since Level 5 restrictions came into force in late December.

Health and safety guidelines in hair salons and barbers have been extensively reviewed and updated with the federation insisting hair salons are safe and hygienic spaces for fully vaccinated people to attend.

The Federation says it is very aware of many elderly customers that are suffering badly, due to not being able to get their hair done, including many who cannot wash their own hair due to health conditions.

Furthermore, there are many people undergoing various stages of cancer treatment who need vital access, Ms Kennedy said.
On Saturday (March 27) Ontario Racing announced that the card of harness racing previously scheduled card for Flamboro Downs on Thursday, April 1, will now move to The Raceway at the Western Fair District, to be run on the same date (pending final approval).

With the Hamilton Region entering the Grey-Lockdown category as of Sunday, March 28 at 11:59 p.m., Flamboro Downs will not be permitted to host live racing.

Following discussions with all appropriate parties and pending final regulatory approval, the card slated for Thursday at Flamboro Downs will now take place on Thursday at The Raceway at the Western Fair District with a post time of 5:50 p.m. The draw for the transferred races is set for Monday, March 29.

All horsepeople competing on Thursdays card at The Raceway in London, Ontario, are required to complete the racetracks COVID-19 screening test prior to arriving at the racetrack.

Full live racing schedules and race handicapping resources, including free programs, are available on the Western Fair website. Horseplayers can watch and wager on the live racing card through HPIbet.com.

Ontario Racing would like to acknowledge all the parties involved, including the Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA), for their immediate action and support.

(Ontario Racing)
(Newser)  Sara Gruen became a best-selling author in 2006 with her novel Water for Elephants, which was later turned into a movie. Gruen has received tons of fan mail over the years, including a 2015 letter from convicted murderer Charles Murdoch, who is imprisoned in California. The letter struck a chord for various reasonshis grandparents were circus performers, for instance, and the novel centers on the circusand Gruen took an interest in Murdoch's case, writes Abbott Kahler at the Marshall Project. That part is simple enough. The problem is that her interest "bloomed into a frenzied obsession," writes Kahler, who is not only a journalist but a friend of Gruen's. She has witnessed firsthand Gruen's astonishing downward spiral over the past six yearsphysically, mentally, and financiallyas the case consumed her life. "She is now, in her words, 'absolutely broke,' 'seriously ill,' and her current work in progress is 'years past deadline," writes Kahler.

story continues below

Kahler provides details on all of the aboveGruen's weight dropping to 95 pounds, vertigo, temporary amnesia, crippling brain fog, death threats, borrowing against her house to pay lawyers trying to prove Murdoch's innocence, and moreas well as on the particulars of Murdoch's case, which is currently under review by the Los Angeles Countys Conviction Review Unit thanks to Gruen's efforts. (Gruen herself laid out the broad strokes in this video sent in to Dr. Phil.) The 52-year-old author has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the effort, with her husband's blessing (he mentions the figure "half a million" at one point), though she is the family's sole breadwinner because he is 25 years her senior. And no, Gruen insists she has no romantic interest in Murdoch, though Murdoch clearly seems to have an interest in her. The story ends with a slowly recovering Gruen allowing herself a "spark of hope," in the words of Kahler. "Maybe, at long last, justice will finally prevail." (Read the incredible story here.)
In reality, police contracts undermine public safety by allowing police misconduct to go unchecked, often until it is too late. Jason Van Dyke, the officer convicted in the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, had at least 10 excessive force complaints against him at the time of the murder  none of which resulted in disciplinary action. Tracking by the Citizens Police Data suggests that Van Dyke had more complaints filed against him than 94% of other officers. Police contracts have allowed law enforcement to terrorize Black people with no recourse and no semblance of justice. Communities arent safe when anyone is above the law, including police.
Haridwar is all set to host the Mahakumbh pilgrimage, where millions of people will visit the place. But according to the reports, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Haridwar has surged by a whopping 250 per cent in the last week in comparison to the first week of March. The test positivity rate on Friday (March 26) was thrice of what it was on the first day of March.

Haridwar, also knows as Devbhoomi is expecting 3 to 5 crore pilgrims in the month of April for the Mahakumbh. The first Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) happened on Thursday (March 11), and was attended by more than 3.3 crore people. The next Shahi Snan will be held on Thursday (April 1).

78 new cases of covid-19 were found in the first week of March. The number has reached 278 in just the last seven days. On March 1, only 16 cases were recorded as compared to 58 cases on Friday. Depicting a sharp increase in the positivity rate that has been reflected throughout the week as well.

Haridwar registered 285 active cases as of Friday (March 26). Uttarakhand has 1,162 active cases. It is interesting to note that other state officials have observed infection in pilgrims who visited Haridwar.

According to Guna DM, Kumar Purushottam, "Eight people from a family were tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday (March 26) in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district."

Chief Medical Officer, Haridwar Dr SK Jha said that it is expected that 1 crore pilgrims may attend the 1st of April's Shahi Snan. He also said that the testing capacity is being increased in the region.

Dr SK Jha added by saying that "Those with no negative Covid-19 reports would be returned. And those found positive through random testing would be isolated. We have the capacity to isolate over 10,000 people, with the help of private hospitals. The testing on normal days will be increased as per the pilgrim rush and on Shahi Snan days, it can go even beyond 50,000. For the last four days, we have been conducting tests of 3,000 to 5,000 people."

Live TV
In its annual report released today, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service paints a stark picture of China's attempts to silence criticism and dominate key technologies in Estonia and other democracies.

Why it matters: The small Baltic state has decades of experience in staring down Russia's authoritarian encroachment. China's actions in Estonia are now ringing similar alarm bells.

Driving the news: The report comes a week after Estonia and five other countries snubbed Beijing by sending lower-ranking ministers, rather than presidents or prime ministers, to the 17+1 summit convened by Chinese officials.

What the report says: "Implementing China's foreign policy doctrine, or creating a 'community of common destiny,' will lead to a silenced world dominated by Beijing. Faced with growing confrontation with the West, China's main goal is to create a divide between the United States and Europe."

The report's section on China highlights Beijing's growing ability to conduct influence operations in the West through economic leverage, surveillance of Chinese nationals abroad, and the cultivating of local elites.

The report also warns China's leadership "has a clear objective of making the world dependent on Chinese technology," mentioning 5G maker Huawei and navigation system BeiDou.

Background: Russia has long been Estonia's greatest security concern, particularly the threat of military invasion. China doesn't pose a military threat to Estonia. But throughout the 2010s, Estonia grew increasingly wary of Beijing's use of economic coercion for geopolitical ends, its cyber espionage, and its growing partnership with Russia. This year's foreign intelligence report uses the harshest language yet.

The country's biggest worry is the "dismantling of the world order that has allowed Estonia to regain its independence 30 years ago, and also the prosperity and development that we have taken part of in the past 30 years," said Frank Juris, research fellow at the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the International Centre for Defence and Security, located in Estonia's capital city Tallinn.

The big picture: Estonia, like the Czech Republic, is more outspoken in its criticism of China than larger European countries like Germany and France.

"This is not the first time that small European states have been the pioneers, leading in the right direction," said Juris. "It was mostly the small European states who had experience with an aggressive Russia that warned other European states of the Russian regime. "

Go deeper: Growing number of countries issue warnings on China's espionage
New Delhi: Polling for the 47 seats in the first phase of the Assam Assembly elections ended with a voter turnout of 72.14 per cent recorded as of 6:00 pm.

Zee Media team held a special conversation with Assam Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade after the elections were done for the day.

Talking about the proceedings of the day CEO Khade said, The first phase of the polls was conducted in a peaceful manner.

He further said that there was a 72 per cent turnout of voters and that he expects more to show up for the next phase of the polls.

The Election Commission of India has implemented a new system for the assembly polls this year, in which the polls can be monitored live, the Assam CEO said.

Khade added that the EC is working to get this system implemented in 50 per cent of polling booths in all constituencies. The live feed will be broadcasted in the control room of the District Election Officer, CO office and Election Commission of India in every district.

Polling for the next two phases will be held on April 1 and April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas that are voting in the first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal on Saturday, even as the overall poll situation was peaceful with 36.09 per cent turnout recorded till 11 am, officials said.

Elections are being held in 30 seats, most of which are in the once-Naxal-affected Jungle Mahal region, across five districts amid tight security, they said.

"Till 11 am the voter turnout is 36.09 per cent. It has been by and large peaceful so far," a senior Election Commission (EC) official said.

The elections are being held following COVID-19 guidelines in all nine seats in Purulia, four in Bankura, four in Jhargram and six in Paschim Medinipur, besides the seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur.

The seats in Purba Medinipur recorded the highest turnout at 38.89 per cent, followed by Jhargram (37.07 per cent) and Bankura (36.38 per cent).

The seats in Paschim Medinipur recorded 35.50 per cent turnout, while those in Purulia saw 33.58 per cent voters exercising their franchise.

In the Kanthi Dakshin seat in Purba Medinipur, voters staged a protest outside a polling booth over EVM malfunctioning.

The protesters blocked a road outside the polling station at Majna, claiming that even if they voted for one party, the VVPAT slip showed another party.

A contingent of central forces was deployed to control the situation, an EC official said, adding that the VVPAT machine was replaced.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's younger brother Soumendu was attacked in Kanthi by TMC supporters, his party alleged.

His car was vandalised and his was driver injured in the attack.

In the Salboni seat of Paschim Medinipur, CPI(M) candidate Susanta Ghosh was heckled and stones were hurled at his car allegedly by TMC supporters, police said.

As soon as he reached Salboni Bazar, some TMC supporters gheraoed and heckled him, following which they also attacked his car, eyewitnesses said.

Police personnel posted in the area rescued and escorted him to safety.

"This is an attack on democracy. This is jungle raj going on," said Ghosh, a former minister in the Left Front government.

Some journalists who were reporting on the attack were also manhandled and their vehicles vandalised.

An EC official said that three persons were arrested in connection with the incident and a report has been sought from the district administration.

The TMC denied any involvement.

A man, in his mid-30s, was found dead in Keshiary's Begumpur area in the Paschim Medinipur district in the morning, police said.

He has been identified as Mangal Soren, they said, adding that his body was found outside his home.

The BJP claimed that Soren was their supporter and was allegedly killed by TMC "goons", a charge rubbished by the ruling party.

However, the district administration in its report to the EC said that there was no connection of the death to the polls.

Long queues were seen outside most booths in the morning hours with people stepping out early to avoid the sweltering heat, besides the uncertainty of being able to cast their votes in case of violence later in the day.

Voters in several areas, including Bhagabanpur in Egra and Midnapore, complained of intimidation to the central forces who assured them of security and took them to the polling booth.

Besides, there were allegations against both BJP and TMC of trying to influence voters by providing them food packets, tea and snacks.

So far, 107 EVMs have been found to be non-functional, an EC official said.

"Forty-seven EVMs have been restored by our sector officers and the rest are being mended," he said.

The Trinamool Congress also raised concerns over the fluctuating turnout figures on the EC's mobile app and malfunctioning of EVMs at several booths.

Most of the voters and political party workers were seen without masks amid a resurgent coronavirus. In some booths, the voters were provided masks, while sanitizers and polythene gloves were made available at most locations.

More than 73 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 191 candidates in these 30 seats.

The elections, which will continue till 6 pm, are being held amid tight security with the EC deploying around 730 companies of central forces, guarding 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,

we're finally on our own.

This summer I hear the drumming,

four dead in Ohio.

 Neil Young Ohio

In the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and as the inauguration of President Joe Biden approached, the Department of Homeland Security issued a public warning concerning the growing risk of attacks by ideologically motivated violent extremists agitated about, among other things, perceived grievances fueled by false narratives. The bulletin described a heightened threat environment  across the United States  that is likely to persist over the coming weeks.

The potential for additional violent protests has been the topic of news reporting and commentary for weeks. In summarizing the uncertain, unstable and potentially violent future, one domestic security expert termed it the new normal.

In advance of the presidential inauguration, leaders in Washington D.C. turned to the National Guard to bolster local police forces. Happily, the day went off without incident. Thousands of National Guard troops remained on duty in Washington during the impeachment hearings, and it now appears that they will remain there, poised to assist local police, through April.

The extraordinary amount of sophisticated security resources that have been brought to bear in Washington will not be available to respond to potential disturbances in the hinterland. It is likely that governors will likewise turn to the National Guard to help secure major cities in advance of large-scale demonstrations. Count me among those who are deeply concerned at the prospect of hundreds or thousands of National Guardsmen responding to potentially violent protests throughout the country.

My reservations are not necessarily with the professionalism of these troops. However they can only perform as well as they are trained, and I am skeptical that National Guard troops are sufficiently trained or properly equipped for the tasks that lay ahead of them.

Policing public demonstrations, crowd control (or management), and riot control are sophisticated and complex law enforcement tasks, not military ones. They require specific and focused training, equipment, tactics and techniques to include both de-escalation and escalation of force. The Army does not focus on these tasks. Instead, its mission is to bring death and destruction to the enemy. The National Guard units found in each state predominantly consist of combat arms soldiers  infantry, field artillery and armor  many of whom have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yes, the National Guard can be the source of immediate manpower and logistic capabilities in response to a great number of situations, such as emergency response after a natural disaster. The National Guard can do such tasks safely and effectively without any particular additional training. Not so when it comes to crowd control; that requires a unique skill set.

In the weeks and months ahead, these troops stand ready to deploy to the streets in and around our state capitals; to include in Minnesota, where the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd's death last May is underway. We should insist that state and local officials, and police and National Guard leaders discuss a few key things:

What crowd control/management training have the troops and their junior leaders  sergeant and lieutenants  received? Will situational training exercises and quick reaction what if drills be part of this training?

How are the troops equipped? Have they been issued helmets with face protection?

With what non-lethal weapons/devices are they equipped? Have they been trained on that equipment?

How will they be employed? As a quick reaction/surge force?

Under whose tactical control will the troops be?

What are their rules of engagement"?

Under what conditions may they employ non-lethal weapons?

Under what circumstances may they use lethal force?

What joint rehearsals and training will the troops conduct on the ground with police units?

I write this knowing precious little about policing in general, and crowd control/crowd management in particular. But I vividly remember what can happen if you assign troops a task for which they are not properly trained, equipped, employed or briefed  Kent State, May 4, 1970.

Thomas J. Raleigh, a Watervliet native, is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served as an Infantry officer. He works in the conflict region in eastern Ukraine as an international observer. raleightj@hotmail.com
China in Focus (March 26): China Bans UK MPs Over Uyghur Sanctions

The sanction war between Europe and China has reached a new high, as Beijing expands its sanctions to UK citizens. Up to 15 Chinese embassies in Europe are protesting against their host countries governments, coming after the European Union issued sanctions against China over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

A photo showcased by Chinas foreign ministry spokeswoman is found to be fake. She said it depicted 19th century black slaves in America picking cotton, claiming it is evidence of U.S. hypocrisy. But the photos real backstory says otherwise.

Hong Kong is one step closer to authoritarianism, coming after a court ruled that simply talking about Hong Kongs pro-democracy protests could be considered a crime.

And whats behind the Chinese communist regimes recent increased aggression? An expert argues the Chinese Communist Party believes the time has come to change the world order.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.
On my first day as Home Secretary in 2018, I was taken aside and warned about the toll my responsibilities could take.

Of these, I assumed dealing with terrorists would weigh the most heavily. I was mistaken.

It wasnt until I visited the front lines of the fight against child sexual abuse that I realised the horrifying truth about its scale and severity.

At the National Crime Agency, I was shown intelligence suggesting that an astonishing 80,000 people in the UK posed a sexual threat to children online. By this time last year, that had surged to 300,000.

Because young people often feel safer discussing sensitive issues with healthcare professionals, the Government should consider reversing the significant decline in school nurses, says Sajid Javid

Under lockdown, I fear this epidemic of abuse has become far worse. Two thirds of sexual assaults are carried out by close friends or family members, meaning that scores of children have spent the past year isolating with their abuser with little chance of escape.

Abusers have also increased their activity online. In Australia, predators set up web forums to discuss ways of twisting restrictions to their advantage, while in the UK nine million attempts to access child sexual abuse content were made in March last year alone.

My colleagues in Government are appalled by these horrendous violations and are doing valuable work to fight back. However, it has become clear that on multiple fronts, the threat to our children is growing faster than law enforcement can respond.

Were winning battles, but losing the war.

Under lockdown, I fear this epidemic of abuse has become far worse. Two thirds of sexual assaults are carried out by close friends or family members, meaning that scores of children have spent the past year isolating with their abuser with little chance of escape, writes Sajid Javid (pictured)

Thats why after I left Government in 2020, the first commitment I made was to lead a no-holds barred investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation in the UK. Along with The Centre for Social Justice, I assembled a team of expert commissioners and courageous survivors. Together, we asked the questions that others wouldnt, to tackle a problem that has too often been ignored.

Tomorrow we publish our final report. Its findings are uncomfortable in places.

However, as well as hard truths, I believe the report offers a sense of hope. None of the problems weve found is insurmountable. There are clear opportunities to do more.

Our report identifies almost 100 of these  a cross-Government agenda for turning the tide on this vile form of offending.

That starts with finding our blind spots. The grooming gangs scandal is a reminder of what can happen when the agencies tasked with protecting our children are slow to act and systemic failures are allowed to persist.

We were disturbed to discover a loophole that allows child abusers to effectively remove themselves from the sex offenders register, simply by changing their name.

Not only does this mean that the police lose sight of an offenders whereabouts, it also means dangerous individuals can obtain a clean Disclosure and Barring Service check to work with children and toddlers. More than 900 convicted abusers may already have taken advantage of this.

Its also crucial we dont miss the signs when a child is being victimised, and that we support them to tell a trusted adult. Particularly for those being abused at home, the best place for this can be school.

At the National Crime Agency, I was shown intelligence suggesting that an astonishing 80,000 people in the UK posed a sexual threat to children online. By this time last year, that had surged to 300,000

Because young people often feel safer discussing sensitive issues with healthcare professionals, the Government should consider reversing the significant decline in school nurses.

Even when a child isnt ready to talk, nurses are well placed to notice when problems such as sexually transmitted infections point to much more serious issues.

Protecting victims is only part of the puzzle. If were serious about stamping out child sex abuse, then we must do more to go after offenders. Im immensely concerned by the culture of weak to non-existent sentencing thats developed around child sex abuse.

We found it difficult to believe that guidelines recommend the same punishment for stealing a 500 bicycle and viewing images of a child being raped.

Clearly, the Sentencing Council should review these in full. However, this is also an opportunity to correct long-standing injustices and anticipate future types of offending.

Offenders who hire traffickers to find children for them to torture and rape live via video links, receive on average a mere two-year custodial sentence.

Morally, directing the abuse of a child in Manila is no different from doing it in person in Manchester. Both offenders should be punished alike.

British gangs that force children to insert and smuggle drugs in their bodies are committing, in my view, a sexual violation. They should be treated as such.

And when perpetrators groom the children theyre exploiting to commit crimes, in part to undermine their credibility in the eyes of the police, we should find ways of wiping the victims records so that they can start putting their lives back together.

The list of threats facing children is long, as is our history of shortcomings.

Not all the solutions are easy or straightforward. However we have a duty  both to confront evil and protect the futures of the most precious members of our society. If that isnt worth it, then I dont know what is.
Tunis/Tunisia  The World Bank on Friday approved US$100 million in additional financing for the Tunisia COVID-19 Response Project to enable affordable and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in the country, according to a WB press release a copy of which was received by TAP.

To support the Tunisian government's National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy to vaccinate 50 percent of its population by the end of 2021, the majority of the additional financing will help pay for the purchase and deployment of several million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines--through COVAX or directly from manufacturers--as long as they meet World Bank vaccine approval criteria. World Bank funds will support the largest portion of Tunisia's vaccine supply.

The additional financing will also strengthen key aspects of Tunisia's vaccine deployment system, including targeting priority groups; training and supervising health care workers to administer vaccines; upgrading the entirety of the national cold chain including the purchase of almost 3,000 freezers and fridges; and developing communications campaigns to increase the uptake of vaccines. Finally, funds from the additional financing will help the Tunisian government monitor and evaluate the deployment of vaccines.

"The World Bank is mobilizing resources to support Tunisia in this critical effort to deploy the COVID-19 vaccine," said Tony Verheijen, the World Bank Country Manager for Tunisia. "After a year of suffering through this health crisis--compounded by an unprecedented social and economic crisis--the vaccine offers hope to save many lives, end this deadly pandemic, and start a new chapter where Tunisia can build back stronger in the years ahead."

According to the National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, the vaccine will be rolled out incrementally, starting with high-risk health workers as well as people age 75 years and above. The first group will be followed by other health workers, people between 60-75 years of age, essential workers in public and private sectors, as well as people with comorbidities, before expanding to people between 18-60 years old.

The additional financing expands the World Bank's Tunisia COVID-19 Response Project, which was approved on April 30, 2020. The parent project was deployed through an emergency mechanism to help the country acquire personal protective equipment and design the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan.
Prime Minister on Saturday morning offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Ishwaripur, Satkhira district in Bangladesh.

Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur -- a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.

He will also visit the Orkandi temple and the 'Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' in Tungipara of Gopalganj district.

After his visit to the temples, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.

Prime Minister Modi arrived on Friday in Bangladesh on a two-day visit to the nation, his first tour to a foreign country since the COVID-19 outbreak last year. He was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - A giant container ship grounded in the Suez Canal could be freed by the start of next week if heavier tugboats, dredging and a high tide succeed in dislodging it, a Dutch firm working to free the vessel said.

The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given became wedged diagonally across a southern section of the canal amid high winds early on Tuesday, disrupting global shipping by blocking one of the world's busiest waterways.

About 15% of world shipping traffic passes through the canal, and dozens of vessels are waiting in the waterway and around its northern and southern entrances for the blockage to be cleared.

Dredgers had removed some 20,000 tonnes of sand from around its bow by Friday, but tugging operations to free the ship were suspended overnight.

"We aim to get it done after the weekend, but everything will have to work out exactly right for that," Peter Berdowski, chief executive of Boskalis, told Dutch TV programme Nieuwsuur late on Friday.

Boskalis owns Smit Salvage, which was brought in this week to help with efforts by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) to dislodge the ship.

"The bow is really stuck in the sandy clay, but the stern has not been pushed totally into the clay, which is positive. We can try to use that as leverage to pull it loose," Berdowski said.

"Heavy tugboats, with a combined capacity of 400 tonnes, will arrive this weekend. We hope that a combination of the tugboats, dredging of sand at the bow and a high tide will enable us to get the ship loose at the beginning of next week."

Shipping rates for oil product tankers nearly doubled after the ship became stranded, and the blockage has scrambled global supply chains, threatening costly delays for companies already dealing with COVID-19 restrictions.

If it drags on, shippers may decide to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding about two weeks to journeys and extra fuel costs.

Three shipping agents said on Saturday that none of the ships waiting at the canal's entrances had yet requested to be rerouted.

Berdowski said a land crane would be brought in at the weekend which could lighten the Ever Given's load by offloading containers, though experts have warned that such a process could be complex and lengthy.

"If we don't succeed in getting it loose next week, we will have to remove some 600 containers from the bow to reduce the weight," he said.

"That will set us back days at least, because where to leave all those containers will be quite a puzzle."

(Reporting by Bart Meijer in Amsterdam and Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Jan Harvey)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Russian Federation must ensure the armed forces it backs adhere to the ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in eastern Ukraine.

British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons wrote this on her Twitter account, commenting on the death of Ukrainian soldiers due to shelling near Shumy, Donetsk region.

I was horrified to learn of the deaths of 4 Ukrainian service personnel due to mortar fire near Shumy today. The ceasefire must be maintained, Russia must ensure the armed forces it backs adhere to it. Every life lost is one too many, the British diplomat wrote.

On March 26, the armed formations of the Russian Federation opened fire from 82mm mortars, automatic easel grenade launchers and heavy machine guns on Ukrainian positions near Shumy (41km north of Donetsk). As a result of the shelling, four Joint Forces servicemen were killed and two were wounded. The wounded soldiers were promptly given first aid and taken to a hospital.

ish
The SC said the Facebook post would indicate that the editors agony was directed against the apathy shown by the Meghalaya CM, the DGP and the Dorbal Shnong (the local tribal council) in not taking action against the culprits. (Photo: Facebook @Patricia Mukhim).

It was refreshing to find the Supreme Court last Thursday quash an FIR against Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim who had spoken out against the physical attack on non-tribal people, a small minority, by local tribal youth in a Facebook post last July.

In a judgment that will be remembered for long, the bench of Justice L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat said, Free speech of the citizens of this country cannot be stifled by implicating them in criminal cases. The judgment written by Justice Rao also pointed out, Disapprobation of governmental inaction cant be branded as an attempt to promote hatred between different communities.

The SC said the Facebook post would indicate that the editors agony was directed against the apathy shown by the Meghalaya CM, the DGP and the Dorbal Shnong (the local tribal council) in not taking action against the culprits.

Last November, the Meghalaya high court had turned down Ms Mukhims petition to quash the criminal proceedings. The high court had appeared to fail to grasp a simple matter when it declared, even in an open and shut case such as this, that the investigating agency should be given a freehand. The bench had basically ducked the issue. The stinging rebuke of the top court evidently applies to the high court as well.

It will be in the fitness of things if the civil society and political parties quote the apex court judgment in the Mukhim case and ask the executive, the police and elements in the higher judiciary some questions.

In countless cases against respected social activists, university students, journalists and editors, and political opponents of the establishment, the judiciary has looked the other way, offering no relief in citizen versus State matters and in matters concerning upright citizens versus lumpen gangs owing allegiance to the establishment. In practically each case, among other criminal provisions these entities were also charged with Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different classes of people) of the Indian Penal Code, a key provision under which Ms Mukhim was charged. This is why the Thursday judgment is a wider morality tale.
For someone made an MBE and with nearly 500,000 YouTube subscribers, the career highlight that really makes Humza Arshad's eyes light up was meeting his idol, The Rock.

"That was incredible," Arshad says excitedly. "If someone said, 'You can meet only one person', it would be The Rock."

Meeting Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in Los Angeles might be a personal high, but Arshad has plenty more to be proud of. After going to drama school, the 35-year-old was an early adopter of YouTube and found fame with his comedy web series, Diary Of A Bad Man.

Arshad describes the main character as "this young British Pakistani Muslim, growing up in South London trying to be bad, but he's not bad at all, and he keeps getting in trouble - but he learns from it".

This soon morphed into a series of children's books based around 'Little Badman' and his various adventures - the most recent of which is Little Badman And The Radioactive Samosa ("it's literally about a radioactive samosa," Arshad says, laughing).

While the various lockdowns and Covid-related restrictions have been tough this past year, Arshad also admits he's appreciated the space it's given him to write. "It's good, because you don't have the pressures of going out and doing other things," he says. "So I have more concentration and more available time to be in my element, be alone in my room and just start writing."

Arshad released his first children's book back in 2019 (co-written with Henry White), but he's always been a storyteller. As a child, he says, "I would always find myself lining up all my toys and instead of just playing with them, I would make a film. I would always, at a young age, be obsessed with creating content, creating stories or sketches."

He was drawn to comedy for its universality. "You can watch a comedy film that may not even be in the same language, may not even have sound - let's just say it's Charlie Chaplin," Arshad says.

"You could be anyone from any part of the world watching that, and you can laugh. I think comedy is a great way of being able to make people feel good. So comedy has always been a really big part of my life."

Expand Close Little Badman And The Radioactive Samosa by Humza Arshad and Henry White, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff Press Association Images / Facebook

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Humour is something he's also managed to balance with the more serious business of activism. When he started gaining fans, he says he "realised there was a responsibility that came with it, too. Once I realised I had this influence, I was more conscious of the kind of things that I would do off camera," explains Arshad, whose parents were born in Pakistan.

"I always wanted to give back to the community and spread positive messages, and that's how I got more involved in whether it was tackling knife crime or gang violence, whether it was radicalisation or Islamophobia, or toxic masculinity - whatever I could get my teeth into. I just knew I had a voice where people would listen."

This responsibility comes with a certain level of pressure, of course. "If you think about it too much, you will go insane," Arshad admits.

Instead, he focuses on the "blessed feeling to know I have this opportunity to help someone else. Even if I could save just one person, for me, I've done my job - and I think we've done more than that, hopefully."

Big deal

He was recently awarded for his work raising awareness around extremism and gang violence in schools in the 2021 New Year Honours list, when he was made an MBE. "That was incredible. I never really thought it was possible," says Arshad - who was engrossed in lockdown mode when he received the call ("I was bored at home playing Ludo").

Once he finally believed what his manager was telling him on the phone, it started to sink in what a big deal it was.

"For a young Pakistani who grew up in South London to be able to say that he's been recognised for the work he's been doing, and been given an MBE, is pretty sweet."

However, actually sitting back and enjoying his achievements is something Arshad constantly has to work on. Appreciating the present moment has been a learning curve.

"I've been so lucky and blessed to do the craziest things - whether it's meeting my role model The Rock, or flying to China and performing to an arena that gives you a standing ovation at the end, or being able to speak at the UN or getting an MBE. All these things I've accomplished and I always think, 'Alright, what's next?'

"If I could go back, I'd tell myself: 'Sometimes you just need to savour the moment, because tomorrow's not promised'. Especially with everything that's going on in the world today," Arshad adds. "It makes you appreciate life and how much every day is a gift."

Little Badman And The Radioactive Samosa by Humza Arshad and Henry White, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff, is published by Puffin, 1 (ebook 99p) and available now

'You savour the moment, because tomorrow's not promised'
TORRINGTON  The lessons and gifts of Scouting, for both boys and girls, havent changed much since the first troops began in the early 1900s. Troop 3 members and their leaders say they are following the same philosophies and programs that started many years ago.

And Troop 3s membership numbers prove that being a Boy Scout is still a pretty cool thing.

After a year of Zoom activities and intermittent in-person meetings, members of Troop 3 are still going strong, and looking forward to their next adventure.

Troop 3 recently spent a day at Camp Workcoeman in Torrington, giving members the chance to stay overnight. Leaders including Jeff Seizer, a social studies teacher at Torrington Middle School, want to get more kids in kindergarten through fifth grade into the troops Cub Scout program, which has 29 members. Seizer would like to see twice that number. Troop 3 has about 50 Boy Scouts.

We need more younger members, because they come up in the troop and become new leaders for the next group of Cub Scouts, basically, Seizer said.

Seizer said the real goals and achievements of the members go beyond the fun, and hes focused on keeping the troop going and the spirit of scouting alive and thriving.

Torrington has a great tradition of Scouting, he said. Were very proud of what weve done, to try and keep it going during the past year with the pandemic. Were also trying to grow our membership. Weve been keeping the members and their families involved, but its always hard to attract new ones. We want to get the word out that Scouting is open, were doing things.

Boy Scouts of America

In February 2020, Boy Scouts of America, an organization that is separate from local troops, said it was filing for bankruptcy, after more than 95,000 people file sex-abuse claims against the organization, according to the Washington Post. In November 2020, BSA said it might run out of money before answering to those claims.

Seizer said the national headlines and problems of the BSA are not part of Troop 3 in any way. The Boy Scouts of America dont own the individual units, or troops, he said. Were sponsored by Center Congregational Church. Nothing involved in the lawsuits filed against them has ever come up at our meetings.

All those things make it harder to recruit people, when they hear about regrettable incidents, and see the BSA is bankrupt, they thing we are, too, Seizer said. But they only own the name, not us. The church is a charter partner.

Troop 3 / Contributed photo /

Girls welcome

In this century, Cub Scout packs welcome girls, and keep parents included in their activities. Once the girls begin seventh grade, they move on to Girl Scouts if they choose. The remaining boys stay on, working on their various achievement badges and making their way toward Eagle Scout.

Its not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, Seizer said. It allows us to have coed units on the elementary school level, so families can be involved, too. Once theyre 11 or older, girls can form their own Girl Scout troop. They can use the same advancement and leadership structure as the boys do.

That advancement and leadership is an important part of Scouting, and members say theyve learned a lot, and have made good friends at the same time.

Ive learned a lot about leadership

Andrew Davis, 16, has belonged to Troop 3 for five years. He completed his Eagle rank by removing and replacing a retaining wall at Burrville Cemetery, one of a number of burial grounds where the troop decorates veterans graves with flags every year.

Part of the Eagle project is to get fellow troop members to help. It requires the Scout to approach businesses for funding for materials, set up a plan to do the work, implement that plan and finish the project.

I think it went well, Davis said. The troop helped me out a lot and we all worked really well together.

Davis said being part of Troop 3 is more meaningful because he is an only child. Everyone is like a brother to me, he said. My parents (Morgan and Rebecca Davis) are involved, too. Right now my dad is a Scoutmaster and moms a committee member.

Davis, who attends Wamogo Regional High Schools vocational agricultural program, said hes considering studying environmental science in college. With all the camping and hiking I do, Ive learned a love and respect for nature, he said. One of our first trips was up Mount Washington, and it was a great experience. I was 11, and it was a little bit of a struggle, but we pushed ourselves up to the top. The views are just beautiful.

He said being a Boy Scout has helped him be more confident. This past year I took on the role of senior patrol leader, and thats the highest youth leadership position, he said. That really taught me to be more confident in myself, to take on responsibility, be assertive, and have better communication.

For my Eagle project, I was making sure everyone knew what they had to be doing, Davis said. I had to find people to donate. I had to work on getting people there, making sure they could come for the day. It taught me a lot of leadership and responsibility, and that has helped me in every aspect of my life.

Troop 3 / Contributed photo /

Boy Scout Anthony Cianciolo, 18, has also finished his Eagle project by building a pavilion for the Church of the Fellowship of Believing in Torrington. .

Getting people to help you  thats a big aspect of the project, he said. Ive learned a lot about leadership and working with others. Ive been with the troop for eight years now, and Im an assistant Scoutmaster. Right now, Im guiding other members, helping them get their Eagle.

Cianciolo is a student at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, where hes studying to be a nurse. He hopes to transfer to Central Connecticut State University. But hell always be part of his troop.

You dont get those experiences any other place, he said. You can hang with people your own age, go on awesome trips to places like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.; you make friends, and they become family.

Cianciolo also likes being held to a higher standard. The Scouting program puts forth these ideals, and an outdoor code, he said. Its a high standard and it helps kids to be more confident, and communicate more easily. Its easier to talk to adults now.

When Cianciolo was 14, he was in a car accident while visiting family. The help I got during my recovery put me on a trail to become a nurse, he said. And the first people that were there was my Boy Scout troop. It really shows you that were all brothers and sisters. Thats a family.

For information about Troop 3, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Troop3Torrington.
COUNCILLORS are to push for locally-led financial services in the wake of the Bank of Ireland decision to close seven branches in Limerick.

Members passed a motion at a special meeting this Friday calling on Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe to use the Government shareholding in the pillar bank to halt the shutdown of the services until a full assessment of its impact on the economy locally was done.

However, many councillors conceded that whatever happens, the lender is unlikely to reverse its decision to cease trading in Bruff, Abbeyfeale, Askeaton, Rathkeale, Caherdavin, Roxboro and the University of Limerick.

And it led to calls for a different way of doing things.

Independent councillor Jerome Scanlan, a former bank manager, who proposed the motion, said: The future of banking and the future of finance here needs to be taken in hand by our local authorities who are very fortunate, as everybody knows, in procuring funding through the European Investment Bank. If we are to renew, progress and keep our money going here, we have to look at the funding streams that I have referred to.

Councillor Tom Ruddle said: Banks dont want to meet anyone. Maybe its time for us to be more or less jilting them when they are jilting us. There has to be some way of getting back a personal service which people can go in, and talk to someone and meet someone.

Praise was reserved for the Credit Union network, but it was acknowledged that its financing capabilities can be limited.

Councillor James Collins, who as a small business owner relies on Bank of Ireland at Roxboro said: I think the message should go out that if our pillar banks dont want the business in our rural towns and villages, perhaps there are Credit Unions which are out there that would be happy to step ip. Maybe that case can be made to the financial regulator to allow the Credit Unions increase their service.

It was a point backed up by Glin-based member John Sheahan, who added: Rather than us looking for Bank of Ireland to reverse its decision, perhaps we should be promoting  and maybe our local government can have a part in this  the creation of a national bank. At the moment, our bamking system is going to become non-competitive and people will be at the mercy of whatever bank is left standing in Ireland.

When it announced the closures, Bank of Ireland said it had agreed a new partnership with An Post which will offer its customers services at more than 900 locations across Ireland. 

But Cllr Liam Galvin from Abbeyfeale  which is losing its Bank of Ireland  predicted a tsunami of post office closures in future. It follows a warning from the Irish Postmaster's Union which warned over 200 branches faced being shuttered.

He warned: The post offices are in big trouble. Wait until the contracts are up this year and well see how many post offices are left open.

Cllr Catherine Slattery warned the bank closures will leave elderly people keeping cash in their homes which will lead to other problems, while Cllr Elena Secas accused Bank of Ireland of exploiting the Covid-19 crisis to drive down costs.

Veteran councillor Kevin Sheahan was the only member who did not back the motion, saying people should celebrate the closure of pillar banks.

He made the point this would allow for the creation of more Credit Unions and other community schemes.

In response to comments, council boss Dr Pat Daly said: We will look through our economic and community development departments to see if any alternative proposal can be looked at.
In a big development ahead of the Assembly polls, the Kerala government on Friday decided to conduct a judicial probe against the Enforcement Directorate. This comes in the wake of the state police accusing ED officials of "forcing" gold smuggling scam accused Swapna Suresh to give statements against CM Pinarayi Vijayan. An FIR in this regard was filed by the Crime Branch on March 17 under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 192 (fabricating false evidence), 195-A (threatening any person to give false evidence) among others of the IPC.

The police filed this case in pursuance of the investigation into her voice clip which circulated a few months ago. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the investigation team will be headed by retired judge VK Mohan. However, the probe will become a reality only when the state government receives the green signal from the Election Commission of India. The Kerala government's move is also at odds with the High Court's decision which had directed the state police to not take coercive action against them until March 30.

Slamming the Kerala government's step, state BJP president K Surendran remarked, "Cases are coming against Pinarayi Vijayan, so he is trying to block it. He's trying to sabotage probe. He is not Idi Amin, he can't go beyond Constitution."

Gold smuggling scam probe

The Vijayan-led government in Kerala has also been facing heat in the gold smuggling scam ahead with the opposition seeking the CM's ouster. On July 5, 2020, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith PS who worked at the UAE Consulate was apprehended in this regard. Subsequently, Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited and M Sivasankar, the ex-Principal Secretary to Kerala CM were also arrested in this case.

In January 2020, the NIA filed a chargesheet before the Special Court. Claiming that the conspiracy started in June 2019, the agency alleged that the aforesaid persons raised funds and smuggled 167 kg of gold between November 2019 and June 2020 through the import cargo addressed to diplomats at the Consulate General of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram. Moreover, it added that the main accused had planned to smuggle more gold from countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Holding them responsible for threatening the "economic security of India", the agency revealed that the probe against absconding persons and others who facilitated the crime is underway.
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The FBI has launched a hunt for Sarm Heslop's American boyfriend after he sailed away from the US Virgin Islands while investigators continue to search for the missing Brit.

Federal agents have chartered a boat to try to track down Ryan Bane, 44, who disappeared Thursday from St. John where his luxury yacht had been anchored for several weeks, according to the New York Post.

A source told the outlet he had sailed away Thursday with locals warning that if he was headed for nearby Dutch, British or French territories, it may be impossible for authorities to extradite him.

Heslop, 41, vanished without a trace on March 7 after she and Bane had drinks in Frank's Bay, St. John. Bane told investigators they had returned to his catamaran that night and he awoke in the early hours to find his girlfriend gone.

A huge manhunt was launched and is yet to turn up any clues as to Heslop's whereabouts while Bane, who went to jail for attacking his ex-wife, has refused to let investigators search his boat Siren Song.

The FBI has launched a hunt for Sarm Heslop's American boyfriend Ryan Bane, 44, (left) after he sailed away from the US Virgin Islands while investigators continue to search for the missing Brit, 41 (right)

Bane was last seen Wednesday afternoon (above) returning to his boat. Federal agents have chartered a boat to try to track him down, after he disappeared Thursday from St. John where his luxury yacht had been anchored for several weeks

The FBI told the Post its division headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is now assisting the US Virgin Island Police Department in the investigation into the missing woman.

It is not clear if they are looking into the possibility that Bane has headed toward Puerto Rico which is roughly 186 km from St. John.

Rick Smith, who runs Cimarron Yacht Charter in St. John, told the Post Bane could have easily gone to the British Virgin Islands just five miles away from where he could not face extradition.

'He could have gone anywhere - to a Dutch, French, or even British island where there is no extradition,' he said.

Authorities admitted to DailyMail.com Friday they had no idea where the boat skipper is now. 'He could be anywhere,' they said.

They said Bane was neither a suspect nor a person of interest, so there was nothing officers could legally do to prevent him from leaving the US Virgin Islands.

Tony Derima, a spokesman for the Virgin Islands Police Department said: 'I don't know if we are keeping tabs on him or anything like that because, since we never spoke to him, we never had a chance to tell him that he couldn't leave or his movements were restricted or anything like that.

'He's free to go about as he pleases. He could be anywhere.'

Bane was last seen on Wednesday afternoon taking a dinghy to the shore before returning to his 47-ft catamaran with a plastic bag, sneakers and towels.

His yacht had been anchored at the same secluded spot in Frank Bay for weeks but was gone Thursday morning.

Smith said Heslop's disappearance was 'pretty perplexing' and that if she had attempted to swim to shore it would have been a 'dangerous' journey.

'If she left the boat at night, she didn't take the dinghy, but had to swim to shore,' he said.

'It's only 100 feet but the current is really strong and very dangerous in that area. The whole thing is pretty perplexing.'

He said a Coast Guard helicopter had been over the waters by the boat on the day she was reported missing but he had not seen divers or boats searching the sea.

Bane was last seen on Wednesday afternoon taking a dinghy to the shore before returning to his 47-ft catamaran with a plastic bag, sneakers and towels

Authorities have admitted to DailyMail.com: 'He could be anywhere'. His yacht had been anchored at the same secluded spot in Frank bay, St. John for weeks but by Thursday morning it was gone

Ryan Bane's boat is no longer sat in Frank Bay on Saint John in the US Virgin Islands as of early morning on Thursday

Heslop, from Southampton, England, met Bane on Tinder eight months ago. She disappeared from Siren Song, which was moored 120ft from Frank Bay on the extreme western end of St. John on March 8. The couple are pictured together

Bane's disappearance will heap fresh anguish on Heslop's family who are desperate for Bane to give detectives a detailed account of what happened the night the former-flight attendant from Southampton, England vanished.

Bane's boat was moored in Frank Bay when he reported her missing in the early hours of March 8, sparking a massive land and sea rescue effort that failed to find her.

More than two weeks later the hunt for clues is at a standstill after the Michigan native lawyered up and refused to speak further with detectives or let them carry out a fingertip search of Siren Song.

Authorities need a search warrant to board the $500,000 vessel but are yet to obtain one because Heslop's disappearance has not been classified as a criminal inquiry.

DailyMail.com has learned of further possible stumbles in the inquiry relating to CCTV evidence of the couple's last night out together.

According to friends the pair took their dinghy to Cruz Bay, the island's main tourist hub, for dinner and drinks on March 7 to celebrate a successful charter.

A barman at 420 to Center, a dive bar popular with St. John locals, confirmed to Detective Sergeant Richard Dominguez, a Virgin Islands-based FBI agent who is assisting the VIPD, that he saw the couple during his shift.

In his initial conversations with the VIPD, Bane said he finished dinner and went straight back to his boat with Sarm at 10pm.

There are at least a dozen cameras overlooking the shoreline where the couple landed their dinghy and the 50-yard walk to 420 to Center.

However many of the devices are used to livestream footage of the beach to social media, capturing party scenes and pretty sunsets for marketing purposes, but not to record.

A handful of business owners do operate conventional security cameras that store data, typically anything from 48 hours to a month, depending on how they are configured.

DailyMail.com asked the Michigan native if he would finally let cops search his 47ft catamaran - or whether he was prepared to reveal more about the night Sarm mysteriously vanished

Bane's luxury 47-foot catamaran, named Siren Song, was anchored in Frank Bay on St. John in the US Virgin Islands - but is now gone

These include Sherry Compton, who told DailyMail.com she was surprised that law enforcement didn't immediately come to her restaurant, Beach Bar, to ask for the hard drives.

'I heard about what had happened the next day from social media but the police did not come and talk to us,' she said.

Ryan Bane is seen in his mugshot after he was arrested in 2011 for attacking his ex-wife

'The FBI agent came in four or five days after. He had a timeline and he needed the footage before it automatically deleted.'

Dominguez also contacted systems engineer Steve Butcher, who installed the CCTV at Beach Bar as well as 12 livestreaming cameras for businesses dotted around downtown Cruz Bay.

Butcher told him there was nothing to look through because the livestreaming cameras weren't set up to record and the owners were responsible for their own data.

That conversation took place between the evening of March 16 and the morning of March 17 - nine to 10 days after Heslop vanished.

'Sadly that's the Virgin Islands. It's not First World. If it was me, if that was my wife, I would be disgusted,' Butcher told DailyMail.com.

Derima said that the VIPD had obtained 'hours of CCTV footage' but he declined to comment on when exactly that was collected or whether anything had potentially been missed.

Heslop met Bane on Tinder eight months ago and traveled to the Caribbean to work as a cook on Siren Song, which he charters out for more than $2,000 a day.

Heslop's friend Zan Lawther told the Post she had seen the job on the boat as a way to be with her new partner.

'Becoming the chef on the boat was a way for her and Ryan to be together,' she said. 'All reports from Sarm and the few that met him were that they were very happy.'

He claimed he was woken up at 2am by an anchor alarm, which triggers an alert if the boat strays from its position, and found her gone.

Police say Bane was advised to ring the US Coast Guard but it later emerged they did not receive the SOS call until 11:46am - more than nine hours later.

Coast Guards boarded Siren Song twice but when detectives asked to conduct a full forensic search Bane exercised his constitutional right to say no, reportedly on the advice of his attorney, David Cattie.

He was similarly reluctant to talk about the night Heslop vanished when DailyMail.com caught up with him on shore Wednesday, stonewalling our questions by saying 'no comment' four times.

A barman at 420 to Center, a dive bar popular with St. John locals, confirmed to Detective Sergeant Richard Dominguez, a Virgin Islands-based FBI agent who is assisting the VIPD, that he saw the couple during his shift

Pillsbury Sound, the stretch of water separating St. John from St. Thomas, is referred to locally as the 'washing machine' because of powerful rip currents that occur where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean

Siren Song was moored 100ft from the shore in shallow waters however the seabed drops to 70ft deep a little further out

A close friend insisted that the rugged yacht skipper was not in hiding but was refusing to speak to the island's police officers because he didn't trust them.

'My suggestion to him was that he makes some sort of statement and is as cooperative as possible,' the friend said.

'But I think he's scared, I think he's totally spun out. He is definitely bereaved. He had finally found a girl he was in love with.

'I think that his concern is that the VIPD is not real well known for conducting any sort of investigation with clarity.

'He's concerned that something could go wrong or be spun the wrong way, or that they're going to be looking for something to implicate him as opposed to the other way around.'

Earlier this week it was revealed that Bane served 21 days in jail in 2011 for attacking his ex-wife, Corie Stevenson, as they drove home from a wedding in Lake Orion, Michigan.

According to a police complaint he flew into a rage and dragged her out of the truck before smashing her head into the dining room floor, chipping one of her teeth.

'Corie's front right tooth had a chip out of it that appeared to be fresh,' wrote Officer Vincent Lichok.

'Her right ear lobe was bloody and scratched. Her right shoulder and the right side of her neck showed red scratches. Her right eyelid was scratched and red.'

In the UK, Heslop's anguished friends and family have been pushing for answers in her disappearance, questioning Bane's timeline and saying they find it 'incredibly difficult to believe' she fell off the boat.

'We would like assurance that the authorities in the Virgin Islands are doing everything possible to find her and that the investigation into our beautiful and cherished daughter's disappearance includes a comprehensive fingertip search of the boat,' her parents Peter Heslop and Brenda Street said in a statement.
Former Scottish National Party leader and former First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond makes his opening statement to The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints at Holyrood, examining the government's handling of harassment allegations against him, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, on Feb. 26, 2021. (Andy Buchanan/Pool via Reuters)

Scotlands Salmond Launches Rival Pro-Independence Party

LONDON Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond launched a new pro-independence party on Friday to run in Mays parliamentary election, a move that could splinter the separatist vote by grabbing support away from Nicola Sturgeon, his protege turned foe.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly rejected calls for a fresh vote on Scottish independence following the last one in 2014 that resulted in a vote to stay part of the United Kingdom. Opinion polls in the last 12 months have shown historically high support for independence.

The May 6 election is seen as a critical test of public sentiment in Scotland, and an opportunity for the Scottish National Party that Sturgeon leads to put fresh pressure on Johnson.

Im announcing the public launch of a new political force: the Alba Party, Salmond said in a statement broadcast on Twitter.

Alba will contest the upcoming Scottish elections as a list-only party under my leadership, seeking to build a super majority for independence in the Scottish Parliament.

As leader of the Scottish National Party, Salmond led the devolved Scottish government for seven years until 2014 and helped drive growing support for independence.

He was the most prominent pro-independence figure in the 2014 referendum, in which Scots rejected independence by 55 percent to 45 percent.

Salmond and current First Minister Sturgeon were close friends and allies, but they fell out after several women made sexual harassment complaints against him.

Salmond was acquitted in 2020 of charges of sexual assault. He has portrayed himself as the victim of a conspiracy to drive him out of public life, and won 500,000 pounds in legal costs from the Scottish government after its handling of an investigation into his behaviour was ruled unlawful.

Salmond said the Alba Party would avoid splitting the pro-independence vote because it would encourage people to vote SNP in constituency-specific seats, but to vote for his new party where seats are allocated according to larger regional lists.

He said this would lead to more pro-independence lawmakers in Scotlands parliament and add fresh momentum to the independence drive.

Boris Johnson has already said no to the SNP proposals, he will find it much more difficult to say no to a parliament, and a country, Salmond said.

By Michael Holden
The contract for Winnipeg's police chief has been extended for two years at a time when morale among rank-and-file officers has hit rock bottom and the union has said it doubts Danny Smyth is the person to fix it.

The contract for Winnipeg's police chief has been extended for two years at a time when morale among rank-and-file officers has hit rock bottom and the union has said it doubts Danny Smyth is the person to fix it.

On Friday, Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers announced Smyths contract, which was set to expire on Nov. 30, 2021, will be extended to Nov. 30, 2023.

Chambers said Smyth has done a great job engaging with community groups for years, which includes work with the Bear Clan and Main Street Project.

"That was one of the strategic plans that we as a board wanted to see, is those improved partnerships, and we certainly (think) hes (done) that. We felt that this is the direction that we wanted to continue," he said.

The president of the Winnipeg Police Association, the union for officers, called the contract extension "disappointing."

Moe Sabourin told the Free Press officer morale declined dramatically after the suicide of one constable and the sudden death of another, both of which took place in February.

"The two recent deaths of current members and the way that the chief dealt with their families has... angered and enraged the membership," said Sabourin. "Its a very deep problem."

The union leader said the chief didnt reach out to one constables family until more than a week after the death occurred.

"From what were hearing from our members, (low morale) is a problem that is deep-rooted. And we think that this is a situation that the chief is going to be unable to repair," said Sabourin.

He also accused Smyth of failing to fight changes to the police budget as the city strives to reduce annual cost increases for the service.

The police service recently agreed to a third-party review of police morale.

Smyth said recommendations from the review should be available by late spring or early summer.

Smyth said hes aware of the union's complaints and agrees morale is low. He declined to offer details of his response to the families of the constables who died, noting he tried to reach out while respecting their privacy.

He said there are several factors hurting police morale right now, which go beyond his own job performance.

"Were all fatigued from the pandemic (and) the police have an added layer, with a lot of the social justice focus on there. That has a cumulative impact," said Smyth.

Anti-police protests have been common in Winnipeg and around the world for a year. Many Winnipeggers have lobbied city council to reduce the police budget and spend that cash on recreation and community services.

Smyth said the department has attempted to support officers who are coping with those pressures.

As for his own contract extension, the police chief said he considers it a reflection of the good work of front-line officers.

"Theyre doing a very good job at a very difficult time," said Smyth.

Chambers said he expects the morale review will provide feedback that can help the police board set benchmarks for police chief performance, if the results show a need for improvement.

"Just based on those responses  (we may be) able to attach performance metrics along the way in this two-year extension of the contract," he said.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Anti-coup protesters extinguish fires during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar, on Saturday. (Associated Press)

Fears that Myanmars military would launch a brutal crackdown to mark Armed Forces Day were realized Saturday when security forces reportedly killed more than 110 people across the country in the bloodiest massacre since the army seized power in a coup last month.

While soldiers paraded on the empty streets of the isolated capital, Naypyidaw, in front of dignitaries from countries including Russia and Thailand, security forces across the nation gunned down scores of unarmed protesters and passersby, including a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old, according to local news reports.

Cellphone cameras captured images of soldiers and police beating and torturing detainees.

"Security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they swore to protect," U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Thomas L. Vajda said in a statement. "This bloodshed is horrifying. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force."

The bloodletting comes one day after the junta warned protesters were in danger of getting shot to the head and back. Previously, the highest death toll in a single day since the coup took place Feb. 1 was believed to be 90 on March 14, according to rights group Assistance Assn. for Political Prisoners. At least 440 civilians have been killed in total.

The scenes of wanton violence against protesters demanding the release of democratically elected civilian leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint raise the pressure on the international community to act as the crisis pushes Myanmar toward civil war.

In less than two months, the Southeast Asian nation of 54 million has transformed from a weak, but budding, democracy to a killing field reminiscent of the nearly five decades of military dictatorship that preceded political reforms in 2011. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, views itself as guardian of Myanmar's sovereignty and will probably continue slaughtering civilians because the majority of the country will not accept its rule.

Story continues

Violence began early Saturday in Yangon, also known as Rangoon, when security forces opened fire on protesters demonstrating in front of a police station in Dala township, killing at least four, according to local media reports.

Witnesses said soldiers fired live ammunition at protesters in Yangons Sanchaung township, a neighborhood that has served as the heart of the protest movement.

One protester, who gathered with 60 other people Saturday morning in Sanchaung, said about 20 soldiers arrived in two military vehicles shortly after the demonstration began.

As soon as they arrived, they started shooting us directly with real bullets several times without any warning, the protester said.

The protester, who declined to share her name to protect her safety, saw three civilians shot initially, one in the chest and two in the legs. As the others turned to run, another was shot in the head.

While I was running, I was crying and I was really afraid, she said. I couldnt look back at him again.

As the protesters scattered and took shelter, she said, she could hear the soldiers taunting them.

I could hear them shouting, Come out now if you dare. I will  kill you.

The clashes continued throughout the day in Sanchaung, with protesters shouting slogans and then fleeing as security forces came closer.

One protester who was unable to escape was seen being beaten while in police custody.

A protest organizer in Yangons Hlaing township said he took to the streets at around 7:30 a.m. with nearly 500 others.

At 4:30 p.m., he said, a police vehicle came toward the demonstrators.

Eight police and two soldiers got out and shot one of the male protesters in the head right in front of me without warning, said the protester, who also declined to give his name.

Myanmar's military chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, reviews troops during Armed Forces Day on Saturday. (Associated Press)

Rumors had abounded that the military would launch a major offensive Saturday. Many believed the junta wanted to quell the national protest movement by Armed Forces Day, which commemorates armed resistance against the Japanese during World War II.

During a televised address Saturday, the junta's leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, justified the crackdown as a bid to protect the country.

The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy, he said.

Min Aung Hlaing again pledged to hold new elections, this after the military refused to recognize the results of Novembers national polls, which delivered another landslide victory to Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party.

Kyaw Win, director of the Burma Human Rights Network, said the military is increasingly targeting young children and those not participating in the protests. A 13-year-old was among those killed Saturday, and a 7-year-old was shot dead in Mandalay on Tuesday.

The fascist military wants to prove that no one is safe, and no one will be spared, even the innocent children, he said, calling on the international community to impose a global arms embargo on Myanmar.

This is not a war but a massacre and clearly it is a crime against humanity, Kyaw Win said.

Earlier this week, Save the Children said at least 20 minors had been killed since the coup, adding that it was "horrified" by the targeting of children, which shows a complete disregard for human life.

Rights activists have increasingly called for a global arms embargo, sanctions against military interests and for a case to be opened against the junta at the International Criminal Court.

Myanmar is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, but it is already facing accusations at the court of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

In response to escalating violence by the junta, the United States imposed targeted economic sanctions against two military-controlled conglomerates, Myanma Economic Holdings Ltd. and Myanmar Economic Corp. Britain also imposed sanctions on Myanma Economic Holdings.

The U.S. Treasury said it is targeting the Burmese militarys control of significant segments of the Burmese economy, which is a vital financial lifeline for the military junta.

The conglomerates have a vast business empire that includes natural resources and precious gems, alcohol, ports and logistics.

In a separate incident Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar confirmed that shots were fired at the American Center in Yangon. There were no injuries reported at the building, which is near the embassy and used for cultural exchanges.

Nachemson and Kyaw Hsan Hlaing are special correspondents.

For the record:

9:34 AM, Mar. 27, 2021: An earlier version of this article included a reference to the International Court of Justice. It should have said the International Criminal Court.



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ripped into the federal government's continued pandemic ban on cruise ships using U.S. ports, threatening Friday to file a lawsuit if one of the state's biggest tourism sectors is not allowed to resume operations soon.

Appearing at Port Canaveral with leaders from Carnival, Norwegian, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said they are exploring the state's legal options if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not allow U.S.-based cruising to resume by summer.

The state is the nation's cruise capital with three of the world's busiest ports: Miami, Port Canaveral near Kennedy Space Center, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. Millions typically cruise from Florida each year and the industry generates billions for the state's economy.

DeSantis said the continued ban is only hurting Florida with no effect on the pandemic as cruising is resuming elsewhere in the world and Americans are flying to the nearby Bahamas to board ships.

'Is it OK for the government to just idle an industry for a year?' the Republican governor said. He said people now need to decide for themselves what they are willing to risk.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised to sue the US if the ban on the cruise industry isn't lifted by summer

A surfer eyes the Disney Cruise Line ships Fantasy, left, and Dream as they sit in Cocoa Beach, Fla. A Disney representative joined DeSantis in pushing for a resumption of service

The CDC shut down the cruise industry a year ago when several coronavirus outbreaks were tied to ships worldwide. DeSantis and industry leaders argued Friday that with widespread testing and vaccines becoming more available, the danger is now no worse than air and train travel, which are open.

Cruising has resumed with restrictions and protocols in much of the world with the industry leaders saying there have been no new outbreaks tied to their ships.

The CDC did not immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment. It issued guidelines in October that require cruise ships conduct mock voyages to test procedures and have onboard testing labs before passengers would be allowed, but no further guidance has been issued, leaving the ban effectively in place.

Cindy Prins, a University of Florida epidemiologist, defended the ban, saying it is still too early for cruise ships to operate. Unlike other modes of transportation, families and groups on cruises mingle and dine together for long periods, increasing the likelihood of spread, she said, and testing and symptom screening are not perfect methods of prevention.

She said cruise lines would need to limit passengers and crew to those who can prove they are fully vaccinated to avoid spreading the virus. No industry leader suggested Friday that would be a requirement if they resume U.S. operations, and DeSantis expressed opposition to requiring vaccination for participation in the economy.

Royal Caribbeans Navigator of the Sea cruise ship is docked at Port Miami, one of three ports utilized by the industry in Florida

The Symphony of the Seas cruise ship is shown docked at Port Miami, in Miami on May 20, 2020

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said the state would challenge the ban on the basis of medical advice that is no longer valid

Moody, also a Republican, said if a lawsuit is filed, it would challenge the ban as based on medical information that is out-of-date and no longer valid.

'When you have a government that is working against the interests and vitality of its citizens it serves, that is a problem. And historically, you can see how that leads to the demise and destruction of those they are trying to govern,' Moody said.

More than 8 million passengers cruised from Florida in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. The Cruise Lines International Association estimates that 150,000 jobs in the state are created by the industry, including dependent jobs at hotels, restaurants and airlines, generating nearly $8 billion in wages. Almost all of that has been wiped out.

The Celebrity Silhouette operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean, is moored in the Port of Miami on Dec. 21, 2020. The industry has been idle for more than a year

Industry leaders appearing with DeSantis and Moody complained that little movement has been made in the U.S. toward reopening, even though cruises have resumed in the Caribbean, Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia and Asia.

'Let's get people back to the work. The health situation has changed,' said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney Cruise Line.

'Cruise lines are cruising very successfully outside the United States, proving that with the right protocols cruising is a very safe and beautiful experience.'
Jason Blataric started feeling tired while on an early December trip to Big Bend National Park with his family.

We had two days out there exploring, hiking, walking around, checking out the sights, the substitute teacher from Schertz said. We were on a trail, and we were going on and on. I thought this trail was long, but I was also feeling tired. And I thought that this was not that long of a trail. I felt worn out.

Blataric, 45, who was with his wife Ellie and six-year-old son Logan, said they went back to the hotel with a plan to rest up and try another trail the next day.

Thats when I got chills, like fever chills, and I just couldnt get warm, he said. I took a shower and just couldnt get rid of them.

A pain reliever and a nap didnt help.

Blataric said he wanted to get tested for COVID-19, but in that remote area of Texas, finding a facility that conducted the tests was difficult.

Ultimately, we decided to cut our vacation short and head back home, he said.

Blataric said he was able to get a test at an urgent care facility in Schertz. The test came back positive for COVID-19. He then quarantined himself at home.

The first week after being positive, I didnt notice anything different, he said. I was expecting it to be like most other people, just kind of skate through this thing with a few symptoms, but I started coughing, and it started developing worse and worse. After another week, it got so bad that I was having trouble sleeping.

Blataric said he thought it might be pneumonia, so he went to the emergency room at Baptist Emergency Hospital - Schertz. Doctors sent him home with an inhaler, which didnt bring him much relief. Two days later, he went back to the emergency room.

They immediately saw that I needed to be on oxygen, he said. They put me on oxygen, and they told me I would be under observation for 24 to 48 hours. Thats when it got real.

After nearly a week at the hospital for COVID-19 treatment, Blataric went home with supplemental oxygen.

He spent the Christmas holiday at home but regressed after the new year when he developed a fever.

It escalated quickly, he said. My portable oxygen couldnt keep up. We made a decision to go to the ER. I learned later that if youre struggling to breathe that badly, call 9-1-1. I had my wife help me out of the house. It took a good 10, 12 minutes to get out of the house because I could only move about two feet at a time before I would have to stop. It was very scary and very hard to keep breathing, even with the oxygen.

Doctors at Baptist decided they needed to transfer Blataric to another facility with an ICU for continued treatment.

Blataric was transferred to Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels.

That was answered prayer, he said. Im going to be minutes from home rather than miles. I later found out that Resolute was also taking patients from El Paso because they had no ICU beds, and I realized how bad this could have been, distance-wise.

By this time, a month into this odyssey, a COVID-19 test indicated Blatatic was clear of the virus, but he still needed medications, steroids and oxygen therapy for pneumonia symptoms.

Most of my life, I stupidly lived with the feeling I was indestructible, he said. Im not a worrier, health-wise or danger-wise. Theres not much Im afraid of. Ill try a lot of things. Even up to this point, I was considered, but I wasnt worried about whether COVID was going to kill me.

Fortunately, doctors never placed Blataric on a ventilator during treatment. Doctors released him after a 10-day stay at Resolute in mid-January.

I believed that I was going to be okay, he said. I was thinking about the logistics and the financial costs that are coming and whether my wife was able to handle home, work and getting my son to school. Thats where my head was at. I also attributed a lot of that to my faith. I felt that Gods got this. I cant do anything for myself worrying, so Im going to put that at Gods feet and let him watch over me.

However, Blataric said he did get scared with his third trip to the hospital just a couple of days later.

I was in the shower, and my arms felt heavy all of a sudden, he said. My arms dropped. The left side of my mouth tasted numb, almost like getting a novocaine shot. I felt like I was getting a little bit of tunnel vision. I braced myself and called out for my wife. I wanted to tell her that something was wrong, but it didnt come out that way. What actually came out was very slurred.

Blataric had suffered a stroke, a complication doctors believe could have resulted from blood clots caused by the COVID-19 virus.

A study published online July 2 in the journal JAMA Neurology indicated COVID-19 could raise a patients risk for a stroke.

I was going to have to go back to the hospital, and at that moment, I felt utterly let down, Blataric said. I felt like I was going to let down my family even though this is not something I could help. I felt crushed. I was feeling broken. I was feeling scared.

Blataric was taken by ambulance to Methodist Hospital Northeast in San Antonio for treatment.

He suffered a second stroke while in the hospital. It was another 10-day hospital stay.

I havent had anything since then, he said. The only thing from the stroke that I have is some peripheral blindness in (the right) eye.

He said he has resumed substitute teaching assignments at Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD as well as exercising and pursuing other activities.

I walk. I ruck, Blataric said. I ride my mountain bike. Just two days ago, I went to the state park in Austin and put myself through some paces. I rode my mountain bike on a 5-mile trail then did some hiking after that. It wore me out sufficiently but yesterday was all about recovery, just lounging and getting over the aches and pains. Im learning what I can do and how much recovery I need.

Blataric got a surprise during the Herald-Zeitungs visit to Resolute to interview him for this story. He was reunited with some of the team members who cared for him during his stay.

Hugs and smiles, at least the parts of a smile that can be seen on an unmasked face, were exchanged.

However, the Resolute team was surprised to learn about Blatarics stroke experience, which occurred after his stay at the New Braunfels hospital.

Its not often we get to hear the result of the miracle story, especially at a time like this, said Kellie Garnier, a registered respiratory therapist. Theres so much negativity and sadness. Its wonderful to hear of someone having a wonderful outcome. As caregivers, it means a lot.

Garnier said caring for Blataric and other COVID-19 patients during the last year has been a humbling experience.

You just want to reassure people that they are going to make it, and were going to do the best we can, Garnier said. When you see the fear in someones eyes or when somebody has to die alone because there are no family members allowed, its a very humbling experience, and it can be overwhelming, but you have to remember that you were chosen for this and we all have different gifts. I feel blessed to be a part of it.

Registered Nurse Russ Autenrieth said he was pleased to see the result of Blatarics experience.

Its very rare to see a patient who has gone through so much of a recovery process, and then they come back, and theyre as appreciative as he is of the care that he received and how well hes done, Autenrieth said. Its a great feeling to be able to see that as a nurse, youve been able to make a difference in someones life.

Authenrieth also described his year-long experience caring for COVID-19 patients as humbling.

It makes you think about where people are coming from, where they are getting this disease process from and being involved in the whole process because it affects some people more than others. Theyre alone in the hospital because they cant have visitors, so who is that person going to see every day? Thats the bedside staff. Thats the staff thats there day in and day out. Instead of just treating them as a patient, you really want to treat them like family. You want to know about them and their family. The goal is to get them back to as high as functioning as possible when they leave the hospital.

Registered Nurse Melanie Bishop was also a member of Blatarics care team.

It changes your perspective, she said. He seems to have a whole new appreciation for his life. I think its wonderful to hear their story afterward. We never get to know. Im happy for his family and I think he has a really tough spirit. I like to hear these kinds of stories.

In addition to caring for patients at Resolute, Bishop also traveled to care for patients in El Paso and Detroit in the last year. She described her experience in the two cities that had been coronavirus hot spots as kind of crazy and traumatic.

For me, it has been an honor, and I feel very blessed to have the job that I have, Bishop said. You get to touch peoples lives and make connections. Thats what its all about.
Faith leaders said they believe the Covid pandemic has changed religion forever - Nathan Stirk/Getty Images Europe

Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

Religious leaders are considering permanently holding online services because of the "Zoom revolution" brought about by the Covid pandemic.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Chief Rabbi, the Archbishop of Westminster, the Muslim Council of Britain and Sikh and Hindu leaders have all said they are assessing the changing face of faith.

Lockdowns around the world have meant religions have had to adapt, with many congregants holding ritualistic services, rituals and festivals online for the first time.

As people prepare to celebrate Passover, Easter, Ramadan and Vaisakhi, faith leaders said they believe the pandemic has changed religion forever. Ahead of the week-long Jewish festival of Passover, which began on Saturday, Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, said some future services and events will be held "exclusively online".

Writing in the Jewish Telegraph, he said: "We must continue to take full advantage of the 'Zoom revolution'. We recognise that often, one's physical presence significantly enhances the inspiration one receives, so some events should be exclusively in-person.

"Others should be exclusively online, while many should surely now be hybrid events so that a global audience can benefit from a real-life occasion."

Ephraim Mirvis said some future services and events will be held 'exclusively online' - Jonathan Brady/PA

The Most Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "The message of God's love stays the same but we have to be alive to changing mediums  from oral tradition to the invention of the printing press to Zoom  and so I very much hope the Church's online presence will continue well beyond the pandemic as part of our witness to every person we are called to serve."

According to the latest Church of England statistics, its national online services have attracted more than 3.7 million views since the first restrictions on gatherings for public worship were introduced a year ago. Its prayer and discipleship apps  through which people can join in morning and evening prayer from wherever they are  have been accessed eight million times, up 50 per cent on the previous year.

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The Archbishop said: "Whilst we greatly look forward to meeting in person again, embracing the online community has welcomed more people to the Church. Online services have enabled more people to join in, whether they have disabilities, are physically very distant or are simply more comfortable at home."

Zara Mohammed, the newly-elected secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said "the flexibility that the pandemic has made us all come to expect must spur us to create new habits and norms for our community institutions rather than merely seek to re-establish the old habits unquestioningly".

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster and the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, said: "The months of the pandemic have been a time of deprivation and creativity in all our parishes. Despite all the difficulties, our open churches have remained as oases of peace and private prayer. We welcome return to our patterns of celebration of the Mass as gathered communities.

"This is at the heart of our Catholic faith. We, too, will build on the creative initiatives and the outpourings of selfless generosity which have emerged over the past year."

Along with the Cardinal and the Chief Rabbi, Rajnish Kashyap, the general secretary of the Hindu Council UK, was also asked to be part of the Government's task force to reopen places of worship.

"I can safely say that I have seen a remarkable transformation of how religion is now being practiced," he said. "The transfer of faith to the easily accessible virtual world has allowed new experimentations such as online prayers and celebration of festivals on Zoom.

"The gift of technology has allowed us to stay connected and associated spiritually with others while still protecting our physical health through social distancing."

However, Bhai Amrik Singh, the chairman of the Sikh Federation, said was no substitute for real-life services. He said: "While services can be delivered online or live-streaming can be there for those unable to attend the Gurdwara, nothing can replace physically getting together and listening and partaking in Kirtan [singing hymns] and collectively doing Ardaas [praying].

"The only change that is here to stay is virtual meetings for organisations."
Mark Wahlberg to produce, star in faith-based film 'Stu'

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Actor Mark Wahlberg is set to star in and produce a drama titled Stu, which is loosely based on a true story.

The film was announced on Deadline this week, which reported that the Hollywood actor will be working with first-time director Rosalind Ross who penned the script. Wahlberg was reportedly impressed with Ross and felt confident that she was the right person to tell the story he wanted to tell.

Ross, an actress and writer, has been romantically linked to Mel Gibson, with whom she shares a child.

The film is pegged as a faith-based film and is said to be loosely based on a true story. Its also reportedly a story that's  ... very close to Wahlbergs heart and something he had been developing for a number of years.

The Boston native was able to find a gap in his schedule at the top of the year to move forward with making the film. Along with starring in the movie, Wahlberg will serve as a producer alongside his producing partner and manager Stephen Levinson, as well as Jordan Foss. Miky Lee and Colleen Camp are named as executive producers.

Financing has been secured and production will begin in April.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post in New York City, Wahlberg opened up about his faith. At the time, the Spencer Confidential actor explained how important his time with God is.

Wahlberg revealed that he'd rather go to church on a Saturday night than see a Broadway show and said he likes to start and end each day by reflecting on his faith.

"That's what it's all about. You know, for me, it's just the way I love to start my day, finish my day," Wahlberg told CP, explaining why he decided to go to church instead of buying tickets to a musical when he was in New York City.

"I've been very blessed and very fortunate. And it's because of the focus that I put on my faith and on my family that has allowed me to accomplish so many things. Also, with the failure and disappointment and loss, life is not easy," he emphasized.

In a video message posted on Facebook in 2016, Wahlberg talked about how his Christian faith and priests in the Catholic Church have served as an "anchor" in his life.

"My Catholic faith is the anchor that supports everything I do in life. In my daily prayers, I ask for guidance, strength in my vocation as a husband and as a father," Wahlberg said of the impact priests have had on his life.

"I want you to know my support for your work to foster vocations to the priesthood because I want my children and future generations to have good priests in their lives, just like I had."
Talking with VIR, Le Bich Loan, deputy director of the Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Park (SHTP) confirmed that up to now, TTI Group's $650 million project has not started construction. Compared to the original plan this is a delay of about half a year.

Although the project has not officially started construction yet, Loan said the foreign investors are working closely with SHTP through online meetings.

In March, VIR has contacted both TTI representatives in Hong Kong and Vietnam to ask about the progress of the project. In the latest email from TTI's Hong Kong operations, the company media representative said that VIRs queries would be met by April.

According to Loan, so far, TTI has been implementing procedures such as land leasing taxation, the environment impact report, basic design appraisal, and submitted a proposal for a construction licence.

This is a big project which requires careful preparation to start construction. The investor announced that there was a delegation of experts from the US coming to Vietnam to implement the work. However, due to COVID-19, these plans were changed many times, said Loan.

TTI Group's facility in Ho Chi Minh City would be one of the largest in its global ecosystem

Covering an area of 13.5 hectares, the plant will focus on manufacturing hand-held cordless power tools and outdoor power equipment while being at the forefront of Lithium-Ion batteries, digitally controlled motors, digitally connected tools, and industry-disrupting cordless applications.

TTI's local facility was reported to be the second-largest plant and research and development (R&D) centre in the global network of TTI.

In the investment certificate, TTI committed to begin the construction within the third quarter of 2020. The project was expected to finish construction and start operation in the first quarter of 2022.

TTIs factory received high appreciation and expectation from Vietnam as it meets three major factors for attracting foreign investment into Vietnam. This is a high-tech project with an R&D centre and would collaborate with Vietnamese enterprises and manufacturers to create a local supply chain.

In 2020, TTI also held a supplier workshop to advance its presence and find local suppliers in Vietnam.

TTI plans to set up a network of around 200 enterprises to supply its factories in Vietnam and reach the annual revenue target of $2.5 billion with a localisation rate of 60-80 per cent in the future.
Older people in County Wicklow are turning lockdown into an opportunity to do good

Years ago in school, we were asked to pray for the old and the lonely, offered as a seamless phrase as though all older people were lonely, and the state of loneliness was one experienced solely by this age group.

Today in Covid times, we have commandeered a similar glib shorthand - the frail and the elderly - often with side helping of an underlying condition.

Many older people are neither frail nor lonely and some are continuing to be net contributors volunteering their time and expertise and turning lockdown into an opportunity for good.

SeniorLine, Ireland's national confidential listening service for older people, has 180 older trained volunteers who take the calls and support the callers.

Established in 1998 and open every day of the year from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., call volumes doubled in 2020 with thousands of older callers phoning each week.

The service was adapted last March at the start of the virus, and volunteers now work from home. Many say that being needed by SeniorLine gives a purpose to their own day, offers a window on the world during Covid and a deeper understanding of what some people of their own age are going through.

Mary Whitfield from Greystones came across the SeniorLine stand at the Over-50s Show in the RDS seven years ago. 'I was with my mother and she volunteered me! But when I heard what was involved, I was interested. I have volunteered a lot over the years and currently volunteer also for Food Cloud (an environmental charity that redistributes surplus food to people in need).

'I felt SeniorLine was something I could do and as an opportunity to meet new people'.

Mary, in her early 60s, is a retired nurse, and is in close contact with her mother who lives nearby.

'The training was excellent, and very relevant to the work we would be doing. I have done courses in counselling and psychology so I already understood the value of empathetic listening. SeniorLine volunteers don't give advice. It is to be there for people, to listen in a particular way', she said.

Mary began by working every three weeks in the organisation's Dublin office. 'Back then it was a case of lonely, isolated callers,' she said. 'There may have been medical problems and people didn't know how to access a service that would help them. We have all that information. Other people phoned for a general chat.'

With the advent of the virus, SeniorLine was re-purposed so that volunteers could provide the service from home. Mary said that other things have changed since Covid-19. 'Many people are very panicky, our callers don't want to go out of the house, and this is giving rise to mental and emotional problems. People are becoming very closed minded, not thinking beyond the virus, not living a normal life, feeling controlled, being deprived of making decisions, almost afraid to live.

'Another thing we find is that the so-called bubble is often not working out because the family member the older person is bubbled with is seeing other people outside the bubble, and our callers are afraid of staying involved in that situation. We also have callers who have cancelled their carers because the carers are visiting a number of homes. That, in turn, is putting more pressure on family members. It is all very difficult', she said.

How does she feel SeniorLine helps? 'A number of callers say that they don't know how they would survive without us. We are someone to talk to. Someone dependable, we give reassurance, encouragement, callers hear another person's point of view. People also love that they can phone us back if they need to and that we are open every single day'.

In her spare time, Mary enjoys crafts - knitting, crochet, embroidery, and tapestry. A big project - recreating, in kit form, her mother's family home in the midlands, is currently stalled while she awaits help to fit the electrics, but should light up someday soon.

Mary Whitfield is aware that the pandemic has fuelled and fed a narrative that all older people are frail and needy. 'I think there are a lot of older people out there with something to offer. I would be one of the younger volunteers in the service and there are many older than me who give a lot too. For the caller, the fact that we are retired, in their own age group, who have been through a lot of the same experiences is extremely helpful. I gain almost as much as what I give. I often come off the phone feeling that I have helped someone, but with a new appreciation of what I have. Seeing what other people are going through makes me count my blessings' she said.

SeniorLine can be contacted at 1800 80 45 91, 365 days a year, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Go to thiredageireland.ie for further resources.
North Korea accuses US of 'deep-seated hostility'

North Korea on Friday said it had launched a new type of tactical short-range ballistic missile. Photo: Reuters

North Korea said on Saturday that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden had taken a wrong first step and revealed "deep-seated hostility" by criticising its self-defensive missile test.



North Korea on Friday said it had launched a new type of tactical short-range ballistic missile. Biden said the test violated U.N. Security Council resolutions but he remained open to diplomacy with Pyongyang.



Ri Pyong Chol, secretary of the North's ruling Worker's Party's Central Committee, said the test was self-defensive against threats posed by South Korea and the United States with their joint military exercises and advanced weapons.



"We express our deep apprehension over the U.S. chief executive faulting the regular testfire, exercise of our state's right to self-defence, as the violation of U.N. 'resolutions' and openly revealing his deep-seated hostility," Ri said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.



Biden's remarks were an "undisguised encroachment on our state's right to self-defence and provocation," he said, adding Washington might face "something that is not good" if it continues to make "thoughtless remarks."



"We are by no means developing weapons to draw someone's attention or influence his policy," Ri said.



"I think that the new U.S. administration obviously took its first step wrong."



He accused the Biden administration of "exploiting every opportunity" to provoke Pyongyang by branding it as a "security threat."



The test came just days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed to work to denuclearize North Korea and criticized its "systemic and widespread" human rights abuses during a visit to Seoul with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.



North Korea has also slammed the South Korea-U.S. military exercises which ended last week, even though they were repeatedly scaled back to facilitate a restart of denuclearization talks with Pyongyang.



Ri said Washington insisted on a "gangster-like logic" to be able to bring strategic nuclear assets to South Korea and test intercontinental ballistic missiles at its convenience, but ban North Korea from testing even a tactical weapon.



"We know very well what we must do," he said. "We will continue to increase our most thoroughgoing and overwhelming military power."



The White House, which said its North Korea policy review was in the "final stages," declined to comment. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



When asked earlier about the launch and whether it would affect the policy review, department spokeswoman Jalina Porter again condemned the test as "destabilizing."



"North Korea's unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs constitute serious threats to international peace and security," she told a regular news briefing.



"I can't underscore enough that the president and his security team are continuing to assess the situation and one of our greatest priorities right now is ensuring that we're on the same page as our allies and partners."



Kim Dong-yup, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul, said Ri's remarks meant North Korea would potentially ramp up military tension in the coming months by developing and testing advanced weapons.



Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report on Friday that commercial satellite imagery showed North Korea has continued to produce uranium concentrate, used to build nuclear weapons, over the past eight months, though it has not tested any bombs since 2017. (Reuters)
Calls for the Covid-19 vaccine programme to be ramped up emerged this week, with one Dundalk TD saying 'people are tired and drained after doing their best for nearly three months of Level 5 lockdown.'

Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu said the strain of the last few months was taking its toll on the people of Louth, adding 'the government now needs to do its best.'

He was speaking after it was announced that the Astra Zeneca vaccines have restarted this week.

'Covid-19 numbers remain stubbornly high. People are trying their best. They are drained from three months of lockdown; a year of having their lives on hold, and what they need to see right now is the government showing that they are doing their best.'

He highlighted a range of measures which he said should be addressed in order to tackle the rates of infection across the country.

'We are into the final week of March 2021 and mandatory hotel quarantine still has not been introduced. And when it does go live, just 33 countries will be on the list.'

'Meanwhile there remains a lot of issues with the test, trace and isolate system which, 12 months after the start of this crisis, still has not been streamlined properly.'

'And there is a need for the government and the EU to engage with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure all capacity is utilised and to maximise supply.'

Deputy O Murchu added: 'There needs to be an agreement between the EU Commission and the British government about vaccines supply, not legal battles.'

'Vaccines need to happen on global basis or it will be a failure. There would be concerns that more strains will develop and will be imported and will then be a constant virus chase with repurposed vaccine booster shots.

'The vaccine rollout and its related systems need to be streamlined so if we get to a million vaccines in April and more in May (1.2 million) and June (1.6million) we have the capacity to deliver in an orderly and speedy way'.

The Sinn Fein TD also said that business supports are not catching all the firms that need help. Many, he said, are failing between the cracks and new schemes are required. Deputy O Murchu has been speaking to Tanaiste Leo Varadkar about it in recent weeks.

He said: 'All these pressures, all these difficulties are happening against the continuing febrile atmosphere of Brexit, where the DUP are electioneering and the British have shown bad faith with the Irish protocol. None of that is going away.
Although the domestic tourism is bouncing back, travel agencies still emphasise the need to open border for tourists from certain countries to reboot the industry.

Vietnams tourism sector relies heavily on international travel, which plunged last year. (Photo: dulich.tuoitre.vn)

A representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association said the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine passport would make a step forward in tourism recovery.



Tour operators have suggested piloting the reopening in easy-to-control and remote areas, launching charter flights to take tourists to certain sites while limiting travelling to various destinations, and administering COVID-19 vaccines to employees there.



Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy Director General of Vietravel, said while the Government is weighing on the matter, Vietnam needs to promote its image as a safe destination that is ready to welcome international holidaymakers back.



McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, said Vietnams tourism sector relies heavily on international travel, which plunged last year. International flights dropped 80 percent in October 2020 from the same time period a year earlier.



The sharp drop in foreign travelers has had an outsize impact on tourism expendituresand Vietnams overall economybecause they spend significantly more than their local counterparts.



In 2019, a year in which the tourism industry accounted for 12 percent of the countrys GDP, international travelers made up only 17 percent of overall tourists in Vietnam, yet accounted for more than half of all tourism spending - averaging 673 USD per traveler compared with 61 USD spent on average by domestic travelers.



According to the firm, the majority of Vietnams international tourists come from Asia, with those from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and Taiwan accounting for around 80 percent of Vietnams foreign tourism spending.



Vietnams strong economic ties with these countries could lead to a relatively fast tourism-industry recovery compared with other key tourist destinations in Europe and North America, it said.



Domestic tourism has shown clear signs of recovery. Tran Trong Kien, Chairman of the National Tourism Advisory Board, cited a latest survey as saying that more than 83 percent of Vietnamese said they are ready to travel in the next seven months, especially during the summer holiday, and more than 72 percent chose air travel.



To ensure a safe trip for guests, travel companies affirm that they are implementing anti-pandemic regulations of the Ministry of Health for the tourism sector. VNA

Vietnam needs to open borders for tourism recovery: experts Vietnam needs to research solutions and prepare all necessary conditions to open border for foreign tourists from July 2021, according to Nguyen Huu Tho, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association.
Great service: New mobile bank Starling has delivered service par excellence

Dealing with customer complaints and queries has been a major challenge for the banks over the past 12 months as they have cut branch opening hours and often worked with reduced staff numbers.

But some have coped much better than others.

The latest analysis of feedback and complaints data conducted by consumer website Fairer Finance shows that big brands such as Halifax, Nationwide, HSBC and NatWest have struggled to meet customers' expectations.

In contrast, new mobile bank Starling Bank, Cumberland Building Society and C Hoare & Co  the country's oldest privately owned bank  have continued to deliver service par excellence.

Others such as Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland have improved.

Fairer Finance has been constructing its 'customer experience' ratings for the past seven years.

According to James Daley, managing director, customers are 'generally happy' with their banks' performance during the pandemic. But he says experiences vary widely.

He adds: 'For some firms, the pandemic pushed them to try new things  and they surprised themselves in terms of what they were capable of.

'Others were woefully underprepared and struggled to maintain decent customer service levels.'

The website's rating are compiled using four criteria, two of which are based on customer views and the others on analysis of complaints data and the bank's product literature (especially the terms and conditions).

The 'happier' a bank's customers, and the more customers trust the bank brand, the higher the Fairer Finance rating a bank gets.

In contrast, an increase in complaints passed to the Financial Ombudsman Service and then upheld will result in a lower rating, as will products with confusing terms and conditions.

The average of the four scores  with 100 being the highest  provides the overall rating.

The latest scores range from just above 75 to 51 per cent.

Daley says the ratings are important because people will often stay with a bank for many years  'so picking one with a good reputation for service is crucial'.

Top of the customer experience charts is Starling Bank. Martyn James, head of media at complaints resolution company Resolver, is not surprised.

He says: 'The difference between Starling Bank and other start-up banks and mainstream names is its investment in frontline staff who are able to answer customer questions and sort out problems.'

He adds: 'A lot of people love the newer banks, but when things go wrong they don't get the help they always need. It's when things go wrong that a business is defined.

'And in a world where customer service lines have been cut, hidden or reduced, the few good ones stand out. That's the deal with Starling Bank.'

Consumer group Which? has also recently identified Starling as customers' favourite bank.

Although Daley hails Starling Bank's customer-focus, he says 'keeping the spark is the challenge'.

He points to Metro Bank, which was top of the ratings seven years ago but has steadily slipped down the table ever since.

Banks that continue to be customer-focused, says Daley, include First Direct  'a real star in terms of customer service going back many years'.

He also rates both Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank for responding well to the pandemic.

In contrast, Nationwide's overall customer service performance has been impaired by the high number of complaints (37 per cent) being upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service in the second half of last year.

'More than one in three bank complaints upheld at the Ombudsman is not a great record for a mutual firm,' says Daley.

Fairer Finance rates companies for customer experience in all key product areas including credit cards, car insurance and savings accounts.

The latest ratings for car insurance put Civil Service Insurance Society and NFU Mutual first and second.

Fairer Finance is raising 250,000 to fund its business expansion. Details on crowdcube.com.
Police in North Wales have handed out over 950 fines for Covid breaches during latest lockdown

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Mar 27th, 2021

Officers from North Wales Police have handed over 950 fines to people breaching lockdown restrictions in the past three months.

Latest provisional figures released by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) show that more Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were handed in North Wales during the latest alert level 4 restrictions which came into force just before Christmas, then the previous eight months.

Between December 20 last year and March 14, a total of 955 FPNs have handed out to people for breaking Covid restrictions in North Wales.

By contrast, between March and December 19 last year 658 breaches of coronavirus regulations.





Three FPNs relating to the holding a gathering of more than thirty people were handed out in North Wales resulting in fines of 10,000 each.

Across Wales the total number of people who have been issued with FPNs since the start of the Pandemic stands at 8,393.

In total, 94,368 FPN have been recorded as having been issued in England and Wales between Friday 27th March 2020 and Sunday 14

th March 2021.

Chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, Martin Hewitt, said: While it is encouraging to see that the number of fines processed in the last month has decreased, a small number of people continue to defy the rules, putting themselves and other at risk of the virus.

It is particularly frustrating to see the groups of selfish and irresponsible people organising and attending illegal parties and un-licenced music events  they clearly have no regard for the rules and we move quickly to enforcement in these cases.

Looking ahead as restrictions start to ease, we will be focusing our efforts on these types of large indoor gatherings.

Any person who organises or attends these events clearly doesnt need the regulations explaining to them and we will not hesitate to issue fines where necessary.

As the rules change in the coming days, weeks and months, we can expect crime, including violent crime, to return to pre-lockdown levels.

All forces have robust plans in place to deal with violence and clamp down on violent offenders. The national operation to target people carrying weapons will run again this Spring.

The governments roadmap dates for coming out of lockdown does give people hope and some light at the end of the tunnel, but we cannot become complacent. It is vital people continue to follow the rules at each stage when restrictions are eased. Otherwise, we risk undermining our efforts up to now.

Our officers will be more visible at key dates in the roadmap, to engage with public and keep explaining the restrictions which remain in place at the time, and we hope the public will continue to support us in our efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Daniel Hanscom / Getty Images

The best suburbs in America have a combination of appealing characteristics: nice homes, low crime rates and great amenities. Of course, these desirable features come with a price tag  in some cases, an exorbitant one.

To find the best suburbs in every state, GOBankingRates conducted a comprehensive study analyzing the cost of living, quality of schools and safety in suburban areas surrounding the biggest cities across the country. Factors in this study included:

Median home list price and median monthly rent, sourced from Zillows May 2019 index

Annual cost of groceries, healthcare, utilities and transportation, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2017-18 Consumer Expenditure Survey

Quality of school districts, sourced from Niche

Violent and property crime rates per 1,000 residents, sourced from Neighborhood Scout

The best suburbs in the study are all cities with fewer than 100,000 residents and are located within a 45-mile drive of the principal city. These suburban communities tend to be wealthier, better-educated and healthier in comparison to their inner-city and rural counterparts.

Some of the results of the study are not surprising. Most of the states with the most expensive rents are easy to guess: California, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Hawaii. These same states also rank highly in terms of median home list price. However, one state, Texas, also has some of the most expensive rents and median home prices in America, in its University Park suburb.

Read More: 17 Best Suburbs With Mortgages Under $1,000 a Month

When it comes to the combined annual cost of non-housing necessities, many of the usual suspects also appear on the list, including Hawaii, New York and California. However, some New Jersey and Maryland suburbs also have high costs of living.

Although the costs in some of these suburbs are off the charts, there are still plenty of expensive suburbs that are quite affordable. If you want to live in Cabot, Arkansas, the states second-most expensive suburb, you can buy a median-priced home for just $176,122, or rent a median-priced apartment for just $864. Thats hardly expensive by the standards of most of the cities on this list, but it means that you can live quite well in Cabot for an affordable price.

Story continues

Heres a look at some of the characteristics of the most expensive suburbs in America on a state-by-state basis. For each state, suburbs are ranked in order from most expensive to least expensive.

Last updated: March 22, 2021

Alabama Birmingham

Alabama

Metro area used: Birmingham-Hoover

Mountain Brook, Alabama Median home list price: $626,917

Monthly median rent: $2,008

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,614.78 Chelsea, Alabama Median home list price: $283,961

Monthly median rent: $1,421

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,161.77 Vestavia Hills, Alabama Median home list price: $459,131

Monthly median rent: $1,380

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,906.55 Hoover, Alabama Median home list price: $394,756

Monthly median rent: $1,217

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,175.94 Helena, Alabama Median home list price: $305,639

Monthly median rent: $1,157

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,706.53

Related: 20 Best Suburbs for Retirees

Anchorage-Alaska

Alaska

Metro area used: Anchorage

Palmer, Alaska Median home list price: $307,923

Monthly median rent: $1,339

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $23,496.63

Downtown Living: Most Affordable Cities in the US

Little Rock, Arkansas, USA skyline on the river at twilight.

Arkansas

Metro area used: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

Maumelle, Arkansas Median home list price: $230,417

Monthly median rent: $889

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $9,820.26 Cabot, Arkansas Median home list price: $176,122

Monthly median rent: $864

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $10,283.77 Bryant, Arkansas Median home list price: $189,350

Monthly median rent: $1,101

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $9,786.09

Note: Cabot, Arkansas, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Pink sky behind one of the tallest fountains in the world in Fountain Hills, AZ with Fire Rock and Four Peaks in the background - Image.

Arizona

Metro areas used: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale and Tucson

Fountain Hills, Arizona Median home list price: $490,241

Monthly median rent: $1,720

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,606.99 Queen Creek, Arizona Median home list price: $325,199

Monthly median rent: $1,468

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,053.04 Gold Canyon, Arizona Median home list price: $341,765

Monthly median rent: $1,547

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,287.27 Goodyear, Arizona Median home list price: $313,767

Monthly median rent: $1,325

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,961.92 Oro Valley, Arizona Median home list price: $352,997

Monthly median rent: $1,502

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,292.42

Malibu Beach coastline in California with the blue Pacific Ocean with waves coming in and beach with houses and palm tree's in background - Image.

California

Metro areas used: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara

Malibu, California Median home list price: $3,434,000

Monthly median rent: $4,989

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $22,056.93 San Marino, California Median home list price: $2,788,494

Monthly median rent: $5,129

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,272.27 Saratoga, California Median home list price: $2,702,533

Monthly median rent: $4,237

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,471.34 Manhattan Beach, California Median home list price: $2,741,944

Monthly median rent: $4,670

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,842.88 Palos Verdes Estates, California Median home list price: $2,364,722

Monthly median rent: $3,715

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,516.47

Castle Rock Colorado

Colorado

Metro area used: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood

Lone Tree, Colorado Median home list price: $810,044

Monthly median rent: $2,188

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,911.08 Parker, Colorado Median home list price: $509,605

Monthly median rent: $2,016

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,422.09 Castle Rock, Colorado Median home list price: $485,854

Monthly median rent: $2,019

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,395.27 Broomfield, Colorado Median home list price: $620,261

Monthly median rent: $2,031

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,655.40 Golden, Colorado Median home list price: $509,689

Monthly median rent: $1,884

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,404.45

Note: Castle Rock, Colorado, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Greenwich, CT, USA October 27, 2013 A sailboat is moored just off shore of a Luxury Waterfront Home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Connecticut

Metro area used: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk

Greenwich, Connecticut Median home list price: $2,259,444

Monthly median rent: $3,137

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,894.97 Darien, Connecticut Median home list price: $1,553,944

Monthly median rent: $2,662

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,713.46 Westport, Connecticut Median home list price: $1,310,667

Monthly median rent: $2,463

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,531.95

Note: Westport, Connecticut, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Wilmington Delaware

Delaware

Metro area used: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

Hockessin, Delaware Median home list price: $439,317

Monthly median rent: $1,690

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,709.34 Townsend, Delaware Median home list price: $333,672

Monthly median rent: $1,510

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,411.95 Middletown, Delaware Median home list price: $362,016

Monthly median rent: $1,326

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,385.07

See: These Are the 50 Best Cities for Renters

Ocean Drive night in Miami Beach.

Florida

Metro area used: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Median home list price: $838,465

Monthly median rent: $2,623

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,277.93 Coral Gables, Florida Median home list price: $931,571

Monthly median rent: $2,465

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,738.91 Parkland, Florida Median home list price: $704,999

Monthly median rent: $2,119

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,902.32 South Miami, Florida Median home list price: $593,806

Monthly median rent: $2,023

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,198.89 Miami Beach, Florida Median home list price: $495,583

Monthly median rent: $2,364

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,749.12

Houses and cars against the midtown.

Georgia

Metro area used: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

Milton, Georgia Median home list price: $687,378

Monthly median rent: $1,661

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,598.36 Johns Creek, Georgia Median home list price: $471,628

Monthly median rent: $1,735

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,850.58 Dunwoody, Georgia Median home list price: $486,844

Monthly Median rent: $1,676

Combine cost of non-housing necessities: $19,407.12 Roswell, Georgia Median home list price: $462,584

Monthly median rent: $1,662

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,486.89 Alpharetta, Georgia Median home list price: $503,652

Monthly median rent: $1,598

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,345.59

Kailua, Hawaii

Hawaii

Metro area used: Urban Honolulu

Kailua, Hawaii Median home list price: $1,125,422

Monthly median rent: $2,777

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $23,227.08 Ewa Beach, Hawaii Median home list price: $642,056

Monthly median rent: $2,309

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $26,252.98 Kapolei, Hawaii Median home list price: $625,097

Monthly median rent: $2,385

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $25,644.91

Save Money: Best Neighborhoods To Retire In Across America

Deer Creek in Hailey Idaho

Idaho

Metro area used: Boise

Eagle, Idaho Median home list price: $553,197

Monthly median rent: $1,580

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $16,946.30 Kuna, Idaho Median home list price: $292,398

Monthly median rent: $1,383

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,267.59

Northbrook Illinois neighborhood

Illinois

Metro area used: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin

River Forest, Illinois Median home list price: $656,708

Monthly median rent: $1,832

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,900.96 Northbrook, Illinois Median home list price: $535,739

Monthly median rent: $2,138

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,761.01 Western Springs, Illinois Median home list price: $629,606

Monthly median rent: $1,747

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,886.48 Glenview, Illinois Median home list price: $517,644

Monthly median rent: $2,046

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,833.40 Elmhurst, Illinois Median home list price: $515,956

Monthly median rent: $1,857

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,718.39

Bell tower and lake at Coxhall Garden in Carmel Indiana at sunset after snow in the winter of 2019 - Image.

Indiana

Metro area used: Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson

Zionsville, Indiana Median home list price: $481,144

Monthly median rent: $1,526

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,094.97 Carmel, Indiana Median home list price: $434,398

Monthly median rent: $1,585

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $16,866.15 Avon, Indiana Median home list price: $263,038

Monthly median rent: $1,303

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,564.98 Fishers, Indiana Median home list price: $331,169

Monthly median rent: $1,447

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,105.24 Brownsburg, Indiana Median home list price: $253,827

Monthly median rent: $1,352

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,425.03

Morning in Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa

Metro area used: Des Moines-West Des Moines

Clive, Iowa Median home list price: $346,429

Monthly median rent: $1,245

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,202.33 Waukee, Iowa Median home list price: $283,642

Monthly median rent: $1,325

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,484.88 Norwalk, Iowa Median home list price: $274,358

Monthly median rent: $1,173

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,555.16

Note: Norwalk, Iowa, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Wichita, Kansas, USA - Augusst 31, 2018: The confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas River at the Keeper of the Plains near downtown Wichita at dawn.

Kansas

Metro area used: Wichita

Andover, Kansas Median home list price: $262,042

Monthly median rent: $1,195

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,539.61

Related: The 20 Best Suburbs for Retirees

Just outside Nicholasville, Kentucky these horse find a few sweet blades of grass in their pasture.

Kentucky

Metro areas used: Louisville/Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette

Mount Washington, Kentucky Median home list price: $226,524

Monthly median rent: $1,125

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,485.76 Nicholasville, Kentucky Median home list price: $257,864

Monthly median rent: $1,063

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,284.27 Shepherdsville, Kentucky Median home list price: $203,371

Monthly median rent: $1,204

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,904.59

Aerial photo Downtown Baton Rouge Louisiana USA.

Louisiana

Metro area used: Baton Rouge and New Orleans-Metairie

Prairieville, Louisiana Median home list price: $280,281

Monthly median rent: $1,511

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,584.41 Belle Chasse, Louisiana Median home list price: $322,306

Monthly median rent: $1,221

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,682.10 Mandeville, Louisiana Median home list price: $308,650

Monthly median rent: $1,447

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,177.85 Zachary, Louisiana Median home list price: $265,450

Monthly median rent: $1,177

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,570.51 Gonzales, Louisiana Median home list price: $245,994

Monthly median rent: $1,409

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,000.07

Casco Bay Bridge spans Fore River connecting South Portland and Portland in Maine.

Maine

Metro area used: Portland-South Portland

South Portland, Maine Median home list price: $324,094

Monthly median rent: $1,830

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,767.11 Saco, Maine Median home list price: $360,775

Monthly median rent: $1,458

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,060.36

Note: Saco, Maine, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Maryland-Chevy-Chase

Maryland

Metro area used: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria

Bethesda, Maryland Median home list price: $1,226,778

Monthly median rent: $2,575

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,263.24 Potomac, Maryland Median home list price: $1,265,044

Monthly median rent: $2,308

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,396.38 Clarksburg, Maryland Median home list price: $488,230

Monthly median rent: $2,040

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,689.47 Rockville Maryland Median home list price: $539,932

Monthly median rent: $2,043

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,381.91 Olney, Maryland Median home list price: $502,561

Monthly median rent: $1,903

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,699.95

Town Hall and Historic building aerial view in Needham, Massachusetts, USA.

Massachusetts

Metro area used: Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Wellesley, Massachusetts Median home list price: $1,753,056

Monthly median rent: $3,507

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,179.22 Brookline, Massachusetts Median home list price: $1,145,878

Monthly median rent: $3,328

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,784.63 Needham, Massachusetts Median home list price: $1,197,222

Monthly median rent: $3,159

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,347.50 Lexington, Massachusetts Median home list price: $1,335,939

Monthly median rent: $2,807

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,831.53 Milton, Massachusetts Median home list price: $753,022

Monthly median rent: $2,687

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,605.97

Extra Money: 30 Things You Should Never Buy Without a Coupon

Rochester, Michigan, USA - January 1, 2012: The quaint downtown of Rochester, Michigan all lit up with colorful lights for the holidays.

Michigan

Metro area used: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

Birmingham, Michigan Median home list price: $719,744

Monthly median rent: $2,115

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,085.53 Rochester, Michigan Median home list price: $411,161

Monthly median rent: $1,631

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,893.77 Novi, Michigan Median home list price: $424,329

Monthly median rent: $1,431

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,695.99 South Lyon, Michigan Median home list price: $400,236

Monthly median rent: $1,463

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,783.25 Troy, Michigan Median home list price: $341,039

Monthly median rent: $1,717

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,548.83

Edina--Minnesota

Minnesota

Metro area used: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

Edina, Minnesota Median home list price: $664,678

Monthly median rent: $1,662

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,080.89 Ham Lake, Minnesota Median home list price: $432,544

Monthly median rent: $1,637

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,060.13 Chanhassen, Minnesota Median home list price: $473,952

Monthly median rent: $1,870

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,063.47 Hugo, Minnesota Median home list price: $359,212

Monthly median rent: $1,735

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,859.76 Andover, Minnesota Median home list price: $367,442

Monthly median rent: $1,657

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,845.26

Madison Mississippi

Mississippi

Metro area used: Jackson

Madison, Mississippi Median home list price: $347,967

Monthly median rent: $1,649

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,759.28 Ridgeland, Mississippi Median home list price: $304,583

Monthly median rent: $1,307

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,445.59 Canton, Mississippi Median home list price: $226,956

Monthly median rent: $1,391

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,759.92

The city of St. Louis

Missouri

Metro area used: St. Louis

Wildwood, Missouri Median home list price: $455,583

Monthly median rent: $1,334

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,182.30 Chesterfield, Missouri Median home list price: $458,772

Monthly median rent: $1,498

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,675.02 Dardenne Prairie, Missouri Median home list price: $336,183

Monthly median rent: $1,538

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,024.52 Ballwin, Missouri Median home list price: $330,178

Monthly median rent: $1,385

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,914.26 Kirkwood, Missouri Median home list price: $399,106

Monthly median rent: $1,366

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,594.40

Red Lodge, Montana, USA.

Montana

Metro area used: Billings

Red Lodge, Montana Median home list price: $291,800

Monthly median rent: $1,272

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,292.95

Papillion, NE / USA - October 5, 2019: University of Nebraska Husker college football fan fishing with large Husker flag and Husker jersey.

Nebraska

Metro area used: Omaha-Council Bluffs

Papillion, Nebraska Median home list price: $347,890

Monthly median rent: $1,202

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,873.46

Nevada-Boulder-City

Nevada

Metro area used: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise

Boulder City, Nevada Median home list price: $362,765

Monthly median rent: $1,437

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,766.21

Note: Boulder City, Nevada, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Tranquil nature scene in Benson Park, Hudson, New Hampshire, USA - Image.

New Hampshire

Metro area used: Manchester-Nashua

Hudson, New Hampshire Median home list price: $325,811

Monthly median rent: $1,680

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,225.69

Summit, NJ, USA April 20, 2007 Daffodils Proliferate at the Reeves reed Arboretum, a Public Garden in Summit, New Jersey - Image.

New Jersey

Metro area used: New York-Newark-Jersey City

Short Hills, New Jersey Median home list price: $1,631,833

Monthly median rent: $2,523

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $22,819.32 Franklin Lakes, New Jersey Median home list price: $1,194,000

Monthly median rent: $2,656

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $22,069.15 Hoboken, New Jersey Median home list price: $790,555

Monthly median rent: $2,619

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $22,836.52 Summit, New Jersey Median home list price: $1,079,591

Monthly median rent: $2,466

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,734.47 Ridgewood, New Jersey Median home list price: $886,006

Monthly median rent: $2,398

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $22,563.78

View of Sandia Mountain with the expanding sprawl of Albuquerque's suburb of Rio Rancho in the foreground.

New Mexico

Metro area used: Albuquerque

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Median home list price: $240,687

Monthly median rent: $1,249

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,277.95

Note: Rio Rancho, New Mexico, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Rye, New York - March 14, 2019: People enjoying sunset at Rye Playland in Rye, New York - Image.

New York

Metro area used: New York-Newark-Jersey City

Rye, New York Median home list price: $2,027,333

Monthly median rent: $2,673

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $21,269.49 Great Neck, New York Median home list price: $1,162,278

Monthly median rent: $3,197

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $24,001.83 Jericho, New York Median home list price: $930,092

Monthly median rent: $3,243

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $24,093.53 Port Washington, New York Median home list price: $932,938

Monthly median rent: $2,980

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $24,358.96 Woodmere, New York Median home list price: $761,556

Monthly median rent: $3,129

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $24,489.26

Pond at Roosevelt Wilson Park, in Davidson, North Carolina.

North Carolina

Metro area used: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia

Weddington, North Carolina Median home list price: $639,280

Monthly median rent: $2,410

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,854 Waxhaw, North Carolina Median home list price: $355,964

Monthly median rent: $1,454

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,727.10 Davidson, North Carolina Median home list price: $451,317

Monthly median rent: $1,500

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,860.80 Cornelius, North Carolina Median home list price: $379,922

Monthly median rent: $1,401

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,188.41 Indian Trail, North Carolina Median home list price: $295,379

Monthly median rent: $1,421

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,606.45

Fargo is a the largest City in North Dakota on the Red River.

North Dakota

Metro area used: Fargo

West Fargo, North Dakota Median home list price: $246,315

Monthly median rent: $969

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $16,245.72

Note: West Fargo, North Dakota, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Product Value: Coronavirus Has Made These 100+ Brands More Valuable Than Ever

Roundabout in Dublin, Ohio - Image.

Ohio

Metro areas used: Cincinnati and Columbus

New Albany, Ohio Median home list price: $645,405

Monthly median rent: $1,593

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,503 Powell, Ohio Median home list price: $426,763

Monthly median rent: $1,829

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,794.27 Upper Arlington, Ohio Median home list price: $444,344

Monthly median rent: $1,919

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,331.79 Dublin, Ohio Median home list price: $456,917

Monthly median rent: $1,751

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,497.93 Mason, Ohio Median home list price: $436,616

Monthly median rent: $1,490

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,704.86

A Placid Summer's Day in Edmond, Oklahoma - Image.

Oklahoma

Metro areas used: Oklahoma City and Tulsa

Edmond, Oklahoma Median home list price: $298,948

Monthly median rent: $1,082

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,023 Choctaw, Oklahoma Median home list price: $290,169

Monthly median rent: $925

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,514.07 Yukon, Oklahoma Median home list price: $210,830

Monthly median rent: $1,155

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,140.34 Mustang, Oklahoma Median home list price: $220,911

Monthly median rent: $1,081

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,221.43 Bixby, Oklahoma Median home list price: $266,660

Monthly median rent: $1,039

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,820.58

Wealthy home owners enjoy their manshions with boat houses along the beautiful shores of Lake Oswego in Oregon.

Oregon

Metro area used: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro

Lake Oswego, Oregon Median home list price: $762,500

Monthly median rent: $1,918

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,781.58 Damascus, Oregon Median home list price: $497,164

Monthly median rent: $2,340

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,486.18 Happy Valley, Oregon Median home list price: $568,692

Monthly median rent: $1,718

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,319.48 West Linn, Oregon Median home list price: $623,017

Monthly median rent: $1,781

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,875.49 Oregon City, Oregon Median home list price: $492,161

Monthly median rent: $1,632

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,097.49

West Chester Pennsylvania aerial view

Pennsylvania

Metro area used: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington

West Chester, Pennsylvania Median home list price: $461,478

Monthly median rent: $1,864

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,445.98 Ardmore, Pennsylvania Median home list price: $338,400

Monthly median rent: $1,939

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,678.26 Horsham, Pennsylvania Median home list price: $426,967

Monthly median rent: $1,530

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,427.22 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Median home list price: $353,261

Monthly median rent: $1,763

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,229.36 Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Median home list price: $267,978

Monthly median rent: $1,670

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,814.42

Spectacular Sunset at Rhode Island Lighthouse, Point Judith lighthouse, near Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.

Rhode Island

Metro area used: Providence-Warwick

Newport, Rhode Island Median home list price: $589,322

Monthly median rent: $2,188

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,347.29 Cranston, Rhode Island Median home list price: $273,272

Monthly median rent: $1,370

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,213.23 Warwick, Rhode Island Median home list price: $247,407

Monthly median rent: $1,505

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,111

Take a Look: The Cheapest Neighborhoods in the 50 Biggest US Cities

Mount Pleasant South Carolina climate change

South Carolina

Metro area used: Charleston-North Charleston

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Median home list price: $505,439

Monthly median rent: $1,860

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,328.50 Summerville, South Carolina Median home list price: $271,391

Monthly median rent: $1,322

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,051.20 Hanahan, South Carolina Median home list price: $281,600

Monthly median rent: $1,474

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,453.65

Note: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County.

South Dakota

Metro area used: Rapid City

Box Elder, South Dakota Median home list price: $231,685

Monthly median rent: $1,026

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,631.36

Please click my private lightbox links below for more images like this -- Thanks!.

Tennessee

Metro areas used: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin and Memphis

Brentwood, Tennessee Median home list price: $799,188

Monthly median rent: $2,259

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,657.69 Germantown, Tennessee Median home list price: $407,944

Monthly median rent: $2,109

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,329.88 Franklin, Tennessee Median home list price: $574,712

Monthly median rent: $1,775

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,686.33 Lakeland, Tennessee Median home list price: $376,338

Monthly median rent: $1,359

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,764.62 Mount Juliet, Tennessee Median home list price: $399,752

Monthly median rent: $1,641

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,225.03

Note: Germantown, Tennessee, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

University Park City Hall Texas

Texas

Metro areas used: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Austin-Round Rock

University Park, Texas Median home list price: $1,626,889

Monthly median rent: $2,804

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,676.70 Bellaire, Texas Median home list price: $884,460

Monthly median rent: $1,777

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,912.72 Colleyville, Texas Median home list price: $687,428

Monthly median rent: $1,734

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,411.32 Lakeway, Texas Median home list price: $527,151

Monthly median rent: $1,996

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,491.19 Forney, Texas Median home list price: $279,452

Monthly median rent: $1,574

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $20,827.15

The Temple is the center of holy activities and life changing events for followers of the the Latter Day Saints religion.

Utah

Metro area used: Salt Lake City

Holladay, Utah Median home list price: $632,588

Monthly median rent: $1,770

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,852.38 Draper, Utah Median home list price: $594,053

Monthly median rent: $1,701

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,308.01 Cottonwood Heights, Utah Median home list price: $564,506

Monthly median rent: $1,680

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,006.81 South Jordan, Utah Median home list price: $411,334

Monthly median rent: $1,610

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,414.90 Riverton, Utah Median home list price: $406,176

Monthly median rent: $1,619

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,341.79

Make Money: The Minimum Salary You Need To Be Happy in the Biggest Cities

South Burlington Vermont.

Vermont

Metro area used: Burlington-South Burlington

South Burlington, Vermont Median home list price: $405,496

Monthly median rent: $1,896

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,080.47

Note: South Burlington, Vermont, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Poquoson Virginia.

Virginia

Metro areas used: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News and Richmond

Poquoson, Virginia Median home list price: $391,555

Monthly median rent: $1,511

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,007.33 Suffolk, Virginia Median home list price: $286,341

Monthly median rent: $1,369

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,636.36 Glen Allen, Virginia Median home list price: $406,053

Monthly median rent: $1,498

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,194.13

Note: Poquoson, Virginia, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Mercer Island Washington

Washington

Metro area used: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

Mercer Island, Washington Median home list price: $1,854,078

Monthly median rent: $2,540

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,489.54 Sammamish, Washington Median home list price: $1,087,109

Monthly median rent: $2,537

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,062.65 Newcastle, Washington Median home list price: $898,426

Monthly median rent: $2,522

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,786.14 Snoqualmie, Washington Median home list price: $676,797

Monthly median rent: $2,213

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,421.37 Redmond, Washington Median home list price: $861,317

Monthly median rent: $2,360

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,318.49

Hurricane West Virginia.

West Virginia

Metro area used: Huntington-Ashland

Hurricane, West Virginia Median home list price: $239,878

Monthly median rent: $987

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $17,272.96

Note: Hurricane, West Virginia, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

Oconomowoc Wisconsin aerial view

Wisconsin

Metro area used: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis

Muskego, Wisconsin Median home list price: $393,861

Monthly median rent: $1,544

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,885.48 Brookfield, Wisconsin Median home list price: $358,211

Monthly median rent: $1,823

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,497.58 Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Median home list price: $376,150

Monthly median rent: $1,648

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,559.60 Shorewood, Wisconsin Median home list price: $387,456

Monthly median rent: $1,247

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,709.54 New Berlin, Wisconsin Median home list price: $286,906

Monthly median rent: $1,548

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $18,639.75

Green River Wyoming.

Wyoming

Metro area used: Rock Springs

Green River, Wyoming Median home list price: $225,367

Monthly median rent: $1,016

Combined cost of non-housing necessities: $19,128.34

Note: Green River, Wyoming, also made GOBankingRates list of Best Suburbs in Every State.

More From GOBankingRates

Methodology: GOBankingRates analyzed the largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in each state by evaluating cities within the MSA with populations less than 100,000 (suburbs) along the following criteria: (1) median home list price, sourced from Zillows 2019 Housing Data, (2) median rent, sourced from Zillows September 2019 index, and (3) annual cost of living expenditures, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2017-2018 Consumer Expenditure Survey and local cost of living indices sourced from Sperlings Best Places. All factors were scored, summed up and then ranked from best to worst for each major MSA in all 50 states to quantify the most expensive suburbs in each state. Factor one was weighted 1.5 times in final calculations. The list of cities came from GOBankingRates Every States Best Suburb study from August 2019 which sourced its cities from U.S. Census Bureaus 2017 American Community Survey. Suburbs must have been within 45 miles driving distance of the principal city, per Google Maps. Factors one and two were compiled and are up to date as of Nov. 6, 2019, and factor three was compiled and up to date as of July 26, 2019.

Photo disclaimer: Images used are representational of the overall areas mentioned, but may not reflect the actual suburbs listed.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Most Expensive Suburbs in Every State
Myanmar security forces killed 114 people, including some children, in a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in what was the bloodiest day of violence since last months military coup, news reports and witnesses said.

The killings, which took place on Armed Forces Day, drew strong renewed criticism from Western countries. British Ambassador Dan Chugg said the security forces had disgraced themselves and the US envoy called the violence horrifying.

Anti-coup protesters extinguish fires during a protest in Thaketa township Yangon, Myanmar. Credit:

Military jets also launched air strikes on a village in territory controlled by an armed group from the Karen ethnic minority and at least two people were killed, a civil society group said.

Earlier, the Karen National Union said it had overrun an army post near the Thai border, killing 10 people  including a lieutenant colonel  and losing one of its own fighters as tensions with the military surged after years of relative peace.
Firefighters have rescued a group of missing lambs that were found down a disused mine shaft.

The animals, which had been missing for three days, were retrieved from the 12-metre shaft on farm land near Ballymena, Co Antrim, on Friday evening.

A specialist crew from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) worked with colleagues from Ballymoney fire station at the farm on the Cushendall Road to access the shaft using gas monitors and rope rescue equipment.

A spokesman for the NIFRS said the lambs were in a distressed state when a firefighter reached them.

These lambs are looking a little sheepish...



Last night Crews from Ballymoney Station and the Specialist Rescue Team, worked with the Farm Owner to rescue these lambs who had been missing for 3 days. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/oN9njIyzhz  Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (@NIFRSOFFICIAL) March 27, 2021

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He said they had been returned to their grateful owners.

Read More

We would like to remind the public of the dangers of entering disused mines or sub surface work areas and advise people never to enter such locations.
The head of the World Health Organization on Friday urged the global community to donate COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries, citing the urgent need for 10 million doses for a WHO-backed vaccine distribution program.

"COVAX is ready to deliver but we can't deliver vaccines we don't have," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a virtual news conference in Geneva.

"Bilateral deals, export bans and vaccine nationalism have caused distortions in the market with gross inequities in supply and demand," Tedros said. "Ten million doses are not much and it's not nearly enough."

COVAX, an abbreviation for the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative, aims to provide equitable access to vaccines worldwide.

The WHO chief called on countries to donate spare doses of vaccines to COVAX because a rush to secure vaccines around the world delayed deliveries that COVAX had anticipated.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations in New York, 181 nations signed on to a political declaration that calls for COVID-19 vaccinations to be treated as a global public good, ensuring affordable, equitable and fair access to vaccines for all.

"We can see the end of the crisis, but to reach it, we need to work together with a deeper sense of collaboration," part of the declaration states.

Among the appeals are calls on nations to fully fund the COVAX facility to distribute vaccines to poor and developing countries, to scale up vaccine production through the distribution of technology and licenses, and to launch public information campaigns on the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

COVAX has distributed more than 31 million doses of vaccines to 57 countries.

"There is a race everywhere between the vaccines and the pandemic," said Lebanon's Ambassador Amal Mudallali, on behalf of the countries that drafted the document. "This race will be won before the start by the 'haves,' if there is no equitable, affordable sharing of vaccines."

Global numbers

The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported Friday afternoon that total global COVID-19 infections were at 125.9 million.

The United States had more cases than another country, with 30.1 million infections, followed by Brazil, with 12.3 million, and India, with 11.8 million.

India said Friday that it had set a record with a tally of more than 59,000 new cases from the previous 24-hour period.

On Thursday, Brazil said it had recorded its highest number of new coronavirus cases in 24 hours with 100,158 infections.

UNESCO study

Separately, UNESCO said a new study has found that the coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected the reading proficiency of over 100 million children.

"The number of children lacking basic reading skills was on a downward curve prior to the pandemic and expected to fall from 483 million to 460 million in 2020," UNESCO said in a statement Thursday. "Instead, as a result of the pandemic, the number of children in difficulty jumped to 584 million in 2020, increasing by more than 20% and wiping out gains made over the past two decades through education efforts."

UNESCO is convening a meeting Monday with education ministers from around the world to discuss ways to combat the trend.

Canada hit a stumbling block in its vaccination program when U.S. vaccine manufacturer Moderna said it was delaying a shipment of nearly 600,000 shots expected to be delivered this weekend.

Anita Anand, Canada's federal procurement minister, said Moderna officials attributed the setback to a "backlog in its quality assurance process." The vaccines, however, are expected to be shipped out before the end of next week.

VOA's Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.


Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio on Friday became the latest automaker to temporarily suspend production because of a global semiconductor chip shortage that has shut down plants and resulted in major losses for the sector.

Top automakers such as Ford, Honda, GM and Volkswagen were caught off guard by the shortage even as auto demand picked up during the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing many of them to hold back production.

The chip scarcity is also a result of an increased demand from the consumer electronics industry as people worked from home and played more video games during the health crisis.

Nio, one the main challengers to Tesla, which dominates the EV market in China, said it would halt production for five working days at its Hefei plant from next week and cut its first-quarter delivery forecast by as much as 1,000 vehicles.

Shares of Nio, which makes the ES8 and ES6 electric sport-utility vehicles, fell more than 7% in U.S. premarket trading. The company also faces competition from home-grown rivals such as Xpeng Inc.

Nio now expects to deliver 19,500 vehicles in the first quarter, down from a range of 20,000 to 20,500 vehicles it had previously expected.

Sanctions against Chinese technology companies have also played a role in the global shortage of chips.

US automaker Ford Motor had warned the shortage could hit its 2021 profit by up to $2.5 billion, while its larger rival General Motors Co expects the crisis to shave up to $2 billion off its full-year profit.

Ford, which was until now assembling its highly profitable F-150 pickup trucks without certain parts, said on Thursday it will idle production of the trucks at a plant in Michigan through Sunday.

GM and Japan's Honda Motor Co Ltd both announced this week they would continue production suspension at plants in North America for the coming weeks.

Swedish truck maker Volvo AB meanwhile said on Tuesday the chip shortage would have a "substantial" impact on its second-quarter earnings, and announced it would implement stop days across its truck manufacturing sites globally beginning in April.
The foreign ministers of the two countries, Javad Zarif and Wang Yi, signed the agreement during a ceremony at the foreign ministry in Tehran on Saturday, according to Irans semiofficial Fars News Agency. That capped a two-day visit by Mr. Wang that reflected Chinas growing ambition to play a larger role in a region that has been a strategic preoccupation of the United States for decades.

China firmly supports Iran in safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity, Mr. Wang said in his meeting with President Hassan Rouhani, the Chinese foreign ministry reported. The United States, Mr. Wang said, should immediately rescind its sanctions on Iran and remove its long arm of jurisdictional measures that have been aimed at China, among others.

Iran did not make the details of the agreement public before the signing, nor did the Chinese government give specifics. But experts said it was largely unchanged from an 18-page draft obtained last year by The New York Times.

That draft detailed $400 billion of Chinese investments to be made in dozens of fields, including banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care and information technology, over the next 25 years. In exchange, China would receive a regular  and, according to an Iranian official and an oil trader, heavily discounted  supply of Iranian oil.
ADDIS ABABA- The proximity of Semera Industrial Park to Ethiopia's main sea outlets, ports of Tadjourah and Djibouti would create conducive investment climate in the area and to enhance the country's import-export activities, Afar Prosperity Party officials visiting the project said.

Visiting the park recently, senior member of the Afar Prosperity Party and Speaker of the State's Council, Amina Seko stated that the construction of the park would play a vital role to give impetus to the state economy and the national economy at large. Upon completion, the industrial park also has the opportunity to access the Assab Port.

The speaker further highlighted that the park, which lies in 500,000 square kilometers plot of land would have a significant contribution in providing jobs for the local youth and creating a market linkage for the nearby communities. The construction of the park is near to completion except few final activities.

Noting that the industrial park would bring multifaceted benefits to the people of Afar, she called on all concerned parties to contribute share for the timely completion and effectiveness of the project.

Afar State Prison Head Umer Kotina said on his part that Afar Prosperity Party officials have made commendable efforts to enable the project reached at the current stage. All actors in the sector should back the party's involvement to the speedy execution of the industrial park.

Meanwhile Afar's Investment Bureau Head Asia Kemal called on the local community to protect the industrial park as their own property cognizant of its future development potentials, local media reported.

The Ethiopian Herald 27 March 2021
Dont worry, its not virtual.

Thats what Sandhya Thakkar, CEO of Bollywood station Masala Radio, is telling everyone lately.

Its a real, live event, she said.

Thakkar is promoting a Holi-themed, grand-opening party from noon to 3 p.m. on March 28 in the parking lot of Neptune Imports, 7636 Harwin.

The store, which sells hookah supplies, is a longtime supporter of Masala Radio.

And they have a huge parking lot, Thakkar said.

Its just the right size for a Holi celebration  and right in time for the Hindu holiday, which is also known as the festival of colors. Holi signals the arrival of spring, love and the triumph of good over evil.

On the occasion, individuals play Holi, which means they douse each other with colored powder. Its all in reference to the Hindu deity Krishna and his playful interaction with the goddess Radha.

Neptune Imports opening party will offer color packets, food and raffle prizes. DJs will fill the parking lot with Bollywood music. The event is open to the public without charge and will be supplied with masks and hand sanitizer.

A lot of people are comfortable playing with their family in a larger environment, Thakkar said. They can still see each other and play and maintain a distance. And its all outdoors.

Just the mention of a live Holi event has sparked the interest of the Hindu community.

ABOUT THIS EVENT For more information about this year's Holi events, visit vpsshaveli.org and masalaradio.com or facebook/masalaradio98.7fm. To stay tuned to news about the festival in May, go to houstonholi.com. See More Collapse

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Weve been flooded with calls, said Thakkar, adding that there are plans for a larger, more traditional Holi festival in May.

This is like a teaser, she said. So far, weve gotten a wonderful response.

Thakkar has organized a Holi festival in Houston each year since 2008. Her goal is to produce a memorable celebration and provide an escape from routine.

I wanted people to go there and feel like theyre in a magical place, she said. There should be things that you go to as a break from the stresses of life and to make you feel alive and happy.

Her event has changed venues over the years, and grown steadily. Before COVID-19, thousands were usually in attendance. Thakkar was planning to host Holi 2020 for the first time at West Oaks Mall in the Alief area to accommodate the large crowd.

We had everything booked, she said. We even had an artist coming from India.

But the lockdown forced the events cancellation. It was really tragic, she recalled. We have a whole storage room with T-shirts and color bombs.

Wary of a repeat, Thakkar didnt plan an event for this year.

Then, Gov. (Greg) Abbott, out of nowhere, in the middle of a business day, announced that Texas is now open, Thakkar recalled.

There wasnt enough time to plan Holi  but she decided to make the upcoming grand opening Holi-themed instead  until the rescheduled festival in May, that is.

Sugar Land resident Anjali Aggarwal, 16, volunteered with Masala Radios Holi celebration in past years.

Theres a lot of effort that goes into it, she said. Even volunteering was a lot of fun. I brought some friends who arent Hindu, and they had the time of their lives.

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Aggarwal is a senior at Kempner High School and an intern for Hindus of Greater Houston.

She explained that Holi follows a lunar calendar and this year falls on March 29. Choti Holi, or Holika Dehan, is celebrated the day before with a bonfire. People burn fires on Holika Dahan to expel ego, lust, greed, anger and jealousy, Aggarwal said. She explained that the flames symbolize the story of Prahlad, or Prahlada.

Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and the son of King Hiranyakashipu, said Rasesh Dalal, a longtime member and trustee of Shri Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj (VPSS) temple.

He had all the bad habits in his life, Dalal said. Prahlad was very spiritual and nice, well behaved. His father never liked that.

Eventually, the king tried to kill his son in a fire and asked his daughter Holika to help.

He thought that his son would catch on fire and die but the sister would come out and survive, Dalal said.

Instead, the plan backfired, and Prahlads devotion to Vishnu saved his life.

The VPSS temple will host a bonfire for Holi at noon on March 28. The event is free and open to the public. Though everyone is welcome, Dalal said attendees must adhere to social-distancing protocols and wear masks. Volunteers will ensure that groups remain small as they approach the fire and present offerings.

Even though the temple never closed during COVID-19, its Holi celebration was not open to the public last year.

There will still be restrictions this year, but other than that it will be nice to get back to some sense of normal, Dalal said.

The festival is all about clearing away the bad and opening a space for the good, which Dalal said parallels current times with the coronavirus.

Bad thoughts are going away, and good thoughts are coming, he said. Were in a transition.

Aggarwal is not sure how her family will celebrate this year. Regardless, she has been enjoying stories from her father, Madhusudan, about growing up in India and his childhood celebrations of Holi.

What I realized is that not only is Holi important as a religious celebration, it is also important because it is a celebration of happiness and togetherness in a community, Aggarwal said.

She encourages parents to share their stories with their children, to make the holiday come alive, just like her father did for her.

Personal stories are central to the celebration hosted each year by the International Hindi Associations Houston chapter.

The organization, which focuses on preservation of the Hindi language and Hindu culture, celebrated its annual Holi ke Hindi Bol program on the afternoon of March 21 at Jain Vishwa Bharati Preksha Center in west Houston.

The group began hosting a Holi celebration in 2012, according to past president Swapan Dhairyawan.

We showcase local talent, people who bring their own prose and poetry, he said. People play Holi with color and flowers. We play Holi with speech and prose.

Presenters might recite a touching poem, drawn from their own experiences, or go the comedic route, expressing satire or humor.

Language and poetry have a lot of meaning, Dhairyawan said. These people all write their own work. It comes from their hearts.

Last year, Holi was the last major event before the lockdown. Already, news was spreading about the coronavirus, Dhairyawan said.

People were scared, he said. But we still had a big audience, maybe 180 people.

During the pandemic, the groups events moved online, and hundreds of individuals attended virtual gatherings and webinars. Some were from different time zones and countries. That inspired the International Hindi Association to host Holi differently this year.

Instead of 250 attendees, only 30 were invited, to ensure social distancing. The event was livestreamed, and the primary audience was online.

Holi is about resolving differences and conquering evil and moving forward positively, Dhairyawan said. Its springtime. You have to let go of past negativity.

Looking back at a difficult year, he thinks Holi will be even more significant this time around.

We see the light at the end of the tunnel, Dhairyawan said. Were getting vaccinated; things are opening up. The schools are back.

Now its time to release the bad and prepare for good, he said. We have to let it go.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  The country recorded 9,595 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the total to 712,442 on Saturday, the Department of Health's case bulletin said.

It is the second consecutive day that the country logged more than 9,000 new cases. Active cases or currently ill patients also reached a new all-time high of 118,122, which is 16.6% of the case total. At least 95.1% of the active cases have mild symptoms, 3.2% have no symptoms, 0.7% are in critical condition, 0.7% are severe cases, and 0.39% are in moderate condition.

The death toll climbed to 13,159 or 1.85% of the case count after 10 more people succumbed to the disease. Meanwhile, 481 others got better, raising the recovery count to 581,161, equivalent to 81.6% of the total number of infections.

The DOH said it reclassified four survivors into fatalities after validation and removed nine duplicates, including five recoveries. The total does not include data from 11 testing laboratories that have not yet submitted their reports, the department noted.

Among Filipinos abroad, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported a lone new case, bringing the total to 16,068 in 90 countries. Of this total, 3,855 infections have been verified by the DOH, the DFA said. The recovery count and the death toll remained at 8,738 and 1,047 respectively. There are also 5,283 patients are undergoing treatment.

Positivity rate

The bulletin also posted a positivity rate of 16.2% out of 34,101 individuals tested, based on data as of noon of March 26. Positivity rate is the percentage of individuals that tested positive out of all the patients tested in a day. The figure is high since the World Health Organization recommends that the positivity rate be kept below 5%.

A higher percentage suggests more widespread transmission and that there are likely more cases which have not yet been detected, according to Johns Hopkins University. However, the DOH will still update the rate with the data from the remaining testing laboratories.

The DOH COVID-19 tracker also gave an updated positivity rate for March 25 at 18.1%, making it the second day in a row that the rate of positive individuals was above 18%. It falls just a few points below the all-time high of 23.8% recorded in April 4 last year.
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has given its nod for the Vote on Account Budget for a period of three months, as the Budget meetings did not take place.

The Cabinet cleared the Budget ordinance with an estimate of Rs 90,000 crore and this would be sent to the Governor for approval. The file has reached the CM and it is likely that the Ordinance will be approved in a day or two, officials said.

This year's Budget meetings did not take place due to local body elections. The government will use the recommended amount for the disbursement of salaries and for the implementation of Navaratnalu schemes. The state aims to introduce a full-fledged budget in the assembly after the conclusion of the Mandal/Zilla Parishad elections, or in late May, or in June.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Telugu Desam strongly opposed the ordinance move by the YSRC government. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, pointed out that this was the second time the YSRC government came up with an ordinance instead of presenting the budget.

He claimed that no state and also the Union Government ever issued an ordinance for meeting urgent financial requirements, despite the ongoing assembly elections and Parliament by-elections. The YSRC government issued the ordinance which showed its lack of preparedness to conduct the budget session of the assembly.
A young navy officer is setting sail inspired by the wartime exploits of his grandfathers  who served on opposing sides in the Second World War.

Sub Lieutenant Ben Hoffmeister, 23, from Oxford, is following in the footsteps of the two men in pursuing a life at sea.

He will be aboard new patrol ship HMS Trent as it sets off for the Mediterranean next week.

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Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeisters grandfathers both fought in the bitter Battle of the Atlantic.

Ernest Hoffmeister served in the Atlantic and Arctic determined to keep the UKs sea lanes open, while Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeisters maternal grandfather Erwin Menzel crewed a U-boat determined to strangle Britains lifelines.

After completing training as a mechanical engineer, Mr Menzel was assigned to U-963 and sailed on 10 war patrols out of bases in Norway and France in the final two years of the war.

This included a failed attempt to attack the Normandy invasion armada in June 1944.

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Although a stoker, Mr Menzel manned one of the submarines anti-aircraft guns and was awarded the coveted Iron Cross for his part in an action against an RAF Liberator bomber  frequently the scourge of U-boats.

The submarine was eventually scuttled off the village of Nazare in Portugal 12 days after VE Day and Mr Menzel was taken prisoner with his shipmates.

He subsequently emigrated to Britain, where he settled down.

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Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeisters paternal grandfather Mr Hoffmeister was assigned to the Royal Naval Patrol Service after completing his training as a coder, serving with a converted trawler, HMT King Sol, in the Atlantic and Arctic before transferring to a destroyer based in Ceylon (today Sri Lanka) as the war against Japan reached its climax.

He died when Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister was just 10  with the future officer too young to have asked the questions he wished he could have about the war.

Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister said: One of the few stories I remember him talking about was having to climb up the mainmast during the convoys to chip off ice that had accumulated and risked capsizing the vessel.

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As for grandad Erwin, he was, says Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister, instrumental in raising my interest to join the navy. He added: By the time he died, when I was 17, I had already decided I was going to join the Royal Navy.

It is unlikely, given where their vessels served and when, that his grandfathers faced each other in the Atlantic or Arctic, but his parents were nevertheless somewhat nervous when they met for the first time.

They got on incredibly well when they eventually met, he says. It seemed the shared experience of the Battle of the Atlantic was more important to them than which side of the war they had fought it on.

That legacy is perhaps the most important aspect to take away from their story.

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And that post-war friendship will be echoed on Trents deployment when she works side-by-side with the German Navy on Nato duties on Operation Sea Guardian, the alliances counter-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean.

Lieutenant Commander David Webber, in charge of Trents marine engineering department, said: Its an interesting story from the perspective of how far Europe has come, with Ben now serving in the Royal Navy on a ship that will work alongside the modern Deutsche Marine.

His family history acutely tracks the human impact of the history of 20th century Europe: World War 2, the division of Europe in the Cold War, reunification and co-operation.
Nay Pyi Taw, March 27 : The Myanmar military on Saturday marked the Armed Forces Day with parades and speeches, despite the ongoing violent protests against the February 1 coup which have so far claimed the lives of over 300 people.

The death toll rose by 40 on Saturday following overnight raids across the country, dpa news agency quoted Myanmar Now and other media outlets as saying.

The military had been hoping for a protest-free day on Saturday.

Among the victims was Chit Bo Nyein, a 21-year-old team captain from the Hantharwady United U-21 team, who was shot dead by the military's armed forces on Saturday morning in Yangon while he was helping in his family's tea shop in Insein township, neighbours told dpa.

A broadcast on state news channel MRTV on Friday evening had issued a veiled warning that civilians should learn from the deaths of others that "you can be in danger of getting shot in the head and back." Despite the growing toll and threats, thousands of Myanmar residents are participating in regular protests, demanding that the democratically-elected government of former de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi be returned to power.

The Army has had her under house arrest since February 1.

Besides being accused of a variety of crimes, the Army recently alleged tampering in the November 8, 2020, vote that saw her National League for Democracy (NLD) return to power, but has provided no proof.

The military's commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, on Saturday reiterated a promise to hold elections as well as allegations that the NLD had acted unlawfully as big parades were held in capital Nay Pyi Taw.

"The Army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy," he said, adding that it also sought to protect the people and to restore peace across the country.

"Violent acts that affects stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate."
New Delhi: The national capital finds itself in the midst of a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases as the city on Friday (March 26) recorded over 1,500 new cases for a second day in a row.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain ruled out the possibility of a second Covid lockdown in the city by stating that it is "not a solution" and added that "we'll have to learn to live with it.

"There is no possibility of a lockdown. Earlier there was a logic behind it. No one knew how the virus (would) spread. We were told if you close all activities for 21 days it will stop. So lockdown continued... but, despite this, the virus did not go away. I think lockdown is not a solution," he said.

ALSO READ: India records over 62,000 new COVID-19 cases, active count crosses 4.52 lakh

The Delhi Health Minister also added that the experts believe that COVID-19 and its variants will continue to circulate for years to come. This message from the Health Minister seemed like an echo of comments made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in May last year.

"It is a recurring disease. Experts said from the beginning 'do not believe it will be finished immediately'. We will have to learn to live with it," he said. The minister also urged the residents to get themselves vaccinated as soon as they become eligible for the vaccination drive.

"People wore masks for two or three months... then they stopped. This is wrong. We don't know how the virus behaves. I appeal to the people.. the more people who wear masks, the better the spread of the virus can be controlled," he said.

While addressing the media, the health minister also added that the vaccination times in the national capital had been extended now from 9 am to 9 pm. The authorities have also decided that a six-hour window, between 3 pm and 9 pm, would be open for those beneficiaries who don't have appointments.

As per the health department notification, the national capital reported 1,534 new cases, which is the biggest single-day spike of 2021. Delhi's caseload stands second to Maharashtra's, which is the worst hit state in India by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, India recorded over 62,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (March 27) that took the country's active count to 4.52 lakh.
A powerful Senate committee heard testimony Friday from more than 100 people on a wide-ranging bill that Republicans say will increase election integrity, while Democrats warn it is calculated to suppress the votes of people of color and those with disabilities.

Many of us are concerned as we see confidence in our elections, in our democratic process, begin to erode, the bills author Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, said as he introduced the bill Friday. And so its important that elections be free and fair and accurate and that people know that they are free and fair and accurate.

The 31-page Senate Bill 7 includes provisions that would limit early voting opportunities, such as drive-thru and overnight polls, and stop counties from mass-mailing unsolicited ballot-by-mail applications  all methods that Harris County officials debuted in 2020.

It would also require Texas counties to have ballots with paper trails and maintain online systems tracking the status of voters mail ballot applications and ballots.

More Information How to testify online Written comments on Senate Bill 7 will be shared with the Senate State Affairs Committee at the following email: scstate.affairs@senate.texas.gov. See More Collapse

The bill was scheduled to be heard on Monday, but Senate Democrats delayed the hearing with a procedural move. It contains many similarities to a bill that passed the Senate but died in the House when the paper-trail system requirement, which had bipartisan support, was removed at the last minute.

ALSO THIS WEEK: 200 Texans can't testify on GOP voting bill due to chairman's error

Sen. Judith Zaffrini, D-Laredo, raised several potential legal issues with the bill as she questioned Keith Ingram, director of elections with the secretary of states office.

Texas is one of 16 states that does not have universal, no-excuse-needed voting by mail. Mail voting is only allowed for people who are 65 years or older; traveling out of the county during the election period; in jail; or have a disability or illness.

SB 7 would require voters to show proof of a purported disability, such as a doctors note. Zaffrini asked and Ingram confirmed that no other group allowed to vote by mail would be required to provide backup documentation.

Making a visit to see a doctor costs money, Zaffirini pointed out. Unless the state would provide voters with financial help, she asked, could that constitute a poll tax?

I dont know, Ingram said. Thats a question for a court.

Zaffrini also asked Ingram if he believed the ban on overnight voting would enhance election security. A substitute version of the bill adopted Friday would limit early voting hours to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (The original bills limitation was 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

MORE ON THE BILL: GOP state lawmakers take aim at 2020 Harris County voting expansions

Hughes has said the provision is there because poll watchers sometimes are not available at those hours, and Ingram echoed that sentiment.

After a certain period, people get tired and are more likely to make mistakes, Ingram said. I dont know if that is necessarily related to security, but I think that if you want to keep people in their best frame of mind for doing the activity (poll watching), then I think you need to limit the hours that its happening.

Ingram also said he was not aware of any evidence that drive-thru voting increases the likelihood of voter fraud. The state contends the method is unlawful; the issue is still pending in appellate court.

Bryan Sunderland, Opportunity Solutions Project, commended Hughes for a provision in the bill that allows video surveillance of areas where ballots are submitted, including drop boxes.

This is a good provision, but it should be noted that the language does not require this type of monitoring but allows it, Sunderland said. Some states are moving toward requiring this type of video for areas where voted ballots are stored. For example, Iowa just passed a bill into law that requires this surveillance.

If the bill passes out of committee, it will be heard by the full Senate.

taylor.goldenstein@chron.com
Looking for something to read on BART?

The transit agency has installed dispensers at the Richmond, Fruitvale and Pleasant Hill stations that spit out short stories for free. It's part of a partnership with Short Edition, the company that makes the dispensers and puts together the short stories.

The kiosks are like vending machines for creative writing, dispensing stories on eco-friendly recyclable, receipt-like paper. They're touchless; you just hover your finger over the button to get your story. The stories take less than 5 minutes to read.

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is a fan of the dispensers. The first one in the United States was at his Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco's North Beach.

"I read about it and thought it was a wonderful idea," Coppola told BART. "Art dispensed by machine, and for free."

Once the pilot program is fully up and running, BART will create opportunities for local writers to have their work featured in the dispensers. Coppola said that writers interested in submitted stories should make them personal. "Have a theme or point you need to express, and enjoy writing it,'' he said.

Copyright  2021 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  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
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LAS CRUCES  The Associated Students of New Mexico State University approved a one-time $80,000 appropriation to the NMSU Library after budget cuts included a decision to not renew 433 scholarly publications.

The money wont be used to renew subscriptions but will go instead toward providing other ways for students and staff to access scholarly works, including Patron Driven Acquisitions, Interlibrary Loans, a one-time Alexander Street Press subscription, the community-driven Suggest a Purchase program, expansions to electronic references and updates to select subject areas.

The library already had systems in place to allow students to find new content through some of these methods, but this appropriation will allow the library to sustain them for years to come.

After seeing news reports, ASNMSU President and Library Student Advocacy & Advisory Council Chair Mathew Madrid asked the NMSU Librarys Interim Dean Katherine Terpis what amount of money would be able to truly help the library.

Madrid said the library staff, possibly expecting much less, was elated to learn of the $80,000 figure.

It was something that meant a lot to the library, Madrid said. The success of our student body isnt just dependent on how good ASNMSU does. It really is invested in how all of the student supporting services are doing and making sure that those are well funded. That in turn, will help the students.

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It was a lot of emotion, Terpis said about the appropriation. Its fantastic. Im in awe of the support that ASNMSU has, supported with this one-time funding. I was just stunned because of their dedication and support. It means a lot. It really does.

In November 2020, the Budget Coordinating Team estimated an 8% budget cut across the Las Cruces campus, equaling about $14.2 million. By cancelling the 433 subscriptions, the NMSU Library saved the university more than $400,000 in Fiscal Year 2020-21.
After a year spent trying to keep the sickest COVID-19 patients alive, a lump still forms in her throat at the thought of anyone dying alone.

After a year spent trying to keep the sickest COVID-19 patients alive, a lump still forms in her throat at the thought of anyone dying alone.

In final moments, when she is the only one who can get close, the intensive care nurse has rested one of her gloved hands on the patients shoulder. In her other hand, she holds out an iPad.

She and other nurses are used to being the only ones at the bedside with critically ill Manitobans. But in the COVID-19 pandemic, they have another screen to monitor for virtual family visits and last rites.

"Which can be an incredible responsibility to feel," said the experienced ICU nurse.

She is one of two nurses in the unit who spoke to the Free Press about what it means to care for people and cope with deaths, while carrying an unprecedented workload to monitor surges of other extremely ill patients.

On top of their usual duties, ICU nurses are sometimes the only link between desperately ill patients and their families.

They answer phone calls from anxious relatives, while attending to the life-support machines. They try to comb patients hair and give them a fresh shave, so they look their best for video calls with loved ones. But the realities of working during a pandemic have meant nurses sometimes have to set up the iPad and leave the bedside, rushing off to check on other patients who need to be constantly monitored.

The nurses who spoke to the Free Press agreed to be interviewed only on the condition of anonymity, fearing for their jobs.

All of their work is meant to help patients recover, but in dealing with the absolute sickest, they have seen a lot of death.

At the height of the pandemics second wave, often only 30 minutes elapsed between one patient dying and another occupying the empty bed  usually just the time it takes to remove the body and clean the room. Or they have to leave the body to someone else and admit another patient in a different area immediately.

There is no time to grieve.

"That is heartbreaking, when you dont have the time to put in to someone whos dying," the nurse said. "For me, thats more horrific to go home with."

Especially when, she said, the pride of being able to offer comfort and dignity to a dying patient is all she has to hang on to.

"Many of us can say, over the years, weve been the only one at the end, holding that patients hand. But we go home with the sense that we did the best that we could do. We cant change circumstances, theres lots of things we cant do, but if it comes down to a hand hold at the end, that person deserves that."

Intensive Care Unit nurses have to care for people and cope with deaths, while carrying an unprecedented workload to monitor surges of other extremely ill patients. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Nathan Denette

The burden on Manitobas intensive care system was immense in the fall, new data underscores.

Manitobas per capita rate of COVID-19 ICU hospitalizations was one of the highest in the country (second to Ontario) between November 2020 and January 2021, according to data released this week by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Not all provinces and territories provided hospitalization data, but it showed Manitobans admitted to the ICU died at a higher rate  about 40 per cent  than anywhere else in the country during that period.

At the height of the pandemics second wave in Manitoba, overflowing intensive care units meant the specially trained nurses who work in critical care have shouldered double or triple their typical duties.

They have had to learn on the fly about the new virus and the best ways to care for people on ventilators, while being isolated  literally and figuratively  from family and friends for fear of bringing COVID-19 into their own homes.

Even after she received both doses of vaccine, one nurse says she still experiences stigma from those in her personal life who worry she could be a carrier.

The personal toll cant be overlooked, said retired ICU nurse Alice Dyna, a longtime critical care program educator.

"Just because you take somebody off a ventilator doesnt mean you close the door and let them go, and now especially with COVID when their family isnt allowed, that takes a big, big toll on the nurses," she said.

Typically, patients who end up in intensive care need some kind of specialized equipment to keep them alive.

The nurses who work in the unit are trained to know how that equipment works and how to monitor patients  who usually cant speak up for themselves  for any signs of distress. Even subtle changes can signal serious problems, and conditions can change in seconds.

The nurses work in 12-hour shifts and have to complete full-body assessments of patients, administer medications, participate in multidisciplinary rounds, keep constant watch for any changes, and document all of their work. They say it hasnt been possible to keep up with everything amidst the pandemic, when theyre assigned to multiple patients at a time. They say patients tend to do better when loved ones are involved, so they try to keep the families in the loop, but it hasnt been easy.

"People are stressed, incredibly stressed, maybe the worst stress theyve ever experienced with their loved one being in hospital and they cant set eyes on them," one nurse said.

"Maybe they cant get the information they need or theyre not understanding, and now youve put them off three times because youve been in the (ICU) cube with doors closed, in all your PPE, and havent been able to get to the phone."

Others who were brought into the ICU as extenders to keep the unit staffed during the surge were traumatized, another nurse said.

"People werent used to so much death, and I havent been that person in a long time, so I felt really bad because I kind of forgot that you can be a person who isnt used to seeing people die. It was really sad for the extenders."

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
I usually ask if theyd like to show me the material or if theyd like to jump up and have a crack at it straight away, says Webeck, who as a radio regular with a handful of TV appearances under her belt is on the brink of serious mainstream success. Regardless of whether they know each other or not, they are always very comfortable to jump up, which I love. I think its amazing, she says. Loading Like the festivals other flagship development programs Raw and Deadly Funny, the idea is to find aspiring comedians, often in remote and regional areas, and create pathways for them into the world of professional comedy. The origin of the program 25 years ago was a collaborative effort, says festival director Susan Provan.She credits fund-raising colleague Gary Morrison and former-teacher-turned-comedian Brian Nankervis for helping get it off the ground. We started just in Melbourne and its now a national program with schools, teachers and kids involved from all over Australia, she says. A series of heats determines the line-up for the National Grand Final which is this Wednesday at Forum Melbourne, hosted by Geraldine Hickey. For anyone starting comedy as an adult, the time-honoured way is to slog it out in soul-destroying, poorly attended open mic nights in pubs, so to be able to play to a large, loving crowd at the iconic Forum as one of your earliest gigs is the stuff of dreams.

Likewise, the mentoring, which makes the Class Clowns experience something of a double-edged sword. The festival has created a genuinely nurturing environment for young people to explore and express their comedic sensibilities. It is the nicest place to start comedy ever, Fawcett rightly discerns. Loading However, theres a crash landing coming once they hit the brutal reality of regular comedy nights. There was definitely a lot of material about school, which didnt do great in the months after at the bar open mics, recalls Rhys Nicholson, who, like Tom Ballard, Josh Thomas, Annie Louey and Aaron Chen, are all alumni. Nicholson, who was recently announced as a judge on RuPauls Drag Race Down Under, has his own Netflix special and is co-owner of Melbournes latest comedy in-crowd hotspot Comedy Republic, did his first gig as part of Class Clowns in 2006. It started my relationship with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, he says. I can honestly say if it werent for Class Clowns Id probably be 30 and still working at a Grilld store in Newcastle.

A frustrated and anxious teen who hated school, but obsessed over his VHS tapes of the annual Comedy Festival Gala hed taped off the TV, Nicholson says Class Clowns gave him both the confidence and focus to pursue stand-up. After Class Clowns, I tried to get some little gigs around Newcastle. I was not very good for a very long time, he admits. I can honestly say if it werent for Class Clowns Id probably be 30 and still working at a Grilld store in Newcastle, says Rhys Nicholson. Credit:Karleen Minney Comedy is a skill you can master through practice, like anything else, says rising stand-up star Annie Louey. Bombing or dying is all part of the process, which is why time on stage is crucial to artistic development but difficult to obtain when youre under-age. Nicholson says, My Dad used to drive me to a local Newcastle pub and wait out the front in the car while I ran in, did my shitty five minutes then ran back. This fact wasnt lost on the festival. We developed LOL Squad to help fill that gap but having supportive parents who will take you to gigs is definitely a plus, says Provan. Presented with the Arts Centre, LOL Squad started in 2016 and is a week-long intensive program working with some class clowns alumni to write, rehearse and then shoot with a professional camera team a bunch of online sketches, says Dickins.

Fawcett, who is now in year 12, has done LOL Squad. That was really good and through doing that I did another program that they run, which is like a comedy room, called Up Next, which I used to do [pre-COVID lockdown], she says. However, shes also had her father accompanying her to open mics. Id go straight from school in Bendigo all the way to Melbourne and turn up to a bar in my school uniform or get changed at the train station toilet, she says. My Dad loves it because he gets to live a bit vicariously through me. Patti Fawcett has found a supportive environment. Credit: Simon Schluter This time together over the past couple of years has not only been a really great bonding experience but has paid off in terms of career advancement.

Through that I met Damien Richardson, who Im now doing a show with in the Comedy Festival, she says of the opening support slot hes given her in his show It Could Get Worse. Supportive teachers play an equally important role, as it is often they who suggest the program to students in the first place. For Fawcett, who mucked around in class a lot, it was her teacher Ellen-Kate Waayers who took her to Class Clowns. She was extremely supportive, says Fawcett, who also credits her former drama teacher Kirstie Babbage with inspiring her to pursue comedy. They are the people who taught me to be a little bit funny and gave me the opportunity. For Annie Louey, who left her career in the corporate world and now lives off comedy full-time, Class Clowns helped show her that comedy is a real career path and you can make it viable. She says you have to work your butt off for a long time but if you persist, one day youll work with your heroes and achieve things you never thought possible.

CLASS CLOWNS ALUMNI ANNIE LOUEY

Class Clowns National Finalist 2010 at age 17

What kind of material did you perform then? I used comedy material as a form of expression and rebellion. It was so liberating to be able to talk openly about things that annoyed me, especially when I had traditional Chinese parents. I talked about the ginormous sandwiches my Mum would make me for school ... I played out a scene where my Mum taped two pieces of bread around a head of lettuce and called it lunch. 2021 MICF Show: Comedy Commutes, Brunswick Apr 1 Loading

PATRICK COLLINS

National Finalist 2011 at age 17

Material? I sang a love song to an audience member about being trapped in their basement and talked about how my classmates thought I was gay. I should have seen the signs because now all my material is about the fact that Im queer. 2021 Show: Im Not a Mime, The Butterfly Club April 5-18 TOM BALLARD

National Finalist 2004 & 2005, starting at 14

Material?
Nelson Avila lives in a rare place in the world where there are no reported cases of the new coronavirus or COVID-19.

When people enter his store, Avila asks them to wear a mask and wash their hands. He sprays alcohol over the money they give him before putting it away.

Avilas shop is in Campohermoso. The town has 3,000 people in Boyaca state in the mountains of central Colombia.

Colombias Health Ministry says Campohermoso County is just one of two counties that do not have COVID-19. Colombia has more than 1,100 counties.

These bills can carry the virus said Avila, as he cleans his money. They go from hand to hand, so we have to be careful.

Officials and locals say the town has been able to keep the virus away thanks to the behavior of the people who live there. There also are many campaigns urging people to social distance and wear masks.

The town is far from big cities and that also has helped it stay free of the virus. It is surrounded by mountains and far from major roads. It has just seven streets.

Campohermoso has a low population density and little contact with big cities, said Jairo Mauricio Santoyo, the health secretary for Boyaca state.

Colombia has a population of about 50 million people and has reported more than 2 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Some consider Campohermoso a small miracle.

During the first 10 years of the 2000s, Campohermoso was affected by fighting between paramilitary groups and leftist rebels, said the towns mayor, Jaime Rodriguez. The coffee-growing area has been peaceful for the last 10 years, but outsiders rarely visit.

Rodriguez said communication has been important in keeping the coronavirus problems away from Campohermoso. Messages about the virus and how to prevent it are broadcast three times a day on loud speakers in the town.

The local radio station also broadcasts daily shows that talk about prevention. To make sure everyone gets the message, the mayors office gave out 1,000 radios to farmers who live in Campohermosos rural areas.

The whole town has come together Rodriguez said. The police, the health center, church personnel and the mayors office all go on the radio station to talk about the virus.

Rodriguez said his message to people in the town has been simple: Its up to every family to stop it.

He has also tried to lead by example. The mayor said he began to feel sick during a recent visit to Bogota, where tests showed he had the virus. He did not return to Campohermoso until more tests showed that he was free of the virus.

Weve put 60 families in town in quarantine because they showed some symptoms, Rodriguez said. But all of them have tested negative.

Businesses are now open in Campohermoso. However, they only let in people wearing masks. The town has not banned visitors from other parts of the country, but those who arrive and wish to stay have been asked to quarantine in a relatives home. A nurse calls every day to check on the visitor.

Campohermosos only school is open, but two groups of students attend school every other day.

The only other town in Colombia that is reportedly coronavirus-free is San Juanito, which is also surrounded by the Andes Mountains.

Officials consider the two cases striking because the virus has even appeared in Amazon jungle villages that can only be reached by boat or small plane.

Campohermoso has vaccinated 80 people so far, most of them older citizens over the age of 80.

Now the coronavirus-free county is waiting for more vaccine from Colombias central government.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

mask  n. a covering for the face, especially used to cover the nose and mouth to prevent the spread of disease

density  adj. the amount of something in a defined area

bill n. paper money

county n. an area of a state or country this is larger than a city and has its own local government

miracle  n. a wonderful event

quarantine  n. a situation of being kept away from others to prevent the spread of disease

symptom  n. a sign or effect that shows disease is present

jungle  n. a thick forest in areas near the Equator of the Earth

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Sparrows chirp of a healthy environment

The tradition of International Bird Day on April 1 arrives to central Slovakia.

The population of sparrows is declining in Slovakia, too. (Source: TASR)

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Sparrows are eating too much grain, the Chinese authorities argued when they moved to eliminate these birds in the country during the Great Leap Forward campaign in the late 1950s. But very soon they discovered that it was not the wisest move.

The scarcity of sparrows led to a severe ecological imbalance, eventually one of the causes of the Great Chinese Famine in which millions of people starved to death. Rice yields substantially decreased as insects, freed from the threat of their natural predator, destroyed the crops. In 1960, Mao Zedong eventually put an end to the campaign against sparrows and the government tried to remedy the situation by importing 250,000 sparrows from the Soviet Union to replenish their population.

The story from recent Chinese history tells that nature is not to be trifled with, but also speaks volumes of the importance of sparrows, a species that has been dropping in number around the world, including Slovakia.

Every living organism plays an important role in a complex system of relationships and the sparrow is no exception, Jan Gugh of the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia told The Slovak Spectator.

Related article International Bird Day is of Slovak origin Read more

This tiny common bird even serves as an indicator of environmental health and changes in the urban ecosystem. In other words, if our villages and towns provide enough food and nesting opportunities for sparrows, then they thrive. Otherwise, the development of the populations of sparrows or other common bird species suffers, which in turn serves as an indicator that the quality of the environment is deteriorating, for both birds and humans, Gugh explained.

Ever fewer sparrows in Slovakia

27. Mar 2021 at 8:15 | Jana Liptakova
Southern California Newlyweds Document Violence by Military in Burma

A pair of newlyweds based in Southern California who were trapped for weeks in Burma (also known as Myanmar) following the recent military coup say they documented violent attacks against unarmed protesters as they waited to escape the country.

Michael Ghilezan and his wife, Nant, had only been married for 10 days when the military overthrew the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government on Feb. 1. The couple were waiting to arrange a green card for Nant so she could return to the United States, when the coup struck.

Ghilezan, a 36-year-old lawyer and human rights activist based in Los Angeles, said his family became concerned because of his previous activities denouncing the Burmese military, so they contacted U.S. officials to expedite his wifes visa. The U.S. State Department approved the visa in two weeksbut during that span, the situation in Burma deteriorated, resulting in violent confrontations between the military and unarmed protesters.

We witnessed the arbitrary arrest of a neighbor one street away from us, who was later killed in military custody. He was the first NLD member to be murdered by the junta, Ghilezan told The Epoch Times.

He identified the victim as 58-year-old Khin Maung Latt, a ward chairman from Pabedan, a township in Yangon. March 6 would be the last day his family would see him alive.

Ghilezan said he photographed the event from a vantage point atop a high building, and identified the perpetrators who arrested Latt as members of the military juntas 77th Light Infantry Division by the shoulder insignias on their uniforms.

The next day, he said, Burmese authorities told Latts family to retrieve his corpse from a military hospital in Mingaladon, a section of Yangon. Ghilezan said there were deep wounds on the victims body, and alleges Latt was tortured while in the militarys custody.

Frontline Witness

While the couple waited to return to California, Ghilezan documented confrontations between protesters and the military. Eventually he passed along video and photographic evidence to agencies outside of Burma, including Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit based in New York.

He described being caught in the middle of military crowd-control efforts on Feb. 27 in Sanchaung, a township in north Yangon, while documenting a peace march of about 1,000 people organized by the General Strike Committee of Nationalities (GSCN).

We were not even protesting, just gathering on a side street. The police force was stationed near a park, and we were on the other side of the park, Ghilezan said. With no forewarning, a group of about 40 to 60 cops in anti-riot gear started running towards my location.

The protest started marching away from the police. No matter. The police started shooting rubber bullets and charged towards the group.  For the rest of the day, protesters would gather and start chanting. Then the police would charge at them, beating the ones they could catch, and arrest them.

This was the last attempt to have a march that I witnessed in Yangon.

Others who tried to document the violence have not been so lucky. On March 11, 30-year-old Polish journalist Robert Bociaga was apprehended by Burmese security forces while covering the coup; he was held in detention for 13 days before being released and deported on March 24. On the same day, Associated Press reporter Thein Zaw was released from detention after being held for more than three weeks by the military.

Ghilezan also said he has personally seen evidence that shows the military killing a nonviolent protester. There is an actual video of the shooting, which shows that she was not doing anything aggressive against the police and was far away from the police line, yet  she was shot in the head, he said.

Despite the risk, citizens continue to protest throughout the country, Ghilezan said.

Even in the face of live bullets, arbitrary arrests, torture while incarcerated, and threats to their families, the youth are still going out in the streets to protest, Ghilezan said. We have spoken with hundreds of youths, and they all keep saying that they will not stop, no matter what level of violence the military unleashes on them.

The use of lethal force by the military junta against peaceful protesters has been condemned internationally by the United States, Great Britain, members of the European Union, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. However, both Russia and China continue to support the military.

Returning Home

After clearing COVID-19 testing, Michael and Nant were able to book a flight from Yangon to Singapore on March 10, and eventually secured a final flight into Los Angeles.

Our plan is to continue to support the revolution by speaking out about what is really happening in Burma, and to counter the juntas desperate attempts to whitewash their crimes through the use of lobbyists, said Ghilezan.

After hearing their story, a friend looked over at Nant and called her a hero for the risk she and her husband took while documenting Burmas turmoil.

I am not a hero, Nant said tearfully. The heroes are in the streets right now, and they are demonstrating for our democracy and freedom in Burma.
London, March 27 : Elon Musk's satellite broadband company Starlink is in talks with the UK government to provide connectivity in hard-to-reach areas.

The Starlink satellites could be used to provide connectivity in rural areas that can't be reached by traditional broadband.

The Sky News reported that it comes as Boris Johnson has promised a 5 billion pound "rocket boost" for parts of the country with slow broadband - the latest pledge in his "levelling up" agenda.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden believes the satellite constellation project by the billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk is one of the best ways to deliver coverage in hard-to-reach areas, although alternatives are being considered, the report said.

Ministers claim up to 510,000 homes and businesses in Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Tees Valley will be the first to benefit as part of Project Gigabit.

In June the government expects to announce the next procurements to connect up to 640,000 premises in Norfolk, Shropshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Starlink's low Earth orbit satellites circle the planet, offering ultrafast broadband for the regions they pass over.

Although the network currently only offers speeds between 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and 150 Mbps -- with brief periods of no connectivity -- by the end of the year the government expects Starlink to be offering up to 200 Mbps across the whole of the UK.
The roof was almost fully destroyed in the fire, but thanks to fire fighters from Tubbercurry and Charlestown a portion of it could be saved.

"I know how lucky we were...Nobody was coming down those stairs, thank the good Lord nobody was up there."

That was the response of Stephen Connolly when asked how he and his family are coming to terms with a house fire that has gutted their newly-renovated family home earlier this month.

Stephen, originally from Tubberurry, and his wife Nicola who hails from Donegal, were set to put the finishing touches to their home in the parish of Mullinabreena when a fire gripped their home.

The couple returned to Sligo three years ago, having worked in Australia for six years. They bought an old cottage and renovated and extended it over an 18-month period.

"We had pretty much just finished work, all we were waiting for was a few little pieces Covid had slowed down on, new kitchen, flooring downstairs, but other than that we were fully there," the son of Fine Gael Councillor Martin Connolly explains.

With no insurance on the property, and their savings poured into it, the couple found themselves in an unimaginable situation, with the fire gutting their forever home. But now, thanks to the surrounding communities the couple are being supported to rebuild their home.

A GoFundMe page, set up by the community has reached over 30,000 of its 70,000 target. Although incredibly grateful for the help, Stephen says the fund is something he is still trying to come to terms with.

"I find it tough...I'm a particularly proud man. We've worked hard and we're both very proud. It's very hard to have to do that [accept help]. It was taken out of my hands a little bit. I was told, 'You both did it once on your own', they said, 'You won't do it a second time'."

Talking about the fire which occurred on on the evening of March 4 last, Stephen says in hindsight it was by "the grace of God" he and his wife were home late from work that evening and in turn were late putting their two daughters, aged 3 and 2, to bed.

Nicola works for Aurivo, while her husband works for a company alongside Irish Water.

Stephen had been on Inis Mor earlier that day and was late back and the pair were just getting ready to put their children to bed when Stephen heard something.

"I was sitting there and we were just doing the bedtime routine and heard noises upstairs.

"I thought it was a bird I heard, again, and looking back, I just got a bad feeling, jumped up and went to run upstairs."

Getting no more than three steps up the stairs, Stephen was met with smoke.

"The whole upstairs was completely full of smoke. We got the kids out of the house and called 999. The kids were frightened, in darkness and they could see the fire coming out of the roof. It all happened very quickly," he recalls.

Having got the children out of the house, the family got to the end of the road in the car and showed the Tubbercurry Fire Brigade the way to the house.

The former Sligo RFC player was full of praise for the fire brigades in both Tubbercurry and Charlestown.

"Tubbercurry Fire Service were only eight minutes getting to site, and Charlestown [Fire Brigade] were here in 20 minutes.

"I was very, very impressed and thankful to them. They were so quick moving and calm in their work."

Both fire services worked for over three hours trying to fight the flames that were engulfing the home.

"They fought the fire until 11.30pm, they had a battle on their hands, they worked hard to save what they have saved."

Speaking of how devastating the fire was, but also how serious the situation could have been, Stephen again refers to the fact his children were taken from the house to safety.

"Once the kids were out there, being honest, the house, I'm gutted, but we can replace that, but the kids could have been up in bed, by the grace of god we were home late."

He adds, "When you sit back and see how bad it is and you see how worse it could have been, cots, teddies, toys, barely recognisable, you think at how bad it could have been."

Stephen says he knew quite quickly the house could not be saved.

"I knew there was no point going into that house, there was serious damage, beyond anything I could control. With the level of smoke, I knew, I would have got into trouble."

Experts have told Stephen and Nicola the fire was started from the chimney and super heat caused combustion which quickly caused huge damage.

"Once it got going it spread through the material of the house.

There was very extensive damage, three quarters of the roof burnt off completely, one section was salvageable."

Though the damage was beyond comprehension, of a renovation and extension that was near completion, again, Stephen is grateful. He says thanks to efforts of fire services some facets of the house were salvaged.

To give an idea of the level of heat that was emitted by the fire, Stephen tells The Sligo Champion a wall even burst with the heat upstairs in the house.

"All rooms upstairs had been finished. All the windows in the upstairs burst with the heat, the doors warped and twisted."

And not only was it a case of windows and second fix details being destroyed, but everything from the TV, to beds, to sentimental belongings were lost.

"Beds, skirting, architrave, timber flooring, electrical work has to be replaced. We're right back to where we were 18 months ago, it [fire] burst walls the heat was so intense. It damaged the heating system. It's about as bad as a house fire gets," admitted the father of two.

"There was lots of personal belongings, clothes, kids' toys, TVs, fridge."

Stephen reiterates how lucky his young family were, taking into account the ferocity of the house fire.

"I know how lucky we were. It takes 1000 degrees to do damage to slates, nobody was coming down those stairs, thank the good Lord nobody was up there," he concluded.
On March 21, 2021, the Foreign Exchange Management Department of the Nepal Rastra Bank announced that Nepali banks now can issue foreign-currency prepaid cards (dollar cards) for online transactions for national and international transactions.

The central bank issued a circular to make all stakeholders aware of the amendment to Article 12 of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (2019) and all rights provided by it.

Following the announcement, Nepal is now open to international online transactions that were previously not possible via cards issued by Nepali banks.

Here is everything you need to know about the new amendment and what it entails:

Who can obtain the cards?

Any Nepali individual, firm, company or institutions can obtain the card from the authorised class A commercial banks and class B development banks.

What do you need?

You need to submit the following documents to obtain a card:

Card issuance form

Updated know your customer (KYC) form

Permanent identification number (PAN) card

Declaration of being an owner of one prepaid card only

What can you do with the card?

Deposit at most USD 500 or equivalent in the account at once or within a year. The transaction year will start from the day the card has been issued.

Use the card to buy or make transactions online, within the limit of USD 500 annually.

Deposit the income you receive from international outlets of up to USD 5,000 annually. Income over the limit will be directed to a personal account.

Exchange currencies up to USD 500 or equivalent.

What you cannot do?

Obtain two prepaid cards from one or two banks simultaneously. If found guilty, the owner is liable to be penalised under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (2019).

Go against (Money) Laundering Prevention Act (2008).

Withdraw the money from ATM booths or use the card to pay with point-of-sale (POS) machines, like other SCT or Visa cards.

Make transactions beyond the fixed limit of USD 500. If found guilty, the NRB can hold or cancel the transaction or even the card.

What are the banks obligations?

Banks have to:
Breasts versus thighs  its a parts is parts chicken story as the foodservice business and the poultry producers that supply it continue to cope with a year of pandemic-caused disruption.

Like many other segments of the food supply system, the poultry industry pre-COVID had evolved into specialized segments. One group focused on serving the dining-away-from-home market, while a second set of growers and processors concentrated on chicken destined for the supermarket meat case.

Restaurant chains, especially those with chicken sandwiches on their menus, had originally specified those items to be made with smaller breast portions. At the other end of the production spectrum, supermarket chains continued to cater to consumer preferences for larger sized breast cuts. Markets had consequently become so specialized that poultry farmers adapted to this differing breast size demand by raising entirely different breeds of chicken for each use.

The pandemic scrambled all that specialization with the poultry industry retooling, for the short term at least, to produce bigger breast cuts for retail distribution. At the same time export demand for dark meat chicken from thighs and drumsticks plummeted, meaning that more of the cost of production had to be recouped through breast meat prices.

Because of its traditionally lower wholesale prices, dark meat chicken has always been favored by some segments of the restaurant industry, particular those operations that used chicken meat in stir-fries, stews, and the like. Chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill, for instance, are big users of dark meat.

As the restaurant-based demand for chicken begins to increase again, breast meat prices have been climbing, encouraging some chefs to take a second look at using thigh meat, which many consider more flavorful. Consumers, however, continue to prefer white meat chicken, especially in the increasingly-popular fried chicken sandwiches.

Needless to say, poultry producers are now jockeying to meet surging breast meat demand as the chicken sandwich wars once again heat up.

Side dishes

The Munich Haus German Restaurant in Chicopee will be holding their annual Hunters Harvest event on Saturday, April 17 at 6 p.m.

The menu of farm-raised wild things being offered will include chef-carved venison, bison, elk, and mountain goat along with a buffet of chafing dish creations like kangaroo kebobs, game stew, wild rabbit, and fried alligator.

Accompanying items such as cheeses, salads, chips and dip, spatzle, red cabbage, and sauerkraut will be served as well.

Tickets are $55 and are subject to advance purchase in blocks of four or six. All tables will be socially distanced.

Contact the Munich Haus at (413) 594-8788 for more information or to make reservations.

The Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in downtown Springfield will be hosting an Easter Brunch Buffet on Sunday, April 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Special chefs selections on the buffet will include roast beef bourguignon, chicken cordon bleu, baked seafood with dill butter, and a ham carving station.

Tickets are $28.95 per person, and reservations can be made by calling (413) 734-7475.

The Table 3 Restaurant Group in Springfield has made two announcements regarding its restaurant operations in Sturbridge.

On April 8 the Cedar Street Grille will re-open in its original 12 Cedar Street premises after a year-long pandemic relocation to Table 3s The Barn at Wight Farm.

Cedar Street Grille will be observing all relevant precautions, including six-foot spacing of tables, extra sanitation procedures, and enhanced air filtration.

Starting in April Avellino in Sturbridge will once again be hosting monthly Cooking with Rico events.

The first such session, which is planned for April 15, will feature the flavors of Tuscany. Chef Enrico Giovanello will demonstrate specialties from the regions cucina povera, a form of economical cookery that focus on simple regional ingredients.

Each course of Giovanellos demonstration will be accompanied by a specially chosen wine pairing.

Cost to attend the Cooking with Rico event is $55 per person (or $45 without wine). Tax and gratuity are additional.

Reservations can be made by calling Avellino at (508) 347-2321.

Now open in the Sky Tower Hotel lobby, TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge brings distinctive Pan-Asian cuisine to the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

Operated by TAO Hospitality Group, the new 300-seat restaurant features signature dishes such as satay of Chilean sea bass, lobster wontons, Peking duck, crispy snapper in sand, and tuna sashimi pringle. Several menu offerings will be unique to Mohegan Sun, including salt and pepper lobster, a 32-ounce prime Tomahawk steak, and hand-cut noodles.

The restaurant will operate from Sunday through Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 p.m. until midnight. Proper social distancing will be in force, and seating will, for the time being, remain at 50% of capacity.

For more information, visit taomohegansun.com.

Burger King locations are bringing back a fan breakfast favorite, the chains French toast sandwich. Built on a specially formulated bun designed to resemble French toast, the sandwich has egg, cheese, and a customer-specified option of ham, bacon, or sausage tucked inside. For this time around BKs culinary team has also created a maple butter sauce to further enhance the sandwich experience.

The reprised French Toast Sandwich is available at participating Burger King locations starting on March 25.

Will a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card become a passport to restaurant food freebies? That might prove to be the case if a promotion launched by the Winston-Salem, NC-based Krispy Kreme catches on. Last week the donut chain announced that it will give anyone showing a valid vaccination record card a free glazed donut every time they visit a Krispy Kreme location. The free donut promotion is slated to last until the end of 2021.

Locally, Bill Stetson, the owner of Rumbleseat Bar and Grille in Chicopee, is offering a 20% discount every Monday to vaccinated customers. Stetsons deal applies to both first- and second-shot recipients, dine-in only, and is planned to continue for as long as mask mandates remain in force.

More information is available at Rumbleseats Facebook page, facebook.com/rumbleseat/.

With cuisine provided by the nearby Noras Restaurant, the venerable Brass Rail Restaurant in Southwick has been reborn as a banquet facility, the Brass Rail Meeting House.

Every Sunday the Brass Rail now hosts a Sunday brunch; on Easter Sunday, April 4, a special brunch menu is being offered from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Brass Rail brunch features a butler- and chef-attended buffet. Among the breakfast-style selections available are quiche, French toast, an omelet station, and a waffle station.

Savory chafing dishes specialties range from Bourbon soy salmon to Noras chicken. A carving station, a pasta bar, and a dessert table are also part of the buffet experience.

Bottomless mimosas and bloody Mary cocktails are available as an additional charge option.

Although brunch walk-ins will be accommodated on a space-available basis, guaranteed seating can be reserved online at brassrailmeetinghouse.com.

Telephone inquiries about the brunch (or other Brass Rail events) can be directed to (413) 569-9585.

A sister operation to the upscale Capital Grille steakhouse on Newbury Street in Boston, The Capital Burger, which is slated to open on April 1, will be specializing in an array of specialty and classic burger constructs.

The Capital Burger, which uses a proprietary ground beef blend for its between-bun creations, will be featuring combinations such as The Capital Burger, a sandwich with a French onion soup flavor profile; a Bacon Cheeseburger finished with candied bacon, tomato jam, and Vermont cheddar; and a customizable Classic Cheeseburger. All sandwiches come with a complimentary jar of house-made pickles.

Spiked shakes, twenty different wines by the glass, craft-brewed beers, and specialty cocktails will also be available.

The Capital Burger, which will be serving seven days a week, is located at 159 Newbury Street. Their telephone number is (617) 262-1333; their web address is thecapitalburger.com.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 45 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached on-line at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.
The studies by Dr. Naik-Mathuria and the others are being paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is once again funding research into gun violence after a nearly 25-year hiatus imposed by Congress. And while they might not reduce the number of massacres, mass shootings account for an extremely small percentage of the roughly 40,000 Americans who die each year from gun violence.

Theres at least five different gun violence problems in the country and mass shooting is one of them, said Mr. Morral, who has a Ph.D. in psychology. Theres also suicide, theres urban gun violence which mostly affects minority young men, theres family shootings and theres police shootings. And they all have different risk factors, they all have very different motives and they often involve different firearms.

Like cancer, there is no single cure for the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. If politicians want to make a difference, experts say, lawmakers need to quit the fruitless fights over whether liberals want to take peoples guns away and start financing  and listening to  research that could inform policies that could address the carnage.

Its not either, Keep your guns or prevent gun violence,  said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, who helped establish the C.D.C.s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control but said he was fired in the late 1990s under pressure from Republicans who opposed the centers gun research. Theres a strategy that science can help us define where you can do both  you can protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and at the very same time reduce the toll of gun violence.
A River of Doubt Runs Through Mail Voting in Montana

MISSOULA COUNTY, Mont.A mountainous, 2,600-square-mile region with a population of approximately 119,600 does not seem like your prototypical setting for machine politics. Yet a recent audit of mail-in ballots cast there found irregularities characteristic of larger urban centerson a level that could have easily swung local elections in 2020, and statewide elections in cycles past.

The Biden administration, the Democrat-controlled Congress, and the Democratic National Committee are collectively pressing to both nationalize, and make permanent, many of the extraordinary pandemic-driven voting measures implemented during the 2020 electionparticularly mass mail-in voting.

Political leaders and prominent media outlets have dismissed concerns raised by critics that such measures invite voter fraud. But could the election in small-county Missoula call all that into question?

The story at hand begins during the pandemic summer of 2020, when the then-governor, Democrat Steve Bullock, issued a directive permitting counties to conduct the general election fully by mail. In the run-up to the election, a court also struck down Montanas law aimed at preventing ballot harvesting.

Missoula, Montanas second most populous county and one of its most heavily Democratic, opted in to the universal vote-by-mail regime.

In response, in October 2020, several county residents with experience targeting election integrity issues formed a group to ensure the legitimacy of the 2020 vote. The members contended that Missoula County had shown anomalies in elections past.

In November, the group approached state Rep. Brad Tschida, a Republican, to formally take up the issue. Tschida hired a lawyer involved in the group, Quentin Rhoades, to represent him in corresponding with Missoula County Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman, a Democratic appointee and a longtime supporter of progressive causes.

Seamans office complied with Tschidas request for access to all of the countys ballot envelopes, and on Jan. 4 a team of volunteers, overseen by Rhoades, conducted an audit with the assistance of the Missoula County Elections Office. The audit consisted of both a count and review of all ballot envelopes and comparing that to the number of officially recorded votes during the Nov. 3, 2020, general election.

Its conclusions were troubling: 4,592 out of the 72,491 mail-in ballots lacked envelopes6.33% of all votes. Without an officially printed envelope with registration information, a voters signature, and a postmark indicating whether it was cast on time, election officials cannot verify that a ballot is legitimate. It is against the law to count such votes.

Whats more, according to auditors, county employees claimed that during the post-election audit, some of the envelopes may have been double-counted, possibly indicating an even higher number of missing envelopes.

Auditors also tested a smaller, random sub-sample of 15,455 mail-in envelopes for other defects. Of these, 55 lacked postmark dates, and 53 never had their signatures checkedfor a total of 0.7% of all ballots in the sample. No envelope had more than one irregularity.

Extrapolating from the sub-sample, that would make more than 5,000 of Missoula Countys votesroughly 7%with unexplained irregularities.

Still another issue arose during the audit that aroused auditors suspicions: Dozens of ballot envelopes bore strikingly similar, distinctive handwriting styles in the signatures, suggesting that one or several persons may have filled out and submitted multiple ballots, an act of fraud.

One auditor asserted that of 28 envelopes reviewed from the same address, a nursing home, all 28 signatures looked exactly the same stylistically.

Another auditor reported that among the envelopes she reviewed, two very unique signatures appeared dozens of times, describing one such signature as starting out flat, moving to a peak, and tapering out, and another as consisting of numerous circlesa bubble signature.

Auditors were unable to conduct a more comprehensive count because, they say, Missoula County elections officials refused to permit them to take pictures of the signatures, and envelopes were not shared across the different tabulation tables at the audit, so reviewers could not cross-compare ballot samples.

Another concern of the auditors: The county elections office did not provide access to video footage it claimed to have recorded of vote-counting activities.

Contacted by RealClearInvestigations for comment on these issues, Seaman cited an agreement by the parties to the audit that no photographs of ballot signatures would be allowed. And he said the countys video of vote-counting was past the retention schedule when requested although Rhoades Dec. 22 emailed request for itan email examined by RCIwas within what Rhoades described as the 60-day window during which county records must be retained by law.

Finally, Seaman explained the 4,592 ballots without envelopes found in the audit as a discrepancy due to the lack of a double-check process. The auditors said that during the audit, the only concern raised by the election office staff was the oppositethat envelopes might be double-counted, not undercountedand they claim that they followed all the procedures laid out by the county. Rhoades told RCI that when he asked Administrator Seaman after the audit about more ballots recorded than the envelope count, Seaman appeared extremely nervous and had no explanation.

The magnitude of defectiveand potentially fraudulently castballots identified during the Missoula County ballot audit is particularly troubling given the small margins by which local 2020 elections were decided, and previous statewide elections have been decided.

The 2020 local House District 94 race was determined by 435 votes; that of local House District 96, a mere 190.

In 2012, Bullock won his gubernatorial race by just 7,571 votes. Montanas then-superintendent of public instruction, also a Democrat, won her race by an even smaller margin of 2,231 votes. If Missoula County generated problem ballots on the level of those cast during 2020, they may well have swung these statewide elections.

Concerns over mass mail-in balloting are essentially a Republican issue. The party-line vote in which the Democrat-controlled U.S. House passed HR 1, a bill that would result in universal mail-in voting across America, is a testament to this fact.

The Missoula audit appeared unprecedented in auditing all ballot envelopes. Other counties, including Cobb (Georgia) and Maricopa (Arizona), conducted 2020 audits drawing on relatively small ballot envelope samples.

What comes next for Missoula County, given the discrepancies identified? State authorities say they are concerned about the findings, and may well take them up in a joint hearing of the Montana Senate and House judiciary committees. State representatives are also seeking to reinstate laws that would restrict ballot harvesting, as well as other election reforms.

From RealClearInvestigations.

John R. Lott Jr. is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of Gun Control Myths (2020), Dumbing Down the Courts, and Freedomnomics.
Business confidence remains low among farmers for the third year running, with a key concern being the phasing out of BPS, NFU's annual survey shows.

Both short and mid-term confidence among British farmers has again stayed negative, according to the union's latest confidence survey questioning 662 farmers.

The NFU said confidence was 'critical' for all farming businesses as it influenced production, investment and growth intentions.

One of the key concerns this year is the phasing out of BPS, with 78% of respondents saying they believe it will have a negative impact on their business.

Farmers will start seeing payment rates being reduced this year, without any new schemes to replace this income and a lack of detail about the interim and future schemes.

The survey also warns that the rise in input prices and changes to regulation and legislation due to Brexit is a major concern for farming businesses.

And nearly half (44%) of farmers have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the figure jumping to 73% for horticulture businesses.

NFU president Minette Batters said that levelling up rural areas would help build farmer confidence and boost business and investment opportunities.

The fact that both short and mid-term confidence has remained negative since 2018 is very telling of the uncertainty and challenges farmers continue to face," she said.

"This survey shows that many farm businesses are still reeling from the impacts of the pandemic and that there is lots of apprehension about the significant changes to rules coming down the tracks."

Mrs Batters said it wasn't surprising that the phasing out of BPS was the top concern among the union's membership.

"Not knowing what kind of standards will be involved in these future schemes makes it very difficult for farm businesses to plan for the future," she added.

Farmers need to know that the government is supporting them and investing in rural Britain."

The NFU's survey was undertaken between 5 November 2020 and 8 January 2021, with short-term confidence classed as one year and mid-term confidence as three.

What are the key concerns affecting farmers?

Key issues for farmers, according to NFU's latest confidence survey, include:

 The phasing out of BPS, (78% believe this will negatively impact them)

 Input prices e.g. fuel, fertiliser, energy (59% believe this will negatively impact them)

 Regulation and legislation (53% believe this will negatively impact them)

 Farm gate prices (45% believe this will negatively impact them)

 Market or supply chain they sell into (40% believe this will negatively impact them)
A woman had to flee through a living room window after being punched and kicked by a man, a court has been told.

James Aaron Madden appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court today on charges following an alleged domestic incident on Friday that a judge said was nearly as bad as it gets.

The 36-year-old, of no fixed abode, was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, false imprisonment and attempting to choke, strangle or suffocate the woman.

Objecting to Madden being released on bail a police officer told the court that at around 7.30pm the woman had gone to Maddens house in north Belfast and an argument started.

The woman told police Madden grabbed her by the throat and told her that her family should be planning her funeral as she would leave in a box.

She claimed he also punched and kicked her causing cuts, bruising and swelling to her face during what she estimated was a 40 minute ordeal.

The officer said the woman was eventually able to flee through a living room window and was left absolutely terrified.

Asking for him to be freed on bail, Maddens solicitor told the court he had co-operated fully with police during interview and denies committing the offences.

The lawyer said the woman went to Maddens house and an argument occurred but matters had settled down.

He said Madden claims during the argument the woman threw a nest of tables and that she had attacked him and that injuries to her throat were caused by love bites.

The lawyer added that the window through which the woman left was four to five feet off the ground rather than a case of jumping from the first floor.

Refusing bail, District Judge Mark Hamill said in terms of alleged domestic abuse it was nearly as bad as it gets and it was curtains for bail as far as Im concerned.

Judge Hamill said the case was bound to end up in the Crown Court as there is no way any district judge would accept jurisdiction over the case.

He added that if convicted Madden faced a lengthy custodial sentence and adjourned the case for four weeks.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Heres a look at the top criminal-justice-related headlines across the borough this week:

MAN CHARGED IN RACIST CAMPAIGN-POSTER DEFACEMENT

A suspect is accused of writing "No N******" on a political poster on Forest Avenue. (Photo courtesy of Victor Kelvin Richards)Courtesy of Victor Kelvin Richar

Police have charged a West Brighton man with a hate crime after he allegedly scrawled racist graffiti on the campaign posters of North Shore City Council candidates on multiple occasions over the past year.

Ralph Tedesco, 64, a resident of the 400 block of Davis Avenue, was arrested Wednesday and charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, after he allegedly wrote the phrase F--- YOU N----- on Legal Aid attorney Kelvin Richards North Shore Council campaign poster on Forest Avenue early Wednesday morning, according to a criminal complaint.

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COPS: BURGLAR SPOTTED FLEEING WOMANS HOME

A 32-year-old man from Bayonne, N.J., was caught in the act of burglarizing a home in Charleston, authorities allege.

Dominic Delsorbo of W. 25th Street stands accused of the break-in on Monday in the vicinity of Bloomingdale Road and Marisa Circle, according to the criminal complaint and police.

The door was locked and secure and all the windows were closed when a woman left the home on Saturday afternoon. When she returned on Monday around 8:30 a.m., she saw a man leaving through the side window, police said.

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Key Food supermarket is at the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance

MAN ACCUSED OF ROBBERY TRY AT SUPERMARKET

A 53-year-old man brandished a knife when a store employee tried to stop him from shoplifting at a supermarket on Bay Street, authorities say.

Sean Early of Scribner Avenue in New Brighton stands accused in the attempted robbery on Monday at 8:58 p.m. at Key Food at 155 Bay St., in Tompkinsville, according to the criminal complaint and a source with knowledge of the investigation.

The male victim was a store employee, the source said.

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EX-PHARMACY OWNER COPS PLEA IN DRUG SCHEME

Authorities said Michael Paulsen, the owner of Regal Remedies in South Beach, ran a large illegal oxycodone distribution and kickback scheme out of the pharmacy.

He wasnt a licensed pharmacist, yet the owner of a South Beach drug store used his position to illegally peddle tens of thousands of potentially addictive oxycodone pills and line his pockets with cash, said authorities.

Now, comes the payback for Michael Paulsen.

Paulsen could face up to 14 years behind bars after pleading guilty on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court to narcotics conspiracy.

Paulsen doled out large quantities of the drug to customers, including co-conspirators, who either didnt have a prescription, had bogus scripts or had no legitimate medical need for the oxycodone, said the indictment.

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HE ADMITS TO HINDERING PROSECUTION IN BODY CASE

An ex-convict who, in a ghoulish plot, was accused of helping his buddy dispose of a corpse in the woods near their Greenridge townhouse after it had been stuffed in a closet for months, has pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution.

Troy Williams, 36, also pleaded guilty in an unrelated case to the unauthorized use of a vehicle to resolve both matters.

Williams and Steven Mazzelli, 29, were involved in one of the most bizarre cases in recent memory.

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2 CHARGED IN RAID OF DONGAN HILLS HOME

Police found heroin in a blender, pills and thousands of dollars in cash inside a home in Dongan Hills during an early-morning raid, authorities allege.

Jennifer Czirr, 39, and Marc Esposito, 42, were arrested as police executed a search warrant around 6 a.m. on March 10 at their home on Chapin Avenue, according to the criminal complaint and police.

Officers found 56 whole or partial pills of the sedative alprazolam inside a nightstand drawer in a bedroom, the complaint alleges.

The duo allegedly had 24 tablets of addiction-treatment drugs buprenorphine and naloxone inside the top drawer of a bureau in a bedroom. Officers counted $5,935 in cash stowed inside a bag in a bedroom and a scale that was tainted with heroin residue was found on a bedroom floor, according to the complaint.

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Cops allegedly confiscated this .22-caliber Ruger from a suspect accused in the fatal shooting of a man and his pregnant girlfriend at their home on Grandview Avenue in Mariners Harbor. The photo was posted on the 121st Twitter feed. (Courtesy of NYPD)

GUN-TRAFFICKING CHARGES FOR WOMAN

A Staten Island woman is facing gun-trafficking charges after authorities allege she purchased and transported a weapon used in the brazen 2020 slaying of a pregnant woman and her boyfriend, the Advance/SILive.com has learned.

Gina Santoro, 54, has been charged with firearms trafficking conspiracy and firearms trafficking, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court.

She was arraigned Monday afternoon and released on a $50,000 bond.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 00:04:48|Editor: huaxia

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People line up to receive the COVID-19 vaccines at a clinic in Blantyre, Malawi, on March. 26, 2021. In the first phase, the Malawi government identified priority groups to be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including all health workers and people with high risks of contracting the virus. Blantyre District Office alone has registered about 12,000 recipients of vaccine against COVID-19 during the first phase of the campaign. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua)

BLANTYRE, Malawi, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Emily Kamanga, a young business woman in Blantyre was excited after receiving her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The business woman and her friends are all excited that they have a hopeful assurance.

"At first, I was so skeptical about getting the vaccine. There are many stories circulating around social media opposing the vaccine, many citing that it is evil. But after doing my own research, I have discovered that the vaccine is safe and helpful," she said.

The pandemic had brought many challenges to her business. At a certain point, her business almost went down because a lot of customers were not visiting her shop in the Blantyre market due to travel restrictions.

Kamanga said that she will continue observing all the necessary COVID-19 preventive measures as she waits for her second dose.

"I am very excited that I am among the first group of people to get vaccinated, with the dose I can now be able to do my business confidently knowing that I am protected," she said.

In the first phase, the Malawi government identified priority groups to be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including all health workers and people with high risks of contracting the virus.

Similarly, Bright Mvundula, a health worker in Blantyre could not hide his joy after receiving his COVID-19 vaccine in Blantyre. In an interview, Mvundula thanked the Malawi government for the program. He also highlighted the importance of educating the masses to ensure that people perceive the campaign with a positive mind.

Many Malawians received the vaccine. Blantyre District Office alone has registered about 12,000 recipients of vaccine against COVID-19 during the first phase of the campaign.

In an interview with Xinhua, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Charles Mwansambo assured Malawians that the vaccines are safe and he encouraged every eligible person to get a jab. Enditem
Cairo, March 27 : The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said that it welcomes cooperation with the US to refloat a giant cargo ship that has run aground and disrupted traffic on one of the world's busiest trade routes.

In a statement issued on Friday, the SCA also expressed gratitude for all the other offers of assistance to free the ship, reiterating its keenness to restore maritime traffic in the Suez Canal as soon as possible, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Thursday, the Authority said dredging operations were underway to refloat the Panama-flagged ship, Ever Given, by removing 15,000 cubic metres to 20,000 cubic metres of sand surrounding the vessel's bow.

It added the dredging operations, including nine tug boats, two dredges and four diggers, aim to reach a depth of 12-16 meters to resurface the 400-metre-long and 59-metre-wide vessel.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority has warned that a sea storm on Saturday and Sunday along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez could cause a delay in the dislodging work.

Ever Given ran aground in the man-made canal on Tuesday due to a sandstorm, reportedly leaving dozens of other cargo vessels blocked from passing the major waterway.

The tanker veered off its course while sailing through the waterway on a Rotterdam-bound voyage coming from China.

The Suez Canal provides one of Egypt's main sources of income, alongside tourism and remittances from expatriates.

In 2015, Egypt opened a 35 km extension running parallel to the historical canal, which was inaugurated in 1869.

The expansion allows two-way traffic along the previously one-way canal and is designed to reduce the waiting time for vessels.

The artificial waterway connects the Mediterranean and Red seas, providing the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.
Two former police chiefs and two other former senior officials of the Interior Ministry sentenced. The Armenian community says the sentence fails to do justice to the victim. RSF: "Partial justice" 14 years after his death. Friends of Hrant Dink Group: the mechanisms and connections that led to the assassination are still unknown.

Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Turkish court yesterday sentenced four people to life imprisonment, two former police chiefs and two other people, top security officials, in connection with the murder of the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

The local minority still cherish the memory of the reporter killed in front of the Agos headquarters on January 19, 2007 - tried two years earlier for writing about the genocide and killed in cold blood with four gunshots by a young man. The Armenian community in Turkey recently dedicated a youth center in Istanbul to his memory and have expressed their disappointment at what they see as a failure to do the victim justice.

Former police chiefs Ali Fuat Yilmazer and Ramazan Akyurek were convicted of the crime, along with two former senior officials of the Turkish Interior Ministry, Yavuz Karakaya and Muharrem Demirkale. There were a total of 27 defendants, charged with various crimes including lack of supervision aimed at preventing the murder.

However, the other defendants, including the top executives of the Istanbul and Trabzon police, and accused by the victim's family of implications in the murder, were acquitted by the judges "because the crimes ascribed to them have lapsed.

Lawyers representing the family of the journalist and editor of the bilingual Turkish and Armenian weekly had submitted evidence to the Court showing the involvement of the police chiefs, who were allegedly warned of the plan to murder the then 52-year-old Hrant Dink. Despite the warnings, the top executives did nothing to prevent it, leaving a free hand to the killer.

At the time, his death had shaken the consciences of many citizens and more than 100,000 people had participated in his funeral, recognizing the work of a chronicler and intellectual who had worked for reconciliation between Turks and Armenians. However, the Turkish nationalists have never forgiven him the repeated denunciations of the Armenian genocide of 1915, always strongly denied by Ankara.

His killer, Ogun Samast, a 17-year-old unemployed youth at the time of the murder, confessed to the crime and was sentenced in 2011 to 23 years in prison. Human rights defenders and activists criticize the trial that ended yesterday and that would not have shed full light on the matter. Some officials - says the representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Turkey Erol Onderoglu - are still at large. This partial justice rendered after 14 years leaves a bitter taste in the mouth ".

Bulent Aydin, of the Friends of Hrant Dink group, reports that "it is not yet known exactly what are the mechanisms that led to planning and committing the crime." Turkish authorities say the network of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, the number one enemy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after being his longtime ally, is believed to be the mastermind of the (failed) coup of July 2016, according to Turkish authorities. At a commemoration of the murder last January, the journalist's widow denounced an attempt to hide the responsibility of the state.
The verses say that I shall know

Even as I am known.

But in the confusion of days

Into which were thrown



There is no fate, no written plan -

We all do exactly what we can

With no thought to a future karma

Though trees whisper and rivers murmur

From KeyGul The Seagull, by Bachchoo

I suppose defiance is as ugly a word as mutiny and both come to mind this week in lockdown Albion as hundreds of protesters march and gather to challenge and defy restrictions to their freedom of movement and association.

Some of these protesters, and the pundits who urge them on in the media, are right-wing purists who believe that the State shouldnt interfere in peoples freedom to work, move, go to pubs and shops or travel, regardless of the fact that thousands have died through doing these things because of Covid-19.

Other protesters are eccentric theorists, some who deny that the Covid-19 virus exists at all, others who see conspiracies of all sorts and perhaps some who probably assert that there are giant lizards in the cosmos who control the universe through lizardry using lizardric fields and lizardic microchips hidden in vaccines. And then there are the goons who attend the rallies to fight the police who turn up to arrest those who violate the lockdown.

In Parliament, there are those Tory stalwarts who accuse BoJos government of being anti-Tory and non-Conservative as it proposes lockdowns and passes legislation to enforce the proposition counting on the volunteered support of the Labour Party.

Commentators on platforms like the Daily Telegraph (for which BoJo was until recently a regular columnist!) profess bewilderment at what they characterise as socialistic restraints on the freedom of the individual. The term for such governments is the nanny state, which forbids this and that and punishes you for breaking the rules, however sensible these rules are. They are, BoJo and his advisers insist, directed at saving lives and seeing that the National Health Service is not overwhelmed.

His government has, because of the Covid-19 crisis, done some peculiar things for a Conservative Party to have contemplated or proposed. Very many of their proposals and actions remain true to the ideological biases and predilections of conservative Conservatism. The Freeport and Deport polices of this government are in line with what one would expect, regardless of the fact that any fool knows that Freeports, though touted as a boost for the economy, will only result in dodgy money-laundering investments and cause the loss of jobs in the country as capital shifts to the provided low-tax enclosures. Freeports are also known all over the world as light regulation conduits for drug trafficking.

As for the new immigration policies, related now to the deport agenda, they will deprive several British industries and sectors of vital labour and lead to a decline in these industries worse than that caused by Covid-19.

There are other ways in which BoJos government behaves in an unsurprising manner. Its ministers have, during the Covid year, handed out several million-pound contracts to friends, relatives and individuals and companies who have gifted the Tory party sums of money. The contracts are mostly for necessary tasks such as the testing, tracing and tracking of the Covid spread.

It is alleged that these have been handed, without being put out to competitive tender, to organisations owned or concocted by cronies who have no experience of the tasks for which they are getting paid millions of taxpayers money. I say alleged, gentle reader, because though the media have been tracking and tracing this corruption, its not a legally proven crime or misdemeanour -- yet! It may soon be as there is a public demand for an independent inquiry into the process of handing out these contracts. And guess what? Boris Johnson says no such inquiry is necessary. Everything is above board. Now will there be attempts to bury that board so that everything is above it? Watch this space.

Apart from the lockdowns this government has imposed, it has moved, through its noble chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, in what again some Tories and commentators see as an anti-Conservative way. He has announced the raising of corporation tax -- albeit two years in the future, but with the current budget voted on, it passes into law. Rishi says this is necessary to make up for the unprecedented loss of revenue that the economy and consequently the treasury has suffered through this plague year.

If I was the chancellor, gentle reader, I would examine several other avenues to put the economy to rights. The first among these would be the tax-dodgers. Notable amongst these are the owners of national right-wing oriented newspapers -- the Daily Telegraphs owners and Lord Rothermere, the owner of the Daily Mail group, are Britons who have registered themselves as citizens of other countries and have used loopholes in British tax laws to avoid paying millions into the British exchequer.

There are other multinational companies who trade here but register themselves abroad and dodge British taxes. And then there are the individuals who register as non-domiciled persons, or non-doms, who can bring their money from internationally registered earnings and spend it in Britain but pay no tax. If this applied to, say, the wife of a Cabinet minister with imported earnings from abroad, it would be a prime bit of legal corruption, wouldnt it?
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Brazil is responsible for more than a quarter of the world's daily Covid deaths with thousands of patients lost every day, amid stark warnings worse is to come.

The nation's seven-day average of 2,400 deaths stands to reach to 3,000 within weeks and spikes could soon hit 4,000.

Brazil has recorded more than 300,000 deaths from coronavirus so far with the number expected to continue to rise as a more contagious variant continues unabated.

The huge death toll could reach 500,000 by July and overtake the US, currently at 548,000, by the end of 2021.

At least 12.3 million people are now known to have been infected with the coronavirus in Brazil.

Patients infected with Covid 19 in a field hospital set up at a gym in Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, as it emerges nearly 4,000 people are dying every day

The virus's spread has been turbocharged by the more contagious P1 variant which has already been identified in the U.S. with a case this week in New York.

Restrictions on activities implemented last year in an attempt to stave off disaster were dismissed by President Jair Bolsonaro, who sought to stave off economic doom.

Miguel Nicolelis, professor of Neurobiology at Duke University who advised several Brazilian governors and mayors on pandemic control, said: 'We have surpassed levels never imagined for a country with a public health care system, a history of efficient immunization campaigns and health workers who are second to none in the world.

'The next stage is the health system collapse.'

A patient arrives at a temporary hospital set up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, by helicopter amid warnings its healthcare system is close to collapse

Intensive care units across Brazil are either full or close to capacity as the death toll reaches more than 300,000 victims

Just two per cent of the population in Brazil have been vaccinated against the virus as the death toll nears 4,000 every day

The system is already buckling, with almost all states intensive care units near or at capacity.

Dr Jose Antonio Curiati, a supervisor at Sao Paulo's Hospital das Clinicas, the biggest hospital complex in Latin America, said its beds are full, but patients keep arriving.

To make matters worse the city's oxygen supply isn't guaranteed, and stocks of sedatives required for intubation in intensive care units will soon run out.

He said: 'Four thousand deaths a day seems to be right around the corner.

Brazil's state-run science and technology institute, Fiocruz, on Tuesday called for a 14-day lockdown to reduce transmission by 40%.

Natalia Pasternak, a microbiologist who presides over the Question of Science Institute, added: 'We need coordinated action, and thats probably not going to happen because the federal government has no real interest in pursuing preventative actions

'(Mayors and governors) are trying to implement preventative measures, but separately and in their own ways. This isn't the best approach, but its better than nothing.'

Minas Gerais, Brazils second most populous state, has closed nonessential shops. Espirito Santo state will enter lockdown Sunday.

Brazils two biggest cities, Rio and Sao Paulo, have imposed extensive restrictions on nonessential activities.

Relatives of a victim of Covid 19 in Brazil watch on as workers clean graves following a burial in Porto Alegre, Brazil, this week

Officials from the Vila Formosa cemetery prepare graves for those lost to Covid 19 as daily death toll numbers reach 300,000

The healthcare system in Brazil is close to collapse as it struggles with the contagious P1 variant rampaging across the country

Mass grave sites, such as this one in Mexico, have sprouted in Latin America as countries struggle under the huge death tolls

Their state authorities brought forward holidays to create a 10-day period of repose, which started Friday.

Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes said: 'We need to open our eyes and understand this is no joke. 'People are dying and, if everything continues as is, nothing is done, God only knows what could happen. No one knows this disease's limit. No one knows how many variants could emerge.'

The World Health Organizations director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Monday called for everyone in Brazil to muster a serious response 'whether its the government or the people.'

He said: 'It's a concerted effort of all actors that will really reverse this upward trend.

'It is actually very fast and accelerating really, really fast.

Cemetery workers carry a coffin during the first burial at night amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo

The body of a COVID-19 victim lies in a body bag at the ICU of the Sao Jose municipal hospital in Duque de Caxias, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

'Especially were worried about the (weekly) death rate, which doubled in just one month from 7,000 to 15,000.'

Brazil has so far vaccinated less than 2 per cent of its people as delivery delays jeopardized its rollout.

Yesterday former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Brazil's over 300,000 deaths from the coronavirus the 'biggest genocide' in the Latin American country's history in a scathing attack on current leader Jair Bolsonaro.

He told Germany's Der Spiegel: 'On Tuesday, 3158 people died of Covid in Brazil. It's the biggest genocide in our history.'

Elsewhere in South America, Argentina has opted to suspend flights from Brazil, Chile and Mexico from Saturday to prevent different strains of the coronavirus from entering the country as it braces for a second wave of infections.

Cemetery workers in full protective gear lower a coffin that contain the remains of a person who died from complications related to COVID-19 at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The government said in a statement on Thursday that the measures, which include tests and mandatory isolation for citizens who return from other regions, will take effect on Saturday.

'Until further notice, regular flights will be suspended from ... Chile, Brazil, Mexico,' the statement read. A similar policy is already in place for flights from Britain.

Argentina has registered 2,278,115 cases of COVID-19 and 55,092 deaths, and the government is concerned about the chaotic situation in neighbouring Brazil.

In Chile, health officials on Thursday extended a lockdown across the capital Santiago to tame a second wave of infections even as the South American nation continues to plough ahead with the world's fastest per capita vaccination campaign.

Cases in Chile have been ticking up for weeks following the end of the southern hemisphere summer holiday, but topped a record on Saturday, bringing hospitals to the verge of collapse.
RTHK: One dead, bombs thrown as restive Indian state votes

One person was killed and bombs were thrown at a polling station Saturday as India's hotbed of political violence West Bengal held elections, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to unseat one of his fiercest opponents.

Victory in the eastern region of 90 million would be a major achievement for Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party as it looks to expand further its power base beyond its Hindi-speaking northern heartlands.

In a state where thousands have died since the 1960s, fresh incidents of violence were reported Saturday with police saying a mob threw bombs at one polling station, seriously injuring an officer.

The president of the BJP in the state, Dilip Ghosh, said one of their supporters was killed by members of the region's ruling Trinamool Congress party in the early hours.

"His body was found in the compound of his mud hut," he said.

Assailants also attacked the vehicles of at least two election candidates, police said.

Bank employee Bablu Das, 32, said voting was taking place in his district in the west of the state "in an atmosphere of violence" and that many people were too scared to vote.

Because of extra security the election is being held over eight phases concluding on April 29.

The campaign has seen huge rallies despite a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in India in recent weeks, including around 800,000 people attending one Modi event in Kolkata.

The north-eastern state of Assam also went to the polls on Saturday in the first of three phases, while Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry vote on April 6.

Results from all are due on May 2.

This story has been published on: 2021-03-27. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Fashion designer Carla Zampatti is in hospital after she was knocked unconscious by a fall after attending an opera performance on Sydney Harbour.

Ms Zampatti, 78, was attending the opening night of La Traviata at Mrs Macquaries Point on Friday night when she fell on the bottom two steps of a staircase.

Carla Zampatti photographed earlier that evening at La Traviata Opening Night. Credit: James Gourley

Opera Australia chief executive Rory Jeffes said the accident occurred after the final curtain and one of the companys trained lifeguards looked after Ms Zampatti while staff called an ambulance.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 11:20:58|Editor: huaxia

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A man passes by a wall which has victims' names of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, in Kigali, Rwanda, March 28, 2021. Rwanda on Friday welcomed a report by a French commission that spent two years investigating France's role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. According to the report, France bears the burden of "heavy responsibilities" in the genocide that claimed over 1 million lives, mainly ethnic Tutsis, but was not complicit in the killings during the 100-day tragedy. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua)

KIGALI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Friday welcomed a report by a French commission that spent two years investigating France's role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

"The Government of Rwanda welcomes the report of the Duclert Commission, which represents an important step toward a common understanding of France's role in the Genocide against the Tutsi," said a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Kigali will release an investigative report by the government in 2017 in the coming weeks, whose conclusions will complement and enrich those of the Duclert Commission, the statement said.

Vincent Duclert, head historian of the commission set up by French President Emmanuel Macron, presented the report to the latter in Paris earlier in the day.

According to its findings, France bears the burden of "heavy responsibilities" in the genocide that claimed over 1 million lives, mainly ethnic Tutsis, but was not complicit in the killings during the 100-day tragedy.

It also ruled out wrongdoings by military "Operation Turquoise" led by France towards the end of the Rwandan genocide.

France's role during the April-July 1994 genocide has for years been the subject of intense scrutiny and much controversy.

Rwanda has been accusing France of backing the genocidal regime government and covering genocide suspects through "Operation Turquoise," but the claim was denied by France.

The central African nation severed diplomatic relations with France in 2006 following the issue by a French judge of nine arrest warrants against Rwandan officials in the case of the attack on the aircraft of former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana in April 1994, which triggered the genocide.

Although the diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored in 2009, France has no ambassador in Rwanda since the last one left the post in 2015. Enditem
'The numbers are just absolutely crazy': Pandemic sends building costs soaring  and keeps contractors guessing
Self-proclaimed Dancehall Defender and Peoples National Party (PNP) Senator Damion Crawford, drew the ire of his Government colleagues in Jamaicas Upper House of Parliament, when he accused Prime Minister Andrew Holness of, among other things, embracing Chronic Laws violence-laced song titled Government (2018).

Crawfords statements, which Government senators repudiated vociferously and insisted were untrue, caused a ruckus in Gordon House, and later saw the senator being forced to withdraw his statements, by two JLP senators who are also lawyers.

The PNP vice presidents comments had come whilst he was making his contribution during the debate surrounding the Appropriations Bill earlier today.

Government badness has been a feature of the approach of the JLP Government on anyone who offers critique or dissent. The citizens of the country, Mr. President, are afraid of the Government. You embraced a song called Government Badness, Andrew Holness, not me. So you speak to the things you embrace, not me, Crawford had said to Senate President, Senator Tom Tavares Finson.

The song in question grew in popularity, and the line Government Badness, became a common slang during the outset of the COVID virus last year, when persons who broke the curfews imposed by the Andrew Holness administration, when captured by the police were jeered about trembling and bowing to the might of Government badness.

A line from the song, features somewhat of an homage to Holness, which goes:

One uptown wid a likkle neat crepes

Gun pon belly, di beretta never left

Government badness, Andrew Holness

Mi nuh left my dogs when mi roll out inna di Mark X

Contrary to Crawfords claims though, Holness has never endorsed the 6IX stars song. He has though, endorsed the song Bro Gad by 6IX member Daddy1, which is a tribute to loyal and supportive men who provide mentorship to other young men. Holness has even taken on the moniker The Honourable Brogad.

During the Senate exchange, Crawford also said he was aware of people who have been arrested and publicized for criticizing Holness, and that he could give examples.

It was at that time that he was interrupted by Leader of Government Business, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, who on a Point of Order, said Crawford was misleading the Honourable House and demanded that he withdraw those allegations.

They are untrue; they are baseless and should be withdrawn. They should not remain on the record of this honorable chamber, the attorney-at-law, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs said.

She was also joined by Montego Bay-based attorney-at-law Senator Charles Sinclair who noted that the only person who has been arrested was a man who broke the law, and pleaded guilty in court and that nobody has been arrested for criticizing the Prime Minister.

Be responsible man! Sinclair rebuked, to which Crawford, a former University of the West Indies (UWI) Guild president retorted: Whether the Government side agrees or not, I had no intention as is being fabricated sir, to have impugned any motive upon an individual.

After doubling down on his statements, claiming he had said nothing wrong, Crawford subsequently wilted under the stinging repudiations of Sinclair and Johnson Smith.

After being told by the Senate President, to withdraw the statement Crawford started appearing contrite, responding: But mu neva seh it sah! Awrite, withdraw, move on.
COLUMBIA  The debate over the bar culture of Columbia's Five Points could become a cloud in the drinks of bar owners and patrons statewide.

With his legislative proposal, state Sen. Dick Harpootlian said he is simply spelling out exactly what a 19th century state constitutional provision means about how much food a restaurant must serve to get and keep an alcohol license.

Bar owners, however, see a major challenge to their businesses in what he proposes, especially spots that sell higher-priced cocktails or wine and concert halls.

"People don't come to cocktail bars or music venues to eat a full meal," said Joe Clarke, who owns the Greenville cocktail bar Vault & Vator.

The South Carolina constitution defines a restaurant eligible for a liquor license as one that is primarily and substantially in the business of serving meals. But there is no specific threshold and, under state law, bars are lumped in with restaurants.

Under Harpootlians bill, that would be 51 percent of a business gross revenue coming from food and nonalcoholic beverage sales.

To him, the term "primarily" has an obvious interpretation: more than half of revenues. It's not just serving snacks and having a stove somewhere in the back of the business, he said.

Harpootlian said he is open to arguments that the number should be somewhat less, but that discussion has not really started.

"I am willing to talk, but no one's talking to me," Harpootlian told The Post and Courier.

There would be no way to reach that 51 percent threshold in a place like his, Clarke said, even with a bolstered menu because consumers expect something different.

Clarke said his cocktail bar is a place people visit to hang out and socialize, then maybe have an appetizer to snack on with their mixed drinks.

It's not a restaurant and should not be regulated as one, he said: "It's a different business."

The math of how a bar bills its customers for drinks could change under such rules, said Craig Nelson, owner of Charleston cocktail bar Proof.

In other states, bars have sometimes priced out the ingredients of a drink for tax or revenue reasons, Nelson said.

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That means that the customer gets a bill charging them $4 for juice, $2 for ice and water and $4 for the liquor in a drink. That way, the alcohol does not make up the majority of the bill.

"I feel there could be a lot of revenue lost for the state," Nelson said.

The focus of Harpootlian's ire has been the bars catering to a college-aged crowd in Columbia's Five Points.

Soon, 11 of those bars are facing court hearings over getting their liquor licenses renewed, a tactic that Harpootlian and other neighbors have used to prompt change. The first hearing in those cases is scheduled for late April.

Neighbors say that drinking-related misbehavior has worsened in recent years, spilling over from the bars into their neighborhoods. In four of the protests, the University of South Carolina has joined with neighbors, saying that bars have been encouraging irresponsible drinking.

The college bars at the focus on the debate could never pass a 51 percent test because so much of their substantial profits comes from selling drinks.

"The Five Points bars won't exist if they have to serve food," Harpootlian said.

The state constitution's limit needs to be clarified in some way, he said, because it cannot simply be ignored. It was drafted to shut down the wild saloons that dotted the state during the post-Civil War years and still applies.

If people believe a new set of rules for bars is needed in South Carolina now, they need to amend the state constitution, the senator said.

Harpootlian hopes his bill, which has had one committee hearing already, can move forward to the Senate floor soon, though he acknowledges that getting it passed and sent to the governor likely means a two-year process.

Not everyone shares Harpootlian's view of what the constitution requires, however.

Bakari Sellers, a Columbia attorney who has defended bars in court over alcohol license protests, argues that the law doesn't conform to Harpootlian's definition of what constitutes being primarily focused on serving food.

Sellers points to wording in state statutes that says that anyplace with a liquor license needs only to be ready to prepare food and to have an available menu of items. In his view, there is no implied level of required food sales as Harpootlian argues.

Instead, Harpootlian is interpreting the law the way it can help him in his drive to change Five Points, he said.

"The law is pretty clear, it just doesn't say what he wants it to say."
Minister for Muzrai and Backward Classes Welfare Kota Srinivas Poojary said that the salaries of Muzrai department employees will be paid as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and a final decision will be taken soon.

In a press conference here, the minister said that a meeting of State Dharmika Parishat is convened at Vidhan Soudha on April 9, to discuss about the salaries. There are a few technical problems to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and a majority of them are sorted out. The recommendations will be implemented after holding a discussion with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, he said.

Poojary said that the process of setting up management committees for B and C category temples, across Karnataka, is under progress. The respective district-level Dharmika Parishat will finalise the management committees.

Training will be imparted to the management committee members on their role and responsibilities, the minister said.

The minister said that priests are demanding health and life insurance and pension. The matter will be discussed with the CM and a decision will be taken in a month, he said.

The minister said that the department has issued strict guidelines, following the outbreak of Covid-19 second wave. Several jatra mahotsavas were held across the state and thus, the department has directed to limit the celebrations only to religious rituals. The department would restrict large gatherings and also ban entry of the devotees to the temples, if the spread of Covid increases, he said.

The minister said that the Backward Classes Welfare Department is running more than 2,400 hostels and all precautionary measures are in place to contain the spread of Covid. In order to improve the hostels, district-level officials are directed to stay in a hostel once a week and state-level officials are asked to stay in a hostel once in a fortnight.
Millions of Australians' Easter plans have been thrown into chaos as Western Australia tightens travel restrictions following Queensland's coronavirus outbreak.

A second man, who is a close contact of the existing Queensland coronavirus cases, was reported in Brisbane on Saturday.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has ordered all travellers from the Sunshine State to be tested and to self-isolate upon arrival in WA with immediate effect on Saturday afternoon.

The rules apply to anyone who has arrived in WA from the Brisbane and Moreton Bay areas since March 20 should isolate until they receive a negative test result.

South Australia has brought in similar rules, with all arrivals from Queensland since March 20 told to get tested and isolate.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has ordered all travellers from Queensland to be tested and to self-isolate upon arrival in WA with immediate effect on Saturday afternoon

Travelers will need to be tested again on day 5 and day 13 of their mandatory 14-day quarantine

They should also get tested again on day five and day 13 of quarantine, but there is no requirement to isolate after both tests unless symptoms develop.

The new rules will be in place until midnight on March 30.

'I understand this new measure will be frustrating for some, but it is crucial we all do our bit to keep our friends, family and our community safe,' he said in a statement.

'People need to heed the health advice which has kept us safe. We need to stay the course.'

Mr McGowan said further restrictions could be introduced if necessary.

He said that included a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The new rules come after a 26-year-old landscaper from Stafford in Brisbane's north tested positive to the highly contagious UK strain of Covid on Friday.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) said further restrictions could be introduced if necessary

Some other states have quickly imposed restrictions on travel from Queensland (pictured: people arriving in Brisbane from Sydney in December)

The new case announced on Saturday is a close contact of the landscaper from a different household in Strathpine - with contact tracers currently interviewing the man.

Genomic sequencing shows the 26-year-old's case is linked to the strain which infected a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital two weeks ago  but officials have no idea how it jumped between the two, who are not known to have ever met.

Before his positive test the man visited venues across Brisbane over a number of days since last Friday March 19.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday said health officials were 'concerned' about people who were at a busy shopping centre while the 26-year-old was also there.

She repeated urgent calls for anyone who was in any part of Westfield Carindale shopping centre from 12 noon to 2.16pm on Saturday, March 20, to immediately isolate and get tested.

'The next two days are going to be critical for us,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'We would like to rule out every single possibility here. The sooner that everyone [gets tested] the better we will be.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged states and territories to be balanced and 'proportionate' in their response to the outbreak.

The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) said 'the next two days are going to be critical' for the Sunshine state

He says the ongoing vaccine rollout has changed 'risk calculations' and he's confident the Queensland government has control of the situation.

'The economic recovery we're seeing in Australia now is leading the world, and we want to keep that happening, and we don't want to prevent that from happening by any possible disproportion or overreaction in response' Mr Morrison told reporters.

Some other Australian states have already responded to the discovery of the highly contagious strain in Queensland by reintroducing travel restrictions.

New South Wales has shut its border to anyone who has been to the exposure sites listed by Queensland Health and if already in the state they are required to get tested and self-isolate.

The landscaper while infectious had visited venues across Brisbane including a Bunnings in his own suburb of Stafford (pictured)

Tasmania has also closed their border to anyone who has been to the listed exposure sites within 14 days of wanting to travel to the state.

Victoria has designated the Brisbane and Moreton regions as an 'orange zone' requiring those wanting to travel to get a permit and a Covid test.

Down in New South Wales, travellers who have been to any of the listed exposure venues must get tested and isolate for 14 days.
This year, the Pennsylvania Land Title Association (PLTA) celebrates its 100th year of protecting property rights of Pennsylvanians through its member title agents and agencies, title insurance underwriters, real estate attorneys and other real estate professionals. The group currently includes Executive Director Robin Kelsh and three staff members, as well as members who volunteer their professional skills for various committees and initiatives, including President Lisa McEntee, Esq., CLTP, vice president and senior underwriting counsel at Fidelity National Title Insurance Co.

It is humbling to sit at the helm of this organization during its centennial year, McEntee said in a release. This association was borne with a mission to advocate for title insurance and real estate professionals, and were still working toward that end every day. Our members are competitors but leave that competition at the door and pool our talent, time, and resources to ensure that our voices are heard by local, state and national government officials.

On Nov. 15, 1921, a group of Pennsylvania title professionals gathered to form the advocacy group. The PLTAs first president and architect was John E. Potter, who was also the president of Potter Title & Trust Co. Potter was recognized on the national level as one of the title industry's recognized authorities, by what is now the American Land Title Association (ALTA).

Potter set a high standard, which the PLTA continues to follow, evidenced by 36 of its presidents (including McEntee) earning the right to be called Certified Title Professionals. The designation is earned by those members who have the required experience, education, and professional participation to be considered the most distinguished title professionals in Pennsylvania.

The PLTA was incorporated as the Pennsylvania Title Association. It would change to its current name to align with that of the national organization and better depict its purpose and membership.

The 32 original member companies of the association included the Real Estate Title Insurance and Trust Co., which issued the first title insurance policy in the world in 1876.

Five of PLTAs past presidents have also led ALTA, including Anne Anastasi, the first woman to lead PLTA in 1998-99 and the second woman to serve as president of the national association (2010-11).

Today, PLTA is made up of more than 500 member companies and their employees, totaling 2,500 professionals, from all facets of the homebuying process.

Over the last century, PLTA has been a consistent source of information, advocacy, and innovation for the title industry, Kelsh said. I am grateful to be part of this association as we celebrate this monumental milestone, honor the dedication of our members, and celebrate the resiliency of the title industry professionals, especially through the challenges of the past year.
The family of a Cork woman who vanished from her home six decades ago are desperately seeking information on her disappearance.

One morning In 1960, Patricia Mary Jones walked out the door of her home in Sussex in the UK.

She would never return.

At the time, she was 35 years old. She had been married for 15 years and had eight children  the youngest of whom was only a couple of months old when she left.

Twitter, I need your help. In 1960 in Sussex my grandmother woke up one morning and then left her husband and children. They had been married for 15 years and they had 8 (7 living) children together. When she left the youngest was only months old.

Her name was Patricia Mary Jones pic.twitter.com/i22PyjG6uw  Pip O'Neill (@Pip_ONeill) March 26, 2021

Patricia Mary Patsy Jones, born December 9, 1924, had moved to London from Cork in the mid-1950s in search of a better life.

After arriving in the English capital, Patricia ceased all contact with her parents and siblings back home, leaving them heartbroken and confused as to the reason why.

After she married, Patricia and her husband relocated to Crawley in Sussex so he could get work at Gatwick Airport.

Meanwhile, back in Cork, her parents were gathering what little money they had and hired a private investigator to help track down their daughter, but his investigation soon reached a dead-end.

Nobody knows why. After exhausting all options her parents (my great grandparents) pooled what little money they had into hiring a private investigator to try and find her. This is them in their house in Cork where I think Patsy was born. pic.twitter.com/kVoc4HEXxS  Pip O'Neill (@Pip_ONeill) March 26, 2021

Ms Jones' granddaughter, Pip ONeill, is now seeking any information that may help both sides of her family to come to terms with what happened all those years ago.

Writing on Twitter, Ms ONeill said her mother  one of Patricias daughters  managed to get some information from the Salvation Army in the 1990s.

However, the organisation told her that her mother did not want to be found.

Sadly, Ms O'Neill's mother passed away in 2015 having never learned what happened to her mother.

Ms ONeill and her cousins suspect that Patricia may have been suffering from postpartum depression when she left.

The family have combed through birth, death and marriage records in all variations of her name and birth date.

All they have found so far is her marriage certificate from 1945.

"She was a beautiful woman, young and glamorous and she loved the bright lights of London, said Ms ONeill.

Im sure it was a bit of a shock to the system to suddenly find yourself in a small town 30 miles from London with seven kids and no way out

'Did she live a long happy life? I just want to know'

Ms ONeill doesnt think her grandmother returned to Ireland.

Patricias brother thought he saw her in the London's Brixton market in 1963 or 1964, walking with two small children.

Patricia Mary Jones. Picture: @Pip_ONeill / Twitter

Another cousin thinks they caught sight of Patricia with the same children in South London a few months later.

"The theory is that she remarried and couldnt go home without revealing that she hadnt divorced her first husband, Ms ONeill said.

Pip ONeill hopes a Twitter thread where she tells the story of her grandmothers disappearance can be retweeted and shared.

"Maybe someone somewhere can shed light on what really happened to Patricia.

Did you have a grandmother or great-grandmother who fits this description?, Ms O'Neill asks.

Was she Irish but wouldnt talk about it? Did she live in London but seemingly have no contact with any of her family?

"Does anyone know what happened to Patsy Jones? Was she happy? Did she live a long life? I just want to know.

"Thank you in advance, fingers crossed someone knows something."
Adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and requirements has resulted in many lessons learned in the caring of and safety to residents and staff at nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Some temporary changes may become permanent as each facility plans to keep them in place in the case that another health situation requires quick action.

The long-term care, personal care and nursing homes have been following directives from the state and Center for Disease Control and Prevention for 12 months and are finding that the facilities in many cases have no positive coronavirus cases among the staff and residents. It also allowed them to open to family members so they can visit their loved ones.

As of Friday, the state was reporting that 19 long-term care facilities in Schuylkill County have reported 1,241 cases among residents, 206 among staff, and 210 deaths.

Countywide on Friday, another 41 cases of COVID-19 were reported, taking the total to 12,676. Another death takes that total to 380.

The 210 long-term care facility deaths account for 55% of the total county deaths.

Providence Place Senior Living Director of Marketing & Communications Laura M. Gifford said there are no positive coronavirus cases in the Pottsville and Pine Grove facilities.

We feel that weve turned the corner at least at Providence Place and thats good, Gifford said. The year has gone by very quick and very slow.

One of things that has developed over the year that has been positive for us was that in those periods we were shut down, it gave our staff a lot of opportunities to connect with residents one on one. We became support systems where their families would typically come in. We took over that caregiver role.

The staff and residents bonded and become closer as in kind of a second family. People care more when youre invested more in that way.

Another positive has been the lack of cases of influenza in the buildings.

We had zero instances of the flu, she said. The flu is always difficult for our seniors each year when it gets into a building. I think that some of the basic precautions that have been taken, such as masks and social distancing, have made a difference.

Some of those basic measures may be instituted every flu season just to keep all viruses away from high-risk populations. It is something to take into consideration.

Gifford said the people did not know that value of community activities when they were no longer available, but when they were brought back, everyone saw the value of socialization, such as when the seniors are able to have communal dining and other activities.

You realize how truly important it is and the need to return it to as high a quality as it can possibly be, Gifford said.

Gifford said both facilities are operating under the revised opening guidelines because Pottsville and Pine Grove are fully vaccinated. Vaccination clinics have been held and will continue every three weeks.

Both sites are operating under the reopening guidelines, which means communal dining and community activities will always be open. In April, room visits will become available as long as the resident is vaccinated and visitors wear face masks and social distance.

Pine Grove has about 70 residents and Pottsville has about 120.

The inside pharmacy is conducting the vaccination clinics. At the beginning, some residents were not vaccinating, which was their choice. Gifford explained some of them wanted to wait to see what might happen, but when it seemed fine, others changed their mind to be vaccinated. Across all the facilities, the vaccination rate for staff is between 50% and 80%, Gifford said.

HCR ManorCare Assistant Vice President and Director of Marketing Communications Julie Beckert said the ManorCare facility in Pottsville continued through the past year in providing the best care and safety efforts for residents and the staff.

And all along this journey, we maintained our mission of being helpful, caring and responsive, Beckert said. Our commitment to our patients and residents has never wavered. We appreciate and thank our employees. They have been heroic during this challenging crisis.

Beckert provided a list about what has been learned and achieved as an organization during the COVID-19 pandemic:

 We created new policies and procedures and protocols for infection control and safety of patients, residents and patients.

 We were able to acquire the necessary PPE supplies through our association with hospital system. (Nursing homes and assisted living facilities were not a priority for PPE supplies or testing early in the pandemic).

 We spent hours educating employees on proper protocols and continue to reinforce the infection control processes that are now our new normal.

 We developed the COVID-19 Antechamber for infection control.

 We were able to monitor those coming in our centers.

 Our employees endured ongoing testing to ensure everyones safety.

 We participated in the antibody infusion trials with Eli Lilly.

 We partnered with CVS to bring vaccine clinics into our centers and communities.

 We were innovative in keeping residents and patients engaged and in contact with family with electronic and window visits by families, musicians and animal therapy.

 We piloted ways to safely isolate new admissions by bringing the treatment and therapies to them.

 Our employees became both caregiver and family to everyone in our facilities.

 Following state and federal guidelines, we have set up outdoor visitation stations and have begun the process for safe indoor visits.

Beckert said: ManorCare Health Services in Pottsville has been part of ProMedica, a not-for-profit health and well-being organization for nearly three years. During this time, the center and organization have continued to provide a steady record of survey compliance with all federal regulations. The center does not have any active COVID cases in the center.
Starr House, 65, of Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, passed away on Friday, March 26, 2021, in her home surrounded by her loving family.

Starr was born in Fort Oglethorpe, and raised in Kensington, Ga. She attended Gordon Lee High School and graduated at the top of her class from the school of hard knocks. Starr was a dedicated caregiver for over 15 years in the North Georgia area and loved her patients dearly. She also worked for Propex as an operator for several years until retirement. Starr loved music, going for drives in the country, and spending time with her family, cats, and yorkie. She was vivacious, feisty, sweet, a spit-fire, stubborn, and determined, but extremely compassionate and caring. There was never a dull moment around Starr.

Starr was preceded in death by her parents, Edgar and Alpina Johnson; sisters, Pete Fickey and Pat Scott.

Survivors include her children: John Paul (Amber) House and Carmen House; grandchildren: Madison, Camden, Carlynn, Dameon, Emilee, and Rowdy House; great grandson, Lukas Gage; siblings: Margaret McWhorter, Joe (Nell) Johnson, Polly (Donny) Parrish, Leon (Juanita) Johnson, Leland (Pam) Johnson, and Steve Johnson; baby puppy Pinki; and several nieces and nephews.

A gathering of friends will be held on Tuesday, March 30, from 4-8 p.m. at the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home & Crematory, Rossville.

Condolences may be shared at lane-southcrestchapel.com
Robert Redfield, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), believes that the COVID-19 originated from a lab and not in a wet market where an initial cluster of cases was linked to.

Robert Redfield told CNN on Friday that it was his "opinion" that the coronavirus did not evolve naturally, New York Post reported.

"I'm of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathology in Wuhan (in China) was from a laboratory - escaped," Redfield said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci then refuted Redfield's claims by reiterating that it was simply an opinion that the former CDC director has expressed.

The nation's top infectious disease expert noted that the COVID-19 was likely already spreading in China weeks before it was identified, according to another NY Post report.

And if that were the case, Fauci said the coronavirus clearly could have adapted itself to greater efficiency of transmissibility over that period of time, up to and at the time it was recognized.

According to Robert Redfield, who oversaw the CDC at the peak of the deadly pandemic, it is not unusual for respiratory pathogens being studied in laboratories to infect a lab worker.

He added that the virus might have already started circulating in Wuhan as early as September 2019, earlier than its official timeline, Daily Mail reported.

As a virologist, who has spent his life in virology, Robert Redfield said it does not make "biological sense" to him that the COVID-19 came from a bat and then jumped to a human or intermediary species in a market.

He believes that a lab was already studying the coronavirus and that COVID-19 was exposed to human cell cultures.

Robert Redfield said that other people might not believe that, but "science will eventually figure it out."

RELATED ARTICLE: Growing Evidence Shows COVID-19 Leaked From Wuhan Lab, Contrary to China's Claims

Origin of COVID-19

The origin of COVID-19 remained mysterious as researchers continue to study the virus. Debates on where the virus came from continued, and it has already resulted in tensions between the U.S. and China.

U.S. investigators have been blocked from going to China to probe the virus' probable origin. China has refused entry of the investigators and insisted that the virus did not come from their country.

Members of the World Health Organization (WHO) expert team have already announced that the origin of the COVID-19 coming from a laboratory leak in China is "extremely unlikely," according to a USA Today report. However, one WHO scientist does not rule out the lab leak as the outbreak's possible source.

Professor John Watson, a former deputy chief medical officer who joined the WHO investigation team, said the virus was already spreading in other parts of the world, particularly northern Italy, as early as September and October.

He noted that China was by no means necessarily the place where the leap from animals to humans took place. Watson said that people should also look beyond the borders of China, Independent reported.

In Milan, a study by its National Cancer Institute showed that the contagious virus was already spreading in Italy in September 2019.

It revealed that 11.6 percent of 959 healthy volunteers who participated in a lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020 had antibodies for the virus. However, Watson maintained that the narrative that COVID-19 came from a Wuhan lab remains on the table.

The United States has a total of 30.1 million COVID-19 cases with around 547,000 deaths. California is the state with the highest cases at 3.65 million, with 58,512 deaths.

READ MORE: Experts Suggest Novel Coronavirus Originated From Lab in Wuhan

WATCH: Former CDC Chief Says He Thinks COVID Originated in Wuhan Lab - From Bloomberg Quicktake: Now




WARSAW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2021) Poland will advise Lithuania and Latvia to impose joint economic sanctions against Minsk over the recent events with the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB), Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday.

"I will offer our Lithuanian and Latvian partners to impose certain restrictions in trade, so that the Belarusian authorities really feel that the fight against the Poles should affect our response  not only with diplomatic steps, but also with specific economic steps," Morawiecki said at a press conference.

The prime minister called on the Belarusian authorities to "take a grip of themselves."

The European Union has also issued a statement on Thursday condemning the targeting of ZPB and demanding immediate release of all detained activists.

"The European Union expects Belarus to uphold its international commitments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We call on Belarus to release Ms Andzelika Borys and Mr Andrzej Poczobut immediately and unconditionally, along with all political prisoners currently detained," Josep Borrell, EU Vice-President, said in the official press release.

Earlier this week, ZPB leader Andzelika Borys was detained in Belarus and was later sentenced to 15 days in custody for violating rules related to organizing mass events. Earlier in the day, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus opened a criminal case against Borys and several other individuals for deliberate actions aimed at inciting ethnic hatred and for rehabilitation of Nazism.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the individuals who have been presenting themselves as ZPB members have held several illegal mass events with the participation of minors in Grodno and other Belarusian cities, attracting minors to honor the participants of anti-Soviet gangs that acted during and after World War II, committing robberies and murders of the civilian population in Belarus.
The Amber Alert was issued after Braiden was abducted just after 7:30 a.m. at 1320 Sibley Blvd., according to an Illinois State Police alert. Braiden was sitting in his car seat in the back of a black 2021 Kia when a Black male drove off, heading north on Lincoln Avenue.
New Delhi, March 27 : Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccine maker, is hopeful to launch Covovax by September this year, CEO Adar Poonawalla announced on Saturday.

"Covovax trials finally begin in India; the vaccine is made through a partnership with Novavax and Serum Institute of India," said Adar Poonawalla.

He further said that it has been tested against African and UK variants of Covid-19 and has an overall efficacy of 89 per cent. "Hope to launch by September 2021!" the CEO of world's biggest Covid-19 vaccine maker said.

Covovax is the protein-based Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax, headquartered in the US.

In August 2020, the two companies announced an agreement under which Novavax had given SII the licence to manufacture and supply the vaccine in low- and middle-income countries.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
India's goods exports will stand at $290 billion for the financial year ending March, 7 per cent short of the shipments in the previous fiscal, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. However, the minister said this was "great" considering the country has bounced back so quickly in a challenging year. India's goods exports stood at $313 billion in FY20.

"As against about $313 billion of goods exports last year, we will end the year with almost 93 per cent of that, $290 billion. Now isn't that great," Goyal said while addressing the Times Network India Economic Conclave. Asked about big foreign firms which have made investments in India in the past year, the commerce and industry minister said Apple and Samsung have invested on a large scale in the country and expanded their facilities.

Referring to the two firms, he said: "I believe they are looking at India as their prime production base to meet the needs of the world." He added that pharma companies are also looking at expanding their investments in India. The minister also expressed confidence that going forward, India will be able to overtake China in its engagement with Bangladesh.

His statement comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Bangladesh. The Prime Minister left for Bangladesh on Friday on a two-day visit during which he will take part in a wide range of programmes aimed at furthering cooperation between the two countries.

Goyal further said it will be a "record year" in terms of FDI inflows for India, despite the pandemic and "the fact that all international statistics suggest that foreign investments across the world are going to significantly fall in the current months." Observing that India was amongst the "rare countries" which saw FDI growth in 2020, the minister said he has "absolutely no doubt it will be a record FDI".

Asked about India's relations with Bangladesh vis-a-vis Bangladesh-China ties, he said India has been working relentlessly to build strong relations with all its neighbouring countries. Goyal said India's ability to add more value to the products and services has helped it expand trade ties with countries like Bangladesh.

"I have the confidence that going forward, we will be in a position to overtake China in their engagement with Bangladesh. We are working with that single-minded purpose and our industry has the ability," said the minister. He said India's services sector has the confidence, adding that "we in government are also proposing several initiatives, some of which should be discussed during PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh."

However, he added that India does not hold a grudge against any country for its engagement with anybody else and focuses only on what it can do with that country better. Goyal, who is also the railways and consumer affairs minister, said the Indian Railways has seen the highest freight loading in its history every month since September 2020 till February 2021.

"When we close March 2021, despite the setback of first few months of the lockdown, we will be exceeding last year's loading in the Indian Railways in terms of freight and it will be the highest freight loading that Indian Railways has seen in its long history," he said.

On the Bharat Bandh called by farmers'' organisations on Friday to protest against the three farm laws, which included train blockade, Goyal said he has been monitoring the situation and in the last report sent to him, he saw that in the whole country some 60 odd trains were disrupted for 5 to 15 minutes.

The minister said this clearly shows that "farmers across the country are happy with these laws", adding that the three farm laws do not take away anything from what was already existing and they are an added option given to the farming community. Asked about the 'TRP scam', Goyal said the investigation will bring to light any wrongdoing and stringent action will be taken against the guilty.

Also read: PM Modi to meet Sheikh Hasina, sign key pacts on Day 2 of Bangladesh visit
5,000 rockers take Covid tests before Barcelona gig

Fans had to keep their face masks on at the rock concert by Love of Lesbian at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. Photo: AFP

Music fans in Barcelona had rapid Covid-19 tests ahead of attending a rock concert on Saturday in a trial that, if successful, could provide a route to recovery for the ravaged live music industry in Spain and beyond.



Some 5,000 people attended the sold-out concert for Spanish indie band Love of Lesbian, and were not required to observe social distancing. Attendees had to wear face masks throughout the concert in the Palau Sant Jordi arena.



"(This concert) is about the excitement of going out, consuming culture, and dancing in a more or less safe environment," said Sebastian, 47, a teacher getting tested ahead of the concert. "We're going to dance and have a great time."



The pilot concert, which was approved by health authorities, was being seen as a test for whether similar events will be able to start up again.



"It will be safer to be in the Palau Sant Jordi than walking down the street," said concert co-organiser Jordi Herreruela.



Pre-concert testing was offered at three locations in Barcelona, and carried out by 80 nurses wearing full personal protective equipment. Some people winced as nurses swabbed their noses.



By midday, of the 2,400 people already screened, three had tested positive and one had come into contact with a positive case, noted Dr Josep Maria Libre, one of the doctors overseeing the testing. They were not able to attend the concert and would get a refund.



Attendees received the results of their antigen tests in 10 to 15 minutes via an app on their phones. The test and a mask were included in the ticket price.



"People have understood perfectly the measures we're adopting," said co-organiser Dani Poveda.



"It is a very responsible audience... We know everyone will be looking at this concert as a possible model for how to keep advancing in the fight against the pandemic, which has caused so much damage, both to our sector and many others." (Reuters)
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New Delhi: The Indian government on Saturday (March 27) announced that it has chalked out a four-point plan to reopen traffic in the crucial East-West waterway of Suez Canal which is affecting global shipping as a giant container ship remains stuck sideways.

The situation has forced numerous ships to re-route via Cape of Good Hope. Out of the millions tons of cargo which is struck in the Suez Canal the most delicate are the ones carrying animals.

This plan, by the Indian government, was chalked out in a meeting convened by the logistics division, department of commerce on Friday. The plan includes prioritisation of cargo, freight rates, advisory to ports and re-routing of ships.

The 193-km long canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe. As per the reports, a 224,000-tonne container ship was grounded in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, which completely blocked the traffic along the waterway.

The cargo ships that will be delayed due to the situation includes a number of ships carrying oil to consumer goods.

This blockage is seriously hitting the global trade, the ministry of commerce and industry said in a statement.

The ministry further disclosed that this route is used for Indian exports/imports worth USD 200 billion to/from North America, South America and Europe.

As per the last updates, the vessel still remains grounded in the same position, with tugboats and dredgers still working to free it, according to Canal service provider Leth Agencies. It is still unclear when the route would reopen.

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Events celebrating graduation of Ukrainian Navy sailors from training on Island-class patrol boats have taken place in Baltimore, USA.

On March 26 in Baltimore, U.S., there took place a graduation ceremony for the Ukrainian sailors who had completed 10 week training on handling of former USCG Island-class patrol boats, Defense Express online media outlet reports.

Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, in his comment on this occasion, highlighted the valuable role of the U.S. government, We are grateful for the ample financial and equipment aid provided to ensure the revival of the Ukrainian Navy, including speedboats, thermal imagers, diving equipment, systems for communication and navigation, and command and control capabilities".

"Since 2014, with the assistance of American partners, there have been held more than two hundred joint training drills for our Navy; there have been provided systematic, effective consulting and educational assistance, training of crews, cadets, and marine infantrymen, he added.

For record, three more Island-class boats are set to be transferred to Ukraine this year, but only two have been given Ukrainian names, which are Sumy and Fastiv on which the Ukrainian crews had been trained.

In particular, as reported earlier, the U.S. Coast Guard base in Maryland had hosted training of 32 Ukrainian Navy servicemen (16 crewmen for each boat).

There has been no information available until now on the third vessel slated for transfer to Ukraines Navy in 2021, and lots of questions arise about armaments for the said ships.

Earlier reports had it that Sumy and Fastiv would be transferred armed with the U.S.-made gun systems MSI Seahawk DS A2 30mm Mk44S Bushmaster, and guns of this same system would be installed in the already active boats P-190 Slovyansk and P-191 Starobilsk, which had been demilitarized before being transferred.
A house belonging to Wicklow County Council has been vandalised with offensive anti-Traveller slogans spray-painted on its boarded-up windows.

The property on the Blackhill Road in Glenealy is due to demolished so it can make way for the construction of two houses for families currently on the social housing waiting list.

Local Glenealy resident Daniel King noticed the derogatory slogans when he passed by the boarded-up property on Friday.

He said: 'Any sort of racial or anti-Traveller slurs that are discriminatory just aren't acceptable in this day and age. It was pretty shocking to see and people from the community would be completely opposed to these sort of slogans.'

Cllr John Snell has urged anyone who may have information over who carried out the graffiti attack to contact the Gardai immediately.

'The two houses that are due to be constructed aren't for the Travelling community at all, but there was a rumour being spread that they were. I don't know where the rumours came from but I think someone was being mischievous by placing false information out there.

'This sort of behaviour is totally unacceptable and I thoroughly condemn these actions. If anyone has any information then they should come forward and contact the Gardai. These actions could delay the process of two families getting a roof over their heads. It's totally unacceptable.' said Cllr Snell.
People take part in a rally to encourage Canada and other countries as they consider labelling China's treatment of its Uyghur population and Muslim minorities as genocide, outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington on Feb. 19, 2021. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

China Announces Sanctions Against Canadian Parliamentarians and US Officials in Retaliation Over Xinjiang Sanctions

China has announced sanctions against a Canadian parliamentarian, a Canadian parliamentary subcommittee, and U.S. officials in response to sanctions announced by Canada and the United States against individuals and entities involved in rights abuses in Chinas Xinjiang region.

Chinas sanctions target Canadian MP Michael Chong, the Conservative Partys foreign affairs critic; Gayle Manchin, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF); Tony Perkins, vice chair of USCIRF; and Canadas parliamentary Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

In a tweet, Chong said if Chinas sanctions are in response to his criticism of Chinas rights abuses, hell wear it as a badge of honour.

Weve got a duty to call out China for its crackdown in #HongKong & its genocide of #Uyghurs. We who live freely in democracies under the rule of law must speak for the voiceless, he said.

Weve got a duty to call out China for its crackdown in #HongKong & its genocide of #Uyghurs. We who live freely in democracies under the rule of law must speak for the voiceless. If that means China sanctions me, Ill wear it as a badge of honour. pic.twitter.com/tS8MomWnun  Michael Chong  (@MichaelChongMP) March 27, 2021

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that Chinas sanctions are an attack on transparency and freedom of expression.

We stand with Parliamentarians against these unacceptable actions, and we will continue to defend human rights around the world with our international partners, Trudeau said.

Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau also condemned Chinas sanctions against Canadian parliamentarians.

The Government of Canada stands with parliamentarians and all Canadians as we continue to work with partners in defence of democracy and freedom of speech and will continue to take action when international human rights obligations are violated, Garneau said in a statement.

Chinas sanctions prohibit the targeted individuals from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and doing business with Chinese individuals and entities.

Chinas sanctions are an attack on transparency and freedom of expression  values at the heart of our democracy. We stand with Parliamentarians against these unacceptable actions, and we will continue to defend human rights around the world with our international partners. https://t.co/gtMleSAaEd  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 27, 2021

Earlier on March 26, China announced sanctions against British individuals and entities in retaliation for UK sanctions related to rights abuses in Xinjiang against Uyghur Muslims. Chinas foreign ministry also said that it had summoned the UKs ambassador to China to lodge solemn representations, expressing firm opposition and strong condemnation.

On March 22, Canada announced sanctions on four officials and one entity in China for their role in persecuting Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. Canadas sanctions were done in co-ordination with the United States and the UK, which imposed their own sanctions, and in solidarity with the European Union, which had imposed sanctions earlier.

Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 10, 2020. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Last month, Canadian MPs voted unanimously to declare the Chinese regimes persecution against Uyghurs a genocide. Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from the vote.

Conservative Party Leader Erin OToole spoke out against Chinas sanctions and defended Chong and the Subcommittee on International Human Rights for calling out Beijings rights abuses.

The Canadian MPs sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party have used the freedom we enjoy as Canadians to call the worlds attention to the genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. I am proud of the work by MPs of all parties.  Erin O'Toole (@erinotoole) March 27, 2021

The Canadian MPs sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party have used the freedom we enjoy as Canadians to call the worlds attention to the genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. I am proud of the work by MPs of all parties, OToole said in a tweet.

[Conservative MPs] Michael Chong and Kenny Chiu also show how Canadians with Chinese ancestry can stand as resolute critics of the repressive acts of the Communist Party while being proud of the rich Chinese history and culture.

The Epoch Times reached out to the U.S. State Department and USCIRF for comments but didnt hear back in time for publication.

Editors note: This article was updated to add statements from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau.
There is new and growing trouble at the southern border as waves of asylum seekers from Central America are overwhelming reception facilities, leading to distressing scenes of children herded together in crowded pods while awaiting a hearing on their asylum claims.

President Joe Biden outlined some initial steps to deal with the crisis at a news conference Thursday, including opening additional holding facilities and negotiating with Mexico and Central American countries to discourage migration. Both actions are necessary to deal with the flood of people seeking entry into the United States.

But Mr. Biden also should take the opportunity to work with Republicans to address their concerns about the nation's immigration policies. That could open the door to long-awaited, much-needed immigration reform, as well as potential solutions to the present problem.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says the number of migrants arriving at the southern border is on pace to be the highest in two decades. Republicans say thats because President Biden, during his campaign and once in office, disparaged key elements of President Donald Trumps border policies.

President Biden disagrees, saying the flood of people is caused by dire circumstances in Central America, where countries were battered by hurricanes last fall. One problem, says Secretary Mayorkas, is that the Trump administration dismantled the refugee processing facilities at the border that was put in place under President Barack Obama.

Regardless, it's a fact that once in office, Mr. Biden suspended work on the border wall (a decision with more symbolic than practical significance, much like the wall itself); ended Mr. Trumps Remain in Mexico rules for asylum seekers; and ended a policy of denying entry to unaccompanied child immigrants. He defended all three decisions Thursday.

So it's no surprise, as some migrants have told reporters, that would-be Central American asylum seekers think they have a better chance of succeeding now that Mr. Trump is gone.

Given the stark difference between living standards and personal security in the United States and Central America, no policy change is likely to completely deter asylum seekers from trying to get here, often at great cost and physical risk.

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Even during the strictest months of Mr. Trumps border policy last year, a number of refugee caravans from Honduras set out for the U.S.-Mexican border, despite strong efforts by Guatemalan and Mexican law enforcement to stop them. According to U.S. immigration officials, the current spike is much larger than anything last year.

Mr. Biden, to his credit, has tried to undo any damage done to border security, telling would-be refugees, Dont come. But, he added, We're in the process of getting set up, presumably to receive them in the future. The Biden policy seeks to find the tricky balance of securing the border while holding a door open to asylum seekers.

Meanwhile, the border problems are only getting worse. Mr. Biden has assigned Vice President Kamala Harris to the difficult job of solving the immediate stresses on the asylum process.

The president should rethink some of his early decisions, particularly his opposition to Mr. Trumps Remain in Mexico policy. Mexico and the Central American governments supported that and related policies designed to force asylum seekers to apply while outside of the United States. They too have been disrupted by the migrant caravans.

One of the presidents reputed strengths is his ability to build bipartisan Senate coalitions.

Mr. Biden has proposed a number of attractive reforms to the immigration system, but as the border problems continue, he faces enough GOP opposition to kill them. But if he is willing to support legislation such as that introduced this week by S.C. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham that would codify the Remain in Mexico policy and also beef up resources for hearing asylum cases, that opposition might give way to highly desirable cooperation across the board on immigration issues.

The president should give it a try.
Khartoum / Omdurman / Wad Madani  The Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Khaled Omar, went into isolation on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID-19. The Health Emergency Committee are currently attempting to accelerate the vaccination process so that it includes the elderly as well as key workers.

The Council of Ministers has taken a number of precautionary measures following the emergence of positive cases in the Sudanese government, including testing employees, reducing in-person activities, and tightening compliance with regulations set by the Ministry of Health.

Along with the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Maj Gen Fadalallah Birama and Lt Gen Siddig Mohamed Ismail of the National Umma Party (NUP) have contracted COVID-19. A statement from the NUP said that their conditions are stable and that they are receiving medical supervision. All NUP leaders will be tested and the party's office in Omdurman has been sterilised.

A consultant of dermatology and the dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Sudan, Doctor Madani Ibinouf El Ata, died on Wednesday after contracting COVID-19. It was also reported that the director of El Ahfad University, Gasem Badari, contracted COVID-19.

Vaccination campaign

The Minister of Health, Omar El Najeeb, announced that the committee for health emergencies agreed to search for other sources of the COVID-19 vaccine while increasing the quantity and quality of the tests available to key workers, along with the elderly in future.

The Federal Ministry of Health launched a vaccination campaign on Tuesday at the Alia Specialized Hospital and Medical Corps Hospital in Omdurman. The vaccination administration in El Gezira announced this week that it has completed all of its arrangements to vaccinate "a number of health sector workers" with 21,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, according to Kamel El Fadel from the vaccination administration.

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The Director of the Medical Corps confirmed the safety of the vaccine, following an announcement by Najeeb last week that "the vaccine is safe and that any the side effects are minimal compared to the risk of contracting COVID-19." He confirmed that the situation is under permanent evaluation by the Ministry of Health and the Health Emergencies Committee.

Earlier this week, the health minister briefed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on administrative arrangements made between the High Committee for Health Emergency, technical committees in the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the WHO on the rollout of the vaccine.

Cases recorded

The Ministry of Health announced the registration of 22 deaths and 125 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and Monday.

According to the epidemiological report for these days, the infections are concentrated in the states of Khartoum and El Gezira and has brought total death toll in Sudan to 2,028.
Pastor Mario Murillo tackles the new campaign launched by former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner. Describing it as the "latest tyranny," he said that Kirshner's "Democracy Pledge" will force "every business in America to take a pledge that states, in part, that 'The 2020 presidential election was free and fair, and produced accurate, reliable results.'"

In a story run by Huffpost, a Senior White House correspondent wrote that the pledge aims to ask business owners to acknowledge Biden's Presidential win and to dismiss Trump as "spreading conspiracy theories about a stolen election." He added that Glenn Kirschner hopes to "put before 'every company in the country' in the coming months."

Framing Trump and his supporters as wanting to "tear down democracy for political gain," a website dedicated for the promotion of the Democracy Pledge explicitly states the following:

"The Democracy Pledge is a simple commitment that corporations, companies and businesses can make to support democracy by affirming the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election."

Further down the site is a list of statements that business owners must agree to including affirming "the election of Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris as free, fair and legitimate." Joe Hoft, twin brother of The Gateway Pundit 's founder Jim Hoft, criticized these assumptions being perpetuated by the former DOJ Prosecutor.

"For four years, individuals like Kirchner were on TV claiming they knew best about President Trump while their fellow partners were finagling the Mueller coup to have him illegally removed from office. It was all a setup," he wrote.

Also in agreement, Murillo suggests that this is desperate move from Biden supporters and also a near-confession that there was indeed a foul play during the 2020 Presidential election.

"If the Biden Administration believed they legitimately won, why would they need everyone to toe the party line, let alone push for everyone to pledge allegiance?" said Murillo.

Calling the current administration as "incompetents who hate America," Murillo warned that it's dangerous to let them acquire more power as seen in the way they handled the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Murillo added that the Biden-Harris tandem are seeking to secure their hold of power by introducing pledges and enacting laws that only serve their political interests.

"Look at the trends," the California-based pastor pointed out. "Shaming and threatening you out of your guns. Shaming and threatening you to behave, or they will lock you down again. Shaming and threatening you to add a second mask and wear it indefinitely. Shaming and threatening you to welcome millions who have not been tested or need to wear a mask. Shaming and threatening you to be vaccinated. And now this final outrage of a pledge, forcing you to kill your own First Amendment rights."

Murillo's main clincher, however, is that age-old pledge of Christians to never surrender especially now that America's in its darkest hour. His pledge, though personal, could be taken by any US citizen who shares Mario Murillo's views and passion.

"I am pledging to you that I will continue to fire up the remnant at every turn. I also pledge to you that I will rally-with whatever influence I have-two arms of the Body of Christ to join forces. Who am I talking about? The one arm is the ministers of America. The other arm is the men and women of the marketplace, education, law, politics, and the media. Hear me! "
Move over murder hornets, theres a new game in town.

A worm tornado stunned social media users this week, with pictures showing hundreds of worms crowding a Hoboken sidewalk in a bizarre spiral shape.

I posted (a photo of) them, not at all in a million years anticipating the response it would get, and the response has only been unbelievable and entertaining and educational, Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher told NJ Advance Media.

She woke up Thursday morning to a call from a constituent trying to explain the unusual sight outside Maxwell Park on Sinatra Drive. Fisher sent the constituents pictures along to Hobokens Department of Environmental Services before posting them online.

The post took off with users quickly taking to Fishers moniker worm tornado, and cracking jokes about wormholes and early birds.

Maybe #Hobokens early birds took a day off.  https://t.co/S88e5zVAxH  Kathleen Heaney (@WebGirlKathleen) March 26, 2021

Coincidentally, New Jerseyans can catch a glimpse of the worm moon, the nickname for Marchs full moon, on Sunday. Its called that because March typically marks the time of year when the cold ground thaws and worms start coming up from the soil.

But while its widely known that worms appear this time of year as well as after rain, experts dont seem to have an answer on what caused the unique formation of the Hoboken cluster.

The crop circle part of it, I have no idea, Nick Henshue, a University of Buffalo professor of environment and sustainability, told NJ Advance Media. Why are they in that spiral  Ive never seen that before.

Hundreds of worms cluster on a Hoboken sidewalk, gathering in a formation that has experts puzzled.Courtesy of Tiffanie Fisher

Mary Ann Victoria Bruns, a Penn State University professor of soil microbiology and biogeochemistry, said she has seen the circular phenomenon before, calling it swarming. While she said the cool scientific curiosity hasnt been studied in depth and the exact cause is unknown, the cluster likely starts when worms touch one another or transmit chemical cues, attracting others to the swarm.

Some experts weighed in on Twitter, responding to Fishers post and volunteering their services.

Richard Buckley, Director of Rutgers Universitys Plant Diagnostic Lab and Nematode Detection Service, offered to identify the species of Fisher brought him a sample. She currently has a bag of dead worms from the sidewalk in her freezer and plans to drop them off for Buckley to examine under a magnifying glass.

More help came from the Society of Nematologists (a group that studies nematodes, a type of worm).

If the soil has a lot of them and if rains clog the soil, they would come outside to breathe as oxygen is replaced by rain water saturation in the soil, the group wrote on Twitter. They need air in soil pores to breathe (although its through their skin). So they come out when rain water clogs pores. But they often get lost and cant find their way back.

Hundreds of worms cluster on a Hoboken sidewalk, gathering in a formation that has experts puzzled.Courtesy of Tiffanie Fisher

Josef Gorres, a University of Vermont professor of plant and soil science, offered NJ Advance Media a similar explanation, explaining how during rainstorms, earthworms can come to the surface as they require moisture around their skin and can often travel farther and faster above ground.

He said another theory could be that the sound of raindrops produces a vibration similar to their below-ground predators which the cluster was trying to evade.

Henshue suspected the worms were looking for a new burrow and came above ground in what turned into a mass mating event.

Regardless of the cause, Hobokens one-of-a-kind worm tornado, inspired plenty of gleeful reactions on social media.

We cringed, we laughed and we learned all at the same time, Fisher said.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com.
Immigration judges are swamped under a backlog created by a shortage of judges, inefficiencies, and paper filing. (Shutterstock)

California Teens Accused of 13-Year-Old Classmates Death Sentenced to Probation

Two teenagers who attacked their classmate, resulting in his death, have been sentenced to probation and released to their parents, a judge ruled on Friday.

In 2019, a 13-year-old boy died in the hospital after being punched during a fight at a Moreno Valley middle school in California, said Riverside County Sheriffs Department officials.

The two boys who assaulted him admitted to involuntary manslaughter, ABC7 reported.

They will undergo therapy, participate in a character-building program, and will have to do community service for 150 hours, ruled Judge Roger Luebs.

The Riverside County district attorney and probation department wanted the two teens to be punished for a longer time, but Luebs said that it is called for by law to have the least restrictive periods of time to foster rehabilitation.

The judge further noted that incarcerating the teens who were directly responsible for Diegos death for more time with mature and complex criminals would do more damage than good.

The idea that they didnt go to youth prison shouldnt be seen as a slap on the wrist. Actually, theyre going to have a lot of work to do to have to eventually complete the probation, which probably wont end until their 18th birthday, said David Wohl, the defense attorney.

The attorneys for both of the teens didnt agree with the judges assertion that they were lacking in remorse or empathy.

The boy, identified only as Diego by KTLA, was injured in the assault on Sept. 16, 2019, at Landmark Middle School.

Landmark Middle School, California. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

After he was hospitalized in critical yet stable condition, Diego was pronounced clinically dead last night as a result of injuries sustained in the attack, officials said in a Facebook post.

A video that captured the incident showed the teen being hit in the face by one boy while the other sucker-punched him in the side of the head. Diego then fell and hit his head against a pillar, Fox6 reported.

The boy who hit Diego then rushed over to hit him on the ground, according to the report.

Classmates said that Diego was bullied in the past, adding that violence has been a problem at the school, the station reported.

The office said that further details about the incident wont be released due to the age of the suspects.

Violence in the communities served by the Riverside County Sheriffs Department will not be tolerated, especially involving our youth, said the sheriffs office, adding that people with information about the case should call Investigator Joshua Manjarrez at 951-955-2777 or Investigator John Tometich at 951-486-6700.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Britain's vaccines minister says booster shots designed to fight new variants of the should be ready for distribution to people over 70 by September.

Nadhim Zahawi told the Daily Telegraph newspaper the government is expecting up to eight different shots to be available by the autumn, including some that may protect against variants.

He said booster shots would be given first to the frontline health workers, the elderly and people with serious health conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.

While much of Europe is seeing a new surge in the pandemic, Britain is counting on a rapid mass-vaccination programme to help it end lockdown and curb Europe's outbreak.

Nearly 30 million people in the UK, accounting for 55 per cent of all adults, have received a first dose of vaccine. The UK has recorded more than 126,000 confirmed deaths.
Jeep Works With Electrify America to Provide EV Charging at Off-road Trailheads Throughout the United States

The Jeep brand is establishing the Jeep 4xe Charging Network, installing EV Level 2 charging stations at Jeep Badge of Honor off-road trailheads around the United States over the next 12 months

Trailhead chargers coincide with launch of 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid  the most technically advanced and eco-friendly Wrangler yet  and will support future electrified Jeep vehicles

Moab, Rubicon Trail and Big Bear  iconic Jeep vehicle trails  will get the first charging stations and be operational this spring

Jeep 4xe Charging Network is operated by Electrify America; Jeep 4xe owners will get free charging via a custom mobile app

With 49 MPGe and 21 miles of all-electric range, the Jeep Wrangler 4xe can conquer even the toughest trails with zero emissions

MOAB, Utah March 26, 2021; Jeep Unveiled today as part of this yearEaster Jeep Safari, the Jeep brand is taking electrified propulsion beyond the paved road with the innovative 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid. Partnering with Electrify America to create the Jeep 4xe Charging Network, Jeep-branded EV charging stations will be installed at or near the trailheads of Jeep Badge of Honor off-road trails over the next year, allowing owners to take full-advantage of their electrified Jeep SUV.



Jeep 4xe charging stations are scheduled to open this spring at three of the most popular off-road sites and iconic trails for the Jeep brand  Moab, Utah; the Rubicon Trail in Pollock Pines, California; and Big Bear, California.



Additional Jeep 4xe Charging Stations are scheduled to be operational around the country by the end of 2021. The charging stations will be located near Jeep Badge of Honor trails, an industry exclusive off-road rewards program to support enthusiasts looking to earn a Badge of Honor for their new Jeep Wrangler 4xe.



Jeep 4xe Charging Stations will be either directly connected to the power grid or use solar power to generate electricity.



Electrification opens a new chapter in the Jeep brand story, and it brings an entirely new level of excitement and enjoyment to our enthusiastic owners, said Christian Meunier, Jeep Brand Chief Executive Officer. Key to making Jeep brand the greenest SUV brand is assuring our owners can enjoy the benefits of electric propulsion wherever they go, including the most iconic off-road trails in the country.



Creating the network of EV charging stations at off-road trails coincides with the launch of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid, the most capable, technically advanced and eco-friendly Wrangler ever built. With the Wrangler 4xe, Jeep enthusiasts can explore natures beauty with zero-emission propulsion that provides instant, trail-conquering torque.



Beyond the Rubicon Trail, Big Bear and Moab sites, other locations for Jeep 4xe Charging Network EV chargers will be announced in the future.



Jeep is working with leading public charging network Electrify America to establish the trailhead charging sites and install the charging equipment. Jeep 4xe owners will be able to login to unlock free charging via a custom mobile app by Electrify America, which also allows drivers to initiate and monitor their charging session.



It is our goal to provide electric vehicle drivers with the freedom to get to where they want to go  whether it be on a highway or off-road  and we look forward to bringing Jeep enthusiasts along on the journey, said Giovanni Palazzo, president and chief executive officer of Electrify America. Through the customizable electric vehicle charging offerings of our Electrify Commercial B2B brand, we were able to work with Jeep to identify where their drivers will need charging access most, and make it a reality.



The Jeep 4xe Charging Network trailhead chargers will deliver Level 2 (240-volt) charging. With Level 2 charging, the 17 kilowatt-hour battery pack in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe can be fully recharged in about two hours, delivering 49 MPGe and 21 miles of electric range. Recharge times will be shorter for Wrangler 4xe owners looking to just top off the battery pack before heading out on the trail.



Delivering up to 375 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe lets the driver tailor the performance of the hybrid powertrain to best match planned activities, via the E Selec modes.



The E Selec mode options include eSave, which saves the Wrangler 4xes battery charge for later use by prioritizing propulsion from the 2.0-liter engine. Additionally, the driver can choose between battery saving and battery charging during eSave via the Hybrid Electric Pages in the vehicles Uconnect monitor.



The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe launched in Sahara 4xe ($47,995 MSRP) and Rubicon 4xe ($51,695 MSRP) trim levels. Prices exclude the available $7,500 federal tax credit, any additional eligible state and local credits, and $1,495 destination charges.



Jeep Wave Customer Care Program

Jeep Wave is a premium owner loyalty program filled with benefits and exclusive perks created to give Jeep owners the utmost care and dedicated 24/7 support. The Jeep Wave customer service program is available to the entire 2021 model-year Jeep brand lineup.



Jeep Wave program highlights include:

Three years of worry-free maintenance at Jeep dealerships, including oil changes and tire rotations

24/7 support via phone or online chat

Trip interruption and first-day loaner coverage

VIP access to select, exclusive Jeep brand events

Electrify America LLC, the largest open DC fast charging network in the U.S., is investing $2 billion over 10 years in Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, education and access. The investment will enable millions of Americans to discover the benefits of electric driving and support the build-out of a nationwide network of workplace, community and highway chargers that are convenient and reliable. Electrify America expects to install or have under development approximately 800 total charging stations with about 3,500 DC fast chargers by December 2021. During this period, the company will be expanding to 29 metros and 45 states, including two cross-country routes, delivering on its commitment to support increased ZEV adoption with a network that is comprehensive, technologically advanced and customer friendly. Electrify America earned the 2020 EV Charging Infrastructure Best-in-Test award from umlaut, an independent testing & validation company, as published in Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine noting the brands accessibility and seamless customer experience. Electrify Americas Electrify Home offers home charging solutions for consumers with flexible installation options. Electrify Commercial provides expert solutions for businesses looking to develop electric vehicle charging programs. For more information, visit www.electrifyamerica.com and media.electrifyamerica.com Built on 80 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. Jeep Wave, a premium owner loyalty and customer care program that is available to the entire Jeep lineup, is filled with benefits and exclusive perks to deliver Jeep owners the utmost care and dedicated 24/7 support.The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis , please visit www.stellantis.com
Victoria Lemme, 24, is a nurse from Danbury working on the front lines of the pandemic.

Emma Rook, 21, is a student from Redding studying political science at Brown University and interning for U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4.

Both desire to make a difference in Connecticut, and in their missions to do so, are competing in the Miss Connecticut pageant for thousands of dollars in scholarships. Rook holds the Miss Fairfield County title and Lemme, the Miss Hartford title.

Lemme said Miss Connecticut participants are not just the stereotypical pageant girl.

At a national level, we are advocating for what we are passionate about, she said. We are educated... we are changemakers, we are trailblazers and we should be recognized.

The Miss Connecticut Scholarship Organization, Inc. is a non-profit focused on the advancement of women in society by embracing diversity, education and civic action, spokeswoman Kate Ottavio Kent said in an email.

Each year, women across the state vying for a shot at the Miss Connecticut title compete for scholarship money, donations to their social impact platforms and a chance at becoming the next Miss America titleholder. The winner represents Connecticut and drives social change under a one-year tenure.

This year, 18 contenders are taking a run at the crown at Mohegan Sun's Cabaret Theatre on April 10 and 11. After COVID-19 essentially canceled last years competition, the previous winner held her reign for an additional year.

The competition is categorized into four events: a private interview, talent showcase, onstage interview for a social impact platform and a red carpet display.

Kara Mitchell, president of the Miss CT Scholarship Organizations Board of Directors, said the contest will look different this time around. Whereas in previous years candidates walked down a runway in swimsuits for part of the competition, they will now make a social impact pitch instead.

I think theyve recognized they need to show more diversity to the phases of competition so people in America can get to learn a little bit more about these women because theres so much that happens behind the scenes...that the on-stage portion is just an extension of that, Mitchell said.

Lemme  who is running on a platform about premature births  hopes to use the scholarship money to wrap up her studies in the University of Connecticuts neonatal nurse practitioner program and continue onward to secure her doctorate of nursing practice.

I think the most important aspect of prematurity and premature birth is education to the community, to women of child-bearing age, she said. A healthy pregnancy starts before birth and I think thats a big piece of information thats missing in our community.

While driving home after a 12-hour shift at the Connecticut Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Lemme said working on the pandemics front lines has changed her outlook on life and what I bring to the table. She said it is an experience that separates her from the others.

Rook, however, aspires to use the platform to grow voter participation and outreach. She took an interest in comparing different governments and international relations, while living abroad in China, Japan and Turkey. She realized voting is the foundation of our country and foundation of our democracy, and those who are eligible should feel empowered to cast a vote.

After seeing the historic turnout of the November election, she hopes even more Americans will vote in the future, but in more than presidential elections.

People dont tend to realize that while the presidential election is important, all elections are important and local elections are extremely crucial as well, she said. If we can bring that same amount of momentum and same amount of care and involvement and participationthat would be the biggest instrument and that is when we would see the most change.

Rook said whether she wins or not, she will continue shaping her platform and is honored to represent Fairfield County. Lemme agreed, adding that knowing only one woman can walk away with the crown, she just wants to put her best foot forward.
The mob of pro-Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6 were fools who wrecked efforts by Republicans in Congress to debate baseless allegations of voter fraud and election theft, said U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks who is now running for a Senate seat.

They did more to hurt the Republican Party and our efforts for honest and accurate elections than anybody could have, even those who wouldve followed a script written by the Democratic Party, Brooks said Friday during a conversation with AL.com ahead of a Stand Up Alabama rally at 4 p.m. today in Spanish Fort where he will be the keynote speaker. Brooks is one of two Republicans who have announced their candidacy for the Senate in 2022. Also running is Lynda Blanchard, the former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia under former President Donald Trump.

We were going to have a debate on the House and Senate floors about voter fraud and election theft and that message, those facts, did not get out through the news media, he said. The news media was absorbed by the attack on the United States Capitol.

Brooks added, So that whole day we were working months toward was just blown to pieces by those fools who attacked the United States Capitol.

Brooks was the first member in the U.S. House to publicly say in December he would challenge the 2020 election results on January 6, citing unproven allegations of widespread voter fraud that he and other Republicans said could have overturned the election result. More than 60 lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign were tossed out by judges, and the U.S. Supreme Court twice refused to take up Trump-supported cases to challenge the results.

His comments come one day after Trump, during an interview with Laura Ingraham on the Fox News Channel, defended some of the supporters who rioted at the Capitol as a limited threat to the lawmakers inside the building. Trump also said that law enforcement was persecuting the Capitol rioters, while nothing happens to left-wing protesters in cities like Portland, Oregon.

I am not going to specifically agree or disagree, Brooks said, in reaction to Trumps comments. Everybody who engages in violence, regardless of political persuasions, ought to be prosecuted in order to minimize the riots, the vandalism and the arson that these criminals inflict under the guise of protest. It is a First Amendment right, Freedom of Speech, to protest. Its a First Amendment right to petition your government for redress of grievances. But that line is crossed when you engage in violent conduct. Those people engaged in violent conduct, who abuse their First Amendment rights, should be prosecuted across the board.

Brooks, an attorney and former prosecutor in Madison County, said he would defer to the Justice Department on whether charges of sedition should be pursued against some of the rioters. Federal officials have charged more than 300 people involved in the riot, with over 280 who have been arrested.

Michael Sherwin, the federal prosecutor who until recently led the Justice Departments probe into the January 6 attack on the Capitol, told CBS 60 Minutes recently that some of the participants could soon face sedition-related charges. But pursuing sedition charges is a rarity: The last time charges were brought was in 2010, in a case against a Christian militia group in Michigan. A federal judge dismissed the charges, and rebuked prosecutors for bringing the case.

Brooks, who currently represents Alabamas 5th congressional district, said he has not been questioned by an investigator related to his role ahead of the riot. Brooks gave a fiery speech on the Ellipse near the Capitol building before the Capitol attack occurred, and his activities have led to the filing of a censure resolution in the U.S. House.

Democratic Representatives Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida introduced the resolution for censure back in January. The censure is a public rebuke by Congress, and only requires a simple majority vote.

No member of Congress from Alabama has been censured before. Brooks, if the censure vote occurred, would be the first lawmaker since the Civil War era to be censured for inciting insurrection. The only censures in the House in the past 100 years have been related to financial and sex scandals.

But since its filing, there has been no movement on the matter and Brooks said there is no reason for it to advance.

Youve seen a lot of news releases for political gain purposes, perhaps for fundraising purposes by lawmakers who have done those things, Brooks said. But there has been absolutely zero done (to advance the censure against Brooks in the U.S. House). There is zero evidence to support those accusations.

Brooks, who has not apologized for remarks he made on January 6, has said his speech on the Ellipse has been taken out of context by the national media. He said a snippet, played often on cable TV news channels, in which Brooks encourage people to kick ass and take names is related to the 2022 and 2024 elections, and was not aimed at stirring the pro-Trump crowd to storm the Capitol building.

The taking down names part was in reference to individuals in the House and Senate that voted in ways we did not like which is our right as voters, to take down their names and to beat their derrieres in the 2022, 2024 elections just as the Democrats had just got down beating our derrieres in the 2020 elections and the 2018 elections, Brooks said.

He added, I was shocked there was violence. Never in my lifetime had I given a speech in which violence ensued. Never had there been a Donald Trump rally in which there was a speech and violence ensued as we saw. The investigation has concluded, to a very large degree, to what my impression is  there were militant elements of various groups that had planned days and weeks in advance to the Ellipse speeches to use the Ellipse rally as cover by which they could attack the U.S. Capitol. Those militant elements  should be prosecuted for the violence they caused.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

France, Belgium and Poland on Saturday tightened curbs as coronavirus cases surged in Europe while the Philippines prepared for a giant lockdown and Chile confined over 80 percent of its population.

France has admitted that the situation is "critical" and added three more departments to the 16 already under tight restrictions.

Around 20 million people in France, including those in the greater Paris region, are classed as living in high-infection zones.

They are not allowed to travel further than 10 kilometres (six miles) from their home unless they have an essential reason.

Checks at train stations, airports and toll-paying motorways began Saturday to enforce the travel restrictions.

"About 10 police teams have been deployed against two in normal times" in Paris's busy Montparnasse station, a police officer told AFP, adding that these numbers would be increased during busy hours.

Only shops selling food, and book and music stores are open and classrooms in high schools are only running at half the capacity.

Daily cases in France have nearly doubled since the start of the month and there have been more than 200,000 new cases every week.

Belgium meanwhile closed all businesses involving non-medical physical contact such as hairdressers for four weeks from Saturday.

Shops offering "non-essential" services can only receive clients with appointments.

Poland closed creches, playgrounds, furniture and DIY stores, as well as beauty salons and barber shops.

'The virus is the enemy'

Social distancing in churches in the predominantly Catholic nation has also been tightened with one person allowed in every 20 square metres (200 square feet) instead of 15 square metres earlier.

The Philippines announced Saturday that more than 24 million people in and around Manila will go into lockdown next week.

"The virus is the enemy, not the government," presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

"While we're at home we expect the infection rates to slow."

From Monday, people will have to work from home unless they are considered essential workers, and public transport will be halted.

All mass gatherings will be banned, night-time curfews from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am will be enforced and non-essential businesses will be shut.

Chile also started a new and strict lockdown for more than 80 percent of its population, with shopping trips for even basic products banned during weekends.

Vaccination disparity

The pandemic has killed over 2.7 million people since December 2019, according to an AFP tally on Saturday.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 548,089 deaths followed by Brazil with 307,112 fatalities, Mexico with 200,862, India with 161,240 and Britain with 126,515 deaths.

Health officials have rolled out more than 510 million coronavirus vaccine doses around the world, but with big gaps between countries.

The World Health Organization on Friday appealed to richer nations to donate vaccines to help poorer ones start inoculations.

The deployment of vaccines has been glaringly unequal, with the United States accounting for more than a quarter of the global total and poorer nations lagging far behind wealthier ones.

While rich EU countries are still struggling to get their inoculations into overdrive, France made clear it sees vaccine policies feeding not just European, but global competition for influence.

"We are looking at a new type of world war," President Emmanuel Macron said after an EU summit.

"We are looking in particular at Russian and Chinese attacks and attempts to gain influence through the vaccine."

'Biggest genocide'

However, Moscowwhose Sputnik V shot is being rolled out in numerous countries across the worldquickly hit back, with Kremlin officials saying they "absolutely disagree" with Macron's comments.

But Berlin said it would be happy to use Sputnik V if it gets approval from EU regulators.

Germany also classified the whole of France as a high-risk zone, which means travellers need to show a negative COVID test and quarantine upon arrival.

Kenya became the latest African country to order a partial lockdown on Friday, shutting schools and bars in and around the capital Nairobi.

"I am convinced that the cost of not acting now would be far greater," said President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In India, too, a sharp rise in infections will see new measures with worst-hit state Maharashtra, including its mega-city Mumbai, put under night curfew from Sunday.

In Brazil, the political heat was turned up on President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday when his predecessor accused him of presiding over the "biggest genocide" in the country's history.

"We must save Brazil from COVID-19," said former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, adding: "Brazil will not withstand it if this man continues to govern in this way."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
By Luis Jaime Acosta

ARAUQUITA MUNICIPALITY, Colombia (Reuters) - Venezuelans fleeing to Colombia to escape clashes between the Venezuelan military and irregular armed groups have accused soldiers of abuses, including killing civilians.

The flow of refugees, estimated at 4,000 by an official in Colombia's Arauquita Municipality, began on Sunday after Venezuela's National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) launched an offensive against illegal armed groups in La Victoria, a Venezuelan town across the Arauca River from Arauquita.

Venezuela said it is investigating accusations that members of its military committed abuses, including detaining and killing civilians, as well as looting and burning homes.

"They raided our house and took everything from us. When they arrived they broke everything, the doors; they entered and took everything I had in the house, the workshop," mechanic Jose Castillo, who arrived in Colombia with his pregnant wife and 12-year-old daughter on Friday, told Reuters.

"I couldn't stay because they are killing people. They killed some neighbors and dressed them in Venezuelan army uniforms to pass them off as guerrillas," Castillo said.

Reuters could not independently verify Castillo's accusations, or those of other displaced Venezuelans who showed photos on their cell phones of dead people wearing camouflage uniforms with weapons next to their hands.

Dissidents of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who reject a 2016 peace deal with the Colombian government, are the targets of the military operations, according to the fleeing civilians.

But the victims were residents of La Victoria and its surroundings, they said.

Venezuela Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez told a press conference that two Venezuelan soldiers were killed in clashes along with six irregular fighters whom he called terrorists.

A further 39 have been captured, he added in a statement.

Story continues

"We must expel any group of any ideology, of any foreign nationality," Padrino said. "We are obliged to expel them, whatever they are called."

The accusations levied at Venezuela's military do not reflect its ethics, Padrino said.

Venezuelan armed forces are obliged to defend the country from irregular groups, he said, adding human rights would be respected and the events would be investigated.

In a separate statement, Venezuela's defense ministry accused the Colombian government and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency of supporting the foreign combatants.

Colombia's government and the CIA were not immediately available to comment.

Venezuela's chief prosecutor Tarek Saab wrote in a series of Twitter messages that Venezuela is investigating events in La Victoria, to see if rights were violated.

Colombian President Ivan Duque has accused the government of his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro of sheltering FARC dissidents and members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), something the government in Caracas denies

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta in Arauquita; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera and Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Cynthia Osterman)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 23:12:19|Editor: huaxia

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A man wearing a face mask delivers food in Tallinn, Estonia, March 26, 2021. The Estonian government's current restrictions affecting schools, shops, restaurants and public events entered into force on March 11 and will stay in place until at least April 11. (Xinhua/Guo Chunju)

TALLINN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus infection rate has been decreasing across Estonia, local media reported on Friday.

A declining trend in new infections has been registered in Harju County, which includes the capital Tallinn, as well as in Laane-Viru County in the northwest and in Saare County in the west. The reproduction number (R, the average number of secondary infections produced by a single infected person) fell to 0.9 in Harju County, Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) reported.

"The trend is good, but there is no certainty about it yet," Krista Fischer, professor of mathematical statistics at the University of Tartu and member of the government's scientific advisory council, was quoted by the ERR as saying.

At the same time, Fischer warned against the premature easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Estonian government's current restrictions affecting schools, shops, restaurants and public events entered into force on March 11 and will stay in place until at least April 11.

In the past 24 hours, 5,876 coronavirus tests have been performed in Estonia, of which 1,151, or 19.6 percent, came back positive. In the past 14 days, the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants was 1,452.50, and 19.8 percent of all initial tests came back positive, the Estonian Health Board said on Friday.

As of March 26, 101,587 Estonians, or 9.1 percent of the total population, had tested positive for the virus. To date, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 847 people in the country.

A total of 185,910 individuals have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, of whom 126,215 have received one dose and 59,695 both doses, the Estonian Health Board said. Enditem
Those in attendance included Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Sao Mai and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao.

In his address, Mai reviewed the 71-year journey since Vietnam and China established their diplomatic ties, as well as the significant achievements in bilateral cooperation over recent times.

Accordingly, since early 2020, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries senior leaders have maintained regular exchanges via flexible forms, while cooperation across various areas has been further accelerated, with economic, trade and investment ties maintaining impressive growth.

Vietnam maintains its position as the largest trading partner of China among all ASEAN countries, with bilateral trade turnover reaching US$192.2 billion last year, up 18.7% (according to statistics of China Customs). Meanwhile, China is the third largest FDI investor in Vietnam in 2020.

Mai emphasised the significance of 2021 to both Vietnam and China, as it is the first year Vietnam is implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the 2021-2025 Socio-economic Development Plan and the 2021-2030 Socio-economic Development Strategy. In 2021, China will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and embark on the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035.

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai (R) and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao cut the cake to celebrate the 71st anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic ties. (Photo: VNA)



Ahead of the 2021 Lunar New Year, on February 8, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had an important phone call in which they discussed major directions for the development of the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the near future, the ambassador said.

In that spirit, he suggested the two sides fully and effectively implement high-level common perceptions; enhance political trust; expand and improve cooperation efficiency across areas; promote people-to-people exchange; control and satisfactorily handle disagreements on the basis of respecting each others legitimate interests in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; thus stepping up the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a healthy, stable and in-depth manner, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and around the world.

The ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Vietnam-China diplomatic ties took place in a solemn and cordial atmosphere. The guests were very impressed by the special musical & cultural performances and the traditional dishes imbued with Vietnamese flavors.
The death toll from the collapse of a nine-story apartment building in Cairo has climbed to 18 people, according to Egyptian state media.

The building collapsed in the Egyptian capital early on Saturday. State newspaper Al-Ahram said that search and rescue workers recovered the bodies over the course of the day.

Excavators could be seen digging through the debris in the el-Salam neighbourhood on Saturday morning.

Police cordoned off the area, keeping back the curious and people apparently looking for relatives in the building.

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They took four people out in front of me, who looked like they were almost gone, said Mohamamed Mostafa, a resident of the neighbourhood.

At least 24 others were injured and taken to hospitals, according to a morning statement by Khalid Abdel-Al, the administrative head of Cairo governorate. The tally of those killed by his office stayed at nine as of Saturday evening.

It was not immediately clear what caused the buildings collapse. An engineering committee was formed to examine the structural integrity of neighbouring buildings, Mr Abdel-Al said.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighborhoods and rural areas.

With real estate at a premium in big cities like Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate building permits. Extra floors often are added without proper permits.

The government has recently launched a crackdown on illegal building across the country, jailing violators and in many cases destroying the buildings.
Sharon Osbourne, a television host who faced criticism for defending contentious remarks by the British journalist Piers Morgan about Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has decided to leave The Talk, the U.S. daytime talk show where she worked for more than a decade, CBS said on Friday.

Ms. Osbourne is married to the musician Ozzy Osbourne and began her television career in The Osbournes, the Emmy Award-winning reality show about their family. She faced criticism this month for publicly defending Mr. Morgan after he questioned an account that Meghan gave to Oprah Winfrey about life in Britains royal family.

In the interview, Meghan told Ms. Winfrey that members of the royal household had discouraged her from seeking treatment after she confided in them that she had thoughts of suicide.

Mr. Morgan later said on Good Morning Britain, a show that he co-hosted, that he did not believe Meghans account. When a colleague chided him for trashing Meghan, he stormed off the set and left the show the next day.
An expert from the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Friday that the oil markets are absorbing the disruption caused by the blockage of the Ever Given cargo ship in the Suez Canal.

Toril Bosoni, who heads the oil market's division for the IEA said that "oil inventories have been coming down but they are still relatively ample. Oil inventories in all of the OECD regions are above year ago levels."

For Bosoni, it's the tanker market which will take the brunt of the crisis, as it will tie them up for longer and forcing them to alternative and longer journeys around the tip of Africa, which will push up the freight rates.

A maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels Friday outside the Suez Canal and some vessels began changing course as dredgers worked frantically to free a giant container ship that is stuck sideways in the waterway and disrupting global shipping.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
HADDAM - Their voices cut through the morning fog Friday as female students at Haddam-Killingworth High School called for more education on stopping sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Dozens of students - including a number of men and boys - rallied on the Village Green in Higganum demanding greater awareness of and instruction about ways to curb harassment.

The principal organizer, Hannah Laird-Hoover, said she thinks the school needs to develop more instruction about body autonomy and all types of harassment, including unsolicited emails, requests for inappropriate photos, inappropriate comments, and inappropriate touching.

Were here to try and raise awareness about this issue and to speak out on behalf of women who have been victims but who (might) be afraid to speak out for fear of being judged, Laird-Hoover said.

Following speeches by several speakers, the crowd - which by then had grown past 200 - marched to the five-way intersection of Saybrook Road and Route 81.

There, protesters spread out into smaller groups on each road leading from the intersection holding up signs that reinforced their messages.

Supporters who drove by the protest honked their horns in support of the students.

Everyone at the event worse a mask. Two Connecticut State Police troopers were present, but they kept a low profile.

At mid-morning, state Rep. Christine Palm, D-Chester, came by to lend her support to the protest.

Holding a sign that read flirting is not consent, senior Morgan Schwartz said she came to the rally because I know so many people who have affected by the issues they were drawing attention to.

The school issued a message to parents and staff from Superintendent of Schools Holly Hageman this week in which she explained the school systems stance against sexual harassment and assault and bullying.

The Region 17 schools promote a secure and safe school climate, conducive to teaching and learning that is free from threat, harassment and any type of bullying behavior or teen dating violence, the statement said. Therefore, bullying or harassment of a student by another student is prohibited, Hageman said in her statement.

From an education perspective, both the middle school and high school health curricula include instruction on healthy relationships, effective communication and refusal skills, and teen dating violence. As needed, the administration or counseling staff provides further education or counseling on topics that may need to be revisited or reinforced, Hageman said.

Further, Hageman wrote, Whenever any allegation of any type of inappropriate behavior is brought to the attention of the school, the administration follows any and all pertinent Board policies and regulations to investigate fully and respond accordingly. Victims of sex discrimination and/or sexual harassment are encouraged to report such claims and are guided in the process of how to file a report. Employees respond to such complaints in a prompt and equitable manner.

Senior Kristin Daley organized a petition to increase awareness about appropriate interactions among and between students.

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Bodies and remains of Armenian soldiers are kept in morgue in Armenia's Martuni

White House confirms Biden-Erdogan meeting in Brussels

Armenia acting MOD touches upon priority directions for development of Armed Forces

Diaspora Armenian writer, publicist Toros Toranian dies

2 Armenian soldiers injured in scuffle with Azerbaijan, Armenian POW is hospitalized, Jun. 3 digest

Wedding held in Armenia's Shurnukh for first time since the war ended

EEU member states to finish preparing for negotiations over free trade zone in Iran in late June

Armenia Central Bank: Economic downfall in 2020 was due to decline in service and construction sectors

Armenia legislature adopts several bills in first reading

Armenia President meets with Nursultan Nazarbayev

Dejavu: Armenia ruling party distributes money for votes at Yerevan district election office

Chief Advisor to Karabakh President sacked

Russian MFA: Works are carried out to settle situation around Karabakh every day

Armenia opposition MP sounds alarm about Baku fabricating criminal cases against Armenian prisoners

Armenia acting health minister: I have apologized, I am not going to resign

Helga Schmid meets with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

Armenia's deputy foreign ministers resigned or have heavy workload?

Dollar goes down in Armenia

Armenia Elections Oversight Committee reports Iranian citizenship of ruling party's MP candidate

Acting deputy minister: Only 17 of 711 Iran-Armenia power transmission line towers were installed by 2017

Armenia Parliament Council holding session

Armenia to host CSTO "Thunder-2021" military exercises

NYT: Chinese hackers launch cyberattack on New York city transportation authority

Armenia President to Kazakhstan counterpart: I would like to see much deeper cooperation between our countries

Armenia citizens shut down Etchmiadzin-Ashtarak road, complaining about lack of irrigation water

Armenia independent MP: Foreign minister and his deputies don't want to take part in treacherous acts

Armenia to get $11mn loan, 350,000 grant for agriculture

WHO worries about worsening mental health worldwide amid pandemic

Armenia health ministry on improper handling of Artsakh war victims bodies: There is no justification

Armenia bloc election foundation already in operation

Russia ambassador to Armenia paying working visit to Syunik Province (PHOTOS)

China pledges to step up resistance to foreign interference in Hong Kong

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: There can be no talk of corridor for Azerbaijan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on incumbent authorities: Wherever they flee, we will bring them by the feet

President: Impossible to ensure peace in region or stay in Artsakh without Russia army joint efforts

China Daily: Dispatch from Makit: Thriving in the desert

Karabakh President: We will never put up with being part of Azerbaijan, it is ruled out

Armenia MFA information department chief: All deputy FMs carrying out their duties

Ardshinbank invited children to the cinema on International Childrens Day

Armenia judiciary to have 10 more judges

Armenia acting premier: We had recorded 40% increase in tax revenues according to 2019 results

Armenia acting PM on Artsakh war casualties bodies: We have 50 remains in which case DNA was not separated

Azerbaijan authorities plan to "squeeze" everything from "terrorist show" related to Armenian captives

Ameriabank announces a contest for bank card design

108 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia parliament convenes special session

Armenia interim government holding Cabinet meeting

Catholicos of All Armenians heads for Syunik Province, Artsakh

World oil prices going up

Iran loses right to vote in UN General Assembly

Newspaper: Armenia authorities come up with new way of punishing unwanted characters

Newspaper: Russia army Southern Military District deputy commander to arrive in Yerevan Thursday

Lebanese Armenian man taken prisoner by Azerbaijan is hospitalized

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Are we getting under the burden? Then lets get under to the end

Armenia acting health minister on keeping fallen soldiers bodies in bags: What else should they be kept in?

Armenia acting health minister on citizens' demand for her resignation

Karabakh's new State Minister Artak Beglaryan on his appointment and future activities

Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani representatives hold consultations in Moscow

2 Armenian soldiers receive slight injuries after incident with Azerbaijani servicemen in Armenia's Gegharkunik

Armenian boy weighing 5 kg born at Goris Medical Center

"Armenia" bloc representative presents purpose of participation in elections and plans

Isaac Herzog elected President of Israel

Rouhani: Main issues between Tehran, Washington resolved in Vienna

Charles Michel calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume constructive negotiations

US Department of State responds to Pashinyan's proposal to deploy international observers on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Head of Armenia 2nd President's Office: Robert Kocharyan's public meetings are held in warm atmosphere

Opposition "Armenia" bloc's representative on photos and videos showing bags of deceased servicemen's bodies

Armenia Ombudsman, AGBU President discuss war crimes committed by Azerbaijan during Karabakh war

Opposition "Armenia" bloc's representatives to hold briefings three times a week

Opposition "Armenia" bloc member: Blood-freezing photos and videos from morgue in Abovyan are authorities' reflection

Yerevan mayor receives Netherlands Ambassador
The need for an improvement in the facilities at Gibraltar in Sligo was raised again at last week's Borough District meeting.

A motion from Cllr Declan Bree called on the council to restore the concrete path and steps at the popular seaside location, which has become increasingly popular in the past 12 months for those residing in Sligo town.

If a community group was to come forward to support an application under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, Director of Services Dorothy Clarke said, an application could be considered for funding.

There are also some issues surrounding the environmental area at Gibraltar that needs to be clarified, Ms Clarke said, as some parts are within a Special Area of Conservation.

Cllr Bree said: "For decades Gibraltar or 'The Rocks', was a hugely popular recreation area.

"However in the years before the waste water treatment plant was constructed, the area became neglected, with little or no maintenance work being carried out.

"Matters changed significantly last year when the first Covid lockdown was introduced and people in the Sligo urban area were unable to swim at Rosses Point or Killaspugbrone, because of the travel restrictions.

"People again began to use Gibraltar and recognised its benefits - being so close to the town.

"However it is very obvious that the path and steps need to be repaired and restored so as to ensure the health and safety of people using the area.

"Such works would not be too costly and would allow swimmers to enter and exit the water safely and would make it easier for people to access the sea front.

"By carrying out such refurbishment works at Gibraltar we would certainly be helping the community to respond to Covid-19 and I therefore believe we should seek the necessary grant aid to fund the project."

The motion was supported by a number of councillors, with Cllr Rosaleen O'Grady saying it was time a plan was put in place for Gibraltar.

Cllr Bree said it was his belief that there a number of groups who would be interested in getting involved to facilitate an application.

The issue of improving the Gibraltar area has been raised on a number of occasions since the onset of the pandemic as numbers visiting the amenity continue to rise in light of Covid-19 restrictions.
CAVE JUNCTION, Ore.  At least two people were seriously injured and one person killed after a pair of major crashes along Highway 199 on Friday.

The first three-vehicle crash occurred just before 7:30 a.m. about a mile south of Cave Junction, according to Oregon State Police.

OSP's initial investigation found that 26-year-old Clyde McDonald was heading northbound on the highway in a Toyota 4Runner when he veered into the southbound lane. McDonald struck a Ford Explorer driven by 29-year-old Shawn Fodor, then hit a southbound Ford F250 driven by 35-year-old Paul Taylor.

Taylor was killed in the crash, OSP said. After initially being placed in an AMR ambulance, McDonald was later airlifted to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center with undisclosed injuries. Fodor was unharmed.

The highway was at least partially closed through this area for five hours. Witnesses are being asked to contact OSP at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP and reference case number SP21-076174.

Just a few hours later, another crash shut down Highway 199 near Wonder.

According to Rural Metro Fire, one person was taken to a Medford hospital with critical injuries after a three-vehicle crash near Elliott Creek Road around 12:30 p.m. Six other people involved in the crash were reportedly unharmed.

Oregon State Police responded to investigate this second crash, which caused traffic backups in both direction for the response and investigation.
Motorbike rider dies after hitting tree

PHUKET: A 36-year-old man died in Phuket Town last night (Mar 26) after he overshot a curve and hit a tree without wearing a helmet, becoming the 23rd person to die in accidents on Phukets roads since the start of the year.

deathpolicetransportSafety

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 27 March 2021, 10:58AM

Phuket City Police were called to the scene, near the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) on Damrong Rd, at about 10:15pm.

Police together with Kusoldharm rescue workers and an ambulance from Vachira Phuket Hospital arrived to find the body of Narongchai Samat, 36, originally from Phang Nga, on the ground about 30 metres from the road.

He had suffered fatal head trauma.

Nearby was the blue Phuket-registered Honda Dream motorbike that Mr Narongchai was riding at the time of the accident.

No helmet was found at the scene.

Witnesses told police that Mr Narongchai was riding at speed along the road, which was slippery from recent rain. He overshot the curve and hit a large tree.

Mr Narongchais body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination and later released to his family to hold his funeral.

Officials this week set a target of zero fatalities on Phukets roads during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign this Songkran holiday, to be enforced from April 10-16.

Already 3,912 people have been killed and a further 255,656 people injured requiring hospital treatment in accidents on Thailands roads since the start of the year, according to the national Thai Road Safety Committee (ThaiRSC) website.

So far 23 people have died and a further 3,380 people have been injured in road accidents in Phuket in the past 12 weeks since Jan 1.
Ever since Joan Laporta won Barcelona's presidential elections, Erling Haaland has been linked with a move to the Camp Nou.

The Borussia Dortmund star is one of the hottest properties around at the moment, and a lot of people at Barcelona want to see him play with Lionel Messi next season.

According to ESPN, though, Dortmund have set a 180 million euro price tag on Haaland's head, making him unattainable for Barcelona and most other clubs this summer.

In addition, the club wanting Haaland will have to pay 20 million euros to a group of agents as commission.

The 20-year-old has also been linked with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, among others.

Rumours had suggested that the Catalans were looking to sell in order to free up financial space to sign Haaland.
According to a classification designed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) , in order to be granted hierarchy 4 status, tourism resources must possess particular features of a country and be capable of attracting a (actual or potential) number of visitors from domestic and international markets, both by itself and along with other adjacent attractions.
Temidayo Babatunde is a gorgeous actress and movie producer who is passionate about what she does. In this interview with SAMUEL ABULUDE, she speaks on her experience, challenges and other matters

What have you been up to lately?

I am good, I have been on a low key (laughs).

Who inspired you into to acting?

Nobody. I started acting because of the passion I have for it. It's what I love to do even without getting paid. I started acting in 2003, with Ogungbesan theatre group in Ilorin, Kwara State where I was taught the nitty-gritty of the profession . However, I temporary left full-time acting for my academic pursuits and later returned in 2017 and the journey has been lovely since then.

How many movies have you acted and produced?

I have actually lost the count as I have featured in many movies. I have produced seven movies so far. The titles are "Twist Of Fate", "Ife Ojiji", "Ife Fun Ife" (Love for Love), "Karahun" (Greed), "Aseoluwa", "Ipa" (Force) and "Eru" (Phobia) which has not been released yet.

It seems the movie industry favours fair-skinned actresses, do you think they get more roles than their dark-skinned counterparts?

The answer is yes! Fair-skinned actresses get more roles than black-skinned ones. I think the reason it's like they are more attractive on camera. However, we are all unique in our ways.

How was growing up for you like?

My growing up wasn't smooth like that because I am from a polygamous home, but I thank God for where I am today.

What has been your challenges as an actress and as a movie producer?

There is no success without its attendant story. I have encountered many challenges as a movie producer. Getting suitable apartments for a role could somehow be challenging especially when the producer is of the female gender. Movie marketers sometimes price a movies below the cost of production, thereby sowing a seed of discouragement. Actors invited to a shooting location may have different commitments and pairing actors may be challenging as they might not be available at the producer timing. Advertisement of a movie costs a lot, and professional colleagues sometimes find it hard to repost on Instagram as a means of advert for others.

How were you able to surmount the COVID-19 pandemic as it affected the industry?

The world was completely changed by the advent of COVID-19. However, I survived personally by adhering strictly to the COVID-19 protocol as announced by the Incident Commander in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Also, God has been so faithful. Concerning the movie industry, it affected us greatly as we could not produce as we used to do and marketing our products was also a challenge during this era.

What are your memorable moments as an actress and a woman?

There have been many memorable moments for me in this career. Anytime I remember what God has done for me through this acting, I am always full of praises for His name. There are many benefits accrued to me I can name. I can say the day someone credited my account with a huge amount of money, after watching my movie and was very touched that the movie was a top-notch, was a memorable moment for me. Conclusively, all glory be unto God.

What about the most embarrassing moment you have experienced?

The embarrassing moment I can recall was when a fan called and was asking me to name my price, that he wanted to sleep with me. There is no crime in asking an actress out or requesting to date any one, but don't relate with me like a prostitute. Actresses are not prostitutes.

Which movie do you think brought you to limelight?

That should be the movie, "Ife Fun Ife" (Love for Love).

What has been the most difficult role you have played in a movie?

A movie I featured in recently produced by Kehinde Salami titled "Buabo". It has to do with a festival in Ondo State. I played the role of a researcher.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Entertainment 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 made your role as a researcher difficult?

What made the role challenging was the closeness to the reality of the interpretation of the role. The 'Oro' festival was actually real during the shooting of the movie and the researcher even as a woman, was supposed to move closer to the 'Oro'. This is forbidden in Yoruba culture. The villagers had to perform some sacrifices for cleansing after the scene.

Was a sacrifice performed for you?

On my behalf for cleansing, I wasn't there when they were doing it, I was told afterwards.

How is your love life?

I am not married and I am not in a relationship. I will like to get married to a God-fearing man that will truly love my son and I, and of course spoil me silly.
A 20-year-old Senior High School (SHS) student, Patrick Nyarkoh, has been arrested by the Police in Assin-Fosu for allegedly defiled 18-month-old twin-sisters at Nsuta in the Assin South District of the Central Region.



The suspect admitted the crime but claimed he was under the influence of an unknown evil spirit and pleaded for forgiveness upon his arrest.



"Their mother left them in my care while I was charging my phone in my room. I fell asleep in no time and before I realized, I had sex with the younger of the twins and I believe I was possessed by an unknown evil spirit do so, I am pleading for forgiveness," he implored as he wept profusely.



Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daniel Darkoh, the Assin-Fosu Municipal Crime Officer confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) but could not give further details.



However, the mother of the victims who pleaded anonymity, said she and the suspect are co-tenants at Assin-Nsuta.



She said on Sunday, March 21, she left the girls in the care of the accused to purchase some edibles not far from their house but did not meet the suspect and her daughters at home upon her return.



She said after looking for them for a while she became suspicious that the twins were in the room of Nyarkoh, because he was the only person who was around when she was leaving the house.



She said she forcibly opened the suspect's door only to find her daughters lying prostate and unconscious with Nyarkoh pretending to be asleep.



According to her, she quickly took hold of the girls and the younger of the twins pointed to her vagina while pointing to the suspect where she saw some fluid in their vagina.



She said being terrified she quickly called her husband and shouted for help where her neighbours responded immediately.



The mother said the victims were taken to St. Francis Xavier hospital where it was confirmed that they had been defiled.



An official complaint was made to the police and the suspect was arrested and currently assisting the police in their investigations.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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DULUTH  Local activists are demanding change from the Police Department here after a data analysis revealed that people of color are involved in use-of-force incidents and arrested at disproportionately higher rates than white residents in the city.

Nonwhite residents make up 10% of Duluth's population, but half of individuals involved in use-of-force incidents in 2019 were people of color, according to Duluth Police Department (DPD) data.

Duluth arrests between 2017 and October 2020 also show a wide racial disparity, according to additional data obtained by LEAN Duluth, a grassroots network calling for police reform.

Among the more than 23,600 arrests made in that time, 16% involved Black people and 13% were Native Americans. Black residents comprise 2.3% of Duluth's total population, and Indigenous residents make up 1.6%. Those who identify as two or more races are 4.1% of the population, census data show.

"The Duluth Police Department has engaged in years of racially biased policing against Black, Indigenous and other people of color," Classie Dudley, president of the Duluth branch of the NAACP, said at a news conference Friday.

"By December of 2022, we expect DPD use of force and arrest rates to be proportionate to the racial demographics of our region," the Duluth NAACP said in a statement.

Treasure Jenkins, a community organizer who has lived in Duluth for 25 years, said in an interview that she regularly hears stories from Black community members  particularly younger men  who are "hassled by police" or face aggressive behavior from officers.

Jenkins serves on the board of the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, which honors the lives of three Black men who were falsely accused of rape and lynched by a mob in Duluth in 1920.

She points to the lynchings as one reason Duluth's Black population has been historically small  some people of color fled the city in their wake, and locals for decades suppressed conversations about the killings. That's contributed to some of the disparities present today, Jenkins said.

Story continues

"People here believe stereotypes," she said. "They can think whatever it is they want because there's not people of color around to have them think otherwise."

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson said Friday that she "recognizes that there's work that we need to do," adding that the city recently created a new deputy police chief role to help evaluate policy changes.

Police Chief Mike Tusken said that the department recently launched a new data collection system that will be able to track additional information activists requested, like the race of individuals involved in traffic stops.

"This will be an opportunity for us to work together and improve how we police and our social contract we have with this community," Tusken said.

Blair Powless is part of a group asking the Police Department to adopt a list of new practices to build more trust with communities of color in Duluth. In the coming months, organizers say they plan to meet with city leaders to ask that the agency conduct a racial bias audit, freeze future budget increases and establish a local office of violence prevention.

Powless, who is Native American, said in an interview that he has had encounters with Duluth police that were "condescending, humiliating, degrading." His 21-year-old son is also training to serve in law enforcement, and Powless said he wants him to work in a healthy environment.

"I really think that we all need to be able to see each other as human beings rather than cops and activists," Powless said, "and realize that we all want what's best for our community."

Katie Galioto  612-673-4478
Beijing and Tehran will sign a cooperation agreement on Saturday as part of China's "Belt and Road" initiative, according to the local Iranian media. The 25-year cooperation deal envisages Iran's participation in the project initiated by China, Iranian news agency ISNA quoted.

The Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers signed a 25-year cooperation agreement between the two allies in a ceremony carried live on state television. "Our relations with Iran will not be affected by the current situation, but will be permanent and strategic," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was earlier quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying.

The agreement regulates the economic dimensions of the cooperation between the two countries in various fields, Khatibzadeh said. He stressed that the agreement would function as a "road map" in deepening bilateral relations.

The statement came amid Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's official visit to Iranian capital Tehran.

China, one of Irans largest trading partners and a long-standing ally, agreed in 2016 to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion over a decade. Its commerce ministry said on Thursday that Beijing will try to safeguard the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and defend the legitimate interests of Sino-Iranian relations.

Chinese top diplomat is scheduled to meet with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. The two countries' foreign ministers will sign the agreement, official news agency IRNA reported.

Nine policemen killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan

US President Joe Biden's invitation to PM Modi, summit to be held in April

Sri Lanka Navy releases all 54 Indian fishermen arrested on March 24
A six-figure bounty has been placed on the head of an Ulster lorry driver after he was part of a criminal double-cross which left a Polish cigarette smuggling gang 1.2million out of pocket.

The Sunday World can reveal the haulier is currently in hiding after the back-stabbing heist which saw him make off with a consignment of illicit fags hed been hired to transport and drop off close to the border.

The middle-aged driver  who is known to police  then handed the 800-carton cig load over to a Co Tyrone-based gang for an eye-watering reward of 500,000.

The incident happened just two weeks ago after the lorry man, along with a Polish gang member, picked the counterfeit cig cache at Dublin docks.

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The load was then driven to a secluded yard outside the small Co Monaghan village of Clontibret, where the fags were to be moved into another container and taken across the border for transport to the UK.

But the deal went up in smoke when a masked gang sped into the yard and forced the Pole gangster into their van.

He was held hostage while the illegal cigarettes were driven across the border and placed into the hands of a gang linked to a criminal brother duo who have serious convictions for guns and smuggling.

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The double cross has left the dangerous Polish gang  who have been smuggling cigarettes into the UK for years  seething.

Sources say they have already approached dissident republicans and other Irish organized crime groups 100,000 in cash to whack the lorry driver involved.

Brexit has f***** everything up so all the dodgy stuff is coming through Ireland now and the going through the north to get into the UK, a well-placed source said.

To get a container into the UK now, the paperwork is atrocious. Everything is being checked. So, these guys, who are well known Polish across the water, had been doing it EU to EU... bringing their fags in via Dublin and getting this lorry driver to transport them.

And they had a good thing going, you are talking a huge haul every couple of weeks from January.

They arent stupid and made sure to send at least one gang member over to make sure the load was transported successfully.

However, on this occasion when the driver and the Polish guy pulled up to the shed, a van speeded (sic) in with a number of masked men.

They took the Pole out of the lorry and put him in the back of the van where he stayed for a couple of hours while the lorry driver drove across the border with the cigarette stash.

It appears that this driver, who is known for pulling a few fly moves in the past, had tipped off a well-known criminal in east Tyrone about the secret smuggling trips.

They then concocted a plan to relieve the Poles of this stash and offered this guy six figures to make off with them on the lorry.

The gang saw it as a calculated risk. These were Polish fellas based in the UK, who have no pull in Ireland.

They are only using Ireland as a staging ground to get into the UK.

The source said that at least one dissident republican gang has been contacted by the infuriated Polish gang who have vowed to exact revenge for the devious double cross.

These boxes would have cost them 700 a box, so they are now down over 560,000. They arent going to let this slide.

A few groups have been contacted, including the Real IRA, and offered 100,000 in cash to find this driver.

Just because they are not based in Ireland, doesnt mean they wont come to Ireland. They are down a 1.2 million consignment. One said that it might taken them six months or a year, but they will find him.

The Sunday World understands the Tyrone gang behind the inter-criminal fag heist has links to convicted gun criminal Martin Campbell.

Campbell, from Blackwatertown just outside Dungannon, was jailed in 2013 in England after police raided a house he was residing in and found two guns and ammunition and scope with 16 rounds of .222 ammunition and a 9mm Baretta pistol and magazine with 12 9mm rounds of ammunition from his Chesire home.

Detectives investigating the case were able to forensically link the weapons to Campbell by DNA. They also found he had researched them on his laptop computer and mobile phone.

He was jailed for five years before he returned to Northern Ireland.

His brother, Kevin Tin Tin Campbell, is also well known in criminal circles and was once ordered to hand over 800,000 after he was convicted of a red diesel plot.

Tin Tin had been jailed for three years in 2005 by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting fraud and money laundering charges,

In 2008, a judge ruled that Campbell, then 32, had hidden assets and ordered him to hand over 813,913 within 12 months or return to jail for a further three years.

Judge David Swift also ruled that Kevin Campbell, of Athboy Lane, Blackwatertown, Dungannon, had benefited from his criminal activity by 1.4 million.

Kevin Campbell, described as one of the two main principals in the fraud, denied having any realiseable assets. But a prosecuting lawyer successfully argued that he had hidden assets.

He and others, including four Northern Ireland men, had been involved in a 10-month plot to evade paying 1.4 million duty on diesel.

The fraud came to an end in August 2002 when customs officers interrupted an attempt to deliver 30,000 litres of fuel oil to a service station in Herefordshire.

The lorry contained an illegal load of rebated kerosene which would have been sold to unsuspecting motorists as ordinary road diesel.

Kevin Campbell and fellow businessman Thomas McCague, from Rosemount Avenue in Armagh, who was also jailed after the trial, were said to have plotted the fraud together.

Read More
(Natural News) Leading public health officials in China have recently said that people who take the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines developed in the country may need an additional third dose to boost its effectiveness.

The recommendation to get injected with a third dose of the Chinese vaccines came after an incident involving a doctor in the province of Shaanxi in central China.

In Shaanxis capital of Xian, a doctor known only by the surname Liu tested positive for the coronavirus despite receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. State-run media reported the incident on March 18, but their stories failed to mention which Chinese-made vaccine Liu had received.

On March 20, Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, explained during an interview with state-run China Central Television that a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine is necessary to prevent infections.

According to Gao, the antibodies that the body supposedly produced after taking the coronavirus vaccine may not be so good for preventing respiratory infections.

He added that the two-dose regimen of the Chinese coronavirus vaccines, might not induce enough antibodies to form. Thus, a third dose is needed.

During his interview, Gao tried to reassure the public regarding the efficacy of the domestic vaccines by emphasizing that their protective effects against coronavirus are still sufficient. (Related: Who needs SCIENCE? China justifies widespread COVID-19 immunizations without bothering with clinical trials.)

United Arab Emirates offers third booster shot of Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine

The United Arab Emirates has begun administering a third dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine to many residents.

A select group of people are being administered a third shot to observe the immune system response, noted G42 Healthcare, the company that coordinated Sinopharms Phase III clinical trials in the U.A.E. and several other countries across the Middle East and North Africa.

The government has asked people to take antibody tests if they fear they are not immune to the coronavirus. If the test shows that the person has not developed enough antibodies to mount an effective immune response to COVID-19, that person becomes eligible to receive a third dose of the Sinopharm vaccine as a booster.

The vast majority of people have taken Sinopharm and it shows a good response, said one doctor working at a government hospital. The booster is only needed if you dont mount an immune response after two jabs.

The U.A.E. has also begun offering Sinopharm booster shots to all residents who had their first dose more than six months ago.

Government statements and spokespersons have all said that very few people are not generating enough antibodies for the coronavirus after getting the Sinopharm vaccine. Dr. Nawal Al Kaabi, chairwoman of the National Clinical Committee for COVID-19 Management, said that less than one percent of those vaccinated were not generating enough antibodies to fight off the disease.

It is not significant at all, Al Kaabi said.

But when the Wall Street Journal spoke with eight people living in Abu Dhabi, all of them said they were called by public health services to come to a clinic to receive a third dose. None of them were tested for antibodies before receiving the shot.

All eight individuals were employees or contractors of government entities.

I was not given any reason or explanation when I was called, said one person. I was just told to show up for a booster shot.

The WSJ also spoke with two doctors who said that many of their patients who received the Sinopharm vaccine have shown very little antibody response after the second dose. Many others have not shown any antibody activity at all.

In Dec. 2020, health officials at a closed-door meeting with companies working for the government warned that a third shot of the Sinopharm vaccine may be necessary for people who dont develop an adequate antibody response from the regular two-dose regimen.

The U.A.E. started vaccinating healthcare workers with Sinopharm vaccine as early as September last year. The Middle Eastern nation has become one of Chinas primary testing grounds for the effectiveness of its vaccines.

The Sinopharm vaccine has become the U.A.E.s vaccine of choice for its mass inoculation campaign. It has allowed the country to develop one of the worlds most widespread vaccination drives. It has provided around 67 vaccine doses per 100 residents, a feat second only to Israel in countries with sizeable populations.

The countrys Ministry of Health and Prevention boasted on Tuesday, March 23, that around 70 percent of the nations elderly and vulnerable populations have received free Sinopharm shots, and more than half of the target population has already been inoculated.

Learn more about the spread of Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines like Sinopharm by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WSJ.com

FT.com
A wounded protester is seen after security forces intervene in protests

Dominic Raab on Saturday vowed to bring justice for those shot dead on the streets of Myanmar in the bloodiest day of military violence since the coup.

More than 100 people, including children as young as five, are believed to have been murdered by the military during a savage crackdown the EU said will be forever "engraved as a day of terror and dishonour".

As international outrage grew, Mr Raab said: Todays killing of unarmed civilians, including children, marks a new low. We will work with our international partners to end this senseless violence, hold those responsible to account, and secure a path back to democracy."

The lethal crackdown took place on Armed Forces Day  which commemorates the start of the resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945 - after the junta signalled their intent on Friday by warning on state TV that protesters were in danger of getting shot to the head and back.

Activists on the ground estimated casualties to have spiked beyond 120 people as soldiers engaged in wanton violence. Among the reported deceased were a five-year-old boy and three teenagers. A one-year-old baby girl in Yangon, Myanmars commercial hub, was struck in the eye with a rubber bullet.

Last week, Save the Children had already expressed alarm at the rising number of child victims of the armys merciless suppression of opponents of the military takeover. The aid group said at least 20 children have been killed, and 17 children are in custody, including an 11-year-old girl.

Saturdays shocking violence pushes the overall death toll beyond 400 and raises the pressure on the international community to act beyond statements of condemnation and targeted sanctions as the crisis pushes Myanmar towards becoming a failed state or engaging in civil war.

The bloodletting drew strong renewed criticism from Western countries. British Ambassador Dan Chugg said the security forces had disgraced themselves and Thomas Vajda, the US envoy, called the violence horrifying.

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He added: Security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they swore to protect..These are not the actions of a professional military or police force. Myanmars people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule.

Family members cry in front of a man after he was shot during a crackdown by security forces - REUTERS

Protesters run upon security forces' intervention - Anadolu

The EU delegation to Myanmar said: "This 76th Myanmar Armed Forces day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour. The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts."

New US and UK sanctions this week on military-owned conglomerates increased external pressure on the junta, but the condemnation is not universal and international action so far appears to have made little impact on the coup leaders who show no remorse about turning their guns on the population.

Speaking at the military parade in the capital Naypyitaw, General Min Aung Hlaing, the army chief, repeated his promise to hold elections, without giving any time-frame.

By seizing power in early February, the military dismissed the results of the November election which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi and her ruling National League for Democracy.

The army seeks to join hands with the entire nation to safeguard democracy, he said in a live broadcast on state television. Violent acts that affect stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate.

The militarys sense of impunity has been emboldened by support from countries such as Russia, and a lack of condemnation by other major investors like China, who have blocked meaningful action by the UN Security Council.

Alexander Fomin, Russias deputy defence minister, attended the parade in Naypyitaw, having met senior junta leaders a day earlier.

Russia is a true friend, Min Aung Hlaing said.

An annual parade is put on by the military to mark Armed Forces Day - AFP

Tires burn on a street as protests against the military coup continue in Mandalay - REUTERS

Other influential neighbouring countries including China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand sent representatives.

The people of Myanmar continue to protest, all while they grieve more killings by the hour, said Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty Internationals deputy regional director for campaigns.

The nations that participated in the militarys Armed Forces Day events today in the capital of Nay Pyi Taw, particularly China and Russia, are the same states that have shielded the Tatmadaw from accountability time and time again, supplying them with the means to carry out mass slaughter.

As well as killing civilians on the streets of Myanmars cities, the army on Saturday also stepped up its oppression of ethnic minority groups who have expressed their opposition to the coup.

The Free Burma Rangers, an aid group assisting marginalised communities in border regions said the military had dropped four bombs on Papun District of Karen State. There are civilian casualties reported, it said.
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Barely 72 hours after electric power was restored in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday blew up another transmission tower in the city.

Sources said the insurgents planted explosives on each leg of the tower, which they detonated at about 6 a.m.

On Wednesday, jubilant residents of Maiduguri were seen in a video that trended on social media as they celebrated the return of electricity after nearly two months of blackout.

It took officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) that long to repair the transmission tower brought down by the insurgents at a location about 50km from Maiduguri.

While reconnecting the installation, three TCN officials were severely injured by a landmine planted by the insurgents. Another official was said to have lost his life after falling off a tower.

Saturday attack

The Saturday morning attack did not come as a surprise as residents had expressed fears of the insurgents plunging the city into darkness again as soon as the lights were restored.

A security agent said the tower that was attacked was not far from the one brought down in January.

It is a major setback for Maiduguri because the tower that was brought down has affected other poles, he said.

They planted bombs on each leg of the tower which caused it to go down, and they had also fired at some of the high tension wires that caused the lines to cut into bits, he added.

It took officials of the TCN and the Borno government nearly two months to temporarily fix the first tower.

With the latest attack, residents of Maiduguri would suffer from the attendant harsh economic impact the resumed blackout would cause.

The TCN and the Borno state government were yet to speak on the development at the time of filing this report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the second day of his two-day visit to Bangladesh, paid tributes at the Mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara. This marked the first-ever visit by any foreign Head of State to pay homage at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex.

Prime Minister Modi planted a Bakul tree sapling to commemorate this historic event. His counterpart Sheikh Hasina accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana was also present. PM Modi also signed the visitor book at the Mausoleum complex, saying "The life of Bangabandhu epitomised the freedom struggle of the people of Bangladesh for their rights, for the preservation of their inclusive culture and their identity."

At the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/XsXgBukg9m  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

Earlier today, he started the second day by taking the blessings of Goddess Kali at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Shaktipeeth in Satkhira, which is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in the Puranic tradition. PM Modi also placed a handmade mukut, made of silver with gold plating on Goddess kali. Prime Minister also announced a grant for the construction of a community hall-cum cyclone shelter attached to the temple.

The PM will now go to Dhaka and have one-on-one talks with Hasina. The delegation-level talks and signing of MoUs will follow the meeting between the top leaders.

Modi arrived in Dhaka for his visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of Prime Minister Hasina on Friday. This is the historic visit to celebrate Mujib Borsho-the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladesh's war of liberation.

Soon after his arrival, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (JatiyoSritiShoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

He also met the community leaders including Representatives of Minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Mukhtijoddhas, Friends of India and Youth Icons. He also met political leaders from the 14 party alliance along with the convener. He also interacted with opposition leaders from various political parties of Bangladesh. The engagement involved discussions on many issues about the two countries bilateral relations.

Also read: PM Modi visits war memorial, meets Bangladesh leaders, young achievers in Dhaka
When the Government roadmap out of lockdown was announced last month, we saw an immediate spike in activity on our website as people searched for flights to Europe and beyond, writes British Airways boss Sean Doyle

Britains inoculation programme is an example to the world. The NHS has bought millions of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, jabbed around 30 million people and remains on track to vaccinate all adults by the end of July.

By anyones standards, this is a remarkable achievement.

With deaths and hospital admissions in the UK steadily reducing, scientists suggest the risk of serious illness presented by Covid-19 is diminishing.

Public Health England has confirmed that a single dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines reduces the chances of hospitalisation by 80 per cent, and a single jab reduces the infection rate.

This tremendous work means its now time to start returning to something resembling normal life, which for us means planning to get back in the air this summer.

As an airline, safety is in our DNA and will never be compromised.

The vaccine rollout is making things much safer at home and in many places round the world. Although its currently tough in some parts of Europe, we know things will change in just a few short months. Germany, France and Spain are ramping up their vaccination programmes, while at the same time using lockdowns to get their outbreaks under control.

We cannot delay the enormous planning process that needs to get under way to begin to restart complex airline operations, when its safe. If we do, we risk missing the entire summer, a near-fatal blow to the travel industry.

I see a huge pent-up demand for travel. When the Government roadmap out of lockdown was announced last month, we saw an immediate spike in activity on our website as people searched for flights to Europe and beyond. I could see the mood of my colleagues lift visibly at the prospect of a return to near normality.

Every day I receive heartbreaking emails from customers who are desperate to fly again, to reunite with relatives, friends, loved ones, some of whom have been apart for more than a year.

At the same time, many of our customers want to get back to business. Theyre suffering so-called Zoom fatigue and theyre missing the real face-to-face meetings they need in order to land the deals that make money for the UK.

We cannot delay the enormous planning process that needs to get under way to begin to restart complex airline operations, when its safe. If we do, we risk missing the entire summer, a near-fatal blow to the travel industry

Aviation directly contributes 22 billion to the UK economy every year. We all know that business is done between people, not companies, and that those real-life connections are crucial to build relationships.

And lets face it  millions of us need a holiday after the toughest year that most of us will ever have experienced.

Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, France and Spain have all indicated they would like in the next few months to welcome Britons who can show proof of a negative Covid test or of vaccination. In America, more than 135 million people have been vaccinated and President Biden says he expects all American adults to be offered the jab by the start of May, amid reports that the US Government could start easing travel restrictions for UK citizens by the middle of the same month.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said that a combination of vaccination, testing and travel passes will be the key to restarting international travel, and we agree.

Such schemes are already under way. The EU has announced it is set to create a system of Covid certification for travellers wanting to enter EU countries.

Its clear that our Government should work with the EU but also the US and other countries to lift todays restrictions and agree travel certification.

We might be a small island, but we punch far above our weight, and the Government really could lead the world with a strategy on restarting global travel. This is vital for our customers, who just want certainty.

We support the introduction of a system that sets out where we can travel safely, and which rules apply.

Once that is in place, people who are vaccinated should be free to fly, just as they were in 2019, before the pandemic.

People who are not vaccinated should be free to travel, too  provided they have proof of a recent negative test result.

For the past year we may have been stuck in the longest ever holding pattern at Heathrow, but I can assure you weve been doing everything we can to prepare for a return to flying, and to make travel safe and easy for our customers. Since last summer we have been advocating pre-departure testing as a safe way to allow people to travel.

Aviation directly contributes 22 billion to the UK economy every year. We all know that business is done between people, not companies, and that those real-life connections are crucial to build relationships

We have a partnership with a company that produces lateral flow tests that can be packed into a suitcase and used for entry back into the UK  ensuring the virus isnt brought in. The cost of these tests, which give an answer within 20 minutes  33.

We have also been helping to develop and trial digital apps that can hold testing certificates and, potentially, Covid vaccination data to make sure passengers can check they have the right documents for their journey and can get through the airport smoothly.

I am convinced that these are key to unlocking international travel, safely.

Were working, too, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on its new Travel Pass initiative and conducting a trial of another app, VeriFLY, on all our flights to America and on all international flights into the UK.

Also, were developing our own document verification system on our website, ba.com, which were trying out on flights to India. Were going to extend this to other destinations shortly.

Throughout the pandemic, despite the immense difficulties, weve kept going.

We proudly fly the flag on every one of our tail fins and we dont take that responsibility lightly. Last year we flew thousands of tons of PPE and health supplies into the UK and brought more than 40,000 Britons home from abroad.

At some points last year, our flying was reduced to about five per cent of our 2019 schedule, and we furloughed more than 20,000 of our people. We were forced to restructure our business to survive, and to save the jobs of our remaining 30,000 colleagues.

Since I joined British Airways last October, my focus has been entirely on leading the airline out of the Covid crisis. There is real hope for the future, if we act now.

But if we are to achieve the Prime Ministers vision of a truly global Britain, his Global Travel Taskforce must confirm a framework for international travel to restart on May 17, when it reports back in the coming days.

That way, we can lead the world out of this terrible pandemic. Otherwise, the UK is in danger of being a leader on vaccines but a laggard on the economy  with potentially catastrophic results for individuals and the nation as a whole.

Aircraft cant reverse, they can only move forward. Thats why you see the tugs pushing them out to the taxi-way.

The image feels pretty apt for where we are right now. We cant go back. We have to move forward, and we cant wait to get back in the air and tell our customers just how much weve missed them.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP If you would like to know more about the class action lawsuit against Mountian F. Enterprises, Inc., please contact an experienced California attorney today by calling (800) 568-8020.

The Sacramento employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Mountainn F. Enterprises, Inc., alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Mountian F. Enterprises, Inc., is currently pending in the Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2021-00294802. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Mountian F. Enterprises, Inc. allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses, and (f) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in Labor Code Sections  201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct.

Cal. Lab. Code  226 provides "that every employer shall furnish each of his or her employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing...the corresponding amount of time worked at each hourly rate." From time to time, DEFENDANT allegedly failed to provide wage statements to employees that identified the correct gross and net wages earned, which resulted in DEFENDANT allegedly violating Cal. Lab. Code  226.

If you would like to know more about the class action lawsuit against Mountian F. Enterprises, Inc., please contact an experienced California attorney today by calling (800) 568-8020.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

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Despite the calls for countries to prioritise funding of critical primary healthcare issues as the pandemic rages, some budget lines for health in Nigeria, including family planning continues to decline.

It is worrisome that the national family planning budget dropped from N1.2 billion in 2020 to N1.06 billion in 2021. The reduction in the family planning budget is coming amid growing demands for concerted efforts and increased investment in family planning to achieve the country's Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR).

Healthcare funding in the country has so far been insufficient to meet the health needs of Nigerians, as the budgetary allocation for the sector, has hardly exceeded seven percent of the nation's total annual budget.

In 2021, the total allocation to the health ministry plus statutory transfers is less than five percent of the nation's annual budget. This is contrary to the Abuja Declaration which called for the allocation of a minimum of 15 percent of the national budget to health. The budget system a government adopts in funding the healthcare determines health services deliverables to the citizens. Moreover, it also determines how and whether the country will be able to achieve universal health coverage and improve the socio-economic development of the populace. Evidence shows that there is an uneven allocation of funding and facilities at the three tiers of the healthcare system in Nigeria, primary, secondary and tertiary.

On December 31, 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2021 budget into law which was themed a budget of economic recovery and resilience. Many analysts believe that the theme of the budget is apt in view of the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy.

Sadly, in Nigeria, the national family planning budget is on the decline at a time there is a dire need for increased funding to boost essential healthcare services especially at the PHC level.

At the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, Nigeria committed to increasing its Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) by two percent every year to achieve 36 percent by 2018 in order to avert 31,000 maternal deaths and 1.5 million child deaths and save more than 700,000 mothers from injuries or permanent illness due to childbirth. However, the total CPR for any method is 17 percent among women of reproductive age, with 23.6 percent unmet need for family planning, according to the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

Indeed, the 2012 commitment and the national family planning blueprint target have not translated to noticeable results at the national level. At the sub-national level, where there have been appreciable improvements, NDHS 2018 has shown the progress could be linked to the political will demonstrated by its leadership in providing a policy framework that supports task-shifting and task-sharing. Task-shifting and task-sharing is where community health extension workers (CHEWs) are engaged in the provision of injectable contraceptives in the communities.

Nigeria introduced CHWs in 2010 as a component of the national community health policy and the family planning policy in the country.

Community-Based Provision (CBP) of Family Planning Services by Community Health Workers (CHWs) has proven to be one of the essential strategies to boosting the accessibility and uptake of family planning services.

These include not only counselling, but also the provision of contraceptive methods such as contraceptive pills, injectables, cycle beads, and condoms.

The revised National Family Planning Blueprint (2020-2024) plans to achieve a Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) of 27 percent by the year 2024. This represents a projected three percent annual growth from the present national mCPR of 17 percent.

For the revised blueprint to translate to tangible results, government at all levels must commit to sustainable funding for healthcare delivery, especially, family planning commodities procurement. This must reflect in yearly budgets. Also, beyond budgeting, efforts must be made to ensure that budgetary allocations for family planning are released on time. Between 2018 and 2021, only N2.7 billion was allocated for counterpart funding for family planning commodities, of which only about 55 percent has been released.

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Also, every state government should embrace the task-shifting and task-sharing policy, and establish a community-based distribution of injectable contraceptives and other family planning commodities using community health extension workers. Under this programme, these critical cadres of health workers will be able to reach underserved populations with family planning services. There should be sustained budgetary allocations of operational costs for the community health workers to provide these services.

No doubt, family planning is a cost-effective tool for development. The cost of providing care for unplanned pregnancies outweighs the cost of modern contraception. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports, for every additional dollar spent on providing family planning services, USD 2.2 dollars is reduced from the cost of pregnancy-related care in developing countries.
The offers are slated to expire on March 31, 2021, so interested individuals have five days left to take advantage.

Carl Black Orlando, a dealership serving the entirety of central Florida, is currently hosting an array of special offers for current competitive owners on Chevy, Buick and GMC vehicles. This means that qualifying owners of Chevy, Buick and GMC vehicles are eligible for special discounts when they upgrade to select new models. The offers are slated to expire on March 31, 2021, so interested individuals have five days left to take advantage.

Special offers on new Chevy models for qualifying individuals include:



$4,750 total cash allowance on most 2021 Chevy Equinox models

$4,250 cash allowance on 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab models

Special offers on Buick models for current eligible Buick or GMC owners/lessees include:



Up to 22 percent below MSRP on 2020 Buick SUV models including the Encore, Encore GX, Envision and Enclave

$4,700 purchase allowance on the 2020 Buick Encore GX and 2021 Buick Encore

$7,450 purchase allowance on the 2020 Buick Envision

$6,950 purchase allowance on the 2020 Buick Enclave

Finally, special offers on GMC models for eligible Buick or GMC owners/lessees include:



$5,500 purchase allowance on 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab models

$5,700 purchase allowance on the 2021 GMC Acadia

$5,250 purchase allowance on the 2021 GMC Terrain

Those intrigued by the offers above can learn more and peruse vehicles on offer on the Carl Black Orlando website at http://www.carlblackoforlando.com and take a look at the banner slides on the homepage. The dealership can be contacted by phone with a call to 888-502-0763. Finally, those who wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines can visit the dealership in-person at 11500 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando.
Outcry over alleged hypocrisy echoed from both sides of the aisle.

Here's a step in the right direction as charges have been filed . . . Read more:
I

ndigenous leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean protect around an eighth of all of the carbon stored by tropical rainforests across the world.

That is one of the findings of a UN review published on Thursday, which draws on more than 300 scientific studies that examine the role that indigenous peoples play in protecting forests across the region.

Tropical forests are a vital carbon store  and their ongoing destruction accounts for around 8 per cent of all human-caused CO2 emissions.

The review highlights that, across almost every country in Latin America and the Caribbean, rates of deforestation are lower on land where the rights of indigenous peoples are protected than in areas where they are not.

One research paper included in the review found that, between 2000 and 2012, deforestation rates outside protected indigenous territories were 2.8 times higher than in protected areas in Bolivia, 2.5 times higher in Brazil and two times higher in Colombia.

Read more:

But indigenous peoples continue to face threats to their way of life, the report says. It cites research finding that 232 indigenous community leaders were killed in the Amazon basin region between 2015 and the first half of 2019 as a result of disputes over land and natural resources.

Indigenous groups in Latin America are also increasingly feeling the impacts of the climate crisis, leaders from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Venezuela tell The Independent  despite being among the worlds smallest greenhouse gas emitters.

Forests are our home

Cecilia Rivas is the leader of the Karina indigenous people, who live in the Imataca Forest Reserve  Venezuelas largest tropical forest.

Forests are our home, she tells The Independent. The Karina live in freedom with nature. We respect it because it gives us everything we need  food, shelter and medicine.

The Karina do not take from nature more than we need in order to live from day to day. We are the ones who must take care of the forests because we understand the jungle.

Cecilia Rivas is the leader of the Karina indigenous people in Venezuela (Maria Gonzalez Guevara)

Despite being a protected area, the Imataca Forest Reserve faces ongoing threats from illegal logging and mining operations, she says.

The private companies left the forest destroyed, they turned it into Rastrojos  sites where machines destroy all the trees and leave them abandoned, where nothing can regenerate itself anymore.

With support from the Venezuelan government and the UNs Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Cecilia is leading a female-fronted sustainable forest management project to help restore degraded forest in the reserve.

Since this forest management project has worked with us, the situation has changed, she says.

It is women who participate the most. They are the ones who tend the nurseries, collect the seeds, plant the fruit and forest trees, which are used for food and also to regenerate our forests.

Despite contributing little to global emissions, her community is already feeling the impacts of the climate crisis, she says.

Our indigenous forest company Tukupu is named after a small fish that was once abundant in the rivers of the Imataca Forest Reserve. Today, those rivers have been drying up and that fish is no longer so abundant. That may be an example of how climate change affects us.

She hopes that political leaders will do more to include the perspectives of indigenous peoples in high-level climate and environmental negotiations.

They must listen to us, she says. Before taking any steps, the voice of the indigenous peoples who live in the forests must be taken into account.

Together we can recover our home, which is the forests  because they are not only the home of the Karina indigenous people, but everyone elses as well.

The climate is so different now

Levi Sucre Romero is a leader of the Bribri indigenous peoples of Costa Rica and president of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests.

We have been raising our voices about how indigenous cosmovision [cosmic worldview] is the basis for the protection of forests in the face of global warming and biodiversity loss, and now the pandemic, he tells The Independent.

We have the knowledge of how to use natural resources and forests without being predators of these resources.

Levi Sucre Romero is a leader of the Bribri indigenous peoples of Costa Rica (If Not Us then Who)

Remaining forests across Mesoamerica  a region comprising the modern-day countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica  face ongoing threats from agricultural conversion, logging by companies and deforestation by criminal organisations, he says.

We are fighting the criminalisation of leaders who are protecting the forests, he adds. In order to do so, we have to come face to face with transnational companies, political leaders and other interests  and this becomes very dangerous.

His community lives in southern Costa Ricas La Amistad International Park, Central Americas largest nature reserve. Despite their remoteness, they are already feeling the impacts of the climate crisis, he says.

I think all of the planet is suffering these effects and indigenous peoples dont escape that, he says.

There are some traditional practices that we can no longer do. One of these is traditional fishing. Another is the production of beans. The climate is so different now that we cant produce them like we used to.

We cannot be very optimistic

Dr Myrna Cunnigham is a physician and indigenous rights activist who leads the Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean based in Nicaragua.

We do believe, as indigenous peoples, that we are paying a very high cost because of climate change, she tells The Independent.

I live on the east coast of Nicaragua. Our communities were devastated in December because of two hurricanes  15 days between one and the other. Its also a region that has been impacted a lot because of deforestation.

Hurricanes Eta and Iota struck Nicaragua in quick succession in December (AFP via Getty Images)

Dr Cunnigham is a co-author of the scientific review examining the role that indigenous peoples play in protecting tropical forests.

The report comes at a very important moment when the world is looking to emerge from the pandemic in a sustainable way, and to really accomplish its climate change goals, she says.

It highlights some of the things that we have been saying as indigenous peoples. It highlights the fact that in the areas where indigenous peoples have no control over the forest, theres more deforestation and more problems.

The report lays out concrete recommendations for how governments and NGOs can support indigenous peoples and therefore reduce deforestation, she says.

[They must] recognise indigenous peoples collective rights over territories, recognise their traditional knowledge and support their traditional ways in which they have managed the forest  and offer compensation for the ecosystem services provided by indigenous peoples.

She adds that indigenous communities needed to see more than lip service from the worlds politicians when it comes to enhancing their rights.

We cannot be very optimistic, she says. These are very difficult times. But what we see as indigenous peoples is that there are opportunities for governments and institutions that have not listened to us until now to try to do something.

The fact that [this report] documents what indigenous peoples have been saying and shows that its not something were inventing, its something that has been documented in more than 300 scientific papers, we believe thats important  and maybe we will have more opportunities than before.

Both Cecilia Rivas and Levi Sucre Romero were interviewed using translators.
American culture is a grand mix of the old and the not so old, as we all know. As is true in other cultures, including the island culture here Read more
Public radio shares this digital "rap session" that offers locals a chance to heal and grieve following a pantry raid that will live in infamy.



Read more . . .

On March 11, 29 strangers from across Missouri and around Kansas City met on Zoom in an event hosted by Missouri Humanities and KCUR. They gathered to see if - in these dramatically polarized times - regular people can actually have a civil dialogue.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference at Parliament House on March 17, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Retaliation Is Not Okay: Aussie PM Rejects Beijings Wine Tariff

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that its not okay that Beijing is putting up the price of Australian wine in retaliation for Australians standing up for our values.

The move is the latest example of what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week labelled Beijings blatant economic coercion of Australia.

Morrison told reporters on Saturday that Australia completely reject(s) what he called non-tariff restrictions.

He said Beijing has placed them on Australian products, by their own admission, publicly, as some form of retaliation for Australians standing up for our values.

Thats not okay, he said.

This comes after Chinas Ministry of Commerce announced that new measures would kick in from Sunday and be in effect for five years, in a statement released on Friday.

Some importers will need to pay tax to Chinas customs authority, in a move that Beijing claims is an anti-dumping measure.

The news led Morrison to express solidarity with the United Kingdom, which he said had also come under sanctions by Beijing for their position in condemning the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Read More Australia, New Zealand Offer Statement While Allies Sanction Chinese Officials

I stand with Prime Minister JohnsonBoris, well done mate, we stand with you and thanks for standing with Australia as well, he said.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan earlier called the decision extremely disappointing and completely unjustifiable, pledging to do everything he could to reverse it.

Tariffs of between 116 and 218 percent mean it will be basically impossible for Australian wine to compete in the Chinese market, Tehan said.

Tehan said such decisions make it hard to continue to work with the Chinese regime to develop the economic relationship between the two countries.

He said hed spoken with the Australian wine industry and was looking at taking the issue to the World Trade Organisation.

The industry and government would work closely together to explore other markets, he said.

Chinese consumers have shown quite clearly a great liking for Australian wine, and were very confident that consumers right around the world will also want to appreciate the great product that Australian winemakers and Australian grape growers produce, he said.

Beijing has launched trade strikes against a range of Australian products including coal, barley, beef, lobster, and timber.

These began last year when Foreign Minister Marise Payne publicly called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Belgium on March 24, Blinken said there was no question that Beijings coercive behaviour threatens the collective security and prosperity of democratically aligned countries.

[Beijing] is actively working to undercut the rules of the international system and the values we and our allies share, he said, while outlining three major threats that the world is facing.

He offered the example of Chinas blatant economic coercion of Australia as an aggressive nonmilitary action that he says threatens not only our individual countries but also our shared values.

AAP contributed to this report.
Julia Roberts and her family were put on 'evacuation standby' last week, during the flood emergency in NSW, it has been reported.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the Hollywood actress, 53, her cinematographer husband Daniel Moder, 52, and their three children are staying at a private luxury estate in the Hawkesbury region north-west of Sydney.

The publication reports that the rising flood waters in the region - as a result of the once-in-a-century downpour last weekend - almost cut off the roads surrounding the five-bedroom property.

Scare: Hollywood actress Julia Roberts and her family were reportedly put on 'evacuation standby' at their luxury private estate in the Hawkesbury region last week, during the flood emergency in NSW

But an insider insisted to the publication that the star and her family weren't in 'any direct danger' and that if they were evacuated, it would have been as a 'precaution.'

They told the publication: 'Their accommodation is on very high ground so there was no major threat.'

'It was more about being aware that roads in and out were to be cut off temporarily,' they added.

Down Under: According to The Daily Telegraph, the Hollywood actress, 53, her cinematographer husband Daniel Moder, 52, and their three children are staying at a private luxury estate in the Hawkesbury region north-west of Sydney. Pictured are twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, 16, and son Henry, 13

The estate in the Hawkesbury region is where Julia and her family are said to have spent their compulsory quarantine period and where they will continue to stay during their time Down Under.

The lavish private property features an infinity pool, sleek kitchen decked out with modern appliances, spacious bedrooms and a peaceful balcony with stunning views out to the bushlands.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Julia Roberts' reps for comment.

Julia arrived Down Under earlier this month and is slated to film two movies alongside big names this year.

One of the projects is political thriller called Gaslit, centered on the infamous Watergate scandal, with Academy Award-winner Sean Penn and Australia's own Joel Edgerton.

Safety first: But an insider insisted to The Daily Telegraph that the star and her family weren't in 'any direct danger' and that if they were evacuated, it would have been as a 'precaution

The movie is being directed and produced by Joel and his brother, Nash Edgerton.

Julia is also set to film the Ticket to Paradise with her Ocean's Eleven leading man George Clooney, 59.

The romantic comedy will begin shooting the film on the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland later this year.

Julia and George, who is set to arrive in Australia later this year, play a divorced couple who travel to Bali, Indonesia, to save their daughter from making the same mistake they did 25 years ago.

The production has received $6.4million from the Australian government as part of a location incentive program.

'I'm so pleased to support Ticket to Paradise with a $6.4million grant as part of our highly successful Location Incentive Program,' said Paul Fletcher, the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.

In return, the film is expected to bring $47million to the local economy and create more than 270 jobs.
Albany, N.Y.  New York will allow visits for residents at all of the states nursing home under new rules issued Thursday.

The rules replace previous guidelines issued in February that required nursing homes to be free of Covid-19 cases for 14 days in order to allow visits. The new rules bring the state in line with federal guidance issued earlier in March.

From the very beginning weve used science and data to find the appropriate balance between protecting our most vulnerable populations in nursing homes and the importance of allowing safe contact with their loved ones, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. We now have three effective vaccines that are leading to significant decreases in long-term care Covid cases and a robust staff testing system to limit community spread from entering a facility. Now is an appropriate time to take the next step and safely reconnect this community with their families.

Visits will be suspended if a Covid outbreak occurs at a nursing home. The guidelines include testing procedures that would allow visits to resume if cases are found in only a single area of a facility.

Visits will also be limited for:

Unvaccinated residents if the positive test rate for Covid is higher than 10% in the county were the nursing home is located and less than 70% of the residents at the facility are fully vaccinated.

Residents with a confirmed Covid infection

Residents in quarantine

Certain visits, such as those to residents who are dying or in emotional distress, will be allowed at all times.

All nursing homes should follow certain procedures for visits, including social distancing, masks and Covid screening, according to the guidance. The guidelines recommend facilities use outdoor visits whenever possible.

The rules also recommend testing for all nursing home visitors.

Cuomo has been facing criticism for months over his administrations response to the pandemic in nursing homes. Some of his policies are now the subject of an impeachment investigation in the state Assembly.

Families have also been criticizing him over restrictions on visits.

You can read the full guidance online.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Under 50? Counties, drug stores offer Covid vaccine waiting lists even if youre not eligible

Covid update: Mental health 911 calls are up 15% in Onondaga County

Onondaga County urges SU students to get vaccine against Covid-19 if theyre eligible

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Saturday, state TV reported.

Wang Yi is in Iran to meet senior Iranian officials and sign a strategic deal between the two countries.

The official visit by Wang Yi, who arrived on Friday, also marks the 50th year of diplomatic relations between the two Asian countries.

The 25-year cooperation programme, also known as the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, is due to be signed on Saturday. It has been hammered out since Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2016, the report said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told state TV that the strategic agreement acts as a roadmap that oversees Iran and China's multilayered and deep relations for the next 25 years, encompassing a wide range of economic, trade, transportation, cultural, security and defense areas.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Longshoreman Angela Warren, 53, a member of Local 24, showed up at the union halls vaccination clinic after a morning shift Wednesday, still dressed in the fluorescent gear she wears on the job. Early in the pandemic, the national union had lobbied for port workers to be considered first responders, at the front of the vaccine line, and to Warren, that still seems right.

If were not there to take PPE off the ship, she explained, then you cant get it out to people.

Charles Lewis, president of ILA Local 1351, seconded that opinion. We are the backbone of the port, he said. No longshoremen, no cargo.

Lewis union is for clerks; Warren drives a truck. To outsiders, those jobs dont seem like high risks for COVID-10. But that, Lewis says, is wrong.

You have to understand how container shipping works. Giant ships arrive in port stacked high with containers destined for 18-wheelers, which will haul their contents across the country. A crane lifts each container off the ship and places it onto a longshoremans truck, which hauls the container to an office where clerks register its arrival.

That, Lewis said, is where the COVID danger lies.

Well have eight or nine people working in a 20x30 room for maybe 10 hours, he said. They operate the radio, log the paperwork, serve as the base where other port workers check in. We have to do all of that right there, and in real time, he said.

The drivers come in and out of the office as they log their loads, and they take their breaks there too. In 10 or 15 minutes, Lewis says, a driver might interact with three people inside.

In December, he said, there was an outbreak at one of the offices his local serves. Six of the eight people tested were positive for COVID-19. Everyone whod come in contact with them had to quarantine.

In January, two of them died.

It shook people. At Wednesdays clinic, roughly 500 longshoremen got their first doses of vaccine.

Hardworking, humble people

Its not just longshoremen who need the vaccine, said Adrian Garcia, the Harris County commissioner whose office organized the clinic. Its lots of people in working-class neighborhoods, in places like his east side district.

Precinct 2 has a lot of hardworking humble people with limited resources, he said. The district is around 62 percent Hispanic, home not only to lots of longshoremen, but also construction workers, janitors, restaurant workers and home health care workers. Many are uninsured. Some are undocumented and wary of government. Many live in multi-generational households. Many are at high risk. The whole precinct, he said, is medically underserved.

In February, a county report showed that vaccinations of residents of Garcias district significantly lagged the rest of Harris County  and did so to a degree that surprised even Garcia: That report lit me on fire.

To reach herd immunity on the east side, he said, will require taking the vaccine to people where they are, and connecting with them through people they trust.

Recently, as more vaccine became available, did the state of Texas finally gave Garcia a direct allocation. For about a week and a half now, his office, working with Harris Health and United Memorial Medical Center, has organized vaccination clinics like the one for longshoremen. Thereve been clinics for plumbers, for construction workers  and they plan lots more, to reach people where they are, working with people they trust.

We have to do everything we can to reach herd immunity, Garcia said on the phone Friday. His communications director, Frida Villalobos, was driving him back to the office after a vaccine clinic at an apartment complex for seniors. Besides the residents there, he and his aides had rounded up other people in the neighborhood: grocery workers at a nearby Fiesta; people theyd found on NextDoor; somebodys aunt and a bunch of her friends.

The vibe was very different than the giant county efforts where people register online, then show up at a drive-thru clinic. It was personal  driven by unions, or workplaces, or neighbors.

Sometimes, said Villalobos, it takes a lot of good old-fashioned knocking on doors.

lisa.gray@chron.com

twitter.com/LisaGray_HouTX
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The Hague, March 27 : Incumbent Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's rightist liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has been declared the winner of last week's parliamentary polls, according to official results.

According to the results published by the Dutch Electoral Council on Friday, VVD won 34 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives (lower house of Parliament) and became the biggest party in the country for the fourth time in a row, reports Xinhua news agency.

The centre-left liberal Democrats 66 (D66) party led by Sigrid Kaag finished second with 24 seats.

The seats won by the smaller parties are as follows: Party for the Animals, 6; Christian Union, 5; Volt, 3; JA21, 3; Reformed Political Party (SGP), 3; DENK, 3; 50PLUS, 1; BBB 1; and BIJ1, 1.

A post-World War II record of 17 parties will now enter Parliament.

The elections took place on March 15-17.

Turnout was 78.7 per cent, compared to 81.9 per cent in 2017, as 10,462,677 of the 13,293,081 eligible Dutch people cast their vote.

In 2017, Rutte's VVD formed a government coalition with the centre-right CDA, the centre-left D66 and the centrist Christian Union.

The government stepped down on January 15 as a result of the so-called child benefits scandal, in which parents were wrongly accused of fraud.

Following the announcement of the preliminary election results, the two biggest parties (VVD and D66) started the coalition formation process.

On Thursday, this process suffered a major blow after one of the two so-called scouts tasked with investigating possible coalitions accidentally revealed explosive notes to the press.

In a joint statement, scouts Annemarie Jorritsma and Kajsa Ollongren declared that they quit because they could no longer do their work without prejudice.

Khadija Arib, speaker of the House of Representatives, later appointed Tamara van Ark (VVD) and Wouter Koolmees (D66) as new scouts.
Sydney Man Charged With Historical Abuse

A 30-year-old man will face court charged with the sexual assault of a teenage girl more than a decade ago after they met at a Sydney school.

Assisted by NSW Department of Education officials, detectives established Strike Force Millard last month to investigate reports the girl had been assaulted by a man between 2009 and 2012.

They attended a home in Wiley Park and arrested the accused man just before 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

A search warrant was executed at the home and electronic devices were seized for forensic examination.

The man has been charged with 20 offences including seven counts of aggravated sexual assault, inciting a person under 16 years to commit an act of indecency, procuring a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, and inflicting actual bodily harm.

Police will allege the man sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions while she was a student at a school in Sydneys CBD between October 2009 and December 2012.

He has been refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
The long-running unrest in Belarus has spilled over into this years Eurovision Song Contest, with organizers ejecting the country from the competition for songs found to have repeatedly violated rules barring political content.

The countrys original song entry, Ya Nauchu Tebya (Ill Teach You) by the band Galasy ZMesta, was criticized by opposition figures who assert that lyrics such as I will teach you to toe the line endorsed the President Aleksandr G. Lukashenkos violent crackdown on antigovernment protests. Eurovision fans started an online petition asking organizers to make Belarus withdraw from the competition.

This month the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the international musical spectacular, wrote to Belaruss national broadcaster, BTRC, saying that the entry was not eligible to compete in the musical talent show in May this year in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

The song puts the nonpolitical nature of the contest in question, the broadcasting unions statement said.
On Monday, the city council of Evanston, a lakefront suburb bordering Chicago to the north, voted to pass a housing plan which is being hailed as the first municipal effort to make reparations payments to African Americans anywhere in the United States.

View of Fountain Square in Evanston, Illinois [Source: Wikimedia Commons]

Evanstons reparations plan, like other such schemes that have been floated or are currently being introduced at the local and national level, is reactionary in its attempt to divide the working class on racial lines, and moreover, will do nothing to address the deep poverty and inequality suffered by black workers.

Passing the council by an 81 margin, the Local Reparations Restorative Housing Program, promises to allocate a mere $400,000 to black residents in amounts of up to $25,000. Any funds distributed must be used on housing, either for mortgage payments, down payments on new homes or on home improvements. In other words, the program could benefit as few as 16 households in a city whose population is about 75,000, of whom approximately 16 percent, or around 12,000, are black.

In a bid to present the program as an attempt to redress past wrongs, the Evanston plan is aimed at black or African American residents who lived in the suburb between 1919 and 1969, as well as their direct descendants. Those who experienced housing discrimination due to the Citys policies/practices after 1969 are able to apply but will likely face increased scrutiny of their applications.

Like all plans to apportion social benefits on the basis of race, a concept with no biological foundation, the Evanston program, consciously or unconsciously, reproduces the old racist one drop rule to determine eligibility. As a memorandum on the plan from the city notes, For the Programs purposes, African-American/Black is defined as having origins in any of the Black racial and ethnic groups of Africa.

Despite the publicly stated goal of addressing past discrimination in the housing market that has left its mark in lower home ownership rates and wealth among black households, the limited scope of the program ensures the limited funds will primarily be of benefit to more well-off layers who already own homes or who are able to qualify for mortgages. Demand for housing in Evanston, home of the elite Northwestern University, has seen prices increase well beyond the reach of many workers. According to the Redfin website, the median sale price for all residential properties in Evanston, including condominiums, is currently $335,250.

The lone vote against the reparations plan came from alderwoman Cicely Fleming, a long-time proponent of reparations for slavery, due to her belief that the current plan, which she has described as a housing plan dressed up, does not qualify, and is, additionally, paternalistic in its requirement that funds be used on housing. In a statement she made at the city council meeting explaining her no vote, Fleming said, We can talk more about the program details, but I reject the very definition of this as a reparations program. Until the structure and terms are in the hands of the peoplewe have missed the mark.

Fleming and others, including a group calling itself Evanston Rejects Racist Reparations, are especially worried that despite claims this program is merely a first step, that it will in fact become a model for reparations across the country. This is actually a quite likely outcome, in which funds ostensibly aimed at reducing wealth inequality are funneled back to the banks, housing developers and other wealthy capitalist interests largely responsible for perpetuating racial wealth disparities in the first place.

The financial basis for the Evanston reparations plan is a decision in 2019 to allocate the first $10 million in regressive tax revenue it receives from legalized cannabis sales toward reparations. Even if one were to assume a doubling of the $400,000 outlay in future years, or an increase to $1 million, the number of families that could be helped by such a program rises only to 40. By way of comparison, the Evanston poverty rate is 13.5 percent, meaning around 10,000 people of all races live below the miserly poverty line, while many more live just above it.

The real reason for the push forward with reparations stems from the broader Democratic Party initiative to make race central to every political issue and to prevent workers from unifying on a class basis and advancing demands that would benefit the working class as a whole.

This was made clear in recent remarks by Chicago alderman Jason Ervin, a Democrat, who attacked a Chicago City Council resolution advocating the city spend $30 million to pilot a universal basic income (UBI) program. Ervin, chair of the city councils Black Caucus, denounced the idea of UBI when it was brought up, saying, Until we deal with the issue of reparations in the city of Chicago, theres no way in hell we can support direct payments to anybody other than the American descendants of slaves in the city of Chicago.

Continuing his denunciation of UBI, Ervin claimed, These conversations are a slap in the face to people that have suffered great atrocities over time in this country.  We have all these conversations about other communities. But when it comes down to dealing with Black folksnot only in the city of Chicago but in Americawere always in the back seat.

The radical-sounding UBI is not a socialist policy but Ervins attack on the very idea that white (and other) workers might receive some kind of social assistance is completely reactionary and indicates the upper middle class social layers for which he speaks. The only way to address the poverty and inequality suffered by workers of all races is to reject such racialist policies with the contempt they deserve, and fight for socialist policies on a class basis.
WASHINGTON - State Republicans have taken steps this year that could give them more power to sway the certification of election results, efforts that voting advocates decried as a blatant attempt to circumvent the popular vote, as President Donald Trump tried to do after his defeat in November.

Amid an avalanche of voting legislation proposed in dozens of states, the moves go beyond highly scrutinized proposals to tighten rules around how ballots are cast in the name of election security. Critics say some of the initiatives attempt to clear the way for partisan actors to take control of election administration, as Trump unsuccessfully urged Republicans to do in the fall.

On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, of Georgia signed the most far-reaching effort yet into law - a sweeping voting measure that undercuts the power of the secretary of state and local election boards. The new law removes the secretary of state from serving as chair of the State Board of Elections, giving the legislature the authority to appoint a majority of the members, and authorizes the state board to suspend local election officials.

If these measures had been in place in 2020, critics say, the state board could have tried to interfere when the secretary of state, Republican Brad Raffensperger, certified Democrat Joe Biden's victory in the state and rejected Trump's unsubstantiated claims that the election was stolen.

Raffensperger emerged as a staunch defender of the integrity of Georgia's vote, even as Trump repeatedly attacked him and cajoled him in an hour-long conversation in January, urging him to "find" the votes to reverse Biden's win in the state.

Separately, the new power to suspend county election boards could give state officials unprecedented influence over all manner of election decisions, including the acceptance and rejection of mail ballots, early-voting hours, poll-worker hiring and the number of polling locations, critics say.

All told, the measures represent an unprecedented power grab and an attempt to usurp local control, said Lauren Groh-Wargo, executive director of Atlanta-based Fair Fight Action, the voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who ran for governor in 2018. They allow legislators to target heavily Democratic counties in the metro Atlanta region, home of the state's highest concentration of Black and Brown voters, "if they don't like how elections are being run," she said.

"It will make what we all lived through in 2020 child's play," Groh-Wargo said in a call with reporters earlier this week, before the measure passed. "Donald Trump won't have to strong-arm our election administrators. The most radical fringes of the Republican Party sitting in the state legislature will be able to wipe out boards of elections."

Republican lawmakers argued Thursday during debate in the state Senate that the provisions were necessary to provide more accountability and oversight.

On Friday, Trump offered his "congratulations" to Georgia for changing its voting rules. "They learned from the travesty of the 2020 Presidential Election, which can never be allowed to happen again," he wrote in a statement. "Too bad these changes could not have been done sooner!"

As president, Trump contested results in six states after the 2020 election, claiming falsely that lax security and new rules imposed by the courts caused his defeat. His campaign and allies filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to toss ballots and block the certification of results - but in no cases did they show evidence of significant fraud.

His efforts were blocked not only by dozens of judges but also by local and state election officials - including Republicans - who repeatedly refused to bow to pressure to halt the certification of the vote.

After the Board of Supervisors in Maricopa County, Ariz., voted unanimously last fall to certify Biden's win there, then-board chairman Clint Hickman, a Republican, pushed back against the barrage of false claims of fraud the board had fielded.

"Let me be clear: There is no evidence of fraud or misconduct or malfunction in Maricopa County, and that is with a big zero," he said, adding, "It's time to dial back the rhetoric, conspiracies and false claims."

This year, one Republican legislator in Arizona has directly sought to wrest away the power to certify election results from the secretary of state, proposing in unambiguous language to allow the legislature "by majority vote at any time before the presidential inauguration" to unseat the state's presidential electors. The bill, promoted by Rep. Shawnna Bolick, a Republican, has not progressed through the legislature, and numerous lawmakers said they do not expect it to move forward.

While Bolick described the bill in a statement as a "good, democratic check and balance," Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, said in an interview with Phoenix's KPNX-TV that "it absolutely, 100 percent, allows a legislature to undermine the will of the voters."

In Michigan, the state GOP has taken aim directly at Aaron Van Langevelde, a Republican member of the Board of State Canvassers who broke with his party in November and voted to certify Biden's win in the state.

Earlier this year, GOP legislators declined to renominate Van Langevelde.

"While some are critical of my decision to certify the election, I am convinced that I did the right thing regardless of personal or professional consequences and despite the pressures and dangers faced," he said in a statement at the time of his replacement.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, appointed as his successor conservative activist Tony Daunt, one of three nominees put forward by the state GOP. Daunt had publicly criticized the challenges to the November election and praised Van Langevelde for his "integrity."

Van Langevelde did not respond to requests for comment. The Michigan GOP chairman, Ron Weiser, said the decision not to renominate Van Langevelde occurred before his tenure. Weiser's predecessor, Laura Cox, did not immediately respond to a call requesting comment.

In at least 43 states, Republicans and Democrats alike have proposed an unprecedented wave of legislation to alter the way elections are administered. While Democrats have primarily focused on expanding access to mail voting - or making expansions that were put in place in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic permanent - Republicans have for the most part sought to do the opposite. More than 250 GOP-backed bills would limit mail voting, early in-person voting and Election Day voting with stricter identification requirements, newly limited hours or narrower eligibility to vote absentee.

Republicans have acted primarily in the name of shoring up election security or, as some have acknowledged, to appease the concerns of constituents who believe the election was stolen, as Trump has falsely claimed.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican, who chairs an association representing Republican secretaries of states, said such efforts are laudable, particularly if they emphasize what he called the "gold standard" of in-person, Election Day voting.

"You can never sacrifice security, transparency or accountability for accessibility or availability of the ballot," Merrill said.

Democrats and voting rights advocates have accused Republicans of seeking to make it harder for certain voters to cast ballots, noting that there was no evidence of significant fraud in 2020 that would have altered the outcome of state or federal elections. They say the reason so many GOP voters did not trust the 2020 outcome is that Trump and other elected Republicans told them not to.

"They're legislating based on conspiracy theories," said Rep. Athena Salman, a Democratic member of the Arizona House who is deep in battle with Republican legislators over a raft of proposed restrictions. "What you're witnessing is a continuation of the January 6th coup attempt. That day should have been a wake-up call for everyone to step back and say, 'This isn't what we tolerate in our democracy.' Instead, they got straight into their legislative sessions and the first bills they're introducing make it harder for Americans to vote."

President Joe Biden on Thursday blasted efforts by Republican-led state legislatures to restrict voting, saying he was worried about "how un-American this whole initiative is."

"This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle," Biden said, emphasizing he would do "everything in my power" to pass legislation to protect voting rights.

In most cases, Republicans are proposing solutions in states where elections ran smoothly, including many where Trump and his allies did not contest the results at all. And where Trump did allege fraud, he lost narrowly to Biden in an election cycle with the largest voter turnout in more than a century. Changes to voting methods to accommodate the pandemic reshaped who turned out and how they voted, with a 116 million people - 73% of the electorate - casting their ballots before Election Day, according to a Washington Post analysis.

That makes the proposals to restrict voting in those battleground states all the more alarming to Democrats, voting rights advocates and even nonpartisan election officials, who fear that 2022's elections will be even harder to administer without causing long lines or triggering sanctions under new rules that in some cases could be difficult to adhere to.

In Georgia, voting rights advocates said the bill signed into law Thursday could lead to a partisan takeover of election administration by giving the legislature three seats on the five-member State Election Board, which is currently dominated by Republicans. That restructuring could give the board more power to prescribe the actions of the secretary of state, who becomes a nonvoting member rather than the chair under the new law.

The secretary of state retains the power to certify election results. But critics said a partisan board could try to delay that process or intervene.

Raffensperger's office did not respond to a request for comment.

The new law also gives the state elections board the power to suspend local election officials for violations of election rules or mismanagement and appoint a temporary superintendent. Performance reviews of local officials can now be triggered by state legislators.

State Sen. Max Burns, a Republican, a leading advocate of the measure, said on the Senate floor Thursday that the law is designed to create more transparency and give the public opportunities to report their concerns about election administration.

"It is designed to provide more citizen oversight of our election process," he said.

Democrats argued that giving the legislature the power to control the state board - which has oversight over the elections of the legislators themselves - creates a clear conflict of interest. Republicans, with majorities in both chambers, were giving themselves the power to intervene when election results do not suit them, as Trump tried to do in the fall, they said.

"It is that simple," said state Sen. Elena Parent, a Democrat. "The election was not stolen, but what is happening before our eyes right now is an effort to steal elections."

The law is already the subject of a federal lawsuit filed late Thursday by three civil rights groups, arguing that several of the law's provisions, including a ban on third parties from giving food or drink to voters in line, new ID requirements for mail voting, a restriction on out-of-precinct voting and drop-box restrictions violate the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment by restricting access to the polls.

Republicans rejected claims that the law is an attempt to stymie voters, noting that the measure extends the state's early-voting period.

"Contrary to the hyperpartisan rhetoric you may have heard inside and outside this gold dome, the facts are that this new law will expand voting access," Kemp said Thursday after signing it into law.

Earlier in the day, in the Georgia House chamber, state Rep. Barry Fleming, a Republican, said the 95-page bill "greatly expands accessibility of voters in Georgia and greatly improves the process of administration of elections, while at the same time providing more accountability to ensure the integrity of that vote."

Several local election officials disagree. Before the vote, Cobb County elections director Janine Eveler sent legislators a detailed letter urging them to reconsider some of the bill's numerous provisions, including the potential appearance of "stacking" the state board with legislative appointments and the provision that would allow legislators to replace a local election board with a single person.

"I think that the State Election Board is not the same as a transportation board and its composition needs to have a broad range of appointing entities," Eveler said in her letter, which recommended giving the judiciary some appointment power.

Eveler also lamented that a requirement to report the total number of votes cast on election night would delay the reporting of results, and she said that a prohibition on the use of drop boxes except inside early-voting centers would "disrupt" in-person voting.

Rick Barron, the elections director in Fulton County, home of Atlanta, said he has no doubt that many of the provisions will lead to longer lines and longer processing times. The new law prohibits Fulton County from using Atlanta's State Farm Arena as a counting facility, as it did in 2020; prohibits the county from using two mobile voting vans purchased last year for upward of $700,000; and prohibits the county from directly accepting private grants that last year helped with the purchase of election equipment.

Barron added that there were no complaints about security surrounding the drop boxes or the mobile voting vans. And no legislators contacted him to ask him about their use, he said.

"Putting drop boxes inside early-voting centers almost renders them useless," he said. "I don't understand why a mailbox that has no surveillance camera on it is more secure than a drop box that has a camera on it 24 hours a day."
If you have seen Silsila, you may also be aware that a lot of people claimed that it was loosely based on the complicated relationship between Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya, and Rekha. Despite so much being written about Amitabh and Rekhas relationship, the alleged relationship between the two stars continues to garner attention from fans.

Their love story started in the year 1976 on the sets of Do Anjaane when Amitabh was already married to Jaya. It was kept a secret till Amitabh lost his cool when a co-star misbehaved with Rekha on the sets of Ganga Ki Saugand.

 TOI/Filmfare

The news of their relationship started doing the rounds but they kept denying their relationship until later, in an interview, Silsilas director Yash Chopra confirmed it, leading to further speculations. People even questioned Rekha about the sindoor as there were rumours about them secretly marrying each other.



It was often reported that their relationship created a ruckus in the Bachchan household which was quite obvious. In a sensational interview with Stardust in 1978  Rekha: Girl without a Conscience?, the actor gave evidence that Jaya knew of Amitabhs relationship with her.

 TOI/Filmfare

Rekha had said, Once I was looking at the whole [Bachchan] family through the projection room when they came to see the trial show of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. Jaya was sitting in the front row and he and his parents were in the row behind her. They couldnt see her as clearly as I could. And during our love scenes, I could see tears pouring down her face.



It was being claimed that Jaya had completely banned Amitabh from working with Rekha in further projects after Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and when she confronted Amitabh, he had no answers for it.

Rekha said, A week later [after the trial show of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar], everybody in the industry was telling me that he has made it clear to his producers that he was not going to work with me. Everybody else informed me about it but he didnt say a word on the subject. When I tried to question him about it, he said, 'I am not going to say a word. Dont ask me about it'."

 TOI/Filmfare

In the same interview, she revealed one more shocking detail. Apparently, Amitabh had gifted the two rings that she always used to wear but she returned them to him as he refused to work with her. She added, Naturally I was upset and we broke off after that. I was working in Khoobsurat at that time and I put my heart and soul into my role. You will notice that in the last half of the film I am not wearing my two rings. They have been given to me by him and I never remove them even when I am sleeping. But during those days when we had parted, I sent them back to him.



Another shocking detail that she shared in the very same interview was the fact that Jaya called her over for dinner and made it clear that she wont ever leave Amitabh. Rekha said, "Jaya did not mind the relationship as long as she thought her husband was only having a fling. Its when she realized that he was really emotionally involved that is when it began hurting her. She called me for dinner one evening and though we spoke about everything but him before I left that day, she made sure to tell me, I will never leave Amit whatever happens.

 TOI/Filmfare

Amitabh completely distanced himself from Rekha eventually, as he wanted to guard his relationship with Jaya. He had publicly denied any relationship with Rekha.



In an interview with Filmfare in November 1984, Rekha spoke of Amitabhs denial about their affair: Why should he have not done it? He did it to protect his image, to protect his family, to protect his children. I think it is beautiful, I dont care what the public thinks of it. Why should the public know of my love for him or his love for me? I love him, he loves me  thats it! I dont care what anybody thinks. If hed reacted that way towards me in private, I would have been very disappointed. But has he ever done that? I ask you. So why should I care about what hes said in public? I know people must be saying bechari Rekha, pagal hai us par, phir bhi dekho. Maybe I deserve that pity. Not that he has 10 rollicking affairs! Mr. Bachchan is still old-fashioned. He doesnt want to hurt anybody, so why hurt his wife?

 TOI/Filmfare

To date, Amitabh and Rekhas relationship has been one of the most talked-about affairs in the industry.


It has been about one month since Peoples United Bank announced it is being acquired in a $7.6 billion deal with upstate New York-based M&T Bank, and already some customers of the Bridgeport-based financial institution say they are considering taking their accounts elsewhere.

Some grumbling from customers is expected when a bank is acquired by a larger institution. But news of the Feb. 22 transaction also came on the heels of Peoples decision to end its relationship with grocery giant Stop & Shop.

I thought I would leave when that happened, but now Im definitely going to a credit union, said Cheshire resident Ruth Harlow.

For more than two decades, Peoples United has operated branches in many Stop & Shop locations around Connecticut. The supermarket branch closures wont begin until 2022, but Peoples United customers are bemoaning the loss of a convenient way to do their banking.

I have been thinking of moving away from them for some time now, said Greg Colonese of Wallingford. If they continue to restructure and close branches, Im out. Its all about money and what their bottom line is. Customers seem to come second or third in a lot of places now.

John Rosen, an economics professor at the University of New Haven, said the normal rate of customers leaving a bank thats being acquired  known in the industry as churn  is about 8 percent of its total customer base.

That number is not trivial, Rosen said. But individuals talk a good game, and having to take the time to fill out forms and get new ATM cards is inconvenient.

Carl Casper, executive vice president and chief operating officer of North Haven-based Connex Credit Union, said Peoples United customers have already contacted his staff about switching their accounts.

Its not in the hundreds, but Id say weve fielded several dozen inquiries, Casper said.

When making the decision to switch banks, Casper said consumers must weigh the decision carefully. It really depends on how the bank that is doing the acquiring handles the conversion, he said. If they do it well, then fewer people switch to another bank. But if it is done poorly and account numbers are lost, its a different story.

Consumers must weigh the risks of getting lost in the shuffle against the inconvenience of switching to a new bank. Its a lot easier than people probably think, Casper said. It is not without some friction, but its a lot easier than it used to be.

When bank mergers occur, Casper added, merger partners always insist that the conversion will be seamless. Banks always come in with that attitude, he said. But when the dust settles, theyre going to do what they want.

Supermarket branches represent roughly 50 percent of Peoples total presence in Connecticut, according to John Carusone, president of the Bank Analysis Center Inc., a Hartford-based industry consultant.

Carusone said the Peoples United-M&T Bank merger may have negative implications for Connecticuts economy as a whole.

Most important decisions at a bank are made where the boss chair is, which in this case is in Buffalo, not Bridgeport, Carusone said. Connecticut is losing its largest institution. When a merger occurs, the bank that is being acquired no longer controls its own destiny.

Peoples United is Connecticuts largest homegrown bank, with a 15.2 percent market share and 172 in-state branches, according to 2019 data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Carusone also said Peoples United shareholders were short-changed by the terms of the merger. The price was adequate, but only adequate, not what one would expect for one of the premier retail banking franchises in New England, he said. The entire [merger] package looks a little thin for what might have been expected for a bank like Peoples United. It wouldnt surprise me if some shareholder lawsuits didnt come out of this.

Rosen, the economics professor, said a lawsuit over the terms of the Peoples United-M&T Bank merger is certainly a possibility.

It happens every now and then, Rosen said. But stopping the freight train after it has left the station is kind of hard.

Carusone said one factor that makes legal challenges a distinct possibility in this case is that 72 percent of Peoples United shares are owned by institutions.

Those people like to get paid, he said. These terms are likely to be viewed as acceptable, but certainly lackluster.

Peoples United has been involved in several mergers that resulted in shareholder lawsuits.

In 2017, Long Island-based Suffolk Bancorp had to seek a settlement with a shareholder before a merger with Peoples United could proceed.

And in 2019, when Peoples United acquired First Connecticut Bancorp Inc., it faced a class action lawsuit by shareholders of the corporate parent of Farmington Bank before the deal ultimately went through.

This time, if no shareholder lawsuits materialize, Carusone said another possibility is that a rival bank could counter M&T Banks offer with a better deal for Peoples United shareholders.

Rosen said he thinks the Peoples United board of directors probably made the best deal they could at the time. They must have a reason they didnt think they could get a better deal. he said. Id be surprised if they were wrong.

Officials with Peoples United and M&T Bank did not respond to requests for comment on the terms of the merger agreement.

Another impact the proposed Peoples United-M&T Bank merger could have on Connecticuts banking landscape is the proliferation of additional mergers, according to Rosen and Carusone.

After Peoples United, the largest bank with a headquarters in Connecticut is Waterbury-based Webster Bank.

Im sure they are having lots of analysis done of whether they need to tie up with somebody big, Rosen said. The reason banks merge is to build a more efficient operation.

Carusone said the proposed merger does put pressure on Websters board to make certain it is generating long-term value to shareholders at a level which is higher than what comparable takeover terms for Peoples or similar institutions are being offered.

Kelly Raskauskas, a Webster Bank spokesperson, said her banks primary focus remains on our overall performance, organic growth and our transformational project discussed at our last earnings call.

On that call with industry analysts, John Ciulla, the banks chief executive officer and chairman, discussed Websters growth strategy. Ciulla said the banks focus is exploiting its expertise in certain market segments like Health Savings Accounts.

If there were a really, really compelling opportunity in HSA or from a whole bank perspective that had great strategic and financial merits to it, obviously, we would look at it, Ciulla said. But I will tell you that this bank right now... is completely focused internally at making sure that we drive value, that we take care of our customers and take care of our own business.

Ciulla said Webster is also investing in revenue growth drivers that leverage our differentiated businesses.

These include accelerating growth in new and existing commercial banking segments, improving sales productivity, enhancing non-interest income through treasury and commercial card products and driving deeper relationships across all lines of business, he said. Additionally, we continue to invest in technology to provide better digital experiences for our customers and bankers to further improve customer acquisition and retention rates.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP)  Federal prosecutors say a grand jury has indicted two former Louisiana College students as part of a scheme to steal money from other students.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana says 21-year-old Hayden Philip Breaux, of Houma, and 23-year-old DQuincy Marquis Jones, of Baton Rouge, were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft and five counts of identity theft.

The indictment, announced Thursday, alleges that Breaux and Jones illegally obtained emergency financial aid grants offered to colleges as part of the CARES Act.

Louisiana College, a private Baptist college in Pineville, was among the schools given that emergency funding for its students amid the pandemic.
Surrounded by multiple screens, an employee in his 20s responds to emails or accomplishes the days tasks under the flickering green light of his laptop camera.

For some employed millennials, this is their new lived reality from 9 to 5  having their job subjected to a video call for close monitoring and verification by their boss, on the other end.

Its been a year since companies have had to shift from physical offices to working from home, and the reach into employees personal space is becoming very real. In a recent Employee Mental Health survey conducted by Premier Value Provider (PVP), the highest levels of critical stress (31%), anxiety (47%), and depression (46%) were recorded last May 2020. Observed predominantly among the younger workforce aged 29 and below (Gen Z and Y), this alarming spike was most prevalent among employees in the manufacturing sector (the making of articles on a large scale using machinery) but also adjacent fields like mass communication and finance.

Mika* a 25-year-old working in digital media, has experienced the spike in tasks reported by advertising creatives and content creators as marketing activities move completely online. She confessed: At the start of the quarantine, I felt like I was working 24 hours a day. Because I was at home, it almost seemed expected that I was available to answer inquiries received on our social media accounts 24/7 all while creating double the amount of content because we wanted to reach as many people as possible while they were online more and could see it. At one point, I felt extremely anxious any time I got any kind of notification because like my heart would beat faster and I felt really tense. I was developing a really unhealthy relationship with both my work and my phone and there was a lot of resentment bubbling inside of me.

Nearing his two-year work anniversary, a financial analyst Karl* grew accustomed to extending until 11 p.m. on work days, What also makes it harder is that it seems like we, as employees, dont have a choice and that were lucky to even still have jobs. As the pandemic wears on, mental health has become an increasingly urgent problem for many companies to address.

And yet its rare to find a company where employees can claim mental health benefits. At present, Mercer found that 38% of health insurance providers in Asia still do not provide plans covering any mental health services while only less than 50% cover in-patient and outpatient treatment for mental health. Some of the services that can be claimed, when they are available, include counseling, psychotherapy, and psychiatric consultations.

"I felt extremely anxious any time I got any kind of notification because like my heart would beat faster and I felt really tense. I was developing a really unhealthy relationship with both my work and my phone and there was a lot of resentment bubbling inside of me."

Contrast that with the demand from the workforce. At his mental health group practice, licensed psychologist Raffy Inocencio shared that he experienced a 30% increase in patients seeking therapy on their own expense in 2020. Of these clients, roughly 40% are working millennials. During the start of layoffs and growing uncertainty, his new patients initially came to him expressing worries of having anger management problems, continuous irritability, and communication issues with the people they lived with at home.

When parents werent working, they were under stress balancing work with their compulsory second job as a teacher to their children undergoing distance learning. In a house where the majority are working, families fight about securing spaces and corners where they can have uninterrupted Zoom calls.

Not having a collective physical workplace has taken a toll on employees. The source for this stress comes from the fact that in the office, there was an unspoken understanding that work would get done. Now, employees feel like this trust was taken away so abruptly, Inocencio said. To [patients], it felt like: if we were working in the office we were expected to work 100% but now that were working from home, were expected to do 200%.

For many, the threat of ongoing unemployment is whats keeping them where they are, even if they are unhappy. Richard*, a 26-year-old brand strategist, described being at the crossroad of leaving his job, Im lucky that the work I do isn't obsolete during this time, but sometimes I know I just stay at work because it's the safe option  and even though I know a lot of different companies also have a lot of clients, I am ironically scared of unemployment and the crippling anxiety of not knowing where to go elsewhere.

Some employees, due to lack of measures around holding space for mental health at work, are forced to just be absent.

That said, the alarming decrease of employees reporting to work, as well as the passage of the Mental Health Act RA 11036 has propelled companies to look into offering mental health care benefits. Currently being piloted are one-on-one counselling and modular masterclasses led by psychiatrists and psychologists to educate managers and upper management on identifying the types of mental illnesses in their teams and their key drivers. The companies who are more proactive in setting up these programs are ones whose population are primarily millennials with a younger median age. These would be the BPOs, big retailers, manufacturers and as of late, a significant number of companies from high-tech industries, Teng Alday of Management Consultancy company Mercer, enumerated. With existing medical insurance programs not covering mental health and illness, Mercer is starting to work with employers Human Resources department and on-site doctors to set up self-funded plans that companies can use to design their own employee assistance programs that fit their budget.

Mercer forecasts that 90% of organizations will have set up new plans to improve employee health and well-being analytics by the end of 2021. With the wide shift to digital, 65% of companies they surveyed in the Philippines plan to address mental or emotional health issues through providing subscriptions to meditation apps and mental well-being platforms paired with the option for on-site counselling. Some companies are even considering the idea to offer virtual tutors to ease the struggles of parent employees in their additional role as a teacher to their children, psychologist Inocencio said. If it affects the effective discharge of your professional duties, then the company has the responsibility to take part in your recovery.

***

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals interviewed.
A YOUNG man who drove off after he rear-ended another vehicle has avoided a disqualification.

Martin Roche, aged 26, of Rockfield, Rathkeale was before Newcastle West Court in relation to a collision which occurred at Kyletaun, Rathkeale on February 21, 2020. 

Inspector Andrew Lacey said the accident occurred between Askeaton and Rathkeale and that Mr Roche was identified after the registration plate of his Volkswagen Jetta was recovered at the scene.

He told Judge Patrick Durcan the defendant was not at home when gardai called later in the evening but that he made admissions when he presented himself at a garda station the following day.

Solicitor Michael ODonnell said the tax on his clients car had expired on the date of the collision and that he panicked and fled the scene.

He said the apprentice electrician, who has no previous convictions, was fully insured and that he was very forthright and made admissions to gardai the following day.

By way of explanation, the solicitor said the accident occurred on a bumpy section of the road and that there was a lot of surface water at the time.

He said minor damage was caused to the other vehicle and there was no evidence that any injuries were sustained by the other driver.

He added that both parties were known to each other and he urged the court not to disqualify his client as his licence is very important to him.

Judge Durcan was told Mr Roche was apologetic and remorseful and that he was reprimanded by his father following the collision.

Imposing sentence, the judge said he had some suspicions in relation to the circumstances surrounding the collision.

It does smell a bit, he commented.

However, noting Mr ODonnells submissions and Mr Roches early guilty plea to an offence under Section 107 of the Road Traffic Act, he said he was willing to give him a chance.

I wont disqualify you, he said as he imposed a 500 fine.
News

Houston, Texas - A dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen and former official at Citgo Petroleum Corporation, a Houston-based subsidiary of Venezuelas state-owned and state-controlled energy company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), pleaded guilty Monday in connection with his role in laundering millions of dollars in bribes and corruptly providing business advantages to multiple individuals who obtained contracts with Citgo and PDVSA.

According to court documents, between approximately 2013 and 2019, Jose Luis De Jongh Atencio (De Jongh), 48, a former procurement officer and manager in Citgos Special Projects Group, accepted more than $7 million in bribe payments from businessmen including Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino (Gonzalez), a dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen, and Tulio Anibal Farias Perez (Farias), a Venezuelan national and Houston resident, and others in exchange for assisting the businessmen and related companies in procuring contracts with Citgo, and providing them with other business advantages.

De Jongh admitted to directing bribe payments from Gonzalez, Farias, and others into bank accounts in the names of shell companies that he controlled in Panama and Switzerland. In some instances, he also directed the creation of fake invoices to justify the payments. De Jongh laundered the bribe proceeds through U.S. and international bank accounts and used the funds to purchase real property located in the Houston area. In addition to monetary payments, De Jongh also received bribes in the form of gifts and other things of value from Gonzalez, Farias, and others including tickets to a 2014 World Series Game, Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, and a U2 concert. Gonzalez and Farias also entered guilty pleas in connection with the case.

Jose Luis De Jongh Atencio accepted millions of dollars in bribe payments  placing law-abiding individuals and companies at a competitive disadvantage  and then laundered those bribe payments into the United States to fund his lavish lifestyle, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. This guilty plea demonstrates the commitment of the department and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who engage in corruption and use our financial system to promote and launder the proceeds of their crimes.

Foreign bribery schemes like this pose a significant threat to the public trust and fair-trade practices, said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. This plea is a step in the right direction, but we will continue to level the playing field for companies and consumers by aggressively investigating individuals and corporations who violate the FCPA and misuse our financial system.

De Jongh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller on Aug. 19, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Judge Miller will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition, as part of his plea, De Jongh also agreed to forfeit over $3 million seized from his bank accounts and 15 properties that he purchased with his corrupt proceeds.

To date, the Justice Department has announced charges against 28 individuals, 22 of whom have pleaded guilty, as part of a larger, ongoing investigation by the U.S. government into bribery at PDVSA.

HSI Houston is conducting the ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI Boston and Miami.

Trial Attorney Sarah E. Edwards and Assistant Chief Sonali D. Patel of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Johnson and John P. Pearson of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine E. Rollinson is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case.

The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General of Panama also provided assistance.
Ironically, some western countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and some European countries, have made a mess of their own affairs, especially, the United States, has been at a loss in dealing with the COVID-19, out of control, while frequently making irresponsible remarks about China's human rights.

The so-called forced labor in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is nonexistent and entirely imaginaryrather fine false political lie with ulterior motives. than so-called human rights issues. Indeed, it is nothing but malicious rumours.

It's hard to understand that some big international retail brands, including H&M , Nike, Adidas and Uniqlohave chosen not to source cotton from the region over "forced labor" concerns based on lies and false information.

It's a crying shame that these companies make a profit from China while boycotting cotton made in Xinjiang.
Srinagar, March 27 : Little would the erstwhile Dogra Maharaja, Hari Singh or his queen, Maharani Tara Devi, have ever imagined that their royal residence, Karan Mahal, would one day become a luxury hotel! The property is now open to guests as an intimate 7-key hotel. Situated at the extreme upper turn of the high security Gupkar Road, Karan Mahal is located at the meeting point of two mountain ranges of Shankaracharya hilllock and the Zabarwan Mountains.

Karan Mahal estate is spread over 70 Kanals of orchard and forest land most of which is part of the wildlife sanctuary as part of the Shankaracharya hillock. Seeing jackals, bears, an occasional sighting of the leopards, partridges and other species of birds is not uncommon in and around the Karan Mahal estate.

The grandeur of the royal lodgings lies in the fact that it has perfectly blended with its environment where man and animal have learnt over decades to live in complete harmony.

Karan Mahal was originally built by the Maharaja for his wife, Maharani Tara Devi and after 1947, the palace became the residence of Maharaja Hari Singh's only son, Karan Singh who, as regent, also became the 'Sadr-e-Riyasat' (Head of state) of J&K after independence.

The artefacts at Karan Mahal stand testimony to the royal legacy of the building. Crystalware from Europe, porcelain figurines presented by Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev to Karan Singh when Khrushchev visited Kashmir in mid 1950s along with Nikolai Bulganin to a historic welcome by the people of Kashmir.

The family, especially, Karan Singh's wife, Chtrangada Raje, have spent years restoring the place to its original glory by renovating and restoring its original wooden ceilings, staircases, walls, flooring etc.

Carpets, curtains, bed covers etc used in Karan Mahal are all hand woven and ensuring that these remain in their original colour and crease has been no small effort.

Beds, tables, sofa sets and wardrobes are all imported, most of them from England as these are made from fully seasoned and knotless Oak wood. So are all bedside lighting shades, chandeliers etc imported from England.

The food served at the 7-key hotel bears the grandeur and aroma of the royal cuisine. Be it the lamb mutton cooked in yogurt, or the exquisite Pallao made of choice rice variety and handpicked wild mushrooms, trout fish or over two dozen other dishes, the food choices are simply mind boggling.

There is also a touch of the Dogri food specialties that leaves the guest a very hard choice what not to eat during his stay at the property. Lawns of Karan Mahal are these days a riot of colour presented by daffodils, Pansies, tulips and other spring flower varieties.

The property has an indelible imprint of character while it overlooks the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar city.
Lehigh Valley Health Network on Saturday opened its second mass vaccination drive-through clinic site in the Lehigh Valley, and its third in the region during the coronavirus pandemic.

It was hosted by Northampton Community College in Bethlehem Township.

The bright spring weather gave off an optimistic feeling, as thousands received their COVID-19 vaccine.

People who qualified under Pennsylvanias Phase 1A for the vaccine had to register in advance.

LVHN staff and volunteers worked to vaccinate area residents as quickly as possible and get them on their way.

The network opened its first mass vaccination clinic in the region Jan. 27 at Dorney Park in Lehigh County, and held a similar event March 20 at Pocono Raceway in Monroe County.

Many of the people getting vaccinated Saturday gave the thumbs-up as they drove away, after waiting the 15 minutes following their shot to be sure no serious reactions happened.

Look through the gallery above to see what the drive-through vaccine clinic was like.

LVHN did not immediately announce future dates for vaccinations at the community college, but said it will continue to expand its COVID-19 mass immunization program. Sites in other locations are being established in coordination with local organizations, health bureaus and authorities, according to the network.

St. Lukes University Health Network also held a vaccination clinic on Saturday in Northampton County, at Greater Shiloh Church in Easton. That one, too, was by advance appointment only.

This is an opportunity for us to make our community a healthier and safer place, Greater Shiloh Senior Pastor Phillip Davis said in a news release. Our commitment to our community and our partnership with St. Lukes support our concern for the less fortune  to ensure that they get necessary vaccines for a healthier life.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com.
[March 26, 2021] Huawei Launches the Smart Classroom Solution

SHENZHEN, China, March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Education Session of the Huawei Industrial Digital Transformation Conference, Huawei invited renowned experts from across the industry to discuss the innovative application of ICT in modern education under the theme of "ICT Transforms Education and Innovates Smart Classrooms", and launched the Smart Classroom Solution, which is based on HUAWEI IdeaHub Board and the education cloud platform. The managers and teachers at numerous schools and educational institutions have prioritized the same long-term challenges, such as the lack of interactive teaching methods, unbalanced allocation of resources, and low management efficiency due to scattered schools. At this conference, Mr. Xu Jun, Vice President of Global Government Business Unit, Enterprise Business Group of Huawei, introduced the Huawei Smart Classroom Solution, which focuses on students and combines both online and offline methods to meet the interaction requirements in classrooms. It utilizes the large-screen IdeaHub Board as a portal and leverages smart terminals (such as tablets) and various teaching applications to share high-quality teaching resources based on the cloud platform. For remote teaching, the solution offers functions such as online learning, live streaming, and recording. Additionally, the group discussion scenario enables teachers and students to share content and interact with each other, which in turnpromotes students' enthusiasm and fully encourages them to take the initiative, while also improving the teaching experience and efficiency.



As a vital part of teaching and learning in the Smart Classroom Solution, the IdeaHub Board collaboration device was launched as a highlight of this session. It features a soft light screen, Huawei Projection, and smart writing, delivering an efficient and healthy interactive experience to more classrooms. In the era of information-based education, a wide array of screen products is offered; however, some have short-wavelength blue light, which is especially harmful to young people and long-term users. HUAWEI IdeaHub Board - which has passed the Germany TUV Certification - blocks 60% of harmful blue lights from the light source while also preventing yellow cast. It uses the picture quality automatic color correction algorithm as well as the anti-glare technology, offering a 70% higher color uniformity than the industry standard and delivering flexibility in all types of illumination. Pan Yong, Vice President, Intelligent Vision & Collaboration Product & Solution Sales, Huawei commented: "HUAWEI IdeaHub Board combines smart writing, wireless projection, and open applications into a single board, and is the first intelligent collaboration device in the industry to be equipped with premium anti-blue light protection. It features blue light protection, app-free projection, and smart writing, and facilitates superb collaboration as well as inspirational smart education." In addition to the IdeaHub Board, Huawei, as a leading global ICT solutions provider, works with leading partners to provide end-to-end smart education solutions for global education customers with smart devices, converged networks, and teaching and management applications based on the cloud platform. Through technological innovation, Huawei helps transform the traditional education mode into the student-centric, "online + offline" hybrid teaching mode, continuously improving the teaching environment, efficiency, and quality, as well as the campus management efficiency.

Huawei Industrial Digital Transformation Conference 2021 is being held from March 24 to 26, exploring the power of the resilient and innovative digital world from three perspectives: business, technology, and ecosystems. For more information, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/en/events/industry-digital-transformation/2021. SOURCE Huawei

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Roughly half of all adults in the UK have received one dose of a Covid-19 jab, with the government planning to have vaccinated every adult by the end of July 2021.

Latest data shows nearly 35m people have had the first dose and over 15.5m have had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

And as England reopens after many months in lockdown - with outdoor socialising permitted and indoor meetings allowed later this month on 17 May - a very 2021 question on many peoples lips is whether or not you can safely enjoy a pint - or any alcoholic tipple - before or after receiving a Covid-19 jab.

Am I allowed to drink alcohol before or after having my Covid vaccine?

Whilst adults in Russia have been told not to drink alcohol following the receipt of the Sputnik vaccine, no explicit advice or guidance has been given by the UK government or the NHS on whether or not you can drink around having your vaccination.

The government website states that you should be able to resume your normal activities after being vaccinated, so long as you feel well.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - the body that approved both the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and the Pfizer/Moderna vaccine for use - has stated that there is currently no evidence that drinking alcohol interferes with the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines. We would advise anyone concerned about this to talk to their healthcare professional.

So essentially, there is currently no reason to believe that drinking alcohol hampers the way with the vaccination.

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The independent medical advisory panel for Drinkaware - the alcohol advice charity - has also offered advice on alcohol and the Covid-19 vaccine, urging everybody to get the vaccine when invited to, regardless of whether or not they drink. They do also raise the possible benefits of not drinking alcohol before and after being vaccinated.

The panels chair, Dr Fiona Sim says: First and foremost, we urge you to listen to the advice to stay at home as much as possible, to stop the spread of the virus.

Then, we encourage you very strongly to get vaccinated if you are offered a Covid-19 jab, regardless of whether you ever drink alcohol.

While there is no published data about the specific effects of alcohol on the human bodys response to the Covid-19 vaccination, there is some evidence that drinking alcohol, especially regular heavy drinking, could interfere with your bodys ability to build immunity in response to some vaccines.

Dr Sim continues: We are very keen to stress how important it is for you to get vaccinated. We do know that since the onset of the pandemic last year, between one fifth and one-third of people have been drinking more than they do usually.

So, as far as alcohol is concerned, we advise that you consider not drinking for two days before, and up to two weeks after youve been vaccinated, to try to ensure your immune system is at its best to respond to the vaccine and protect you. But its really important to know that, even if you do drink, youll still benefit from having the jab, so please dont turn it down.

If you are a regular heavy drinker, the risks to you of becoming seriously ill if you do contract Covid-19 are particularly high, so please keep your appointment for vaccination if you are offered one.

The most common side effects of the vaccine include a sore arm, fatigue, a headache, muscle and joint pain, and a fever.
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Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday has planned another provincial tour within the framework of his unannounced election campaign, according to Yerkir.am.

This time Pashinyan will leave for Armavir Province. But the route of this visit, as before, is kept strictly secret.

The main organizer of this visit is the governor of Armavir, Hambardzum Matevosyan who, during a private conversation, said that Pashinyan is so uneasy that he might call even at night, at any time, and cancel the visit.

According to Yerkir.ams information, during his visit to Armavir Province, Pashinyan does not plan to visit its major cities, such as Etchmiadzin or Armavir, because perhaps he is worried that it will not possible to ensure a necessary number of people greeting him in such towns.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-28 00:36:56|Editor: huaxia

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MOMBASA, Kenya, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's anti-narcotics police said Saturday they have arrested a suspect with 678 grams of heroin in the port city of Mombasa.

Coast regional Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) commandant Washington Njiru said Juma Mohammed, 48, was nabbed while crossing the busy Likoni-Ferry channel and he had concealed the heroin in brown granules wrapped in a red carrier bag.

Njiru told Xinhua that investigators are probing the suspect to nab more accomplices in the trade.

The latest arrest comes just two weeks after a Tanzanian woman was arrested in the coastal city with 5.3 kilograms of heroin.

Kenya's Coastal region remains a hotspot in the narcotics trade with traffickers taking advantage of porous borders and weak sea security to smuggle narcotics. Enditem
Tulane University will require all new students to study racial diversity as part of the undergraduate curriculum, another step by the Uptown institution to address issues of race on campus.

Officials added the new requirement to the universitys curriculum this fall, along with another course on global perspectives. New students must take both courses in order to graduate.

The moves were announced Wednesday.

The curriculum changes  the universitys first in a dozen years  follow several recent episodes in which minority students complained of harassment by their white peers. In 2015, some Tulane students posted racist comments on an anonymous social media app. In years since then, Hispanic, African-American and other minority students have said they felt unwelcome on the mostly white campus.

Following the social media posts, Tulane President Mike Fitts convened a commission on race and university values that eventually recommended the curriculum changes.

The new requirement "is one of the most positive changes to occur at Tulane in the past 20 years, said Rebecca Mark, a commission member, professor of English and director of Tulanes Center for Academic Equity, which serves non-traditional and minority students. Now, every student will have to think about issues of privilege, equity, social justice and inclusion."

Although Tulane's minority enrollment has ticked up in the past three years amid changes to some of its recruiting practices, fewer than a quarter of its roughly 13,600 students are people of color.

The new courses are aimed at helping white students embrace their minority peers and to help prevent the kinds of problems that have dogged Tulane in recent years.

In 2015, racist comments were allegedly posted by Tulane students on Yik Yak, a social media platform that allows its users to make anonymous posts that others in the same geographic area can see.

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The following year, some members of Kappa Alpha fraternity erected a wall of sandbags around the fraternitys house on Audubon Street and upon them painted the words, Make America Great Again and Trump, political speech that offended some other groups on campus.

Student protesters told The Advocate that anti-minority, anti-Muslim and anti-gay sentiments began to increase on Tulanes campus after Donald Trump was elected president.

After students complained about the Yik Yak incident, Fitts, who was appointed president in 2014, convened a commission to study the issue of racial unrest. The curriculum change is just one of several moves that body has recommended in the years since then. Others include recruiting more professors and staff members of color and creating new rules for reporting discrimination on campus.

Under the new requirement, incoming students must take a course that focuses 60 percent of its content on diversity or inclusion in the U.S. and another that focuses the same amount of content on historical, cultural and societal knowledge of an area outside of the U.S.

Students will be allowed to pick from more than 50 courses Tulane already offers and several it plans to offer that meet those requirements, such as critical race theory, introduction to gender and sexuality studies, and introduction to African-American history. Students must take the courses by the end of their sophomore year.

The classes are the first additions to Tulanes core curriculum since 2006, when the university began requiring its students to perform public-service projects in New Orleans after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

This idea (of the new course requirements) quickly became a priority and was approved by Newcomb-Tulane College faculty with strong support, said Lisa Molix, a commission member and psychology professor.

She said professors understood that students should take classes that help them "grow to see human diversity, not as a threat, but as a resource and opportunity.
India and Bangladesh want stability, love and peace instead of instability, terror and unrest in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he underlined that the two friendly neighbours want to see the world progressing through their own development.

Prime Minister Modi made the remarks while speaking to the Matua community members after offering prayers at their temple in Gopalganj's Orakandi - the birthplace of Hindu mystic figure and community's spiritual guru Harichand Thakur.

"Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own development. Both the countries want to see stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world," Modi said.

Modi said he was waiting for this opportunity for many years and during his visit to Bangladesh in 2015, he had expressed desire to visit Orakandi, which has come true now.

Also Read | India, Bangladesh must remain vigilant and united to counter threats like terrorism: PM Modi

This place is a pilgrimage site for the spiritual relationship between India and Bangladesh, he said.

"I was speaking to some people here. They were saying who could have thought that India's Prime Minister would visit Orakandi, Modi said, adding that he was feeling the same emotions as felt by the Matua community members in India after coming to Orakandi, from where Harichand Thakur disseminated his pious message.

Orakandi is the abode of Hindu Matua community, a large number of whom are residents of neighbouring West Bengal.

Prime Minister Modi announced that India will upgrade one girls middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi.

Analysts said Modi's planned temple visits carry a political significance at the time of the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by BJP MP from West Bengal Shantanu Thakur during his visit to Orakandi.

Also Read | Why PM Modi is reaching out to Matua community in Bangladesh

The Matua community's vote may determine the winner in some seats in the elections to the West Bengal state assembly, the first phase of which began on Saturday.

Modi said the Matua community celebrates 'Baroni Shanan Utshab' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur and a large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival.

"To make this pilgrimage easier for citizens of India, efforts will be made on behalf of the Government of India," he said.

"We are also committed to grand events and various works reflecting the glorious history of the Matua community in Thakurnagar (West Bengal)," Modi said.

"I have always been very close to the family members of the Thakurbari," he added.

"The way India and Bangladesh governments are working towards strengthening their ties, Harichand Thakur and Thakurbari have been doing this for ages. This place symbolises the spiritual tryst of India and Bangladesh," he said.

In his address, Modi said that it was important for both India and Bangladesh to come together and fight common challenges.

He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India and Bangladesh proved their capabilities.

"Both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering that it is its duty that the 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," Modi added.

He said India is moving forward with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas', and Bangladesh is its co-passenger in it.

"Bangladesh is presenting a strong example of development and change in front of the world and India is your co-passenger in these efforts," he added.

Last time when Prime Minister Modi visited Bangladesh in 2015, he offered puja at Dhakeshwari temple in the national capital.

Bangladesh has taken extra security measures for the Indian premier's visit in the wake of protests by few leftist and Islamist groups.

In 2016, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) said their latest vital sample statistics report found the countrys total population to be 15.89 crore by the end of 2015 with the number of Hindus at 1.70 crore in the Muslim-majority nation.
(Natural News) According to a police report obtained by Politico, the Secret Service attempted to intervene in a bizarre domestic dispute between President Joe Bidens son Hunter and daughter-in-law Hallie  widow of the late Beau Biden  with who Hunter was in a relationship with at the time.

On Oct. 23, 2018, Hallie searched Hunters pickup truck, which was parked outside of her home in Wilmington, Delaware. According to a Delaware State Police report, she was searching his truck because of suspicions she had that Hunter might use it to harm himself.

Upon searching the truck, Hallie found Hunters .38 revolver. She took the firearm to the Janssens Market, a nearby upscale grocery store where the Biden family regularly shops at. There, she wrapped the gun in a black shopping bag and tossed it into a trash bin outside the store.

Later that day, Hallie informed Hunter of what she had done, and he told her to get the gun back. When Hallie returned to the grocery store, she found out that the gun was missing. She reported the issue to the stores general manager, who then informed the state police.

The missing gun caused heightened concern because Janssens is across the street from a high school. It caused such a commotion that the state police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the incident.

While the incident was being investigated and law enforcement officers were questioning Hunter and Hallie, two Secret Service agents went to the gun store in Wilmington where Hunter had purchased the revolver. The agents asked to take possession of the Firearms Transaction Record that proved Hunter purchased the gun from the store earlier that month.

The owners of the gun store refused to hand over the paperwork, suspecting that the agents wanted to hide the fact that Hunter owned the missing firearm. (Related: Mainstream media, FBI, DOJ covered up Hunter Biden investigation to help Joe Biden  Trump.)

The owner insisted that the transaction records were not under the purview of the Secret Service. When the ATF arrived later that day to inspect the records, the owner handed them over without question.

The incident seemingly ended out of nowhere when, several days later, the gun was returned to Hunter. It was given back by an older man who supposedly regularly searches the grocery stores trash to collect items he can recycle.

Neither the state police, the FBI nor the ATF charged or arrested Hunter of Hallie for the incident.

Secret Service denies involvement in incident

Any kind of involvement by the Secret Service on behalf of the Biden family would be considered an inappropriate interference. This is especially true since the state police, the FBI and the ATF were already investigating the incident.

In a statement to Politico, a spokesperson for the Secret Service said the agency did not have any record showing its employees were involved in the incident.

U.S. Secret Service records confirm that the agency did not provide protection to any member of the Biden family in 2018, and that the Secret Service had no involvement in this alleged incident.

A White House official was also quick to tell the media that President Biden was not involved in this specific incident involving his son and daughter-in-law.

President Biden did not have any knowledge of, or involvement in, the Secret Services alleged role in this incident, and neither he nor any family member was a protected at the time, said the official. The agency gave a similar statement to Politico when the news outlet attempted to press the Secret Service on its supposed involvement in the incident.

Bidens family was under the protection of the Secret Service from 2009 to 2017, during his tenure as vice president. The Secret Service only resumed its detail in Mar. 2020 when he became the Democratic Partys nominee for the presidency.

Learn more about the Biden family by reading the latest articles at JoeBiden.news.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

Politico.com
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 16:27:25|Editor: huaxia

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Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 24, 2021. (Photo by Song Boqi/Xinhua)

China wishes to propose a five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, namely advocating mutual respect, upholding equity and justice, achieving non-proliferation, jointly fostering collective security, and accelerating development cooperation, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

by Xinhua writer Tu Yifan

RIYADH, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The international community should fully respect the will of regional countries and contribute to stability and peace in the Middle East, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said in a recent interview with Al Arabiya TV channel.

For the region to emerge from chaos and enjoy stability, it must break free from the shadows of big-power geopolitical rivalry and independently explore development paths suited to its regional realities, Wang told the media in Riyadh on Wednesday, stressing that the international community should neither overstep its responsibility nor simply sit by and look on.

China has established diplomatic relations with all the countries in the Middle East, and elevated its relations with 13 Middle East countries to strategic partnerships, he said, adding that China is also the biggest trading partner and a major investor in the Middle East.

"China has become a staunch defender, builder and contributor to the current international order," Wang said, noting that China's relations and cooperation with countries in the Middle East will enjoy even greater prospects.

Photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows the donated medical supplies to be transported to the Saudi Arabia in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

INITIATIVE FOR REGIONAL STABILITY

"COVID-19 is still spreading in the region, turbulence persists, and hotspot issues are evolving amid twists and turns," Wang said. "The region is again at a crossroads."

Against this backdrop, he said, China wishes to propose a five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East, namely advocating mutual respect, upholding equity and justice, achieving non-proliferation, jointly fostering collective security, and accelerating development cooperation.

As it fosters a new development paradigm, Wang said, China is ready to share with Middle East countries its market opportunities, work with Arab countries to actively prepare for the China-Arab states summit, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and expand new areas of growth such as high and new technologies.

"We also look forward to early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council," he added.

"China is prepared to stay in close touch with all sides on the five-point initiative, and work closely to promote peace, security and development in the Middle East," Wang said.

Guests from Saudi Arabia learn about a smart mapping and modeling system based on unmanned aerial vehicles during the fourth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang)

CHINA-ARAB RELATIONS

According to Wang, there were three impressive markers, or three "number ones," in China-Arab relations in 2020.

With two-way trade approaching 240 billion U.S. dollars last year, China stayed comfortably as the largest trading partner of Arab states. Half of China's crude oil import came from Arab states, which contributed the biggest source of China's oil import. At the ninth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, the two sides agreed to hold the first ever China-Arab states summit.

Wang said China-Arab relations have become a fine example of state-to-state relations and South-South cooperation, adding that building a China-Arab states community with a shared future has become the goal and guiding vision for the development of their relations.

Toward this vision, China and Arab states should build a community with a shared future based on common convictions and pursuits, featuring tranquility and harmony, and in pursuit of development and prosperity, Wang explained.

When it comes to China's internal affairs including Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the countries and peoples in the Middle East are clear-eyed about the truth, and have been resolute in supporting China, Wang told Al Arabiya.

He said an outcome document of the Ninth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum stressed China's important efforts to care for the ethnic minorities and expressed support for China's just position regarding Hong Kong.

At the recently concluded session of the UN Human Rights Council, 21 Arab states spoke up for justice in support of China, Wang added, noting that China highly appreciates that.

"We would like to work with Arab and Islamic countries in the region to continue upholding the principle of non-interference and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries," Wang said.

Members of a Chinese medical team visit Palestinian Health Ministry's Central Health Laboratories in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 14, 2020. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

COOPERATION ON COVID-19 RESPONSE

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mutual assistance between China and Arab states has set a fine example of solidarity and cooperation in difficult times, Wang said.

China shared without reservation its prevention, control, diagnostic and therapeutic experience, and provided much-needed medical supplies to other countries, serving as an important supplier and a source of strength in this global fight, he added.

Wang said that in this joint fight, our most fundamental belief lies in our shared future, the most outstanding feature is our pioneering spirit, and the most precious bond is our shared belief.

"China has conducted anti-COVID cooperation with all Arab states," he said.

"We reached out to the people of Palestine and Palestinian refugees in surrounding areas, and people in Syria and other conflict zones. We provided a large amount of ventilators, test reagents, forehead thermometers, masks, goggles and protective suits," he said, adding that nearly 100 visits were made by Chinese medical experts to eight Arab states.

A commencement ceremony for the phase 3 clinical trial of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in the United Arab Emirates is held in Beijing, capital of China, June 23, 2020. (Xinhua)

Wang also praised that Arab states are among the first to cooperate with China on vaccines. As the first foreign country to host phase III trials for the Chinese vaccine, the United Arab Emirates has made a significant contribution to the success of the R&D of the vaccine.

He also pointed out that the joint statement on solidarity against COVID-19 issued at the Ninth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held last year underscored the importance of closer international cooperation and support for the lead role of the World Health Organization.

"By standing up against attempts to politicize or label the virus, China and Arab states played an important role in building global consensus and pooling global resources against the pandemic," Wang said. 
Elsmere Elementary School students decorate paper shopping bags with inspirational messages

Students in grades K-5 at Elsmere Elementary School in Delmar have teamed up with the local Hannaford Supermarket to brighten the shopping experience of local customers. With brightly colored hearts and rainbows and student messages that include phrases like "Stay Positive," "Stay Safe," "Happy Day," and "Love is Key," the bags are headed to the Hannaford in Delaware Plaza and will be in circulation late next week. First, the bags must spend three days in "isolation" as a COVID health and safety precaution.
Kaia Gerber demonstrated her sleek street style when she was seen emerging from lockdown in Los Angeles this week.

The 19-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford, who has followed her mother into the modeling business, stepped out for a sunlit stroll.

She warded off the morning chill in a cozy-looking color-block sweater that clashed fashionably with her black leggings.

Legging it: Kaia Gerber demonstrated her sleek street style when she was seen emerging from lockdown in Los Angeles this week

She added short UGG boots, white socks, and Oliver Peoples x The Row sunglasses.

Her latest outing comes days after Ryan Murphy announced on Instagram that Kaia will be joining the cast of American Horror Story for season 10.

'Very excited to announce that Kaia Gerber is joining the American Horror Story family,' gushed Ryan, 55, in his Instagram caption.

Ryan co-created the program with his frequent collaborator Brad Falchuk who is currently married to Gwyneth Paltrow.

The show is anthology with each season structured around a different theme such as Asylum, Freak Show, Cult, Apocalypse, Coven and Hotel.

Off she goes: The 19-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford, who has followed her mother into the modeling business, stepped out for a sunlit stroll

In a cryptic teaser he dropped on Instagram over the weekend Ryan revealed that he is calling season 10 'Double Feature.'

'TWO HORRIFYING STORIES...ONE SEASON,' read the text in the video as footage played of waves crashing on a dark beach.

'ONE BY THE SEA...ONE BY THE SAND. MORE TO COME...,' the teaser dished - and then Ryan went into the comments to fill in more details.

'It means TWO SEASONS for the fans airing in one calendar year!' he wrote in his replies, promising 'double the viewing pleasure.'

The look: She warded off the morning chill in a cozy-looking color-block sweater that clashed fashionably with her black leggings

He dished: 'One set by the sea (this cast already announced). A second by the sand (that cast announcement coming).'

Ryan wrote that the cast list for the 'sand' season was 'coming' three days before he announced Kaia's involvement in the project.

American Horror Story is not Kaia's first acting job - she had a bit part in a 2016 TV movie called Sister Cities as the child version of Stana Katic's character.

For the past few months she has been dating 23-year-old Australian actor Jacob Elordi who stars in the Kissing Booth film series on Netflix.

New frontier: Her latest outing comes days after Ryan Murphy announced on Instagram that Kaia will be joining the cast of American Horror Story for season 10

Jacob used to date his Kissing Booth co-star Joey King and there were also once unconfirmed rumors he was involved with his Euphoria castmate Zendaya.

Meanwhile in 2019 Kaia had a relationship with Saturday Night Live funnyman Pete Davidson who is seven years her senior.

Reports of their split circulated at the start of last year with an E! News insider saying that Pete was 'taking a break to work on his mental health.'

Looking back: American Horror Story is not Kaia's first acting job - she had a bit part in a 2016 TV movie called Sister Cities as the child version of Stana Katic's character

Cindy and her husband Rande Gerber had been filmed by Page Six in December 2019 talking emphatically outside their daughter's apartment.

DailyMail.com learned from a bystander that Rande had a conversation with someone upstairs - likely Pete - who was 'freaking out' and had 'scratched eyes.'

Shortly thereafter he quipped during the Weekend Update section of Saturday Night Live that he was about to take 'the kind of vacation where, like, insurance pays for some of it, and they take your phone and shoelaces.'
A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine from researchers at Henry Ford Health System has found that Henry Ford's early implementation of a universal mask policy in the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reducing the risk of healthcare workers at Henry Ford acquiring COVID-19.

Through retrospective analysis of an internal hospital quality metric reporting analytics database that was not associated with electronic medical records, researchers discovered a correlation between the implementation of Henry Ford's universal mask policy and a significant drop in the rate at which its Healthcare workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. As COVID-19 diagnoses and hospitalizations across the State of Michigan continued to rise through late March 2020, the cases among Henry Ford's healthcare workers began to fall. By the time the first peak in COVID-19 cases occurred in the general population, the rate of cases among Henry Ford healthcare workers was already trending downward.

This research reinforces the fact that mask wearing is effective in reducing the risk of acquiring COVID-19 and validated our decision early on to implement the universal mask policy, not only to protect our team members, but also to ensure they are able to care for members of the community who had contracted COVID-19. At Henry Ford Health System, our universal mask policy issued on March 26, 2020 ensured all staff, both clinical and non-clinical, received surgical or procedural masks and mandated that staff wear a mask at work while also following all other personal protective equipment requirements. Our hope is that the findings of this study continue to encourage members of the community to wear a mask in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations." Steven Kalkanis, M.D., CEO of Henry Ford Medical Group

Healthcare workers have a threefold increased risk of reporting testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, compared to the general population, according to a study published in Lancet Public Health. As of March 22, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 450,000 SARS-CoV-2 infections among healthcare workers in the U.S. since the onset of the pandemic, and nearly 1,500 COVID-19 related deaths among healthcare workers.

From March 12 - August 10, 2020, 19.2% of healthcare workers at Henry Ford were symptomatic for COVID-19 and underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing. Before March 28-30 - the single changepoint in the data when the rate of new cases began to trend downward - the odds of a tested healthcare worker having a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result doubled every 4.5 - 7.5 days. After March 30, the odds of a tested healthcare worker having a positive result reduced by half every 10.5 - 13.5 days.

"This effort would not have been possible without the leadership of our executive team, including our president and CEO Wright Lassiter, III, Dr. Steven Kalkanis, chief clinical officer Dr. Adnan Munkarah, and chief operating officer Bob Riney," said Dee Dee Wang, M.D., Director of Structural Heart Imaging at Henry Ford Hospital and principal investigator of the study. "At a time when much was unknown about the novel coronavirus, this initiative truly helped keep our healthcare workers safe. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Betty Chu, our associate chief clinical officer and chief quality officer; Dr. William O'Neill, director of our Center for Structural Heart Disease; Dr. Geehan Suleyman, medical director of Infection Control; Dr. Marcus Zervos, chief of our Infectious Disease division; and so many others who were instrumental in the creation and successful implementation of our universal mask policy."

With the arrival of COVID-variants in the community, even with COVID-19 vaccines now being rolled out, healthcare workers and community members should remain vigilant and continue to wear a mask in accordance with CDC recommendations.

Henry Ford is providing onsite expertise and oversight for the vaccine administrations, medical care and operations at the Ford Field mass vaccination site. Vaccines administered at Ford Field are in addition to Michigan's regular statewide vaccine allotment. Key facts to know:

- Will operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. for eight weeks

- The U.S. Air Force will provide vaccination support

- 68 vaccination pods will be set up on the Concourse at Ford Field. Vaccinations are open to those who meet the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services vaccine guidelines.

Registration and appointment scheduling are being managed by Meijer. People may register in the following ways:

- Online at clinic.meijer.com/register/CL2021

- Text EndCOVID to 75049

- Call the State of Michigan COVID hotline at 888-535-6136 (Press 1) Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
A major rescue operation is underway this afternoon to bring a stricken fishing trawler to safety after it lost power in high seas on Friday morning.

The seven-member crew of the Wexford-based vessel Ellie Adhamh are said to be in good spirits despite their ordeal.

The Ellie Adhamh is being brought to Bantry by the Naval ship LE George Bernard Shaw after it was left drifting approximately 70 miles west of Bantry Bay.

The response is being coordinated by the Coast Guard Rescue Coordination centre at Valentia.

The Coast Guard said weather conditions overnight on Friday were challenging but that the Castletownbere RNLI Lifeboat was monitoring the tow as they make their way to Bantry.

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A Coast Guard helicopter has also transferred water pumps onto the vessel.

The tow is proceeding satisfactorily and is expected to reach Bantry Bay later this evening where arrangements will be made to have the vessel taken into port, the Coast Guard said this morning.

The Coast Guard, RNLI and Naval Service had been coordinating the rescue of the stricken Wexford-based trawler, after it raised the alarm when it lost engine power some 100km off the south west coast while returning from a prawn-fishing trip in the Porcupine Bank.

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The Ellie Adhamh had started taking on water in big seas on Friday but its pumps had managed to clear the water from the vessel which was returning to Castletownbere when it suddenly lost power.

Despite repeated attempts it was unable to restart the engines amid poor sea conditions and was beginning to drift at sea.

A number of other trawlers attempted to assist the vessel but tow lines kept breaking in very heavy sea conditions.

The decision was made to dispatch a tug from Castletownbere to assist the trawler back to port.

However, the tug was struck by a giant wave some 30km offshore which shattered its wheelhouse windows and had to return to port for emergency repairs.

A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to the area to standby as a precautionary measure while the Naval Service vessel was diverted from fishery patrol duties to aid the trawler.

The LE George Bernard Shaw arrived on the scene at about 8pm last night, releasing a Cypriot-registered freighter, the Frio Forwin, which had remained on standby to assist after it had picked up a May Day signal.

The naval ship established radio contact with the Ellie Adhamh and stayed nearby overnight before attempting to get a tow aboard the stricken trawler at first light this morning.

Emergency services considered airlifting the crew from the trawler while a number of fishing vessels remained in the area to support the stricken boat.

However, the Coast Guard said the crew had declined an offer to have some of the members evacuated from the vessel and that they were in good spirits.
One of Britain's oldest lock makers could be about to change hands for more than 2billion. City sources said Chubb Fire & Safety was being prepared for sale by its US owner Carrier Global Corporation.

Financiers from Bank of America are said to be working with Carrier, whose market capitalisation stands at $35billion (25billion), on a possible sale of Chubb.

The firm was set up by Charles and Jeremiah Chubb in 1818, when the brothers patented the 'detector lock', which jams shut if someone tries to pick it.

The lock's popularity grew rapidly as the Industrial Revolution saw huge growth in cities but also a rise in crime.

Secure: The firm was set up by Charles and Jeremiah Chubb in 1818, when the brothers patented the 'detector lock'

Chubb opened a factory in Wolverhampton and started making wrought iron doors and burglar resistant safes too.

It continued to perform well amid growing demand for security, and in 1964 expanded into fire safety by acquiring Read & Campbell, the inventor of pressurised fire extinguishers.

Since then, the company has grown further and now has operations across the world, including Australia, Thailand and India.

Chubb is expected to draw interest from some of Europe's largest private equity firms.

Two years ago Carrier's former parent, United Technologies Corporation, tried to sell Chubb. Reports suggested buyout firms including Apax, PAI Partners and Eurazeo showed an interest. But United Technologies opted against a sale after failing to get offers at a high enough price.

A spokesperson for Carrier did not respond to requests for comment.
The Irish Limousin Cattle Society with an office based at Kilglass, Mitchelstown are pleased to announce the appointment of Ronan Murphy as their CEO.

A highly experienced business leader, Ronan has worked in many industries in senior roles and brings new skill sets as well as a vast amount of knowledge and experience of animal breeding and production to the role.

Ronan is currently working as a consultant and prior to this was the CEO of Horse Sport Ireland where he led the restructuring of the organisation based on the Dept. of Agriculture Commissioned Indecon recommendations, developing the strategic plan and financial sustainability for the National Federation and establishing a new cohesive business approach across the Irish sport horse industry.

During his tenure he also oversaw the implementation of new high-performance structures which resulted in the historic qualification of all three Irish equestrian teams for the Summer Olympic Games.

He previously held the position of CEO in Weatherbys Ireland where he served on the board of four of Weatherbys' companies with direct responsibility for Weatherbys Thoroughbred stud book business in Ireland, Britain along with the growth and development of the Weatherbys animal genomic testing laboratories in Naas.

Prior to that he worked in Hermitage Genetics, a Kilkenny-based company specialising in performance genetics where he played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the Hermitage business globally and has overseen some of the most innovative developments in genetic technologies and their influence on improving pig production at farm level.

Ronan is a Wicklow man and graduated from UCD with a Master's Degree in Animal Science.

President of the Society Trevor Masterson said on the announcement: "Ronan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role having successfully developed animal breeding businesses in both the porcine and equine industries."

Ronan Murphy said he considered it a 'privilege' to be appointed the new CEO.
The humanitarian crisis at the southern border has vexed politicians in both parties for years. Now its Vice President Kamala Harris problem.

President Joe Bidens administration announced this week that Harris would lead its efforts to reduce the surge of migrants at the southern border, the highest-profile assignment yet for a vice president who had been in search of a portfolio of issues to call her own.

For the former California senator and attorney general, it may be one of the most complicated and urgent issues of her political career. Democrats say tackling immigration carries as much risk as it does reward, giving her a chance to demonstrate leadership, but also potentially exposing her on a volatile issue capable of tarnishing her reputation with liberal and moderate voters alike.

For a vice president that is trying to burnish her credentials for not just the next four years, but probably the next 15 or 20 years, this is a prime moment for her to do that, said Democratic strategist Joel Payne.

But he added, Immigration is a tough issue to find consensus on. It is an issue that, politically, there are a lot of trapdoors. And there is certainly an element of risk involved in the vice president taking this on.

Harris political future is of keen interest to many Democrats, some of whom already regard the 56-year-old as the partys likely heir apparent. At a press conference Thursday, Biden said it is his expectation that he will seek re-election in 2024 and that Harris would remain his political partner.

Bidens statement will do little to quiet speculation about Harris political future, or interest from across the political spectrum in how she handles her new role. Harris has limited diplomatic experience, having never served on the Foreign Relations or Armed Services Committees when she was in the Senate, though she was a member committee for Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

When youre the vice president and the president comes to you with an incredibly important task, theres only one answer, said Brian Brokaw, a former longtime political adviser to Harris. And I think thats a testament to her commitment to serving the president and also tackling very tough issues, even when theyre incredibly challenging.

Story continues

Stemming the tide of migrants at the border  many of whom are now families or unaccompanied minors  is one of the greatest challenges facing the Biden White House. It has hindered administrations of both parties for decades, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The challenge has become especially acute this year, with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas predicting earlier this month that the number of migrants encountered by border officials will soon reach a 20-year high.

Biden administration officials have resisted labeling the situation a crisis, but federal officials have been forced to rapidly expand the number and size of detention facilities to house unaccompanied minors applying for asylum.

Senior administration officials told reporters this week that Harris would work directly with leaders in Mexico and the countries that make up the Northern Triangle  Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador  to help improve conditions that administration officials say prompt most of the migrants to leave their home border.

Former Harris aides argued its an issue she is well-positioned to tackle given her background.

Shes a natural executive and better situated to be the one in charge, gather the facts, and then give marching orders than she is to either stand in the background, which is kind of her job now, or before that sit in a hearing and listen to a bunch of think tank experts talk about potential solutions, said a former Harris aide said, who was not able to speak publicly.

As California attorney general, Harris collaborated with her Mexican counterparts on efforts to combat drug smuggling and human trafficking, an experience that former aides said prepared her to oversee efforts to address the surge of migrants now.

She wont be satisfied with incremental improvements, Nathan Barankin, a former chief of staff to Harris in the Senate, said of her approach. She will drive hard for real and sustained types of improvements that will put us on a path towards solving the problem.

Harris background could also help her win over a vocal community of immigration activists who closely monitor the administrations policy. Some of them welcomed Harris assignment, saying she has credibility with their community and a history of advocacy on the issue as a senator.

But they also emphasized that she needed to to fulfill the promises made by Biden to chart a much different immigration policy than Trump.

The American public and voters elected her and President Biden to the White House to show us a new direction on immigration, one that welcomed immigrants and treated them with respect, said Greisa Martinez Rosas, the executive director at United We Dream, a pro-immigration advocacy group. What were seeing is an opportunity to do that.

Biden was criticized by liberals during his presidential campaign for a surge in deportations that occurred while he was Obamas vice president. Biden pushed back on the criticism, noting he was only vice president at the time and didnt set the administrations policy.

Some Democratic officials privately expressed concern that Harris would likewise bear the brunt of potentially unfavorable outcomes, even if she wasnt in control of the immigration policy that led to them.

This is not a matter of personnel; this is a matter of policy, said one Democrat close to the administration, granted anonymity to speak candidly. The vice president has been put in a position where the likelihood of success is next to minimal.

Other Democrats said Biden wouldnt have given Harris the assignment if he thought it would harm her politically.

I dont think theyre gonna leave her out on an island, Payne said.

Biden said as he announced the assignment that its not her full responsibility and job, but shes leading the effort.

She knows what shes doing, and I hope we can move this along, he said of Harris before telling her, I gave you a tough job, and youre smiling, but theres no one better capable of trying to organize this for us.

Barankin said that no reasonable person expects Harris to immediately and single-handedly solve Central American nations economic problems.

Success is not going to be saying, Oh, weve now made Central America a little slice of Nirvana on Earth, because that is going to take prolonged, sustained work, Barankin said.

Harris work on migration is also drawing the attention of Republican critics, who have already made the crisis on the border a focal point of their messaging this year. After the White House announced Harriss new role, Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey called the vice president the worst possible choice one could make.

Some longtime immigration policy veterans say that even if they expect Harris will thrive in her new role, the criticism will be frequent from both the left and the right.

My side likes to protest stuff, said Douglas Rivlin, spokesman for the pro-immigrant group Americas Voice. But I think shes going to get criticism from the right and left no matter what she does. And thatll be a sign shes probably striking the right balance.
Prime Minister on Saturday paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara.

PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman was the first President of Bangladesh and later he also became the prime minister. He was assassinated on August 15, 1975. Rahman is known as the "Father of the Nation" or simply "Mujib" in Bangladesh.

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi presented the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020, being conferred by India upon Rahman, to his daughters - Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana.

PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, on Saturday morning, offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.

"Today, I got the opportunity to visit this Shaktipeeth to pay obeisance to Maa Kali. I prayed to her to free the human race from COVID-19," Prime Minister Modi told ANI after offering prayers at the Kali Temple, located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.

He suggested that the temple, which has been renovated recently by the Bangladesh government, could be used for social, religious and educational events as well.

"It could be useful even for social, religious and educational events. Most importantly, it could serve as a shelter at the time of disasters like cyclones. The government of India will do the construction work. I express gratitude to the Bangladesh government that they have wished us well for this program," said the Prime Minister.

This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip since the COVID-19 outbreak last year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from various places that went to polls on Saturday during the first phase of Bengal assembly polls, even as the overall poll situation was largely peaceful with 79.79 per cent turnout recorded till 5 pm, an official said.

Voting was held in 30 seats - several of them part of the once-Naxal-hit Jangalmahal region -- amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, the Election Commission (EC) official said.

In some booths, voters were provided with masks, sanitisers and polythene gloves.

Of the 30 seats that went to polls -- nine are in Purulia, four each in Bankura and Jhargram, six in Paschim Medinipur, and seven in high-stakes Purba Medinipur district.

"Till 5 pm, 79.79 percent polling has been recorded in the state. By and large, elections were held peacefully," the EC official said.

Purba Medinipur recorded the highest turnout at 82.51 per cent, followed by Jhargram at 80.56, Paschim Medinipur at 80.12 per cent, Bankura at 79.90 per cent and Purulia at 77.07 per cent.

Violence and scuffle, however, marred the polling process is some areas.

In Kanthi Dakshin seat of Purba Medinipur district, voters staged protests outside a polling booth over alleged malfunctioning of an electronic voting machine.

The agitators blocked a road outside a polling station at Majna, claiming that the VVPAT slip showed results in favour of a particular party, no matter which outfit they voted for.

A contingent of central forces was sent to the area to control the situation, an EC official said, adding that the VVPAT machine was eventually replaced.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during a rally in West Midnapore, claimed that the BJP has manipulated EVMs and used central forces to intimidate the voters.

"Today, in some polling booths of Kanthi, the VVPAT showed that votes were getting polled in favour of the BJP, even as a person pressed the button next to the symbol of some other party. In some areas, central forces were seen threatening voters. The EC must take action," she said.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's younger brother Soumendu claimed he was attacked in Kanthi by TMC supporters.

He also alleged that his car was vandalised, and his driver sustained injuries in the attack.

"I was passing through Kanthi, when the TMC supported hurled bricks at my car and smashed its window panes. It seems they have lost their minds, sensing defeat," Soumendu said.

At Mohonpur in Dantan assembly constituency, four persons were injured in clashes between workers of the TMC and the BJP, after alleged attempts to capture booths were made by some of them.

At Keshiari in Paschim Medinipur, security forces baton-charged locals who staged demonstrations, claiming that votes were being cast only in favour of one party.

Later in the day, the protesters blocked an adjoining road stating that security forces attacked women during house-to-house raids.

A man identified as Mangal Soren was found dead near his home in Begumpur area of Keshiari earlier in the day, the police said.

BJP leaders claimed that Soren, a party supporter, was killed by TMC "goons", a charge rubbished by the ruling party.

In its report to the EC, the district administration said the death had no connection with the polling process.

Dipak Bauri, a BJP leader in Purulia, claimed that the constituency's TMC candidate Sujoy Bandyopadhyay threatened to shoot him during an altercation.

In Paschim Medinipur's Salboni seat, CPI(M) candidate Susanta Ghosh was heckled, and stones were hurled at his car, allegedly by TMC supporters. Police personnel posted in the area escorted him to safety.

According to reports, a few journalists who were covering the incident were also manhandled.

An EC official said three persons were arrested in connection with the attack.

The TMC, however, denied any involvement.

Long queues were seen outside most booths during the morning hours, with people stepping out early in the day to avoid the sweltering heat, and violence or protests, if any.

In several areas, including Egra, voters complained of intimidation by central forces.

A few EVMs, found non-functional during the voting process, were either replaced or restored, the EC official said, adding that the polling wasn't affected due to it.

The TMC has raised concerns over the "fluctuating turnout figures" on the EC's mobile app.

The EC, however, allayed the concerns and said it takes time to collate the final figures.

The BJP, meanwhile, moved EC accusing the TMC of letting loose a reign of fear in several areas.

More than 73 lakh voters were eligible to exercise their franchise and decide the fate of 191 candidates during the first phase of elections -- the process for which was scheduled to end at 6 pm.

Around 730 companies of central forces guarded 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.

In 2016, the TMC had won 27 of the 30 seats, where polling was held on Saturday. The Left-Congress alliance had won the remaining three.
EXCLUSIVE: We have footage showing nearly 200 Chinese vessels in Philippine waters. The government has demanded China to withdraw these vessels. But more than that a maritime expert suggests taking the matter to an international court.
Strange fireballs lit up skies over the American states of Washington and Oregon on March 26, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents stunned. Soon after the rare phenomenon occurred, people started bombarding social media platforms with photos and videos of it. The display also sparked speculations amongst netizens about the bright-lit objects and led to many concluding that it was a meteor shower.

Ummm... just caught this flying over my home in SW Portland. pic.twitter.com/CvQJwvWsyj  Vince LaVecchia (@vincelavecchia) March 26, 2021

This was right over our heads in Forest Grove, Oregon. pic.twitter.com/moUcrZT9BE  Ingrid (@Danusional_Kid) March 26, 2021

YO OREGON WHAT DID I JUST SEE @KATUNews pic.twitter.com/fgplrWtgha  Ches Allen (@ChesAllenPDX) March 26, 2021

Reddit user u/ArcMaster posted this incredible video of meteor/spacejunk tonight, visible across much of Oregon and Washington. The shockwave at final breakup was felt indoors. pic.twitter.com/qoxMWYy61G     (@NullAdagio) March 26, 2021

Meteor streaking over St. Helens, Oregon near Portland about 30 minutes ago pic.twitter.com/QVgco04VV6  Andrew Dassonville (@theandrewda) March 26, 2021

As the buzz caught the attention of astronomers and experts, they took it upon themselves to iron out details about the light show. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, affiliated with the Centre of Astrophysics and the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted that it was not a meteor shower but space debris. Adding to it, other experts later revealed that the phenomenon was caused by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket second stage debris that failed to de-orbit and burn up after launch, but got around to it 22 days later.

Additionally, he also shared some fun facts about space debris. In his post, he wrote, "A breakup like the one over Seattle happens at about 60 km (~40 miles) up, far above where aeroplanes fly (more like 10 km)." Additionally, he also highlighted that space agencies could predict this rocket stage would reenter on which date. "But as of yesterday the TIME at which it would reenter was still uncertain by 5 hours", he added.

The Falcon 9 second stage from the Mar 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn and is now reentering after 22 days in orbit. Its reentry was observed from the Seattle area at about 0400 UTC Mar 26. pic.twitter.com/FQrBrUoBHh  Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021

Another fun debris fact: this is the 14th piece of space junk with a mass over one tonne that has reentered since Jan 1st this year.  Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021

.. in other words, about one a week. Plus lots more smaller bits of course.  Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 26, 2021

Just last month, skies above Queensland lit up with flashing lights as debris from a Chinese rocket flew past the Australian state. The unusual sight prompted social media users to share pictures and videos of the space debris burning up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. Experts have opined that space debris poses threat to satellites orbiting the planet, therefore, it is better to burn them up in the earths atmosphere itself.

What is space debris?

As per NASA, most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds. Space junk is no one countries responsibility, but the responsibility of every spacefaring country. The problem of managing space debris is both an international challenge and an opportunity to preserve the space environment for future space exploration missions.

Image: JoshVester/Twitter

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Mumbai, March 27 : Actress Sara Ali Khan on Saturday revealed that she used to stalk superstar Akshay Kumar while shooting their upcoming film "Atrangi Re"! Sara took to Instagram to talk about the Aanand L Rai directorial that has just concluded shooting. She shared stills from the set on Instagram along with her post, too.

"That's a film wrap. Ek saal baad. Thank you so much @aanandlrai sir for giving me this role, this film and this opportunity. But more than that thank you for your unconditional love, unwavering support, the best India darshan, delicious khana, early morning sunrise drives to location, sufi ginger water evenings, and the most memorable year with the best team," she wrote.

"Atrangi Re" also stars Dhanush. Tagging the Tamil star, Sara shared: "@dhanushkraja thank you for always being helpful, motivating and inspiring. Couldn't have asked for a better partner in this journey and yes thank you for introducing me to your amazing music and mouth watering varieties of South Indian food (even though we could've avoided that indulgence during shoots)." Apologising for stalking Akshay Kumar, Sara added: "Thank you so much @akshaykumar sir for bringing so much love, laughter, energy and positivity on our set and sorry for stalking you for photos in all our costumes sir." "Atrangi Re" went on floors in March 2020, in Varanasi. The team resumed shoot post lockdown in Madurai, followed by schedules in Delhi and Agra. The film is slated to release on August 6.
Every year, an estimated four percent of the world's vegetated land surface burns, leaving more than 250 megatons of carbonized plants behind. For the first time, a study by the University of Vienna has now recorded elevated concentrations of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR) in these charcoals - in some cases even up to five years after the fire. These EPFR may generate reactive substances, which in turn harm plants and living organisms.

The research team led by Gabriel Sigmund and Thilo Hofmann analyzed charcoal samples collected from forest, shrubland and grassland fires in different climatic zones. The study is published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative stress at the cellular level. Research shows that this way, amongst others, they inhibit the germination capacity of plants, produce cytotoxins or exert toxic effects on aquatic invertebrates. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFR) are potential precursors of ROS because they can react with water to form these radical species. "Therefore, EPFR are associated with harmful effects on the ecosystem and human health," explains Gabriel Sigmund, the lead investigator of the study.

Our study shows that these environmentally persistent free radicals can be found in large quantities and over a long period of time in fire derived charcoal." Gabriel Sigmund, Environmental Geoscientist, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CMESS), University of Vienna

In all 60 charcoal samples from ten different fires, the researchers detected EPFR in concentrations that exceeded those typically found in soils by as much as ten to a thousand times.

Other than expected, this concentration remained stable for at least five years, as an analysis of charcoal samples showed which were gathered at the same location and over several years after a forest fire. "The more stable the environmentally persistent free radicals are, the more likely it is that they will have an impact on ecosystems over longer periods of time," explains Thilo Hofmann, co-author of the study and head of the research group.

Samples from fires in forest, shrubland and grassland spanning different climates

The researchers collected charcoal samples from fires of diverse intensity in boreal, temperate, subtropical, and tropical climates. They considered forest, shrubland and grassland fires and, thus, also different fuel materials (woods and grasses). The original material and the charring conditions determine the degree of carbonization. Consequently, both indirectly influence the extent to which EPFR are formed and how persistent they are. "The analyses show that the concentration of environmentally persistent free radicals increased with the degree of carbonization," Sigmund reports. Woody fuels favored higher concentrations. For these, the researchers were also able to demonstrate the stability of EPFR over several years. "We assume that woody wildfire derived charcoal is a globally important source of these free radicals and thus potentially also of harmful reactive oxygen species," adds Hofmann.

International collaboration across disciplines

"It is our collaboration with colleagues at Swansea University in the United Kingdom that enables us to make these highly differentiated statements," explains Sigmund. The wildfire experts at Swansea University are conducting global research into the effects of fire on environmental processes such as the carbon cycle and erosion. They have collected charcoal samples from around the world and sent them to Vienna for analysis, along with information on the timing, duration and intensity of the fires. CMESS researchers analyzed the samples in collaboration with Marc Pignitter of the Faculty of Chemistry using electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR spectroscopy). ESR spectroscopy made it possible to quantify the environmentally persistent free radicals in the studied material and to identify their adjacent chemical structures.

Questions about consequences for the ecosystem

The study has provided insights, but also raised further questions: The fact that environmentally persistent free radicals occur in such high concentrations and remain stable over several years was surprising. In future studies, the researchers are planning to also assess the consequences this may have for the environment. "To what extent is this a stress factor for microorganisms after a fire? How does it affect an ecosystem? The study is an impetus for further research," reports Sigmund.
In a pro-insurance coverage ruling, the Indiana Supreme Court reversed a lower courts decision that crime coverage did not exist for a ransomware attack, while finding that fact issues prevented a ruling at this time on one key coverage issue. G&G Oil Co. of Indiana, Inc. v. Contl. W. Ins. Co., 20S-PL-617, 2021 WL 1034982 (Ind. Mar. 18, 2021)

The case concerned an unfortunately all too typical attack on G&G Oils computer system: ransomware. Specifically, the attack arose from a malicious computer code that renders the victims computer useless by blocking access to the programs and data. After consulting the FBI, G&G Oil paid the requested ransom with four bitcoins worth nearly $35,000 to regain access to its computer system

G&G Oils commercial crime policy provided coverage for loss or damage to money, securities and other property resulting directly from the use of any computer to fraudulently cause a transfer of that property from inside the premises or banking premises:

To a person (other than a messenger) outside those premises; or To a place outside those premises.

The court addressed two coverage issues, including: (1) whether the ransomware attack constitutes fraudulent conduct under the terms of the subject policy, and (2) whether the loss resulted directly from the use of a computer.

Preliminarily, the court considered the insurance companys argument that since G&G Oil had not purchased coverage for computer hacking and computer virus in a separate part of the policy, G&G Oils ransomware claim was excluded. However, the court disagreed, holding that G&G Oils refusal to purchase such coverage was not dispositive. The court concluded that the structure of the policy required that each coverage part had to be read individually unless otherwise specified.

The Indiana Supreme Court found that the policy language was unambiguous. The Court, however, rejected the lower courts interpretation of the term fraud, ruling that the construction was too narrow. Looking to multiple sources, including dictionary definitions, the Court found that the terms fraudulently cause a transfer can be reasonably understood from the standpoint of a reasonably intelligent policyholder as simply to obtain by trick.' The court relied on authority for the rule that the purpose of insurance is to insure.

However, in analyzing the parties cross-motions, the court held that neither G&G Oil nor its insurance company were entitled to summary judgment. The court reasoned that not every ransomware attack was fraudulent, finding, for example, that: if no safeguards were put in place, it is possible a hacker could enter companys servers unhindered and hold them hostage. There would be no trick there. The court found that the record was incomplete, and remanded the case and left G&G Oil to its proof.

The court similarly held the insurance company was not entitled to summary judgment because it was unclear whether G&G Oils computer systems were accessed and infiltrated by trick, particularly since little was on the court record about the initiating events giving rise to the computer hack. In resolving this question in favor of G&G Oil, the non-moving party, the court held the insurance company was not entitled to summary judgment on its cross-motion.

Next, the court examined whether G&G Oils loss resulted directly from the use of a computer. On the one hand, G&G Oil argued that its loss resulted directly from the use of a computer, which would be covered under the policy. On the other hand, the insurance company argued G&Gs voluntary transfer of bitcoin was an intervening cause that severed the causal chain such that, the loss allegedly did not result directly from the use of a computer.

The lower courts agreed with the insurance company, holding that the loss did not result directly from the use of a computer. Specifically, the lower court found that the voluntary payment of bitcoin by G&G Oil to satisfy the ransomware demand was an intervening cause of the loss. In reversing the lower courts, the Indiana Supreme Court again looked to multiple sources, including dictionary definitions, and held that G&G Oils claim satisfied the definition of resulting directly from the use of a computer, in that G&G Oils actions (i.e., the transfer of bitcoin) was nearly the immediate result  without significant deviation  from the use of a computer. In so holding, the court acknowledged G&G Oils transfer of bitcoin was voluntary, but only in the sense G&G Oil consciously made the payment. The court found that under the facts, the payment more closely resembled one made under duress, and was not so remote that the payment broke the causal chain.

Many insurance companies will attempt to apply an improperly narrow interpretation of the scope of insurance protection under their insurance policies.

The Indiana Supreme Court decision is an important one for all policyholders, particularly given the drastic increase in ransomware attacks in recent years. Policyholders with traditional crime insurance policies should be encouraged by this decision, which is yet another example that policyholders should not accept a coverage denial at face value. Many insurance companies will attempt to apply an improperly narrow interpretation of the scope of insurance protection under their insurance policies.

One must applaud G&G Oils perseverance in seeing its insurance claim through coverage denials and pro-insurance company rulings before getting to the Indiana Supreme Court. It is a lesson in persistence for all policyholders. Some organizations will have purchased cyber insurance policies that provide coverage for ransomware. G&G Oil potentially provides coverage for those that did not under their commercial crime policies.
A joint video promotion event for Xinjiang with the Chinese embassy in Britain is held in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Everything that China's Xinjiang has done is open, above board, and for the well-being of people of all ethnic groups in the region, said the head of the regional legislative body on Friday.

Xinjiang once suffered deeply from ethnic separatism, violent terrorism, and religious extremism. From the 1990s to 2016, the "three forces" at home and abroad committed thousands of terrorist cases in Xinjiang, resulting in the deaths of many innocent people and incalculable property losses, said Shewket Imin, director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The region has taken various preventive counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, such as through vocational education and training, to fight terrorism in line with the law and the principle and spirit of UN anti-terrorism resolutions, he said.

The lawmaker made the remarks at a joint video promotion event for Xinjiang with the Chinese embassy in Britain.

In the past four years, the region has reported no terrorist cases, meeting the aspirations of local people for security and stability, Shewket Imin said.

He also briefed on the region's economic and social development achievements, such as railways and expressways that now connect all prefectures and cities in the vast region.

In recent years, the region has implemented targeted poverty alleviation policies through developing industries, employment, and resident relocation from inhospitable places to win the battle against poverty, he said.

Xinjiang's achievements in eradicating absolute poverty have benefited 3.07 million rural residents, who now have access to medical insurance, compulsory education, safe housing and safe drinking water, he said.
Members of the Communist Party USA and other anti-fascist groups burn an American flag on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Col., on Jan. 20, 2021. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

Communist Party USA Affirms Loyalty to Beijing

Commentary

Its the 1930s all over again. American communists are now treating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with the same slavish reverence once reserved for Stalin and the mighty Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).

The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), once shamelessly subservient to the CPSU, has now completely transferred its loyalties to the CCP.

On March 10, a high-level delegation from the CPUSA met with senior CCP officials in Beijing. According to an article on the CPUSA website, the International Department of the CPUSA and the International Commission of the Central Committee of the CCP held a bilateral meeting to celebrate and discuss the 100th anniversary of the CCP.

Los Angeles-based Rossana Cambron, national co-chair of the CPUSA, and Houston comrade Alvaro Rodriguez, the partys international secretary, led the U.S. delegation.

Despite being a small party (estimated 5,000 members), the CPUSA delegation was treated with considerable respect and interest by CCP officials.

Delegate Tony Pecinovsky, a CPUSA organizer and labor historian from St. Louis, gave the CCP officials an overview of 100 years of party history.

Comrade Maicol David Lynch from New York explained to his Chinese hosts that most young people have a positive attitude toward socialism, especially after the political election campaigns by Bernie Sanders. The CPUSA has attracted a lot of interest from young people and increasing numbers of young people are applying for membership.

Comrade Zhou, the CCPs international secretary, recounted a century of U.S.China relations: We remember how Americans came to help us during the War of Japanese Aggression, we remember the solidarity that the CPUSA showed the CPC during this time of resistance.

Comrade Yinchun, a member of the CCPs central committee and international commission, boasted about Chinas recent eradication of extreme poverty: Our socialist market economy has lifted millions out of dire poverty, and by 2035, they will have achieved an even higher standard of life.

The CPUSA also contributed to the Wanshou Forum on Feb. 28, 2019, in Beijing, on the theme of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind and Development of Socialism in the World. The address was prepared by Cambron but because of illness, it was delivered by Ohio comrade Aleena Starks.

Thank you for inviting our Party to participate in learning about the many important developments in your country. I bring greetings from our Partys National committee, wishing you all the best in establishing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Then, CPUSA Chairman John Bachtell and New York comrade Carol Widom also toured China from May 26 to June 3, 2018, in a visit that included a conference on the 200th anniversary of Karl Marxs birth.

Some CPUSA members work in China promoting the CCPs propaganda line. Their copy is reminiscent of 1930s Western sycophants and their unabashed praise for Stalinist Russias great achievements.

Houston communist Ian Goodrum is a writer and digital editor for China Daily in Beijing.

In October 2018, Goodrum wrote in the CPUSAs Peoples World:

China and other countries governed by communist parties stand alone in that they have been able to chart their own course and resist imperialist aggression. They have not been subject to the same stringent limitations which keep so much of the developing world languishing in poverty and debt, limitations following the same rules of profit extraction analyzed by Marx in Capital.

Boston activist Dylan Walker, a member of the Walden Workers Club of the CPUSA, is a graduate student studying international politics at Beijing Language and Culture University.

On Oct. 14 and 15, 2017, comrade Walker and fellow Boston CPUSA member Wadih Halabi participated in the 8th World Socialism Forum of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

The theme of the international gathering focused on the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia and applying lessons from it to an examination of the Temporal Characteristics of the Great Transformation Era, and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,' according to the Boston CPUSA,

In the same month, CCP mouthpiece the Global Times released an interview with Walker that, according to the Hong Kong Free Press, was viewed 78,000 times on Chinese video platform Miaopai.

In the interview, Walker says he became inspired by former CCP leader Mao Zedongs thinking during his first visit to China in 2012:

I think communism is the most advanced and the ideal social and political system. We just want to make sure everyone can get access to basic welfare and rights.  When I came to China for the first time, I bought versions of the Quotations from Chairman Mao in Chinese and English. I read it almost every day after going back to the U.S. I kept it with me during class and I read it when I had time after classes. If I hadnt learned the quotations, I wouldnt have joined the Communist Party USA. So, Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of China have a special place in my heart.  The CPC now is admirable for me. Especially since President Xi Jinping took office. The corruption crackdown has swept nationwide.  Every time when I browse the website of the Peoples Daily and Global Times, I can see such reports almost every day as corrupt officials get arrested.  Whats terrible is that a communist might have doubts towards communism and socialism, and then loses this belief and faith. Just like what President Xi said before, some communist members lack calcium, that is lack of belief in communism and Marxism.

Phoenix communist Rob McElwain reported in an October 2017 Facebook post that Halabi also enjoys a close relationship with the CCP:

Wahdi has been a special consultant to the government of China the past dozen years. He travels to meet with high level personnel from the Communist Party of China to advise them on problems that loom in governing while maintaining the principals of not just Marxism, but the roots of power, the people.

The March 2021 CPUSA delegation to China committed to working in the interest of world peace, international solidarity, and cooperation rather than international confrontation.

In communist terminology world peace simply means an absence of resistance to world Marxist-Leninist domination. What would the CPUSA do if the United States got into a full-scale military confrontation with China?

An advertisement for a CPUSA reading group at the Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library in Oakland, California, on Dec. 4, 2010, answered the question this way:

The United States government has been committing direct acts of provocation against Chinas economy, and other aspects of its society, including its military.  If these confrontations are allowed to become full-blown, it  will demand from all of us new energies to struggle on yet anotherperhaps the biggestdomestic front against U.S. Imperialism.

In other words, the CPUSA would possibly fight for the CCP on U.S. soil.

If the Biden administration is truly serious about uncovering dangerous internal enemies in this country, it need look no further than the CPUSA.

Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker from New Zealand. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist, and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics. He is best known for his book Enemies Within: Communists, Socialists and Progressives in the U.S. Congress and his similarly themed documentary film Enemies Within. His recently published book is White House Reds: Communists, Socialists & Security Risks Running for U.S. President, 2020.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rides a horse as he takes part in an expedition to Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Preserve to inspect the snow leopard's habitat (Photo : REUTERS/Ria Novosti/Pool/Alexei Druzhinin)

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has in the past presented himself sitting proud, bare-chested on a horse, but on Friday he admitted to taking a fall.



The 68-year-old who has been in power in Russia for more than two decades as president or prime minister has carefully cultivated a macho image for years with a series of photo opps.



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They include Putin taking a dip in icy waters, riding on horseback topless, throwing opponents on the judo mat, freeing tigers into the wild and swimming butterfly stroke in a river.



"They were once filming me, I was training, and it happened that the horse stopped in front of a barrier and I did a somersault, literally a somersault," Putin was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency on Friday.



He did not say when the incident had happened, but that he had fallen "fairly comfortably" and told a cameraman who was filming to keep the footage.



"(It was) the first time I heard this answer from him: I'll delete it immediately," said Putin.



The Kremlin seldom talks about Putin's health or mishaps.



The Russian leader was alleged to have back trouble in 2012, something that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at the time had stemmed from a bout of judo. The Kremlin declined to comment.


The province is asking Manitoba educators to help improve student outcomes through the new Teachers Idea Fund, which is a five-year project designed to provide a direct link between teachers and government officials.

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The province is asking Manitoba educators to help improve student outcomes through the new Teachers Idea Fund, which is a five-year project designed to provide a direct link between teachers and government officials.

"Our government is inviting teachers, staff and school leaders in the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system to bring forward ideas based on their classroom expertise to inform improvements to K-12 education," Education Minister Cliff Cullen said in a Thursday news release. "Successful applicants will receive funding to make their ideas a reality."

Thursdays news release also revealed that this projectwhich will cost $25 million over five yearsis seeking innovative solutions to improve the student experience in a variety of areas, including: student transitions, mental health and well-being and the impacts of COVID-19 on student learning.

Proposals that help advance the achievement of Indigenous students, newcomer students, students with special learning needs and French-language instruction specifically are also encouraged.

In order to submit an idea, the province is encouraging teachers to visit bettereducationmb.ca/teachers-idea-fund/ where they can fill out an application form.

Outside of needing the go-ahead from their respective school authority, successful participants are also required to outline a budget and implementation plan along with their application.

An advisory panel composed of cross-sectoral stakeholders has already been put in place to review all applications and support the implementation of these various projects moving forward.

The first round of successful applicants will be announced this coming June.

In a follow-up interview with the Sun, Cullen said this Teachers Idea Fund is just an extension of the education reforms the province announced on March 15 following the release of their long-awaited K-12 education review.

These reforms would involve dissolving all of Manitobas 37 school divisionsexcept the Division scolaire franco-manitobaineinto 15 regional catchment areas, which would be largely governed by a single provincial authority.

Even though the wheels are already in motion to codify these reforms into law through Bill 64, the Education Modernization Act, the Education Minister said ongoing consultation with educators is also a key part of their strategy.

"This is something that we committed to some time ago," Cullen said over the phone on Thursday. "Weve done the same initiative within the government and asked civil servants to come up with ideas in terms of how we can do things better."

However, Manitoba Teachers Society vice-president Nathan Martindale remains skeptical about the Teachers Idea Fund and its capacity to address the systemic problems that are currently facing the Manitoba education system.

For example, Martindale believes that the $25 million the province plans to spend on this project over the next five years should go, instead, towards fighting child poverty in schools right now.

"What if the province allocated $5 million a year for five years for the eradication of child poverty? Now theres something we could get behind," he said on Friday. "But will we see that from the provincial government? Time will tell."

However, Cullen told the Sun that he expects that these specific issues will be brought up as the provinces education reform moves forward, either through the Teachers Idea Fund or their ongoing consultations with educators.

"Weve talked about poverty and curriculum development and making sure kids are attending class," he said. "All of those projects are going to be addressed over and above what may come out of this particular Teachers Idea Fund."

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
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The unusual string of six LAPD shootings over an eight-day period that began March 16 has sparked sharply different reactions.

For police watchdogs, the spike is more evidence officers too often use deadly force.

"[LAPD Chief Michel] Moore is enabling his officers to just run amok in our communities," Black Lives Matter leader Melina Abdullah told us.

"I understand there's going to be that impression that LAPD as a whole might be trigger happy," said Ed Obayashi, a nationally recognized use of force expert and Plumas County deputy sheriff. "But I don't make much of [the cluster of shootings] at all."

For his part, Moore acknowledges the cluster is "striking," but he told the Police Commission this week that the shootings are unrelated and will be investigated separately.

DESPITE A DIP IN SHOOTINGS, CONTROVERSY

The recent spate brings the number of LAPD shootings this year to 10. Over the past two years there were 27 and 26 shootings, respectively, the fewest in 30 years,

Despite the dip in shootings, activists have been angered by a number of controversial incidents caught on video, including two last April: the fatal shooting of a man carrying a box cutter near downtown and the beating of a homeless man in Boyle Heights.

Some critics also see any LAPD use of force through the lens of the department's checkered past and its more recent widespread use of force against protesters last summer. The city faces a class action lawsuit that claims officers used excessive force, including firing hard foam projectiles at peaceful protesters.

In the shootings of the past week, each officer reacted to a particular set of circumstances, said Obayashi, arguing that it would be wrong to evaluate the shootings as a group. "They stand on their own," he said.

The shootings would be connected if the department were failing to provide officers with the right training for de-escalation and use of force. Moore told the Police Commission the reason shootings have dropped is because of improved de-escalation training and greater use of less-than-lethal weapons.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SHOOTINGS

So far the only information available about the shootings comes from the LAPD, and as yet it has not offered much. It's often initially stingy with details when an officer uses deadly force. (State law now requires the release of body cam video within 45 days of a major use of force incident, unless an agency can demonstrate doing so would "substantially interfere" with an investigation.)

We've divided the incidents into two groups - those that involved people with guns and those that involved people with other weapons. Here's what the LAPD has said about each one:

INCIDENTS INVOLVING GUNS:

On March 16 around 4:40 p.m. Southwest Area officers responded to a call of a suspect barricaded in a home in South L.A. who had fired a gun. SWAT responded, along with a crisis negotiation team. During the incident, the suspect emerged from the home and opened fire, wounding a SWAT officer. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Police recovered a loaded shotgun and pistol at the scene.

On March 19 around 7:00 p.m., Hollenbeck Area officers conducted a traffic stop. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver backed his vehicle towards officers and sped away, leading them on a short pursuit until he crashed into a home in Boyle Heights. The suspect exited his vehicle with a handgun, at which point officers opened fire, wounding him. Police recovered a handgun at the scene.

On March 23 outside the LAPD's Olympic Station on the edge of Koreatown, two officers came out to check on a man who was banging on the door. The man had a handgun, and one of the officers shot and wounded him.

In those last two incidents, the department has not said where the guns were or what the suspects were doing with them when officers opened fire. Those details are often a huge area of contention. Cops say the presence of a gun is enough to shoot. Critics strongly disagree.

There was a shooting involving an off-duty lieutenant that's worth separating out from the others because of its unusual nature.

On March 17 around 12:15 p.m. an off-duty LAPD lieutenant was sitting in his private vehicle in the Hollenbeck Area when he said he witnessed a drive-by shooting of a man on the sidewalk, according to Moore. As the car drove past him, the lieutenant believed the passenger who had just shot and wounded the man on the sidewalk was turning in his direction, so he opened fire, the chief said. Police don't believe the lieutenant struck anyone in the car, which got away.

INCIDENTS INVOLVING OTHER WEAPONS:

On March 16 around 5:20 p.m., Southeast Area officers were called to a home where a man with a knife was trying to force his way into a victim's room. Officers shot the man with a 40-millimeter foam projectile, but he still forced his way into the room and started "slashing" at the victim, according to Moore, who said that's when officers opened fire, wounding the man.

On March 19 around 3:40 p.m., a Rampart Area sergeant was flagged down by a community member who had seen a man walking around with a hammer and "a piece of metal resembling an ice ax," according to Moore. The man threw the hammer at the officers and raised the other weapon above his head as if he was going to throw it as well when he was shot and killed.

"Any use of force by the police could be possibly legitimate," said Cliff Smith of the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police. "But we know of many instances with the police department, with the Sheriff's Department, where they're not legitimate."

He pointed to the troubled history of police in Los Angeles. Smith renewed calls he and other critics have made for an outside agency to investigate LAPD shootings - rather than the LAPD itself.

Moore maintains this is not the LAPD of old. A department statement sought to remind people of that.

"Reverence for human life is the guiding principle in the Department's use of force policy. De-escalation, the use of alternatives, and utilizing time remain of critical importance."

Each shooting is investigated by the department's Force Investigation Division and its Professional Standards Bureau. The district attorney will review it for any potential criminal wrongdoing on the part of the officers. In addition, the Inspector General will weigh in and the Police Commission will determine if the shooting was in policy. Ultimately, the chief and a Board of Rights will determine whether any officers should face discipline.
Prime Minister on Saturday offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple wherein he prayed for the human race to get rid of COVID-19 as early as possible.

"Today, I got the opportunity to visit this Shaktipeeth to pay obeisance to Maa Kali. I prayed to her to free the human race from COVID-19," Prime Minister Modi told ANI after offering prayers at the Kali Temple, located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister Modi suggested that the temple, which has been renovated recently by the Bangladesh government, could be used for social, religious and educational events as well.

"It could be useful even for social, religious and educational events. Most importantly, it could serve as a shelter at the time of disasters like cyclones. The government of India will help in the construction work. I express gratitude to the Bangladesh government that they have wished us well for this," said the Prime Minister.

"Whenever the Maa Kaali mela is held here, a large number of devotees come from across the border (India) and here. A community hall is needed which should be multi-purpose so that when people come here during Kaali puja, it is useful to them too," he added.

Later, the Prime Minister will visit the Orkandi temple and the 'Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' in Tungipara of Gopalganj district.

After his visit to the temples, PM Modi will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.

Prime Minister Modi arrived on Friday in Bangladesh on a two-day visit to the nation, his first tour to a foreign country since the COVID-19 outbreak last year. He was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Women are dying in childbirth every two hours in Yemen says UNFPA.

By Robin Gomes

As women are dying every 2 hours in Yemen, and with more than one million pregnant women facing malnutrition, UNFPA, the United Nations agency for improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide is appealing for peace and support.

Yemeni women and adolescent girls are bearing the brunt of six long years of grinding conflict, made unimaginably worse by Covid-19 and now the threat of famine, said UNFPA director-general Dr. Natalia Kane at the conclusion of a 3-day visit to the war-torn country.

Toll on women and girls

More than half of the 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen are women and girls.

I am deeply concerned about the safety and reproductive health of women and girls in Yemen," Kanem said. "More than one million pregnant women are at risk of acute malnutrition; this number could double if we do not take urgent action.

Visiting a UNFPA-aided hospital in Aden, Kanem realized she realized the toll the war has taken. I've been in many maternity wards, and they are usually a place of joy. But in Yemen, I witnessed the devastation of malnutrition and hunger, with newborn babies on feeding tubes and mothers weakened by fear and exhaustion, said the UNFPA Chief.

Every two hours, a woman dies from complications of pregnancy in the country. For pregnant women, severe malnutrition makes the process of giving birth even more life-threatening. Many women cannot get to hospitals for the care they need due to lack of transport and long distances. Only 20 percent of functional health facilities provide maternal and child health services.



It is heartbreaking to see fellow members of the human family in such dire conditions. I call on world leaders to respond urgently, work in solidarity, and stop this needless suffering and save lives, Kanem said.



UNFPA is a long-standing partner in Yemen, providing more than half of all health facilities with the essential life-saving medicines to support womens health, including maternal health.



Violence, mental health

During a conflict, risks of gender-based violence increase along with harmful practices. In Aden, Kanem also visited a womens shelter, which one of the 8 shelters and 51 safe places for girls and women that are supported by the UN agency in the country.

I spoke to young girls and pregnant women who had to flee for their lives and seek protection in UNFPA sites, which are among the very few safe spaces for women and girls, she said.

Six years of conflict have taken a heavy toll on the mental health of Yemenis, especially women and girls who are disproportionately affected by the crisis. An estimated 1 in 5 people suffer from mental health disorders, according to a 2017 study. However, mental healthcare remains scarce.

Kanem said she was struck by the resilience of Yemeni women who despite the horrors, are still looking forward to a better future. She said, The women and girls of Yemen deserve peace. For too long, they have been caught up in a conflict that is not of their making. Their very survival depends upon increased international support and funding. The world must act now to save the lives of innocent civilians.

An intractable war

The conflict in the Arab world's poorest country erupted when the Shia-led Houthi rebels took control of Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, which sent the internationally recognized government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fleeing to exile. Since March 25, 2015, a Western-backed Saudi-led Sunni Muslim coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been fighting the Houthis.

In the latest effort to end the 6-year war, Saudi Arabia on March 22 offered the Houthis a nationwide cease-fire saying it would ease air and sea blockade. The rebels said the offer provides nothing serious or new and want the complete lifting of the blockade on areas controlled by them, including the airport in the capital, Sanaa, and the western port of Hodeida.

The Houthis said on Friday they had attacked Saudi energy and military sites with 18 armed drones, and the kingdom's energy ministry reported a strike on a petroleum products distribution station, causing a fire.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and caused what the United Nations says is the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with millions facing famine. (Source: UNFPA)
The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has said a Bill to empower the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA) to enable it to sanction publishers of unauthorised textbooks will soon be laid again before Parliament.



Known as the Ghana Books Development Council Bill, it was first laid before the last Parliament, however, the bill could not be passed before Parliament was dissolved early this year.



Addressing Parliament last Thursday, Dr Adutwum said the NaCCA Act did not give the council the authority to sanction.



The legal framework within which NaCCA operates does not give them room to do that. But the Book Development Council Bill is going to cure this inefficiency and give us the opportunity to enforce sanctions accordingly, he added.



The minister was responding to a question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.



The MP asked the minister whether History of Ghana Textbook 3 by Badu Nkansah Publications, authored by Badu Nkansah and Nelly Martison Anim, as well as Golden English Basic 4 authored by Okyere Baafi Alexander, both of which contained bigoted content and related to the Ewe ethnic group had come to the MoEs attention, and if so, whether the ministry granted approval for those publications and what possible steps were being taken to purge schools and bookshops of offensive, divisive and incendiary publications of that nature.



Assurance



Responding, Dr Adutwum gave an assurance that the government and the MoE were committed to purging schools and bookshops of all unapproved books.



That, he said, would ensure children received quality and relevant education that would promote mutual respect for all ethnic groups and also ensure peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups for national development.



Dr Adutwum said on March 5, 2021, NaCCA issued a press statement cautioning heads of institutions, publishers and the general public against the use of unapproved textbooks.



Besides, the minister said the council wrote to publishers asking them to withdraw both textbooks and any other unapproved books they might have on the market immediately.



The council also informed stakeholders about future random visits to schools to check and withdraw unapproved textbooks.



Procurement



The minister further informed the House that the MoE had not procured the two derogatory textbooks for distribution in schools.



He, therefore, said NaCCA would embark on random checks in private schools and order the withdrawal of any offending publications they might be using.



Dr Adutwum also denied claims that the development of the new standard curriculum by the MoE contributed to the publishing of the two bigoted textbooks.



It is true that school textbooks have not been procured yet, that is why private schools are resorting to textbooks that are not accurate in content and facts, he said.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  The Department of Health on Saturday urged senior citizens to register with their local government units for the COVID-19 vaccination program.

Are you a senior citizen? You are next in our priority list for the COVID-19 Vaccination, the DOH posted on its official Facebook page. Register at your LGU now!

It said senior citizens, or those aged 60 and above, in Metro Manila have until March 31 to sign up while those in the rest of the regions can do so until April 5.

The announcement comes ahead of the expected arrival on Monday of one million doses of Sinovac vaccine purchased by the government. Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Chito Sta. Romana said his staff went to the Chinese firms office on Friday to inspect the shipment.

It will bring the total of vaccines that have reached the country to over 2.5 million doses.

The country's 1.7 million health care workers are top priority in the national vaccination plan, followed by senior citizens and people with comorbidities, and other frontline workers.

The government expects to hold a simultaneous inoculation of health workers, senior citizens, and other priority groups by May as more vaccines are expected to be delivered to the country.

TIMELINE: COVID-19 vaccine deliveries and rollout in the Philippines
Dhaka, March 27 : Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid homage to Bangladesh's Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by visiting his mausoleum in Tungipara, Gopalganj district.

Modi reached the mausoleum complex at around 11.30 a.m. where he was greeted with flowers by his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, the two daughters of the Bangabandhu Later, Modi laid wreaths at Bangabandhu's tomb.

He arrived in Tungipara aboard a helicopter after offering morning prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira district.

Modi is the first Indian head of state to visit Tungipara.

The Prime Minister then headed to the Orakandi temple, considered to be the holiest place for more than five crore people of the Matua community living in Bangladesh and Indian state of West Bengal.

Here he met family members of Harichand Thakur (1812-1878), the founder of the Matua community.

Modi said that he will establish a community centre for the Matua community at the Jeshoreshwari temple in Satkhira.

Later in the day, Hasina and Modi are set to have substantive discussions with focus on trade, connectivity and Covid-19 cooperation.

The one-to-one meeting will take place before delegation-level talks at Hasina's office in Dhaka.

The two sides are also expected to inaugurate some joint projects virtually and witness the signing of MOUs.

Modi, as part of his two-day visit to Bangladesh, met senior political leaders from the 14-Party Alliance on Friday.

He also interacted with Opposition Leader in Parliament Raushan Ershad and MPs Ghulam Muhammed Quader, Ziauddin Bablu and Ruhul Amin Howlader.

Modi will meet President Abdul Hamid before leaving Dhaka by a special flight later in the evening.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will see him off at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The father of a young woman who died in an horrific road collision has secured a 90,000 settlement of his High Court action arising from her death.

John Dolan, Stephen's Court, New Ross, on behalf of the family, sued over the death of his 19-year-old daughter Aisling, in a collision which happened on the N11 near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, on May 22, 2018.

The court heard Aisling, the youngest of four siblings, was a passenger in a car driven by her mother Breda. They were on their way to see Breda's niece's newborn daughter.

It was alleged a jeep driven by Karl Forster, of Church Road, Ballindaggin, Enniscorthy, crossed onto its incorrect side of the road and collided with the Dolan's vehicle.

Mr Dolan had sued Mr Forster and the latter's company, KFJ Pubs Ltd, also of Church Road, Ballindaggin, for alleged negligence and breach of duty arising from the accident.

On Tuesday, March 16, Patrick Treacy SC, instructed by Grace Solicitors, for Mr Dolan, told Mr Justice Kevin Cross this was an 'horrific' accident.

Aisling, who had just completed a course in early childhood care and education at Waterford Institute of Technology, was taken to Tallaght hospital where she tragically died, he said.

Her mother sustained very serious injuries which were subject of a separate case which had also settled, he said.

Counsel said Mr Dolan's case was brought under Part IV of the Civil Liability Act and the 90,000 settlement included some 50,000 for loss of dependency and the 35,000 solatium payment in fatal injury cases, to be divided equally between various family members.

Separate actions for nervous shock by Mr Dolan and by his wife and another daughter, Niamh, had also settled, he said.

Mr Justice Cross said he would make the orders sought and extended his sincere sympathy to the family on the loss of Aisling.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
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Education is in crisis. Teachers, students, parents all know it; anyone with even a tenuous connection to the education system knows it. A global pandemic did not cause this crisis, but it has shown a spotlight on increasing problems and turned subtle warning signs into glaring marquees of distress. Cracks in the system that have been noticeable for decades now seem as deep chasms that perhaps cannot be bridged, let alone mended. At a time when societys push for individual rights is at an all-time high, accommodation for individual educational needs is at an all-time loweven though the technology is available to do it. This is because the promotion of state-mandated conformity and the promotion of contrived individualism are mutually exclusive. One cannot accommodate the other. Thats why a new approach is needed. The church can provide a solution.

The Problem

It has been a full year since the world shut down and schools began scrambling to change their entire method of education. Government schools rushed to figure out how to provide online education, and to do so with no existing infrastructure in place for the teacher or the student. Private schools found themselves in only slightly better situations, simply because they had to do it on a smaller scale. In the assumption that shut-downs would only last a couple of weeks, simple stopgap measures were taken. Some schools took an extra week of Spring Break. Others sent busy work home with students, prepared to go back to real instruction once in-person classes resumed. Once it became evident that learning would be virtual for the remainder of the year, learning became even more rushed, patched, unplanned, and inadequate. It was justifiable; after all, it was only for one quarter, right?

Now here we are a full year later. What was novel is now the norm. Virtual learning has become an essential and integral part of education. Platforms such as Google Classroom and Zoom are part of the common vernacular. Curriculum companies have pushed to meet the needs and demands; schools have exceeded budgets in trying to catch up with the demands. And students? Students are failing. At the end of the fall semester, F grades had spiked by 83%. Teachers? Teachers are pulling their hair out. Ask any teacher and they will tell you they are working harder and accomplishing less than they have in their entire teaching career. Parents? Parents are at their wits end. Even non-essential workers had to go back to work, yet their kids are still learning from home with no supervision. How do you homeschool when you arent home?

Many school districts have declared that the student shouldnt be held responsible for a global pandemic. Therefore, even if a child does no work for the 2020-2021 school year, they will still not be given a failing grade. They will move on to the next grade, and the next teacher will have to determine how to proceed. (Congratulations, Sixth Grade teachers. Next year you will be teaching Fifth Grade.) Conversely, a chronically-ill student in Florida who homeschools through the state-provided virtual system is still required to attend a brick and mortar school for standardized testing. Regardless of the individual needs of this straight-A student, if they do not attend in-person standardized testing, they will be given a 59 on their student transcript. They will, however, still be promoted to the next grade. So much of public education is upside down!

Who is being served by passing students who are failing? Whose needs are being met? Certainly not the students. Not the parents. Not societys. What is being accomplished in this commitment to the status quo? In twenty years will it be enough to explain that we have an entire generation without basic skills simply because the education system could not handle a global pandemic? Or will America continue to progress downward in the global ranking of education? Are we really so ill-equipped that we will continue to patch up a failing system with bubble gum and duct tape, just because no one could figure out how to meet the crisis?

For years we have hollered that the educational system is broken and must be fixed. The GW Bush administration tried to fix it with No Child Left Behind, and left us with a system that teaches a test rather than conceptual learning. The Obama administration tried to fix it with Common Core, and left us with such a convoluted set of essential concepts (such as Critical Race Theory and sex-equality education) that the teacher has no time for the Three Rs. Covid has done nothing but highlight and exacerbate these weaknesses. The entire education system has been systematically deconstructed over the past 12 months, and no amount of patching and stopgaps are able to hold up. The mandate is clear: If you want your child to have an education with any sort of normalcy and educational value, the parents must start taking charge of their childs education. After all, when the world shut down, who was left with the responsibility? The parent.

And parents are stepping up. Unwilling to settle for mediocre but passing grades, parents are making changes to their entire family life in order to improve their childs educational chances. Parents used the availability of working from home to monitor their childs progress. Private tutors have become small classroom facilitators. As pod schools became a trend in the fall, churches began opening their doors to host virtual learning. Purely by necessity, the responsibility for learning has returned to the cornerstones of society: family and church.

The Solution

The church CAN HELP! We have outlined a bleak and frustrating situation. The pains and annoyances of the current educational market provide the church with a unique opportunity for ministry. Here is a way for the church to not only reach into the community and assist in real-time problems, but it is also a way to fulfill the Great Commission. How often have we regretted that churches only get 3-5 hours per week with a child, but the school gets 30-40? How often have we lamented the wicked, vile things being indoctrinated into our children, and wished there was a way to shelter them from the evil? You can provide a shelter from this onslaught, and at the same time instill Biblical values into this generation. The church can provide a high-quality education that fills in the many learning gaps that have been created. The answer is individualized Christian education.

One group of people was not taken by surprise by the global shut down. This group continued their childs educational studies with little to no accommodations being made. Parents, schools, and educators who already use individualized Christian educational curriculum saw barely a hiccup in the education of their students. Christian schools using individualized, self-instructional curricula (e.g., Ignitia or Accelerated Christian Education) simply sent the necessary materials home with the student and continued to monitor their progress in the same way as before. Homeschoolers never even looked up. Students finished the year with a complete, uncompromised transcript. Parents and educators didnt spend the summer trying to figure out what to do in the fall. It was business as usual. One such school in Massachusetts was able to report that 75% of the student body had completed 100% of all required assignments for the year with no adjustments or accommodations for COVID. This is unheard of! However, it is commonplace in Christian schools with individualized programs.

The media and medicine are saying that virtual learning is harmful to students, but what about the success stories? It is certain that Zoom classes on a strict schedule dont work. Yet it is also certain that individualized, self-instructional curricula (that have been around for 50 years) do work and produce results.

Its now time for the church to leverage what weve learned. Daily discipleship through effective Christian education is possible for our children. As parents take up the mantle of responsibility for their childrens education, the church must be a support system. Pastors need to thunder sermons on this topic regularly. Maybe its time for the church to start a school. Perhaps opening the doors of the church building so that families can practice shared responsibility for learning is a better format for your congregation. Whether its an every day program, a homeschool hub, or a hybrid approach, the church needs to be a presence and encouragement.

This level of ministry opportunity hasnt been seen in decades. People are looking for answers. They are looking for solutions. The church leadership needs to be like Moses and help guide in the great exodus from secular education that is taking place. Lets provide a place of shelter, hope, and help to our families and communities. In the process, we can share the Gospel and train a new generation of Christian leaders to be faithful to the cause of Christ.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a new resolution on Sri Lanka and called on the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor human rights violations in the country.

Tamil families fleeing war in January 2009 [Source: Wikimedia]

The resolution was presented by the UNHRCs Core Group on Sri Lanka, whose members include the UK, Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Malawi. The US State Department issued a statement declaring that it was a co-sponsor.

Entitled Promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka, the purpose of the resolution is to pressure President Gotabhaya Rajapakses government to break relations with China and more actively integrate with Washingtons military-strategic preparations against China. The resolution was supported by 22 countries, with 11 in opposition and 14 abstentions.

Senior Sri Lankan leaders, including President Rajapakse himself, heavily lobbied the UNHRC members to oppose the resolution. The US and UK intensely campaigned to isolate and reduce support for Colombo. The media reported that it was the lowest number of votes for Sri Lanka, when similar UNHRC resolutions were first moved against the country.

Washington backed a 2009 resolution a month after Colombos ended its bloody war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and sponsored all UNHRC resolutions on Sri Lanka between 2012 and 2017.

This weeks 16-point resolution called for the devolution of power, protection of human rights, and a review of the prevention of terrorism act, accountability, respect of religious freedoms and protection human rights defenders. It also expressed concerns about militarisation of the civilian government.

In formulating the resolution, its sponsors have cynically exploited the anti-democratic measures of the Colombo government. Accountability is a reference to the crimes committed during the final months of the war against the LTTE when at least 40,000 civilians were killed, including surrendering LTTE leaders. The Tamil population has continuously demanded Colombo provide information about the hundreds of young men disappeared after surrendering to the army.

In recent months, the Rajapakse regime has inflamed anti-Islamic sentiment and alienated the community with the forcible cremation of Muslims killed by COVID-19. It has also stepped up the militarisation of his administration with the elevation of retired generals into key government positions.

Significantly, the resolution calls on the OHCHR to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evidence and to develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka to advocate for victims and survivors, and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings including in Member States with competent jurisdiction.

According to media reports, establishment of a relevant database for future accountability processes would cost $US2.8 million over an 18-month period. The body would be staffed by 12 personnel, including three legal advisors, two analysts, two investigators and human rights officers. It is the first time a UNHRC resolution has outlined specific measures for an international intervention in Sri Lanka.

Concerns about war crimes, suppression of democratic rights and militarisation of the government by sponsors of the UNHCR resolution are utterly hypocritical.

In the last three decades alone, the US, UK, Canada and Germany have unleashed neo-colonial military interventions killing hundreds of thousands of people and committing countless war crimes.

The ruling elites in these imperialist countries have responded to the economic and social crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting extreme right-wing and fascistic forces. A sharp expression of this extreme-rightward turn was the Trump-led fascistic coup attempt in Washington on January 6.

The UNHCR resolution has nothing do with exposing war crimes or defending human rights but is another expression of intense US efforts to undercut Beijings influence in the region by putting Colombo on notice over its relations with Beijing.

The US and its strategic ally India are concerned about the Rajapakse governments increasing financial dependence on Beijing. Teetering on the brink of default, the cash-strapped government last week obtained a $1.5 billon swap loan from Peoples Bank of China to boost its falling foreign reserves.

In 2015, Washington orchestrated a regime-change operation against former President Mahinda Rajapakse, the brother of the current president, after human rights resolutions at the UNHCR failed to persuade Colombo to distance itself from Beijing.

Last week, Beijing, well aware of Washingtons political manoeuvres, campaigned against the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka. Chinas envoy in Geneva urged UNHCR members to oppose the resolution and condemned the double standards and politicisation of human rights. He called on the UN body to promote and protect human rights through genuine dialogue and cooperation and respect the sovereignty and independence of other countries.

President Rajapakse spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing to him to oppose the resolution. India, however, abstained on the UNHRC vote. New Delhi maintains close contact with the Tamil nationalist parties in Sri Lanka who are pressuring Colombo for a power-sharing arrangement.

Pawankumar Badhe, Indias envoy in Geneva, called on Colombo to address the aspiration of Tamil community [and] engage constructively with the international community to ensure that the fundamental freedoms and human rights of all its citizens.

Addressing parliament on Thursday, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena ludicrously declared that the resolution will have an adverse effect on the ongoing efforts to maintain peace, reconciliation and economic development in the country.

Conscious that Colombo is under immense pressure from Washington, he insisted, however, that Sri Lanka will continue to engage constructively with the UN and its agencies in the same spirit of cooperation...

Sajith Premadasa, leader of Samagi Jana Balavegaya, the main opposition party, told parliament that the reason the UNHRC resolution had been passed was because the government has adopted policies that have led to disunity and mistrust among different communities in the country. In the same breath, Premadasa declared that his party is willing to support the government to take forward a domestic mechanism.

Leading Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) member Bimal Ratnayake said that the government has betrayed the country for its vicious and dictatorial power. Even now we should admit our mistakes without being conceited. We urge the government to respect human rights, abolish the 20th amendment to the Constitution, stop militarisation and we will win at the UNHRC next time.

These organisations have consistently downplayed the geo-strategic issues underpinning the UNHCR resolution. The SJB leadership, previously in the United National Party, and the JVP fully backed the war and deny that the military committed any war crimes. Like Rajapakses ruling party, they depend on the military and know that it will be needed to defend the ruling elite against the mass eruption of social tensions.

The UNHRC resolution is not just about Sri Lanka but is another indication of the intense pressure being exerted by Washington on its allies in preparation for US-led military operations against China. A war between these nuclear-armed nations would rapidly escalate into a catastrophic global conflagration.
MUMBAI: Actress Sonakshi Sinha took a tour down memory lane and revisited the memory of her vacation to the Maldives. The actress dropped a sizzling throwback picture of herself in black swimswear on Instagram from her Maldives vacation. In the photo Sonakshi shared, she is seen sipping on a drink and enjoying her breakfast in an infinity pool against a picturesque sunrise.

"Take me back," read Sonakshi Sinha's caption, which garnered over 3.45 lakh likes and over 200k comments.

Maldives appears to have been the favourite destination of celebrities as they have been sharing stunning pictures of themselves enjoying its mesmerising locations. Actresses like Alia Bhatt, Bipasa Basu, Hina Khan and Shefali Jariwala are some of the names from the film industry who recently flew to the tropical island and set the internet on fire with their scintalliting bikini pictures.

Meanwhile, Sonakshi recently announced her next project. The actress will be seen in 'Bulbul Tarang', which will have an OTT release. The film has been directed by Shree Narayan Singh and is said to be inspired by a true story. The film also features Raj Babbar and Tahir Raj Bhasin.

Sonakshi is gearing up her next release 'Bhuj: The Pride Of India'. Besides Sonakshi, the film will also feature Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk, Pranitha Subhash and Nora Fatehi. The story is set against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
KNOX COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Branching out has meant outreach clinics in Knox county. Clinics have been set up from Monroe City to the most recent in Oaktown.

Knox County health officer Dr. Alan Stewart explains, "What I like to talk about is protection, not prevention. So we need to be protected and with these new strains coming on it's all the more important to have everyone become vaccinated that can be vaccinated."

After Thursday's Oaktown clinic there were still vaccines available. Health workers went door to door to get the vaccine out. Eventually, they made their way to Casey's General Store.

Stewart says, "Had them lining up at the Casey's cash and go. Ten or twelve doses out there. So it was, it was quite an experience we had a lot of fun doing it."

Next week those 16 and older can get vaccinated. The health department is now working with Knox County schools to set up clinics. Bringing those vaccines to area students and faculty.

Stewart says, "We will register them and give the vaccine at the school."

Those vaccines could be given out as early as next week. The health department is also working with Vincennes University. Students who are from out of state will also be able to be vaccinated here in Knox county.

Stewart says, "We just need to vaccinate as many people as we possibly can. The more we get vaccinated the more protected we're all going to be."
JOURNALIST Robert Mukondiwa yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court facing allegations of aggravated indecent assault of an orphaned 19-year-old Upper Sixth pupil, who had visited his apartment in the Harare's Avenues area at the request of a woman in the diaspora who had promised to arrange payment of his school fees.

Mukondiwa appeared before magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko, who remanded him in custody to April 12 and told him only the High Court could grant bail on these charges.

The charges centre on allegations made by the 19-year-old that Mukondiwa had attempted non-consensual sexual contact.

The State alleges that during July last year, the 19-year-old orphan sent a message on social media seeking assistance to pay school fees. Then last month Ms Tsungai Mutasa introduced herself to the teenager via WhatsApp and offered him assistance to pay the fees. She allegedly told the young man that she stays in the United Kingdom and that she wanted to verify whether he really wanted assistance from someone in Zimbabwe.

The court heard that Ms Mutasa then directed the orphan to Mukondiwa.

On March 2, he visited Mukondiwa at his flat along John Landau Nkomo Avenue where he found him watching gay movies with male friends.

It is alleged that Mukondiwa offered him wine, which was declined, but the 19-year-old did join in the beer drinking at the flat later, before going for more beers at a nearby shebeen.

They later returned to the apartment around 11pm and he was shown a room to sleep in.

The State alleges that the orphan retired with his clothes on before Mukondiwa joined him in bed and initiated non-consensual sexual contact, only stopping when the 19-year-old screamed. After the alleged assault, Mukondiwa allegedly begged him not to tell anyone and they slept.

It is said in the morning, Mukondiwa handed the orphan US$20 before he left the flat. The orphan is said to have told Ms Mutasa that he was no longer comfortable being assisted by Mukondiwa.

Ms Mutasa then engaged someone called Frank who stays in South Africa, to whom he spoke of the alleged sexual attack.

The orphan lodged a complaint against Mukondiwa on March 17 leading to his arrest.
The Family Table: Memories of Easter Baking, From My Big Italian Family

Readers share their treasured recipes

Submitted by Laura Semenza-Marcos, West Hills, California

Memories of my childhood surround the holidays and food. As an Italian Roman Catholic from a family of nine, and many relatives, I have stories to tell.

The family of my youth consisted of two parents and seven kidsone boy and six girlsin a three-bedroom house, with one and 3/4 bathroom, in the suburbs of southern California. My dad was a ninth-grade-educated, smart, logical man who was well-loved and respected by many. My mom was a night-shift registered nurse (to whom I owe my future success in life as an advanced practice registered nurse). We nine lived successfully despite the plethora of hardships we endured.

My memories are often associated with holidays, celebrations, and food: a huge roasted Thanksgiving turkey and many pumpkin pies, homemade ravioli at Christmas, and lasagna at Easter. These were joined by our numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins in our small home, since my dad was such a great cook.

My husband remembers the multitudes of Christmas cookies and fruitcakes that were made, and to the demise of his waistline, we in our family still continue this tradition. Baked goods of all types from my kitchen are handed out to friends and neighbors each Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easterpre-COVID-19 pandemic. My daughter remembers making the trip to Los Angeles Grand Central Market to pick up candied fruits for fruitcake. (Until recentlyI stopped making fruitcake. Catholic monks do it better!) My son remembers the biannual trips to the local Italian store to purchase treats such as torrone, antipasti dishes, and pizza dough for zeppole.

The authors parents making ravioli. (Courtesy of Laura Semenza-Marcos)

One memory that always strikes me is Easter time. Being that springtime is so beautiful, with the flowers blooming and the Christian celebration of Christs resurrection, I hearken back to happy times.

As a registered nurse, my mom would occasionally be called off the night shift due to low inpatient hospital census. My mom and dad would go to early Easter mass at 6:30 a.m. and come home with smiles on their faces. They would have a shot of anisette, a licorice-tasting liquor, and we seven kids would look at our Easter baskets loaded with Sees chocolate candies that we had fasted on for 40 days prior. My mom loved chocolate, so seven baskets full of chocolate was good for her, too!

The authors parents in 1964. (Courtesy of Laura Semenza-Marcos)

Easter baking consisted of many recipespizza Jane (ham and cheese pie), poppy seed rolls, sesame seed cookies, and Italian knot cookies, to name a few. Two recipes that my family and I look forward to each year are biscotti (pronounced bish-coat-ee) and Easter bread. (As a pronunciation teaching moment, bruschetta is pronounced bru-skett-uh and ricotta is pronounced rig-oath-uh. Just needed to clarify this.) These recipes came from my maternal grandmother Carmella, and were then passed on to my mom Marian.

Easter Bread

We bake Easter bread to commemorate the raising of Jesus on Easter Sunday. I use ground cinnamon sticks because they add a nice texture to the bread. This process was passed down in my family and I continue it to this day. The finished bread has a beautiful balance between anise and cinnamon.

Note: Early start advised due to multiple rising periods.

Makes 5 loaves

5 pounds flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Freshly ground cinnamon sticks, about 5 tablespoons or to taste

1/2 cup Crisco

9 eggs

2 teaspoons anise oil

2 packages yeast

Warm water (110 degrees F) as needed

Mix all dry ingredients together first. Cut in Crisco, then add well-beaten eggs, anise flavoring, and a little warm water.

Dissolve yeast in 110-degree warm water and let bloom for 5 to 10 minutes. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture and knead. Add 1 cup warm water, then a little more at a time as needed to make a soft, smooth dough that is not sticky.

Grease a large bowl or two large bowls and divide dough into both. Cover and let rise 5 hours in a warm place. Punch risen dough down and knead again. Place back in bowl(s) and let rise another 2 hours.

Punch dough down, knead, and separate into five equal pieces. Form into long logs and slice each log into three to make a braid. Braid each piece and place into a Crisco-greased 8-by-5-inch bread pan. Let rise again until doubled in size, about an hour.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Frost with powdered sugar icing when cooled.

Biscotti

Makes about 3 to 4 dozen

1/3 cup margarine

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 teaspoon ground anise seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon anise oil or 1 teaspoon anise extract

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup slivered almonds (optional)

In bowl, cream until light margarine, sugar, eggs, ground anise seed, salt, almond, vanilla, and anise extract. (Yes, this is how the original recipe reads.) Sift flour and baking powder. Stir into creamed mixture along with almonds until well blended.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divided into two equal pieces. Shape each piece into a long, narrow loaf about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place three inches apart on a greased baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Cut each loaf into 24 diagonal slices. Lay slices, cut side up, on baking sheet. Toast slowly under broiler. Turn and toast second side.

___________________________

Do you have a treasured family recipe that holds a special place in your family history, heritage, or traditions? We would be honored if you would share it with us.

Along with the recipe, tell us its storywho gave it to you, its journey through the generations, and the personal meanings and memories it carries. Is it a special-occasion dish, or an everyday family favorite? Does it connect you to your cultural heritage, or to a certain loved one?

How have you kept the recipe alive, and why is it important to you to do so?

Send your recipe and comments, along with your full name, state, and contact information, to food@epochtimes.com, or mail it to: Food, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday said she was maintaining the threat of U.S. tariffs on goods from Austria, Britain, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey in retaliation for their digital services taxes.

In a statement, Tai announced that her office would proceed with steps to impose potential tariffs, including filing public notices and collecting public comments as part of investigations launched originally by the Trump administration into the taxes aimed largely at American internet and e-commerce platforms.

The taxes target in-country revenues of digital services platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and com.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the decision despite Democratic President Joe Bidens renewed commitments to pursue a global agreement on digital services taxes through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Tai also said that the USTR was terminating Section 301 tariff investigations against Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union and Indonesia because these jurisdictions have not adopted or implemented digital services taxes that were previously under consideration. If they do adopt a digital services tax, USTR said it may open a new tariff probe.

The move is among the first negotiating tactics revealed by Tai since she took office last week. Tai said in her confirmation hearing in February that tariffs were a legitimate tool for U.S. trade policy.

The United States remains committed to reaching an consensus through the OECD process on tax issues, Tai said in a statement. However, until such a consensus is reached, we will maintain our options under the Section 301 process, including, if necessary, the imposition of tariffs.

The Internet Association, which represents major U.S. internet platforms, applauded the move to keep the tariff threat alive against the six countries, calling its industry a great American export that supports millions of jobs.

Todays move by USTR is an important affirmation in pushing back on these discriminatory trade barriers as the U.S. continues to work to find a viable solution at the OECD, the trade group said in a statement.

The United States also is maintaining a more advanced tariff threat against $1.3 billion in imports of French Champagne, cosmetics, handbags and other goods in retaliation for Frances

Like the French tax, the USTR investigations into the taxes adopted by Austria, Britain, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey found that they discriminate against U.S. technology and are inconsistent with tax norms.
The Base, according to sources who spoke online and in person with Nazzaro, is an accelerationist project whose purpose is to hasten the collapse of American liberal democracy into civil war and bring about a white ethnostate. In encrypted chats, members discussed the methods and efficacy of such tactics as sabotaging infrastructure and guerrilla warfare. There is no suggestion that any of the Australian recruits have participated in these activities or had any plans to carry out terrorist activities in Australia. But the leaked audio makes tangible the threat lurking in Australian suburbs while also laying bare what philosopher Hannah Arendt called the banality of evil. Some of the potential recruits still live at home, havent managed to actually read the key texts that inform The Bases ideology, or say they will have to take the bus to militant training events because they are about to lose their drivers licence. Sell myself to the devil Smith at times in his vetting interview sounds nervous and unsure, as if hes trying to convince himself of his views as he describes them to The Bases leaders. He offers a potted summary of his 12-month descent into extremism via his One Nation membership, his doomed tilt at an unwinnable political seat in Federal Parliament and his entry into Perth neo-Nazi group, the Society of West Australian Nationalists, which is run by former Liberal Party volunteer David Donis. Being around that sort of party structure and political structure in Australia, I sort of lost faith in the whole thing. And then I decided to take more direct action, and then got pushed onto the Society of West Australian Nationalists, he said.

His loss of faith in Pauline Hansons One Nation, and then SWAN, led him to The Base as he became more and more extreme and passionate about my views and it was harder and harder to speak out about it for fear of losing my political career. And I thought, well, I have to sell myself to the devil to have a career in politics, or I can leave my career in politics and live an authentic life. And I think that, you know, leaving politics behind is a much better option, he said. Sara Qasem gives her victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Australian Brenton Tarrant. Credit:AP All The Bases Australian applicants describe, to varying extents, the same frustration that society and the political system has failed them; some say direct action may be the only solution. Three Australian Base applicants (Smith is not one of them) described supporting Brenton Tarrants murderous March 2019 mosque rampage in New Zealand. One of them, a 23-year-old calling himself RooReich, says of Tarrant: Theyre saying hes an alt-right fascist Nazi, blah, blah, blah. Im like, Well, if thats what he is then, OK. Ill just be that. If you want me to be the boogeyman, I guess, Im the f...ing boogeyman ... There is no political or democratic solution at all. Were not voting our way out of this.

Follow the leader Nazzaro, The Bases Russian-based leader, began advertising his group in July 2018, trying to recruit members. He was also active in the Read SIEGE group on the white power-friendly alt-tech platform Gab. The group was dedicated to promoting the work and ideas of neo-Nazi James Mason, author of the book, Siege, who advocated terrorism as a means of creating a white ethnostate. Base propaganda posted on social media. In autumn 2018, early recruiting material for The Base stopped short of explicitly advocating for terrorism. However, in most of the recorded vetting interviews, standard questions for potential recruits included whether they considered themselves national socialists and whether or not they had read Siege, a compilation of Masons newsletters that became the central text of the accelerationist movement. Recruits were also asked whether they believed a political solution could remedy the perceived genocide of white people. The ideal recruit would answer, respectively, yes, yes and no.

While The Base was operating, Nazzaro reiterated its emphasis on action. He demanded that members engage in training and meet-ups, and that potential recruits detail any skills they could bring to the group or teach other members via communications on encrypted apps. Fertile recruiting grounds A photo included in a recent FBI court filing shows unidentified members of the neo-Nazi group The Base. Eventually, some members of the group began acting on the hate that The Base fostered. Former members in New Jersey and Wisconsin stand accused of conspiring to vandalise synagogues; the Georgia cell is accused of plotting an assassination. Charging documents for the cell based in Delaware and Maryland allege the men discussed firing at random into a pro-gun rally in Virginia in January 2020.

In late October 2019, members of The Bases vetting committee received a bundle of identically formatted PDF documents from five Australian men. They had been emailed to Nazzaro from a sixth Australian, who operated under the alias Volkskrieger and who acted as a virtual local franchisee in bringing these recruits forward. Volkskrieger is a German word that means peoples warrior. A recorded conversation between Nazzaro and Volkskrieger in May 2019 captures The Base leader telling his Australian point man that we need someone dedicated, who can really lead the charge and handle and keep the guys that do come in the door, keep the morale up and keep them motivated. Volkskrieger responded: Thats fine. Yeah. Im, Im happy to do the role. The Australian then asked Nazzaro about FBI attention and whether one of the more strident Base members who had been arrested had become a police informant.

If you go and talk all that talk and then suddenly when the heats up you crack like a f---ing egg, thats pathetic, Volkskrieger is recorded saying. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have identified him as a young Perth tradesman living with his parents. Among the biggest insights provided by the leaked tapes is the way Australian local neo-Nazi groups who publicly disavow terrorism, such as The Lads Society (which has morphed into the National Socialist Network) and David Donis SWAN, were viewed by The Base as recruiting grounds. Volkskrieger told The Bases leadership cell he was trying to suss out members in the group and see which ones I could potentially bring up to The Base  theres definitely blokes that I can slowly pull over. Between Volkskrieger and the five applicants he brought to The Base, four claimed some involvement in The Lads Society or SWAN, including one who claimed to be The Lads Queensland chapter leader, Grant Fuller.

Fuller denied trying to join The Base, while Volkskrieger did not respond to efforts to contact him. Donis also declined to comment, although there is no suggestion he knew SWANs members were double-patching behind his back. There is also no suggestion that Donis, Fuller or Smith support domestic terrorism. The organised resistance As each of the applicants were tested by Nazzaro, they seemed eager to impress him. RooReich, a Brisbane neo-Nazi, explained he sort of joined The Base because he was readying himself for societal collapse and the militant response needed to realise The Bases vision of white supremacy. If it came to the cops, interrogation and stuff like that, I already have lies in my head already at what Im going to say to them. And I can remain pretty consistent and confident in those sort of lies, he told The Bases vetting committee in late 2019. A Perth-based applicant calling himself James Jameson impressed on Nazzaro that I know how to f--- people up with minimum physical exertion and that he got enjoyment watching the Christchurch massacre of March 2019. Ive eaten several meals watching that, Jameson explained, while outlining his vision for an Australian group of networked survivalists across the country with access to firearms to act as an organised resistance.

Asked if The Base was a terrorist organisation, Nazzaro said it was an entirely legal survivalism and self-defence network. He also denied it was a neo-Nazi group. He had started a group in Australia because it aimed to be an international network of mutual support. Grant Fuller, self-professed leader of The Lads Society, one of the countrys biggest neo-Nazi groups, who recently underwent a vetting interview with US neo-Nazi organisation The Base. When the leaked vetting calls and social media records were obtained in early 2020, The Base had recruited two Australians, was preparing to vet two more and had interviewed another two, including Dean Smith, who withdrew their applications for their own reasons. According to internal sources who asked not to be named, Smith discontinued his application, choosing to remain with SWAN, which does not allow so-called double-patching. As groups such as The Lads expand and fracture, they soak up more and more ASIO resources (the agency has said 40 per cent of its caseload is dedicated to ideologically motivated extremist groups). State police are also keeping watch, with Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Hermans on Friday telling a media briefing how right-wing extremism activity had probably doubled in the past 18 months and was in a purple patch. He also cautioned that while The Base wasnt operating as an entity in Australia, its ability to connect with Australians remained.
More than three weeks after Christian Porter outed himself as the accused rapist in the Morrison cabinet, adding his strenuous denial, the Prime Minister finally has realised that its untenable to allow him to remain as Attorney-General of Australia. It took more than three weeks of unrelenting political damage for Morrison to see the blindingly obvious. Loading The person presiding over Australias system of justice cannot be a person accused of such a vile injustice, especially when there is no mechanism to allow him to clear his name. But instead of a decisive fix, Morrison is planning a thoroughly inadequate measure. He will remove Porter from the Attorney-Generals post, but give him another post in his cabinet. The Prime Minister will explain this as addressing the technicality that there could be a perceived conflict of interest when the Attorney-General, the person who nominates judges to the Federal Court, is also bringing a case before the Federal Court. That case, of course, is Porters defamation claim against the ABC. But the political reality is that Porter is damaged goods. By protecting him from the outset, Morrison fed the anger that moved 100,000 to march for justice for women. But now hes planning to give Porter another cabinet portfolio.

Loading If Porter had any loyalty to his Prime Minister, his party, his government or his country he would have stood down weeks ago and gone to the backbench. That would have been the cleanest fix. You cant be the subject of a national protest movement and pretend you enjoy public confidence. The next best fix would be for Morrison to send him to the backbench. But hes not planning to do that. Third best would be for Morrison to appoint a retired judge to assess whether Porter is a fit and proper person to hold ministerial office. As a NSW Supreme Court judge, Justice Francois Kunc, wrote this week, such an inquiry would not undermine the rule of law, as Morrison claims, but would actually enhance it by addressing the question of public confidence. But no, Morrison says Porter will continue to play a very important role in my cabinet. Likewise, hes going to remove the Defence Minister, Linda Reynolds. The Prime Minister said shes guilty of disgraceful misconduct by calling her former staffer and alleged rape victim, Brittany Higgins, a lying cow. Removing her is an acknowledgement that Reynolds, too, is damaged goods politically. But he wont send her to the backbench either. Like Porter, Morrison says she will continue to play a very important role in my cabinet.

Loading So whichever portfolios Porter and Reynolds are to be given next week, their constituencies can rejoice in the knowledge that theyre having political problems  damaged goods  dumped on them. As with almost every move Morrison has made in this saga, it doesnt solve a problem, it compounds a problem. And the more he ducks and dodges and delays, the more scandals emerge, the more problems build, the worse the situation gets. The Prime Minister accused of misleading Parliament is at the mild end. The Prime Ministers staff has been accused of backgrounding reporters with damaging claims about Higgins loved ones to diminish her demands for justice. For weeks this was in the realm of questions from the opposition while Morrison hoped it would go away, but now Higgins herself has lodged a formal complaint with his chief of staff. It joins the multiple other internal inquiries Morrison has ordered into related questions of cover-ups and bungling. The whole lot now sits festering in Morrisons personal office, issuing a rank stench throughout the executive wing of Parliament and a pall of disrepute across the entire government.

Morrisons plain lack of good faith in confronting the problems has served as a dare to malcontents in his own party, a dare to see how far they can push him before he confronts the problems fully, or breaks. So the disclosures ramp up. Loading Liberal staff members masturbating on female MPs desks, perhaps, and filming it for wider circulation. Or, if thats not lurid enough, claims of Liberal staff holding gay orgies in MPs offices during question time, according to Tony Abbotts former chief of staff, Peta Credlin. How about a government MP, Andrew Laming, who holds the Queensland seat of Bowman, disclosed to have been harassing two women online and in person for years? Both women are constituents of Lamings. One woman, a charity worker, says she was suicidal as a result of his harassment. The other, a teacher, reported Laming to the police after he hid in bushes and photographed her. If Morrison had trouble grappling with problem cabinet ministers, surely he could act decisively with such outrageous conduct by a backbencher? It depends on your definition of decisive. Morrison demanded Laming apologise, which he did in the House on Thursday. On Friday the Prime Minister said his behaviour had been disgraceful.

A spokesperson for the Prime Ministers Office said: At the Prime Ministers request, the Member for Bowman issued an unreserved public apology. His comments were not acceptable to both women and also to the Prime Minister. Every Australian has the right to feel safe online and Mr Laming has made a commitment to change his online communication practices. And that was it. End of story. Nothing to see here. Online communication practices is one of the great euphemisms for trolling or harassment or abuse. What euphemism would the PMO geniuses come up with for a strangler in the Liberals midst, one wonders? Someone counselled to change his respiratory modulation practices, perhaps? But at least the PMO was prepared to acknowledge that online trolling of constituents was bad. Hiding in the bushes to harass a constituent is, apparently, just the modern Liberal Party doing its thing. For perspective, the Laming story would have dominated the news for a week in less torrid times. He would have been drummed out of Parliament unceremoniously. But Morrison is content with his apology. Laming apparently intends to stand again at the next election. If Morrison is going to continue to accept him as a fit and proper member of Parliament, Labor leader Anthony Albanese says he will personally campaign against Laming in his seat at the next election.

Of course, Morrison should have required Laming to announce he would leave Parliament at the next election, at the very least. Instead, Laming becomes just another running sore for the government. The government is in a death spiral and Morrison is proving incapable of pulling it out. Loading When this sorry saga is written up as a case study in crisis management, it will be cited as an outstanding example of the how not to address a crisis. Perhaps the endless pattern of inadequate response, followed by escalating crisis, followed by inadequate response and so on will become known as Morrison syndrome or doing a Morrison. But that would be unfair to the other Morrison. The then Chief of Army, Lieutenant General David Morrison, was lauded for his decisive action in the so-called Jedi Council scandal of 2013 when he expelled army members for demeaning women. He made a public declaration that any man in the army who didnt respect women as equals should get out: There is no place for you amongst this band of brothers and sisters. David Morrison, later the Australian of the Year, stamped this quote onto the public consciousness: The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
The nine-year-old twins didnt flinch as each received test doses of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine  and then a sparkly Band-Aid to cover the spot.

Sparkles make everything better, declared Marisol Gerardo as she hopped off an exam table at Duke University to make way for her sister Alejandra.

Researchers are beginning to test younger and younger kids to make sure COVID-19 vaccines are safe and work for each age. The first shots are going to adults who are most at risk from the coronavirus, but ending the pandemic will require vaccinating children too.

Alejandra Gerardo, 9, looks up to her mother, Dr Susanna Naggie, as she gets the first of two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations during a clinical trial for children at Duke Health in North Carolina. Credit:Duke Health

Kids should get the shot, Marisol told The Associated Press this week after the sisters participated in Pfizers new study of children under age 12. So that everything might be a bit more normal. Shes looking forward to when she can have sleepovers with friends again.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and children, some wearing face mask, burn leavened items in final preparation for the Passover holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, March 26. AP



A year ago, Giordana Grego's parents spent Passover at home in Israel, alone but grateful that they had escaped the worst of the pandemic in Italy. This year, the whole family will get together to mark the Jewish feast of liberation and deliverance from the pandemic.



Israel has vaccinated over half its population of 9.3 million, and as coronavirus infections have plummeted, authorities have allowed restaurants, hotels, museums and theaters to re-open. Up to 20 people can now gather indoors.



It's a stark turnaround from last year, when Israel was in the first of three nationwide lockdowns, with businesses shuttered, checkpoints set up on empty roads and people confined to their homes. Many could only see their elderly relatives on video calls.



''For us in Israel, really celebrating the festivity of freedom definitely has a whole different meaning this year after what we experienced,'' said Grego, who immigrated to Israel from Italy. ''It's amazing that this year we're able to celebrate together, also considering that in Italy, everybody is still under lockdown.''



Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating the biblical Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt after a series of divine plagues. The week-long springtime festival starts Saturday night with the highly ritualized Seder meal, when the Exodus story is retold. It's a Thanksgiving-like atmosphere with family, friends, feasting and four cups of wine.



Throughout the week, observant Jews abstain from the consumption of bread and other leavened foods to commemorate the hardships of the flight from Egypt. Instead, they eat unleavened matzah.



Holiday preparations involve spring cleaning to the extreme to remove even the tiniest crumbs of leavened bread from homes and offices. Cauldrons of boiling water are set up on street corners to boil kitchenware, and many burn their discarded bread, known as chametz. Supermarkets cordon off aisles with leavened goods, wrapping shelves in black plastic.



Most Israeli Jews _ religious and secular alike _ spend the Seder with extended family. Last year's Passover was a major break in tradition.



Government-imposed restrictions forced the closure of synagogues and limited movement and assembly to slow the virus' spread. Some conducted the ritual meal with their nuclear family, others over videoconference, while an unfortunate few held the Seder in solitude.



Another lockdown was imposed over the Jewish High Holidays in September, again preventing family gatherings, and a third came earlier this year with the emergence of more contagious variants of the virus.



By the third lockdown, Israel had launched one of the most successful inoculation campaigns in the world after the government secured millions of doses from Pfizer and Moderna. Israel has now vaccinated more than 80% of its adult population.



It's too early to say that Israel's coronavirus crisis is over, as new variants could emerge that are resistant to the vaccines.



The vaccination campaign in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza has been slow to get off the ground, with Israel facing criticism for not sharing more of its supplies. Israel has vaccinated over 100,000 Palestinian laborers who work in Israel and West Bank settlements, and has sent a couple thousand doses to the Palestinian Authority.



The Palestinians have imported more than 130,000 doses on their own, but it could be several months before shots are available for the vast majority of the nearly 5 million Palestinians in the territories. Experts say that could pose a risk to Israel's own public health efforts.



For now, however, Israelis are enjoying what feels like a post-pandemic reality, lending special significance to Passover.



''It's not only symbolic that it's the holiday of freedom, but it's also the holiday of the family,'' said Rabbi David Stav, chief rabbi of the city of Shoham and head of the liberal Orthodox organization Tzohar.



''This year, families are uniting. People that were so lonely, especially older people, who were disengaged from their families, all of a sudden they discover the freedom and the joy of being together with them.'' (AP)


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Caveat: Mormonism is a false religion. Many have been deceived with a belief system that includes Jesus Christ plus the revelation that came through Joseph Smith. But they do some things so well, and we as Christians would be wise to emulate them. Let me explain.

At age fifteen, my parents divorced, I moved from my childhood home to an apartment with my father. Every semblance of my former life was over. Even my Methodist church, where Id gone since a baby, didnt reach out to me. Perhaps it was my small towns gossip mill, but since my parents both had friends at church, when they split, the church split from us.

Fifteen. I wasnt old enough to drive, but vulnerable enough to become a wayward girl  if the right circumstances happened. Fortunately, I had three girlfriends who became extra encouraging during this awful season of adjustment. They invited me to their homes, they studied with me after school, they were good listeners.

It was a few months into my new life, when they invited me to church  the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I recognized my seventh grade English teacher, and my eighth grade History teacher in the gathering. My girlfriends sat with me, or I should say, we sat with their families. Large families, with lots of kids  many pregnant young moms with toddlers at their sides. But the dads were always close by to help.

I was fascinated at the togetherness  families, couples, singles, teens, all with helpfulness abounding. After church I listened to the mom group (Relief Society) organizing meals for several families, while another set of women volunteered to do the hospital service delivering sandwiches and cookies to those in waiting rooms and bringing a small goodie bag to the one hospitalized. The men were working on several projects themselves. Brother Hank needed help with his roof. It would be done by five volunteers that week. Someone else noted that even though Brother Steve wasnt there, they knew his car had broken down, Brother Joe would head over with his tools on Monday.

I kept coming back to church. Id lost my own family, but I was surrounded by dozens of intact families. They enjoyed church, and fellowship meant helping others  knowing that everyone eventually needs help.

Their church had been constructed with their own labor and the women cared for the flower beds, while teen boys mowed the lawn. My three friends were learning church doctrine before school during a 6 am class three days a week. They also enjoyed helping with the food preparation and the classes taught by the older moms on food preservation and home management (read: caring for lots of kids, while simultaneously cooking three meals a day on a strict budget).

Yes, the Mormons cared for their own and made sure their offspring were truly indoctrinated into the tenets of their beliefs. Oh sure, there were a few slackers, but they were always included in activities and encouraged to keep coming.

The Mormon moms were often elementary school classroom helpers. Mormon dads were the ones lending a hand on those community volunteer efforts. It was all about making new connections.

They were on the lookout for those who might become Mormons. If a family moved into the neighborhood, it wasnt just a plate of cookies and a warm welcome  it was an offer to help unpack, bring dinner for the whole family several times in the first weeks, and getting to know them by name. While many Mormons are born into the religion, others have been drawn in through these acts of kindness and generosity.

And lets be honest, when you want family and the closeness of fellowship, the Mormons offer both. In a couple years I graduated and moved away. My three girlfriends all eventually married, had large families, and have remained married. They embrace their Mormon lifestyle. I never did. But I will always remember their support.

My father-in-law, a devout conservative Baptist, lamented that the Christians he knew lacked the interest in serving that would draw people in like the Mormons. He was fascinated by their approach and admired their steadfast conservatism. He wondered how they could be so off-base spiritually, but so successful in proselytizing.

There are over 16.3 million Mormon members worldwide, and 2.4 billion Christians. Sadly, unless Mormons truly honor Christ alone, all their amazing works are in vain, and they remain unsaved and condemned. But I wonder if Christians could embrace the Mormons all-out helpfulness, what a difference it would make in our homes and communities  and perhaps then, Christians could proselytize their Mormon friends and save them.
(CNN)-- President Joe Biden is tasking Vice President Kamala Harris with overseeing efforts with Central American countries to stem the flow of migrants to the US southern border, the first major issue Biden has assigned directly to his No. 2.

"I asked her, the VP, today, because she's the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the countries that can help, need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border," Biden told reporters ahead of an immigration meeting in the White House State Dining Room.

"I said when we became a team and got elected that the vice president was going to be the last person in the room," he said. "She doesn't realize that means she gets every assignment."

The task mimics Biden's own efforts in 2014 and 2015, when he was asked by then-President Barack Obama to lead diplomatic efforts in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador after a surge of unaccompanied minors from those countries began arriving in the US.

Migrants are again arriving at the border at increased levels, causing a scramble by the administration to accommodate them and a political problem for the White House.

"Thank you, Mr. President, for having the confidence in me. There is no question that this is a challenging situation," Harris said on Wednesday. "While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we also -- because we can chew gum and walk at the same time -- must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the President has described, to come here."

Officials said Harris would focus her efforts on stemming the current flow of migrants and on developing a larger strategic partnership with Central American countries based on respect and shared values.

"Starting today, the Northern Triangle and Mexico will know there is one senior official dedicated to this effort," a senior administration official said on Wednesday in previewing Harris' new role.

The vice president, until now, had not been tasked with a key portfolio issue distinct from Biden. Instead, she acted as a "full partner" to Biden, appearing often physically alongside him on all the administration's efforts, including their self-proclaimed top priority of managing the coronavirus pandemic.

Those close to Harris said foreign policy and national security are key areas she wants to develop in her portfolio, and she's taken steps to beef up her experience since taking office, including by speaking with foreign foreign leaders.

During her own presidential run, Harris said she would expand the use of deferred action immigration programs and utilize executive actions to remove the threat of deportation of millions of undocumented people in the US if elected president.

She said earlier Wednesday in an interview with CBS News that the White House was frustrated by the current situation.

"Look, we've been in office less than 100 days," she said. "We are addressing it. We are dealing with it, but it's going to take some time, and are we frustrate? Are you frustrated? Yes, we are."

Officials said Harris would rely on her experience as attorney general and senator from California, a border state, to inform her diplomatic efforts.

They said she would be supported by officials from the Cabinet, including the State Department and USAID, and was likely speak with the leaders of key countries, though did not have specific phone calls to preview.

Officials said Biden brought Harris into the new role because of an inherent level of trust.

"He has experience and lived through this process as vice president himself," an official said. "Biden has said over and over again the person that I trust most, the person I turn to when there's a hard issue, is Kamala Harris."

Still, a separate official said Harris would approach the matter differently than Biden, who traveled to Guatemala City in 2015 for a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras in part to develop solutions to issue of migrants from those countries coming en masse to the United States.

"Vice President Harris taking on this challenge in her own style, in her own way," the official said.
Rating Action: Moody's affirms Hyundai Capital America's long-term senior unsecured rating at Baa1 and changes outlook to stable from negative, following similar actions on the parent's ratingsGlobal Credit Research - 26 Mar 2021New York, March 26, 2021 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") affirmed the Baa1 long-term senior unsecured and the Prime-2 commercial paper ratings for Hyundai Capital America (HCA). The outlook was changed to stable from negative.The rating actions follow similar actions on the ratings for HCA's ultimate parent company Hyundai Motor Company (HMC, Baa1 stable), consistent with Moody's Methodology of Captive Finance Subsidiaries of Nonfinancial Corporations. This alignment is based on HCA's strategic significance to its parent, Moody's expectation that HMC would support Hyundai Capital America, if required, as well as the explicit support agreement in place between the two companies. Please see separate press release dated 26 March 2021.Affirmations:..Issuer: Hyundai Capital America.... Issuer Rating, Affirmed Baa1....Commercial Paper, Affirmed P-2....Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note Program, Affirmed (P)Baa1....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Affirmed Baa1Outlook Actions:..Issuer: Hyundai Capital America....Outlook, Changed To Stable From NegativeRATINGS RATIONALEThe affirmation of Hyundai Capital America's ratings reflects Moody's unchanged assessment of the company's ba3 standalone assessment and affiliate support from HMC.Hyundai Capital America's ba3 standalone assessment reflects Moody's expectation that profitability will moderately improve in the next 12-18 months, supported by its improved underwriting standards as well as the US government stimuli actions, and will continue to contribute to a level of capital similar to rated peers. The company reported net income over total managed assets of 0.6% in 2019 and 1.2% in 2020. Its tangible common equity over total assets was 11% at 31 December 2020.Additionally, Moody's believes that HCA's managed receivables, which were $38.6 billion at 31 December 2020, will increase in low single digit percentages in the next twelve months, in line with Moody's expectation that new car sales in the US will rise by approximately 5% over the same period. While the company's lease portfolio of 37% at 31 December 2020 continues to be large relative to several of its peers, its capitalization has an adequate buffer to absorb changes in residual realization and potential credit losses. Unique to HCA, its support agreement with its parent stipulates that HMC will make cash contributions to HCA if the fixed charge coverage is below 1.1x, allowing the company to mitigate the impact on capital from losses.HCA's liquidity position is good and totaled $8.0 billion as of 31 December 2020 comprising approximately $436 million of available cash, availability under $4.9 billion ($0.6 billion outstanding at 31 December 2020) on the revolving credit facility in addition to availability of $3.3 billion under the securitization facility.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSHCA's ratings could be upgraded if the ratings for its parent HMC are upgraded.HCA's ratings could be downgraded following a downgrade of the ratings for its parent HMC. A downward adjustment of HCA's standalone assessment without changes to parent support assumptions are unlikely to impact the final ratings.The methodologies used in these ratings were Finance Companies Methodology published in November 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1187099, and Captive Finance Subsidiaries of Nonfinancial Corporations published in August 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1183459. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies. Hyundai Capital America, a majority-owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor America, was incorporated in California in 1989. It provides indirect retail passenger loans and lease financing by purchasing installment sale contracts and leases from dealers. It also provides direct wholesale financing to dealers by financing inventories and providing loans for the use of facilities refurbishment, real estate purchases, construction and working capital requirements. The company had loan and lease receivables of $38.6 billion at 31 December 2020.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1243406.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the EU and is endorsed by Moody's Deutschland GmbH, An der Welle 5, Frankfurt am Main 60322, Germany, in accordance with Art.4 paragraph 3 of the Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 on Credit Rating Agencies. Further information on the EU endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. Inna Bodeck Vice President - Senior Analyst Financial Institutions Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. 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Police Identify Body Found in Calloway County

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CALLOWAY COUNTY - The Kentucky State Police have identified the woman whose body was found in Calloway County Friday morning.Detectives say they have confirmed the identity of a woman found in a roadside ditch near the Cherry Corner area of southern Calloway County.The woman's identity is not being released at this time as authorities attempt to notify her family. More information will be released at a later time.Previous story:The Kentucky State Police are requesting the public's help with a suspicious death investigation in Calloway County.Detectives are requesting the public's help with identifying a body located Friday morning in a roadside ditch by a passerby near the Cherry Corner area of southern Calloway County.The person is described as a white woman between 25-years-old and 35-years-old. She is approximately 6 foot 1 inch tall, about 310 pounds, with light brown and blondish hair. She was wearing purple framed glasses with a white Murray State University T-shirt, black Capri pants, and blue crocs.Anyone with information is asked to contact Kentucky State Police Post 1 at 270-856-3721 or anonymously at 800-222-5555.
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an argument by lawyers that could have resulted in drug dealers at the top of a criminal organisation facing shorter sentences than street dealers at the bottom of the chain.

The three-judge court said gardai are correct to value drugs based on how much they sell for at street level, even when dealing with criminals who are at a higher level and selling at a lower per kilogram amount.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, delivering the written judgement on Thursday, said it would be an "absurdity" to suggest a person higher up the chain should face a lesser sentence if caught with the same amount of drugs as a street dealer.

The appeal arose out of the 2018 conviction of Stephen Glynn (41) of Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12 who was found guilty under section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act for possession of a controlled drug in Drimnagh on November 10, 2015.

Detective Sergeant Brian Roberts gave evidence that the drugs found, diamorphine, had a street value of 34,360. Det Sgt Roberts accepted that there are several markets in the supply of drugs and that for a dealer at the top end the same amount of diamorphine would be worth 10,000.

The Misuse of Drugs Act says that a person convicted of two offences of possession of more than 13,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply must be sentenced to a minimum of ten years. As this was Glynn's second offence under S.15A he was sentenced to that mandatory minimum but with a review after five years. Ms Justice Donnelly said it was accepted that Glynn was cooperative with gardai, made admissions, and was paid just 200 for handling the drugs.

Glynn's lawyers argued that the trial judge should have found that the value of the drugs was not greater than 13,000 and therefore the jury should not have been allowed to bring a conviction under S.15A.

Ms Justice Donnelly dismissed the appeal, saying the proper valuation of the drugs is what they would fetch at street level. She said this interpretation "avoids the absurdity" that a dealer higher up the chain would not be guilty of the more serious s.15A offence whereas the "end dealer" at street level would be guilty of the more serious offence.
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Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has told the HSE to suspend Covid-19 vaccinations at the Beacon Hospital over its provision of jabs to a school.

Mr Donnelly said the decision to give vaccines to 20 teachers and staff from St Gerards School near Bray, Co Wicklow was entirely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.

There has been outrage at the hospital CEO Michael Cullen arranging to the left-over jabs to staff at his childrens private school on Tuesday.

"I have considered this matter carefully and have worked with the HSE to assess the operational implications of suspending vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin," said Mr Donnelly.

I have now asked the HSE to suspend vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital with the exception of those people who have already been scheduled to get their vaccine at the centre.

"Alternative arrangements are being put in place by the HSE.

"In addition, I have asked the HSE to appoint a senior official to immediately examine what happened and make recommendations regarding any actions or changes required."

Mr Donnelly said the decision to give vaccines to 20 teachers and staff from St Gerards School near Bray, Co Wicklow was 'inappropriate' and 'unacceptable.' File Picture: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie

He said it is essential the vaccination programme is run in accordance with the agreed prioritisation "in order to maximise the benefit of the vaccination programme and the speed with which Ireland can emerge from Covid-19 measures".

Anyone with a vaccination appointment for this week at the Beacon Hospital should attend, a HSE spokeswoman said on Saturday.

The Beacon Hospital has done over 9,000 vaccinations for frontline staff with the HSE, and some of their own ICU and Emergency department staff.

The HSE now plans to use state vaccination clinics at the Aviva Stadium and City West to help cover the Dublin region, the spokeswoman said.

We will scale up capacity in these centres to manage this change in circumstances, she said.

The HSE is appointing a senior official to immediately examine what happened. This person will be able to make recommendations for change following the review, she said.

Vice-President of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association Dr Gabrielle Colleran said on Saturday she was very upset seeing healthy people vaccinated before her vulnerable patients.

So many have given so much, we cannot be undone by the few," she said. "And they must be held accountable by action.

Dr Colleran described the decision to give vaccines outside of the list as a kick in the teeth to patients.

Earlier this week the Beacon Hospital defended the vaccinations. It said there were over 200 no-shows for vaccinations that day due to a computer glitch which saw dozens of double-bookings.

The majority of these excess vaccines were subsequently used for HSE staff who were directed to Beacon Hospital throughout the afternoon, the statement said.

When 20 were still leftover it said due to a zero-waste policy it contacted the teachers as they were close-by and could come in the time the opened vials were still useable.

However, it later emerged Michael Cullen directly contacted the school himself. GPs working in the area have said they were not contacted about providing patients.
David Clark traveled the world as an Army noncommissioned officer, serving in South Korea, Germany, Iraq and Vietnam in support of President Bill Clinton's historic visit in 2000.

At the time, he never would have guessed that he had Vietnamese family living nearby.

Clark, 50, a civilian employee of Military Sealift Command living in Norfolk, Va., got a surprise after sending a DNA sample to Ancestry.com in December. In addition to finding out he is 44% French and has Scottish, English, Irish and Jewish blood, he discovered a Vietnamese cousin.

Phan Thi Nuoi, was born Nov. 15, 1971, and had her DNA sent to Ancestry.com in September 2017, in an effort to track down her father, an American GI who served there during the war.

That man turned out to be Clark's late uncle, Donald Pelkey, of Fort Fairfield, Maine, who served three tours with the Army at Cam Ranh Bay and Pleiku, Vietnam, between 1968 and 1971.

Pelkey had been in love with Phan's mother, Phan Thi Loan, but lost touch after he came home from the war, Clark said in a recent telephone interview.

"Nowadays finding people is easy, but in the 1970s it was just letters and telephone calls," he said. "And I'm sure the telephone system wasn't that good."

Copenhagen Connection

When Clark saw that he had a long-lost cousin, he sent an email to the address listed with her name on Ancestry.com.

He got a response from Brian Hjort, 50, an antique furniture repairman from Copenhagen, Denmark, who has been helping Amerasians in Vietnam and the Philippines find their fathers since the early 1990s.

Hjort first traveled to Vietnam as a 21-year-old in 1992 and was interested in meeting people his age who called themselves Americans, he said in a phone interview.

Once back home in Denmark, he got a request from one of his Vietnamese friends to help find the American father of a person in her village. Hjort filed a military records request with the help of the U.S. Embassy and received a name and address.

"The first father I found was in 1995," he said. "After that, people started writing to me."

Hjort estimates he has reunited dozens of GI dads with their Vietnamese and Filipino children. But it has gotten easier in recent years thanks to the internet  he operates a website called www.fatherfounded.org  and DNA.

Hjort has been sending samples from Amerasians looking for their American fathers to services such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, 23andMe, Y-DNA and Family Tree DNA, he said.

'Never Came Back'

Vietnam veteran Jim Reischl, 73, of St. Cloud, Minn., hopes DNA will help him find the daughter he left behind after serving as an Air Force clerk from 1969-70 at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam.

Reischl shared an off-base apartment with the woman who became the girl's mother.

"Her name was Hoa, which means flower in Vietnamese," he said in telephone interview early this year.

He keeps a photograph of Hoa, whose real name is Nguyen Thi Hanh, and a friend singing Vietnamese nursery rhymes in their apartment.

"I told her in late April of 1970 that I was probably going to be leaving," he said. "I told her I would be with her another month, but I don't think she understood me. She didn't speak a lot of English."

A week later, Hoa told Reischl she was pregnant.

"It scared me at the time," he said. "[The Air Force] had told us that women would tell us a lot of things, but it doesn't mean it's true."

Hoa told Reischl she wanted to come back to America with him, he recalled.

"The military told me, if I get to know a woman and want to bring her back expect to be there longer than my original term," he said.

Reichl left his pregnant girlfriend behind in Vietnam but wrote to her soon after arriving in the United States. He never heard back, he said.

He eventually married in the States, and it wasn't until he divorced in 2001 that he started searching for his child, making a trip to Vietnam every year, he said.

Reichl found Hjort online and, after a decadelong search, contacted Hoa, who responded to an advertisement placed in a Vietnamese newspaper, he said.

Hoa, who declined to be interviewed for this article, was living in the Mekong Delta, and the pair met for the first time since the war when Reichl visited in 2016.

"She said our daughter was born Dec. 18, 1970, in Vinh Long at a clinic," he said. "A lady who was with her offered to watch the baby and the lady took her and never came back. She had talked about taking her to an orphanage."

It seems like DNA is the only hope of finding their daughter, said Reichl, who plans to return to Vietnam once the pandemic recedes.

Proof Required

Meanwhile, Clark has been in touch with his cousin, communicating through Facebook with her adult son, Nguyen Van Anh.

In a Facebook message, the son said he's interested in meeting his newly found relatives and would travel to the U.S. to visit them if possible.

Nguyen Chi, a U.S. Consulate worker in Ho Chi Minh City, has been helping Clark communicate with his Vietnamese relatives and said they're excited by the news of their American cousins.

"I spoke with [Phan] on the phone and she seems very happy to find her father's relation," Nguyen Chi said in a recent email.

If Clark's Vietnamese relatives want to move to the U.S., they must submit evidence that Pelkey is Phan's father, said Clark, who is attempting to obtain his uncle's service records to show that he was in Vietnam at the time she was conceived.

Pelkey, who has no other known children and served as commander of the Paul Lockhart Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Fort Fairfield, would have welcomed his daughter and grandson with open arms if he was still alive, Clark said.

But, he added, the rest of their American family won't be able to help much.

This article is written by Seth Robson from Stars and Stripes and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill, in Bristol, United Kingdom, on March 26, 2021. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

Violent Mob Attack on Police in Bristol Disgraceful: Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the violent mob attacks on police officers in Bristol on Friday evening, and pledged his full support for the police.

Last night saw disgraceful attacks against police officers in Bristol, Johnson wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning.

The police said officers came under attack when a protest against the governments Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts bill on Friday afternoon turned violent in the evening. Police made 10 arrests in Bristol city centre during the incident.

Our officers should not have to face having bricks, bottles, and fireworks being thrown at them by a mob intent on violence and causing damage to property, said Johnson, adding that, The police and the city have my full support.

A little earlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was disgusted by the disorder and violence.

Im in no doubt the silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority. Despite repeated warnings to disperse, its clear these thugs were only intent on causing trouble, she wrote on Twitter.

Superintendent Mark Runacres of the Avon and Somerset Police said, The majority of people acted peacefully however there was a minority who once again showed hostility to officers.

Items, including glass bottles and bricks, were thrown at officers, fireworks were launched at our mounted section, while one of our horses was also covered with paint.

Ten people were arrested for offences including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker, and possession of Class A drugs, he said, adding that three of those arrested were also detained in connection with the riot which took place last weekend.

On March 21, also during a protest against the policing bill, rioters vandalised the police station exterior, set police vehicles on fire, and left 21 officers injured, two of them seriously.

According to The Times of London, several left-wing groups encouraged their followers to attend the protest last weekend, included Extinction Rebellion, All Black Lives Bristol, and Socialist Workers Party Bristol.

Another left-wing groupNo Fixed Abode Anti Fasciststold people not to share footage of protesters unless they were in masks, the paper reported.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts bill, which covers a wide range of policy areas, would give police new powers to impose time and noise limits on street protests. It was introduced after several disruptive Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion protests caused road closures, disruption of newspaper printing, and vandalism of statues last year.

London police on March 13 clashed with mourners and protesters at a vigil held for alleged kidnap and murder victim Sarah Everard while enforcing CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions, sparking days of protest against the police, governments restriction measures, and the new bill.

Lily Zhou and Reuters contributed to this report.
Mumbai, March 27 : Adding a fresh dimension to the SUV-businessman death cases, the Maharashtra Congress on Saturday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the role of ex-city top cop Param Bir Sing into the alleged disappearance of a DVR from the Mumbai Police Commissionerate.

State Congress Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that when Singh was the Mumbai Commissioner of Police (CoP) the police headquarters' digital video recorder had gone missing.

"Surprisingly, its over 18 days but so far the NIA has not bothered to even record the statements of any senior officers of the prime accused, arrested API Sachin Vaze. Who are they trying to protect", Sawant said, addressing the media.

He pointed out how on March 10, the DVR of the CoP premises was officially collected by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad, but a couple of hours later, the CoP's office felt it was a mistake to hand over the DVR to the probe agency.

Some from Singh's office called up the ATS Chief Jai Jeet Singh, asking for the DVR, claiming its quality was poor, it would be rechecked and given back to the ATS later, and this aspect will come out in the NIA probe, the Congress leader said.

The DVR was taken by an official who was sent from the CoP's office, but since then, the DVR has gone missing, and nobody is talking about it, he claimed.

"Why is the NIA still not going after this In this DVR, the movements of the SUV Scorpio, an Innova were clearly visible and also Sachin Vaze and others who were in contact with him. Its a crucial bit of evidence, but the NIA is doing nothing in the matter since nearly three weeks," Sawant said.

Slamming the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said it has been consistently trying to 'divert' attention from the Antilia case, then the Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran death, later it was the CoP's letter to Home Minster Anil Deshmukh, followed by the illegal phone-tapping ordered by former State Intelligence Department Commissioner Rashmi Shukla.

"They keep changing the goal-posts to defame and destabilize the Maha Vikas Aghadi government Though Shukla had apologized for making the fake report on the cops' transfer racket and had not given a 6.3 GB pendrive to the state government, then from where Fadnavis get it (pendrive) and what did he hand over to the Union Home Secretary?" asked Sawant.

He said it is surprising that Fadnavis kept quiet for over seven months on his trusted officer Shukla's 'Top Secret' report and has brought it up only now to shift the focus from Param Bir Singh matter.

However, he said the truth will emerge from a thorough judicial probe, will reveal more names of those involved in the conspiracies, how the cases (SUV-Hiran) were abruptly taken away from the ATS and given to the NIA, etc.

Sawant's verbal missives came a day after it became apparent that the MVA has decided to launch an offensive against a section of powerful serving and retired bureaucrats, allegedly working in tandem with the Opposition to topple the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
John Lamparski/WireImage Craig "muMs" Grant

Craig "muMs" Grant, known for his role of Arnold "Poet" Jackson on HBO's Oz, has died. He was 52.

The actor and writer died on Wednesday, a representative for Grant tells PEOPLE in a statement.

"We are heartbroken over the loss of one of the most genuine, caring, loving souls we have ever had the pleasure of representing," the statement reads. "muMs was more than our client, he was our dear friend. We all just lost a phenomenal man."

According to his rep, Grant was filming a recurring role on Starz' Hightown in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the time of his death and was scheduled to travel to Atlanta to finish to wrap on a recurring arc on the BET+ series All the Queen's Men.

A cause of death has not been determined.

Born and raised in New York City, Grant started his career as a part of the critically acclaimed Nuyorican Poetry Slam Team.

He went on to become an active member of the LAByrinth Theater Company alongside the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who once said that his writing was "Shakespearean" in its complexity and richness.

While working with LAByrinth, Grant staged an autobiographical one-man show titled A Sucker Emcee, which featured hip-hop and slam poetry based on his personal upbringing.

Gary Gershoff/WireImage Craig "muMs" Grant

RELATED: Celebrities Who've Died in 2021

On television, Grant worked on a myriad of shows including Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, Chapelle's Show, The Sopranos, Luke Cage, Nurse Jackie and High Maintenance.

He appeared on all six seasons of Oz as Poet, a heroin addict imprisoned for armed robbery and attempted murder.

In addition to TV, Grant's film credits include the Safdie brothers' Good Time, Alejandro G. Inarritu's Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Steven Soderbergh's Side Effects.

Grant had recently finished shooting No Sudden Moves for Soderbergh, according to his rep, and was in talks with the National Black Theatre and The Public to stage his one-man show this summer.

"The LAByrinth Theater family is deeply saddened to share the news of the unexpected loss of Craig 'muMs' Grant," the theater company said in a statement. "We'll forever miss our friend, brother, LAB member, Emcee, mentor, poet, actor, spoken-word giant, and fire-breathing teddy bear. muMs' presence, performances, and words inspired a generation. His legacy will live on, from the Bronx and into the beyond. Keep rocking the mic, Schemer!"
Former President Olusegun Obasanjos son, Olujonwo Obasanjo, has called on Nigerians to support Yahaya Bello of Kogi in the governors desire to become Nigerias president in 2023.

The younger Obasanjo, who is popularly known as Jonwo Obasanjo, said that Nigeria needed a youthful president in the next political dispensation to drive the nation positively.

Mr Obasanjo made the appeal when he paid a courtesy visit on Mr Bello in Abuja on Thursday, according to a statement by the Chief Secretary to the Governor, Onogwu Mohamed.

Mr Mohammed cited Mr Obasanjo as saying that electing a young person as president would engender good governance, nation building and foster national integration.

Mr Obasanjo described the clamour by Mr Bellos friends and associates for the governor to run for president in 2023 as timely.

He said that youths had been neglected for a long time in Nigeria, noting that almost all the elder statesmen in the country, including his father had ruled Nigeria in their youthful years.

Mr Bello has not formally announced any ambition to run for the presidency in 2023.

But Mr Obasanjo described Mr Bello as a beacon of hope, urging the governor to step up his aspiration to create leadership space for youths.

Nigerian youths have been neglected for too long, despite their numerical strength and huge contributions in the electioneering processes.

They have been denied space to manifest their aspirations in political decision making for too long.

The energy and patriotism of the youths can never be in doubt.

At 35 to 45 years of age, current elder statesmen like Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and of course my father, Olusegun Obasanjo were at their best in leadership.

Total inclusion of youths in governance is a catalyst for fruitful, timely and productive governance template for the people.

With a Bello presidency, there is no doubt that youths of competence and patriotic valour under the age of 27-30 can be ministers.

Mr Obasanjo lauded the governor for his fight against insecurity, infrastructural development drive and proactive leadership in resolving the food blockade crisis.

He, however, charged Mr Bello to remain resolute and unshaken in his audacious push to occupy the seat of power in 2023.

You must remain resolute, stoic and not give in to intimidation, name-calling or sorts. Your audacity is a big re-awakening to Nigerian youths and this has given us more hope and confidence today.

Mr Bello thanked Obasanjo for the visit and for his words of encouragement.

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He said that at the appropriate time for him to run for presidency, he was sure that youths would give him needed support.

(NAN)
Worlds most stolen painting from the 15th century, Hubert and Jan van Eycks Adoration of the Mystical Lamb, also known as the Ghent Altarpiece, is now safe. It has been kept in a glass house which is worth 30 million euros. According to the reports by The Painting Daily, the art piece was made for the church by the Van Eyck brothers in 1432 and is kept in the Sacrament Chapel, the largest chapel in the St. Bavos Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium.

There have been major concerns over the safety of this painting. The art piece has been stolen several times. Also, it was almost destroyed by Calvinists, stolen by Napoleon, destroyed again by Prussian king. It also got into the hands of Adolf Hitler. It was rescued by commando agents when it got almost lost in an explosion in Austria.

Up for auction

In another significant incident, Banksys superhero nurse artwork titled Game Changer, a tribute to the medics and healthcare workers amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is being auctioned for charities for Britains NHS. The painting was gifted to Englands Southampton General Hospital by the elusive street artist as a thankful gesture to recognize the efforts of the medical fraternity for battling the coronavirus in the frontlines.

Now on public display on the website for an auction center for bidding, the iconic painting depicts a young boy playing with a doll dressed as a nurse with a mask. Next to the boy, is a trash can holding the superheroes batman, and spiderman. Banksy donated the artwork to the hospital situated in the University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust System with a note that he posted on Instagram that read: Thanks for all youre doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white.

(Image Credits: RepresentativeImage/Unsplash/KarlFredrickson)
China and Iran sign 25-year cooperation pact

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif pose after the signing ceremony. Photo: AFP

Iran and China signed a 25-year "strategic cooperation pact" on Saturday in the latest expansion of Beijing's flagship trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative as the US rivals build closer ties.



Negotiations for the deal, launched five years ago, sparked controversy in Iran last year and virtually no details of its contents have been released.



China is Iran's leading trade partner and was one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil before then US president Donald Trump reimposed sweeping unilateral sanctions in 2018 after abandoning a multilateral nuclear agreement with Tehran.



The China-Iran pact, which Tehran said included "political, strategic and economic" components, was signed by the two countries' foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Mohammad Javad Zarif.



"We believe this document can be very effective in deepening" Iran-China relations, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, recalling that the pact had first been proposed during a visit to Tehran by President Xi Jinping in January 2016.



Xi and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani agreed then to establish a roadmap for "reciprocal investments in the fields of transport, ports, energy, industry and services."



Xi has championed the Belt and Road Initiative, a plan to fund infrastructure projects and increase China's sway overseas.



In July last year, controversy erupted over the proposed deal after former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad charged that negotiations were being held for a "new, 25-year agreement with a foreign country" without the knowledge of the Iranian people.



The foreign minister was heckled in parliament when he assured lawmakers there was "nothing secret" in the proposed deal, which he promised would be publicly announced "once it has been finalised".



The government has yet to honour that promise and few details have been made public.



Zarif on Saturday called China "a friend in hard times".



According to a statement from his office, he told Wang: "We thank China for its valuable positions and actions in a period of cruel sanctions against Iran."



Wang was also hosted by President Rouhani, who voiced hope that China would "continue to be a major trading partner with Iran" and called for further joint ventures, according to a presidency statement.



Wang's visit to Tehran comes just days after he hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in the Chinese city of Guilin.



The three governments all face difficult relations with Washington after President Joe Biden's administration vowed to remain firm in its dealings with them, despite a renewed emphasis on diplomacy.



With Iran facing a crushing economic crisis, Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for deeper relations with "trustworthy, independent countries like China".



He had previously described the proposed cooperation agreement as "correct and reasonable".



China and Russia are both parties to the troubled 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Biden has said he hopes to revive.



They were both deeply critical of the unilateral sanctions on Iran reimposed by Trump and have backed efforts to revive the agreement.



Biden has said he is not seeking "confrontation" with China, but that there will be intense competition between the rival superpowers.



"I told him (Xi) in person on several occasions we're not looking for confrontation, though we know that there will be steep, steep competition," the US president said. (AFP)
CalVet initially moved forward with a request to hire hospital police officers but withdrew the request in December of 2018.

Thats likely because the Pathway Home program on the Vets Home grounds was dismantled after the shooting in 2018. Pathway served patients facing significant trauma and working through mental challenges spawned from their service, according to Senator Dodd.

If you were going to continue to have a Pathway program  certainly there would need to be other protocols put in place, he said. In its absence, the Veterans Home is similar to other large facilities like its other hospitals or Napa Valley College, Dodd added.

Ive spoken to numerous residents of the home, and I think what I have heard from them is that they really feel safe on the campus, he said in an interview. What were trying to do is make it more of a community place where we have the Lincoln Theater and Borman Field  so I just dont think (additional security) is probably warranted.
Climate change is causing glaciers to melt faster, raising sea levels along the Atlantic coast at a rate not seen for 2,000 years, according to a new study led by a Rutgers University resercher.

The study found that sea levels were increasing the most in South Jersey. Two of the locations studied were Cape May Court House and Leeds Point. Others were in North Jersey, New York, Connecticut and North Carolina.

There is rapid change happening with climate, said Jennifer Walker, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral associate at Rutgers University. The biggest thing from this study is sea level rise is accelerating.

Melting ice and warning oceans. Thats whats causing these much higher rates of sea level rise.

The study said the greatest increase in sea level rise during the 2,000-year period beginning in year 1 CE occurred in the last 100 years, from 1900 to 2000.

What that means is storms like Hurricane Sandy have higher levels of water to push onto land and cause flooding, Walker said.

When you have a big hurricane like Sandy, when you add up more sea level rise, and Sandy was on top of a high tide, it makes your storm even worse, she said.

South Jersey is especially vulnerable because the land there is still sinking and adjusting from the ice age of 10,000 years ago, Walker said. The area had the highest rates of sea level rise during the entire time period studied, she said.

The biggest thing is we know that sea level has been rising for a long period of time, Walker said. This study really shows the significant increase in rate in the last 100 or 200 years. The No. 1 priority as a globe should still be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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President Joe Biden has made fighting climate change a top priority of his administration, and has said that his proposed infrastructure plan will include moves toward clean energy and away from oil and gas.

And Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has introduced his own legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change. The goal is to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Every new scientific indicator we get is just more proof of what we already know:, said Pallone, D-6th Dist. New Jersey is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and if we dont take this threat seriously, it will be New Jerseyans homes and livelihoods that pay the price.

We must achieve net zero greenhouse gas pollution if were going to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, he said.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JDSalant.

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A local councillor is calling for motorists approaching the pedestrian crossing in Riverstown, known as the Riverstown Cross, to slow down.

It comes following regular near-misses involving vehicles and pedestrians at the pedestrian crossing located near Riverstown Community Centre.

Glanmire-based Independent councillor Ger Keohane is calling on motorists to slow down on approach to the crossing.

This morning on National Slow Down day an infant and her parent almost got knocked down on the crossing and this is a regular occurrence, he said.

Cllr Keohane had recently witnessed a motorist texting while driving on approach to the crossing who had to screech to a halt when he eventually noticed a pedestrian crossing.

This particular stretch of road is the busiest road in Glanmire. There is a creche, businesses, residential homes and a bus stop, but despite all this, motorists are still driving recklessly.

Cork City Council have put in measures to slow down traffic and will do more, but unfortunately driver behaviour is appalling, he said.

Cllr Keohane said he is fearful somebody will be seriously injured or that a fatality will occur and appealed to drivers to be more aware of the speed at which they are driving through such busy areas.

An Garda Siochana and the Road Safety Authority continue to appeal to drivers to increase compliance with speed limits.

As of 4.30pm on National Slow Down Day, gardai and GoSafe checked the speed of 109,044 vehicles and detected 728 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.

Notable speeds in Cork included motorists travelling 67km/h in a 50km/h zone on the St Ann's Hill in Blarney, 75km/h in a 60km/h zone on the L3004 Killahora Road in Glounthaune, 83km/h in a 50km/h zone on the N20 in Kilknockan in Mallow, 130km/h in a 100km/h zone on the South Ring Road, and 60km/h in a 50km/h zone on Spy Hill in Cobh.

An Garda Siochana and the Road Safety Authority continue to appeal to drivers to increase compliance with speed limits to reduce the number of speed-related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on Irish roads.
Files Application for Revocation of Cease Trade Orders

TORONTO, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Champignon Brands Inc. (the "Company"), (CSE: SHRM) (FWB: 496) (OTCQB: SHRMF), announced today that it has filed a new Listing Statement with the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") which contains disclosure regarding the acquisition of AltMed Capital Corp. ("AltMed") (the "Transaction"). The Transaction constituted a reverse takeover of Champignon by AltMed.

The Company today has also filed an application with the British Columbia Securities Commission and Ontario Securities Commission (the "Commissions") requesting that the Commissions revoke their cease trade orders against the Company. The Company's Common Shares were cease traded by the Commissions for (i) content deficiency in the Company's material change report dated April 30, 2020, and (ii) failure to provide periodic financial disclosure for the interim period ended June 30, 2020.

On March 11, 2021, the Company filed (or refiled, as applicable) interim financial statements and management's discussion & analysis for the interim periods ending March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020, respectively, as previously announced by the Company (see news release of March 11, 2021). On March 15, 2021, the Company filed a Notice of Change in Corporate Structure pursuant to Part 4 of National Instrument 51102  Continuous Disclosure Obligations and on March 22, 2021 the Company filed interim financial statements and management's discussion & analysis for the period ended December 31, 2020.

The Listing Statement and financial reports referenced above are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Champignon Brands Inc. (https://champignonbrands.com) is a medical solutions company that aims to reduce the illness burden of brain-based mental disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder). Its operations are primarily focused on (i) owning and operating multidisciplinary clinics providing treatment for mental health disorders and (ii) research activities related to discovering and commercializing novel drugs and delivery methods.

Champignon develops ketamine and psilocybin derivatives and other psychedelic products from the Company's IP development platform. Champignon, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence Inc., currently operates multidisciplinary community-based clinics offering rapid-onset treatments for depression located in Mississauga, Toronto and Ottawa.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dr. Roger S. McIntyre"

Dr. Roger S. McIntyre

Chairman & CEO

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the lifting of the existing cease trade orders by the Commissions and the reinstatement of trading in the Company's Common Shares on the CSE. There is no guarantee that the cease trade orders will be revoked.

Forward-looking 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. Such forward- looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events, or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's requirements for additional financing, and the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability, the Company's limited operating history and lack of historical profits; competition; failure of treatments to provide the expected health benefits; unanticipated side effects; dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing federal, provincial, state, municipal, local or other licenses; developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the Company's industries and the capital markets; economic and financial conditions; volatility in the capital markets; engaging in activities that could be later determined to be illegal under domestic or international laws; failure to obtain the necessary shareholder, government or regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE; and failure to retain, secure and maintain key personnel and strategic partnerships including but not limited to executives, researchers, clinicians, customers and suppliers. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward looking-statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company has no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available.

SOURCE Champignon Brands Inc.

Related Links

https://champignonbrands.com/


The city of Charleston has been aggressively dealing with the impacts of more flooding and higher tides, but it hasn't done much to curb its emissions. A new plan might change that. File/Gavin McIntyre/Staff
On Saturday, New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian let her hair down as she attended the Sydney premiere of Hamilton.

The 50-year-old turned heads at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney in an edgy outfit consisting of a cropped jacket and purple velvet skirt.

To accessorise, she carried a black purse and wore a pair of booties on her feet with bows on them.

A night off! On Saturday, New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian let her hair down as she attended the Sydney premiere of Hamilton in Sydney

She opted for a peachy makeup palette with a coral lipstick and bright blush, and wore her hair in a retro waved bob.

The politician was all smiles as she fronted the red carpet at the glamorous event, alongside Hamilton's producer Michael Cassel and a friend.

In a video posted on her Instagram Stories, Gladys can be seen telling a reporter: 'I'm so excited for Sydney and Australia.

All smiles! The politician was all smiles as she fronted the red carpet at the glamorous event

'Michael Cassel has done an amazing job. I'm so proud of him and what we've been able to do during COVID, it's going to be an amazing production.'

Gladys' former colleague Julie Bishop, 64, went to the event with her hunky partner David Panton, with the one-time politician turning heads in fitted orange, sequinned frock.

She showed off her trim pins in the short dress, and added a pair of statement earrings as well as carrying a glittering silver purse.

Fun times: Gladys was all smiles as she fronted the red carpet at the glamorous event, alongside Hamilton's producer Michael Cassel and a friend

Julie had her blonde her down and opted for a muted makeup palette, while David looked smart in a black jacket, white shirt and jeans.

Gladys recently opened up about her personal struggle through the Covid and bushfire crises, and revealed how she actually felt more loved after coming under scrutiny about her relationship with 'dodgy' Daryl Maguire.

In a recent interview with former Liberal minister Christopher Pyne on his podcast, 'Pyne Time', the NSW Premier revealed that she followed a simple creed in order to get through what Pyne described as a horror year.

She told Pyne that the Covid outbreak early last year was 'quite scary'. But she lived by a simple creed of getting on with life by putting 'one foot in front of another' and pushing through the dark times to get to better days.

Gladys and a friend pictured on the red carpet at the Sydney Hamilton premiere

'You don't realise how strong you are ... 'Even with the bushfires and the pandemic and the personal issues that I've had.

'I never thought I'd be able to do the things that I had to do but you find that inner strength and that resilience,' she said.

In the interview, Pyne suggested that the public was sympathetic to Ms Berejiklian when she faced the Independent Commission Against Corruption late last year because the public had gotten to know her so well during the previous crises.

Ms Berejiklian agreed, claiming she felt more 'loved' after she faced the ICAC following revelations she had been in a 'close personal relationship' with the backbencher.

Wow! The Premier of New South Wales carried a black purse and added a pair of heels with bowtie details. Pictured, Gladys (centre), Michael Cassel (left) and a friend (right)

'I know this sounds not logical but I actually felt loved after the event than before the event,' she said.

'I felt very fortunate but I also felt the bushfires and Covid gave people a chance because normally they only see ten seconds of you.

'It gave people a chance to know who I am which is really hard in public life because its easy to be painted into a box or a corner, its an easy way to define people like us.

Because I had to deal with those things we didnt expect, and whether people liked me or didnt like me, I hope they feel they know me and I feel thats why I was given that support which Ive been overwhelmed by.'

The Premier said she told herself not to worry about what commentators, journalists and opponents would say about her decisions - just 'do what is the right thing to do.'

'The bushfires taught me that as well ... even if the news you're giving isn't good you have to arm people with the information and tell them why you're asking them to do something. And that engenders trust.'
Guwahati, March 27 : Around 26 per cent voters have cast their ballots so far on Saturday in the first phase of the Assam Assembly polls which is underway amid heavy security in 47 constituencies, according to election officials.

Saturday's voting is being held in the Assamese heartland comprising the south and north banks of the Brahmaputra river.

After casting his vote at a school in Dibrugarh, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is contesting from Majuli, told the media that that Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) would get more than 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

The first phase of polling will decide the fate of 264 candidates.

Besides Sonowal, the other prominent faces in the fray are state Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), state Congress chief Ripun Bora (Gohpur), Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), jailed Raijor Dal President Akhil Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).

At least 23 female aspirants are also contesting these elections.

Voting began across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam's 12 districts at 7 a.m.

It will continue till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.

A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their ballots.

Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.

Election officials said that to avoid crowding, the number of voters for every booth has been brought down to a maximum of a thousand.

As a result, the number of polling booths has been augmented by 34.71 per cent to 33,530 from 24,890 in 2016.

To avoid direct contact with the Electronic Voting Machine, every elector is being given a hand glove.

In the 2016 elections, the ruling BJP-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.

According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.

No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where balloting is underway.

In a unique gesture, the election officials donated saplings to the voters in the model polling stations, which were decorated with colourful balloons.

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases.

The other two phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats).

Results will be declared on May 2.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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Netflix Inc. will almost double its number of Japanese-style anime releases this year, stepping up its fight against AT&T Inc. and Sony Corp. for original content that appeals to Asian viewers.

The worlds largest paid-streaming service will launch 40 new anime titles this year, it said in a statement Saturday during a virtual animation expo from Japan -- where half of Netflixs 5 million subscribing households watch an average of five hours of the shows each month.

The move is part of a push for original content to appeal to audiences in Asia, one of the worlds fastest-growing streaming markets, as its home market of North America reaches saturation point. Following the success of anime movie Demon Slayer," -- last years fourth highest-grossing film globally and Japans best-selling title ever -- entertainment companies are increasingly vying for a slice of the $23 billion industry.

We want to be able to pride ourselves as being the top entertainment destination with good quality content," Taiki Sakurai, Netflixs chief anime producer, said in an interview. The growth of our business is directly connected to the growth of our anime."

Read more: Netflix Plans $500 Million Spending in Korea to Crack Asia

Adding customers in Asia is also crucial if Netflix is to sustain its recent growth amid increasing competition in the region from rivals such as Disney+ and Amazon Prime, which are also spending more on producing content.

One of Netflixs biggest advantages over its competitors is generating local, original content based on its extensive user data," said Pooh Chuang, an analyst at Taiwan-based President Capital Management Corp. Doubling down on original anime will help this localization campaign and strengthen its users attachment to Netflix."

Global viewing of anime shows has been rising about 50% a year, Sakurai said. Half of Netflixs 200 million global subscribers watched at least one anime show in recent months, he said. When Sakurai joined the company four years ago he was the only employee working on anime; the team has now expanded to 12 members, demonstrating the firms dedication to the format, he said.

Some of Netflixs anime series have become its most-popular titles. Blood of Zeus," launched last year, is among the platforms 10 most-watched series in about 80 countries. Among the series Netflix will release this year are Yasuke," about a legendary African samurai in feudal Japan, and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness," based on a Japanese horror video-game franchise created by Capcom Co.

The global market for anime, including box-office takings, merchandise and TV fees, almost doubled over the decade to 2019, reaching $23 billion, according to a report last year by the Association of Japanese Animations. Thats estimated to grow to more than $36 billion by 2025, driven by increasing penetration of streaming platforms and the rising popularity of Japanese smartphone games, India-based research firm Million Insights said in a report last year.

The lucrative outlook is driving video giants to spend big to secure content. Sony, the company behind Demon Slayer" and a TV series based on the same franchise, in December agreed to buy AT&Ts anime-streaming unit Crunchyroll for $1.2 billion. Meantime, AT&Ts HBO Max landed the North American rights to legendary director Hayao Miyazakis Studio Ghibli, which produced hits like Spirited Away." Netflix streams Studio Ghibli productions globally, excluding the U.S., Canada and Japan.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Hours before the first phase of polling began in West Bengal Assembly elections, the Purba Medinipur district witnessed violence as bombing and firing took place in the Satsatmal village at the Argoal gram panchayat in Bhagabanpur Assembly constituency, injuring two security personnel.

Patashpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Deepak Kumar Chakraborty and a Central Force soldier were seriously injured in the incident.

Speaking to ANI, Anup Chakraborty, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president, Purba Medinipur, alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was spreading terror.

"There is a polling booth at the Argoal area under the Bhagabanpur assembly in Patashpur police station. A terror factory resides in the booth. That booth cannot function without terror and through it, the TMC is damaging the nearby booths by spreading terror," he said.

"We want to make it clear that all those jihadis are running around in all areas and are trying to terrorise the people on behalf of Trinamool. This cannot happen, people have been awakened. The administration went there to control the situation which led to the injury of the OC," he added.

After primary treatment at Egra Super Specialty Hospital, the injured personnel were shifted to Kolkata for further treatment.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Paschim Medinipur Samit Das also accused the TMC of creating a disturbance in the rural areas of the district.

"Voting in Midnapore town is going on smoothly. But, at some places in rural areas, TMC workers are trying to create a disturbance," Das told ANI.

In the first phase of West Bengal elections, 30 seats covering all assembly constituencies from the districts of Purulia and Jhargram and a segment of Bankura, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur are going for polls.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women. The polling will conclude at 6:30 pm.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dr. Simonetta Sipione, GlycoNet Investigator and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Alberta, was recently awarded a major five-year grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), worth $1.04 million. The project builds upon work previously funded by GlycoNet.

The project aims to clarify the therapeutic role of gangliosides, a family of glycolipid molecules that have properties of both lipids and carbohydrates, in the brain.

These gangliosides are highly enriched in the healthy brain. They help brain cells communicate with each other and with the environment." Dr. Simonetta Sipione, Lead Investigator on the Project

"During aging and in some cases of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease, the level of some of the gangliosides is lower in the patient's brain," says Sipione. "We are interested in finding out why and developing a viable treatment that tackles the root of the disease, not just the symptoms."

Currently, patients who have neurodegenerative diseases are usually prescribed with medications to improve movement and fight depression. However, none of these medications address the disease cause, which is the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain. Finding ways to prevent this toxic buildup will turn the table on current methods to treat these diseases.

Previously, Sipione's team was able to slow down neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Huntington's disease through injection of a type of ganglioside called GM1 into the mouse brain.

"Restoring the level of GM1 in the brain could be a potential treatment for those who experience, or show signs of, neurodegeneration," says Sipione. Now, her team is investigating the mechanism of action, as this knowledge would shed light on other aspects in neuro- and glycoscience and help develop treatments.

According to Sipione, the CIHR grant will enable her team to find out how GM1 helps the brain dispose of, or even prevent, the buildup of toxic proteins.

"To use a simple analogy, toxic proteins are like garbage and your brain is like a house. If garbage accumulates in the house and no one throws it out, your house is going to smell. We think GM1 and other gangliosides have a key role in instructing brain cells so that the garbage (toxic proteins) can be thrown out properly and eliminated by trash collectors, which are other biomolecules in the brain," she adds. "Our studies will help determine the underlying mechanism of GM1's therapeutic effects and whether other similar molecules could be a novel treatment, not only for Huntington's disease, but also potentially for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease."

The Huntington Society of Canada reports that approximately 1 in 7,000 people in Canada has Huntington's disease. Another report from The Alzheimer's Society suggests that over 500,000 Canadians are living with dementia that results from neurogenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As seniors in Canada are a rapidly growing segment of the population, by 2031, it is estimated that the number will increase to 937,000.

Sipione, who trained as a biochemist, believes that her laboratory's interdisciplinary approach provides a unique opportunity to uncover issues central to brain health. Her goal is to leverage knowledge from her research discoveries to create tangible benefits for people both in Canada and worldwide.
Beshear Touts Spending Relief Funds

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Gov. Andy Beshear has proposed nearly $700 million in direct aid to small businesses and low-income Kentuckians.It's part of a plan he presented to lawmakers for spending about $2.4 billion in federal pandemic aid being funneled to the state. The Democratic governor has been negotiating with the Republican-dominated legislature leaders on how to use the infusion of federal relief.Kentucky's leaders face a tight timeline. Lawmakers are set to reconvene Monday for the last two days of the session.The governor proposed allocating $475 million in direct aid to qualifying low-income households. It would provide $500 assistance payments.
Suspected militants on Wednesday attacked the northern Mozambican town of Palma, the hub of a huge gas exploration project, security sources said, as construction work was due to resume on the scheme.

Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province has since 2017 been the target of attacks by a shadowy jihadist group, raiding villages and towns in a bid to establish an Islamic caliphate.

The violence has rocked the development of Africa's largest liquified natural gas (LNG) project off the Afungi peninsula, led by French oil giant Total.

The latest attack came as Total announced earlier Wednesday that it would "progressively resume" construction at the site "following the implementation of additional site security measures".

"Total and the government of Mozambique have worked together to define and implement an action plan" to reinforce the security of the Afungi site and the surrounding area, the company said in a statement.

But several security sources who did not wish to be named later told AFP that Palma was under seige.

One military commander based in the capital Maputo said two groups of "militants" had concomitantly attacked a police checkpoint and residential neighbourhoods.

"Government forces resisted but then they had to flee," said another military source in Palma.

"The militants are using heavy, new weapons that we have never seen before."

A third source said a plane about to land in Afungi was forced to turn back due to a "heavy weapons attack".

Cabo Delgado's jihadists, known locally as Al-Shabab, are affiliated to the Islamic State group.

The insurgency has killed at least 2,600 people, half of them civilians, according to the US-based data collecting agency Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED).

Amnesty International this month said locals were "caught" between militants and Mozambican security forces fighting the insurgents alongside private militia.

Story continues

The watchdog accused all three parties of "war crimes" causing hundreds of civilian deaths.

Nearly 700,000 people have been uprooted by the violence, placing severe pressure on humanitarian support in the region.

Total itself evacuated some staff in January after jihadists launched a series of attacks just kilometres from the LNG site.

The $20 billion project is still being built and not due to go online until 2024.

Total is the main investor and hold 26.5 percent of the shares.

Six other international businesses are also involved, including Italy's Eni and US major ExxonMobil.

str-sch/sn/dl
The COVID-19 surge of summer through winter 20202021 devastated all population groups. Yet when the death rates of Latinos are compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) rates in every age group, there is a significant disparity between the two: Latino death rates are from two to seven times higher than NHW rates.

COVID-19related deaths can be considered a 'lagging indicator' for tracking an outbreak. They trail infections by a number of weeks and confirm what has already occurred. Unfortunately, they are the summary statistic of this deadly pandemic." Dr. Paul Hsu, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

The findings are included in a report, The Surge of Summer through Winter, 2020 2021: COVID-19 Burned Through California's Latino Population, released this month by the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC) at UCLA, co-authored by Hsu and Dr. David E. Hayes-Bautista, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor of health policy and management and distinguished professor of medicine at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

The findings are alarming for all age groups, from the oldest, age 80+, to the youngest adults, the 18-34 group, the researchers said. This spring in particular, after a year of pandemic-induced disruption of young adults' social lives-;parties cancelled, dances postponed, travel deferred-;the urge to break out of isolation for a fun-filled Spring Break may be especially hard to ignore. But giving in to that urge this year would be very risky, especially for Latino young adults.

"After a year of lockdown, the temptation to party over Spring Break may be very hard to resist," said Hayes-Bautista, who also serves as director of CESLAC, which provides cutting-edge, fact-based research, education, and public information about Latinos, their health, their history, and their roles in California's society and economy. "We warn that the Latino young adult COVID-19associated death rate has been consistently over five times higher than the non-Hispanic white rate, from July of 2020 to January of 2021."

Many young adults unconsciously consider themselves to be "invincible," impervious to disease and death. The data, however, make it clear that they are not, the researchers said.

"This country has been through multiple waves of COVID-19 infections and deaths," Hsu said. "The lack of social distancing and face coverings will most likely be high during Spring Break. But if we ease up on our protective measures, we risk another wave."

In all age groups, the Latino death rate is many times higher than the non-Hispanic white death rate, ranging from twice to eight times as high. Hayes-Bautista points out that Latino young adults run a particular risk during this Spring Break season: young adults in general have not been a high priority for vaccination efforts, in California or other states.

"Latino young adults often reside in homes with older-age adults, who also suffer from much higher COVID-19 death rates," Hayes-Bautista said. "These young adults should strongly consider postponing their Spring Break until next year, when we may have more control over the pandemic."

Age 80+

Latino death rate more than twice the NHW rate. During this six-month period, Latino death rates for this age group were consistently more than twice as high as NHW rates. The Latino death rate rose from 446.39 to 1,826.54 between July and January 2020-2021.

"Not only was the death rate twice as high for Latino elderly, age 80 and older," Hayes-Bautista said. "Our research into Latino hospital use before COVID-19 has consistently shown that older Latino elderly are less likely to be covered by Medicare for their hospital costs."

Ages 65-79

Latino death rate more than four times the NHW rate. During this six-month period, Latino death rates for this age group were consistently over four times higher than NHW death rates. The Latino death rate rose from 141.57 to 681.31 during this period.

"Before the pandemic, when Latinos aged 65+ were discharged from a hospital, they were less likely than NH whites to be discharged into a skilled nursing facility, and more likely to be discharged directly to their homes, which obviously were not equipped to provide quality care," Hayes-Bautista said.

Ages 50-64

Latino death rate nearly six times the NHW rate. During this six-month period, Latino death rates for this age group were consistently about six times higher than NHW death rates. The Latino death rate rose from 42.57 to 207.32 from July to January.

"These older middle-aged workers are usually in their prime earning years, and our economy is losing Latino prime earners at six times the rate of NH white prime earners," Hayes-Bautista said.

Ages 35-49

Latino death rate about seven to eight times the NHW rate. During this six-month period, Latino death rates for this age group were consistently about seven to eight times higher than NHW rates. The Latino rate rose from 11.3 deaths per 100,000 to 45.33.

"Workers in this age group generally are at mid-career, a time to consolidate their workplace experience to move into their prime years," Hayes-Bautista said. "We lose Latino mid-career workers at seven to eight times the rate that we lose NH white mid- careers."

Ages 18-34

Latino death rate more than five times the NHW rate. During this six-month period, Latino death rates for this age group were consistently about five times higher than NHW rates. The Latino death rate for young adults rose from 1.52 to 8.40.

"Young adults are finishing their education, starting their careers, forming households, and generally preparing for their next decades of work and family life," Hayes-Bautista said. "We are losing Latino members of this cohort, so important for society's future, at five times the rate of NH white members."

The surge from the summer through the winter of 20202021 affected all races/ethnic groups, and California's Latino population was among the hardest hit. In every age group, the disparity between Latino and non-Hispanic white death rates remained roughly the same throughout this period, ranging from two to seven times as high, depending on age.

Latinos are over represented in many essential worker categories, from farm workers who provide California's food to construction workers who build the state's houses, all while exposing themselves to infection. The state must ensure that these populations receive priority for vaccinations and other medical care, so that California can recover and continue to go about its business.

Latinos a special target of COVID-19

Latinos' strong work ethic means that Latino households have more wage earners per household than non-Hispanic white households. Nationally, Latinos have an average of 1.6 wage earners per household, compared to 1.2 for non-Hispanic white households. This means that Latino households have more adults leaving the house every day, who are then often exposed to coronavirus-positive clients and co-workers during work hours.

"Office-based wage earners have been able to minimize their exposure to coronavirus infection by sheltering at home and working online," Hayes-Bautista said. "But Latinos are over- represented in occupations that require wage earners to leave their homes and interact with co-workers and clients, such as farm workers and grocery store clerks."

These Latino wage earners then go home to households that have more children in them. On average, there are 1.0 children per Latino household, but only 0.5 children in non-Hispanic white ones.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has noted that up to half of COVID-infected children may be asymptomatic; that is, they have the virus, but do not show symptoms that would put them under surveillance.

"Children with COVID-19 may have mild, non-specific symptoms, or no symptoms at all," Hsu said. "But they can still transmit the virus from one adult to others."

Therefore COVID-19 has two increased opportunities to infect Latino households: more wage earners who can be exposed to the virus at work and bring the infection home with them, and more children who can spread infection to family members while remaining asymptomatic themselves.

Because they typically have more wage earners and more children, Latino households contain nearly one more person per unit than non-Hispanic white households.

So, in effect, COVID-19 punishes Latino households for working hard-;which exposes more wage earners to infection-;and for having more people, especially children, per household.

Since March of 2020, Latinos have held many of the essential jobs that have kept California well-fed and functioning. Unfortunately, their reward has been the highest rate of infections and deaths in the state, Hayes-Bautista said.

Methods

Data on COVID-19 cases, stratified by race/ethnicity and by age group, were furnished by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Population denominators to calculate the rate of cases per 100,000 were tabulated from the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS).
The Government is preparing to trigger an emergency plan to save 5,000 British jobs in the event of a collapse of Sanjeev Gupta's steel business.

Gupta, founder of Liberty Steel and its vast parent company GFG Alliance, wrote to Government officials on Thursday in a desperate bid to secure a 170million bailout from taxpayers.

Troubles at the UK's third largest steel producer follow the collapse of its main financier Greensill Capital, which counted former Prime Minister David Cameron as a paid adviser.

Plea: Sanjeev Gupta wrote to Government officials in a desperate bid to secure a 170million bailout from taxpayers

Concerns are now rising that Gupta's British operations could slide into administration unless new financing can be arranged.

Gupta's call to Ministers for help comes just months after he forked out 42million  nearly a third of the bailout request  on a house in Belgravia.

Liberty owns a dozen steel plants in Britain, including sites at Newport and Rotherham. Private equity firms are understood to be assessing parts of GFG's global empire.

In its letter to the Department for Business GFG asked for the money to cover working capital and operating losses.

But Whitehall is thought to be concerned that bailout money might be used in other parts of Gupta's global empire instead of supporting UK jobs. There are also fears the firm could then require further financial support.

Boris Johnson has taken a personal interest in the situation, industry sources said. The Government is already thrashing out emergency plans in case the situation rapidly worsens, The Mail on Sunday understands.

It is thought the preferred route would be to wait for Liberty Steel to enter compulsory liquidation, at which point the Government would step in and keep the company running until a new buyer could be found.

This would be similar to the rescue of British Steel which collapsed in May 2019. Around 3,000 jobs were saved by an intervention which cost taxpayers nearly 600 million. The Official Receiver, a state agency, took control of the firm with the backing of the Government until it was sold to Chinese metals company Jingye last March.

Another option could see the Government support administrators to find a new buyer if Liberty Steel, which is thought to comprise seven different companies, collapses.

Dame Margaret Hodge, former chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, said: 'You need to save the jobs, not the man.'

She said there was a lack of transparency over 'where his money has come from, where it goes', adding: 'But what you don't want to do is sacrifice the jobs.'

The union Unite said it 'is urging the Government to do everything necessary' to save Liberty, adding: 'The loss of Liberty Steel and the specialist products it manufactures for the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas sectors would have damaging consequences beyond the steel sector.'

One industry source said it would be difficult for the Government to step in without GFG Alliance first becoming insolvent, because the company is 'a sprawling beast' with huge debts. Another source said: 'It's messy, it's very, very messy.'

And with private equity firms understood to be eyeing parts of GFG, one source in the sector said: 'It's an asset-backed bet, potentially Lone Star and Cerberus [are interested].'

Cerberus declined to comment. Lone Star did not respond.

Advisers to GFG Alliance are working on a private restructuring plan called 'Project Battery'.

Liberty Steel employs 3,000 people in Britain. Another 2,000 UK jobs span other divisions of GFG Alliance including aluminium firm Alvance and renewable energy business Simec.

Liberty Steel was forced to halt production at some sites earlier this month to preserve cash. It owes Greensill an estimated 3.6 billion, according to the Financial Times.

A GFG Alliance spokesman declined to comment on the letter, but said: 'GFG Alliance as a whole is operationally strong and benefiting from strong markets in steel, aluminium and iron ore.

'While Greensill's difficulties have created a challenging situation, we have adequate funding for our current needs. Discussions to secure alternative longterm funding continue to make good progress.

'In the UK speciality steel business, where weakness in the aerospace market has cut demand for some products by 60 per cent, we have been taking specific actions to stabilise the business and improve cash flow.'

These include 'reducing steel stocks ... and working with customers to achieve terms that will bring in cash as early as possible'.
A medical officer prepares a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during a mass vaccination program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on Mar. 2, 2021. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

China Threatens to Withhold Vaccines to Paraguay Unless It Severs Ties With Taiwan

On March 23, Alexander Tah-ray Yui, head of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs of the Republic of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealed that Chinas vaccine makers would not sell their shots to Paraguay unless it agreed to sever its diplomatic relations with Taiwan, according to the Taipei-based Central News Agency (CNA).

The Paraguayan side condemned the action, saying that Chinese vaccine manufacturers were attempting to hurt its sovereignty; and contended that vaccines should not be reduced to a political tool, CNA reported.

Paraguay is one of the 15 diplomatic allies of Taiwan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Beijing has won over seven former diplomatic allies of Taiwan, including Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, Dominica, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati, since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016.

Chinas state media Global Times chortled in an editorial on Sept. 20, 2019, that the number of Taiwans allies would be likely to drop to zero in the future.

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi claimed at a joint press conference on March 23 that WeChina and Russiado not concern our own benefits alone; rather, we take global interests into account, based on Chinas state media reports. He also said China would use its vaccines as a global public good.

Previously, Wang said China never attached any political strings in international cooperation on COVID-19 vaccines at a virtual meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding vaccine distribution on Feb. 17.

China is donating thousands of its vaccines to low- and middle-income countries to expand its global outreach, according to New York-headquartered Quartz, a global business news outlet.

Nonetheless, Chinese vaccine makers have not been transparent in disclosing data of Phase 3 clinical trials, leading to public questions about their products safety, Huang said.

A case in point is Singapore. The southeast nation introduced a shipment of Chinese-made Sinovac products in February this year and keep them in a storage facility unused.

Regulators are still waiting for more data from Sinovac, the countrys Health Science Authority said.
As polling for the 30 seats in the first phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited two Hindu temples outside Dhaka, which are places of worship, particularly of the Hindu Matua community, whose members reside in West Bengal.

Political analysts believe that Prime Minister's visit to the temples carries a political significance for the community's voters in the poll-bound state. They have pointed out that the Matuas, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in about 30-50 Assembly constituencies.

Also read: West Bengal polls: Kurmi community key to electoral success in former Maoist hotbed

Addressing the Matua community in Orakandi, the Prime Minister reportedly said, "I was waiting for this opportunity for many years. During my 2015 visit to Bangladesh, I expressed my wish to visit Orakandi, and today that wish has come true."

He also met the representatives of the Matua community on the second day of his Bangladesh trip on March 27.

Bangladesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the members of Matua community in Orakandi. NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also present. pic.twitter.com/5UtHNmGquN  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Who are the Matuas?

Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are a section of Hindus who migrated to India due to religious persecution during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. 'Matua', as a 'Bhakti-based religious philosophy' was introduced after years of caste discrimination faced by the Namasudras sect in the Bengali society.

"The rise of fundamentalism and rise in communal tension in East Pakistan forced Namasudras including Rajbongnshis and Matuas to migrate and settle in West Bengal," history professor Dr Manosanta Biswas was quoted as saying by News18.

Also read: In Bengal, the Lotus will be hard for Mamata to weed out

TMC candidate Manoranjan Byapari explained that the Matua community has become more politically significant, as their leaders, in a bid to serve their own interests, are aligning with different political parties. "The members of the community, who comprise a sizeable part of the state's population, are hugely influenced by these leaders," he said.

Political influence

The BJP has over the years expanded its support base in the tribal-dominated Jangal Mahal region and in border areas that have a sizeable population of refugees from Bangladesh, especially the Matuas and Namshudras.

In 2015, Boro Maa Binapani Devis son, Manjul Krishna Thakur, quit the TMC claiming that the government didn't allow him to work for the benefit of my Matua community, and joined the BJP. Political affiliations were majorly divided after the death of the 'Matua matriach' Binapani Devi, whose death was condoled by the Prime Minister himself.

The Matuas represent the oldest organised Dalit religious movement in Bengal that started in the late 19th century in East Bengal, Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, emeritus professor of history at the Victoria University of Wellington, told the publication.

CAA promise

The politically-influential Matuas and Namashudras voted for the Left and the TMC for decades, before shifting lock stock and barrel to the BJP during the last Lok Sabha polls, following the promise of citizenship under the newly-amended citizenship law.

Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not got it. During a recent meeting at Thakurnagar in the North 24 Parganas district of the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured members of the Matua community about providing citizenship to them.

"While the Matuas are already citizens in the country, BJP leaders are making promises to enforce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the Matuas at meetings after vaccination for Covid-19 gets over. This is akin to the total eradication of influenza, pneumonia and other virus-borne diseases in the world which will never happen," he had said.

(With PTI inputs)
In a new campaign launched by Offaly locals, Brilliant, Imaginative Folk from Offaly (BIFFOs) located all over Ireland and beyond are being encouraged to take on innovative and imaginative challenges on social media, in a bid to raise vital funds for two local charities, Offaly Hospice and Offaly Search and Recovery.

The BIFFO Challenge is an online campaign, where BIFFOs pledge to take on a new challenge over the coming weeks, nominate their friends to take on their own challenge and then donate to help raise 24,000 for the two charities.

We want to bring a little bit of fun and imagination to all of our fellow BIFFOs during this challenging time, while also raising vital funds for two amazing charities, said BIFFO Challenge organiser, John Wallace.

We want all of our fellow Brilliant Imaginative Folks From Offaly to get their thinking caps on and challenge themselves to take on something creative, new or just plain mad, then nominate their friends and families to do the same, remembering to stay within the relevant covid 19 restrictions which are in place in your area. Then donate on the go fund me page to help these charities to continue their important work.

Participants to date have taken on challenges such as running 100km, a public shave or dye, lockdown makeovers, rollerblading 50km, chopping wood, home renovations, canal swim and many more.

Eammon O Toole, co-founder of Offaly Search and Recovery said, We set up Offaly Search and Recovery in 2019 to help search and recover people lost due to water-based tragedy in Offaly and surrounding counties. We are very grateful to the team from the BIFFO Challenge for choosing us as one of their charities.

Mary Murphy, spokesperson from Offaly Hospice said, We are delighted to be benefitting from this campaign, all money raised locally stays locally and goes directly back to fund local Hospice Care Services.

Full details of the campaign, how to get involved and where to donate can be found by searching for @thebiffochallenge on Facebook and Instagram or by CLICKING HERE
There's an old adage among war veterans that you don't know what it was like unless you were there. Without putting too fine a point on it, working on the Covid wards at Wexford General at the height of the pandemic is also something that can only truly be understood by those who were there.

For the general population, we watched on with a degree of trepidation as the daily numbers increased. At the height of the third wave, nurses and doctors were facing into 12-hour shifts on their feet, changing PPE upwards of 30 times a day and then making calls to heartbroken relatives to tell them that their loved one, who in many cases they hadn't seen for weeks, may never emerge from hospital. This was and is the reality of life on the Covid wards.

'It was just a really challenging and difficult time,' says Clinical Nurse Manager Patricia Byrne, reaching to find the words to fully describe a situation where all the hospital's intensive care beds are full and over 60 people are sick with Covid on the wards.

'In the third wave (January and February of this year), the new variants made it (Covid) much more transmissible. We had more people arriving into the hospital than for all of 2020. It was very challenging. The ICU was full of patients and then there were patients on the wards who would ordinarily be in ICU, but we didn't have the capacity at that time. It meant that the people in the Covid wards were sicker. We were dealing with very sick people.'

For the nurses, it meant long hours wrapped up in PPE, going through all the protocols again and again to move from patient to patient.

'It is difficult being in PPE all day,' said Patricia. 'It can be very hot. We can change PPE upwards of 30 times a day and then there's a particular sequence that you have to follow putting it on and taking it off. You have to be mindful that you don't miss a step, because the last thing you want is to bring this thing home from work with you.'

While they may have been branded as superheroes during this pandemic, our frontline workers are in fact normal people with normal families at home and the same concerns as the rest of us.

'We all have families,' said Patricia. 'We'd have parents that are getting on in age and that type of thing and the last thing you'd want is to bring the virus home to them. On a daily basis, we're seeing patients in their 70s and 80s who are very sick and unfortunately we've seen quite a few deaths in that age category, so that's always there in the back of your mind when you go home to your own family. That's why you do everything you can to follow the recommendations and procedures and to prevent any spread.'

Inevitably though, frontline staff at Wexford General are putting themselves at risk every day. Some did find themselves sick with Covid and at various points, the hospital had to battle on while staff were out with the virus or isolating as a result of becoming a close contact.

'We've actually been quite lucky,' Patricia says. 'We did have a few staff out with Covid, but most are back to work and are feeling fine. Thankfully, we're all fully vaccinated now, which is a great comfort. We're still very conscious of our PPE and following the correct protocols, but it was a huge relief when the vaccines arrived. It gave us all a real boost and took a bit of the fear away.'

When Covid first arrived with us this time last year, it was very much an unknown entity.

'I'm over 20 years a nurse and I've never experienced anything like this,' Patricia admits. 'At first we were very nervous. The team here at Wexford General was very proactive though and had plans put in place in advance. St Brigid's ward was designated as the Covid ward and we coped very well. In the second wave we adapted very well too. Staff were up-skilled and deployed elsewhere. All staff members up here went above and beyond.'

However, it was in that period from the end of December to late January when Wexford saw one of the highest rates of the virus in the country that will live long in the memory for all staff at the hospital.

'During that time we really recognised the frustrations of the families and patients too,' Patricia says. 'We could have no visitors and, naturally enough, people want to be with their loved ones when they are very ill, but we had to stick to the national guidelines. It resulted in our staff having to make a lot more calls to families, etc.'

Some were more difficult than others.

'Even in terms of end of life, it was so hard on nurses to have to ring families and relay that news to them by phone. You want to show compassion to the family whose loved one is about to pass away, but equally you don't want them exposed to Covid and to see them back in the hospital for treatment themselves a few weeks later. We always had to be mindful of protecting the family members and the community at large, which was a difficult task. It's something that has had a major impact on staff here too.

It's so difficult on the families involved though and I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to all those who have lost a loved one and, due to Covid restrictions, didn't even have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye.'

Throughout each wave of Covid-19, staff at the hospital have been acutely aware of the support of the Wexford public.

'That period between January and February was really tough on staff and it affects you. My job was to support staff and help them to get through it and continue to support some very sick patients. We have a fantastic staff here on St Brigid's Ward and they've been doing an amazing job. Everybody in the hospital has gone above and beyond and it's been a real team effort.

'The support of the community has also been fantastic. It's little things that have meant a lot. We've had letters sent in to us from families and patients, sandwiches and treats sent up to us, crochet hair ties to try and stop the masks from hurting our faces, hand cream and lip balm. Just little things that have meant a lot to us.

'When you're having a tough week and a nice card or something comes in, it really does give you a lift, so I just want to thank the people of Wexford for their support.'

While the majority of people are 100% behind our frontline staff, we've also seen a minority of people determined to discredit Covid as a 'hoax' and who even attempted to gain access to the hospital while filming on their phones at the turn of the year, when things were incredibly busy.

'It is very frustrating to see stuff like that,' Patricia admits.

'I try not to pay too much attention to it. I find myself getting really wound up. It's so frustrating seeing that type of thing when you're on your way into work trying to keep people alive.

'Covid is very indiscriminate and it can effect people in drastically different ways. While one person might have a sniffle and that's it, another person might feel very ill and require respiratory support around day 8 before going into ICU and onto a ventilator. You just don't know. It affects everyone differently and people can get sick very quickly with it.'

Thankfully, Wexford has come a long way from where we were back in January and the numbers are much more stable at Wexford General. Despite this though, the staff always have to be on the lookout for another surge.

'Covid is still very active in the community,' said Patricia.

'We're still negotiating this situation. The numbers, thankfully, are quite small at the moment, but we're always nervous of seeing another wave. That's why we'd always urge people to please continue to follow the guidelines. I know people are sick of hearing it at this stage, but continuing to wear masks and adhering to social distancing is the best way to help us keep this thing under control.

'We'd all love to have a crystal ball and have a definite point for when we'll be out of this thing, but for now all we can do is keep taking personal responsibility and hope we can keep this thing under control.'
Positive scientific opinion adopted by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) supports national authorities within European (EU) member states on the use of regdanvimab (CT-P59) for the treatment of COVID-19, prior to formal marketing authorisation being granted

Rolling review of regdanvimab (CT-P59) has been initiated by the EMA in parallel, to accelerate time to potential marketing authorisation

Regdanvimab (CT-P59) demonstrated neutralising capability against key emerging mutations, including the UK variant in addition to six variant genome mutations of SARS-CoV-2

Initial sales agreements for regdanvimab (CT-P59) have been made for Nordic countries

Celltrion Group today announced the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive scientific opinion for the company's anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatment candidate, regdanvimab (CT-P59). The CHMP recommends that regdanvimab can be considered a treatment option for patients at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, based on a reasonable likelihood that the medicine may provide clinical benefit, and a low likelihood of harm.1

Under Article 5 (3) of Regulation 726/2004, the CHMP's scientific opinion provides a harmonised EU- level opinion on the efficacy, quality and safety of antibodies. The scientific opinion can be considered by EU member states when making decisions on the possible use of monoclonal antibody therapies at a national level prior to a marketing authorisation.

The EMA has also initiated a rolling review of regdanvimab based on data from animal studies (non- clinical data) and clinical trials, in addition to data on the quality of the medicine. The EMA uses its rolling review process to accelerate the assessment of a promising medicine during a public health emergency and once finalised it will provide the basis of an EU marketing authorisation for the monoclonal antibody treatment.

"Today's CHMP positive scientific opinion by the EMA takes us a significant step closer to providing a safe and effective monoclonal antibody treatment against COVID-19 worldwide. Based on clinical data and CHMP's positive scientific opinion, regdanvimab has been adopted and contracts for initial supplies have been made with distributors towards Nordic countries including Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland," said Dr. HoUng Kim, Ph.D., Head of Medical and Marketing Division at Celltrion Healthcare. "We believe the CHMP's positive opinion will accelerate reviews and authorisations by national authorities who may take evidence-based decisions on the use of our therapy. We will also continue to work in close collaboration with the EMA to complete the rolling review and marketing authorisation process."

Regarding mutations, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has independently confirmed that CT-P59 successfully neutralised the SARS-CoV-2 variants first identified in the UK (B.1.1.7) in addition to the previously identified six variant genome mutations of SARS-CoV-2 (variants SLVGGHGR). They also added that cocktail therapy of CT-P59 with another monoclonal antibody candidate demonstrated neutralising capability against the UK (B.1.1.7) and South African (B.1.351) variants.

Global Principal Investigator Professor Adrian Streinu-Cercel, MD, PhD, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, commented, "CT-P59 has demonstrated its ability to shorten time to clinical recovery and reduce rate of progression to severe COVID-19. From the clinical trial, one of my patients with COVID-19 aged 85 and with an underlying condition, has recovered from the virus within 48 hours of being treated with CT-P59. The antibody treatment candidate would be most useful within 3-5 days of testing positive for the virus. This will greatly aid efforts to address the current burden on healthcare systems and resources."

ENDS -

Notes to Editors:

About Celltrion Healthcare

Celltrion Healthcare is committed to delivering innovative and affordable medications to promote patients' access to advanced therapies. Its products are manufactured at state-of-the-art mammalian cell culture facilities, designed and built to comply with the US FDA cGMP and the EU GMP guidelines. Celltrion Healthcare endeavours to offer high-quality cost-effective solutions through an extensive global network that spans more than 110 different countries. For more information please visit: https://www.celltrionhealthcare.com/en-us.

About CT-P59 (regdanvimab)

CT-P59 was identified as a potential treatment for COVID-19 through screening of antibody candidates and selecting those that showed the highest potency in neutralising the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In vitro and in vivo pre-clinical studies showed that CT-P59 strongly binds to SARS-CoV-2 RBD and significantly neutralize the wild type and mutant viruses of concern including the UK variant (B.1.17). In in vivo models, CT-P59 effectively reduced the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 and inflammation in lung. Results from the global Phase I clinical trial of CT-P59 demonstrated a promising safety, tolerability, antiviral effect and efficacy profile in patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19.2 Celltrion also has recently commenced the development of a neutralising antibody cocktail with CT-P59 against new emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

Certain information set forth in this press release contains statements related to our future business and financial performance and future events or developments involving Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare that may constitute forward-looking statements, under pertinent securities laws.

These statements may be identified by words such as "prepares", "hopes to", "upcoming", "plans to", "aims to", "to be launched", "is preparing, "once gained", "could", "with the aim of", "may", "once identified", "will", "working towards", "is due", "become available", "has potential to", the negative of these words or such other variations thereon or comparable terminology.

In addition, our representatives may make oral forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare's management, of which many are beyond its control.

Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand management's beliefs and opinions in respect of the future so that they may use such beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them.

Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are based upon what management of Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare believes are reasonable assumptions, 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. Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

References

1 EMA issues advice on use of regdanvimab for treating COVID-19 European Medicines Agency (europa.eu). Last accessed 26 March 2021.

2 Celltrion Data on file

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210326005492/en/

Contacts:

Holly Barber

hbarber@hanovercomms.com

+44 (0) 07759 301620

Donna Curran

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Harking back to Jews escaping enslavement in Egypt more than three millennia ago, Rabbi Benny Rapoport described Passover as a new beginning  a new year for the soul.

Passover, which begins tonight and continues through nightfall on April 4, celebrates God taking the enslaved people of Israel out of Egypt, making them his people, said Rabbi Miriam Spitzer of Temple Israel in Scranton. During the first two nights of Passover, Jews have Seders, feasts filled with symbolic dishes. Dishes range from bitter herbs representing the bitterness of slavery to charoset  a sweet dish that can include apples, walnut and wine or grape juice symbolizing the bricks and mortar the enslaved Jews made, she said.

Jews cannot eat leavened grains, or chametz, during Passover. Prior to the holiday, they remove all traces of it from their homes, either selling it and later buying it back from a non-Jewish neighbor, donating it or even burning remaining bits of it, said Rabbi Daniel Swartz of Temple Hesed in Scranton.

Both Swartz and Rapoport, of the Jewish Discovery Center in Waverly Twp., explained chametz represents ego. While they physically search for bread crumbs at home, they undergo a self-examination, Swartz said.

You sort of look in the corners of the house for bits of bread crumbs, and youre sort of looking in the corners of your soul for bits of pride, he said.

To help others celebrate Seders, both Spitzer and Rapoport discussed putting together Seder kits. Temple Israel assembled Seder plates for those who live alone or couldnt procure the essentials, Spitzer said; the discovery center created kits for the elderly, according to Rapoport. The center also prepared thousands of portions of Passover meals, selling and delivering them to Jewish communities in five states, Rapoport said.

The point of the Seder isnt the history of the story, Spitzer said.

The heart of the Seder is when we say every person is obligated to think of ourselves as if we, too, had exited from Egypt, she said, explaining they discuss their own different types of slavery and how they handle different oppressions.

Calling it a retelling of the story of Passover is a misnomer, Swartz said. Jews are supposed to tell the story of Passover in the first person, he said.

You recognize that if there hadnt been freedom then ... whos to say that you would be able to be free today? he asked. So, all of the customs are kind of to make this experiential.

Amid the pandemic, people have experienced imprisonment in the form of physical restrictions and emotional worry, Rapoport said.

Thats a modern-day Egypt, he said.

With an end in sight, he believes people will want life to return to what he calls better than normal in a post-pandemic world.

This tremendous year of upheaval, I think it preps us to think about something bigger than our regular law, normal lives, he said, later adding, Nobody wants a normal life anymore. We want better than normal.
A look at the number of tests done and the positive cases reported in the last three months indicate that the caseload has risen from January to March, irrespective of the number of tests done. (Photo: DC/ Surenderreddy Singireddy)

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh seems to be missing the daily target of Covid-19 tests even as it is witnessing a surge in the number of cases.

The state health authorities fixed a target of 3,000 tests for suspected cases, people suffering with fever and also primary and second contacts of infected persons and others in addition to 1,020 tests to nearly 20 groups of people like those from educational institutions and workers from places where many congregate like shopping malls and also to reflect district-wise socio-economic group. This implies that the authorities are supposed to conduct nearly 52,260 Covid-19 tests in all 13 districts every day. But the daily average is between 30,000 and 35,000 tests.

A look at the number of tests done and the positive cases reported in the last three months indicate that the caseload has risen from January to March, irrespective of the number of tests done. The authorities conducted Covid-19 tests on 9,62,042 persons from March 1 to 26 and of them, 6,967 tested positive. In February, 8,17,819 persons were tested and 2,080 found infected with the virus. In January, nearly 12,70,523 persons were tested and of them, only 2,120 tested positive.

However, in the wake of the second wave of the spread of coronavirus, state health authorities are adopting a very aggressive mode to ensure that all targeted groups of people undergo the test. Health sources said that the authorities are not accepting any less numbers than 1,020 tests for each district.

Authorities are warning all those who do not comply with the Covid protocol as reckless behaviour could spread the virus. A senior health official said, It is true, we are missing the targeted number of Covid-19 tests. People are not turning up for varied reasons like careless attitude or overconfidence. We appeal to everyone to undergo the test and be safe.
New Delhi, March 27 : The Supreme Court has said that courts cannot be a helpless bystander when the rule of law is being challenged with impunity, as it ordered transfer of gangster-turned-MLA Mukhtar Ansari from Punjab jail to an Uttar Pradesh jail.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy said: "A convict or an undertrial prisoner, who disobeys the law of the land, cannot oppose his transfer from one prison to another, be a convict or an undertrial prisoner." The bench observed that UP police was denied Ansari's custody 26 times, between February 14, 2019 to February 14, 2020, on trivial medical grounds by mentioning ordinary diseases like diabetes mellitus, skin allergy, hypertension, backache and throat infection.

The top court ordered shifting of Ansari from Rupnagar jail in Punjab to a prison in Banda district in Uttar Pradesh within two weeks.

Ansari has been lodged in district jail Rupnagar since January 2019 in connection with an alleged extortion case and hold told the court that he fears for his life in UP.

The Uttar Pradesh government had told the Supreme Court that the Punjab government was "shamelessly" protecting Ansari, and being handed back to UP government where more than 30 FIRs and more than 14 criminal trials including heinous crimes of murder and under Gangster Act are pending against him in various MP/MLA courts, where his personal appearance is sought.

The top court said: "In such situations, this Court can exercise power under Article 142 of the Constitution of India to order transfer of prisoner from one prison to another.

The arms of law are long enough to remedy the situation. If there are any medical ailments to the petitioner, every care shall be taken by the Jail Authorities." The bench observed while analysing the concept of fair trial as a facet of Article 21 of the Constitution, the top court had held that it covers interest of the accused, prosecution and the victim. "It is, further, held that victim may be a singular person who has suffered, but the injury suffered by singular is likely to affect the community interest", observed the top court.

Punjab government had submitted before the court that Ansari can be tried through video conferencing, which was vehemently contested by UP government, which sought his personal appearance before the court in the state.

"It gives any amount of suspicion on the conduct of the 3rd Respondent (Ansari) in not even applying for grant of default bail, for not filing Final Report (Charge-sheet) by the Police, Police Station Mathaur, District Mohali, Punjab within the statutory period. Though, it is the case of the 3rd Respondent, opposing the relief sought for, on the ground that he is permitted to majority of the cases to appear by video conferencing, but the same, by itself, is no ground to oppose the relief sought for", said the top court.
On Friday, the Oregon Ducks secured the verbal commitment of Jefferson four-star safety and Adidas All-American Bowl selection Trejon Williams.

His commitment ensures Oregon will land an in-state All-American selection for the second consecutive year, joining Lebanon linebacker Keith Brown (2021).

In an emergency episode of The Recruiting Trail, I break down what Williams commitments means for the class of 2022.

But more important, I take a look at how Mario Cristobal has been able to turn the tide with in-state recruiting even while Oregons recruiting profile has become more nationally-focused.

Not long ago, Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich largely ignored the state, leading to big-time misses with Talanoa Hufanga and Marlon Tuipolotu (USC) and legacy talents Elijah Molden (Washington) and Chase Cota (UCLA).

But it now seems like Oregon has become the odds-on-favorite for any major prospect coming out of the home state - a huge turnaround that has come without over-investing in local talent (i.e. reaching on lower-level in-state prospects).

Heres the full episode.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

-- Andrew Nemec | anemec@oregonian.com | @AndrewNemec
Nick Vujicic Slams Abortions of Down Syndrome Babies, Says Some Believe He Shouldn't Have Children

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Evangelist Nick Vujicic has spoken out against the abortion of Down syndrome babies in America, saying he was once told that as a disabled person, he shouldn't have been allowed to get married, have children or even to preach.

Vujicic cited an opinion piece by Russian KP Radio's chief editor Evgeniy Arsyukhin who said in 2016 that disabled people like Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs, shouldn't have children or be given a platform to speak.

"When I was in Russia a couple of years ago, there was a petition signed, because I was famous in Russia overnight, preaching the Gospel on mainstream TV, and some editor in a publication said 'no disabled person should get married, should reproduce, and should never have a stage and ever be on TV," Vujicic told Glenn Beck of The Blaze on the "Glenn Beck Radio Program" Wednesday.

The evangelist noted that the petition, which was signed by over 100,000 people, eventually got the editor fired for his controversial view.

Arsyukhin later argued before news website Meduza that the opinions in the article were not necessarily his own, but that he was paraphrasing past attitudes toward disabled people.

Vujicic, who travels around the world preaching the Gospel and is married with four children, agreed with Beck about how alarming it is that some in society seem to advocate for disabled babies and those born with Down syndrome to be aborted.

Beck, who is a Mormon, added that some believe the babies "have no quality in life, and are a burden on families."

He also blasted a recent op-ed in The Washington Post calling for women to be given the right to abort their unborn children should they find out they have the condition.

"I think, Nick, quite honestly, if we as a society can embrace killing the most angelic, then who won't we kill?" Beck asked.

Vujicic wondered "how many more of these articles will be publicized without us saying, 'hey, wait a second, let's really analyze this.'"

"It's just unfair," the evangelist said.

The op-ed in question, written by Ruth Marcus, The Washington Post's deputy editorial page editor, states: "I have had two children; I was old enough, when I became pregnant, that it made sense to do the testing for Down syndrome. Back then, it was amniocentesis, performed after 15 weeks; now, chorionic villus sampling can provide a conclusive determination as early as nine weeks."

Marcus adds: "I can say without hesitation that, tragic as it would have felt and ghastly as a second-trimester abortion would have been, I would have terminated those pregnancies had the testing come back positive. I would have grieved the loss and moved on."

Christians from a variety of denominations have strongly opposed the abortion of Down syndrome babies, however.

During a debate on the "dignity and full humanity" of people with Down syndrome in February, a lay member at the General Synod of the Church of England said that the high rates of termination of unborn babies with the genetic disorder can be compared to eugenics carried out by the Nazis.

"We live in a society that claims to value and appreciate those who are different and those who have a disability and yet what we say and do are two different things," said Andrew Gray, the lay member, during the debate.

"In countries like Iceland, Down syndrome has been virtually eliminated [because all of the babies with that condition are being aborted]. What we have is a very simple situation. The U.K. and Europe has begun to practice eugenics, by default, and without intent," Gray added.

"This is not because of a state-led desire to remove those considered weak or sub-human  we don't live in 1930s Germany, thank God. But while the reasons and the motivations are different, the outcome is the same."
Biden should do what he can to help Senate Democrats dilute the filibuster. And he should insist on the passage of the voting rights bill the Senate designs to target the voter suppression efforts enacted in Georgia, just a preview of whats to come in other states. Nine years after first graders were mowed down at Sandy Hook, couldnt he finally make progress on the nations most shameful issue  blind worship of the AR-15?

Bipartisanship  or Bidenpartisanship  aint happening now. Washington is not built for unity at the moment. We live in a world where everyone is unappeasable.

As Fintan OToole wrote in The New York Review of Books in a piece titled To Hell With Unity, it must be dawning on Biden that the willingness of most congressional Republicans to endorse Donald Trumps attempts to overturn the November election and their unwillingness to convict Trump for his role in the violent putsch of January 6 proves there can be no illusions of accord, or even of civilized dispute.

With the Senate and House majorities threatened in next years elections, there is a very narrow window to do great things. And with his first two initiatives, the $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill and the $3 trillion spending package, beginning with infrastructure, that is laced with climate change and income inequality measures, he seems to be savoring his new image as someone who goes for the big and bold.

One recent evening, Biden met with historians in the East Room for two hours. It was eerily silent in a Covid-era West Wing, those present recalled, with a do-it-yourself table with urns of coffee, and everyone fully masked. The president seemed interested in activist presidencies, ones that took on big problems, like Lincoln, F.D.R. and L.B.J.

Republicans are grasping to find something to throw at Biden. Their only ammo is weak: tabloid trash about his son and the absurd idea that Joe is out of it, a smear that only became more risible after watching Thursdays news conference. He was calm, despite the monumental nature of his plans. He seemed to know his own mind  a nice contrast with his predecessor, who was out of his mind.

Republicans are out of touch with their own voters, many of whom seem to like free money and the possibility that Biden, unlike Trump, actually wants to go big on infrastructure, rather than frittering away his days hitting the links and tweet-trashing Bette Midler.
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Global Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring, And Safety Market is likely to rise at a CAGR of 7.1% over the forecast period from 2016 to 2023.

Market Overview

The global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market was valued at USD 961 million in 2017 and is expected to exhibit rapid growth due to the growing incidence of cancer around the world, the growing awareness among people working around radiating materials, and the increasing level of concern about nuclear products and radiation following disaster such as the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011.

The growing prevalence of cancer has led to growing use of radioactive materials for the treatment of cancer. Radiotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising treatment avenues for cancer, leading to growing use of radioactive substances in the oncology sector.

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This is likely to remain one of the most important drivers for the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market over the forecast period, as cancer has become a major problem for the healthcare sector in modern times and is likely to remain one of the key challenges facing the healthcare sector in the coming years.

Segmentation:

The global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market has been segmented on the basis of detector type, monitoring type, safety type, end user, and region.

Based on detector type, the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market is segmented into gas-filled detectors, organic scintillators, inorganic scintillators, and solid-state detectors. The gas-filled detectors segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2017.

Based on monitoring type, the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market is segmented into personal dosimeters, environmental monitors, area monitors, radiological material monitors, and others.

Based on safety type, the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market is segmented into full-body protection products, face protection products, and others.

Based on end user, the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.

Key players:

some of the key players in the global medical radiation detection, monitoring & safety market are,

Mirion Technologies Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Sun Nuclear Corporation

IBA Worldwide

Radiation Detection Company Inc.

Biodex Medical Systems Inc.

Ludlum Measurements Inc.

Amray Medical

Infab Corporation

and Fluke Biomedical

Increasing awareness about radiation safety among workers is also likely to be a major driver for the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market over the forecast period. While the use of radioactive materials in the healthcare sector is nothing new, the handling and treatment of the substances has changed completely compared to earlier, as government regulations and workplace safety regulations have taken it into account and formulated specific rules regarding the use of nuclear materials in the healthcare sector.

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The growing concern about the threat posed by radioactive materials is likely to be a major driver for the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market over the forecast period.

Regional Analysis:

Regionally, the global Medical Radiation Detection, Monitoring & Safety Market Share is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas dominates the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market and is likely to remain by far the most important regional market over the forecast period due to the growing prevalence of cancer and the increasing expenditure on R&D of advanced radioactivity protection solutions.

Many major players in the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market are located in North America, giving the region an advantage in terms of adopting the latest technological advances and incorporating them into the day to day functioning of the healthcare sector. Europe is also likely to be a major player in the global medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market for this very reason.

Asia Pacific is likely to exhibit rapid growth in the medical radiation detection, monitoring, and safety market over the forecast period due to the growing demand for cancer treatment in countries such as China, India, and Australia.

Intended Audience

Medical radiation detection, monitoring & safety products Manufacturers

Medical radiation detection, monitoring & safety distributors

Hospitals, Clinics, and Association

Contract research organization

Various research and consulting firms

About Market Research Future: 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 to answer all their most important questions.
Former President Donald Trump doubled down on his support for the January 6 coup attempt in a Fox News interview on Thursday evening, declaring that those who took part in the violent assault on the Capitol love our country.

Trump falsely claimed that the fascist mob that stormed the Capitol posed zero threat to politicians hiding inside.

Members of far-right Oath Keepers militia group at Freedom Plaza Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Washington [Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin]

Speaking on the attempted coup, which he orchestrated in concert with right-wing militias, sections of the Republican Party and elements of the state, including the Department of Defense, the intelligence agencies and the police, Trump attempted to downplay the imminent danger posed by thousands of pro-Trump supporters, many of whom were chanting Hang Mike Pence as they broke into the building. Outside the building the insurrectionists set up a gallows.

It was zero threat right from the start, it was zero threat. Trump said on the Laura Ingraham show.

At least five people died during the siege on the Capitol, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after getting doused with bear spray during the attack. Capitol Police have reported that over 130 officers suffered injuries that day, including chemical burns, lacerations, broken bones and brain injuries.

A major reason the death toll was not higher was the failure of two pipe bombs to detonate and the timely apprehension of an Alabama man, Lonnie Coffman, who was found outside the Capitol with 11 Molotov cocktails in his vehicle, along with a loaded M-4 Carbine assault rifle and a pistol.

The pipe bombs were planted the evening of January 5 and were discovered at the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters, which are less than 3 blocks from the Capitol, as the siege was underway. The discovery of the pipe bombs prompted a wider search of the Capitol grounds, leading to the arrest of Coffman.

Despite the deadly intentions of the crowd, several of whom were seen carrying zip ties and clubs as they entered the Capitol and attempted to kidnap and assassinate lawmakers, Trump attempted to paint his supporters as good patriots. They wave American flags, he told Ingraham. In many cases, they are waving the American flag, and they love our country.

While Trump falsely claimed that the fascist mob posed no threat to lawmakers, many of whom were being ferried by police along underground tunnels as the attack was underway, Trump correctly noted the cordial attitude many of the Capitol Police officers displayed in dealing with the insurrectionists.

Lookthey went in, they shouldnt have done it. Some of them went in and theyre hugging and kissing the police and the guards. They had great relationships, Trump said.

The tight-lipped Capitol Police Department confirmed in previous congressional testimony that 35 officers are under (paid) leave while being investigated for their role in the siege, with six officers suspended with pay for code of conduct violations.

The stand-down of Capitol Police forces prompted the resignation of former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund in the aftermath of the attempted coup, with many Democrats questioning the lack of police presence on the Capitol grounds. In an interview with the Associated Press on January 10, California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters claimed that lawmakers were left naked during the siege and that Sund was either incompetent, or he was lying or he was complicit in the coup.

During the Fox News interview, Trump emphasized the lax treatment many of his supporters received that day from the police. A lot of the people were waved in and then they walked in and they walked out, he said.

Defending his followers, Trump added, Theyre persecuting a lot of those people. And some of them should besome things should happen to them, but when I look at Antifa in Washington even, what they did to Washington and what they do to other locations and the destruction and frankly the killing and the beating up of people why arent they going after Antifa?

As FBI Director Christopher Wray noted in congressional testimony earlier this month, there is no evidence that left-wing protesters masqueraded as Trump supporters to attack the Capitol. Of the over 320 arrests made so far, not a single person has been linked to any left-wing or anti-fascist organization.

Instead, as court documents revealed this week, the most dangerous and deadliest elements identified so far in the siege are members of the pro-Trump fascist Oath Keepers and Proud Boys militia groups, the latter of which Trump infamously told to stand back and stand by during a presidential debate last September with Joe Biden.

So far, at least 52 people who participated in the siege have been linked to right-wing extremist groups, while at least 37 have current or past ties to the military and 45 have been linked to law enforcement agencies.

In a filing early Thursday morning, federal prosecutors revealed what they called substantial evidence of a conspiracy among the Oath Keepers to stop congressional certification of the Electoral College vote. The alleged communications are between previously indicted Oath Keepers and the founder of the group, Stewart Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper and congressional staffer for former Texas libertarian lawmaker Ron Paul.

Prosecutors allege that Rhodes, identified as Person One in the documents, held a 97-second phone call with Florida Oath Keepers leader Kelly Meggs, approximately nine minutes before Meggs, along with fellow Oath Keepers Jessica Watkins, Donovan Crowl and others, proceeded in a military stack formation up the east side of the Capitol steps to breach the building.

The government alleges that Rhodes forwarded a Signal message to a group of Oath Keepers at 2:15 p.m. that discussed taking ground at the capital.

We need to regroup any members who are not on mission, the message said. It was followed by the 97-second phone call between Rhodes and Meggs.

Prosecutors allege that at approximately 2:41 p.m., nine minutes after the phone call between Rhodes, who was on the Capitol grounds, and Meggs, Rhodes posted a photograph in the chat captioned, South side of US Capitol. Patriots pounding on doors. At this time, Watkins, Crowl and Meggs were moving in a stack up the Capitol steps. Rhodes posted another photo in the chat with the caption, Trump better do his damn duty, a reference to Trump invoking the Insurrection Act.

Prosecutors also revealed a message Rhodes allegedly sent to the group later on January 6 after the siege had ended, in which he favorably compared their actions to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

The founding generation Sons of Liberty stormed the mansion of the corrupt Royal Governor of Massachusetts, and trashed the place. They also jumped on board a ship carrying East India Tea, and dumped it in the harbor, Rhodes wrote. We are actually in a far more deadly situation given the FACT that enemies foreign and domestic have subverted, infiltrated, and taken over near [sic] every single office and level of power in this nation.

Rhodes added: We have one FINAL chance to get Trump to do his job and his duty. Patriots entering their own Capitol to send a message to the traitors is NOTHING compared to whats coming if Trump doesnt take decisive action right now. It helped to send that message to HIM. He was the most important audience today. I hope he got the message.

The latest revelations underscore the Socialist Equality Partys urgent call for public hearings and a full investigation to disclose the connections between the far-right militias that led the charge on the Capitol and the state and Republican Party.

This investigation cannot be left in the hands of Biden and the Democratic Party, who, above all, seek unity with their Republican colleagues, and have so far refused to subpoena top officials in the Department of Defense who facilitated the stand-down of security forces.
As more than 12,000 Worcester students are getting ready to head back into school buildings starting Monday after a year of remote learning, the district has fewer school buses available than anticipated as dozens of bus drivers have resigned.

There are 18 fewer buses available as the district starts hybrid learning, as bus vendor Durham School Services sees a bus driver shortage because of medical leaves of absences and vacant positions, Superintendent Maureen Binienda wrote in an email obtained by MassLive.

Additionally, 30 bus drivers recently resigned, Durham confirmed to MassLive on Friday. The company said it is partnering with the city to ensure that we have a cohesive strategy to blend the routes and share the responsibilities, as well as working with drivers who are on a leave of absence and scheduled to return soon.

We have 100% coverage for the routes that we have been assigned. We will be ready to serve our passengers on Monday morning in getting our students back to school safely, on-time, and ready to learn, Durham spokesman Edward Flavin said.

Binienda told MassLive that Durham has been transparent about the topic and that students will still get to school safely and on time.

Worcester students with the highest level of needs started going back to classrooms on March 15 for four days a week of hybrid learning. Next week, about 12,600 other students start heading back into schools for two days a week of hybrid education. The hybrid model will continue through April. On May 3, K-8 students will be able to start five days a week of in-person classes.

On Tuesday, Worcester found out from Durham that the district would have fewer buses than expected ready next week. The current contract is for 84 big buses. Based on the current hybrid plan, Worcester intended to use 70 of the 84 contracted Durham buses, Binienda wrote.

But, Durham told the district that only 58 big bus drivers are available for Worcester. Given that number and to allow coverage for daily absences, the district is now only able to use 52 big buses, the superintendent wrote.

Guidance from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education allows for full capacity on school buses as long as students are masked. That means a total of 71 elementary students or 47 secondary students can ride on a big bus. The mid-size special education bus capacity is 16 students, Binienda wrote.

For this hybrid model, our student transportation had been originally planned on one student per bench seat (alternating window and aisle seating) with no more than 24 students per big bus and eight students per mid-size special education transportation bus, the superintendent wrote.

But now with 18 fewer buses available than expected, Worcester will have to combine bus routes that will require two students per bench seat on 18 routes with passenger loads between 25 and 41 students, according to the email.

For special education transportation, Worcester is using 37 district mid-size buses and all 33 of the contracted mid-size buses and 15 out of 21 wheelchair buses from Durham during hybrid, per the email.

As the district has finalized students and cohorts for Monday, the number of riders eligible for transportation on mid-size buses may increase to a number that will require a very limited number of buses to have more than one student per bench seat, Binienda wrote. The seating of more than one per bench seat on a mid-size special education bus would only be used at this point if additional special education transportation-eligible students chose in-person instruction, students become eligible for special education student transportation, or if buses are needed to be used to cover driver shortages (due to illness, quarantine, or other similar reasons).

Durham has told Worcester there are seven individuals in various stages of training who may be available in one to eight weeks, according to the email.

The vendor has told the district there are 14 big bus drivers on leaves of absence due to medical reasons or waiting for vaccination and that some of those drivers may be able to return. The company has said it will pull drivers from other districts to support Worcester if possible, Binienda wrote.

During Worcesters remote learning, Durham has assigned many Worcester drivers to other districts to cover other shortfalls in those districts. Durham has assured us that all Worcester drivers will return to Worcester (and are included in the 58 available drivers), the superintendent wrote.

When May 3 arrives and students can be in school five days a week, the district may need all of its contracted buses. Durham may still be 10 to 15 drivers short even if some drivers return from medical leaves, the email indicated.

Worcester is working with Durham on its response plan and other solutions to address the shortfall, Binienda wrote.

MassLive reporter Tom Matthews contributed to this story.

Related Content:
Dip in the Nip takes place at Brittas Bay in May

Wicklow Hospice is looking for as many men as possible who would be willing to strip off and take a plunge in the sea at Brittas Bay.

The Dip in the Nip will take place at North Beach carpark in Brittas Bay. The event is a vital fundraiser for Wicklow Hospice, who have experienced a fall in donations over the past year due to Covid-19.

Most of the fundraisers had to be cancelled throughout the year as restrictions were increased. All donations go directly to Wicklow Hospice. All social distancing guidelines will be adhered to on the day.

The first ever male Dip in the Nip took place in 2019. Led by former rugby international Shane Byrne, Bill Porter and Rose of Tralee escort JJ Byrne, it attracted up to 100 participants. Albert Webster kept everybody in party mood with some carefully selected tunes.

This year's Dip in the Nip takes place on Sunday, May 9. To register your interest in the 2021 Dip in the Nip, please contact Sinead on 01 4068868 or 087 0954137.

Alternatively, you can emailstarmey@olh.ie. Those taking part can easily set up a fundraising page on justgiving.com.


Artist Yang Qian remembers many emotional times during the height of last years coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China. One memory is of seeing poorly written instructions for new patients placed on the window of a silent hospital receiving area. She also remembers watching a worker in protective clothing using strong chemicals to disinfect an empty hospital hallway.

Now, Yang is turning those memories into artwork to save the memory of Wuhans 76-day lockdown that changed the lives of about 11 million people.

To express what Ive seen in a realistic way, this is the responsibility Ive given myself. I also hope that much of the history should not be forgotten, she said.

Yang felt helpless in the face of an unknown virus quickly spreading through her hometown in January 2020. People in the city were fearful as officials suddenly ordered them to stay in their homes and stopped public transportation on January 23.

Two days later, Yang began volunteering with a group that took protective clothing, masks and other supplies to hospitals. Over the next four months, she and another volunteer provided about 90,000 sets of protective clothing and around 450,000 face masks.

Yang took requests from many people in the community, giving them much needed supplies, from medicine and disinfectant to food. She did not sleep much because the work often went into the early hours of the morning.



Her first post-pandemic artwork was called Reception. The idea came from her experience of going with a mother and daughter to a hospital in early February. The two had developed signs of COVID-19 after the father died at home from the disease. The mother and daughter then asked for help on social media.

Yang saw their message and found a hospital willing to accept them. But she was told that no emergency vehicles were available.

With public transportation closed, the only solution was to bicycle to the hospital, with Yang leading the way.

When they arrived, Yang saw instructions for new patients attached to a window. Some of the instructions were written by hand. Hospital workers would point to the window instead of answering questions.

Yang carefully reproduced the event in an oil painting.

A second oil painting with deep blue and black colors followed. It was based on a picture of a worker disinfecting a hospital hallway.

It is in such a severe situation, (but) even in this atmosphere, there are still people who stand up for us and protect us, Yang said.

Soon after sending the mother and daughter to the hospital, Yang developed a high temperature and cough and feared she had the coronavirus. She went to a hospital to get tested and began writing her will. After what she calls the longest hour of her life while waiting for the results, she was told she did not have COVID-19.

A year later, Wuhan has largely returned to normal. Its streets and stores are filled. Others stay out all night dancing. Only the face masks people wear suggest the pandemics lasting effects.

What I see is the unity of our city, our nation. I find that I am really very proud of being a Chinese, Yang said.

An art show she organized last year brought together 23 artists with 60 pieces of artwork related to the coronavirus.

Wuhan media and citizens have praised Yangs efforts. A friend of Yangs, businessman Michael Liu, said the show crystallized every touching moment of the pandemic.

Unifying art and thoughts, and taking action, is something that many of us cannot do, he added.

Yang is currently working on a wall-size aerial image of Wuhan under lockdown. Individual citizens are represented by small black dots. It is an expression of their unity in surviving the crisis, as well as unseen pain.

Yang still feels that pain when speaking with locals and survivors who have suffered emotionally or moved away from social life.

Some people are slowly trying to recover, just to come out of this shadow. Then there are some who cant get out, because this virus and disaster really took away those closest to them, Yang said.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Emily Wang Fujiyama reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

disinfect  v. to kill germs with chemicals

lockdown  n. an emergency situation in which people are not permitted to freely leave a restricted area

mask  v. a covering used to hide or protect your face

proud  adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, someone you know or are related to, etc.

crystallize  v. to make clear and fixed

aerial  adj. in or from the air, especially from an aircraft

shadow  n. a dark shape that appears on a surface when someone or something moves between the surface and a source of light
(Newser)  Saying the victim had been drinking earlier of her own free will, the Minnesota Supreme Court has overturned a sexual assault conviction. A lawyer for Francois Khalil, who was convicted in the case in 2019, argued that the felony charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct could not apply because the law was written to cover instances in which drugs or alcohol were given without the victim's consent. The statute was written "for situations where the victim was given alcohol surreptitiously (for example, when someone spikes a punch bowl at a party)," wrote Justice Paul Thissen, the Pioneer Press reports. The "mentally incapacitated" provision in theory could apply when the victim drank voluntarily, he wrote. But he said that's not how the law was written. An appeals court had upheld the conviction before it reached the state Supreme Court.

story continues below

Khalil had approached the woman outside a bar after she'd been refused admittance because she appeared intoxicated, per the Washington Post. He invited her and a friend to a party. There was no party, the woman said. She blacked out and woke up to find the man sexually assaulting her on a couch, she said. Thissen pointed out that legislators are looking at the issue: A bill in the Minnesota House would make having sex with someone who is too intoxicated to consent a felony, regardless of how they became intoxicated. Current laws in most states are similar to Minnesota's. The legislation's sponsor said this week that victims in that situation are "entitled to justice. Our laws must clearly reflect that understanding." Khalil is entitled to a new trial. The defense and prosecution agree a crime was committted, Thissen wrote, but disagree on what the charge should be. (Read more sexual assault stories.)
The suspects were detained after an intelligence-led operation (PA)

Two men have been arrested after explosive components, firearms and munitions were seized during searches in Co Kerry.

The suspects, one aged in his 50s and the other in his 20s, were detained after an intelligence-led operation by the Gardas Special Detective Unit (SDU) and local garda from the Kerry division.

Members of the Defence Forces also assisted in the operation that saw a number of searches conducted in the county on Saturday.

The men were arrested under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

They were taken to a Garda Station in the Kerry division.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/03/26

Il-rae (played by Park Hye-Teak) is old. It's not much of a spoiler to mention that he's close to death, given that "The Man of Merit" opens with him in a hospital with very uncertain odds for survival. Il-rae's backstory places the man's life as equally pathetic. He grew up in less than ideal conditions during the fifties, and much early conflict centers around his unsuccessful effort to enlist in an organization dedicated to the welfare of participants in the April Revolution.

In addition to not looking like his old photographs, Il-rae had the bad luck to be arrested for democratic agitation on March 13th. This was two days before the fraudulent election which took place on March 15th that is considered by the relevant organizations to be the official starting date for approved political prisoners. So begins Il-rae's quest to become "The Man of Merit" in that people recognize his valor. This is without stopping to wonder what valor there was to recognize.

"The Man of Merit" frequently feels like a critique of liberalism, although it's also just often enough a tragicomic exposition of Il-rar's character that I'm not totally sure this was the intent. Once Il-rae is sufficiently frustrated that calendar cutoffs are unjustly preventing him from getting his due recognition as a South Korean hero, he embarks on a very stupid prostitute redemption plot. This too is sad more than pathetic, and it's left ambiguous whether Il-rae himself actually has sex with the prostitute although ensuing events clearly implies that other people definitely did in part thanks to Il-rae's very naive decision making process.

Il-rae is a frustrating character in the same way that old people in general are frustrating. He seems genuinely oblivious to long-term consequences partially because as a person expecting to die any time now long-term consequences aren't exactly high on Il-rae's priority list. Weird interactions with his family heighten this sense of ennui. Indeed, even while Il-rae's not around, his family shows definite signs of dysfunction on their own.

"The Man of Merit" is fairly dark exposition as to the reality of everyday life in South Korea, with people both young and old trapped without a sense of general purpose. Il-rae's romanticization of events from sixty years in the past, and his continuing guileless assumption that compatriots from back then are still trustworthy in the present days, powerfully emphasize the futility of the struggle. By the time we return to the framing device, religious overtones about the meaning of life start to seem more literal than symbolic.

But then after all of that "The Man of Merit" jumps into a mostly happy ending that's every bit as realistic and absurd as everything we had seen up until that point. There's an indisputable charm to "The Man of Merit" that's only heightened by the intimate scenes of Chinese chess, or traditional meals, or even the karaoke bar that strongly emphasize the sad subtext of various South Korean cultural activites. And yet there's just enough blood to give the story real bite.

Review by William Schwartz

___________



"The Man of Merit" is directed by Park Sang-hun, and features Park Hye-Teak, Dong Bang-woo, Kim Sae-byuk, Han Dae-soo, Jang Liu, Han Sa-myung. Release date in Korea: 2021/03/01.
On Thursday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law a sweeping attack on voting rights aimed at crippling the ability of poor, minority and working class people to cast a ballot. Kemp, a Republican, signed the misnamed Election Integrity Act in a closed-door ceremony only hours after both Republican-controlled houses of the state legislature passed the measure on a party-line vote.

Oct. 12, 2020, hundreds of people wait in line for early voting in Marietta, Ga. [Credit: AP Photo/Ron Harris, File]

Georgia is one of 43 states whose legislatures are, for the most part, controlled by the Republican Party, and that have introduced bills attacking the most basic of all democratic rights, the right to vote. This drive was dramatically accelerated in the aftermath of Donald Trumps unsuccessful effort to overturn the 2020 election and retain power as de facto dictator. Georgia is the first of these states to turn its proposals to gut voting rights into law.

Trumps plot to overturn the Constitution was based on the lie, supported by virtually the entire Republican Party, of pervasive voter fraud and a stolen election. His conspiracy culminated in the fascist assault on the US Capitol on January 6, which, assisted by Trump and his appointed leaders of the Pentagon, came within seconds of achieving its goal of taking lawmakers hostage and blocking congressional certification of Joe Bidens election victory.

Given Georgias history of lynch law and Jim Crow segregation, the arrest and jailing of state Representative Park Cannon, an African American woman, for demanding entry to Kemps office so as to protest the rollback of key gains of the civil rights movement, has a sinister symbolic significance.

Georgia was one of five swing states that switched from the Republicans to the Democrats in the 2020 presidential race, giving Biden a substantial victory in the electoral vote and contributing to his lopsided 8 million vote majority in the popular vote.

In an election that saw record voter participation nationally, Georgia voters cast ballots in record numbers, with black and working class Democratic voters in particular choosing to cast mail-in ballots due to the pandemic.

Trumps defeat in November was followed in early January by the victory of Democratic challengers in two Senate runoff races, fueled by large turnouts among young and black voters. Those wins in Georgia shifted control of the Senate from the Republicans to the Democrats, giving them control of both houses of Congress as well as the White House.

The Republican election integrity provisions are in line with Trumps unsuccessful demands on state officials and the courts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump repeatedly attacked Kemp and the Georgia secretary of state after they rejected his claims of election fraud and refused to carry out his demand that they overturn Bidens win.

Provisions in the Georgia law include voter ID requirements for absentee ballots, a shorter period for voters to apply for mail-in ballots, limits on the use of ballot drop boxes, and a ban on mobile voting vans (which were used in the heavily black and Democratic Atlanta area).

The law even makes it a crime to offer food and water to voters waiting in line. It allows any state resident to lodge an unlimited number of challenges to voter registration and eligibility. It also allows state lawmakers to initiate takeovers of local election boards, giving them legal cover to block local officials in poor, minority and working class counties from certifying Democratic victoriessomething Trump attempted to do extra-legally by personally intervening to overturn the results in cities such as Atlanta and Detroit.

Similar provisions are included in bills being introduced in other states, from Arizona to Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida and Texas to northern industrial states such as Michigan. Some include even more overtly unconstitutional provisions, such as giving the state legislature the power to override the popular vote and choose its own slate of electors.

The entire working class must be united in the struggle to defeat the attack on voting rights. The first prerequisite for such a struggle, however, is to understand that no confidence can be placed in the other party of the American corporate-financial oligarchy, the Democrats, to defend the right to vote.

Trump and the Republicans speak for the most predatory and fascistic sections of the ruling class. They have been emboldened to lay siege to democratic gains won through the struggles of millions of workers of all races by the feckless and duplicitous response of Biden and the Democrats to the January 6 attempted coup.

Rather than demanding the criminal prosecution of Trump and his Republican co-conspirators, they have incessantly pleaded with their Republican colleagues for unity and bipartisanship. At the same time, they have sought to cover up the massive scale of the coup conspiracy and the role of the Republican Party and high-ranking officials in the military, the police and the state intelligence apparatus. They have to this point held only a handful of public hearings, and refused to call Pentagon officials who delayed for hours the dispatch of National Guard troops to protect the Capitol from the fascist mob.

At his first press conference, held Thursday, even as the Georgia bill was being rushed through the legislature, Biden repeated his appeal for unity and refused to endorse calls from voting rights advocates and some Democrats for the Democratic-controlled Congress to put an end to the anti-democratic filibuster, which gives the Republicans an effective veto on any and all legislation to protect the right to vote.

The current assault on voting rights is an escalation of an attack that has been ongoing for decades, against which the Democratic Party has mounted no serious opposition. It demonstrated its lack of any genuine commitment to the defense of voting rights in 2000, when Al Gore and the entire party accepted the Supreme Court ruling halting the counting of votes in Florida and handing the election to the loser of the popular vote, George W. Bush.

In 2013, the Supreme Court carried out the next major attack on voting rights in its 54 decision to overturn Section 5 of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, the most important gain of the mass civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. That ruling invalidated the enforcement mechanism of the act, lifting the requirement for former Jim Crow states in the South to pre-clear any changes in voting procedures with the federal government.

The Voting Rights Act put an end to the systematic exclusion of blacks from the ballot box, enforced mainly through KKK bombings and the murder of civil rights activists, white as well as black, by law enforcement. This reign of terror was carried out with the tacit support of J. Edgar Hoovers FBI, which declared the struggle for civil rights to be a communist plot. All of this took place under the aegis of the Democratic Party, which based its political control of the South on its brutal enforcement of segregation.

The bills passage was extracted from the Johnson administration at the cost of the blood and lives of hundreds of martyrs. These included the three young activists, two white and one black, who joined the drive in the summer of 1964 to register blacks in Mississippi and were murdered by the KKK and local police. Passage of the act was preceded by the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, in which a number of participants and supporters were murdered by police and FBI informants.

Neither the Obama administration nor the congressional Democrats mounted any effort to pass legislation restoring the enforcement provisions of the Voting Rights Act, emboldening the Republicans to expand their drive to impose barriers in states across the country to block working class voters.

The Democrats are above all motivated by fear of the emergence of a left-wing, anti-war and socialist movement of the working class outside of the two-party system. When it comes to blocking ballot access to parties to their left, above all, socialist parties, they are no less ruthless and contemptuous of democratic rights than the Republicans.

In the 2020 election, Democratic governors, election officials and judges played the leading role in blocking the presidential candidates of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) from obtaining ballot status. The Democratic governors of Michigan and California opposed legal motions by the SEP and its candidates, Joseph Kishore and Norissa Santa Cruz, to suspend already prohibitive and undemocratic signature requirements12,000 in Michigan and 200,000 in Californiain light of the coronavirus pandemic, which made petitioning for signatures a threat to the health of both SEP supporters and the general public.

They refused to place the SEP candidates on the ballot, arguing that they should risk their lives and violate state lockdown requirements even as the infection rate and death toll surged.

The Democratic attorney general of California argued that allowing the SEP on the ballot would cause an unmanageable and overcrowded ballot that would create voter confusion and frustration of the democratic process. Of course, the opposite was the case. The Democrats were, and remain, determined to prevent working class voters from having an opportunity to vote for a socialist alternative to the capitalist politicians.

As the WSWS has explained, the pandemic is a trigger event that has intensified the global crisis of capitalism and accelerated the drive of the ruling classes to war and dictatorship. This is an international process. The criminal and incompetent response of capitalist governments all over the world to the pandemic, knowingly sacrificing millions of lives in order to protect and expand the profits and wealth of the rich and the super-rich, is discrediting the entire system in the eyes of the working class.

The turn toward fascism and dictatorship is the universal ruling class response. None of the social and democratic gains of the past century can be defended within the framework of a system that fuels ever more staggering levels of social inequality.

The defense of the right to vote is impossible without a political break with the Democratic Party and the building of a mass socialist movement of the working class. Millions of workers all over the world will come to understand that today there is no democracy without socialism, and will, under the revolutionary leadership of the SEP and its sister parties in the world Trotskyist movement, act accordingly.
~ New coalition soon to be formed, Sources ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Dutch Government has once again managed to blackmail the Government and people of St. Maarten when they decided on Friday to freeze the financial support that was promised to the country during the coronavirus pandemic. Basically, with this move, the Dutch Government through the Kingdom Council of Ministers managed to split the governing coalition in the parliament of St. Maarten since the United Peoples Party members are the ones behind the petition sent to the United Nations. While the petition was sent on behalf of the Parliament of St. Maarten it is clear the process is spearheaded by UPP Faction leader MP Grisha Heyliger Marten and the Chairman of Parliament Rolando Brison.

State Secretary Raymond Knops in his letter on Friday informed the 2nd chamber that the Dutch Kingdom Council of Ministers has decided to stop the liquidity support until the parliament of St. Maarten unequivocally confirm that they support the agreement previously concluded by the Jacobs cabinet, meaning the promised the 39 million guilders needed for the second quarter will not be available. Clearly, the State Secretary continues with his heavy-handedness even though the State Council of Advice shot down the COHO in its current form.

People that are left hungry will certainly not support the politicians they elected to parliament who are busy trying to emancipate them by asking the United Nations to conduct an investigation into the decolonization process that was never finalized. While the petition is laced with heavy accusations against the Dutch Government, the main issue addressed in the petition is to have the decolonization process finalized so St. Maarten and the other islands such as Aruba and Curacao will be able to have a full measure of self-government. Certainly, several local politicians that are sitting on the opposition benches mislead the population by saying the coalition is seeking independence. The decolonization process that was never finalized by the Dutch Government was first addressed in 2015 by former Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs and the Prime Ministers of Curacao and Aruba.

The move made on Friday is not the first made by State Secretary Raymond Knops. On October 20th, 2020, St. Maartens Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion was forced to suspend the bond he had intended to float after the government of St. Maarten was blackmailed. Ardwell said back then that Sint Maarten was in discussions with the Netherlands regarding the refinancing of a loan, which was scheduled to mature on October 21st, 2020. Sint Maarten opted to accept the proposal of the Netherlands as outlined in their letter of October 16th, 2020, which will result in the postponement of the maturity date and avoid a technical default.

Knops clearly made mention of the petition filed by Cholaris Law Group to the United Nations special rapporteur and the Working Group of Experts of African descent as his main contention with St. Maarten.

The State Secretary argued that the petition targets the persistent acts of racial discrimination and violation of human rights by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. While harsh words may have been used in the petition one now has to question if the Dutch Government is innocent of the allegations made in the petition then why are they pressuring St. Maarten to either pull back the petition through their divide and conquer tactics. Some persons that have been dealing with the decolonization process said the Dutch Government did the very same thing to St. Eustatius when they working on their full measure of self-government in 2017/2018. Back then the Dutch formulated a coup detat by kicking Clyde van Putten out of the office and installed their own government.

Sources say the move made by the Dutch Government on Friday, forced some factions in parliament to begin negotiations to form a new coalition that will leave the United Peoples Party in the cold. It is speculated that the new coalition government will be formed with the National Alliance (5) seats, United St. Maarten Party (USP) 2 sets, and the Party for Progress (PFP) 2 seats, giving a 9 seat majority in the parliament of St. Maarten. SMN News learned that it is expected that the new coalition government will be established by next week and their first order of the day will be to withdraw the petition sent to the UN rapporteur and the Working Group of Experts of African descents.

While St. Maarten was blackmailed through the pulling of the financial aid, Aruba was awarded 237 million guilders.

Click here for the letter sent to the 2nd Chamber by State Secretary Raymond Knops.
Members of the Ardee team, pictured at an awards night in recent years

The Area Manager for the Irish Blood Transfusion Service has acknowledged the role of the local staff, donors and volunteers in continuing to secure the service that saves lives on a daily basis.

Finbar Gethins says the past year has been challenging for everyone, but as usual, they have managed to overcome the obstacles that COVID-19 has presented.

'I can only feel pride for the people who have helped the service to continue,' he stated. He said the donors have shown an 'extraordinary effort' in turning up for clinics, while the staff have managed centres superbly, with the support of the likes of the Civil Defence and the Red Cross.

Blood is needed on a constant basis for the likes of cancer treatment, all of which must continue during the pandemic.

'It is very, very important that donors come out and we have introduced a new appointments system, so we know how many people are coming to a clinic and that helps,' he said.

'It is amazing how people put others before themselves, but at the same time, we make every effort to keep everyone safe.'

Expand Close The IBTS staff in Ardee have made the headlines in the past / Facebook

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Whatsapp The IBTS staff in Ardee have made the headlines in the past

This week marks 20 years of the service in its Ardee base and during that time the team has left the town to host clinics in nearly every town in the north east.

They have had to encounter plenty of barriers in the past as well - including the snows of 2010 when the army were called in to get the staff to work.

Back then, the new retired John Healy led the team, having joined the IBTS in 2000.

'The service has been a great employer in Ardee and always got great support from the local community,' he said.

'We dealt with centres in other parts of the world and they were always surprised to hear we were based in Ardee, rather than the major centres, and that's great.'

Local volunteer organisers have always played a huge part in helping the service expand and he said he worked with some very dedicated people in those early days.

In the region of 450,000 people have attended clinics, organised by the Ardee group over the last two decades., helping to save thousands of lives.

'Everything changes and there's always challenges, but the show always goes on,' Finbar added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Chinese ships have entered and left Julian Felipe Reef (international name: Witsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea since late last year as suggested by satellite images released by American tech company Simularity.

A large number of probable Chinese ships have been mooring, arriving, and departing at the Whitsun Reef at the WPS since mid-2020, Simularity said Friday, but noting it also documented their presence at the area a month prior. The reef is close to Bataraza, Palawan, and is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Images taken in December appeared to show moored fishing vessels, with a width of up to 200 meters. Their formation ruled out fishing as possible purpose of stay, Simularity pointed out.

At an average width of 10 meters per ship, thats a collection of 20 ships, Simularity said. In this configuration, fishing is impossible, it added.

While the number of moored ships in Philippine waters dropped briefly in early February, it is still substantial, the tech firm said.

Between March 23 and 24, Simularity estimates at least 200 vessels at the reef, adding most of which are possibly fishing ships, while a few are believed to be Chinese Coast Guard vessels. Of this group, one vessel was seen with its fishing nets out this month, it added.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Coast Guard reported on March 20 the presence of around 220 Chinese vessels.

On March 24, Armed Forces chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana told lawmakers 183 Chinese vessels were at the reef.

EXCLUSIVE: Video shows flotilla of Chinese ships around Julian Felipe Reef

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea earlier said the vessels were part of China's maritime militia, a claim which the East Asia giant has denied. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement on Monday that these were fishing vessels taking shelter in the area due to rough sea conditions.

Early this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs sent a diplomatic protest and demanded that China remove its vessels from Julian Felipe Reef while the Armed Forces of the Philippines deployed more naval units to the area.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte brought up the issue and reaffirmed the countrys 2016 arbitral win to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian in their recent meeting, according to Malacanang.

China insists it owns almost the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, despite the decision of an international tribunal that it has no legitimate historical claims to the WPS.
SUEZ, Egypt - The company that owns the giant container ship stuck sideways across the Suez Canal said an attempt will be made to refloat the vessel by taking advantage of tidal movements later Saturday.

SUEZ, Egypt - The company that owns the giant container ship stuck sideways across the Suez Canal said an attempt will be made to refloat the vessel by taking advantage of tidal movements later Saturday.

The Ever Given, owned by Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, got wedged Tuesday in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

This photo released by the Suez Canal Authority on Thursday, March 25, 2021, shows a backhoe trying to dig out the keel of the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, that is wedged across the Suez Canal and blocking traffic in the vital waterway. An operation is underway to try to work free the ship, which further imperiled global shipping Thursday as at least 150 other vessels needing to pass through the crucial waterway idled waiting for the obstruction to clear. (Suez Canal Authority via AP)

At a news conference Friday night at company headquarters in Imabari, western Japan, Shoei Kisen President Yukito Higaki said 10 tugboats were deployed and workers were dredging the banks and sea floor near the vessels bow to try to get it afloat again as the high tide starts to go out.

"We apologize for blocking the traffic and causing the tremendous trouble and worry to many people, including the involved parties," he said.

Shoei Kisen said in a statement Saturday that the company has considered removing its containers to get the weight off the vessel, but it is a very difficult operation, physically speaking. The company said it may still consider that option if the ongoing refloating efforts fail.

A team from Boskalis, a Dutch firm specializing in salvaging, was working with the canal authority using tugboats and a specialized suction dredger at the port side of the cargo ship's bow. Egyptian authorities have prohibited media access to the site.

"Its a complex technical operation" that will require several attempts to free the vessel, Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, said in a statement.

Attempts earlier Friday to free it failed, said Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the technical manager of the Ever Given.

The Suez Canal Authority has said it welcomed international assistance. The White House said it has offered to help Egypt reopen the canal. "We have equipment and capacity that most countries dont have and were seeing what we can do and what help we can be," U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters.

An initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure, the company said. GAC, a global shipping and logistics company, had previously said the ship had experienced a power blackout, but it did not elaborate.

Bernhard Schulte said two canal pilots had been aboard when the ship got stuck. Such an arrangement is customary, but the ships captain retains ultimate authority over the vessel, according to experts.

A maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels Friday outside the Suez Canal and some vessels began changing course. More than 100 ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

Apparently anticipating long delays, the owners of the stuck vessel diverted a sister ship, the Ever Greet, to head around Africa instead, according to satellite data.

Others also are being diverted. The liquid natural gas carrier Pan Americas changed course in the mid-Atlantic, now aiming south to go around the southern tip of Africa, according to satellite data from MarineTraffic.com.

About 10% of world trade flows through the canal, which is particularly crucial for transporting oil. The closure also could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

Oil markets are absorbing the disruption for now, analyst Toril Bosoni said.

"Oil inventories have been coming down but they are still relatively ample," she told The Associated Press, adding that she believes the impact might be more pronounced in the tanker sector than in the oil industry.

"We are not losing any oil supply but it will tie up tankers for longer if they have to go around" the tip of Africa, she said, which is roughly an additional two-week trip.

At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. does see "some potential impacts on energy markets from the role of the Suez Canal as a key bidirectional transit route for oil. ... Were going to continue to monitor market conditions and well respond appropriately if necessary, but it is something were watching closely."

International companies are preparing for the effect that the canals blockage will have on supply chains that rely on precise deliveries of goods. Singapores Minister of Transport Ong Ye Kung said the countrys port should expect disruptions.

"Should that happen, some draw down on inventories will become necessary," he said on Facebook.

The backlog of vessels could stress European ports and the international supply of containers, already strained by the coronavirus pandemic, according to IHS Markit, a business research group. It said 49 container ships were scheduled to pass through the canal in the week since the Ever Given became lodged.

The delay could also result in huge insurance claims by companies, according to Marcus Baker, global head of Marine & Cargo at the insurance broker Marsh, with a ship like the Ever Given usually covered at between $100 million to $200 million.

Capt. Nick Sloane, a maritime salvage expert who led the high-profile effort to salvage the cruise ship Costa Concordia in 2012 told The Associated Press that freeing the cargo ship could take up to a week in the best-case scenario and warned of possible structural problems on the vessel as it remains wedged. That's if dredging works. If it doesn't, he estimated that an operation that involved removing the ship's cargo could take weeks, as it would require 300 barges to carry the ships some 20,000 containers.

Satellite and photos distributed by the canal authority show Ever Givens bow touching the eastern wall, while its stern appeared lodged against the western wall.

The Ever Given was involved in an accident in northern Germany in 2019, when it ran into a small ferry moored on the Elbe River in Hamburg. No passengers were on the ferry at the time and there were no injuries, but it was seriously damaged.

Hamburg prosecutors opened an investigation of the Ever Givens captain and pilot on suspicion of endangering shipping traffic, but shelved it in 2020 for lack of evidence, spokeswoman Liddy Oechtering told The Associated Press.

Oechtering also could not say what the investigation had determined the cause of the crash was, but officials at the time suggested that strong winds may have blown the slow moving cargo ship into the ferry.

-

Associated Press writers David Rising in Berlin, Pan Pylas in London, Nancy Benac in Washington, Jeffrey Schaeffer in Paris and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed.

The pronoun used for Toril Bosoni has been corrected.
Vice President Kamala Harris will not be visiting the U.S.-Mexico border anytime soon, even after being tapped to handle the border crisis.

Kamala Harris said she would be leading efforts to address the migrant influx at the U.S.-Mexico border. But spokeswoman Symone Sanders said the vice president has no immediate plans to visit the border region "in the near future," according to an Associated Press report.

Harris earlier said that she and President Joe Biden would visit the southern border "at some point." She noted that the administration needs to solve the root problem of the migrant crisis and deal with what causes migrants to leave their countries to come to the U.S.

"At some point, absolutely we will go down to the border and I've been down to the border and our secretary of the Homeland Security Alex Mayorkas has been down there twice," Harris said in a CBS News report.

Biden has tapped Kamala Harris to lead diplomatic efforts to address the rising number of migrants coming to the U.S.

Sanders emphasized that the vice president's role is more diplomatic in nature. Sanders added that the public could expect Harris to be speaking with leaders from the region soon.

The Biden administration supports a proposal of providing $7 billion in assistance to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, hoping to address the poverty and violence that leads migrants to flee to the U.S.

RELATED ARTICLE: Kamala Harris Laughs When Asked if She Has Plans to Visit the Border

Kamala Harris' Role

By delegating the role to Kamala Harris, Biden seeks to replicate a dynamic played out when he served as vice president of former president Barack Obama.

"When she speaks, she speaks for me," Biden noted in a Yahoo News report.

Apart from overseeing diplomatic efforts to deal with issues causing a spike in migration, Kamala Harris will also be pressing the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to reinforce their own borders.

She was also assigned to develop and impose a long-term strategy to address the root causes of migration from the said countries.

According to a Fox News report, Biden said the vice president has agreed to lead diplomatic efforts and work with those nations to accept returning migrants and enhance migrant enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported more than 100,000 migrants apprehensions at the southern border in February alone.

The U.S. government plans to go after smuggling and trafficking organizations in the next 90 days. A senior Biden official said smugglers were manipulating migrants to come to the U.S.

The official projected a continuing surge of migrants on the way in "spring caravans," Reuters reported. U.S. and Mexican officials are also discussing ways to enhance U.S.-Mexico border enforcement and ensure that Central American governments have the resources to help secure the southern border.

READ MORE: Biden Downplays Number of Migrant Crossings in First Press Conference

WATCH: President Biden Taps Vice President Kamala Harris to Lead Border Efforts - From Reuters






Hundreds of women, students and members of the LGBTQ community rallied in Istanbul on Saturday against Turkey's recent withdrawal from a Council of Europe treaty on preventing violence against women, according to AP.

Why it matters: Demonstrators demanded the government reverse its exit from the treaty, which comes amid a surge in femicides and domestic violence in Turkey, per Reuters.

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The big picture: The Council of Europe treaty was created to help prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence while promoting gender equality. Turkey signed the treaty in 2011.

Turkish officials said domestic law, rather than international treaties, would better protect womens rights in the country and claimed that the treaty attempts to "normalize homosexuality," per AP.

Supporters of the treaty also demanded the Turkish government and police end anti-LGBTQ actions.

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I WAS walking my police beat, which was centred on Main Street and Henry Avenue, when a call came over the radio about a male armed with a machete threatening people at a nearby address.

Opinion

I WAS walking my police beat, which was centred on Main Street and Henry Avenue, when a call came over the radio about a male armed with a machete threatening people at a nearby address.

I was close by, and responded. Seconds after I arrived on the scene, a man ran from the address, chased by another man close behind. The latter man was screaming and swinging a machete so close that he was just missing, if not actually striking, the other man.

I drew my sidearm and challenged him. He stopped and turned to me, still holding the machete, still looking very dangerous. He was about 20 feet from me, and I quickly assessed the probabilities: is he going to attack me, is he going to charge the group of people now gathering? And if he charges me, or those people, what is behind the line of fire that could be at risk?

Or, is he going to drop the weapon? Please drop it.

He started moving quickly towards the group of people, still brandishing the machete, crossing left to right in front of me. I kept challenging him, he kept moving. I tracked him.

Sure, he might be running to those people to hand over the machete but I didnt have the luxury of that assumption. When encountering a person armed with a sharp-edged weapon, there is only so much space and time to react. Seconds matter.

He wasnt complying, and was about 25 feet from the crowd and closing the distance. I was pulling the trigger, but he suddenly threw the weapon down, dropped to the ground, put his hands behind his back and surrendered.

If he had taken one more step I shuddered at the thought for some time after that incident. It was unnervingly close.

The reason I allude to this example, which regrettably is becoming more commonplace in policing, is that it shows the police perspective in an armed situation. This perspective is typically missing when such incidents are presented in the media.

These dynamic events unfold quickly. Police dont have the luxury of time, or the luxury of referencing the book of 1,001 policing scenarios and their contingent responses. Seconds count, and the other party is running the clock.

Or, is he going to drop the weapon? Please drop it.

Also of note is that I was not cognizant of the race of that person, or whether he was having a psychotic episode. Under the circumstances, neither point was relevant.

Had I shot him, however, the purple community and their supporters would undoubtedly have vilified me for shooting a purple person just because he was purple. Circumstances be damned  Im a racist.

Could I have reasonably been expected to focus on the race and/or psychiatric demeanour of that person when he was a clear and present danger to others, then tailor my actions based on those points?

From what I understand these days from most media, that is exactly what certain people seem to expect.

Yes, some officers sometimes exhibit racist behaviour toward people, but I disagree with the assertion there is systematic racism within the police force.

What is forgotten is that police typically react to circumstances based on a persons actions. When the media forgets to focus on those actions, it misses a potential teaching moment to stress what can happen when people engage in those actions.

No normal person easily takes another persons life. Police officers are thoroughly vetted, in most, if not all, Canadian agencies, to screen out people who might enjoy shooting someone. Neither politicians nor defence lawyers are so vetted.

Sure, the policing system is not perfect. Sometimes situations are so overwhelming that a normal officer makes a grave error. Tragedies occur in situations where there is no malice.

I retired in March of 2020, after 35 years and eight months of policing, mostly on downtown streets. I have had tens of thousands of real-time interactions with the public, crossed countless thresholds into the unknown, sometimes when the fight was still on, often when the blood hadnt congealed yet, usually when the tears hadnt yet dried.

The magnitude of this unfettered malevolence directed at police lately is disarming, literally.

I wanted to say something about it.

Kevin Birkett served as a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for more than 35 years, and retired in March 2020.
Georgia Governor Rejects Bidens Portrayal of State Election Reform Law

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is rejecting President Joe Bidens characterization of a newly enacted law that seeks to improve the integrity of elections in the Peach State.

It is obvious that neither President Biden nor his handlers have actually read SB 202, which I signed into law yesterday, Kemp said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. This bill expands voting access, streamlines vote-counting procedures, and ensures election integrity.

The 95-page law adds a slew of changes to the way Georgians vote, including requiring photo or state-approved identification to vote absentee by mail. The law also mandates that secure drop boxes be placed inside early voting locations, with constant surveillance, and it expands early voting across the state.

The law also shortens the election cycle to four weeks from nine and requires a minimum of one week of early voting before Election Day. People who wish to vote absentee are faced with new requirements as well.

On March 26, Biden criticized the law as a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience. He also labeled the law as a Jim Crow in the 21st century, referring to Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the south.

There is nothing Jim Crow about requiring a photo or state-issued ID to vote by absentee ballotevery Georgia voter must already do so when voting in-person, Kemp said in response. President Biden, the left, and the national media are determined to destroy the sanctity and security of the ballot box.

The Biden administration is currently looking at pathways to address its concerns about the new law. Biden told reporters on March 26 that the Justice Department and his administration are taking a look at the legislation.

Were working on that right now. We dont know quite exactly what we can do at this point. The Justice Departments taking a look as well, Biden said.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the election and ballot count during a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta on Nov. 6, 2020. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Georgias Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was sued by voting rights groups on March 25 over the passage of the law, also responded to the criticism, saying, Theres no rational argument against requiring state IDprovided for free to those who dont have a drivers licensefor absentee ballots, according to a statement sent to media outlets.

Raffensperger said he implemented a version of the identification requirement during the November 2020 election, saying that all absentee ballot requests that came through the state website were cross-referenced with a drivers license database or another record.

The left said that photo ID for in-person voting would suppress votes. It didnt. Registration and turnout soared, hitting new records with each election cycle. Their cataclysmic predictions about the effects of this law are simply baseless. The next election will prove that, but I wont hold my breath waiting for the left and the media to admit they were wrong, he said.

Three voting rights groups have filed a lawsuit against Raffenserger and other officials over the new law in an attempt to block its enforcement and have it declared unconstitutional.

The groups have taken issue with some of the measures to increase election integrity, arguing that identification requirements for absentee voting are unnecessary and burdensome, and that placing absentee drop boxes inside early voting locations would unduly restrict voting. The lawsuit also argues that prohibiting the state from distributing unsolicited absentee ballot applications and prohibiting third parties from collecting absentee ballot applicationswhich Republicans say could result in ballot harvestingrepresents voter suppression.

The lawsuit also claims banning non-poll workers from giving food or drink to voters waiting in line is a form of voter suppression. The Georgia law stipulates that individuals arent allowed to solicit votes by distributing campaign materials or gifts or offer to give money or gifts, including food and drink, in the vicinity of the polling place, including the polling line.

These provisions lack any justification for their burdensome and discriminatory effects on voting, the groups argue in their lawsuit.

Former President Donald Trump, who was highly critical of Kemp and Raffenspergers handling of the November 2020 election, lauded the passage of the Georgia law.

Congratulations to Georgia and the Georgia State Legislature on changing their voter Rules and Regulations. They learned from the travesty of the 2020 Presidential Election, which can never be allowed to happen again. Too bad these changes could not have been done sooner! Trump said in a statement released via his Save America political action committee.

Raffenspergers press office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Queenslands cash-hemorrhaging music industry will meet on Wednesday with the state government to push for relaxed live music crowd restrictions  or provide financial help.

Ironing out inconsistent Australian border restrictions that are frustrating Australian touring bands is an extremely high priority.

Opening night crowd at the Fortitude Music Hall in 2019. Credit:Tony Moore

In one example, The Tivoli in Fortitude Valley recently lost $75,000 in weekend revenue when Queensland Health refused entry into the state to a member of band Holy Holy who lived 95 kilometres from a recent Melbourne CBD hotspot, forcing the cancellation of four sold-out shows.

Despite emails to Queenslands Chief Health Officer, Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch and local MP Grace Grace detailing isolation steps the band would take, the answer was a blanket no, Tivoli co-owner Dave Sleswick said.
Authorities on Friday identified Eric M. Leach as the armed robbery suspect who was fatally shot after allegedly stealing a police cruiser, leading to a SWAT standstill in Quincy.

Leach, 36, had past known addresses in Brockton and Winthrop, according to the office of Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey.

Police shot Leach as he exited a Rockland Police Department cruiser, the district attorneys office said. Authorities said Leach stole the cruiser to drive off after a reported armed robbery of a convenience store.

After allegedly stealing the cruiser, officials said Leach drove to Quincy in the area of Quincy Street and the Thomas E. Burgin Parkway. Initially, he refused to exit the cruiser.

Leach was taken to Boston Medical Center after he was shot but did not survive.

The shooting remains under investigation by Morrisseys office.

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Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
Trumbull-based rapper B-Phong is releasing Love Will Stay, a song written in response to the recent uptick in violence against Asian-Americans.

The song is a fictional story about an Asian-American boy killed by a hate crime and his best friends reaction to his death.

Bobby Phong, who goes by the stage name B-Phong, has pledged to donate all merchandise, streaming and song sale revenue to the "Support the AAPI Community Fund" organized by GoFundMe.

Theres a lot of hatred around the world right now, and I just feel like if I release a song like this people could understand the [viewpoint] of someone like me who is Asian, walking around, going through their normal daily life, having the fear of a hate crime, Phong said.

Phong said he wrote the song two weeks before the recent Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people. Seeing so many stories of hate crimes against Asian people, he said, inspired him to write a cautionary tale that would show people how these events affect those in the Asian-American community.

I wanted to make up a story, so that people could understand the fear that someone like me is going through, Phong said. But instead of it just being like just a thought, I made it so it was a reality.

My favorite line that I feel highlights the whole entire song well is when I say, Yall scared of a virus that developed in Asia, Im scared of a virus that developed right here.

Phong expressed frustration with the term China virus, saying that politicians who popularize the term have twisted it into a weapon toward Asians.

While Phong knows times are tough right now, he wishes people would handle their grief over the virus in a more productive way.

They just need to take out their frustration, and they just happen to take out their frustrations with hate crimes, which is I think is unacceptable.

Phongs website, lovewillstay.com, allows people to donate, listen to the song and buy merchandise to support the AAPI community.

sarajane.sullivan@hearstmediact.com, @bysarajane on Twitter
LAND developer Kenneth Sharpes Augur Investments has dismissed allegations of misappropriation of council land in its response to the High Court challenging its mention in a land dispute.

In court papers filed this week in response to allegations that the firm was unprocedurally awarded the Harare Airport Road rehabilitation tender, one of the respondents, Tatiana Aleshina, said the deal was above board.

MDC Alliance legislator Norman Markham recently took Augur Investments to court demanding clarity on how it was given 273 hectares of land as payment for developing the airport road. He said the deal must be reversed so that desperate homeseekers can benefit.

Augur Investments was cited as a respondent alongside Sharpe, Aleshina, Michael John Van Blerk, City of Harare, Local Government minister July Moyo, Doorex Properties Pvt Ltd, the Registrar of Deeds and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

In an affidavit, Augur Investments representative Aleshina said there was no need for the applicants to include them as individuals in company-related matters.

I further depose to this affidavit on behalf of Augur Investments whom I have been associated with by the applicants. It is not clear and readily apparent what the cause of action against myself, Sharpe and Blerk have been cited in this matter. This is so more particularly in that Sharpe is merely described as a serious land baron who owns extensive land in Zimbabwe through the medium of Augur Investments. It is not competent for a person to own land through the medium of a company, Aleshina said in her affidavit.

The company owns land in its own name as a separate legal entity. There is no valid legal basis shown why Sharpe is being cited in an action against Augur which is a company and a separate legal persona. On my own part, I am simply said to be a shareholder in the first respondent as well as in the satellite operations of the 2nd respondent. It is bad at law to cite an individual in an action against a company merely because they are a shareholder in the company.

Even assuming a cause of action had been shown against me, it would be still incompetent to cite me in a supposed action against Sharpe merely by virtue of my association with him. I am a separate legal persona from him, she added.

Aleshina said the citation of Blerk is even more ridiculous.

He is cited merely because he is said to be an employee of Sharpe, a natural person and again a separate legal persona. In the circumstances of my citation as well as that of Sharpe and Blerk being improper and bad at law, the application as against us ought to be struck off with costs on an attorney and client scale on that basis alone, she said.

Court papers filed on March 10 show that after a series of litigations between the City of Harare and Augur Investments, a deed of settlement was executed in May 2019. Court papers show that Herbert Gomba, the then mayor of Harare, signed for the local authority.

There is in existence a council resolution and minutes authorising Herbert Gomba and Josiah Chisango (town clerk) to sign the deed of settlement. The Local Government minister (July Moyo) had authority to execute the deed of settlement. There is nothing in the deed that offends public policy as alleged, Aleshina said.

Markham had claimed that Gomba had no authority to sign the document. He added that Moyo claimed to have been sent by Mnangagwa.

The deed of settlement was reached after the City of Harare won several cases against Augur, but the company went for arbitration where High Court judge Justice November Mutshiya ordered that Augur be compensated for the airport project. The city council appealed and won again at the High Court. This prompted Augur to approach the Supreme Court, but they withdrew the case and a deed of settlement was signed.

Stand 654 Pomona Township was tendered as part of payment to Augur Investments in clear recognition that it had done work which it was entitled to payment for. Council authority and the necessary approvals were obtained. Stand 654 Township was valued at US$20 million, Aleshina said.

But Markham, Tavonga Savings Scheme and Pikicha argue that the deed of settlement was not only illegal, but a clear case of theft of prime council land.

They want an order setting aside the transfer of the property covered in the deed of settlement to the seventh respondent (Doorex Properties), being a certain 273,2 hectares of land called stand number 654 Pomona Township.

The applicants also want the original agreement between the City of Harare and Augur for the development of the Harare Airport Road declared null and void on the basis that besides the illegal signatures on the deed of settlement, they allege the deal did not go through tender and did not comply with Zimbabwes investment laws. They allege that, in any case, the deal conditions were never fulfilled.

In response to the application by the trio, Aleshina told the High Court that stand number 654 Pomona Township, which is registered in the name of Doorex Properties has since been subdivided into 1 120 individual stands.

She said several clients of Doorex Properties have bought stands from the subdivided property and will suffer serious financial prejudice if ownership of that land is interfered by the relief sought in this matter.

They clearly have an interest in the outcome of these proceedings yet they have not been cited. The suit in this matter has been brought against Augur Investments which is described as a company duly registered according to the laws of Ukraine and which is said to be trading and operating extensively in Zimbabwe while, on the contrary, the company is not the said company registered in Ukraine, but a different company altogether registered in Mauritius. The applicants have thus proceeded against a wrong party. The first respondent on whom the application was served was thus wrongly cited,Aleshina submitted.

She said Markham had not demonstrated that he had a real and substantial interest in the matter as his founding affidavit does not show that the land is in his constituency.

With regards to second applicant, it is disputed that it is a common law universitas or that it is a member of the said Homeless Peoples Federation. Without proof of registration and a register of members, the number of members alluded to by second applicant is pure speculation and is a product of wild imagination. Newsday
The SDLP has thrown its weight behind a call for the Irish government to appoint a 'Minister for Reunification'.

The suggestion was made by Cork Fianna Fail TD James O'Connor amid intensifying speculation about the holding of a border poll which Irish nationalists hope would see Northern Ireland vote to leave the United Kingdom.

The TD told the Irish Examiner newspaper a dedicated minister was needed to oversee "the ongoing shared dialogue between the people of this island and to prepare for a referendum on a united Ireland".

He added: "Irish unity is a mammoth task requiring vast constitutional change and serious planning. This is why the issue needs a minister of state and perhaps in time, its own government department."

An SDLP spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph: "We are supportive of this idea.

"It is right that the Irish government lead the preparation towards a new Ireland."

The Cork TD's call comes as the Orange Order ended its engagement with Taoiseach Micheal Martin's 'Shared Island' unit amid increasing unionist anger over the operation of the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol.

However, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken said last night that it was a matter for the Dublin government to decide what ministers it wanted to appoint. He added: "It will only be the people of Northern Ireland who decide Northern Ireland's future as set out under the principle of consent in the Belfast Agreement.

"It is in everyone's interests to create a Northern Ireland at ease with itself rather than attempting to reduce the Belfast Agreement to one binary issue raising the old arguments of the past.

"Focusing on calls from a section of nationalism for a border poll diverts constructive political and civic energy away from making Northern Ireland work and concentrating on what most people think of as priorities such as welfare, health, employment and education."
Starting Monday, March 29, anyone 16 and over is eligible for a coronavirus vaccine in Louisiana.

The state is currently administering three vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer and Moderna are two-dose vaccines while Johnson & Johnson is a single dose. Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for people under 18.

Those receiving Pfizer or Moderna vaccines will receive their second dose at the same location the first dose was administered. It is highly recommended to make the second-dose appointment during the first dose administration.

If an individual misses the second vaccine appointment, they should immediately contact their provider to reschedule. The second shot for Pfizer should be administered 21 days after the first dose; Moderna is 28 days after. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the second dose can be administered up to 42 days after the first dose is administered if a delay is unavoidable.

+2 Louisiana will be one of 9 states where anyone can get a COVID vaccine; here are the others When Louisiana opened eligibility for the coronavirus vaccines to anyone over 16 starting Monday, March 29, it joined a small but growing numb

There are over 652 vaccine providers in Louisiana. These providers include Walmart, CVS, urgent cares, and hospitals. Appointments are required. Find your local vaccine provider here.

Here's where you can sign up for a vaccine in Louisiana:

Mass vaccination events:

Ochsner Health and Jefferson Parish are hosting a 24-hour vaccine fest. This round-the-clock event will be held at the Shrine on Airline at 6000 Airline Drive, Metairie, La. on Monday, March 29 through Tuesday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m. Appointments are now available online at myochsner.org or by phone at 884-888-2772.

St. Bernard Parish Hospital and Ochsner Health will hold a mass vaccination event Saturday, March 27, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 8000 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 7004. Appointments are now available online at myochsner.org or by phone at 884-888-2772.

Along with Ochsner Health, the Louisiana Office of Public Health and the Louisiana National Guard will hold a mass vaccination event Saturday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Siracusaville Recreation Center located at 1110 Grace St., Morgan City, La. Both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available. Appointments can be made online at this link or by calling 800-228-9409 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from now until Friday.

A photo ID and insurance card is not required but highly recommended for each event.

+8 The city's strategy for vaccinating New Orleans' most vulnerable? Knocking on their doors. On a sunny, blustery Monday in New Orleans, Tonya Freeman Brown donned a neon yellow vest and started knocking on doors in the Hoffman Triangl

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Metairie

Moderna to begin COVID vaccine trials in children; see where to sign up in Louisiana Children under 12, including babies as young as six months, will be able to participate in clinical trials in Louisiana for Modernas two-dose

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'A grim milestone': More than 10,000 Louisianans are now suspected of dying from COVID Louisiana has hit another milestone in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic: More than 10,000 people are now suspected of dying from COVID-19.

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The annual Whisky Magazine Awards revealed 'the best and brightest in the world of whisky' at the global awards which for the first time ever were presented virtually.

Manager of Paris Texas in Kilkenny, Padraic Rafter, emerged as the global winner of the award after already having won the national award as Irish Bar Manager Of The Year for 2021 at Icons Of Whisky.

I am blown away with the honour of receiving this award and I feel it is an award not just for me but for the amazing team here in Paris Texas led by the incredible foresight and support of owner Pat Crotty," said Paraic.

"It is also a testament to the incredible whiskey community in Ireland and in particular the melting pot created by The Kilkenny Whiskey Guild which surrounds me with like-minded people and some of the best whiskey bars in the country.

On the Icons of Whisky results, Christopher Coates, editor of Whisky Magazine, said: "The global whisky industry has taken the challenges of the past year in stride and the strength of the entries we've received to our Icons awards for 2021 reflects this perfectly. It was no easy task for our panel to choose global winners from our regional shortlists, but I believe we've been successful in highlighting some truly iconic whisky heroes."
On 24 March 2021, China-based electric vehicle maker NIO completed its 2,000,000th NIO Power Swap in Suzhou Delivery Center, China. On 26 May 2020slightly less than 10 months agoNIO had completed 500,000 swaps. (Earlier post.) NIO Power Swap stations have so far powered more than 396 million kilometers of driving distance.





The most frequent Power Swap user has completed more than 654 swaps; the most traveled Power Swap user has visited 67 stations nationwide. Harbin, Beijing, Chengdu, Haikou, and Shenzhen are the top five cities in China with the highest per capita swaps.

NIOs battery swap is enabled by more than 500 patented technologies. The fully-automatic swap takes three minutes.

As an integral part of NIOs Battery as a Service (BaaS) solution with chargeable, swappable, and upgradable batteries, apart from serving as the time-efficient solution for users daily needs, Power Swap also allows users to upgrade the battery and continuously enjoy the progress of battery technology.

NIO plans to deploy Power Swap 2.0 by mid-April. Announced at NIO Day 2020 in Chengdu in January, the Power Swap Station 2.0 will be capable of 312 swaps per daythree times more than the current swap station.

At the new Power Swap station, the vehicle can automatically drive into the station, and users can start a self-service swap with one tap on the center display and without getting out of the vehicle.

NIO will speed up the Power Swap stations deployment and plans to have 500 stations in operation nationwide by the end of 2021.

NIO also launched its 150 kWh battery on NIO Day. The new battery has an ultra-high energy density of 360 Wh/kg, and is compatible with all NIO models. The advanced production-ready solid-state battery technology enables it. NIO vehicles equipped with the 150 kWh battery can achieve an ultra-long NEDC range of more than 730 km for the 2018 ES8, around 850 km for the all-new ES8, more than 900 km for the Performance Version of the ES6 and the EC6, and more than 1,000 km for the ET7.





The 150 kWh pack, like the 70 kWh, 84 kWh and 100 kWh packs (the last launched in November 2020), can be handled by Power Swap 2.0 stations.
Commonwealth Attorney's Office Announces Sentences

By West Kentucky Star Staff

GRAVES COUNTY - Several offender's sentences were recently announced by the Graves County Commonwealth Attorney's Office.Helen Estremera pleaded guilty on March 16th, and was sentenced to three years for bail jumping, first degree wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police, possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine, theft by unlawful taking-shoplifting, under $500, first offense DUI, and speeding 26 mph over the limit.Taylor West pleaded guilty on March 16th, and was sentenced to five years for first degree complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance, and first degree complicity to trafficking in a controlled substance-methamphetamine, less than two grams.Richard Cook had previously received probation in multiple cases. Cook violated the terms of his probation and, as a result, his probation was revoked. He was sentenced on March 16th to serve two years and one month for four counts of receiving stolen property over $500/under $10,000, receiving stolen property-firearm, and theft by failure to make required disposition of property over $500/under $10,000.Brian Swift was convicted July 3, 2020 of DUI, fourth offense within ten years, which is a Class D felony. His sentence was for two years, and was probated for five years. On March 22nd, it was found that Swift violated the terms of his probation by consuming alcohol and failing to pay restitution. As a result, his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to serve the two years.Kenneth Benjamin entered a guilty plea on February 22nd, and will be sentenced April 20th to three years for third degree burglary and first degree wanton endangerment, both Class D felonies.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 27th Mar, 2021) His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, discussed with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, the prospects of strengthening the friendship ties and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations, here today.

The two sides also reviewed the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing collaboration between the two countries on the coronavirus inoculations and treatments.

They underlined in this regard the importance of accelerating international cooperation and fostering global synergy to stem the fallout of the disease at present and in the much-awaited recovery phase at the economic and humanitarian levels.

Sheikh Mohamed and the Chinese top diplomat also exchanged views over a number of regional and international issues of interest and re-affirmed the importance of solidifying the efforts made to establish peace, and achieve development and prosperity for all peoples of the region.

The top diplomat conveyed the greetings of China's President Xi Jinping to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, wishing the UAE continued progress and prosperity.

Sheikh Mohamed reciprocated the greetings and good wishes, reaffirming the UAE's determination to continue to advance the privileged relations and strategic cooperation between the two nations for the common good of their peoples.

Attending the meeting were H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, who is also the Presidential Special Envoy to China.
Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that Bangladesh is a strong example of communal harmony, adding that New Delhi will deeply cooperate with Dhaka "all the time".

He made the remarks while addressing members of the Matua community in Gopalganj district following his visit to the Orakandi temple.

The temple is considered to be the holiest place for more than five crore people of the Matua community, founded by Harichand Thakur, living in Bangladesh and Indian state of West Bengal.

"I'm blessed to come to this holy land of Orakandi. It is because of the blessings of Orakandi Thakur. When I first visited Bangladesh in 2015, I hoped that someday I will be able to come here. My wish has been fulfilled today.

"We are moving forward through the way directed by Harichand Thakur and his son GuruChand Thakur," the Prime Minister said.

"Joy Bangla, Joy Hind, Bharat-Bangladesh moitry chirojibi hok."

Modi also met members of the Thakur family.

Before visiting Orakandi, he paid homage at paid to Bangladesh's Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by visiting his mausoleum in Tungipara, also in Gopalganj.

He arrived in Tungipara aboard a helicopter after offering morning prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira district.

Modi is the first Indian head of state to visit Tungipara.

The Indian head of state arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit and attended the twin celebrations of the country's 50 years of independence and Bangabandhu's birth centenary.

Later in the day, Hasina and Modi are set to have substantive discussions with focus on trade, connectivity and Covid-19 cooperation.

The one-to-one meeting will take place before delegation-level talks at Hasina's office in Dhaka.

The two sides are also expected to inaugurate some joint projects virtually and witness the signing of MOUs, which will focus on disaster management, trade and oceanography.

Modi will meet President Abdul Hamid before leaving Dhaka by a special flight later in the evening.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen will see him off at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
A day after seniors lined up for hours to get vaccinated, Winnipegs mass COVID-19 vaccination site seemed to be running smoothly.

A day after seniors lined up for hours to get vaccinated, Winnipegs mass COVID-19 vaccination site seemed to be running smoothly.

Public health officials have said a technical glitch caused a staffing shortage at the convention centre on Friday, leading to long wait times.

On Saturday, no lines of people pushed out the main doors around the corner. Instead, a host of masked seniors who arrived early or were waiting for rides stood outside.

Most said the process took about an hour.

Frank Houston, an 82-year-old retired railwayman, said it took him a bit longer  about 90 minutes. Thats still much shorter than the approximately four-hour wait reported Friday.

But Houston said his diabetes weakens him and tires him out. He was resting outside with his granddaughter Tess Houston.

"Its a pretty long walk for someone his age," Tess Houston said. She said she didnt know wheelchairs were available until he was already sitting.

Overall, Frank Houston was in good spirits. He said he was relieved to get his first shot and looking forward to his second.

Another man, 70-year-old James Sinclair, had heard about Fridays lineups, so he decided to arrive more than an hour early. Even though it turned out to be not necessary, he laughed off the extra wait.

"I dont mind," the retired flour mill worker said. "Ive got nothing much to do anyway."

Sinclair considers getting the shot like a social duty.

"Any little bit helps," he said. "I figure its just like the flu shot."

Rita Lavergne, accompanied by her daughter Yvette Shaw, was feeling a little impatient with her wait, she said. She complained people arrived before their appointed times and got numbers in line before those who showed up for their appointments at the allotted time.

"(Staff members) said this is a backlog, but its nothing compared to the last two days," Lavergne said. "But once you get in, it goes pretty fast."

In the end, she was relieved to finally be vaccinated, she said. "It feels great," she said. "So far  knock on wood."

Erin Nagy, who works at a dental office, said her mother went to the site Friday. She had waited a couple hours in the cold before getting inside. Nagy had an appointment at 9:50 a.m. Saturday and was finished by 10:30 a.m.

She was ecstatic to have received her second shot. "Im looking forward to being able to travel," she said, adding she has a property in Texas.

The provincial government said as of Saturday, more than 10 per cent of Manitobans aged 18 and older have received at least one vaccine shot.

The province reported one death connected to COVID-19 Saturday  a man in his 80s from the Winnipeg health region, linked to the outbreak at Grace Hospital Unit 3 South.

Fifty-seven new cases of COVID-19 were announced: 26 in the Winnipeg health region, 23 in Northern Health, seven in Southern Health and one in Prairie Mountain Health.

The five-day positivity rate is 4.3 per cent in Manitoba and 3.3 per cent in Winnipeg after 2,043 tests were completed Friday.

There are 1,190 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 143 people in hospital and 13 in intensive care.

An outbreak has been declared at St. Anthonys General Hospital, acute care inpatient unit, in The Pas.

Outbreaks in Winnipeg at CN Rail (821 Lagimodiere Blvd.) and MD Practice Solutions of Manitoba (100-205 Fort St.) were downgraded to restricted (orange) level on the pandemic response system.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
We were lying along a thin tree line by a ditch, having just come under accurate machine gun fire for the first time that day.

It was a little after 10.30am and hot. Very hot, certainly, by the standards of Derby, Nottingham and Worcester, where the recruiting officers had welcomed the soldiers beside me.

Not so hot, yet, for a summers day in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Then there was a whoosh, and an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) came streaking across the open ground towards us, but far too high and wide to trouble us.

'Who fired that? wondered some humorist with an East Midlands accent and his nose in the dirt. Stevie Wonder?

Laughter. And outgoing rifle fire. I recall a large white butterfly flitting across the British frontline. Then came a situational assessment by the senior NCOs who are the mother hens and de facto masters of any battalion.

Everyone OK that side, Webby? bellowed one from the far right of the platoons gun line. Yeah, everyone OK here, sang out Webby on the far left. But it wouldnt remain OK, that day almost 12 years ago. Far from it.

By the time dusk came, the Officer Commanding B Company, 2nd Battalion of The Mercian Regiment was in a coma with shrapnel in his brain and not expected to live.

The Company Sergeant Major was also wounded and out of the fight. As was the attached special forces forward air controller.

The officer in charge of 2 Mercians supporting armoured vehicles had had a leg blown off, and a lance corporal of the same regiment had been killed. So, too, was the second youngest Mercian on the battlefield that day, along with an Afghan soldier attached to the Mercians for the operation. Eight other Mercians were wounded or stricken by the heat, including another teenager.

Horrible. None of us who were there  Mail photographer Jamie Wiseman was also embedded and took a set of extraordinary and highly acclaimed images  will forget what happened between sunrise and sunset on July 4, 2009.

This week, it was announced that the 2nd Battalion is to be the only major unit wholly disbanded as part of the British Armys latest reduction in manpower.

The 2nd Battalion of The Mercian Regiment was the spearhead infantry formation of the final push of Operation Panthers Claw  the biggest ground offensive and bloodiest fight of Britains most recent war.

In the end the Taliban didnt beat 2 Mercian. That battle honour will go to HM Governments 2021 Defence Review.

This week, it was announced that the 2nd Battalion is to be the only major unit wholly disbanded as part of the British Armys latest reduction in manpower.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that no cap badges will be lost and that 2 Mercian would simply be amalgamated into the regiments 1st Battalion.

Thats all very well on paper. But 2 Mercian has its own unique history and esprit de corps, having previously been the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, itself formed in 1970 from two county regiments that dated back to 1881 and further into the mists of time.

Daily Mail writer Richard Pendlebury, embedded with 6 Platoon, B company, 2 Mercians, scrambles for cover in the first 'Contact' with Taliban fighters of the day

But they arent fashionable, glamorous or well-connected like the Coldstream Guards, Black Watch or the Paras. And so the axe has fallen on the Heart of Englands Infantry, as the MoD website refers to the Mercians.

How best to mark the passing of the admirable but undervalued 2nd Battalion? Perhaps by recounting the hardest engagement in its relatively short history.

The Mail was there to witness it.

B Company, 2 Mercian and their two embedded journalists spent the night before D Day bivouacked among chickens on the dirt floor of a farm compound.

Flares and tracers lit up the sky as Danish tanks exchanged fire with Taliban fighters across the nearby Nahr-e-Bagra canal.

Troops from B company, 2 Mercians, arrange defensive positions

That waterway would be the Mercians start line the next morning; its objective was to push into the green zone beyond the canal and capture territory around Babaji that had been held by the Taliban for the previous two years.

The men had already been addressed by their OC, Major Stewart Hill. I heard him put this question to them: Is it to be the insurgents summer or will it belong to us? He answered it himself: Of course, its going to be ours.

The Mercians were not Major Hills parent regiment. He was attached to the 2nd Battalion for its Afghan tour. Nevertheless, Panthers Claw would provide the defining, indeed final, action of his military career. What happened there continues to have a profound impact on his life to this day.

His Company Sergeant Major was Paul Muckle, a caring, good-humoured father-of-seven from Redditch, Worcestershire. Lieutenant Jem McIlveen, 26, would lead 6 Platoon, with whom Jamie and I were embedded.

Two soldiers from B company died on the same day, one in a Taliban R.P.G attack on a Scimitar Vehicle, and a second in an I.E.D strike

On McIlveens back pack was stitched the Mercian motto: Stand Firm, Strike Hard. He expected his men to do just that.

In battle, a battalion is measured by its men rather than its history or silverware in the officers mess. But some of the soldiers there that day were no more than boys.

The two youngest were Pte Danny Eaglesfield from Derby and his best friend from training, Pte Robbie Laws of Worcestershire.

Eaglesfield was only 5ft 4in tall and, with his freckles, looked even younger than his years. Before the battle, he told me: I wasnt very good at school so I joined the Army. Me mum was furious I was coming here.

He had met Laws at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate when they were both 16. In 2009, their battalion deployed to Afghanistan without them because they were still too young to go to war. Only once Laws turned 18 that February and Eaglesfield the following month were they sent to Helmand.

B company, 2 Mercians, attached to The Light Dragoon Battle Group pictured before the start of their Green Zone battles as part of Operation Panther Claw

Perhaps to keep them out of harms way that day, the two teenagers were deployed as infantry dismounts; carried into combat inside one of the accompanying armoured vehicles of the Light Dragoons. The worst place to be, it transpired.

Taliban ambushes began soon after we forded the canal. Later that morning while crossing a field, 6 Platoon came under fire from two automatic weapons at almost point-blank range. In seeking cover, our section ran, then jumped into an irrigation ditch below the walls of the very compound from which the Taliban was engaging the rest of the platoon. There were six of us there, with our backs to that wall, including an Afghan interpreter. Lt McIlveen put his fingers to his lips for silence. The Taliban was only the width of a brick away.

A grizzled NCO sniper offered me his sidearm  which I declined  and the whispered observation: Well, if you change your mind, just ask. We are in the ****ing s**t here.

9 A Spartan Armoured Recconnaisance Vehicle pictured on the second day of the advance

Then he tossed a hand grenade over the wall. That was a friendly grenade, I remember Lt McIlveen reporting over the radio after the explosion which enveloped us in dust; and the Taliban firing from inside the compound ceased.

The battle moved on and the temperature rose further still. All seemed well for 2 Mercian until the last hour of daylight.

By then, McIlveens platoon was using a number of other ditches as a trench line. The lieutenant himself had pushed forward with a couple of men and was pinned down in the field beyond.

More men are coming to help you, the Taliban was telling its own frontline over the radio. Two fields away from 6 Platoon, Major Hill, his HQ element and the armour support were also in contact with the insurgents.

The battle moved on. All seemed well for 2 Mercian until the last hour of daylight

The sequence of disasters which marked that day began.

The Taliban fired an RPG at the lead Spartan vehicle. It scored a direct hit with devastating effect.

Laws and Eaglesfield were sitting in the rear compartment. Laws was killed by the blast and Eaglesfield wounded.

Over the radio, we heard the grievously injured vehicle commander say, quite calmly: I need a helo (helicopter). I think I have lost a leg.

This was Guy Disney of the Light Dragoons who did indeed lose his limb and later worked with Prince Harry at the Walking With the Wounded charity.

A medical evacuation helicopter came in, under fire, and collected the casualties.

Two Scimitar Armoured Recconnaisance Vehicles and a Spartan Tank (centre) pictured on the second day of the advance into the Green Zone

Major Hill and his men were walking away from the landing zone when one of the soldiers in their group, Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, of the Light Dragoons, stepped on an enormous IED (improvised explosive device). The explosion killed him instantly and effectively wiped out 2 Mercians HQ element.

We heard the detonation from our own position several hundred yards away.

Two pieces of shrapnel from a radio antennae lodged in Major Hills brain. CSM Muckle was less badly injured but unable to carry on. Others were also hurt.

Another Chinook helicopter had to be called in, again under fire. Smoke bombs were fired from a small mortar in our ditch to allow Lt McIlveen and his men to retreat under furious covering fire. The platoon rallied as darkness fell. And that was the end of the momentous day.

That night, I was told that Major Hill was not expected to live.

He did, but his life changed dramatically, the brain injury being sufficiently debilitating to see him discharged from that Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Engineers run from an explosion as they blast their way through compounds in the Green Zone

His initial struggles to adjust were painful for his family. Along the way we became friends. Today he is studying for a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and works as a motivational speaker and portrait painter.

He has also appeared on the West End stage, directed by Trevor Nunn, and seen his war poetry published. Stewart is the very image of a renaissance man.

He is deeply unhappy about the decision this week. We have been left with one infantry unit for the whole of Middle England, he says. To see the decline from three battalions drawn from the heart of England (which The Mercian Regiment fielded on its formation in 2007) to just one is very sad.

He added: I had the best two years of my career with 2 Mercian. I wonder how the families of the soldiers who were killed in action feel? In fact, hed just received a text message from Jayne Elliott (her teenage son Gavin was killed serving in the battalion later in the 2009 tour): Another blow for us, she wrote.

Stewart said: In its short life, the officers and soldiers of 2 Mercian served repeatedly in Afghan, suffering some of the highest casualty rates of any unit. I hope those sacrifices are not forgotten.

A soldier from 6 platoon, B company, 2 Mercians, takes in news of casualties and the deaths of colleagues a few hundred meters away in another part of the battlefield

After the tour, his great ally and friend, CSM Muckle, rose to become the highest-ranking NCO in the British Army. He was then commissioned an officer and promoted to Major. He is still a serving soldier.

I caught up with Danny Eaglesfield a few days after the battle as he was recovering from his wounds. He had already spoken by phone to his dead friends mother, Wendy Laws. I told Mrs Laws that when we joined up and did not know anyone else in the unit, Robbie and I looked out for each other. We looked after each other right to the end, he said.

Eaglesfield served another eight years and another Afghan tour before he left the army to start a family. He now works at the Toyota factory in Derby, where in 2019 he organised a reunion for B Company to mark the tenth anniversary of Panthers Claw.

The last time they had all gathered together in uniform was at Sandringham in November 2009, when they received their campaign medals from Prince Charles.

Eaglesfield is gutted by his old battalions disbandment. I gave everything I had to the regiment. Others gave their lives. His best friend Robbie Laws would have turned 30 last month. Eaglesfield reached that milestone himself yesterday, a bittersweet week indeed.

Lt Jem McIlveen, Platoon Leader of 6 Platoon, B company, 2 Mercians, pictured during a day of fighting the Taliban. Lt McIlveen left the Army in 2013 and now works in tech for Amazon

Jem McIlveen left the Army in 2013, got married, had two children, moved to America and back, and now works in tech for Amazon. He, too, is saddened by the demise of 2 Mercian, which he called arbitrary given its fighting record and high manning levels.

He also spoke of his pride in those who served with him and the families of those they lost.

They were still a source of inspiration and sadness. Look at Danny Eaglesfield returning to the front line, Paul Muckle rising to the highest rank, and all that Guy and Stewart have accomplished since that tour, he told me. And the incredible charitable work Wendy Laws continues to do in memory of her dear son Robbie.

His admiration for 2 Mercian is not skewed by being one of their own. It was shared by one of the most respected foreign soldiers of the modern age. In late 2009, the U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, gave a speech in London about the war.

He said: Within my office, I have a picture of a British battle group (in Helmand). I keep that picture because, when I looked into their eyes, which were bloodshot with fatigue, I remember the extraordinary professionalism, competence and sheer courage of those young men.

The men in that photograph so dear to General McChrystal? Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment. The name now fades into history. But the memories and comradeship live on.
Los Angeles based artist and writer Ryan Williams French is thrilled to launch his new blog, My Strength, My Song . The blog contains a collection of poems and essays focused on empowering and encouraging young men and women of color. Many of his works are accompanied by audio and visual elements that bring life to the young writer's reflections on fatherhood, masculinity, and identity formation. In addition to personal insights, Ryan pulls from a collection of authoritative writers and thinkers, including Nelson Mandela, Viktor Frankl, and Carl Jung, to formulate deeper connections that can be applied to life. Although many of his insights are inspired from his Christian faith, the blog is not intended to prescribe a belief system to its readers.

His first poem/essay, "Why Do Bids Sing Early in the Morning?" sings loudly in the space of silence and isolation the pandemic has created. Using the Bird Song as a framework, Ryan investigates the ramifications of absent fathers in young men's lives. Despite some assumptions that fathers are not critical to the success of a child's development, statistics and discourse on family structures demonstrate the centrality of a present male figure in a young boy's upbringing. As young boys without fathers mature into men, they face the dismal reality of higher prison incarceration rates, higher rates of clinical depression and anxiety, difficulties excelling in grade school, problems managing anger, alcohol and drug abuse, and domestic violence. In the face of these trends, Ryan's poem, or rather, ode of faith, reconciliation, and self-acceptance, offers strength and courage to young men grappling with the reality of an absent father.

His second essay "Flowers for Algernon/ observations on love and memories," Is inspired by Daniel Keye's epistolary novel "Flowers for Algernon." The essay is written in letter format and is addressed to a student. One could argue that it's the most affectionate of Mr. William's blog series. The essay examines the reality of depression and offers a gift of hope and faith through its celebration of life.

Last, Ryan delivers a sobering reflection on race in America in his essay "Something to Live For." Similar to "Flower's for Algernon," the essay is addressed to a former student, and gives an account of the writer's recent traumatic encounter with the police. Mr. French also performs a powerful spoken word poem.

It is evident Ryan has a background in acting and education, his audio recordings of his works masterfully accentuate the spirit of his impassioned writing with poetic fervor. In addition to essays, My Strength, My Song revisits parables from the Bible that offer timeless insights on spiritual and personal development.

Readers can enjoy "Something to Live for" by clicking on the link below.

http://www.mystrengthmysong.com/something-to-live-for

SOURCE My Strength My Song
President Ram Nath Kovind, who was admitted to the Army Hospital (R&R) on Friday after complaining of chest pain, is being referred to AIIMS, Delhi for further observation. The hospital authorities informed that President's condition is stable, while a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that it had been a routine checkup. The Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in its official statement said, "The condition of President Ram Nath Kovind is stable. He is being referred to AIIMS, Delhi for further investigation."

The President has been under observation after a routine medical checkup. He thanks all who enquired about his health and wished him well.  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 27, 2021

President Kovind's condition is stable: Army Hospital

The condition of President Ram Nath Kovind is stable.

He is being referred to AIIMS, Delhi for further investigation: Army Hospital (R&R)



The President was under observation at the hospital following chest discomfort yesterday



(file photo) pic.twitter.com/uoZ16kE6D6  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, had also inquired about the President's health. PM spoke to President Kovind's son and offered prayers for the latter's good health. Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted, "PM Narendra Modi spoke to Rashtrapati Jis son. He enquired about the Presidents health and prayed for his well-being." Also, Union Minister Amit Shah spoke to the President's family and asked about his health status. Shah tweeted, "Have spoken to Rashtrapati Ji's family and inquired about his health. I pray to almighty for his good health and well-being."

President Kovind visits Army Hospital after complaining of the chest-discomfort

On Friday, a medical bulletin by the Army Hospital stated that the 75-year-old had visited the hospital after chest discomfort. He underwent several check-ups as per the doctors' recommendation. The bulletin read, "Honble President of India, visited Army Hospital (R&R) following chest discomfort this morning. He is undergoing routine check-ups and is under observation. His condition is stable."

In the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement, the President also extended gratitude towards those who enquired about his health and prayed for his well-being. The tweet read, "The President has been under observation after a routine medical checkup. He thanks all who enquired about his health and wished him well."

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: PTI
Downing Street is finalising plans for internet giants to be forced to safeguard reputable journalism, as Ministers prepare to introduce new laws to purge the internet of offensive material such as suicide footage and terrorists beheading videos.

Under the new Online Safety Bill, companies such as Google and Facebook would be expected to exempt content from legitimate publications such as The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline when they perform their duty under the legislation to remove articles that they judge to be harmful.

Government sources insist that the threat of penalties, possibly running into millions of pounds, should prevent the tech companies acting as judge and jury on news coverage and comment by reputable news publishers.

Under the new Online Safety Bill, companies such as Google and Facebook would be expected to exempt content from legitimate publications which are judged to be harmful

However, media executives who have been consulted over the proposals are understood to have told the Government that they lack teeth because there is no cast-iron legal obligation on the internet companies to refrain from censoring their content  just a right for the publishers to appeal to the regulator Ofcom after the event.

Under the plans being drafted by officials working for Minister for Media and Data John Whittingdale, there will be an expectation that the internet companies will not interfere with news publishers content once the bill becomes law, unlike other online content, which they will have to monitor and if necessary remove under threat of draconian penalties.

But nor would there be a blanket ban on them doing so, as long as they comply with new requirements to safeguard journalistic content. It is not yet clear what form those safeguards will take.

News industry executives are concerned that stories published legitimately in a newspaper like The Mail on Sunday could be prevented from appearing online by American-owned internet companies, with a state-backed regulator acting as court of appeal.

Boris Johnson has discussed with aides whether the bill could be adapted to limit the ability of companies such as Twitter and Facebook to censor politicians

They point to an incident earlier this year when TalkRadio was removed from Google-owned YouTube following an automated ruling that it had breached Google guidelines against contradicting official Covid policy. The radio station was later reinstated.

It has also been suggested that Google manipulates its search algorithms to favour Left-leaning outlets such as the BBC and The Guardian.

Boris Johnson has discussed with aides whether the bill could be adapted to limit the ability of companies such as Twitter and Facebook to censor politicians, after the social media platforms applied warning labels to 65 tweets by Donald Trump during the US presidential election but none to those from Joe Biden. Mr Johnson described it privately as limiting the ability of a bunch of woke Californians to interfere in the UK.

Plans have been drafted by officials working for Minister for Media and Data John Whittingdale

It comes as news publishers are also locked in dispute with the internet companies over payments for the content they distribute: last month, following a stand-off with Facebook, the Australian government watered down laws forcing the tech giants to pay for news. It was announced last year that a new watchdog, the Digital Markets Unit, will be given powers to levy large fines on online companies to stop customers or companies being treated unfairly and to make firms give smaller rivals access to their vast troves of data. The unit will become fully operational by next year, as part of the Competition and Markets Authority.

The CMA has called for stronger powers over Google and Facebook to address their unassailable positions in digital advertising and social media.

A Government source said: Companies such as Facebook will be under a duty to safeguard legitimate journalism, and to distinguish between, for example, terrorist propaganda on the one hand and the reputable coverage of atrocities on the other. If they dont, Ofcom will be there to force them.

A news industry source said: The news publishers exemption is very welcome, but we believe that there should be an automatic exemption, without room for argument and backed by heavy penalties.
Connecticuts latest data shows theres still a racial divide in the states COVID vaccination rate, but the gap is closing among older adults.

Eligible white Connecticut residents of any age are still more than twice as likely to have received a first shot compared with Hispanic residents, according to the latest state data.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday the state has budgeted $58 million in federal funding to increase vaccination rates among communities with low uptake.

That starts with telephoning and door-to-door canvassing and trusted advocates, Lamont said.

Kathleen Silard, president and CEO of Stamford Health, said the hospital is operating special clinics for vulnerable populations.

They come in and they get the vaccine and there are no questions asked, Silard said. We do ask for identification, if they dont have it, we still provide the vaccine, and we want to make sure that were getting the penetration to that community.

About 743,000 white residents  37 percent of the states roughly 2 million in this group who are 16 and older  have received a first shot of the vaccine, the data shows.

Of the 437,000 Hispanic residents who are 16 and older, 16.7 percent  73,000 people  have received at least the first dose, the data shows.

Less than 20 percent  about 59,000  of the 300,000 Black residents in this age group have received at least the first dose, according to the data.

A little more than 20 percent of the states Asian or Pacific Islander population have received a first dose, and less than 28 percent of the states Native American or Alaskan population have received their first shot.

Of those who identify as more than one race, a group that comprises about 38,000 people, about 11 percent have received at least a first dose, the data shows.

A total of 76,792 people whose race is listed as other have received a first dose, along with 73,410 people whose race is unknown.

The data also shows the racial gap in vaccinations may be starting to slowly close.

Although the percentage of white residents over 16 who received a first shot increased 4.7 percent this week compared with 3.2 percent for Black and Hispanic residents, data showed gains in older communities of color.

For those 65 and older, the percentage of Hispanic and Black residents who received a first shot exceeded the rate for white residents in this group.

First of all, its important to point out that 50 states are struggling with this challenge, and Connecticut is among them, said Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer.

He said the state Department of Public Health is tracking who gets vaccinated through pharmacies, which receive their doses directly from the federal government, rather than the state allocation. The governors office has previously released data showing the pharmacies are lagging behind other providers in getting shots into the arms of the states most vulnerable communities.

Were glad that they located many of the pharmacies that they opened in those high SVI ZIP codes, he said, referring to a designation the federal government uses to track vulnerable communities. But we need to do more to make sure that people who actually live in those ZIP codes are getting vaccinated in those pharmacies.

State Rep. Gerry Reyes, D-Waterbury, chairman of the legislatures Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, said Waterbury will soon send vans out to vaccinate people remotely. Whats holding the city back is the supply of vaccine, Reyes said.

Being able to convince somebody ... in their native tongue, or being able to bring his or her neighbor with them goes a long way when youre actually trying to explain to people why the vaccines are so important, he said.

The governor announced Thursday the state will accelerate its plan to open eligibility on April 1 to anyone 16 and older. The state originally planned to open vaccines up to everyone on April 5.

The revised timeline puts Connecticut one month ahead of the May 1 deadline when President Joe Biden asked for all states and territories to make the vaccine available to everyone.

On Friday, Connecticut recorded 1,699 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the daily positivity rate to 2.85 percent out of 59,630 new tests. There were 22 more hospitalizations, bringing the states total to 456.

Another three fatalities brought the states official death toll from the virus to 7,865.
Bengaluru, March 27 : A day after his name formally surfaced in the sleaze CD episode, Karnataka Congress President D. K. Shivakumar on Saturday claimed that he has never met the woman in the purported CD but also asserted that there was nothing wrong in meeting 'people in distress' In the CD, former Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarakiholi is seen in a compromising position with a woman, who has been accusing Jarakiholi of sexually exploiting her in lieu of getting her a government job.

Ever since the CD was released on March 2, Jarakiholi has been hinting at Shivakumar's role stating that a 'Maha Nayaka' (big leader) was behind releasing the fake CD to malign his family's reputation.

This row has taken a new twist with the surfacing of a seven-minute audio clip in her conversations with her family members, in which she takes D. K. Shivakumar's name twice.

The audio clip had surfaced, soon after the woman filed a complaint with the police on Friday evening.

Reacting to his name surfacing in the audio clip, KPCC president, D. K. Shivakumar said, "We are in public life, you (media) work as a bridge between people. We politicians too try to help people who are in distress. That woman has said that she has tried to meet me but I could not meet her." "Every day people in distress come to meet politicians with their personal problems. Like that she too may have come on that day, but that meeting never took place. Even if she comes today, I will verify things. There is nothing wrong in meeting people in distress. They come to us, when they feel their justice has been denied by the other party. There is nothing new about it," he said.

Asserting that he was tracking Jarakiholi when he was defecting with some Congress leaders in 2019, when the Congress-JD(S) coalition fell and paved the way for the BJP to form a government under incumbent Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa's leadership.

Shivakumar claimed that he was not interested in someone's personal matter and it is his (Jarkiholi) personal matter.

"Though, I did come to know about these things from those in the media about what all was happening, but I am not interested in it," he stated.

Answering to a question, whether he knew Naresh, whose name cropped up in the fourth video clip released by the woman, Shivakumar conceded he knew Naresh rather well. "He is from the media, on some occasions, I have been to his house also. He has met me on several occasions and informed me about several things," the KPCC president said.

It is an open secret that Jarakholi has a running feud with Shivakumar for the last four years, which is also one of the prime reasons for Jarakiholi to rebel against the Congress party in 2019 and pull down the coalition government headed by H. D. Kumaraswamy. His demand to join BJP had two conditions: he should be given the water resource portfolio and allocated the same office in Vidhan Soudha, which were duly fulfilled by ruling BJP Government in Karnataka Both were once good friends but Jarakiholi fell out with Shivakumar over an election of PLD bank, in which the latter had supported Belagavi Rural MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar, which did not go well with the Jarakiholi family. Ever since, both had sworn to finish each other politically.

The woman's conversation in the purported seven-minute audio clip is said to have taken place on the night (March 2) when the CD was leaked to news channels.

Shivakumar's name crops up twice as she tries to repeatedly convince family members that she was safe and the video and audio clips aired on television were fake, morphed and her voice was modulated.

In her fourth video clip released on Saturday, the woman also authenticates the conversation in the audio clip and said she had gone to meet Shivakumar, but could not.

Commenting on the development, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai quipped that the series of audio and videos are coming like a television serial. "The SIT will investigate the CD, audio and video in detail and examine it scientifically also. As I have already said, the SIT will not buckle under any pressure or influence or attempts to mislead. It is working systematically as per law without favouring any one to find out the truth and will continue to do so," he said in his short statement released to the media.
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A small Texas border town has become the new epicenter of a surge in illegal entry into the U.S., with smugglers there brazenly ferrying hundreds of migrants across the Rio Grande every night.

Roma, a town with historic buildings and boarded-up storefronts in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, is the latest epicenter of illegal crossings, where growing numbers of families and children are entering the United States to seek asylum.

With a population of 10,000, Roma is 98 percent Hispanic, and faces economic challenges, with more than half of all residents living under the poverty line.

Each night as darkness sets on the Rio Grande, U.S. Border Patrol agents hear pumps inflating rafts across the river in Mexico. It is about to get busy.

The Rio Grande runs between Roma, Texas, right, and Ciudad Miguel Aleman in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Roma is at the epicenter of a huge surge in illegal entry into the US that is overwhelming border officials

Roma is home to an international bridge Ciudad Miguel Aleman. The area has become a hotspot for illegal migration due to the easy river access on both sides of the border, and hundreds cross the river hear each night

Each night as darkness sets on the Rio Grande, U.S. Border Patrol agents hear pumps inflating rafts across the river in Mexico. Above, migrants cross in a raft at Roma on Wednesday

Nine-year-old girl drowns while crossing Rio Grande A nine-year-old girl from Mexico drowned on Saturday while attempting to cross the Rio Grande river to reach the United States. Customs and Border Protection announced the heartbreaking news on Thursday, amid the growing humanitarian crisis at the southern border sparked by Joe Biden's reversal of Trump-era immigration policies. According to CBP officials, the nine-year-old girl died last Saturday and was in the company of her mother and younger brother while trying to cross the Rio Grande. All three reportedly lost consciousness while wading through the water. The mother and the three-year-old boy were able to be revived. The nine-year-old girl was pronounced dead. Advertisement

Within an hour, about 100 people have been dropped off in the United States, including many families with toddlers and children as young as seven traveling alone.

All of them wear numbered yellow plastic wristbands that look like they could be used to get into a concert or amusement park, and everyone rips them off and tosses them on the ground after setting foot in the U.S.

Large black letters on the wristbands read, 'Entregas,' or 'Deliveries,' apparently a mechanism for smugglers to keep track of migrants they are ferrying across the river that separates Texas and Mexico.

U.S. authorities reported more than 100,000 encounters on the southern border in February, the highest since a four-month streak in 2019.

Encounters have averaged about 5,000 people per day throughout March, which would be about a 50 percent increase over February if those figures hold for the entire month, according to a senior Border Patrol official, who spoke to reporters Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss preliminary figures.

More than 16,000 unaccompanied children were in government custody as of Thursday, including about 5,000 in substandard Customs and Border Protection facilities.

Many migrants say they view President Joe Biden as welcoming to illegal immigrants, and undertook their journey after he took office, but Biden has insisted that his administrations immigration policies are not responsible for the rising numbers.

At his first news conference since taking office, Biden said Thursday that the government will take steps to more quickly move hundreds of migrant children and teenagers out of cramped detention facilities to more comfortable accomodations.

Starr County, where Roma is located, made a dramatic shift toward Donald Trump in the 2020 election, when Biden won the county by just 5 points after Hillary Clinton's margin was more than 60 points four years earlier.

On the Rio Grande, a smuggler balked on Wednesday when a U.S. agent asks him to land downriver on a rare patch of sand, complaining that another agent punctured his raft days earlier. The agent reassures him and negotiates a landing away from gnarly branches.

'Children aboard,' another smuggler shouts to authorities.

Migrants, mostly from Central American countries, wade through shallow waters after being delivered by smugglers on small inflatable rafts on U.S. soil in Roma, Texas on Wednesday

Migrants wear numbered plastic wristbands that cartel smugglers use to keep track of who has paid for the journey

Many migrants say they view President Joe Biden as welcoming to illegal immigrants. Above, migrants wade through shallow waters after being delivered by smugglers on small inflatable rafts on U.S. soil in Roma, Texas on Wednesday

A young child walks alone through the brush after being smuggled across the Rio Grande river in Roma, Texas, Wednesday. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive

Minors, mostly from Guatemala, wait at a U.S. Border Patrol intake site after they were smuggled on an inflatable raft across the Rio Grande river in Roma, Texas on Wednesday

As the rafts approached shore Wednesday night, smugglers jumped into the shallow water, lifted children and took the hands of adults lined up single file to get off the rafts.

The migrants walked - or are carried - a few steps, and the smuggler turned around for the next passenger without touching dry land.

A 7-year-old girl named Kaylee fought back tears as she bemoaned leaving her phone in the raft. A smuggler tells her she didn't, and she appears to shrug it off. Her mother's U.S. phone number is written in black marker on the arm of her shirt.

U.S. agents escort groups of migrants about a half-mile over dirt roads to a dead-end street on the edge of Roma, where other agents at a white folding table examine identification documents, take names and destinations, and answer questions.

Children traveling alone are separated from families, and people put their valuables in plastic bags.

From there, they head to a nearby parking lot and get into buses, vans and SUVs.

Unaccompanied children are supposed to be held by CBP no more than 72 hours, but they are often held longer because U.S. Health and Human Services lacks space.

With a population of 10,000, Roma is 98 percent Hispanic, and faces economic challenges, with more than half of all residents living under the poverty line

The median income in Roma is $15,500, and many of the city's downtown buildings are boarded up and vacant

The M. Guerra building in historic downtown Roma. The building was used in scenes from the 1950's movie 'Viva Zapata'

Health and Human Services is housing children at the Dallas Convention Center and said it will open emergency facilities at venues or military bases in San Antonio, El Paso, San Diego and elsewhere.

The Biden administration expels nearly all single adults without an opportunity to seek asylum under a public health order issued at the start of the pandemic. They're about 2,200 of the roughly 5,000 people encountered per day in March, according to the Border Patrol official.

Of that total, about 450 to 500 are unaccompanied minors and the rest are families who are being allowed to stay, at least temporarily, if the children are under 7 and if they cant immediately be returned to Mexico, which has reduced the number of families it will accept into shelters in the state of Tamaulipas, south of the Rio Grande Valley, the official said.

It's not unusual to see increases in migrants crossing the border in the spring and summer, and the Border Patrol has faced similar situations in the past. But the official said the huge surge of teens and children and the space limitations resulting from the pandemic have made this year especially difficult.

'The reason this is much different this year than it has been in previous years is one, we are faced with some unique challenges,' he said.

In January and February, apprehensions of unaccompanied minors who crossed the southern border illegally surged 92 percent from the same period last year, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

More than 300,000 solo adults were apprehended in the same period, a surge of 188 percent.

The area around Roma is a favorite with smugglers due to its easy access to the river on both sides of the border

A group of migrants follows an official through a neighborhood to an intake area after turning themselves in upon crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, early Wednesday in Roma, Texas

A migrant man, center, holds a child as he looks at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent at an intake area after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, early Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Roma, Texas

A group of migrants families from Guatemala rest was they wait at an intake area set up by the U.S. border patrol in Roma on Wednesday. As soon as the sun set, at least 100 migrants were ferried across the Rio Grande river by smugglers

The huge number of people attempting the often dangerous illegal crossing has taken a tragic toll, including a nine-year-old girl from Mexico who drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande river to reach the United States.

According to CBP officials, the nine-year-old girl died last Saturday and was in the company of her mother and younger brother while trying to cross the Rio Grande.

The tragedy came just four days after two other migrants drowned in the Rio Grande.

In 2019, Central American migrants favored crossing in a nearby area in the Rio Grande Valley, which is the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, but a wall built during Donald Trump's presidency has pushed them closer to Roma, where the channel is relatively narrow but the current is brisk.

A 17-year-old from El Salvador said he left home recently because he felt threatened by gangs and believes Biden is sympathetic to migrants. Asked how he knew of Biden's positions, he said, 'people who talk.'

Maynor Cruz, 29, said Biden's policies had nothing do with his decision to leave San Pedro Sula, Honduras, about two months ago, but he heard that families with young children were being allowed to remain in the United States.

Cruz said he was happy to be in the U.S. after a treacherous journey through Mexico, during which someone tried to kidnap his daughter.

Smugglers talk to journalists after they delivered a group of migrants across the Rio Grande river in Roma, Texas, Wednesday

A smuggler takes migrants, mostly from Central American countries, on a small inflatable raft towards U.S. soil in Roma

Migrants wait at a U.S. Border Patrol intake site in Roma after they were smuggled on an inflatable raft across the Rio Grande

Border encounters have averaged about 5,000 people per day throughout March, which would be about a 50 percent increase over February

He left Honduras with his wife and children, ages 7 and 2, because he lost his job in a condiment factory when the pandemic struck and his home was destroyed by a tropical storm in November. He was able to raise enough money for the journey through family in the United States.

'It's difficult to begin from zero (in Honduras) with what you earn there,' he said.

At the river, a lull set in after the initial rush. CBP reported that it took 681 unaccompanied children into custody Wednesday, a total that excludes Mexicans, who are typically returned immediately.

On Thursday night, Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, led a group of Republican senators on a late night march along the Rio Grande River on the U.S.-Mexico border to hunt for migrants in a trip Democrats are blasting as a 'political stunt.'

The Texas senator led dueling group of lawmakers to the border on Friday to visit facilities holding migrant teens. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas led a group of House Democrats on their own trek.

The Republican senators are in the Rio Grande Valley to draw attention to what they call Biden's 'border crisis.'

The Biden administration repeatedly has refused to describe the situation as a 'crisis' amid record high surges of migrants. The Rio Grande Valley is seeing some of the largest numbers of migrants crossing into the U.S.
Indian American supporters cheer as Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi speaks at NRG Stadium on Sept. 22, 2019 in Houston, Texas. According to a new study, as a group, immigrant families tend to be more stable than families of native-born Americans, with Indian Americans ranking at the top in family stability. (Sergio Flores/Getty Images)
"As our nation battles the health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we simultaneously must combat the persistent and rising violence caused by access to dangerous firearms," reads a letter organized by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

SANTA FE  The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld a district court decision to extend the criminal commitment of a Las Vegas, New Mexico, man placed in a mental institution after he was accused of killing his roommate in 2003.

Psychiatrists have told different judges over the years that Ricky Quintana, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, could not stand trial because of his mental illness, The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Thursday. He was instead committed to the state Behavioral Health Institute.

A district judge ruled in 2017 that Quintana still presented a danger to the community and extended his commitment for another five years.

The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the decision, ruling that defendants found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial and dangerous can be ordered to spend additional time in mental institutions.

Prosecutors accuse Quintana of killing and mutilating his roommate Michael Grube, who was 47. The district court extended his commitment after concerns Quintana would not take his medication and his psychosis might return.

Officials said defendants who are committed to mental institutions must be reviewed every two years for competency and for how dangerous they are.

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................................................................

Under the New Mexico Mental Illness and Competency Code, there is no maximum sentence for people who are committed.

But defendants can receive the maximum sentence they would have received in their criminal case if they had been mentally competent to stand trial.
Angelina Jolie was seen with her daughter Shiloh amid reports she is 'prepared to provide proof of domestic violence' in her divorce battle with ex Brad Pitt.

The outing came after it was claimed Brad is 'heartbroken that Angelina has gone that route' and feels that 'there's a lot of emotion left after their marriage'.

On Friday, the actress, 45, and Shiloh were seen with a trolley full of goods after shopping at a fabric store, where they loaded up with supplies before heading home.

Outing: Angelina Jolie was seen with her daughter Shiloh amid reports she is 'prepared to provide proof of domestic violence' in her divorce battle with ex Brad Pitt

Angelina looked typically chic in a long white linen dress, which she teamed with a cream mac and a pair of sandals.

Meanwhile Shiloh, 14, sported a black hoodie and shorts, while also wearing a pair of black trainers as she helped her mom push the trolley.

The mother and daughter duo, who were both sporting face masks, were later seen loading up their black Range Rover with their purchases.

Claims: The outing came after it was claimed Brad is 'heartbroken that Angelina has gone that route' and feels that 'there's a lot of emotion left after their marriage'

Earlier this week it was reported that Brad, 57, is saddened over the leak that Angelina is now 'prepared to provide proof' of domestic abuse in the couple's contentious custody battle.

An alleged altercation between son Maddox, 19, and Brad in 2016 was said to have been the final straw for Angelina, who filed paperwork indicating that both she and her children are willing to offer testimony and 'proof and authority' in support of her allegations, according to documents obtained by The Blast.

Now Pitt is 'heartbroken that Angelina has gone that route. There's a lot of emotion left after their marriage,' a source close to the actor told Page Six.

The source added: 'He has taken responsibility for his actions and owned up to his past issues, he's stopped drinking.'

'The marriage was very passionate and toxic at times and  like all couples  they had fights, but also shared many good times together. He has talked about his drink and drug problems during the time they were together,' they continued.

The Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood star has never been arrested or charged for any offense during the couple's marriage, nor have any police reports been made.

Shopping: On Friday, the actress, 45, and Shiloh were seen with a trolley full of goods after shopping at a fabric store, where they loaded up with supplies before heading home

Soon after the couple filed for divorce in 2016, it was revealed that Brad was being investigated by the FBI and social services in LA amid reports he got 'verbally abusive and physical with his children' on a private jet, yet he was cleared.

'Brad and his camp has never attacked Angelina. But his camp feels this leak was calculated to sway opinion ahead of the conclusion of their trial,' the source said.

'Brad feels like he's being more and more isolated from his children, and he's devastated about it.'

The pair share Maddox, Zahara, 16, Pax, 17, Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne, 12, and are hashing out custody and financial arrangements in the trial, which will see their youngest children provide testimony if they give permission.

Hashing out: As well as detailing her domestic abuse claims, the documents show that the court is seeking permission from the couple for Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne to testify

Sources tell the publication that the kids have been interviewed by court-appointed therapists.

It was reported that Maddox has 'already given testimony as [an] adult in the ongoing custody dispute and it wasn't very flattering towards Brad'.

'He doesn't use Pitt as his last name on documents that aren't legal and instead uses Jolie,' the source told US Weekly.

'Maddox wants to legally change his last name to Jolie, which Angelina has said she doesn't support.'

A source told MailOnline: 'She has made similar allegations in the past which were investigated by the authorities and not substantiated.'

The source added: 'This is the latest sad and desperate attempt to advance a false narrative at any cost.

'These have been the same attacks repeated for the past 4  years and anyone who is perceived to be standing in the way can expect to have their credibility challenged.'

MailOnline contacted representatives of the former couple for comment at the time.

Altercation: An alleged altercation between Maddox and Pitt in 2016 was said to have been the final straw for Jolie, who is now willing to 'provide proof' in support of her allegations, according to documents obtained by The Blast (Angelina pictured with her children in 2019)

In October, the bitter divorce battle hit yet another bump in the road after the actress parted ways with one of her high-priced attorneys.

Priya Sopori, an LA-based former federal prosecutor who has been working with Jolie's lead lawyer, Samantha DeJean, is out after filing a 'Notice of Withdrawal of Attorney of Record' with LA Superior Court, DailyMail.com learnt at the time.

Sopori is a partner with California law firm Greenberg Glusker LLP. It is not known whether Jolie - who is fighting Pitt's efforts to win 50/50 custody of their children - fired Sopori or if the attorney made the decision to quit.

But the change in her high profile team at this late stage signals Jolie's resolve to get what she wants has only hardened.

A source close to Jolie told DailyMail.com: 'Angelina has fought tooth and nail to get what she wants in this divorce, when it comes to her kids she won't back down...'

It's not the first time the Girl, Interrupted star has parted company with a lawyer she's hired during the long-running five year divorce saga.

In 2018, superstar LA divorce attorney Laura Wasser - whose client list reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood - stopped working for Jolie when the actress's legal fight with Pitt reportedly became too 'venomous and nasty.'

Wasser - who has represented Johnny Depp, Kim Kardashian, Ryan Reynolds, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Ashton Kutcher and many other stars - has earned a reputation as a lawyer who tries to take the sting out of break-ups by promoting compromise between warring couples and shared custody of children.

So it was thought at the time that Jolie's hard-nosed attitude toward Pitt was not a good fit with Wasser's more gentle, conciliatory approach.

After Wasser, Jolie hired San Francisco-based DeJean who is now the only lawyer representing her in the long-running custody dispute with Pitt.

Past: After the 2016 incident, Brad was cleared of abuse allegations by the LA County Department Of Children And Family Services, as it was confirmed he had not committed child abuse when he got into a fight with Maddox aboard a private jet (pictured in 2009)

The former couple are dragging security experts from two continents, an entourage of personal assistants and bodyguards, a former Jolie co-star and an army of child psychologists and doctors to give evidence in an upcoming custody trial that's expected to be held in private.

Lists of witnesses filed in a Los Angeles court and seen by DailyMail.com reveal 21 people who will be testifying in the movie stars' legal fight over their children.

One witness will be domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette, who controversially clashed with a prosecutor in a 2013 murder trial by describing killer Jodi Arias as the victim of abuse.

Brad has also listed his ex-wife's personal assistant Michael Ofstedahl and Jolie's friend and Girl, Interrupted costar Jillian Armenante as witnesses  a sign that Pitt is willing to pull out all the stops to win joint custody.

Pitt and Jolie famously fell in love on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, while Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston. The couple married in France in 2014 after 10 years of dating, but split two years later in September 2016.

In the period that followed their initial separation in 2016, the pair duked it out over custody and financial arrangements, with Brad arguing he'd provided more than adequate funding but Angie demanding a greater share of his $300m fortune.

A big factor in the former couple's battle is Jolie's desire to move the children abroad. Pitt, is vehemently opposed to her moving them to a foreign country.

In 2019, Angelina admitted: 'I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18. Right now, I'm having to base where their father chooses to live.'

In June 2019, Brad  who admitted being an alcoholic at the time of their split but is now recovered  secured a legal breakthrough when a judge ruled he would be permitted more time with the children. He is believed to see them every few days.

Moving: A big factor in the former couple's battle is Jolie's desire to move the children abroad. Pitt, is vehemently opposed to her moving them to a foreign country (pictured in 2009)

The kids are shuttled back and forth in blacked-out SUVs and limousines between their parents' LA homes, which are around a mile from one another in the affluent suburb also inhabited by stars including Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Zac Efron.

In early April last year, the superstars came to an agreement that will see the children attend a more traditional schooling program in LA, marking an end to their homeschooling regime. Jolie said she stands by her choice to leave Pitt.

'It was the right decision,' the actress told Vogue in June 2020.

'I continue to focus on their (the kids') healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds.'

The custody trial was due to start late last year but it was delayed after Angelina asked for the private judge to be replaced, claiming that he 'failed to disclose' that he was working other cases with one of Brad's lawyers.
On Tuesdays episode we heard from Tejal Rao, a food critic for The Times, who embarked on a journey to regain her sense of smell after contracting the coronavirus. In the episode, you heard about smell training  a long and tedious process few knew existed before the coronavirus stole the sense from millions of people. We wanted to ask Tejal a little bit more about that journey and what helped her along the way.

Based on your experience with smell training, what scents would you recommend trying to our readers who might have also lost their sense of smell?

The original studies of smell training were done with four specific essential oils, but all the researchers I spoke to when I was reporting encouraged me to use scents that were meaningful to me, whatever those might be. So I worked with spices from my kitchen  cardamom, cloves, cinnamon. I sniffed everything I could  snuffed matches, my dogs breath. I even ran outside to get a whiff of the garbage truck on trash days. I tried absolutely anything that might give my nose and brain more information as I healed, whether it was a good smell or not.

What was it like to keep doing your job with a limited sense of smell?

I didnt work in those few weeks, mostly because I was too exhausted by my other symptoms. When I came back to work, I still had a fragmented sense of smell, so I focused on stories Id started reporting before I got sick, and relied on our team of recipe testers and editors for their notes on anything cooking related. It took about two months to totally regain my sense of smell  thats when I finished up a story about the West Coast bagel boom, which Id started reporting before the pandemic.

What have you been cooking lately that youd recommend?

Food is glorious and nuanced and delicious again now that my sense of smell and taste are back, and Im so grateful for it. Ive been making Yewande Komolafes delicious, crispy bean cakes with harissa, and right now Ive got my eye on Von Diazs pollo en fricase with garlic and olives and capers. The second I get strawberries from the farmers market, Im making Clare de Boers strawberry and sesame swirl soft serve.
Saturday, March 27, 2021

To my knowledge, two jurisdictions - Colorado and Arizona - use a Presiding Disciplinary Judge system that grants significant authority in the disciplinary process to a single person.

Arizona has just announced that a new PDJ has been named.

AZ Central reports on the appointment

A former Maricopa County Superior Court and appeals court judge will preside over attorney discipline, reinstatement and disability cases in Arizona.

Margaret Downie was named Thursday by the Arizona Supreme Court as the new presiding disciplinary judge.

Downie is the second person and first woman to hold the position after it was created in 2010. William J. O'Neil, the first, is set to retire later this year.

She will begin May 17.

"I have been involved in the fields of legal and judicial ethics for more than 35 years and am honored that the Supreme Court has chosen me to serve as Arizonas next Presiding Disciplinary Judge," Downie said in a statement.

Downie is now executive director of the the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct, which investigates complaints against justices, judges and justices of the peace. She has served in the role since 2017.

She served in Maricopa County Superior Court for 11 years, including a stint as the civil presiding judge. She was a judge for the Court of Appeals, Division One for nine years.

Robert Brutinel, chief justice for the Arizona Supreme Court, said Downie's experience as a judge and with the Commission on Judicial Conduct makes her "an ideal choice."

"As does her reputation for integrity and her prior work handling bar discipline cases," he said in a statement. "The judicial branch, the public and the bar will be well served by the new Presiding Disciplinary Judge.

How attorney discipline works

Downie has served as the chief Bar counsel for the State Bar of Arizona. The State Bar is a nonprofit organization operating under the Arizona Supreme Court. It investigates allegations of misconduct among the more than 18,000 active attorneys in the state and provides legal training.

The Bar reviews allegations to determine if there is enough information to dismiss a case or proceed with a recommendation of discipline. The committee can take any number of actions, including dismissing a case, ordering the Bar to investigate further, or imposing a range of discipline.

An attorney can appeal the committees decision to the presiding disciplinary judge. The judge heads a three-member panel that adjudicates discipline. The State Bar or the attorney facing discipline can appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Downie formerly worked at the Jennings, Strouss and Salmon law firm. She graduated from the University of Arkansas and earned her law degree from Georgetown University.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2021/03/a-former-maricopa-county-superior-court-and-appeals-court-judge-will-preside-over-attorney-discipline-reinstatement-and-disa.html
NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Pacific Mercantile Bancorp ("PMBC" or the "Company") (PMBC) relating to its proposed merger with Banc of California. Under the terms of the agreement, PMBC shareholders will receive 0.50 share of Banc of California per share.

The investigation focuses on whether Pacific Mercantile Bancorp and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the transaction is properly valued.

Click here for more information: http://monteverdelaw.com/case/pacific-mercantile-bancorp. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.





About Monteverde & Associates PC

We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you own common stock in Pacific Mercantile Bancorp and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

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A 600-year old castle in Bray has been vandalised once again. Oldcourt Castle, which dates from the 1430s, has seen more of the original external wall destroyed along with all the emergency repair work that was carried out last year.

'Last year I worked with Wicklow County Council and the National Monuments Service to have emergency work carried out to Oldcourt Castle in Bray. This work was unfortunately necessary due to a number of acts of vandalism on the castle,' said Deputy John Brady.

'Regrettably, the castle has been vandalised again, the emergency work has all been undone and further sections of the original walls have also been destroyed.'

The TD said that a number of individuals have been seen tampering with the castle and removing section of the walls. 'I have passed all this information onto the gardai,' he said.

Damaging a recorded monument is a specific offence under the National Monuments Acts and is subject to severe penalties on conviction.

'The Monuments Service have told me that they are available to assist An Garda Siochana in the event that sufficient evidence is secured to support a prosecution of the offenders who are causing the damage.

'I urge the Gardai to take immediate action on this vandalism and ensure that those destroying our heritage are held to account.'

Deputy Brady said that he has a number of concerns about the building. 'The structural integrity of the castle has been repeatedly undermined.

'If these mindless acts of vandalism continue, I fear for the future of the castle which has stood for 600 years.

'There is also a concern for public safety as children have been seen on top of the castle having accessed entry through the damaged walls.'

Cllr Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien has similar fears.

'I would much rather have people experiencing the thrill of appreciating the stories and monuments of our heritage and history than the thrill of actively destroying a structure with no consideration for the risk or consequence of their actions,' he said.

Deputy Brady has been in contact with the National Monuments Service and Wicklow County Council again, with a view of getting the castle immediately secured.

'I also think that there needs to be a broader conversation about what can be done to ensure the castle is permanently secured and that the people of Bray can go and have a look at this fantastic piece of our heritage,' he said.

'The castle is on private property. Providing public access to the castle will provide a level of passive surveillance that will help protect the castle. It will also give people a greater appreciation of the heritage we have on our own doorstep.'

Anyone who sees suspicious activity or vandalism around Oldcourt Castle can contact Bray Garda Station on 01 6665300.
Here's a selection of Business Standard pieces for the day

Over the past decade, has gained increasing recognition as the stellar economic performer in South Asia. With a per capita income that is now higher than Indias, superior economic growth rates, less inequality and in some instances better social indicators, has reason to celebrate its golden jubilee as an independent nation, writes TN Ninan

Pakistan, Bangladeshis and terrorism are missing from the Modi-Shah election campaign.

They seem to have understood the risks of cynical mixing of domestic political motivations with strategic national interests, writes Shekhar Gupta

With the massive dilution or total absence of consumption-led growth, we are in for a prolonged or even permanent period of less than 7 per cent growth, writes TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan
Ships began diverting around Africa to avoid the blocked Suez Canal yesterday, a much longer route that exposes them to an increased risk of piracy near the Horn of Africa.

The 400 metre-long container ship Ever Given was wedged across the canal for a fourth day yesterday, as rescue teams with tugboats, earthmovers and a specialised dredger worked to free the vessel.

Another attempt to refloat Ever Given yesterday was not successful, the vessels manager, Singapore-based Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, said in a statement.

The stakes are high. Ever Given is blocking a waterway through which 12pc of global shipping and 30pc of all container shipping ordinarily passes, with the value of goods stuck in the intercontinental traffic jam estimated to be rising by about $10bn a day.

After a rescue team hired to refloat a ship blocking the crucial shipping chokepoint said on Thursday the operation could take weeks, some ships have rerouted to avoid the canal.

At least seven liquid natural gas vessels have diverted away from the Suez Canal.

Global shipping companies are worried about the risk of piracy, with the US Navys Fifth Fleet telling the Financial Times that concerned shipowners had enquired about maritime security in the region.

The queue waiting at either end of the canal increased to over 300 ocean-going carriers yesterday, according to Bloomberg, carrying cargo valued at tens of billions of euro that includes oil, consumer goods and even live animals.

The Ever Given alone may be holding nearly $1bn of goods, according to IHS Markit Ltd.

For many of those ships, detouring will not be a viable option.

The owner of Seabay International Freight Forwarding Ltd, a company that has 20 to 30 containers on ships waiting to cross the canal, cited the risks of unfamiliar routes, limited supply to the crew and an extended shipment time.

What if the canal got cleared in eight to 10 days? You lose even more time, Mark Ma told Bloomberg.

If it cant be resumed in a week, it will be horrible, said Mr Ma. We will see freight fares spike again. The products are delayed, containers cant return to China and we cant deliver more goods.

The Ever Givens owner said efforts to remove sediment from around the bow of the vessel were ongoing.

But the vessel is unlikely to be freed until Wednesday at the earliest, according to some who are following the rescue efforts.

The blockage will likely have ripple effects that will ultimately cost consumers, including higher oil prices, experts say. Industries more reliant on just-in-time supply chain models, including the automotive industry, will likely be worst affected.

The sheer volume of cargo passing through the canal  approximately $400m worth of cargo per hour  will have impacts beyond just the ships that are not able to pass through the canal, said Tony Pelli, a global supply chain expert at the British Standards Institution.

Sal Mercogliano, an associate professor of history at Campbell University, said the blockage has pinched the jugular vein of trade between Asia and Europe.

The patient hasnt had a heart attack yet but hes about to if this goes on, he added, referring to the global economic impact of an extended closure of the canal. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2021)







Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
The fight over voting rights is surfacing as one of the defining conflicts of the Biden tenure. Georgia fired the opening shot with a series of new restrictions highlighting the legal, political, and financial clashes that will shape whether Republicans retake the White House and Congress. On Friday, President Joe Biden touted Georgia's new law as an "attack on the Constitution" and stated that the Justice Department is looking into Republican voting efforts in the state without expounding on details.

Georgia's New Law on Voting Rights

Voting rights advocates indicate Georgia's new law limiting voting access and plans in other Republican-controlled states to implement restrictions of their own highlights the need for federal legislation to set a national foundation for voting measures. In a statement issued this afternoon on Georgia's voting law, Biden repeated his call for Congress to enact voting rights legislation. He stated, "This is Jim Crow in the 21st Century. It must end," reported CNN.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp swiftly signed an extensive rewrite of Georgia's election guidelines into law on Thursday. It imposed limiting drop boxes, voter ID requirements, and allowing state takeovers of local elections after 2020's close presidential race. Kemp finalized the bill just more than an hour after it cleared the General Assembly. This left no doubt regarding its fate amid public pressure against voting limitations, reported Tampa Bay Times.

On Friday, Kemp underscored the president's criticism. According to Kemp, "This bill expands voting access, streamlines vote-counting procedures, and ensures election integrity." He added there is nothing "Jim Crow" regarding requiring a state-issued ID or photo to vote by absentee ballot since every Georgian voter should already do such when voting in-person, reported WALB News 10.

Kemp continued that President Biden, the national media, and the left are bent on destroying the ballot box's security and sanctity. He added his role as secretary of state denotes that he will consistently lead the fight to shield Georgian elections against power-hungry, partisan activists. Meanwhile, as governor, he would not back down from keeping Georgia elections accessible, secure, and fair.

Asian Americans Rally Against Racism After Atlanta Spa Shootings

The new law will significantly roll back access to the ballot box in the United States' most hotly contested battleground state. The new law was passed by both chambers of the state legislature and is designated specifically to address the controversies that engulfed the Peach State after last year's election when Biden narrowly beat former President Donald Trump, and two new Democratic senators were elected from Georgia, overturning the balance of power in the chamber.

Georgia has been at the center of such a problematic election. The former president zeroed in on his loss in the state.

Civil rights groups challenged the new law in federal court. They were backed by prominent Democratic voting rights attorneys. Several Black leaders described the legal skirmishes to come as existential combat for representation, indicating the law apparently targets black and brown voters.

According to Stacey Abrams, the founder of Fair Fight Action and a former Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Georgia, Georgia's Republicans exhibited they were intent on reviving Georgia's unfavorable past of racist voting guidelines. She added that now, Americans should demand federal action to shield their voting rights.

Atlanta Shootings: Video Shows Suspect Parking in Front of Spa

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The widow of the Ekiti State Surveyor-General, who was abducted last Saturday, has regained her freedom, five days after she was seized at her residence and taken to an unknown destination.

Funmilola Osalusi was abducted in her house, located behind Immigration Service, along Federal Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti, on Saturday night, barely a year after her husbands death.

Sunday Abutu, the spokesperson of the Police Command in the state, confirmed the widows release to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Friday.

The police Spokesperson, while confirming her release, said the woman was released on Thursday night and had since been reunited with her family.

He said the release was secured by the combined efforts of the Police, Amotekun corps, local hunters and a vigilante group, in Ado Ekiti, who trailed the abductors to their hideout.

I can confirm to you that the abductee, Mrs Funmilola Osalusi has been released by her abductors.

The police and other security outfits, upon hearing that the woman had been held hostage, started combing the suspected surrounding forests day and night. Our detectives worked 24 hours inside the forests.

We are happy that we got a fruitful result and the woman has been released unhurt and without any ransom paid, Mr Abutu said.

(NAN)
Mary Portas has issued a plea to the Government to lift family-run stores with a 'Shop Out to Help Out' scheme as lockdown is lifted, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Government's former high street tsar has joined fashion and beauty entrepreneurs Henry Holland and Charlotte Tilbury, throwing her weight behind the scheme as town centre shops prepare to reopen on April 12.

The proposal echoes Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Eat Out to Help Out scheme last August, which attracted customers to cafes and restaurants with subsidised meals.

Plea: The Government's former high street tsar Mary Portas backs high streets

Supporters of the latest proposal for small shops want a very similar deal, with the State covering 50 per cent of the cost of goods bought at independent non-essential retailers, capped at 10.

It would also run for a month in the summer, with discounts available from Monday to Wednesday, as with Eat Out to Help Out. But it would be limited to independent firms with fewer than ten staff, selling in physical stores.

The Government would reimburse retailers with customers able to get one discount per transaction. Sources said the Treasury and MPs were 'receptive' to the proposal.

It is estimated that the initiative could cost roughly the same as Eat Out to Help Out. Revenue & Customs figures show that 50,000 restaurants and food outlets claimed 849million in total last August.

The request comes at a time when high streets are on their knees after months of closures and a decade of decline. Portas said: 'Covid-19 has chipped away at the brilliant diversity of our high streets.'

She welcomed the Chancellor's extension of the business rates holiday to the end of June, with a discount on bills until April 2022.

But she said: 'We need to act now to harness the support, need and love that people have for our high streets.

'These businesses, in the pandemic, have held our communities together. A scheme like this will bring a vital lease of life back to places that mean so much to us.'

Portas led a review of high streets for David Cameron's government in 2011 to address rising vacancies and dwindling footfall, a situation made worse by a rise in online sales since the pandemic began.

Tilbury, the founder of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, said: 'Independent retailers need our support to continue sharing their unique magic.'

Holland, founder of the House of Holland fashion brand, said: 'Independent retailers bring our high streets to life with boundless creativity, unique points of view and a bottomless pit of ideas that you simply cannot get anywhere else.'

The idea is part of a wider campaign to support small firms  from shops to salons  dubbed Save The Street. It is orchestrated by pop-up shop specialist Appear Here.

Boost: The idea is part of a wider campaign to support small firms  from shops to salons  dubbed Save The Street

Appear Here boss Ross Bailey said: 'What's the point of opening up if there's nothing to open up for? The Government seems to think of high streets as Woolworths, Arcadia  big mass retail they think is sadly dead anyway.

'We've seen a rise in brands launching online on places like Instagram and then still wanting to do something physical because they can't get discovered without it. This is about making it possible for those businesses to survive that would have survived had Covid not been with us.'

He added: 'The tech industry has had huge support but most people in the tech sector are of a similar background. Whereas, if you look at our streets, it's every creed, every race, every type of person.'

Bailey said a long-mooted sales tax on online retailers could be used to subsidise high street shops.

But last week Sunak delayed a decision on any levy until autumn. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that this decision came after Nick Beighton, head of Asos, and Roger Burnley, outgoing boss of Asda, lobbied against the tax through the Retail Sector Council.

The council's chairman, Richard Pennycook, who is also chairman of Howdens Joinery, said in a letter to Treasury Minister Jesse Norman in January that it would be 'perverse' for retailers to back a tax on online sales as it would 'tilt the playing field the other way'.

He said corporation tax and VAT should be used to target firms equally.

Campaigners say the Treasury could pay for the small shops scheme from the 1.8billion in business rates relief returned by large retailers able to stay open during the pandemic.
Rajasthan Chief Minister on Saturday demanded the central government to immediately withdraw its electoral bonds scheme, saying the arrangement will promote black money.

He said despite objections from the Election Commission, Reserve Bank of India and opposition parties, the Modi government brought in electoral bonds to "whiten black money".

RBI (Governor) had clearly stated that electoral bonds can lead to money laundering. In 2017-18, BJP got 95 per cent share of the electoral bonds.

EC filed an affidavit in the SC in 2019 stating that the electoral bonds would end the transparency of donations received by political parties. The EC has softened its stance now, Gehlot said in a series of tweets.

Modi government should immediately withdraw the electoral bonds which are promoting black money. Simply withdrawing it will not serve the purpose. SC should take the petition regarding electoral bonds to its logical conclusion to ensure transparency in the political funding, he said.

The CM said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to curb the issue of black money.

He could neither bring back the black money from abroad nor demonetisation could tackle the problem, he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Truth Behind Californias Clean Energy | Jim Phelps

California legislators are proposing to use 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045.

My guest is Jim Phelps. He is an energy consultant, power contractor, and designer with over 35 years of experience.

He discusses the challenges within renewable energy and what it will take to achieve 100 percent clean energy.

California Insider is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube, Rumble, Youmaker, and The Epoch Times website. It also airs on cable on NTD America. Find out where you can watch us on TV.
The Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH) said it has signed an agreement with WorkSmart for Events Management to organise the second edition of Virtual Bahrain International Conference and Exhibition 2021 from June 1 to 3.

More than 2,000 participants - from professionals, experts to leaders from various sectors in Bahrain, the region, and the world - are expected to attend the conference.

This year, the event will carry the slogan "New Growth Opportunity through Innovation. Over the course of three days, it will tackle interesting topics such as the e-government of Tomorrow, the new e-commerce growth model, transformation in healthcare delivery, digital protection in a modern world, re-imagining the education sector in the digital age, enriching experiences through digital solutions and oil and gas innovations.

BTECH Chairman Ubaidly Ubaidly said the cooperation with WorkSmart in organizing the conference follows the unprecedented success achieved by the event on its first edition held last year.

As a result of good feedback and recommendations received, it was decided to scale up the initiative and boost international participation for this year, he stated.

"Virtual Bahrain 2021 opens new horizons for innovation and offers new opportunities to both private and public sectors. It is a platform to strengthen business relations and build connections without the need to travel," noted Ubaidly.

"Virtual Bahrain initiative will bridge the digital divide and address some of the existing challenges and opportunities in the market," he added.

Worksmart CEO Ahmed Al Hujairy said: "Virtual Bahrain concept was developed as an aim to contribute to the economic growth of the kingdom and to solidify and expand partnerships between the private and public sectors."

"The exhibition held alongside the conference plays a vital role to access the booming tech markets of the region, and the world. It will also build partnerships and create opportunities for high- value business deals. It will also showcase initiatives from around the globe that provide tangible solutions to some biggest challenges we are currently facing," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 27.03.2021 - Yesterday marked the final sitting of the 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Switzerland is pleased that agreed conclusions were adopted, and reiterates its commitment to further advancing gender equality and women's rights.

During the general debate, Federal Councillor Alain Berset expressed his concern about the number of women at risk of being driven into extreme poverty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN estimates that 47 million women worldwide are affected. "This crisis threatens to undo the progress made in gender equality in recent decades," he stated. "Stemming this backward trend will require a determined commitment from the international community."

Negotiating this year's agreed conclusions proved to be particularly challenging. Opinions diverged widely, particularly on such issues as sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, human rights, family structures and sexual education. This makes the adoption of agreed conclusions by the UN member states even more of an achievement.

Women's rights policy at global level is currently experiencing several opposing trends. At one end of the spectrum is a global movement driven by civil society and youth organisations working for gender equality and women's rights, the Generation Equality Forum. It is being co-sponsored by UN Women and a large number of states, and will be hosted by Mexico in late March 2021 and France in July 2021. Switzerland is also taking part in both events.

At the other end, states with a critical stance on gender equality and women's rights are hardening their positions and often systematically blocking progress. Switzerland regrets Turkey's decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention), announced during the CSW. Switzerland played an active role in drafting the Convention, which it has ratified and attaches great importance to.

Switzerland's pragmatic approach as a bridge builder will continue to play an important role in this area. Switzerland remains strongly committed to combating gender-based violence and to promoting women's economic empowerment, particularly equal pay. It will also continue to strive for full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the public sphere and in decision-making processes. To this end, the empowerment of women in peace and security policy is one of the priorities set out in Switzerland's Foreign Policy Strategy 202023.

Switzerland made a key contribution to this year's CSW in the form of the Women's Human Rights App (W'sHR), which was revamped and relaunched in the run-up to the session. The current edition of the app gives negotiators quick access to key legal texts and basic documents covering various areas relating to women's rights and gender equality. "The innovative app is an important contribution for the efficient functioning of the UN, so adds indirectly to its reform efforts. This is also one of Switzerland's foreign policy goals", explained FDFA Secretary General Markus Seiler.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html



General Secretariat FDHA

http://www.edi.admin.ch




New Delhi:

Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid in Machil sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district by gunning down two terrorists on Saturday. As per the latest reports, a huge stash of arms has been recovered and the search operation is currently underway in the region. Identities of the neutralized terrorists have not been ascertained as of now.

Two terrorists have been killed. Alert troops of the Army foiled the infiltration bid. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered from the slain terrorists, Defence Ministry sources were quoted as saying by IANS.

The infiltration bid comes in the midst of a series of ceasefire violation cases by Pakistan Army. Earlier on Saturday, the Pakistani security forces had violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Arnia Sector. The firing and heavy shelling by the Pakistani troops started at midnight and continued till 6:45 a.m. No casualty has been reported as of yet.

(With Inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with senior Iranian officials in Tehran and signed a strategic deal between the two countries, Iran's state TV reported.

The official visit to Iran by Wang Yi, who arrived on Friday, also marks the 50th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The 25-year cooperation program also known as Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed on Saturday, has been hammered out since Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2016.

Wang Yi met Ali Larijani, former Iranian parliament speaker, has been appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pursue the deal.

The strategic agreement acts as a roadmap that oversees Iran-China's multilayered and deep relations for the next 25 years encompassing a wide range of economic, trade, transportation, cultural, security and defense areas, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani later Saturday.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
DHAKA, Bangladesh  At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured in protests against a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to Bangladesh as part of celebrations for the countrys 50th anniversary.

Clashes between protesters and security forces began Friday after weekly prayers in three cities  Dhaka, the capital; Brahammanbaria, near the Indian border; and the coastal city of Chattogram.

An Islamist group called Hefazat-e-Islam led street processions denouncing Mr. Modi. On Friday, four people were killed in Chattogram and one was killed in Brahammanbaria. In Dhaka, where hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Baitul Mokarram mosque, clashes began after one group of protesters began waving their shoes in a sign of contempt for Mr. Modi, according to local television news reports.

One channel reported that at least 40 people had been injured in the clashes, including some journalists.
He set pulses racing with his bottom-baring romp in The Night Manager. Now, Tom Hiddleston is back to answer womens prayers as a hot Victorian vicar.

As our exclusive picture shows, the 40-year-old appears to have taken inspiration from Aidan Turners Poldark when it comes to the look of his new character, community leader Will Ransome, in the TV adaptation of Sarah Perrys novel The Essex Serpent.

The Avengers star is appearing alongside Hollywood actress Claire Danes, who plays Cora Seaborne, a widow who moves to the Essex village of Aldwinter in search of a mythical sea creature.

He set pulses racing with his bottom-baring romp in The Night Manager. Now, Tom Hiddleston is back to answer womens prayers as a hot Victorian vicar

Homeland star Claire Danes, 41, who replaced Keira Knightley in the role when the British actress had to withdraw for family reasons, was also dressed in Victorian-era costume as she watched her dashing co-star in action on the Essex salt marshes

In the six-part series being filmed for Apple TV+, Cora  released from an abusive marriage  develops an intense relationship with Ransome.

Homeland star Danes, 41, who replaced Keira Knightley in the role when the British actress had to withdraw for family reasons, was also dressed in Victorian-era costume as she watched her dashing co-star in action on the Essex salt marshes.

The Old Etonian won rave reviews for his performance as a hotel worker recruited to spy on a ruthless arms dealer in the BBCs Night Manager in 2016, not least for his steamy sex session with Elizabeth Debicki.

The release date for The Essex Serpent, directed by Clio Barnard, is likely to be next year.
New Delhi:

The postmortem report of Pradyuman Thakur, the seven-year-old boy, who was found with his throat slit in a school washroom last Friday, revealed that shock and hemorrhage were the causes of his death, according to ANI.



The report also added that external injury caused by single-edged sharp weapon and its consequences were enough to cause death in a normal case of nature.

Meanwhile, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Pratap Singh on Saturday said he hopes to reopen school from Monday and take over management of Ryan International (Bhondsi).

No innocent must be framed. He can't do anything like that. I believe CBI will probe impartially: Wife of accused in #Pradyuman murder case pic.twitter.com/gWxyz1OOmm  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2017

#Ryan International Group's northern zone head Francis Thomas to be produced in Special Court on Monday, September 18. #Pradyuman  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2017

Days after seven-year-old students murder in Ryan school, Gurugram, the Haryana government on Friday decided to amend rules and regulations regarding students safety in schools. This was informed by state Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma at a press conference in Chandigarh.

The body of a class second student was found inside the toilet of Ryan International School at Bhondsi, Gurgaon on September 8. The 7-year-old was found dead with his throat slit inside the toilet.

The student had come to school around 8.15 AM on Friday morning. After about half-an-hour, at around 8.45 AM the school authorities called his father and informed him about the fatal incident.

Deputy commissioner of police (south Gurgaon) Ashok Kumar Bakshi said they received a call from the school authorities at around 8 AM.

The victim struggled and crawled outside the toilet when a fellow student noticed him in a pool of blood, said Bakshi. He was rushed to a private hospital in Gurgaon where he was declared dead.

Earlier last month, a 10-year-old boy had died, allegedly after falling down at G D Goenka Public School in Indirapuram. Arman Sehgal, a student of class IV was dropped by his father to school and received a call as soon as he reached home.

Also Read: Ryan murder: Haryana police hands over 8-page questionnaire to Pintos

They said my son had fallen down and was being taken to Shanti Gopal Hospital, his mother, Swati Sehgal, said. Arman, who received head injuries, was declared dead at the hospital, police said. An FIR against the school principal and the management had been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the boys father, Gulshan Sehgal.

Deputy commissioner of police Simardeep Singh, who is officiating as the Gurgaon commissioner of police, reached the school and a forensic team also scanned the crime scene. Singh said he would comment only after all the facts have been verified.

Classmates of the boy told the police he used to go to the toilet every day after reaching the school. The police said preliminary investigations suggested the accused knew about the habit. They also claimed a knife was found near the body.

The police have filed a murder case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code at Bhondsi police station and started an investigation. The body has been sent for a postmortem examination.

Also Read: Ryan murder: Haryana govt to amend law on students' safety

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The minister conducted a review meeting on Covid-19 through a video conference with collectors, vice-chancellors, district education officials, RJDs and other officials. (Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for education Adimulapu Suresh on Saturday ordered the closure of educational institutions where Corona cases have been increasing abnormally. He cautioned about a possible second wave and instructed authorities to take all precautionary measures to ensure safety of students.

However, he stated that written and practical exams would be held as per schedule.

The minister conducted a review meeting on Covid-19 through a video conference with collectors, vice-chancellors, district education officials, RJDs and other officials. He called for forming special monitoring cells in all mandals and districts to monitor the situation in all educational institutions.

Suresh explained about how 168 students were infected in an educational institution in Rajahmundry. He announced that corona tests for students would be increased and stern action would be initiated against educational institutions which neglect conduct of the test.

The minister said education was badly disturbed last year but now the government has initiated measures like online, offline and live streaming sessions.

He said that the next two months would be crucial and urged educational institutions to take measures to contain the spread of the virus. He suggested that Jagananna Gorumudda benefits should be delivered individually to the students in order to avoid mass gatherings. He directed district collectors and joint collectors to ensure thermal screening in every educational institution in coordination with officials from the medical and health department.

Suresh said that half-day schools would start on April 1. He said that the biometric system has been updated for the half-day schools and directed the officials to use biometric attendance without fail.

State director of school education Vadrevu China Veerabhadrudu, Intermediate Board Education Commissioner V. Ramakrishna, higher education special chief secretary Satish Chandra and other officials participated in the review meeting.
BUENOS AIRES  Argentina is delaying the administration of the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines for three months in an effort to ensure that as many people as possible get at least one dose amid a sluggish vaccination drive.

The move seeks to vaccinate the largest number of people possible with the first dose to maximize the benefits of vaccination and diminish the impact of hospitalizations and mortality, the government said in announcing the decision on Friday.

The country has been applying Russias Sputnik V, Chinas Sinopharm and Covishield, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Since its vaccination campaign began in December, Argentina, a country of 45 million people, says it has administered a total of 3.5 million doses of the vaccine, which includes more than half a million people who have received the two doses called for in the protocols for all three vaccines.
An art gallery on the campus of the Australian National University has removed three satirical artworks from an exhibition, including one that took aim at the persecution of Uighur Muslims, after complaints from Chinese international students.

Artist Luke Cornish says he experienced a torrent of abuse from Chinese students on social media after his exhibition of street art opened at the aMBUSH gallery on the ANU campus earlier this month.

Winnie the Pooh, representing President Xi Jinping, strangles Tigger  a rhyme for Uighur. Winnie the Pooh is banned in China after being widely used to mock Xi. Credit:

Ive copped a lot of online abuse calling me racist. It was definitely like a targeted attack because it all happened in about an hour. I was just smashed on social media. There was so much of it, Cornish said. I understand the gallery is protecting its reputation. But at the same time we shouldnt be bullied into censoring work about genocide.

Cornish said he agreed to take down one artwork of a 10 Chinese Yuan currency note featuring Mao Zedongs face over which he had painted a batman mask. The artwork was captioned: A shout out to the man that ate the bat in a Wuhan wet market that stopped the f---ing world (which probably didnt happen).
Lisa Stevens was on the phone with her father, James William Geno, when the tornado that took his life hit his Ohatchee mobile home.

Geno, 71, would have turned 72 Saturday, if not for the EF-2 tornado that tore through the Ohatchee and Wellington communities in northwest Calhoun County. Geno was one of five who died in the midafternoon storms, including Ohatchee residents Willie Harris Sr., his wife, Barbara, and daughter Ebonique, and Emily Wilborn, of Wellington.

Stevens wrote in a message Friday that her mother had died on Christmas Eve, and her father had been lonely in recent months. She and her husband, Bruce, had been caring for him every day since.

My dad was an amazing man, Stevens wrote. He will truly be missed.

Here is full coverage of the storms

Genos granddaughter, Tori Corwin, described him as warmhearted and carefree, saying her family loved his cooking, stories from his bull-riding days and about his travels.

Our family is sad to say that though hes gone, we want to wish him a happy birthday and hell be dearly missed, she wrote.

He is survived by his dog, Oreo, she said. She said Geno is back with her Nana.

He lived a long happy life filled with lots of love and happiness, she wrote.

Stevens thanked the town of Ohatchee, the community and the firefighters and police who risked their lives to help save people.

I hope everyone affected directly and indirectly can find some closure and begin to thank god for the touching of his hands to heal these families and to help them rebuild their homes, she wrote.

Contact Staff Writer Mia Kortright at 256-235-3563 or akortrig@gmail.com.

___

(c)2021 The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.)

Visit The Anniston Star (Anniston, Ala.) at www.annistonstar.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Optimism over the ability of rescue crews to free the Ever Given from the Suez Canal waned on Friday as attempts to dislodge the 400-meter, 220,000-tonne vessel from the 120-mile channel connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean failed to bear fruit. The Suez Canal, through which some 15 percent of the worlds total shipping passes, has been blocked since the Ever Given ran aground on Tuesday, disrupting global supply chains and placing extra pressure on importers and exporters already struggling to meet increased demand due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The United States Navy is planning to send an assessment team to the canal on Saturday to help efforts to shift the colossal vessel.

Psaki: White House tracking the situation closely

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Egyptian government had accepted the offer of US assistance and that the Biden administration is tracking the situation closely.

Psaki added the White House has forecast some potential impact on energy markets as a result of the blockage.

The Ever Given,which was bound for the Netherlands from Malaysia, became wedged diagonally across a southern section of the canal amid high winds and a sand storm early on Tuesday. Efforts to refloat the giant container ship were suspended late on Friday and will be resumed Saturday, three canal sources said.

The latest attempt to dislodge the tanker, A Golden-class vessel and among the largest container ships in the world, started earlier on Friday after dredging operations to remove 20,000 cubic meters of sand at the tanker's bow. To give an idea of its size, if stood upright from bow to stern the Ever Given would fall just 40m shy of the tip of the Empire State Building.

The Ever Given could be freed by the start of next week if heavier tugboats, dredging and a high tide succeed in dislodging it, a Dutch firm working to free the vessel said. However, Smit Salvage also warned that it could be weeks before the Ever Given is freed from its aquatic shackles.

"Everything will have to work out exactly right"

Full screen This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows tug boats and dredgers attempting to free the MV Ever Given on March 26, 2021, in the Suez Canal. AFP

"We aim to get it done after the weekend, but everything will have to work out exactly right for that," Peter Berdowski, chief executive of Boskalis, told Dutch TV program Nieuwsuur late on Friday.

"The bow is really stuck in the sandy clay, but the stern has not been pushed totally into the clay, which is positive. We can try to use that as leverage to pull it loose," Berdowski said.

"Heavy tugboats, with a combined capacity of 400 tonnes, will arrive this weekend. We hope that a combination of the tugboats, dredging of sand at the bow and a high tide will enable us to get the ship loose at the beginning of next week."

Covid-19 supply routes disrupted

Full screen AHMAD HASSAN (AFP)

Shipping rates for oil product tankers nearly doubled after the ship became stranded, and the blockage has scrambled global supply chains, threatening costly delays for companies already dealing with covid-19 restrictions.

If it drags on, shippers may decide to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding about two weeks to journeys and extra fuel costs.

IKEA, the world's largest furniture seller, and London-based electronics seller Dixons Carphone are among the retailers with goods on the stranded vessel, both companies told Reuters.

Smit Salvage has warned it could take several weeks to dislodge the massive Ever Given. The resulting surge in imports due to the pandemic to Europe and the United States stranded empty containers, drove up cargo rates and caused seaport bottlenecks that are rippling throughout the transportation sector  and threatening to get worse.

"Ships, containers and goods are all in the wrong places," said Douglas Kent, an executive vice at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM).

Lloyd's List estimates that roughly $9.6 billion in containerized goods pass through the Suez Canal each day. Thousands of empty containers are also returned to Asian factories via the canal, experts said.
NORTHAMPTON  After his firm filed a class-action suit against employees of the state-run Holyoke Soldiers Home, attorney Michael Aleo received a slew of calls from families across Massachusetts who also lost loved ones in private nursing facilities ravaged by COVID-19.

Yet, those families will have difficulty building a case.

On April 17, about one month after the U.S. declared a coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation that shields nursing facilities, hospitals and health care workers from liability, citing the emergency law as necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health and convenience.

This would raise the bar for families to prove a higher level of negligence by the facility regarding death from an outbreak, or any type of claim. It also would be hard to gather that information, critics say, particularly during lockdowns that have kept visitors  that is, until December  ombudsmen and routine inspectors out of facilities.

Youd have to prove gross negligence or recklessness, Aleo said. Thats a tough claim, but not insurmountable.

The Soldiers Home case is different. Baker had ordered an investigation of the circumstances that led to dozens of deaths there. The report on the scandal, essentially, might have built that proof, and a parallel criminal prosecution of some employees is underway, adding teeth, Aleo said.

We think that, based on the evidence just in the report Baker commissioned, that it is apparent that [the Soldiers Home case] goes far beyond regular negligence, he added.

And because the employees at that facility worked for the state, lawyers had another option.

It allowed us to pursue this not just under negligence theory, but that of veterans having their constitutional rights violated, Aleo said.

Aleo and his partner, Thomas Lesser of Lesser Newman Aleo & Nasser LLP are representing the estate of veteran resident Joseph Sniadach and the other victims families. Together, they are asking for $176 million in damages on the grounds that their suffering violated their rights under the 14th Amendment.

You could argue that it should be a lot more than that, he said. How do you put a price tag on the lives of these veterans?

Bore brunt of virus

Nursing homes nationwide bore the brunt of the virus. In Massachusetts, 65 percent of deaths are linked to facilities. In the Berkshires, several nursing homes had deadly outbreaks. Residents of nursing homes whose deaths are linked to the virus could represent as many as half of the countys 269 who died as of March 20.

At Soldiers Home, more than 76 elderly residents died and more than 80 were sickened amid what the Baker report said were catastrophic failures in mishandling a COVID outbreak there in April, like a decision to consolidate dementia units that created total pandemonium.

Like embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York state, Baker has been criticized for moving quickly to guard facilities from lawsuits.

Aleo said that, in April, at least a dozen more families will join the class-action suit. And a second, similar, suit against Soldiers Home staff was filed in U.S. District Court in December.

Aleo said he agrees that there should be a high bar for these suits, which, by design, the law discourages. He said he doesnt fault the Legislature or Baker administration for enacting it.

Liability also is inherently limited if a nursing home is run by a nonprofit, he said.

You can still bring a negligence action, but you have to prove gross negligence, Aleo said. Even simple negligence is really difficult to prove.

He said a three-year statute of limitations adds to the challenges.

Ive told over a dozen families that it just depends, he said.

Watchful eyes that went away

Those who advocate for elders and nursing home residents say COVID-19 has removed the only outside oversight of an industry that badly needed it, even pre-pandemic. And with a kind of blanket immunity, something like the mishandling of a urinary tract infection also would be subject to the same protections under the COVID law, said Alison Weingartner, executive director of the Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Thats the mind blower, she said. Its not just for COVID-[related claims]. Its been a year, and were still laboring under these protections that the nursing homes are enjoying, and what it means is, you had all those watchful eyes that went away.

Weingartner said that two-thirds of the states nursing homes were cited for infection-control failures in the past three years of federal inspections.

And now youre saying that they cant be held responsible, and the way they have the law written, [proving gross negligence] would be threading the eye of a needle in a haystack, Weingartner said.

The Baker administrations press office referred questions about this to the initial, April 8 press release about the new protections.

Between the the COVID law and the arbitration agreements that many facility residents are asked to sign  even though they dont have to  a successful legal claim is nearly impossible, she said.

Paula Almgren, a Lenox-based elder law attorney, said that with facilities locked down, already-poor communications with the outside worsened, illustrating how families and others might not learn if anything is amiss.

Many calls [came] to my office saying, My husband just died, and I didnt get a call; I didnt know,  said Almgren, who is also of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, which, in March 2020, asked Baker to open up beds for COVID patients by moving nursing home residents out of facilities.

She praises Baker for stopping it, which is something Cuomo did not, she pointed out.

Almgren attributes poor communications by nursing homes, in part, to low staffing  a common problem.

Its almost like COVID was an excuse to not communicate, she said. The systems to protect people were all waived. I just dont think that COVID should be a reason for not taking care of people.

Industry leaders say facilities were thrown anew by a crisis not of their making, and suggest that the immunity laws are only fair.

We, like nursing facilities across the nation, experienced severe shortages and challenges accessing Covid testing and securing vital personal protection equipment (PPE), Tara Gregorio, president of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, said in an emailed statement. Additionally, government guidance on strategies to prevent and contain the spread of the virus within congregate care settings was constantly evolving and changing.

Gergorio also suggested that facilities are at the mercy of infection in the outside community, the single most significant contributing factor in nursing home outbreaks.

Yet, the kind of negligence protected by COVID immunity law has engaged U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, who asked federal regulators to reinstate a number of COVID waivers, and fortify other checks on the system that were lacking pre-COVID.

On Feb. 25, he wrote Elizabeth Richter, acting administrator at the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees facilities. He said he wanted some Trump administration rollbacks of Obama-era regulations rebooted, and noted how bans on visitors removed one key protection for residents during the pandemic.

While this change was necessary to infection control efforts across nursing homes, it has been detrimental to the health of nursing home residents, isolating them further and eliminating a fundamental mechanism of oversight on the part of families, Neal wrote.
Regulatory News:

Vifor Pharma is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors will propose Asa Riisberg for election to the Board at the Annual General Meeting on 6 May 2021.

Asa Riisberg, a Swedish citizen, was formerly Partner and member of the extended Executive Committee of the private equity firm EQT. She has served on various international boards with current board seats at Atlas Antibodies, Netcompany, F-Secure, Dagens Nyheter, Bonnier News and Bonnier Capital as well as at the Women in Finance Foundation. Asa is also an Advisory Board Member at the Stockholm School of Economics and member of the Investment Committee at Cinder Invest. She holds a M.Sc. in Financial Economics and Business Administration from Stockholm School of Economics.

Jacques Theurillat, Chairman of Vifor Pharma, commented: We are very pleased that Asa Riisberg will bring her expertise to the Board of Directors. Her broad knowledge and experience, particularly in the areas of investment management and operations are extremely valuable for Vifor Pharma. She will ideally complement the Board to assess the companys business development and inorganic growth plans, aiming to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies.

Vifor Pharma Group is a global pharmaceuticals company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardio-renal therapies. The company is a partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient-focused solutions. Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care. Vifor Pharma Group holds a leading position in all its core business activities and consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care). Vifor Pharma Group is headquartered in Switzerland, and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange, VIFN, ISIN: CH0364749348).

For more information, please visit viforpharma.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210325005841/en/
NJPW STRONG REPORT: THE FIELD IS SET FOR NEW JAPAN CUP USA

We begin with Team Filthy in their locker room. Tom says they are not playing around tonight. This is their night. Danny Limelight points out that Tom has already qualified for the New Japan Cup USA while Kratos blew his chance. Tonight is Chris Dickinsons chance to qualify. Danny wants to know why he didnt get a qualifying match.

Tom says the Dirty Daddy is going to get it done. They tells Dickinson he has it tonight.

Kratos tells Limelight to keep talking.

We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Katsuyori Shibata (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English).

Match Number One: Clark Connors versus TJP in a New Japan Cup USA Qualifying Match

Connors with a spear and a suplex for a near fall. Connors with a suplex and a near fall. Connors with a chop and biel. Connors with a running back elbow into the corner followed by a chop and another biel. Connors gets a near fall. Connors with a front face lock.

TJP goes for an octopus but Connors blocks it so TJP gets a near fall with a rollup. TP Goes into the ropes and Connors charges and goes to the floor when TJP moves. TJP with a pescado. They return to the ring and TJP with a slingshot senton for a near fall. TJP works on the legs with a modified Indian Death Lock. TJP gets a series of near falls. TJP with a leg pick and kneeDT for a near fall. TJP works on the ankle.

Connors tries to escape but TJP adds more pressure to the leg to maintain the hold. Connors with a rollup for a near fall. Connors misses a shoulder when TJP floats over. TJP with a drop toe hold and drop kick for a near fall. TJP with an atomic drop to the knee. Connors runs into a back heel kicka nd TJP with a kick. Connors with a power slam and he cannot capitalize due to the damage done to his knee. Connors with chops and kicks in the corner. The referee warns Connors and Connors with more kicks. Connors with a POUNCE for a near fall. TJP with a drop kick to the knee when Connors charges. TJP misses a frog splash when Connors moves.

TJP with a heel hook and Connors gets to the ropes to force a break. Connors with a punch and chop but TJP with a back slide. Connors with a spinebuster and a Boston Crab. TJP gets to the ropes and Connors releases the hold. TJP sets for the detonation kick but Connors escapes. TJP returns to the heel hook. Connors is about to tap out but he is able to counter with a rollup for the three count.

Winner: Clark Connors

After the match, TJP looks like he is going to shake Connors hand but he just walks away.

Match Number Two: Blake Christian versus Chris Dickinson in a New Japan Cup USA Qualifying Match

Dickinson runs into boots from Christian. Dickinson with a judo throw and side head lock. Christian with a rollup for a near fall. Blake with a handstand head scissors and a Tiger Feint Kick. Christian goes up top and is met with a drop kick to the leg as he comes off. Dickinson with a figure four leg lock. Christian gets to the ropes to force a break. Dickinson kicks Christian in the back of the leg. Dickinson works on the ankle and Christian gets to the ropes.

Christian with forearms and Dickinson with a forearm and Christian goes down. Christian is sent into the turnbuckles. Christian wraps the leg in the ropes. Dickinson slaps Christian and Christian fires back with forearms. Dickinson wants more and then Dickinson with one to knock Christian to his knees. They continue the exchange and the same result occurs.

Christian with a back slide for a near fall followed by a knee and wraparound bulldog for a near fall. Dickinson sends Christian to the apron and Christian with a springboard drop kick and flip dive onto Dickinson. They return to the ring and Christian goes for a springboard 450 but he lands on Dickinsons knees. Christian with a jumping knee and he gets a near fall.

Christian with a rana and a handspring round kick for a near fall. Dickinson goes for Splash Mountain but Christian escapes. Dickinson with a power bomb for a near fall. Christian with a guillotine. Dickinson escapes by running Christian into the turnbuckles and then Dickinson with a knee bar. Dickinson works on the knee. Dickinson goes for a Death Valley Driver but Christian lands on his feet. Dickinson with a dragon screw and he tries for a figure four but Christian kicks him away. Dickinson with a half and half suplex.

Christian blocks a power bomb but Dickinson with a piledriver for the three count.

Winner: Chris Dickinson

We go to the Cleaning and Disinfection Break.

Match Number Three: Danny Limelight and Tom Lawlor (with JR Kratos) versus Karl Fredericks and David Finlay

Lawlor and Finlay start things off and Limelight tries to distract Finlay. Lawlor struts before they lock up. Lawlor with a single leg take down and Finlay escapes. Lawlor with a double leg take down and Finlay with a single leg take down. Lawlor with a reversal into a front face lock. Finlay with a side head lock and take down. Lawlor with a head scissors but Finlay escapes. Finlay with an arm bar.

Limelight tags in and so does Fredericks. They lock up and Fredericks with a waist lock take down. Limelight gets to the ropes. They have a Greco Roman Knuckle Lock into a side head lock from Fredericks. Limelight misses a chop but Fredericks does not. Fredericks with an Irish whip and Limelight floats over. Frederick with a short shoulder tackle. Fredericks with a snap mare and he gets a near fall.

Finlay tags in and they hit a double back elbow and Finlay gets a near fall. Finlay with a reverse chin lock. Fredericks tags in and kicks Limelight. Limelight with punches but Fredericks with forearms. Fredericks with an elbow drop for a near fall. Lawlor with a knee to the back as Fredericks hits the ropes. Fredericks with an elbow to Limelight.

Lawlor trips Fredericks and pulls him to the floor. Lawlor goes into the ring and Fredericks follows. Limelight with a drop kick to the knee and a double stomp on the back. Limelight gets a near fall. Limelgiht with a knee and kicks in the corner. Lawlor tags in and he chops Fredericks. Fredericks wants more and he chops Lawlor a few times. Fredericks with kicks and chops followed by a Euroepan uppercut. Lawlor wit a forearm and Fredericks goes down. Lawlor with a suplex for a near fall. Lawlor tries for a cross arm breaker but Fredericks blocks it.

Limelight tags in and he knocks Finlay off the apron and then he snap mares Fredericks and kicks him in the back. Limelight with kicks to the chest. Limelight with a kick to the knee and a DDT for a near fall. Lawlor tags in and he kicks the leg. Lawlor wit a forearm and he tags Limelight back in. Lawlor sends Limelight into Fredericks and then Limelight with a bulldog as Lawlor kicks the knee. Limelight wraps the leg in the ropes and tags Lawlor back in. Lawlor with a kneeDT and a knee bar into a heel hook. Lawlor with an ankle lock.

Finlay tags in and he connects with forearms to Limelight and a flying back elbow. Finlay with a drop kick to Lawlor followed by an elbow to Lawlor and Limelight in the corner. Finlay with a corkscrew back elbow off the turnbuckles for a near fall. Lawlor with elbows and he hits an exploder for a near fall. Lawlor with a rear naked choke but Finaly with elbows. Lawlor blocks a cutter and he returns to the choke. Finlay with a snap mare and uranage back breaker.

Limelight and Fredericks tag in and Limelight with forearms and Fredericks with chops. Fredericks with a boot in the corner. Fredericks with a hesitation drop kick in the corner and he gets a near fall. Fredericks goes for a suplex but Limelight counters with a cutter. Limelight with forearms and kicks to the leg. Fredericks with a spinebuster for a near fall. Fredericks with a front face lock but Lawlor tags in and he knocks Finlay off the apron. Lawlor and Fredericks with forearms and Lawlor with a clothesline. Lawlor with an exploder for a near fall. Limelight sends Finlay to the floor and Limelight with a super kick followed by a German suplex from Lawlor for a near fall.

Lalor goes for the rear naked choke and he tags in Limelight and Fredericks sends Lawlor into the ropes and Limelight falls to the mat. Finlay with a running elbow into the corner followed by a knee and back breaker. Finlay with a flying boot for a near fall. Fredericks kicks Lawlor and Lawlor with a slam to Fredericks. Finlay with a cutter to Lawlor. Limelgiht with a back heel kick and package brainbuster for a near fall. Finlay with a rollup for a near fall. Limelight with a jumping knee and Finlay with an ushigoroshi for the three count.

Winners: Karl Fredericks and David Finlay

David Finlay says that is the first time he has gone against Team Filthy and he is impressed. Karl and I have not tagged too often so this was a new team for us. We did pretty well. Finlay says he wants to meet Tom Lawlor one on one. I have watched him in UFC but now he is in my ring. This is a different world. I want to see you one on one.

The New Japan Cup USA Tournament will start next week.

The First Round matches in the New Japan Cup USA tournament are Clark Connors versus Lio Rush and Brody King versus Chris Dickinson on the left side of the bracket, and Ren Narita versus Tom Lawlor and Hikuleo versus Fred Rosser on the right side of the bracket.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Press Release

Nokia wins Proximus Luxembourg 5G deal to digitize country

Secures nationwide 5G RAN deal; supplies AirScale 5G portfolio including Single RAN

Strengthens partnership with Proximus Group following recent 5G win in Belgium

15 December 2020

Espoo, Finland  Nokia today announced that it has been selected by Proximus Luxembourg in a seven-year deal to supply 5G coverage nationwide. The project will support Proximus Luxembourgs efforts to deliver on the Luxembourg governments strategy of digitizing the country and driving innovation underpinned by 5G networks. Nokia will replace the incumbent radio vendor in the deal with deployment expected to commence next year.

Nokia will supply its AirScale Single RAN (S-RAN) portfolio for both indoor and outdoor coverage, including 5G RAN, AirScale base stations and Nokia AirScale radio access products. Proximus Luxembourg has also been awarded spectrum in the 700Mhz band for ultra-reliable, low-latency communication and the 3.5Ghz band for dense urban coverage. These solutions will enable Proximus Luxembourg to build on its existing network leadership and deliver connectivity and capacity benefits to consumers at ultra-low latencies, as well as reducing complexity and increasing cost efficiencies. Nokia Softwares NetAct network management solution will securely manage Proximus Luxembourgs networks.

Both companies will leverage their keen focus on innovation to accelerate the digitalization of Luxembourg through the development of connectivity, resilient infrastructures and 5G in demand by both consumers and business segments such as financial or manufacturing. The deal consolidates Nokias existing partnership with Proximus Luxembourg and the Proximus Group, following Nokias recent appointment by Proximus Belgium for 5G.

Gerard Hoffmann, CEO of Proximus Luxembourg: Luxembourg is a very dynamic and competitive market that represents many opportunities in the 5G era across a range of verticals. Working together with Nokia we want to encourage consumers and businesses to fully embrace 5G and take advantage of the incredible opportunities it will bring to the country.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: We are delighted and proud to extend our long-standing partnership with Proximus Luxembourg which demonstrates its continued confidence in Nokia and our technology. Nokia was also recently selected by Proximus Belgium for 5G and this deal continues Nokias strategic partnership with the Proximus Group. We look forward to supporting its 5G journey.

Resources:

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 27, 2021 - 14:55 | Arts, Japan, All

Fans of "Attack on Titan," a manga series popular in Japan and abroad that is set to be made into a Hollywood film, can visit a themed museum from Saturday in the hometown of its creator.

Local residents are hoping the manga series can be a boon to tourism for the city of Hita in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The manga series revolves around protagonist Eren and his battle against giant creatures known as Titans that have overrun the world.

The city has been working to draw fans of the manga by creating locations with statues of characters. The newest attraction "Attack on Titan in HITA Museum" showcases items such as creator Hajime Isayama's original drawings.

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Free of charge to enter, the museum also displays works from when the 34-year-old artist was younger.

Earlier this year, publisher Kodansha Ltd. said the series will conclude in April, having run since 2009 in the company's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

"Attack on Titan" has seen its total circulation in print and e-books top 100 million worldwide, according to Kodansha. It has been published and distributed in several languages including English and Spanish.

The manga series has been adapted into a TV anime series in Japan and Kodansha announced in 2018 a Hollywood live-action film is to follow.
Is Ezzatollah Zarghami the next populist to rise from Irans hard-line camp? The recent activities of the former head of the conservative-dominated state broadcaster, who has been in constant verbal clashes with moderate President Hassan Rouhani, certainly raises this question.

Born into a religious family in 1959, Zarghami's father never bought a television. He, however, ended up being a cinephile, binging on movies. In high school, he was a classmate of Hassan Tehrani-Moghaddam, the father of Iran's ballistic missile program who was killed in 2011, and also former Reformist parliamentarian Hamid Reza Katouzian. When the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah, then 20-year-old Zarghami was just starting a civil engineering program at Amirkabir University. Soon, he became one of the students who seized the American Embassy, leading to the cutting of diplomatic relations with the United States.

Zarghami also became involved in cultural activities. He joined the newly formed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a radio anchor during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. For a period of time during the conflict, he led the teams tasked with domestically producing missiles  a first for Iran, which was being showered with missiles fired by Saddam Husseins forces as almost no country was willing to sell it arms. Zarghami left the IRGC with the rank of general. In an interview last year, he stated that his resignation stemmed from his interest and activities in politics.

In 1995, Zarghami was appointed deputy culture minister overseeing cinematic affairs, a position he held for two years. During his tenure, he issued harsh guidelines for artists, while the process for getting script approvals became more difficult. His approach was met with dissatisfaction among cinema activists, leading to then-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani distancing himself from Zarghami. He, however, believes he paved the way for artists, claiming to have had friendships with prominent directors, including Abbas Kiarostami, who passed away in 2016.

In 2004, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Zarghami as head of the state broadcaster. His 10-year tenure as the chairman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) overlapped with three presidencies: Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005), Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013) and Hassan Rouhani (2013-present). Throughout the term of hard-liner Ahmadinejad, whose presidency saw the Iranian economy experience a downturn and which was criticized for mismanagement of both domestic and foreign policy, Zarghami stood firmly behind him, covering the country's situation in a way that was perceived as biased while giving little space to Reformists and moderates. He developed his ties with Ahmadinejad and accompanied him on his 2010 trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to Zarghami, the two repeatedly spoke on the phone when Ahmadinejad was in office  a relationship he has maintained to this day.

What may have contributed to the Zarghami-Ahmadinejad friendship the most were the events of 2009. In the tumultuous presidential election that year, Ahmadinejad was declared the winner while the two Reformist candidates, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, said that the ballot was rigged. Massive protests followed in a number of cities, including Tehran. At the time, many blamed Zarghami for the tensions in the country, given the IRIBs biased coverage of events, which provoked supporters of the Reformist candidates. This approach lasted through Zarghami's tenure and up until this day. Of note, Zarghami did not accept Mousavi's request to address the public in a live broadcast, insisting that it be pre-recorded. Moreover, a number of prominent TV hosts were banned under Zarghami.

After Rouhani's electoral victory in 2013, Zarghami described Ahmadinejad as a "precious treasure for the Islamic Republic" and a "unique figure who swiftly turned into a global figure."

When Rouhani sought to give a televised address to explain the results of the first 100 days of his presidency, the two disagreed over the preferred interviewer, resulting in a one-hour delay in the airing of the address. The state broadcaster had, at the time, also turned against the government, which was engaged in negotiations over Irans nuclear program with six world powers. As Zarghami's tenure as IRIB chairman came to an end in 2014, he grew more active on social media, including Instagram, Telegram and Twitter. Meanwhile, he held breakfast meetings with controversial figures  whether Reformists or hard-liners  in order to portray himself as an inclusive politician.

While reports emerged in 2016 about a potential run in the presidential election the following year, he rejected them. However, he then appeared as a candidate of the conservative coalition known by its Persian acronym JAMNA. Zarghami ultimately lost JAMNAs backing, which went to conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi and former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He was further enraged when Raisi announced that he would be running independent of JAMNA, calling for Raisis exclusion from JAMNA's ticket.

While Zarghami has intensified his activities on social media and has taken relatively soft positions regarding such platforms and social issues, he expresses harsh views in private settings. He recently got into a verbal fight with Rouhani at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, reportedly telling the president: "What was that thing that you said about the hijab, cyberspace and [internet] filtering? Some of your remarks were unrealistic and some others were against Islamic and revolutionary values." Rouhani is said to have replied, "I am not obliged to answer you. Get out [of here]," adding that he would no longer participate in the meeting as long as Zarghami was present.

Rouhani had on Jan. 21 slammed the arrests of women for not strictly observing the hijab, and described the state policy of blocking social media as a "mistake." These positions caused serious disagreements among Iranian elites, rallying hard-liners  and particularly the new generation of conservatives  behind Zarghami on social media. This is while Zarghami had previously stated that if there are "active and strong" local messaging apps, the existence of thousands of foreign versions of such apps would not be a problem. He has also blamed Rouhani for the blocking of Telegram.

While maintaining his presence in the media, Zarghami is seeking to portray himself as a potential leader of a new generation of hard-liners: a bipartisan justice-seeker, a supporter of minority rights, a figure opposed to the dire conditions faced by ordinary Iranians. He often expresses open-minded positions in public, even though his past and current activities indicate a different mindset. However, given the disappointment with both Reformists and conservatives, the possibility of an Ahmadinejad-type populist rising to power is high. Zarghami, who is following in the footsteps of the former conservative president, has the potential to be that populist leader.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 06:16:52|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin (5th R) poses for a group photo during a handover ceremony for Chinese vaccines in Khartoum, Sudan, March 26, 2021. A batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the Chinese government to Sudan, arrived here on Friday. (Xinhua/Ma Yichong)

KHARTOUM, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the Chinese government to Sudan, arrived here on Friday.

The batch was received at the Khartoum International Airport by Chinese Ambassador to Sudan Ma Xinmin, Chairman of Sudan's Higher Committee for Health Emergencies Siddiq Tawer, and Sudan's Health Minister Omer Al-Najeeb.

"Today the Chinese government provides Chinese vaccines to help Sudan fight COVID-19. This action demonstrates deep friendship and close ties between our two peoples and two countries," Ma told reporters at the airport.

For his part, Al-Najeeb commended China's supportive stances to Sudan, saying that China has helped Sudan "not only in the pandemic, but also in building the health services in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities."

Tawer also stressed the importance of the arrival of the Sinopharm vaccines. "This is an extension of an old and fraternal cooperation between us and the People's Republic of China," Tawer said.

China has been helping Sudan in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since its outbreak in the African country last year. China donated batches of medical supplies to Sudan last year, and a Chinese team of medical experts was sent to the country in last June on a two-week mission to support its fight against the pandemic. Enditem
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has instructed the entire cabinet and members of his executive office to take Covid-19 vaccinations.



The directive "to lead by example" was confirmed by his chief of staff Nzioka Waita









As the Government scales up the roll out of the national #COVID19Vaccine program , H.E the President has directed his entire Cabinet & Executive Office to lead by example & get the jab! Received mine this morning under the watchful guidance of the @MOH_Kenya vaccination team. pic.twitter.com/oTV10NU4OV

 Nzioka Waita (@NziokaWaita) March 26, 2021

The East African country is in the midst of a deadly third wave of infections and reported its highest daily number of new infections on Wednesday.The doctors' union on Tuesday said the country had run out of ICU beds as it deals with the surge, with healthcare workers among those admitted at various hospitals.The country has so far confirmed more than 126,000 coronavirus infections and 2,092 deaths.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mumbai: Veteran actor Paresh Rawal on Friday said that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 65-year-old actor, who had recently received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, shared the news in a post on Twitter, requesting those who came in contact with him to also get tested.

Unfortunately, I have tested positive for COVID-19. All those that have come in contact with me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested.  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) March 26, 2021

"Unfortunately, I have tested positive for Covid-19. All those that have come in contact with me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested," he wrote on Twitter.

Rawal had received the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine on March 9. He had posted picture of himself flashing the victory sign at a vaccine centre.

In recent days, several other Bollywood celebrities, including R Madhavan, Aamir Khan, Kartik Aaryan, Manoj Bajpayee and Satish Kaushik, contracted the virus.
Jim Meyer at a glance

Jim Meyer

104 Sea Eagle Drive

AGE: 52

OCCUPATION: Real estate broker, retired Army National Guard officer. Meyer and his wife, Lisa Meyer, co-own MeyerWorks, LLC.

EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts degree in geography from MU, 1991; master's degree in business administration, Webster University, 2010

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: https://jimmeyerward2.com

OTHER RELEVANT BACKGROUND: Served for more than 33 years in the Missouri Army National Guard and the Army Reserve, where he began as a private and retired in 2020 with the rank of colonel; more than nine years of active duty service, including two deployments and three state emergency duty events; firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Boone County Fire Protection District, 1994-98; founding member of Missouri Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One; election poll worker for Boone County, November 2020; co-chair with Lisa Meyer of the 2018 Heart of Missouri United Way Annual Campaign; board member for the Columbia Northwest Rotary Club and the Mid-Missouri Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America; Extra Mile Coach for Love, INC.; past president of the Fairway Meadows Improvement and Betterment Association; member of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce; president of the Columbia Board of REALTORS in 2017 and an active member of its leadership team from 2015 through 2019. The Meyers have two dogs, Sammy and Suzi, and their cat, Boots. They enjoy running, bicycling, swimming, reading, picking up litter and other volunteering.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 19:02:49|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that the violent protest over a crime bill in Bristol, a city in southwestern England, was "disgraceful".

"Last night saw disgraceful attacks against police officers in Bristol. Our officers should not have to face having bricks, bottles and fireworks being thrown at them by a mob intent on violence and causing damage to property," Johnson said on Twitter.

"The police and the city have my full support," he added.

Meanwhile, British Home Secretary Priti Patel also condemned the disorder with "violence being directed towards the police".

"I'm in no doubt the silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority," she said on Twitter.

"Despite repeated warnings to disperse, it's clear these thugs were only intent on causing trouble. I am receiving regular updates and the police have my full support."

Ten people were arrested after the protest over a crime bill turned violent again in Bristol on Friday night. A "minority" of protesters "showed hostility" to officers and arrests were made after some who had sat in front of a police station were cleared, according to the BBC.

Crowds swelled to around 1,000 on Friday night as protesters confronted officers in an angry stand-off before firing fireworks at police horses. Officers were also pelted with eggs, bottles and traffic cones, the Evening Standard newspaper reported.

Supt Mark Runacres, of Avon and Somerset Police, said in a statement: "The majority of people acted peacefully however there was a minority who once again showed hostility to officers."

"Items, including glass bottles and bricks were thrown at officers, fireworks were launched at our mounted section while one of our horses was also covered with paint," Runacres said.

"This violent conduct is not acceptable...Officers repeatedly encouraged people to disperse but once the atmosphere changed and people became physical it was necessary to take action," Runacres said.

Demonstrators clashed with police last Sunday in Bristol during the "Kill the Bill" demonstration against the government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give the police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed to be too noisy or a nuisance, according to Sky News. Those convicted under the bill could face a fine or jail.

Mass gatherings are currently banned under coronavirus legislation. Enditem
When it was revealed that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had not been invited to Prince William and Kate Middletons wedding, it caused a political hoo-ha, particularly because Tory prime minister Sir John Major was among those welcomed to Westminster Abbey.

Now, its been claimed the then PM, David Cameron, was so concerned by the royal snub that Downing Street intervened with Buckingham Palace.

Writing in the newly published volume of his Diaries, Blairs right-hand man, Alastair Campbell, describes the snub as some kind of establishment revenge on the former Labour PMs.

When it was revealed that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had not been invited to Prince William and Kate Middletons wedding, it caused a political hoo-ha

Lots of different theories, he writes in 2011. Charles because of hunting ban, William because TB revealed details of private conversations in his book, Camilla because she doesnt like us.

The day before the wedding, Campbell discussed the snub with No 10s Permanent Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood.

He said it was very much the royals. Cameron went ballistic..worried if people thought it was his decision they would see it as spiteful and petty. Jeremy had called the Palace and asked what was going on, but, once it was out there, they had decided and that was it.

The Palaces official explanation was that Major was invited because he was a member of the Order of the Garter, unlike Blair and Brown.

Writing in the newly published volume of his Diaries, Blairs right-hand man, Alastair Campbell, describes the snub as some kind of establishment revenge on the former Labour PMs. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are seen above at their 2011 wedding
Queensland has recorded a second new case of coronavirus in the community on Saturday, a day after a 26-year-old tradie tested positive - despite having no links to hotel quarantine.

Officials announced on Friday a landscaper from Stafford in the city's north tested positive to the highly contagious UK strain of Covid, sparking exposure alerts for venues including a busy Westfield shopping centre.

The new case announced on Saturday is a close contact of the landscaper from a different household in Strathpine - with contact tracers currently interviewing the man.

Genomic sequencing shows the 26-year-old's case is linked to the strain which infected a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital two weeks ago  but officials have no idea how it jumped between the two, who are not known to have ever met.

Crowds on an escalator at Carindale Shopping Centre in Brisbane - one of the venues in the city listed as potential exposure sites to Covid-19

Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop at Westfield shopping centre, Carindale, Brisbane, is one of the new Covid hotspots from 12 noon to 2.16pm on March 20

Before his positive test the man visited venues across Brisbane over a number of days since last Friday March 19.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday said health officials were 'concerned' about people who were at a busy shopping centre while the 26-year-old was also there.

She repeated urgent calls for anyone who was in any part of Westfield Carindale shopping centre from 12 noon to 2.16pm on Saturday, March 20, to immediately isolate and get tested.

'The next two days are going to be critical for us,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'We would like to rule out every single possibility here. The sooner that everyone [gets tested] the better we will be.'

Authorities have listed 11 exposure sites visited by the landscaper including the shopping centre in Carindale and Bunnings, Aldi and Guzman y Gomez outlets in Stafford.

More will be added to the list later on Saturday as contact tracers speak to his close contact.

The man also went to Mamma's Italian Restaurant, Redcliffe, on March 21 from 12.40pm to 3.10pm for lunch - with those also there considered high risk of exposure.

Anyone who visited those sites must immediately get tested regardless of whether they have symptoms, and isolate until results are received.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has closed aged care centres, hospitals and prisons to visitors in Brisbane following a case of coronavirus outside hotel quarantine (pictured, testing in February)

While at Westfield Carindale the man also visited Fresh Sensations, Harris Scarfe and Robins Kitchen and Go Vita.

KFC's drive-thru at Everton Park has also been added to the list of low-risk venues for anybody there on Monday March 22 for the five minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm.

Queensland Health will soon publish a list of sites visited by the second virus case.

The Queensland Premier repeated that the new case was one of 18 close contacts of the landscaper who are in the process of being tested.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said cafes and restaurants were high risk because of the extended amount of time at the locations - adding the Redcliffe restaurant was of particular concern.

Some other states have quickly imposed restrictions on travel from Queensland (pictured: people arriving in Brisbane from Sydney in December)

'What we have learnt in the last 24 hours is that this gentleman had been at the restaurant for almost three hours,' she said.

The Premier added Saturday's case had been specifically visited by the landscaper.

'We are not seeing large scale community transmission, this is a close contact.'

She also revealed she will write to the Prime Minister to halve the number of international arrivals in Queensland from 1,300 to around 700 as contact tracers try to get ahead of the latest outbreak.

'We are seeing large numbers of positive cases from overseas, everyday we are seeing four or five cases in returned travelers,' she said.

Scott Morrison said on Saturday he is confident in Queensland's 'strong' contact tracing system.

The landscaper while infectious had visited venues across Brisbane including a Bunnings in his own suburb of Stafford (pictured)

The KFC drive-thru at Everton Park, Brisbane has been put on the hotspot list for only 5 minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm on March 22

The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) said she would write to Scott Morrison and ask him to halve the number of international arrivals in Queensland

Some other Australian states have already responded to the discovery of the highly contagious strain in Queensland by reintroducing travel restrictions.

New South Wales has shut its border to anyone who has been to the exposure sites listed by Queensland Health and if already in the state they are required to get tested and self-isolate.

Tasmania has also closed their border to anyone who has been to the listed exposure sites within 14 days of wanting to travel to the state.

Victoria has designated the Brisbane and Moreton regions as an 'orange zone' requiring those wanting to travel to get a permit and a Covid test.

In Western Australia, anyone who has arrived from Queensland since March 20 or who has been to the hotspot locations in the last 14 days must self-isolate and get tested.

Down in New South Wales, travellers who have been to any of the listed exposure venues must get tested and isolate for 14 days.

Kmart in Carindale Westfield, Brisbane, has been added to the list of hotspots as WA imposes new restrictions of immediate quarantine for any traveller exposed during the alert times
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Activists are criticizing city officials for giving little warning before a heavy-handed police operation shut down Echo Park Lake this week, followed by the eviction of those living at a longstanding homeless encampment there.

"For this to happen the way that it did, it was really shocking, and obviously the people who've been displaced are traumatized," said Albert Corado, an organizer with the People's City Council and NOlympics LA.

The CDC recommends not moving homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the city began ramping up its efforts to get people living in tents in Echo Park into shelters this month, offering temporary hotel rooms through Project Roomkey and other options.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Early in the week, rumors were flying that the LAPD would soon conduct a sweep of the park, prompting hundreds of demonstrators to gather outside City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell's office on Wednesday, asking him to let the tent community stay.

Then on Wednesday night, the operation got underway: police squared off with protesters on one side of the lake, while Parks Department workers erected green fencing around the park. By Thursday morning, surrounding streets were closed, and the final dozen or so tent dwellers were given a 10:30 p.m. deadline to clear out their belongings.

O'Farrell said in a statement that the action was necessary to address repairs and maintenance of the park facility, including "electrical, lighting, plumbing, safety locks, restroom damage, irrigation and landscaping."

He also cited safety concerns related to the camp, saying drug use and assaults had contributed to a "dangerous environment."

Residents of the tent community on the north side of Echo Park Lake disagreed.

"This was our shelter. We created a community and a healing space here," said Ayman Ahmed, one of the unofficial spokespeople for a group called #EchoParkRiseUp.

O'Farrell was unavailable for an interview for this story.

PROTESTS AT THE PARK

As the deadline approached Thursday night, protesters and police faced off again on streets near the lake, and many people, including journalists, were detained.

LAPD Statement Regarding Unlawful Assembly Declared at Echo Park. pic.twitter.com/kuMbZsymo4  LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 26, 2021

The final two residents of the encampment, Ahmed and David Busch-Lilly, were arrested Friday morning, cited for loitering, and released.

THE BACKSTORY

Since early 2020, the encampment has sparked debate around city and county leaders' handling of the homelessness crisis.

"Homeless people often face an absolutist view that they're an eyesore, and that they should just go away," said Bishop John Harvey Taylor, who oversees the Episcopal Diocese of L.A. Its headquarters is across the street from the park. "That's an inhumane judgment."

Taylor said city leaders have been navigating competing pressures: some housed neighbors in Echo Park complained about the encampment, while supporters wanted a more hands-off approach, with services offered but not mandated.

Taylor questioned the tactics used to clear the park, particularly the lack of communication with tent residents and neighbors about when the closure would happen. But he praised work by the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and Urban Alchemy, which worked inside the police lines to connect people with shelter.

"I felt that the city generally handled the matter with the appropriate amount of respect and care." Taylor said.

LAHSA said at least 180 people from the park accepted temporary shelter.

Ahmed dismissed the outreach as an insufficient band-aid on the problem.

"My friends who go to a shelter have to move from program to program every 3-6 months. We had stability here (in the park)," he said. "And when COVID ends, that (Project Roomkey) hotel wants to make money -- and everybody will be back out on that street."

Haley Rawson was one of hundreds of protesters who turned up on Wednesday and Thursday to show support for the tent community. She said being confronted by police in helmets pointing foam round launchers brought back painful memories.

"It was a lot of the same police activity and tactics that we saw last summer during the Black Lives Matter protests," Rawson said. "Tons of expensive riot gear and helicopters, police with their fingers on the triggers -- it's terrifying. We were trying to slow them down and bring awareness."

Protesters link arms while forming a line against a scrimmage line of LAPD officers. (Brian Feinzimer for LAist)

Rawson said she's become more politically aware over the past year, phone banking for Nithya Raman's successful city council campaign and supporting progressive groups like K-Town for All and Ground Game LA.

It's a surge of interest in local politics that Albert Corado, who is challenging Mitch O'Farrell in the 2022 election for Council District 13, is counting on. He became politically active after his sister, Mely Corado, was killed by the LAPD at the Silverlake Trader Joe's in 2018.

"The city council has fumbled its COVID-19 strategy, and now with the Echo Park situation, it's clear our elected representatives are shockingly out of touch," Corado said. "Nithya Raman is just the beginning. This has awakened a lot of people."

On Friday, Mayor Eric Garcetti defended the city's performance, saying he felt some of the protesters were ill-informed about how many people were still living at the lake after efforts to get most people into shelter. He also said the large police presence was necessary to prevent demonstrations from impeding those efforts.

"I love the activism," Garcetti said. "But ... to make sure that folks wouldn't surge in and prevent the housing operation that was happening and the ultimate closing to clean up the lake, that's why the police were there.''

This story has been updated to clarify that LAist/KPCC reached out to Mitch O'Farrell on Friday for an interview, and with additional comments from Ayman Ahmed.
Ernest Hoffmeister determined to keep UK sea lanes open in Atlantic and Arctic

His grandfathers served on opposing sides of Battle of the Atlantic during WW2

Ben Hoffmeister, 23, from Oxford, is setting sail for the Mediterranean next week

A Royal Navy officer is setting sail inspired by the wartime exploits of his grandfathers who served on opposing sides in the Second World War.

Sub Lieutenant Ben Hoffmeister, 23, from Oxford, is following in the footsteps of the two men in pursuing a life at sea. He will be aboard new patrol ship HMS Trent as it sets off for the Mediterranean next week.

Hoffmeister's grandfathers fought on both sides in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Ernest Hoffmeister served in the Atlantic and Arctic determined to keep the UK's sea lanes open, while Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister's maternal grandfather Erwin Menzel crewed a U-boat determined to strangle Britain's lifelines.

Sub Lieutenant Ben Hoffmeister's grandfathers, Ernest Hoffmeister (pictured left) and Erwin Menzel (right) fought on both sides of the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War

Hoffmeister (pictured above, in a handout photo issued by the Royal Navy), 23, from Oxford, will be aboard new patrol ship HMS Trent as it sets off for the Mediterranean next week

After completing training as a mechanical engineer, Mr Menzel was assigned to U-963 and sailed on 10 patrols out of bases in Norway and France in the final two years of the war.

This included a failed attempt to attack the Normandy invasion armada in June 1944.

Although a stoker, Mr Menzel manned one of the submarine's anti-aircraft guns and was awarded the coveted Iron Cross for his part in an action against an RAF Liberator bomber - frequently the scourge of U-boats.

The submarine was eventually scuttled off the village of Nazare in Portugal 12 days after VE Day and Mr Menzel was taken prisoner with his shipmates.

A handout photo issued by the Royal Navy of U-963 arriving in Portugal. Mr Menzel was assigned to U-963 and sailed on 10 patrols out of bases in Norway and France in the final two years of the war

A HMT King Sol on the Mersey. Mr Hoffmeister was assigned to the Royal Naval Patrol Service after completing his training as a coder, serving with a converted trawler, HMT King Sol, in the Atlantic and Arctic

'Had we lost, there wouldn't have been a D-Day': Battle of the Atlantic 'fundamental' to the outcome of the Second World War, says historian The Allies' victory in the Battle of the Atlantic was 'fundamental' to the outcome of the Second World War, according to a historian. Speaking on how important the battle was, Jonathan Dimbleby, who wrote Battle of the Atlantic: How the Allies Won the War, told HistoryExtra: 'It was fundamental. 'The Atlantic was the route by which all resources came to Britain, without which the country would have collapsed. 'Had we lost the battle, we wouldnt have had enough weapons  nor the industrial capacity to make weapons  and American troops would not have been able to get across for D-Day. 'In fact, there wouldnt have been a D-Day.' Winston Churchill described the Battle of the Atlantic as 'the dominating factor all through the war', as control of Atlantic shipping routes was central to the British war effort. The naval blockade of Germany started the day after war was declared in September 1939, and did not officially end until VE Day in May 1945, after 35,000 Allied troops had been killed in the battle. It saw the Royal Navy and the RAF, allied with U.S. forces, contend against German U-boats and the Luftwaffe to allow supplies and materials to reach Britain. Fighting reached a peak in the spring of 1943, as the Allies took the upper hand thanks to new technology such as radar and longer-range aircraft. Advertisement

He subsequently emigrated to Britain, where he settled down.

Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister's paternal grandfather Mr Hoffmeister was assigned to the Royal Naval Patrol Service after completing his training as a coder, serving with a converted trawler, HMT King Sol, in the Atlantic and Arctic before transferring to a destroyer based in Ceylon (today Sri Lanka) as the war against Japan reached its climax.

He died when Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister was just 10 - with the future officer too young to have asked the questions he wished he could have about the war.

Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister said: 'One of the few stories I remember him talking about was having to climb up the mainmast during the convoys to chip off ice that had accumulated and risked capsizing the vessel.'

As for grandad Erwin, he was, says Sub Lieutenant Hoffmeister, 'instrumental in raising my interest to join the navy'.

He added: 'By the time he died, when I was 17, I had already decided I was going to join the Royal Navy.'

It is unlikely, given where their vessels served and when, that his grandfathers faced each other in the Atlantic or Arctic, but his parents were nevertheless somewhat nervous when they met for the first time.

'They got on incredibly well when they eventually met,' he says.

'It seemed the shared experience of the Battle of the Atlantic was more important to them than which side of the war they had fought it on.

'That legacy is perhaps the most important aspect to take away from their story.'

And that post-war friendship will be echoed on Trent's deployment when she works side-by-side with the German Navy on Nato duties on Operation Sea Guardian, the alliance's counter-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean.

Lieutenant Commander David Webber, in charge of Trent's marine engineering department, said: 'It's an interesting story from the perspective of how far Europe has come, with Ben now serving in the Royal Navy on a ship that will work alongside the modern Deutsche Marine.

'His family history acutely tracks the human impact of the history of 20th century Europe: World War 2, the division of Europe in the Cold War, reunification and co-operation.'

Mr Menzel, pictured above, manned one of the submarine's anti-aircraft guns and was awarded the coveted Iron Cross for his part in an action against an RAF Liberator bomber
This March 11, 2021, photo provided by Rebecca Stumpf shows Robert Jaquiss, who is blind and experienced problems when he tried to get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination near his home in Missoula, Montana. The confusing maze of websites, phone numbers, emails and paper documents required to sign up for an immunization in the United States is presenting a challenge for people who are visually impaired or hard of hearing. (Rebecca Stumpf via AP)

Unable to see, Carla McQuillan typically uses a program that converts the letters on a screen into audible words when she wants to read something online. The tool wouldn't work when she tried to schedule an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine, however.

"When I clicked, it wouldn't tell me what the date was. I could have tapped on something, but I wouldn't have known what it was," said McQuillan, who operates a Montessori school and serves as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. Her husband, who can see, eventually helped out.

In Alabama, Donte Little helped 20 blind and deaf people who had trouble signing up for vaccinations and getting to a clinic for shots.

"It's been a challenge for anybody. Add deafness or blindness on top of it and it's that much more of one," said Little, who is visually impaired and directs a regional center for the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind.

The confusing maze of websites, phone numbers, emails and paper documents required to sign up for an immunization in the United States is presenting a challenge for people who are visually impaired or hard of hearing. Providers are using multiple different systems that can vary by state and even cities, they say, often forcing the disabled to rely on others to help them get in line.

Federal laws require communications in an understandable format and accommodations to assist people who might face obstacles, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has laid out instructions that include having local health departments provide staff to address accessibility needs and plans.

But the National Federation of the Blind wrote to every U.S. governor last month complaining about hurdles posed by balky sign-up systems and vaccine distribution methods including drive-up clinics, which it said are largely inaccessible to people who can't see. The group has yet to receive a "substantive" response from any state, spokesman Chris Danielsen said.

Separately, the National Association of the Deaf said problems including confusing and complex information, phone systems that can't be used by hard of hearing and a lack of interpreters is making it difficult for people who can't hear to make appointments for immunizations. Chief Executive Howard A. Rosenblum said the group has asked the Biden administration for help.

"The process continues to be very haphazard and confusing for everyone, but particularly for people with disabilities due to the lack of foresight on accessibility," he said in an email.

Such problems could affect millions.

This undated photo shows Alicia Wooten, who works with a COVID-19 team at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and said getting the word out to deaf people about vaccination availability is a problem because so much notification is done by platforms including radio. The confusing maze of websites, phone numbers, emails and paper documents required to sign up for an immunization in the United States is presenting a challenge for people who are visually impaired or hard of hearing. (Alicia Wooten via AP)

The CDC reports that an estimated 12 million Americans over the age of 40 have impaired vision, including 1 million who are blind, and the National Association of the Deaf said a 2011 study found that 48 million Americans are deaf or hard of hearing. The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness estimated in 2008 that about 40,000 U.S. adults were both deaf and blind.

Tara L. Invidiato, a director with the American Association of the DeafBlind, said members trying to sign up for vaccines have faced multiple problems including glitchy websites, inaccessible notifications and the speed required to fill out forms while reading Braille.

"I had to rely on someone who can see and that is unsettling because we the DeafBlind aim for independent living and we know we can do things by ourselves for the most part," she said in an email interview.

Robert Weinstock, who is profoundly deaf, said clunky telephone systems are posing problems for some who can't hear because some appointment hotlines don't have workers who understand how to use video services that allow for communication by sign language. That leads to frustration and calls that end with hang-ups, he said.

"Also, some sites will accept pre-registration online, but conduct the actual scheduling via telephone, leaving voice messages even when the deaf person has explicitly requested contact via text or email. This can be a significant barrier," said Weinstock, director of public relations at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf.

Alicia Wooten, who works with a COVID-19 team at Gallaudet, which is in Washington, D.C., said simply getting the word out to deaf people about vaccination availability is a problem because so much notification is done by platforms including radio.

"This means the Deaf community has a delay in getting information, so that by the time they try to register, vaccines are already reserved. The cycle is then repeated," she said an an email.

But there are cases where the system is working. Weinstock said both he and his wife went to vaccination locations and got shots with relative ease because there were interpreters and people had been trained.

"Every single person I spoke with, from check-in to 'recovery,' whipped out their smartphones and used a notes app to converse with me, or wrote on paper, or otherwise made sure I was fully included," Weinstock, who lives in Maryland, said in an email exchange.

Robert Jaquiss, who is blind, experienced problems firsthand when he tried to get an appointment for a shot in Missoula, Montana. He was eventually able to snag a time with the help of a friend who can see, but Jaquiss said the sign-up system isn't built to accommodate people unable to navigate quickly during the process.

"I can't just zip-zip through," Jaquiss, 67, said in a phone interview. "When they say a site link opens up at 1 p.m., they mean 1 p.m., and if you're not Johnny on the spot the appointments are gone."

Explore further COVID vaccine websites violate disability laws, create inequity for the blind

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
She considered selling her products on Amazons marketplace, but she worried what Amazons fees would mean for her already-thin profit margins. She also liked that Google redirected people to her carefully curated website rather than keeping them inside its own store, as Amazon does.

I could sell on Amazon and not make any real money but have a bigger online presence, Ms. Stang said. It didnt seem like a great idea.

Recently, however, she has experienced one of the drawbacks of being stuck in the middle of the partnership between Google and Shopify. Her shop has been unable to list any products since January because Google suspended her account. It said her shipping costs appeared more expensive on Google than on her Shopify-powered website, even though they were no different.

Shopify told her that it was a Google issue. Googles customer service representatives recommended that she hire a web designer. She continues to manage without Google, but it has tainted her largely positive experience.

This has completely cut me off at the knees, she said. Im a small business, and I dont have hundreds or thousands of dollars to resolve this.

Sellers often complain about Amazons fees, which can account for a quarter of every sale, not including the cost of advertising, and the pressure to spend more to succeed. Merchants on Amazon do not have a direct relationship with their customers, limiting their ability to communicate with them and to generate future business. And because everything is contained within the Amazon world, it is harder to create a unique look and feel that express a brands identity the way companies can on their own websites.
But as more women came forward to tell their stories, as tens of thousands of women around the country rallied in the Marches 4 Justice, as the Prime Minister watched two ministers, Linda Reynolds and Porter, stand aside temporarily and as the government took a hit in the polls (Labor now leads 52-48 on the two-party-preferred vote in Newspoll), finally it seemed to dawn on the Prime Minister and his office this week that they had a problem. And then it emerged that a Coalition staffer had masturbated onto the desk of a female MP. Then Opposition Leader Tony Abbott addresses the crowd during a demonstration against the Labor governments proposed carbon tax in 2011 with anti-Gillard signs in the background. Credit:AP Morrison called a snap press conference on Tuesday to call out the rubbish and crap women faced and spoke to the party room and Coalition MPs soon afterwards. But even this blew up in his face after the Prime Minister made incorrect claims about a journalist at News Corp who had allegedly been harassed in a womens toilet. The shock claim triggered a rebuke from News Corp Australia to the Prime Minister after his assertion the company was dealing with a human resources complaint over the matter.

The government faces two existential questions. Does the Coalition have a problem with women? And can it survive? Judith Brett, one of Australias foremost political historians, says the ditch the witch protests represented a break point in Australian political discourse. Abbotts ditch the witch campaign [appearance] essentially licensed misogyny in the party. Im not a great fan of [Julia] Gillard but the treatment of her was shocking. [John] Howard would never have gone to that protest, that was a turning point for the party, she says. Since Abbott they have been driven by aggression. Marija Taflaga, a politics lecturer at the Australian National University, suggests most Australians at the start of 2021 would have expected an early election and a Coalition victory off the back of Morrisons handling of the pandemic. Thats not the case now.

Their position [the government] has deteriorated. Even if you believe no one cares about this issue, they arent talking about their own agenda. Look at the coverage this week. It should have been about the floods, with the PM as mourner-in-chief, but instead hes spent the week saying sorry to everyone while the opposition watches Rome burn, she says. Loading Former senator Judith Troeth, a hugely respected Liberal who spent 35 years in the Liberal Party machine and then in parliament, hasnt given up on Morrison and the government being able to recover from the slew of recent scandals. It is recoverable, and I would say that for any party in power. What needs to happen is structures, a human resources setup in parliament, so there are independent officers to whom staff can go and report instances of behaviour like this. She is in no doubt that quotas - a proposal the prime minister opened the door wider to this week - are part of the answer.

The ALP overcame this issue by having quotas and their factional arrangements, which make it easier to get individuals into a position where they will be elected. Some in the Liberals have always had a view that women are not up to the rigours of Parliament - the travel, the work, the policy examination and dare I say it, running the country, Troeth says. I think with the Liberal Party all the state divisions need to rethink their preselection processes and if necessary adopt quotas. There is no doubt the presence of women in Parliament has an improving effect on Parliament. Former Liberal senator Judith Troeth hasnt given up on Morrison and the government being able to recover from the slew of recent scandals. Credit: Glen McCurtayne Troeth, unlike Brett, doesnt draw a line from the ditch the witch episode - which she labels a complete lapse in professional and personal taste - and the current scandals, for which there needs to be a more thoroughgoing solution. Brittany Higgins [allegations] should be investigated fully and so should be some of the most recent allegations, the antics in offices, there should certainly be an investigation to bring into light what happened and who did it.

Taflaga says its not so much a case of Liberals having a problem with women but that politics is a gendered workplace both formally and informally. Quotas could help fix the problem. She points out that in the 1990s, Labor introduced quotas despite objections from some men - and even some women - but two decades later the party has 47 per cent of its seats occupied by women in Parliament, compared to 24 per cent in the Liberal Party (down from a peak of 25 per cent under Howard in 1998). The politics of gender-based discrimination - and by extension, quotas - in the Liberal Party is really difficult. Moderates are all for it, just like women running business or being CEOs, but conservatives are troubled because its a threat to the family and it circles back to the merit argument. Some resist admitting the idea that women face problems as a group. Brett says that Brittany Higgins licensed the opposite of ditch the witch: She [Higgins] had already lost her job, she was furious and its like once the dam wall has been breached now all of this stuff has come out. There has been a deluge of things and we dont know where it will stop. While the Coalitions standing has not yet fallen to the nadir of John Majors Conservative British government in the mid-to-late 1990s - which touted a values-based back to basics approach only to be plagued by a series of sex-related scandals - the signs do not augur well.
Salk Professor Thomas Albright has been awarded $1 million and Assistant Professor Edward Stites awarded $500,000 by The Conrad Prebys Foundation as part of its inaugural round of grants. The funding will support Albright's project looking at how our visual sense changes as we age or gain experience at new visual tasks, and Stites' project investigating how specific FDA-approved drugs function against three types of melanoma mutations, which drive approximately 80 percent of melanomas.

In total, The Conrad Prebys Foundation allocated $78 million in grants to fund 121 projects. Salk joins a long list of recipients, which included other prominent San Diego institutions such as Rady Children's Hospital, Sharp HealthCare, KPBS, Scripps Research, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Mingei International Museum, among others.

We are incredibly grateful to The Conrad Prebys Foundation for including Salk in its inaugural grant cycle. Conrad, who was a Salk Trustee, maintains a special legacy at the Institute due to his overwhelming generosity over the years. These new grants will help our scientists reach critical understandings that might have considerable benefits for human health in the future." Professor Rusty Gage, Salk President

Professor Thomas Albright, director of Salk's Vision Center Laboratory and Conrad T. Prebys Chair in Vision Research, will use novel approaches to understand how experience and age affect the brain's abilities--in visual sensation, perception and decision-making--to adapt. His team will investigate how the visual system functions to improve performance on demanding visual tasks and decisions, as well as and how to reverse or mitigate impairments of visual function that are associated with aging.

Assistant Professor Edward Stites, who is a physician-scientist and the Hearst Foundation Developmental Chair, combines mathematical and computational approaches with experimental cancer biology to unravel the relationships between cancer-causing mutations and the response to treatment. Despite personalized cancer medication being within reach, physicians and scientists still aren't able to use specific genomic data to predict which cancer drugs will provide the biggest benefit for an individual patient. In 2019, the Stites lab discovered the mechanism of why some patients with a certain gene mutation benefit from a chemotherapy drug called cetuximab. Now his lab is applying their computational and experimental approach to three common forms of melanoma, each of which is caused by a different mutation within the biological system that causes cancer growth.

According to The Conrad Prebys Foundation, its selection process for the grants came at a unique time in history, and the awarded applicants reflect a balance between focus areas of personal interest to Conrad Prebys--including visual and performing arts, higher education, medical research, healthcare, youth development and animal conservation--and the urgent needs of these communities, which have been upended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The past year has highlighted the imperative behind-the-scenes work that researchers are conducting to ensure we have the insights, treatments and medicine we need to keep communities healthy," says Erin Decker, director of grantmaking at The Conrad Prebys Foundation. "The foundation is honored to have a role in ensuring these meaningful research projects have the resources needed to fuel future solutions in medical care."
Bangladesh has deployed border guards to help maintain order, a senior officer said Saturday after deadly protests by hardline Islamists against a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rocked the Muslim majority nation.

The violence, which began Friday at the main mosque in the capital Dhaka, spread to several key districts in the South Asian nation of 168 million, leaving five people dead and scores injured.

Facebook has been restricted in the country, a company spokesman said after users complained they could not access the site since late Friday afternoon as images and reports of the violence were shared in social media.

A spokesman for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which also acts as a reserve paramilitary force to maintain law and order, said it had deployed troops since Friday night.

"With the instructions of the home ministry and in aid of the civil administration, required number of BGB has been deployed in different districts of the country," Lieutenant Colonel Fayzur Rahman told AFP, without disclosing the numbers involved.

Rahman, who is the operations director of the force, said there had been no reports of violence after their deployment.

"Situation is normal," he said.

The disturbances came as Bangladesh marked 50 years of independence with rights groups calling for an end to growing authoritarianism including forced disappearances and extra-judicial killings.

Police said four bodies of members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a hardline Islamist group, were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town where the group's main leaders are based.

A supporter of the group was also killed in clashes in the eastern border town of Brahmanbaria, another key bastion of Hefazat.

Strike call

A Hefazat spokesman said tens of thousands of supporters of the group demonstrated on Friday to protest against Modi's two-day tour to Bangladesh.

The group has also called nationwide demonstrations for Saturday and a strike on Sunday to protest against the police's actions and firing on "peaceful" protesters.

Hefazat is known for its nationwide network and large-scale protests demanding Bangladesh introduce blasphemy laws.

In 2013 police clashed with tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters in Dhaka, leaving nearly 50 people dead.

Hefazat aside, a diverse range of Bangladeshi groups -- including students, leftists and other Islamist outfits -- have been staging protests against Modi's visit.

They accuse Modi and his Hindu-nationalist government of stoking religious tensions and inciting anti-Muslim violence including in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 when 1,000 people died. Modi was Gujarat's chief minister at the time.

Modi was set to visit two key Hindu temples in rural districts of southern Bangladesh on Saturday.

As protests spread, Facebook users complained they could not access the site.

Post and telecommunications minister Mustafa Jabbar said his ministry was not responsible for the stoppage.

"This is not our decision," he told AFP, adding it was up to the law enforcement agencies to say what actions they had taken.

"We're aware that our services have been restricted in Bangladesh. We're working to understand more and hope to have full access restored as soon as possible," a Facebook spokesperson said.





This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Read what is in the news today:

COVID-19 Updates

-- All of 89 passengers boarding flight VJ458 from Phu Quoc Island to Hanoi on Monday with two COVID-19 patients from Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province have tested negative for the coronavirus, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of Hanoi announced on Saturday morning.

-- Vietnam reported five new imported COVID-19 cases, including two illegal entries, on Friday evening, raising the national caseload to 2,586, with 2,265 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths.

-- An additional 1,775 people in 19 Vietnamese provinces and cities got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number of vaccinated people in Vietnam to 44,000, accounting for nearly 0.5 percent of the population, according to the Ministry of Health.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City CDC has requested arrivals from Le Hong Phong Street in Dang Giang Ward in Ngo Quyen District in Hai Phong City and D35 Street in Quarter 4 at Viet - Sing residential area in An Phu Ward in Thuan An City in Binh Duong Province to self-isolate at home and take COVID-19 test according to regulations.

Society

-- Ho Chi Minh City recorded 2,564 cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease from January until March 14, up 2.5 times from the same period in 2020, the citys CDC said on Friday evening.

-- Four high school students and a college student, who was interning at Phan Dang Luu High School in Phu Vang District in central Thua Thien - Hue Province, have been hospitalized after a mini gas cylinder exploded during a cooking contest on Friday morning.

-- Two traffic police officers in Ho Chi Minh City successfully escorted a woman in labor from neighboring Dong Nai Province to the University Medical Center on Friday morning. Both the mother and newborn are healthy.

Business

-- The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has provided a refinanced loan of up to VND4 trillion (US$174 million) at zero interest for Vietnam Airlines, which is struggling against financial hardship caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

World news

-- Efforts to refloat the giant container ship grounded in the Suez Canal were suspended late on Friday and will be resumed Saturday, three canal sources said, Reuters reported.

-- American childrens book author Beverly Cleary, who responded to a young readers plea for realistic characters by bringing rare insight and humor to the lives of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins and the other children who populated her more than 40 books, has died at age 104, publisher HarperCollins said, Reuters reported.

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A tiny house in the shadow of the New South Wales Blue Mountains is offering travel-starved Australians a chance to sate their hunger for adventure while international borders remain closed.

Willow Tree Bend in Kanimbla Valley, 90km northwest of Sydney CBD, is the perfect weekend escape where residents of the Harbour City can enjoy clean air and spectacular views of the surrounding vineyard.

Perfect for couples, the 155 square metre studio comes complete with a kitchenette, a queen-sized bed and ensuite bathroom, as well as a fire pit, barbecue and full-sized outdoor fridge, perfect for cooking up a storm on romantic nights under the stars.

The remote location means shooting stars can be seen from the raised sun deck on cloudless nights, with the skies electrified by the twinkling Milky Way.

This tiny house in the shadow of the New South Wales Blue Mountains is offering travel-starved Australians a chance to sate their hunger for adventure while international borders remain closed

On cloudless nights shooting stars can be seen from the outdoor terrace which overlooks a nearby vineyard

The kitchenette has everything you need to cook light meals, including a microwave, cookware, cooking utensils, cutlery, dishes and silverware, mini-fridge and even a portable cooker which can be stored in a drawer when not in use to maximise space.

Native wildlife can be spotted around the house, with kangaroos, echidnas, wombats, eagles, cockatoos living in and around the nearby Cox River.

The retreat, which has phone reception, air conditioning and heating but no WiFi, can sleep up to two with prices starting from $199 (AUD) a night through Tiny Away.

While the pandemic continues to put overseas travel on hold, a growing number of Australians are making the most of restrictions by exploring more of their home turf.

The kitchenette has everything you need to cook light meals, including a microwave, cookware, cooking utensils, cutlery, dishes and silverware, mini-fridge and even a portable cooker

The 155 square metre studio comes complete with a kitchenette, a queen-sized bed (pictured) and ensuite bathroom

It is the perfect weekend escape where residents of the Harbour City can enjoy clean air and spectacular views of the surrounding vineyard

Families and retirees have taken the lead, according to Travel Insurance Direct, whose latest sales data from February revealed 63 percent of domestic policies have been for families with long-term itineraries.

A survey by the provider showed 90 percent of travellers are considering taking out travel insurance for domestic trips, reflecting an increased interest in close-to-home adventure while international borders remain closed.

The same survey showed just 12.5 percent are still refusing to book local holidays as they wait for resumption of overseas travel.

A global research study into domestic travel during the pandemic conducted by KPMG found 61 percent of Australians were planning on booking a holiday between January and June 2021, while 72 percent said they would book a holiday between July and December 2021.

The house comes complete with an ensuite bathroom (left), a barbecue and fire pit (right)

Stargazers can watch the night skies electrified by the twinkling Milky Way from the raised sun deck

Native wildlife can be spotted around the house, with kangaroos, echidnas, wombats, eagles, cockatoos living in and around the nearby Cox River

Some of the country's most iconic travel brands have joined the effort to get Aussies exploring at home, with Qantas last month relaunching its popular 'mystery flights' to take passengers to domestic destinations that have suffered as a result of consecutive lockdowns.

The Australian airline is offering customers three mystery flight experiences from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to an undisclosed destination roughly two hours away in an effort to combat border blues.

The experiences, which are available until the end of April, include a day of activities ranging from winemaking and gourmet lunches to snorkelling on tropical islands.

The campaign last ran in the 1990s, when passengers could hop on a last minute flight to any destination with available seats.
We have a tiny bird thats been making a nest in the birdhouse outside our kitchen window and trilling loudly when hes done for two years in a row. I went online and searched for tiny brown bird hoping to get it identified, but I couldnt find any photo of a bird that looked like it. I re
The CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine maker, Adar Poonawalla, has announced the trials for Covovax, a vaccine jointly to be developed by both SII and US-based biotechnology company Novavax, have finally started in India. Adar said the vaccine has been tested against African and UK variants of COVID-19 and has overall efficacy of 89 per cent. Adar also said that he hopes the vaccine could be launched by September 2021.

"Covovax trials finally begin in India; the vaccine is made through a partnership with @Novavax and @SerumInstIndia. It has been tested against African and UK variants of #COVID19 and has overall efficacy of 89%. Hope to launch by September 2021!," he tweeted.

SII has signed an agreement with Novavax to manufacture a vaccine with the name 'Covovax' in India. Novavax Inc on March 11 had announced the final efficacy of 96.4 per cent against mild, moderate and severe disease caused by original COVID-19 virus in its Phase 3 trials of its vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 in the UK.

NVX-CoV2373 is being evaluated in two pivotal Phase 3 trials, a trial in the UK that demonstrated efficacy of 96.4 per cent against the original virus strain and 89.7 per cent overall, and the PREVENT-19 trial in the US and Mexico that began in December 2020," the company said.

In its analysis of Phase 2b trials in South Africa, the company said the vaccine has shown 55.4 per cent efficacy among the HIV-negative trial participants in a region where the vast majority of strains are B1.351 escape variants. Across both trials, the vaccine showed 100 per cent protection against severe disease, including all hospitalisation and death.

Also read: US firm Novavax partners with Serum; offers 1.1 bn COVID-19 vaccine to COVAX

"NVX-CoV2373 not only provided complete protection against the most severe forms of disease but also dramatically reduced mild and moderate disease across both trials. Importantly, both studies confirmed efficacy against the variant strains," said Stanley C Erck, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax.

The study enrolled over 15,000 participants between 18-84 years of age, including 27 per cent over the age of 65. The vaccine showed the efficacy of 96.4 per cent against the original virus strain and 86.3 per cent against the B.1.1.7/501Y.V1 variant circulating in the UK.

Novavax's vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, is a protein-based vaccine candidate engineered from the genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. In January, Novavax had reported 89 per cent efficacy against Cvovid-19 during its trials in the UK.

Also read: Serum CEO Adar Poonawalla leases London property for record Rs 50 lakh a week

India has so far approved two vaccines against COVID-19 -- Covishield, manufactured by the SII, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech -- for restricted emergency use in the country.

Besides, Serum is aiming at supplying 237 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to 142 countries by May-end under the COVAX initiative, co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). COVAX is a global risk-sharing mechanism for pooled procurement and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Novavax with Serum will provide 1.1 billion cumulative doses of NVX-CoV2373 for the COVAX Facility.
YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. Fitch Ratings has affirmed Armenia's Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LTFC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'B+' with a Stable Outlook.

Armenia's 'B+' IDRs reflect fairly high government and external indebtedness, relatively weak external finances and geopolitical tensions that have the potential to escalate into military conflict. These are balanced against high income per capita; governance, development and ease of doing business indicators that outperform the 'B' rated median; and institutions that have facilitated orderly political transitions and weathered the 2020 pandemic shock and six-week war with Azerbaijan. It also has a robust macroeconomic and fiscal policy framework, and credible commitment to reform, both of which are underpinned by the IMF stand-by arrangement (SBA).

Fitch expects that prime minister Nikol Pashinyan's 'My Step' alliance should be able to maintain a working majority coalition in parliament at the 20 June 2021 snap elections. After Pashinyan signed a Russia-brokered and maintained ceasefire agreement on 9 November 2020 to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the country has seen a period of heightened protests and political interventions by the military calling for his resignation. Although we expect Pashinyan to retain power, support for his government has diminished since the war and could exacerbate the challenges of implementing structural reforms and tackling corruption.

Fitch positively assessed the activity of Armenian banks, which were able to withstand the shocks of 2020.
COLUMBIA  It appears there is a line even ardent abortion foes in the South Carolina Legislature won't cross.

The never-ending fight in the GOP-controlled General Assembly over halting abortions popped up again March 23  but with a twist in the outcome, as Republicans publicly pleaded with their colleagues to defeat the proposal they said played politics with women's lives.

It came as the House debated its $10 billion state budget plan. The longest debate of the day over any amendment involved less than $10,000 the state health plan last paid out in 2019.

In South Carolina, public employees' insurance plan covers an abortion in three instances only: When a pregnancy results from rape or incest or if a doctor believes the mother's life is in jeopardy.

Since 2010, 16 abortions have been covered by those exceptions. The numbers are too small to provide an annual breakdown, according to the state's public benefits agency, though it did note no money was paid out last year.

But state Rep. Jonathon Hill, R-Townville, wanted to strike every exception by prohibiting the state health plan from paying for an abortion ever, in any circumstance, starting on July 1.

"The circumstances of a persons creation do not change the basic fact they are a human being. Its not justice to respond to a horrible tragedy such as rape or incest by then punishing, even executing, the child conceived in that horrible act," he said from the podium.

"When something new or beautiful arises out of something thats horrible, even dead, we dont call it a mistake," he continued. "We dont call it something we should pay for insurance to stop. We call it rebirth. We call it redemption. There are legends about this concept; we call it phoenix. We hold this up as something ideal, wonderful."

Most of his colleagues  Republican and Democrat  didn't see it that way, rejecting it with a vote of 68-14.

The outrage from Democrats was predictable. The vocal pushback from Republicans was not.

Just last month, the House voted 79-35 to send to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk a bill outlawing an abortion if an ultrasound detects a fetal heartbeat, which can occur as soon as six to eight weeks into a pregnancy.

Opponents argued that would ban an abortion before many women even know they are pregnant. But that was the point.

Also expected was the lawsuit filed as soon as McMaster signed the law, which blocked it from taking effect. Arguments that it would result in a lengthy, expensive court fight South Carolina likely won't win swayed no one. Advocates actually hope it ends up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Just two House Republicans voted against it.

Legislators debate abortion every year, often on multiple proposals that include budget fights.

But Rep. Micah Caskey, R-West Columbia, called Hill's proposal "too far for me."

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The former assistant solicitor recalled prosecuting a "revolting and disgusting" case in 2013 involving an 11-year-old girl impregnated by her mother's boyfriend. The girl gave birth and put the child up for adoption, he said, explaining why he struggles with the rape and incest exceptions.

But there should be no question whatsoever in allowing health insurance to cover hospital costs involved in saving the mother's life, Caskey said.

"I cannot abide stripping away the most fundamental of all rights of self-defense," he said. "I can find no other instance youd say to someone else, 'You cant do what you need to do to protect yourself.'"

Hill's proposal caused flashbacks for Rep. Brian White, who stepped up to the podium after his fellow Anderson County Republican left.

The last time the House debated abortion as an employee insurance issue was 2010, when then-Rep. Joey Millwood, a Spartanburg County Republican, pounded the podium, repeating "we killed six babies" over and over, referring to the number of abortions covered by the health plan the year before.

The end result of that six-hour debate was a further tightening of the exceptions, defining what counts as sparing the mother from death or severe impairment, per her doctor's opinion.

White, who as a budget subcommittee chairman worked out that 2010 compromise, called it ludicrous to go down that path again.

In an impassioned, personal speech, the father of three daughters let it fly.

In his 21 years in the House, "not a year goes by we dont do something with abortion. It becomes a political game, and then it pops up. Pictures will be taken. Theyll be posted. Well get yelled at and screamed at, saying were not pro-life," said White, referring to nasty GOP primary contests.

"Bull crap," he said, rattling off a list of anti-abortion measures passed by the chamber. "I get sick and tired every year of stuff popping up just for political gotcha here or there.

"We've taken a stance on abortion. Until you have answered the phone or sat with your wife or loved one whos actually lost a child like I have, youre just wrong," he continued. "This protects those women. Youre protecting the life of the mother.

"Youre saying now you cant have those services ordered by a doctor and needed by the woman so we could have our third child. So I ask you to search deep down and realize exactly what youre doing. This is health insurance," he said in wrapping up a speech that brought a round of applause.

And with that, the debate was over.

Anti-abortion proposals are sure to crop up again. And it's highly unlikely the March 23 vote will be replicated in the future. Even after the speeches made by Republicans who voted for the "fetal heartbeat" law, many of the chamber's all-time-high 81 GOP legislators chose not to vote at all.

But it was remarkable to watch.
I'll believe it when it happens. First Phuket, sometime in 2021, and if successful, then a few other tourist areas. Guessing all to be 'blacklisted' by the locals.  May actually hurt CM tourism, although it will be low season. An outbreak or 2, and scratch any Thais going there for high / cool season, which they seem to enjoy.

Samui would be the logical 2nd area to initiate the plan. Think July is optimistic for Phuket. Thais are to savvy to bother with either.

Really not seeing the success in this plan, as too many 'ifs' and who is going to want to holiday in ghost towns. Although, surely enough vendors there now, for the amount of tourist I would expect to actually use the plan.

Hope to be wrong, but doubt it. The silly numbers of 'expected arrivals', well, good for chuckle.

"Mar 26. 2021 By The Nation

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as CESA chairman, ....

......HOWEVER, has instructed TAT to discuss the plan with Phukets governor and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration first .........before making it official.

Phuket requires 925,000 doses of the vaccine to inoculate 70 per cent of its population before it can reopen."

Edited: 27 March 2021, 23:00
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh visited Jeshoreshwari Kali temple on Saturday wherein he prayed for the human race to get rid of COVID-19 as early as possible. PM Modi also stated that he got the opportunity to visit one of the 51 Shaktipeeths and feels fortunate to visit the goddess just ahead of the Chaitra Navratri.

Talking to ANI, PM Modi said, "After few weeks Chaitra Navratri will start. Before the start of this holy festival, I am fortunate enough to visit one of the 51 shaktipeeths. When I visited Bangladesh in 2015, I got the opportunity to seek blessings from Ma Dhakeshwari."

PM Modi on his visit to Jeshoreshwari Kali temple was seen wearing a mark as he was welcomed in the temple, which was renovated on the occasion of his visit. He also offered a hand-made, gold-plated silver crown to the deity.

Bangladesh: PM Narendra Modi placed a handmade 'mukut' on goddess Kaali idol. The 'mukut' is made of silver with gold plating and was hand-made over three weeks by a traditional artisan. pic.twitter.com/luoo1TbsBJ  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

PM Modi also suggested that the temple, which has been renovated recently by the Bangladesh government, could be used for social, religious and educational events as well. He said, "It could be useful even for social, religious and educational events. Most importantly, it could serve as a shelter at the time of disasters like cyclones. The government of India will help in the construction work. I express gratitude to the Bangladesh government that they have wished us well for this."

#WATCH "Today, I got the opportunity to offer prayers before Maa Kali...I prayed to her to free the human race from COVID19," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/Jxz8v425xQ  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

"A number of devotees come here during Kaali Puja. So a multi-purpose community hall is needed here, which can become a shelter house during any disaster, especially cyclone. The Indian government will construct a community hall here. I express my gratitude to the Bangladesh government that it has also wished us well for this work," added PM Modi.

The Jeshoreshwari Kali temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. The 51 sacred sites where goddess Sati's 51 body parts were believed to have fallen. The shaktipeeths are spread across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, and Sri Lanka.

On his second day in Bangladesh, PM Modi is also scheduled to visit Gopalganj's Orakandi temple. The Orakandi temple is home to hundreds of the Hindu Matua community, most of them being Indian residents. PM Modi on Thursday had said in a statement, "I am particularly looking forward to my interaction with representatives of the Matua community at Orakandi, from where Sri Sri Harichandra Thakur Ji disseminated his pious message."

(Image Credits: ANI/Twitter)
Explosives could have started the devastating fire that continues to ravage Loldaiga Hills in Laikipia County, where British soldiers have been training.

The safety of wildlife remains a major concern as wildfire ravages acres of Loldaiga Conservancy, home to thousands of animals including critically endangered species.

More than 10,000 acres of the Loldaiga Hills have been destroyed in the fire reported to have started three days ago.

The British army runs joint exercises with Kenyan soldiers in the northern part of Laikipia and has a base in Nanyuki.

British troops and employees of the conservancy were still battling the fire last evening.

The conservancy is being used as training grounds by British Soldiers under the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk).

The Saturday Nation established that the fire was caused by the soldiers while on practice and it spread so fast they were unable to control it.

Sources say the fire started after an improvised explosive device exploded.

A Kenyan soldier who is privy to the matter said that putting out the fire had become a challenge because the explosives caused respiratory and eye irritation similar to what is caused by teargas canisters.

"It is becoming extremely hard for us to put off the fire because the fumes are causing respiratory irritation," the soldier said.

A statement by the British High Commission said investigations had been launched to ascertain the cause of the fire.

"Our priority is to urgently assist the local community where they have been impacted. We are putting all our resources into containing the fire and are working closely with the Kenyan authorities to manage the situation," said the statement, adding that 350 troops had been deployed to beat the fire and double the width of fire breaks.

Three helicopters and a crop-sprayer were dousing the fire. Four water tankers were also deployed in the affected areas.

There were reports that up to five elephants could have been killed in the fire but Kenyan and British authorities remained with information on the extent of the damage, with journalists were barred from the operation.

A tweeter identifying himself as a British Army appeared to brag on social media that an elephant had been killed in an earlier fire started by soldiers.

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The post and the soldier are now subject of investigations, the High Commission said

"We are extremely concerned by a social media post by a member of British Army and it is being investigated."

The reports by a section of British media claimed that the earlier fire was reportedly started by a flare as soldiers tried to scare away elephants. The second fire, currently being fought, is said to have been started by soldiers as "they were cooking".

Kenya Wildlife Service said rangers on the ground were yet to locate any carcasses of elephants in the areas where the fire had been put out.

The Nation has learnt that the soldiers have been using live explosives during their training exercises.

Local residents said that fires are rampant whenever the soldiers train in the conservancy.

Authorities however maintain that the cause of the fire is yet to be established.
Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of Americas Founders

David George Moore

I like to read history and Dennis Rasmussens book, Fears of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of Americas Founders, is one of the best books I have read in some time. If you like books by Joseph Ellis and David McCullough you will enjoy Fears of a Setting Sun.

I am grateful to John Fea (currentpub.com) for bringing Rasmussens terrific book to my attention.

Dennis Rasmussen is professor of political science at Syracuse University. He is the author of the highly respected, The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship that Shaped Modern Thought. The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought: Rasmussen, Dennis C.: 9780691192284: Amazon.com: Books

Moore: Give us an overview of what your book is about.

Rasmussen: It tells the story of how most of the American founders eventually came to feel deep anxiety, disappointment, and even despair about the government and the nation that they had helped to create. The book focuses especially on four of the main figures of the period: George Washington, who became disillusioned above all because of the rise of parties and partisanship; Alexander Hamilton, who became disillusioned because he felt that the federal government was not sufficiently vigorous or energetic; John Adams, who became disillusioned because he believed that the American people lacked the requisite civic virtue for republican government; and Thomas Jefferson, who became disillusioned because of sectional divisions that were laid bare by conflict over the spread of slavery.

Moore: I was already familiar with some of this history, but I am incredulous that no one had ever written an entire book on this subject. Is this also true of doctoral dissertations? It is a great subject for a doctoral student in American history.

Rasmussen: I was shocked too! Until fairly recently most of my work was on the Scottish and French Enlightenmentsfigures like Adam Smith, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire. I mostly read biographies of the founders for fun, and it often struck me that while the stories were generally meant to be inspiring and uplifting, the endings were never entirely happy. I assumed that someone must have written a book, or at least an article or a dissertation, about the founders late-life disappointments, but as far as I can tell no one had, so I decided to have a go at it myself.

Moore: The relevance to the present challenges in our country are on every page of your book. What are a few things that the hard left and hard right could learn by reading your book?

Rasmussen: I hadnt thought about the book in quite these terms until you posed this question, but I suppose I would hope that readers on the right might come away with a greater appreciation for the fragility of Americas political institutions. For all their alleged fealty to the founders and the Constitution, many on the right have proven all too willing to abandon them when it suited the interests of their party and their president. Some on the left, for their part, could use a reminder that these institutions alone cant save us, and that the peoples character matters too.

Moore: There are three f words that I keep seeing in my own reading of American history and cultural analysis: fracture, fragility, and factionalism. I remember hearing various people warn of the fragility of the American experiment and thought it was good they warn us. However, it seemed we had nothing too serious to worry about. I no longer think this, and signs of our fragility abound. What can we do as we move forward to maintain the best of the American experiment in democracy?

Rasmussen: As I note in the conclusion of the book, the founders themselves, for all their late-life bitterness and disillusionment, never ceased to devote themselves to the American republic as long as they felt that they had something left to give. Here I think especially of John Adams, who grew disenchanted much earlier than the other foundersat least by the mid-1780sbut continued to dutifully serve his country for many more years as a diplomat in various European countries, in the thankless role of vice president, and as president. After he finally reached the pinnacle of power, he sacrificed his presidency in order to save the nation by sending a peace delegation to France in 1799. The founders penchant for meeting deep disappointment with steadfast resolve is one that we would do well to emulate in the face our own political tribulations.

Moore: Staying with my previous question, I have been thinking quite a bit about Madisons Federalist 10. My thoughts were triggered by the storming of the Capitol in January of this year. As you well know, Madison believed there were two ways to stave off the power of factions: quash them which is an undesirable option for a freedom-loving people or allow them to exist. Allowing factions to exist will limit their power since the various factions will kind of keep each other in check thereby limiting the power of any one faction. I am not so sure I believe anymore that Madison was correct in this assessement. What do you think?

Rasmussen: I must say that, for all its fame, Ive always found this argument of Madisons to be somewhat suspect. As you suggest, his main solution to the problem of majority faction is to multiply the number of factions so that they have a harder time achieving a majoritydivide and conquer, essentially. There are at least two problems with this solution. First, the entire point of political partieswhich Madison did not expect to emerge when he made this argumentis to form coalitions among reasonably like-minded groups in order to achieve an electoral majority. Second, even minority factions can still cause a great deal of damage and chaos, as the recent attack on the Capitol sufficiently demonstrates.

Moore: What are a few things you would like readers to take from your book?

Rasmussen: I hope that readers take away a fuller understanding of the founding and the founders. We tend to focus on their heroic deeds during the founding periodabove all securing Americas independence and setting up a new government based on new principles which has lasted, with some modifications, to this day. But their views of the pitfalls and possibilities of republican government continued to develop over the succeeding decades, shaped by the struggles and successes of the constitutional order that they had created. In order to achieve the fullest possible understanding of their outlooks, we need to look beyond the founding to the views that the these figures held later in life, which were, after all, shaped by greater real-world experience.

David George Moore is the author of the forthcoming Stuck in the Present: How History Frees and Forms Christians (Leafwood/Abilene Christian University Press). https://amazon.com/Stuck-Present-David-George-Moore/dp/168426460X.
Two days after the Atlanta mass shooting, Josh Mandel of Ohio, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, appeared on NBC4 TV in Columbus to complain about how Twitter removed one of his racist tweets, in which he used derogatory terms to describe Muslims and Mexicans. Mandel argued, in essence, that under the First Amendment, he should be free to go around insulting other minority groups without consequences.

Mandels remarks about Mexicans and Muslims are hurtful and wrong. He tells people what they want to hear and preys on their fears and bigotry. It is absolutely amazing that a Jew such as Mandel has such a short memory about where such prejudice leads.

Josh Mandel is right about one thing, though: Everyone in America is entitled to First Amendment protections, even if his/her views are bigoted.

That said, as a Muslim veteran and proud Ohioan, I am sick and tired of Mandels racist and Islamophobic behavior. He doesnt deserve to serve the people of Ohio because he is no good for Ohio.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph,

Westerville

Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran.
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The U.S. Department of Labor is suing a Houston hotel operator for firing an employee who sought medical treatment for carbon monoxide exposure sustained on the job, according to legal filings.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, alleges that All Seasons Hospitality and Investments, owned by Tanvir Shahmohd, violated the employee's right to report unsafe working conditions and seek medical care, according to the labor department.
ST. MARY, Mont.  In a regular spring season at Johnsons of St. Mary, the R. V.s would be pulling into the more than 150 sites with sweeping views of Glacier National Park. Campsites would start filling up. The kitchen would start churning out homemade soup and bread.

But last spring, everything was quiet at this tourist destination in the corner of northern Montana, where the Blackfeet Reservation meets Glacier National Park. It had to be.

The Blackfeet Nations tribal Business Council closed the eastern entrances of the park, which sit on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, in an effort to protect the tribe from further exposure to the coronavirus. The pandemic, which has ravaged Indigenous communities across the country, has taken a devastating toll on the Blackfeet Nation and Native Americans in Montana. On the reservation, where fewer than 10,000 people live, 47 have died from the virus. Statewide, Native Americans make up one-third of Montanas more than 1,400 Covid deaths, according to the state public health department, despite being just 7 percent of the population.

Nathan St. Goddard, a Blackfeet tribal member who runs Johnsons, is hoping for a better spring this year. On March 17, the business council voted to allow him to open  with vaccination rates of eligible people on the reservation reported close to 95 percent.
Two traffic police officers in Ho Chi Minh City successfully escorted a woman in labor from neighboring Dong Nai Province to a hospital on Friday morning.

31-year-old Le Minh Thanh from Dong Nai told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he was driving his sister to a maternity hospital since she was about to go into labor on Friday morning.

When the car was crossing the Thu Thiem Tunnel connecting Thu Duc City with District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, the woman already gave birth to her child.

At that time, I didnt know how to make it through the crowded street, Thanh recalled.

"My sister was screaming, and the baby was crying all the time, so that I was so panicked."

Thanh drove towards the Nguyen Tri Phuong overpass where he saw two traffic police officers on duty.

He stopped to explain the situation and asked to be escorted to the University Medical Center on Hong Bang Street in District 5.

The two policemen immediately took the lead and guided Thanhs car to the hospital.

Thanhs car camera recorded the escort. The vehicle camera footage was later viral on social media and showered with compliments.

According to Thanh, both the mother and the newborn are healthy.

It was such a relief that thanks to the traffic police officers, we could make it to the hospital before it became dangerous for the mother and the baby, Thanh said.

I wanted to shake their hands to express my gratitude but they urged Care for your sister first, he added.

In the same evening, District 5 police unit confirmed the two officers who had successfully cleared the way for Thanh's car were captains Nguyen Trung Hieu and Do Huynh Trung Quan of the districts traffic police and public order squad.

In that situation, I could only think of the fastest way to help the woman and the baby go to the hospital so that the doctors and medical staff could handle the emergency as it could be dangerous to their lives, captain Hieu told Tuoi Tre.

Its our duty. Whoever in such an emergency will act the same, Hieu said.

Thanh also came to the District 5 police station to thank the two captains later on the same day.

This vehicle camera footage shows two traffic police officers opening the way for a car carrying a woman in labor and her child to the hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, March 26, 2021.

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HARTFORD  The state Appellate Court Friday upheld a lower court ruling throwing out a Bridgeport drug case because police had raided the wrong house.

On Feb. 1, 2017, armed with a search warrant, Bridgeport, State Police and federal agents raided a duplex at 351 Noble Ave. and seized a gun and two bags of marijuana they found in a third-floor bedroom, according to court records. They arrested the residents of the home  David Gordon, Gavin Lyons, Prince Gordon, and Zipporah Greene-Walters  on drug charges.

But the search warrant had been for the home next door, at 349 Noble Ave.

Superior Court Judge William Holden later dismissed the case against the four people arrested. State prosecutors appealed.

We agree with the trial court that when the police searched 351 Noble Avenue rather than 349 Noble Avenue, they searched a residence that was not authorized by the warrant, stated the Appellate Court. Therefore, the search of 351 Noble Avenue was a warrantless search that was per se unreasonable and violated the fourth amendment.

Attorney Naomi Fetterman, who represented the people arrested, said her clients are thrilled with the Appellate Courts decision.

We should all be happy that authorities can not enter our houses without a valid warrant, she said.
New Delhi:

Zeenat ul Islam alias Alqama has been appointed as the new Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander in Kashmir, according to the intelligence inputs. After the death of Abu Ismail, the man behind the July 10 Amarnath attack, which killed eight people, LeT named Zeenat ul Islam as its new commander. Security forces gunned down Lashkar commander Abu Ismail in Nowgam encounter along with another terrorist.

Abu Ismail was the main culprit in the attack, who carried out the attack to take revenge the death of his predecessor Bashir Lashkari.

All you need to know about Zeenat ul Islam

1. The 28-year-old Zeenat ul Islam is an expert with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). She was reportedly recruited in Lashkar in November 2015.

2. He was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for being a member of Al-Badr, also arrested for the first time in 2008. He was working as a ground worker for Al-Badr members, supplying them food and other things.

3. His father is an Imam (muezzin) in the local mosque. Ismail worked with his father after he released from jail in 2011.

4. Currently, Zeenat ul Islam is one of the five most wanted terrorist by the security forces in the valley.

5. Not only this she was the main accused in the Shopian attack of February 23, 2017. Zeenat ul Islam worked with his father and got married before joining LeT. He completed his Bachelors of Arts from a local college.







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A giant container ship grounded in the Suez Canal could be freed by the start of next week if heavier tugboats, dredging and a high tide succeed in dislodging it, a Dutch firm working to free the vessel said.

The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given became wedged diagonally across a southern section of the canal amid high winds early on Tuesday, disrupting global shipping by blocking one of the world's busiest waterways.

About 15% of world shipping traffic passes through the canal, and dozens of vessels are waiting in the waterway and around its northern and southern entrances for the blockage to be cleared.

Dredgers had removed some 20,000 tonnes of sand from around its bow by Friday, but tugging operations to free the ship were suspended overnight.

"We aim to get it done after the weekend, but everything will have to work out exactly right for that," Peter Berdowski, chief executive of Boskalis, told Dutch TV programme Nieuwsuur late on Friday.

Boskalis owns Smit Salvage, which was brought in this week to help with efforts by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) to dislodge the ship.

"The bow is really stuck in the sandy clay, but the stern has not been pushed totally into the clay, which is positive. We can try to use that as leverage to pull it loose," Berdowski said.

"Heavy tugboats, with a combined capacity of 400 tonnes, will arrive this weekend. We hope that a combination of the tugboats, dredging of sand at the bow and a high tide will enable us to get the ship loose at the beginning of next week."

Shipping rates for oil product tankers nearly doubled after the ship became stranded, and the blockage has scrambled global supply chains, threatening costly delays for companies already dealing with COVID-19 restrictions.

If it drags on, shippers may decide to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding about two weeks to journeys and extra fuel costs.

Three shipping agents said on Saturday that none of the ships waiting at the canal's entrances had yet requested to be rerouted.

Berdowski said a land crane would be brought in at the weekend which could lighten the Ever Given's load by offloading containers, though experts have warned that such a process could be complex and lengthy.

"If we don't succeed in getting it loose next week, we will have to remove some 600 containers from the bow to reduce the weight," he said.

"That will set us back days at least, because where to leave all those containers will be quite a puzzle."

Also Read: Centre chalks out four-point plan to deal with Suez Canal blockage
(Natural News) Researchers hypothesize that massive blobs of dense rocks hugging Earths core may be the sunken remains of Theia, a Mars-sized protoplanet thought to have smashed into the young Earth billions of years ago.

Qian Yuan, a doctoral student of geodynamics at Arizona State University and the lead researcher of the study, presented their hypothesis during the 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which was held virtually from March 15 to 19.

Yuan explained during the presentation that portions of Earths mantle called large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVP) are denser and chemically different from the surrounding rocks. He noted that Theias mantle was denser than that of young Earth, which suggests that parts of the deceased planet might have sunk into Earth after the collision.

Weird blobs of rock may be Theias remains

Many scientists hypothesize that the moon formed due to a collision between Theia and Earth around 20 to 100 million years after the solar systems birth. This theory, which is called the giant-impact hypothesis, suggests that the debris from the impact collected in an orbit around Earth and accreted to create the moon. But much of the evidence for this theory comes from the moon and no remnants of Theia have ever been found.

Advocates of the theory suggest that the cores of the two primordial worlds have fused into one, potentially releasing chemicals needed to support life. Recent theories also posit that LLSVPs are parts of Theias iron-rich mantle.

Up to 620 miles long and thousands of miles wide, these enormous blobs are the largest rock clusters inside Earths mantle. One of them sits below Africa while another rests under the Pacific Ocean. Both of them hug Earths core like a pair of headphones.

LLSVPs have baffled geologists for decades. Some scientists suggest that LLSVPs simply crystallized out of the depths of primitive Earths magma ocean. Others propose that these blobs are primitive terrestrial rocks that survived the giant impact that created the moon. But Yuans team has new evidence indicating that LLSVPs may actually be Theias remains.

We demonstrate that Theias mantle may be several percent denser than Earths mantle, Yuan said.

The researchers models showed that the dead worlds rocks are up to 3.5 percent denser than those found in the Earths mantle. As such, parts of Theia likely sank into Earth and accumulated into hot, chemically distinct piles near the core, becoming what are now known as LLSVPs. (Related: Theia and proto-Earth: Did a planetary collision result in life on Earth over 4.4 billion years ago?.)

Yuan noted that only an impactor the size of Theia could have delivered the massive rocks near the core. In addition, past studies showed that LLSVPs are at least as primitive as the giant collision.

Earths mantle may be a planetary graveyard

If the teams theory stands, then Theia may not be the only alien world buried beneath Earth. Scientists recently discovered a number of small, ultra-dense pockets of rock deep in the mantle that dont quite match the surrounding material.

Jennifer Jenkins, a seismologist at Durham University, raised the possibility that these rocks are the remains of other extraterrestrial worlds. The young solar system was extremely chaotic. Debris kept slamming into growing planets while bigger celestial bodies called planetesimals occasionally destroyed budding worlds. As such, early Earth was likely a victim of multiple cataclysmic collisions and many of the objects that collided with it are currently buried in its mantle.

Read more fascinating studies about Earth and the cosmic processes that shape it at Cosmic.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NHM.ac.uk

ScienceMag.org
Washington, Mar 27 (PTI) US Chief of Naval Operations Michael Martin Gilday met Indias Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and discussed ways to strengthen the Indo-US defence partnership.

Together, we will promote a free, open & inclusive rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. I look forward to our two navies continued cooperation, Admiral Gilday said in a tweet after the meeting on Friday.

Great to meet with Indias Ambassador to the United States Gilday tweeted and posted two pictures of the meeting on the micro-blogging site.

Sandhu, in his tweet, thanked the Admiral for hosting a wonderful evening.

I look forward to working together to further deepen India-US partnership, Sandhu said.

Cooperation in the maritime domain is one of the key pillars of the India-US defense relationship. PTI LKJ AQS AQS
Were a sharply divided nation, and we continue to show our divisions  even with free doughnuts.

Cant we all agree that the novel coronavirus has been dreadfully awful? Cant we all agree that too many got sick with COVID-19, and that weve lost too many relatives, friends and neighbors? Cant we all agree to do whatever it takes to stop Rudy Rona from lurking and dispatch Rona to hell? Cant we all agree on free doughnuts?

The answers are obvious to me, yet many disagree. Thats a problem for those of us seeking flexibility and freedom within guidelines.

+2 Louisiana will be one of 9 states where anyone can get a COVID vaccine; here are the others When Louisiana opened eligibility for the coronavirus vaccines to anyone over 16 starting Monday, March 29, it joined a small but growing numb

Week after week recently, Gov. John Bel Edwards loosened vaccine eligibility requirements. On Wednesday, he totally opened eligibility to include anyone 16 years old and older, effective Monday. Research continues to determine the effectiveness of already-approved vaccines for youths under 16, but at least all adults are eligible to get a couple of doses of Pfizer or Moderna or a single shot of Johnson & Johnson.

The Edwards move is good news. We have a better chance of reaching herd immunity across the state sooner. But that happens only if many more of us sign up and offer our arms.

Despite all kinds of research and evidence showing how deadly COVID has been, there are people who dont believe it is real. Weve had about 125 million COVID cases worldwide. More than 2.75 million have died as a result of COVID-19, and some of the deceased refused to accept that they had the virus as they died.

Now, after many months of herculean efforts by leaders across the world, scientists and pharmaceutical companies, we have multiple vaccine options approved and increasingly available. We have more vaccine doses arriving in Louisiana each week. More vaccine doses mean more vaccine opportunities. The number of volunteers should outstrip the number of doses. But thats not the case.

It concerns me a great deal that K-12 and college educators, health clinic and hospital staffers and hospitality employees are among those taking a wait-and-see attitude toward vaccines, as others simply refuse to take it. These are people we rely on to teach or support teaching our children, people who take care of our loved ones and us and people who we count on to keep mandated health standards at bars, clubs and restaurants. I sure would like to know who among these folks has been vaccinated. Ive seen a few vaccine buttons and stickers, but I dont have one. I really need some vaccination identification so I can venture out and let people know Ive done my part.

Though I know it wont give me enough doughnut cred, maybe I would wear it if I were to visit the Metairie Krispy Kreme on Clearview Parkway or the Baton Rouge Krispy Kreme on Plank Road. Krispy Kreme launched a promotion that went bananas on social media. The national doughnut maker promised to give customers a free Original Glazed doughnut to anyone who has been vaccinated, with one shot or two. Just show your vaccine card as proof and you get a doughnut. That day. Every day. For the rest of the year. Clearly they know if I show up for one doughnut, Im likely to get a second  or half a dozen.

Though one doughnut shop featured his face on the delightful and light sweets last year, Im not sure this is something that Dr. Anthony Fauci and thousands of primary care physicians would approve. Still, it sure is a creative way to grab attention, to encourage vaccine participation while growing business.

But, wait. Krispy Kreme added a caveat: Those who arent vaccinated get to participate, too. With a separate deal, just for the unvaccinated crowd, those customers can get a free glazed doughnut and a medium coffee each Monday from March 29 through May 24.

Im fully vaccinated. I seriously thought about going to Krispy Kreme for the first time in forever. But now I dont want to risk COVID-19 standing in line or even sitting in my car and using the drive-through window used by an unvaccinated or non-vax customer.

Vaccines are 95% effective, but Im staying away from others and wearing a mask when I venture out. I dont need unvaccinated people in my space.

Perhaps the Krispy Kreme alternative option is the Lords way of telling me to stay away from those people  and doughnuts.

+2 Will Sutton: Be an upstander for Black lives, against Asian hate, for equality If you have Asian friends, especially women, youve heard and seen the anguish, the frustration and the pain as thousands process the horrible
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  A Louisiana man who had served more than 20 years of a 99-year armed robbery sentence is being released.

The Promise of Justice Initiative, a criminal justice advocacy group, says a witness against 42-year-old Jermaine Hudson recanted testimony that helped convict Hudson back in 2000.

Online court records show the New Orleans District Attorney's Office had already agreed to grant Hudson a new trial.

This, after District Attorney Jason Williams initiated a review of New Orleans cases in which people were convicted by non-unanimous jury votes.

On Friday (3/26/21), court records show, prosecutors agreed to end the case.

A judge ordered Hudson's immediate release.
A trifecta of beer accolades have just been awarded by a national publication to a Michigan brewery, and to one of our largest cities. USA Today 10Best series recently announced the winners in several categories, and Michigan is well represented.

City Built Brewing Company in Grand Rapids landed in first place for best beer label for their vibrant, multi-layered beauty the created for their Czech pilsner beer Prague Underground. They were also named the third best brew pub by USA Today readers.

USA Todays 10Best series named Grand Rapids as Best Beer City as well. Michigans second largest city beat out other beer hot spots like St. Louis, Mo., Asheville, N.C., and Philadelphia, Pa.

City Built Brewing owner Edwin Collazo credits a visit from beer industry expert, and one of the USA Today 10Best judges, Dennis Malcolm Byron Ale Sharpton, for City Builts inclusion in the national polls. The publication typically puts together a panel of about 5 experts who then nominate the contenders who then go up against each other in voting polls.

He came for a visit here, and we made a connection, Collazo said about Byron. Ive been sharing our flavor and our story with him for a while. Byron fell in love with the label for Prague Underground, and nominated it. Then, he took it a step further and nominated City Built for Best Brew Pub as well. Collazo said that Byron said Man, your guys food is really good, and I always enjoy my time there, so Im putting you up for that too.

The award winning label for Prague Underground was created by Grand Rapids based artist Eilliot Chaltry, and produced with help from DeGrof Design. It features a bold red color, and funky, ferocious lion gripping the City Built logo in its teeth. What really sets it apart is the printing process, which layers colors and a slight metallic sheen to the label, giving it an eye catching 3-D quality.

City Built head brewer Rob Qualls made the liquid that gets to reside in the cans under this label. Its a Czech Pilsner, which is the original pilsner, he said. I always wanted to make this beer on a larger scale. I dont think pilsners always get their due. They are battling against imperial stouts, IPAs, double IPAs, so to have a pilsner to step and be a really strong brand, Im happily surprised. Its definitely getting its legs. The beer is a classic pilsner, brewed with just Saaz hops.

You can still find a few cans of Prague Underground at the brewery, but they most likely wont last long. Qualls and his brew team just made another batch however, so look for a fresh round of this beer around the end of April.

The brewery is located downtown Grand Rapids, and features a scratch kitchen and a Puerto Rican inspired menu. Start off with yuca fries, bori balls, or a loaded beer cheese dip known as queservesa picadillo. Tacos are super popular and there are multiple styles to choose from. Right now, you can also order family style meals to go. The menu pairs well with the constantly changing beers on tap here, and you can always just stop by to grab a four-pack of cans to go.

I just want City Built, and our brews, to be recognized for being as sound as they are, Collazo said. Not just here in Grand Rapids, but outside of our area too.

City Built wasnt the only Michigan brewery to be nominated for the USA Today series. HOMES Brewery in Ann Arbor actually beat out City Built for best brew pub, coming in second. Salt Springs Brewing in Saline came in 6th.

Its just great to recognized on a USA Today level, Collazo said. He was adamant that this recognition is only possible because of the whole team at City Built. We are really fortunate.

Custom designed glassware from City Built Brewing in Grand Rapids.

City Built Brewing in Grand Rapids was named one of the best brew pubs in the United States by USA Today 10Best.

If you go:

City Built Brewing Company

820 Monroe Ave NW STE 155

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

(616) 805-5755

More info: https://citybuiltbrewing.com/ or Facebook

City Built Brewing in Grand Rapids was a finalist in two different divisions for USA Today 10Best.

More Michigans Best:

One of the top rated breweries in Indianapolis comes from Michigan

How to get a Dragons Milk Boot from Wolverine

Shorts Brewing brings its annual Anni party to you

New Michigan cider, Those women from Michigan to be released

Third Nature Brewing built for outdoor dining, and a pandemic

Michigans largest winery celebrates a century of winemaking

Amys Top Ten beers of 2020

Gonzos Top Ten beers of 2020
An appeal by a candidate for the South Jacksonville village board presidency has been denied for a second time, this time by the Fourth Appellate Court of Illinois.

The court upheld the South Jacksonville Electoral Boards decision to remove Tyson Manker from the ballot after candidate Dick Samples filed an objection to Mankers candidate petition.

The boards decision to uphold the objection and remove Manker from the ballot was not clearly erroneous, the court said in its decision.

The three-member South Jacksonville Electoral Board  village President Harry Jennings, trustee Paula Stewart and clerk Megan Moore  agreed Mankers petition was invalid because it did not include a receipt from the Morgan County clerk for an economic interest form.

The panels decision was upheld by a Morgan County court before being appealed to the Fourth Appellate Court of Illinois.

Mr. Samples made the objection, but he didnt have anything to do with making the decision to remove Mr. Manker from the ballot, Jennings said. He is a village trustee but he was not a member of the panel. Those members are decided based on election code  the mayor, clerk and longest-standing trustee.

Jennings said he was able to discuss the issue now that the appeals have been finalized.

Manker said the process has been a waste of taxpayer funds.

The amount of money that village taxpayers were forced to pay for Dick Samples objection could have funded the ambulance service for an entire year, Manker said. Dick Samples has no ideas and cannot win in a stand-up election. Drain the swamp.

Jennings said the Electoral Board is a necessary expense.

By law, the village is required to form a board once an objection is filed, Jennings said. The village does not have a say in the cost, especially if there are appeals.

Questions have been raised about the villages hiring of a second lawyer to advise the board, but that was necessary because a conflict of interests was created when a complaint against village attorney Alex Cross was filed with the Illinois Bar Association, Jennings said.

After Cross advised Jenning on how to respond to Manker regarding a Facebook post he had been asked to take down, a complaint filed with the bar claimed Cross was violating Mankers First Amendment right to free speech, Jennings said.

While the claims against Cross were dismissed, the situation created a conflict of interest that made a second attorney necessary.

Though Manker will not appear on the ballot, he has been campaigning and has filed as an official write-in candidate.
Ministers are preparing a multi-million-pound campaign to encourage British holidaymakers to enjoy the delights of Birmingham, Manchester and Portsmouth as foreign tourists stay away.

The government's official tourism agency, Visit Britain, is set to spend 5million on the 'Escape The Everyday' strategy to urge the UK public to get on city breaks.

Tourism Minster Nigel Huddleston told The Times: 'Towns and cities across the UK are packed full of arts, culture and heritage offerings, beautiful parks, architectural gems and world-class visitor attractions.'

It comes after the government introduced 5,000 fines for going abroad on holiday when a ban on leaving the UK without 'reasonable excuse' was announced on Monday.

The government's official tourism agency, Visit Britain, is set to spend 5million on the 'Escape The Everyday' strategy to urge the UK public to get on city breaks including to Birmingham (pictured)

Birmingham boasts Cadbury World, Drayton Manor Theme Park and the Paradise Circus roundabout (pictured)

The threat of fines for going abroad was extended until July making foreign summer holidays look increasingly unlikely as a third wave of coronavirus sweeps across Europe.

Health officials are increasingly concerned by a surge in cases of the South African Covid variant across the Channel - and a senior minister even suggested the whole of the Continent could be put on the red list because of the botched vaccine rollout.

Quarantine-free holidays may not be possible until August - killing off hopes of trips abroad until late summer.

There has, as a result, already been increasing demand for seaside retreats in the UK but city-based hotels and restaurants still look set to struggle.

In 2019 tourism in England brought in generated 106billion a year and supported 2.6 million jobs - with London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh accounting for around 50 per cent of all spend from foreign visitors.

But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic saw hotel revenues in cities fall by 62 per cent last year - compared to only a 39 per cent drop at the coast.

The cities set to be at the centre of the Escape The Everyday campaign include Birmingham, Manchester (pictured) and Portsmouth

Visitors to Portsmouth (pictured) can take a trip to the Mary Rose Museum and the Historic Docklands

The cities set to be at the centre of the Escape The Everyday campaign include Birmingham, Manchester and Portsmouth.

Birmingham boasts Cadbury World, Drayton Manor Theme Park and the Paradise Circus roundabout.

Manchester is famously home to both Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium as well as the Arndale Shopping Centre.

And visitors to Portsmouth can take a trip to the Mary Rose Museum and the Historic Docklands.

Single households will be able to enjoy getaways in self-contained accommodation in England from April 12 and in B&Bs from May 17.

MailOnline has contacted VisitBritain for comment on its Escape The Everyday campaign.
(TNS)  The U.S. carried out more than two dozen operations to thwart adversaries from election meddling ahead of the 2020 presidential election, according to a top intelligence official.Gen. Paul Nakasone, the head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, testified at a Senate hearing Thursday that Cyber Command conducted the operations to get ahead of foreign threats before they interfered or influenced our elections.Nakasone appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee a week after the U.S. intelligence community issued a report describing foreign efforts to influence voter opinions. It found that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered operations to hurt President Joe Bidens candidacy and favor former President Donald Trump. Iran sought to hurt Trumps candidacy, but China didnt deploy influence efforts, according to the report. While there were foreign efforts aimed at affecting voter opinion, there were no attempts on any technical aspect of the voting process, the agencies found.Nakasone also said that two recently discovered cyber attacks were a clarion call to take a fresh look at challenges facing the U.S.The first was Decembers revelation that suspected Russian hackers compromised popular software from SolarWinds Corp. and breached about nine government agencies as well as 100 companies. And in March, Microsoft Corp. revealed that suspected Chinese hackers used vulnerabilities in its Exchange software for email and carried out an attack that experts say has tens of thousands of victims.What weve seen from both the SolarWinds and the Microsoft intrusions is an increasing level of sophistication, Nakasone said. This is a scope, a scale, a level of sophistication that we hadnt seen previously. The SolarWinds attack was conducted through U.S. networks, taking advantage of an area where Nakasone said he has limited visibility, referring to constraints on domestic surveillance by intelligence agencies.Our adversaries understand that they can come into the United States and rapidly utilize an Internet service provider  come up and do their activities and take that down, before a warrant can be issued, before we can actually have surveillance by a civilian authority here in the United States, he said. Thats the challenge that we have right now.Asked whether China has continued to steal intellectual property from the U.S. after a 2015 agreement that neither power would conduct economic espionage, Nakasone described wide-ranging Chinese cyber activities in recent years. I have seen the Chinese continue to utilize cyber activities below the level of armed conflict to steal intellectual property, to steal our personal identification, and at times attempt to influence our populace, he said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  A massive stimulus package combining both versions of the upper and lower chambers is possible as they share the same provisions to rev up the Philippine economy derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

"Siguro mga four or five major provisions sa bills, 'yung Bayanihan 3 at ang Expanded Stimulus Package ni Senator (Manny) Pacquiao na finile on behalf of the senate ay halos nagkakapareho," he told a virtual briefing on Saturday.

[Translation: I think there are four or five provisions in Bayanihan 3 and Senator Pacquiao's Expanded Stimulus package that are almost the same.]

Sotto said both bills entail similar salient points including "social amelioration to impacted households, capacity building for impacted sectors, and wage subsidies."

"Hindi nakakapagtaka kung magkakaroon ng merger noong Bayanihan 3 at ng Expanded Senate Stimulus Package," he added.

[Translation: It's not surprising if the Bayanihan 3 and the Expanded Senate Stimulus Package will be merged eventually.]

Pacquiao filed Senate Bill no. 2123, which seeks a 335-billion expanded stimulus package to support existing interventions amid the coronavirus crisis.

Under the bill, 100 billion each will be allocated for assistance to low-income individuals, households, and homeless; for workers subsidy; and for capacity building of critically affected sectors. Another 30 billion will fund assistance to displaced workers, 3 billion for internet allowance of public school teachers and students under the K-12 program, and 2 billion for the Commission on Higher Education to fund the internet allowance of tertiary-level teachers and students.

At the House of Representatives, the 420-billion Bayanihan to Arise As One Act was filed by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco with Marikina City 2nd District Representative Stella Luz Quimbo earlier last month.

Here's the breakdown of the proposed Bayanihan to Arise As One Act:

 52 billion for small business subsidies

 100 billion for the "capacity-building of businesses in critically impacted sectors"

 108 billion for additional cash assistance to impacted households

 70 billion for the agriculture sector

 30 billion for assistance to displaced workers

 30 billion for internet allowances to primary, secondary and tertiary students and teachers

 5 billion for the rehabilitation of typhoon-hit areas

 25 billion for the procurement of COVID-19 medication and vaccines, and to finance operational expenses related to vaccination

Sotto said he is confident the government could finance a new stimulus package, noting the Philippines has about 400 billion in unused budget per year.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Dozens of borough residents gathered in Grasmere on Saturday to protest the citys plans to bring a homeless shelter to the neighborhood this fall.

The Grasmere site, located at 1055 Hylan Blvd, is expected to house approximately 50 homeless women over age 50, and will be staffed with comprehensive social services and 24/7 security.

The shelter is planned for the location of a former doctors office at Hylan Boulevards intersection with Steuben Street, and will be operated by the Institute for Community Living. Single women receiving shelter there will need to be over the age of 50, including those with mental health challenges.

The plan has drawn the ire of elected officials and community members alike, who took issue with the lack of community engagement and what they perceived to be short notice on the announcement of the site.

Scenes from a protest against placing a homeless shelter in Grasmere (Hylan Blvd. and Steuben St.). March 27, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Among the organizers of Saturdays protest was Leticia Remauro, a candidate for borough president, who has repeatedly opposed the introduction of shelters throughout the borough, stating Staten Island communities arent the place for homeless shelters.

Our job here today is to find a way to stop this, Remauro said. This is a battle that we have to continue to fight, and I vow that I will fight it with you every single day.

The answer to the homeless problem is housing. The mayor has failed miserably in providing housing. He promised he would and he has failed. Now he wants us to pay for his failures, she added.

Leticia Remauro, flanked by Vito Fossella, left to right, John Tabacco, Sam Pirozzolo and George Wonica, spoke at the protest against placing a homeless shelter in Grasmere (Hylan Blvd. and Steuben St.). March 27, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez)

Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island), also a candidate for the borough presidency, has been outspoken in his opposition of the shelter, gathering outside the site on Wednesday with Deputy Borough President Ed Burke and members of the community to voice their concerns and pledge to fight the proposed plan.

Im going to give it everything I have like I always do, Matteo, whose district covers the area, said. Im not going to sit here and promise that we can stop it, but were going to do everything, everything we can, to do that.

While opposition to homeless shelters is often associated with NIMBY-ism  short for not in my back yard  Matteo said a better site for a possible shelter could be the buildings of the old South Beach Psychiatric Center, which is also in his district.

He admitted state ownership of that site would likely complicate things with the city, but that he wouldve liked to at least have the conversation about possible alternatives.

The city has also announced plans to bring a shelter for approximately 100 homeless men to a Stapleton site at 119 Tompkins Ave.

The Stapleton site, which has also drawn criticism from the community, will be located in the former New York Foundling building, and will be operated by Samaritan Daytop Village. That facility will be for adult men, including those facing mental health challenges.
Twenty years ago the Macleay River sloshed through Kempsey just as it did a week ago, and in 1949, 1950, 1963, 2009 and 2012.

In 2001, the media snapped photographs of a barmaid serving beers to men in boats from a first-floor window. Meanwhile, at nearby Crescent Head two metres of water over the road into town had trapped 1600 people.

Aerial view of a flooded Kempsey this week. Credit:Luke Jones

The madness set in gradually. The first night the marooned pursued hangovers at the pub. The second night quite a few fornicated on the beach. Night three saw 4WD owners start to flee only to stall in the floodwater and await rescue by annoyed police in Tinnies.

Two decades later and Crescent Head was cut off again for nearly a week. Maybe a year of COVID-19 muted the madness, but four-wheel drives ownership still bestows that omnipotent feeling on the Mid North Coast.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 12:13:58|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writers Li Jizhi, Ren Ke

BRUSSELS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden resumed a disrupted tradition on Thursday night to join his counterparts in the European Union (EU) for policy alignment, as the latter met online to discuss a number of key issues, ranging from combating the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging with Turkey to the economic recovery and the role of the euro.

While Biden's appearance was generally welcomed by the heads of state or government who hailed that "America is back," his attempt to revamp the transatlantic relationship will inevitably face uncertainties, especially after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the two sides must overcome differences before they can smoothly work together.

NEW CHAPTER OR CLOCK BACK

Appearing in a video conference with the European leaders at the invitation of European Council President Charles Michel, Biden turned out to be the first U.S. president to show up at an EU summit in 11 years. His predecessor Donald Trump failed to attend any EU meeting, while Barack Obama and George W. Bush both joined their EU counterparts on such occasions.

"It was an opportunity for the president of the United States to express his vision about the future cooperation between the EU and the U.S., and it was also an opportunity for us, the EU, to express our strong commitment to this fundamental transatlantic alliance," said Michel at a press conference following the meeting.

During the virtual meeting, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to revitalizing transatlantic relations and called for close cooperation on common challenges, including combating COVID-19, tackling the threat of climate change and deepening economic ties, among other issues, according to a White House statement.

"More than ever now, the United States and the European Union have a responsibility for the generations to come as we know the decisions we can take together on subjects such as security, democracy, stability will have an impact for years to come," said Michel.

But the expectation for a rapid revitalization of the transatlantic partnership may have been dampened as Merkel insisted that the EU should learn to rely on its own. "This is about living what we call 'European sovereignty,'" she told a press briefing after Thursday's summit, referring to China policies of Europe and the United States.

She said she has been working hard to contribute to a common policy of the EU on China. "We have a lot in common with the U.S., but not identical. This is for sure," she added.

Finnish geopolitical analyst Markku Siira is among a number of observers who are skeptical about the U.S. true intentions. "When the United States say the democratic values are back on the agenda, they basically mean that Washington wants to turn back the clock to the 1990s, when they had this uni-polar position in global affairs," he told Xinhua on Friday.

"As Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said, the EU and the U.S. don't agree on everything, especially on China policy, I think this is the fundamental difference," said Siira. He said the EU would like to have more say in the world affairs, and set itself as an independent pole of influence, but it remains to be seen whether it will succeed.

Biden made his appearance after his State Secretary Antony Blinken wrapped up a three-day visit to Brussels on Thursday, in which he hoped to open a new chapter of transatlantic relations after four years of tensions under the Trump administration.

Despite a pledge to revitalize bilateral ties, the two sides failed to resolve some major and ongoing disputes, such as the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that aims to transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.

VARIANTS SPREAD VS VACCINE ROLL-OUT

Racing against time for more vaccines to contain the new COVID-19 variants remains top priority, both for the United States and for the EU.

"We were able to identify subjects that we will be focusing on together, of course COVID-19 is one of them and the need to guarantee vaccines and the supply chains as well," Michel said when explaining the transatlantic agenda at the virtual press conference late on Thursday.

In comparison to the United States and Britain, the European continent has suffered a slower-than-expected progress in the vaccination roll-out, mainly because of the limitations of the pharmaceutical companies' production capacity and supply chains.

But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also blamed some companies' failure to honor their commitments for the vaccine shortage, and boasted that the EU is the biggest exporter of COVID-19 vaccines with 77 million doses sold to the rest of the world since Dec. 1, 2020.

She said on Thursday the 27 EU member states have received some 88 million doses of the vaccines and 62 million have been administered. Among those vaccinated, only 18.2 million, or around 4 percent of the EU population had fully received two jabs.

"We could have been much faster if all pharmaceutical companies had fulfilled their contracts," she said, with a clear reference to AstraZeneca. She warned that the Anglo-Swedish firm would have to "catch up" before it is allowed to export doses outside of the bloc.

In the first quarter of 2021, AstraZeneca was supposed to deliver 90 million doses to the EU countries. Now the projection is that AstraZeneca will deliver just 30 million doses by the end of the first quarter. Despite the delays in vaccine deliveries, von der Leyen said the EU is still confident of having 70 percent of its adult population vaccinated by the end of summer.

The United States has a better vaccination result, with 30 percent of the population having received at least one shot. But the superpower is often criticized for hoarding up COVID-19 medicines or vaccines for its own use. In February, von der Leyen said the United States and Britain had systems in place that effectively blocked the export of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Reuters.

At the summit on Thursday, the EU leaders agreed to increase the production of vaccines in Europe to improve the roll-out of vaccination programs across member states. "It's absolutely vital, of course, that we keep on working to improve vaccine production in Europe, and improve our ability to distribute those to member states," Michel told a press conference.

Von der Leyen said the variant first detected in Britain was now in "practically all EU countries" and was the cause of the increase in new cases. Enditem
A jailed Vietnamese blogger serving an 11-year prison term for writing articles criticizing Vietnams government is being denied family visits after being transferred to a new prison following his refusal to appeal his sentence, his wife said on Friday.

Nguyen Tuong Thuy, an independent journalist and former RFA blogger, was recently moved from a Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency detention center and sent to the Bo La prison in Binh Duong province, Thuys wife Nguyen Thi Lan said.

Yesterday I went to the Bo La detention center to visit my husband. I arrived at 11:00 a.m. but couldnt see him as the doors had been locked, and I had to wait until 1:30 p.m. to send him some food, Lan said, adding that prison staff accepted her delivery of food but refused to let her visit or speak with Thuy.

They explained that they were not allowed to do this, as they had to follow instructions from the Ho Chi Minh City police, she said.

Lan said she was shown a February 2021 police notice suspending prison visits and consular contacts due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, but insisted that this was still against the law. The law stipulates that anyone temporarily detained is still allowed to see their family at least once a month.

Even with concerns over COVID-19, the guards should have allowed her to see her husband at a distance or speak to him on the phone, Lan said.

However, I had no choice but to accept their decision, as [the detention officers] are the ones who have the authority, Lan said, adding she had heard that a prisoner being held on a drugs charge at the same facility had been allowed to call and speak to their family.

I think the guards were just making excuses, she said. I dont know why they would say what they did, but I believe they were just following their superiors instructions and not the law.

Calls seeking comment from the Bo La detention center were not picked up on Friday.

Civil rights, freedom of speech

Nguyen Tuong Thuy, who had blogged on civil rights and freedom of speech issues for RFAs Vietnamese Service for six years, was sentenced on Jan. 5 with two other bloggerslike Thuy members of the Vietnam Independent Journalists Associationwho were handed lengthy jail terms at the same time.

Arrested in May 2020, Thuy was indicted along with Pham Chi Dung and Le Huu Minh Tuan on Nov. 10 for making, storing, and disseminating documents and materials for anti-state purposes under Article 117 of Vietnams Penal Code.

Sentenced with Thuy, Pham Chi Dung was given a 15-year prison term, while Le Huu Minh Tuan was jailed for 11 years.

Thuy later refused to appeal his sentence, tearing up a petition form given to his after prison guards told him what to write on it, Thuys lawyer told RFA in an earlier report.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Vietnam 175 out of 180 in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index. About 25 journalists and bloggers are being held in Vietnams jails, where mistreatment is common, the Paris-based watchdog group said.

Vietnams already low tolerance of dissent deteriorated sharply last year with a spate of arrests of independent journalists, publishers, and Facebook personalities as authorities continued to stifle critics in the run-up to the ruling Communist Party Congress in January.

Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Chennai, March 27 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Saturday assured the people of Kanyakumari district that the Central government's International Container Transhipment Terminal project would not be allowed to come up.

Palaniswami, who was campaigning for the AIADMK and BJP candidates in the district, said that local sentiments are not in favour of the project and, therefore, it would not be allowed.

He travelled the district on Saturday addressing people at several places, including Thovalai and Panagudi.

Taking a dig at the opposition DMK and its ally Congress, Palaniswami told the voters, "The opposition parties are notorious for misleading the electorate through false information, but I assure you that the Kanniyakumari Container Transhipment Terminal project will not be allowed here." With the Lok Sabha bypoll in Kanyakumari scheduled on April 6, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister asked the people to vote for BJP candidate and former Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan. He said that voting for the ruling parties at the state and the Centre results in better coordination for delivery of welfare schemes.
Arpin of Rhode Island earns the prestigious 2020 Customer Loyalty Award

Arpin of Rhode Island, Arpin Van Lines flagship agency, recently earned the prestigious 2020 Customer Loyalty Award. This award is given to moving companies that achieve a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 70 or above on their post-move customer service questionnaires.

"Our agents go above and beyond to create really wonderful experiences for our customers," said Mark Kirschner, CEO of Arpin Van Lines. A Net Promoter Score of 70 is world-class, up there with Apple and Southwest Airlines. Were proud to announce that Arpin of Rhode Island has done such a wonderful job of servicing their customers in 2020 that they garnered such high ratings.

The Customer Loyalty program is designed to recognize exceptional moving companies in the Arpin Van Lines network that offer the highest possible quality experiences to customers using their services.

Arpin of Rhode Island garners the distinguished 2020 Spire Award for outstanding customer service

Arpin of Rhode Island recently earned the distinguished 2020 Spire Award, which honors moving companies that consistently provide an excellent moving experience for their customers.

"Our goal as a van line is to focus on our customers," said A.J. Schneider, President of Arpin Van Lines. Were proud to announce that Arpin of Rhode Island has done such a wonderful job of treating people well in 2020 that they have achieved this prestigious award.

The Spire program is designed to recognize moving companies in the Arpin Van Lines network that offer quality experiences to those using their services. It combines customer feedback and other service excellence performance metrics throughout the moving process to determine whether the agent has met the high-quality criteria.

Arpin of Rhode Island takes home the Bronze Hauling Award in 2020

Although the household goods moving sector in the United States was forecast for a 21.4% decline in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arpin of Rhode Island was able to keep its crews working and moving families throughout the year; ultimately earning Arpin Van Lines Bronze Hauling Award for 2020. Arpin of Rhode Island is one of only nine Arpin Van Lines agencies to achieve the Bronze Hauling Award in 2020.

Arpin Van Lines is the fourth largest household goods carrier in the United States, and Arpin of Rhode Island  alongside about 400 agencies nationwide  partners with the van line for all interstate moves. Arpin Van Lines hauling award program recognizes agencies within the network who transport the goods of customers moving into or out of New England over the course of the year.

Our industry boils down to having quality people and quality equipment to move our customers furniture and other goods from one home to another, said Mark Kirschner, CEO of Arpin Van Lines. We couldnt do what we do without local moving companies like Arpin of Rhode Island. We appreciate their hard work every year, but especially in 2020 with the many new challenges they overcame.

Arpin of Rhode Island is located at 99 James P. Murphy Highway in West Warwick, RI 02893
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 25-year-old Cleveland man faces charges that accuse him of injuring several people as he barreled through a busy intersection in an East Cleveland police into Cleveland, police reports say.

Steven Robinson is charged with aggravated vehicular assault, obstructing official business and fleeing and eluding, according to East Cleveland Municipal Court.

Records do not say when Robinson will appear in court.

The pursuit started just before 10 a.m. Tuesday at Hayden and Savannah avenues, according to a pursuit report. A police officer stopped Robinson primarily because he did not have a license plate and also because he had heavily-tinted windows, reports say.

Police say Robinson looked like he was getting his drivers license and registration papers, but instead, put his car into drive and drove away, reports say.

Police followed after Robinson through side streets at speeds up to 80 mph, reports say.

The pursuit lasted for three minutes. Robinson lost control of the SUV and crashed into several cars at the intersection of East 105th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Robinson got out of the SUV and ran to a laundromat to hide, reports say. He tried to hide behind a door, but an officer ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. Police took him into custody.

Police found that Robinson had several felony warrants, reports say.

The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately available Saturday morning.

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Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
China firm in safeguarding national sovereignty, security: FM spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:51, March 27, 2021

China is above-board and open, and has sufficient determination and ability to resolutely defend its national sovereignty and security, while safeguarding its interests and dignity, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a press briefing at which a video was presented to reporters.

The video showed Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking about the three-fold purpose of the U.S. military's presence in Afghanistan. One of the stated purposes, he said, is the containment of China.

"Well, the CIA would want to destabilize China, and that would be the best way to do it, to foment unrest and join with those Uygurs (in Xinjiang) in pushing the Han Chinese in Beijing from internal places rather than external," Wilkerson said.

Commenting on the video, Hua said, "As you have just seen, the former senior U.S. official who helped instigate the Iraq War admitted himself that the so-called Xinjiang issue was nothing but a U.S. strategic plot to destabilize and contain China from within."

She added that, in this "blockbuster" directed by the United States, some politicians from the United States and some of its allies, as well as some media outlets, have played an extremely disgraceful role.

Either they colluded with anti-China forces, creating groundless rumors and baseless slander, or they chose to believe the lies fabricated by a few anti-China forces, rather than listening to the common aspirations of more than 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and accepting the basic facts of Xinjiang's development and progress, Hua said.

Now, the United States and some of its Western allies began to make an issue of the cotton production in Xinjiang, falsely asserting the existence of sensational "crimes" there, such as "forced labor" and "forced sterilization," and even "genocide," while imposing sanctions on relevant Chinese institutions and individuals on this ground, the spokesperson added.

"We warn the U.S. side that today's China is neither Iraq nor Syria, nor the late Qing Dynasty under the cruel oppression of the Eight-Power Allied Forces. China is above-board and open. Facts and truth will lay bare all malicious lies and rumors against China," she said.

(Web editor: Liu Ning, Bianji)
A decade after the first sargassum blooms were spotted in the South Atlantic, these massive brown mats of macro-algae represent one of the largest ecological threats to the Caribbean, a mega-diverse region whose tens of millions of inhabitants heavily depend on tourism and natural resources.

Now 2021 looks like it will be particularly bad, scientists predict. The floating sargassum bloom has shown accelerated growth since December, according to satellite monitoring reports carried out by the University of South Florida and NASA.

The crisis is coming again for the Caribbean coasts, warns Alejandro Bravo Quesada, specialist in marine oceanography and the director of Ocean Solutions Mexico. Meanwhile, the suspected causes of this sargassum surge - including deforestation and increased fertilizer use in the Amazon region, along with climate change - are continuing unabated.

The latest reports show the amount of sargassum in the sea went from 3.2 million tons in December to 4.6 million tons in February - four times more than reported in February 2020. The monitoring reports indicate this is comparable to the record amounts seen in 2018 and 2019, when the brown sargassum tide transformed the Caribbean coasts of turquoise waters and white sands.

The sargassum phenomenon has begun to show some behavior patterns since we started to observe it more carefully, in 2015, said Bravo Quezada, who advises the Mexican state government of Quintana Roo about this phenomenon. The blooming season begins early in the year and has its highest peaks in the summer, showing a significant decline in the winter. We see that it has annual periods of greater intensity, then less and then it rises again. These patterns indicate that most likely this year we will have large quantities.

At 33 square miles, the sargassum belt as of February was south of the Lesser Antilles, which had already experienced minor landfalls. The dynamics of the maritime currents and the trajectory that the floating mats have followed in previous years allow experts to infer that the sargassum is likely to travel westward through the Caribbean region until it meets the Mexican coasts, where it circles back and heads to south Florida.

For the past six years, tourists have been greeted at Caribbean destinations by images of brown water, a foul odor, dead marine fauna and tons of accumulated algae on the coast, especially during peak periods of sargassum landfall.

The bad sights and smells are only the beginning of a regional environmental disaster if it is not managed soon, warns Rosa Elisa Rodriguez, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexicos Institute of Limnology and Marine Sciences.

The sargassum piling up on the coasts already affects seagrass meadows, mangroves, reefs and beaches, and threatens the economy of regions that essentially live on tourism, including Quintana Roo in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize and Aruba, among others.

Although there is currently no consensus figure on the economic effect of the sargassum in the Caribbean, Edmund Bartlett, co-chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center, said in 2019 that governments spent about $120 million trying to clean Caribbean beaches, with limited success.

This estimate does not include the amount that each hotel allocates to clean up its own beachfront every day, which hotel owners estimate can total $60,000 annually for a medium-size hotel. The estimates varies widely, depending on the beach size, location and the quantity of sargassum to be removed.

In addition to cleaning costs, some hotels might be losing money because of a decline in tourist arrivals. For example, between 2018 and 2019, Cancun had a drop in hotel occupancy that in some cases reached 15 percent, says Abelardo Vara Rivera, honorary president of the Cancun, Puerto Morelos and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association.

Over the past year, the hotel industry has suffered an additional crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means the sargassum problem is not in the spotlight, but if the ecological threat is not addressed, it could worsen, warns Vara Rivera.

The environmental and economic effects have led to a desperate search for solutions from the scientists and governments in many countries, but have yet to lead to effective actions.

In June 2019, the first international convention to address the sargassum problem was held in Cancun, Mexico. Representatives from 13 Caribbean countries agreed to work together to address the phenomenon. The commitment was endorsed in a second meeting four months later on the island of Guadalupe.

Nevertheless, it is a complex problem to address, starting with its origin, says biologist Adan Caballero Vazquez of the Yucatan Center for Scientific Research, who has studied the invasion of this macro-algae and its associated fauna for many years. Caballero Vazquez says the sargassum that reaches the Caribbean does not come from the famous Sargasso Sea, located in the Bermuda Triangle area, for the composition of the algae in the two regions is quite different.

Some have taken to calling this relatively new phenomenon of sargassum accumulation between the coasts of Brazil and Africa, in the South Atlantic, the New Sargasso Sea.

Alfonso Aguirre Munoz, former director-general of the Group of Ecology and Conservation Islands, said the new sargassum biomass originates along the Atlantic coast of Africa and the mouth of the Congo River and is swept along by a marine currents that circulate through tropical latitudes. It passes across the mouth of the Amazon River, where it is fed by the increasing outflow of nutrients, and along the northeastern coast of Brazil, finally reaching the Caribbean Sea and continuing on through th Gulf of Mexico to the coast of Florida.

New Sargasso Sea

Hypotheses about the origin of this New Sargasso Sea and its arrival to the Caribbean are many, but experts increasingly agree that several factors are probably at work.

Rosa Isela Rodriguez Martinez, one of the first scientists to study the behavior of this algae, points to the increase in ocean nutrients originating from the discharge of pollutants into the mouth of the Amazon River. Among the nutrients are algae fertilizers such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Too, increasing deforestation and agricultural production in the Amazon River Basin over the past decade is thought to be putting more sediment into the river and thus more nutrient into the rivers outflow to the sea.

Off the coast of Africa, meanwhile, Sahara Desert dust, which also contain some of these nutrients, gets blown into the eastern Atlantic, then flows along the westerly marine current toward the Americas. In addition, increasing ocean temperatures resulting from climate change benefit algae growth, analysts say. Caballero Vazquez says that the explosive growth of sargassum over the past decade could be the sum of all these factors.

Caballero Vazquez says algae from the original Sargasso Sea are poor in nutrients, while those from the New Sargasso Sea have high concentrations of nutrients and heavy metals. Caribbean waters are historically oligotrophic, meaning they typically have a very low nutrient load, hence its picturesque blue color and legendary transparency. But when the sargassum algae reaches the coast, they completely transform ecosystems and landscape.

Visible and invisible evidence

In terms of environmental effects, the primary problem is algae rotting in the sea, which produces a foul odor and releases liquids known as leachates that load the water with nutrients.

These leachates drain into the sea and form what we call the brown tide. At this point there is already important bacterial growth in sargassum, and within this brown tide the oxygen concentrations levels drop a lot, Rosa Rodriguez said.

In marine zones with high sargassum concentrations and the brown tide effect, meadows of seagrass tend to die off because since they need oxygen and light to survive, Rosa Rodriguez said.

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Seagrasses are highly important to the coast because they serve as refuges, habitat and food for hundreds of marine species. In addition, they protect the coast from erosion, reduce the seas strength during storms and hurricanes and serve as a valuable sink to store carbon.

In 2018, Rodriguez said, scientists began to register a rising death toll of marine species - fish, crustaceans, octopuses, sea cucumbers - in zones with high sargassum concentrations on the beaches. A study showed that in the accumulated sargassum along the beaches of Quintana Roo were found the corpses of 78 animal species.

+4 A decade after BP spill, Gulf of Mexico has rebounded, but wounds still visible It's been 10 years since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 people and spewing about 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf 

Gonzalo Merendiz Alonso, executive director at Amigos de Sian Kaan, says the sargassum is also affecting mangrove forests, wildlife refuges, habitats and the breeding of hundreds of fish species.

Since 2015, some Caribbean countries have taken measures to mitigate the effects of sargassum on the coasts. In Mexico, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources issued a series of guidelines for the treatment of algae. For example, burying sargassum in the sand, a recurring practice until 2018, is forbidden. Sargassum collection must be carried out with specified machinery, so that it does not damage sea turtles, and algae must be taken to a proper waste disposal site.

However, the coasts already show visible effects. Hydrogeologist Guadalupe Velazquez of the Research Center for Sustainable Development says that in the town of Puerto Morelos in Quintana Roo, beaches have suffered from serious erosion and compaction. Thats because in the process of removing algae, many pounds of sand are also taken away and because of the pressure from the continuous crossing of machinery.

When there are meteorological phenomena, it can be seen how the sea is gaining more and more ground on the coast, Velazquez said.

The problems caused by the excessive landfall of sargassum does not end when it is taken off the beach, because to date only one municipality, Puerto Morelos, has set up a final disposal site with a geomembrane to avoid the pollution of soil by leachates. Other municipalities, in the best of cases, dispose of the sargassum at sites specifically set up for this type of organic waste, located far from urban zones.

Alejandro Lopez Tamayo, president of the Centinelas del Agua organization, says that the Yucatan Peninsula region in Mexico has a system of porous karstic ground, with an aquifer a few yards deep. Without appropriate processing, the leachates released during the rotting of sargassum easily seep into the water table and the aquifer, polluting the soil and water, he says.

Another study led by the academic Rosa Rodriguez Martinez also shows the presence of polluting elements in the sargassum, such as arsenic, copper, manganese and molybdenum, which in high concentrations can be harmful for humans beings, plants and animals.

Scientists warn that, in the long term, the effects of sargassum in the main coastal ecosystems could devastate the Caribbean Sea and the economies of the region, which are highly dependent on their natural resources.

Mexicos approach

For five years, the Mexican government has failed to contain or reduce the problem. At first, Quintana Roos government, municipalities and hotels were in charge of cleaning beaches. That entailed investments of tens of thousands of dollars to build barriers, buy machinery, pay workers and transport and dispose of the waste.

In 2019, Quintana Roo created a government advisory council to manage the sargassum, in conjunction with scientists and business owners. Several initiatives for the integrated management of sargassum were started, from monitoring and collection at sea and on the beaches, to final disposal and even industrialization, by turning the organic waste into useful byproducts. The proposed projects would be funded with joint contributions from the three levels of government.

But because of conflicts among the stakeholders and outrage arising from suspected interference from an official in the drafting of contracts, the main project, nicknamed Caribbean Shield, was discarded.

Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexicos president, ordered the Secretariat to take charge of the issue. One of the first strategies implemented was the collection of sargassum in the open sea, following up on the advisory councils recommendations. Five deep draft vessels were assigned to carry out this task.

Nevertheless, the support from the federal agency is minimal and comes with high operational costs. From 2019 to September 2020, only 304 tons of sargassum was collected in the sea, barely 1.6 percent of the 18,317 tons collected on public beaches by municipal city councils in Quintana Roo.

During seasons with a surge of sargassum, beginning at dawn hundreds of temporary workers hired by the city councils and hotels pick up tons of wet algae to keep it from rotting on the beach. When the tourist comes to the beach, he has to see everything clean, a crew chief yelled out to his workers.

Sargassum represents a serious threat to the Mexican Caribbean tourism industry, the most powerful in Latin America. If a prompt solution to the problem is not sought, consequences for the future could be fateful, Rodriguez Martinez said.

Quinta Roo alone receives 14 million visitors annually in a typical pre-Covid year, with a contribution to the national gross domestic product of more than $2 billion, according to reports from the Tourism Secretariat.

Destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel offer the beauty of their beaches as the main attraction to lead the Latin American tourism market. But at beaches with high sargassum concentrations, especially in the bays and reef lagoons where the algae becomes stagnant, the water color has changed from turquoise to brown, altering the landscape even when it is not the sargassum season. Examples of this phenomenon can be found on the coasts of Puerto Morelos and Xcalak, as well as the bays of Sian Kaan.

Solutions still uncertain

Currently, there are several proposals to harvest and process the sargassum in the Caribbean, a measure that would solve part of the problem by transforming the algae into a resource with commercial value, according to promoters.

One of the most advanced projects is from the company Dianco Mexico, which plans to start operations in Cancun in mid-April to transform sargassum into biofertilizer. Another planned product of the company is cellulose.

CEO Hector Romero says that the factory will have the capacity to process up to 600 tons of algae daily.

Other proposals suggest the algae can be used in the livestock feed industry, in the cosmetic industry or to generate biofuel.

But to Adan Caballero, the research available to date on the algae of the New Sargasso Sea is not enough to establish its potential use, because the contaminants it contains could represent a risk to public health.

The original Sargasso Sea has several associated industries and large studies that support the use of its algae, but the studies we have on the sargassum affecting the Caribbean are still emerging, he says.

Meanwhile, the tide of sargassum keeps rising.

This story was produced by InfoAmazonia with support from Internews Earth Journalism Network.
Photo: The Canadian Press A view of the National Microbiology Laboratory is seen in Winnipeg, Tuesday, May 19, 2009. The president of the Public Health Agency of Canada is refusing to explain why two Canadian government scientists were let go 18 months after being escorted from Canada's highest security laboratory. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

In defiance of a House of Commons committee, the president of the Public Health Agency of Canada still won't explain why two government scientists were fired 18 months after being escorted from Canada's highest-security laboratory.

Iain Stewart had been given a deadline of Friday to provide an explanation to members of the special committee on Canada-China relations for why PHAC terminated the employment of Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, in January.

Instead, he sent the MPs a letter saying that the Privacy Act does not allow him to share "employment or labour-relations matters concerning public servants."

Questions about an RCMP investigation into the two Canadian government scientists should be directed to the Mounties, Stewart added.

The pair were escorted out of the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in July 2019 over what was described at the time as a possible policy breach and administrative matter.

In his letter Friday, Stewart linked their departure to a "number of review processes" initiated by PHAC in 2018, "relating to possible breaches of security protocols at the NML."

The Winnipeg lab is Canadas highest-security laboratory, designed to deal safely with deadly contagious germs such as Ebola.

PHAC has previously said the pair's escorted exit had nothing to do with the fact that four months earlier, Qiu had been responsible for a shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses to China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In his letter, Stewart said the pair "have had no access to PHAC facilities, infrastructure or assets" since July 2019.

Their employment was officially terminated last Jan. 20, and ever since, PHAC has steadfastly refused to reveal why. Stewart cited the Privacy Act in his letter to MPs.

"The Privacy Act does not expressly contemplate the provision of personal information to parliamentarians about employment or labour relations matters concerning public servants," he wrote.

However, Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said opposition members of the committee have no intention of letting the matter go.

Together with Bloc Quebecois MP Stephane Bergeron, they have forced an emergency committee meeting to be held next week.

At that meeting, Genuis said he will introduce a motion to compel PHAC to hand over to the committee all documents related to the two scientists, without any redactions. The motion will call for the parliamentary law clerk to vet the documents to determine what, if anything, needs to be blacked out for security or privacy reasons.

"We're certainly not going to let this go," Genuis said in an interview.

"Clearly, there's something more here ... We've clearly got a problem here and we're going to follow it up in a pointed way."

At a testy committee meeting earlier this week, Stewart said he would explore the option of providing an explanation to committee members in confidence. His letter Friday did not mention that option or why it has evidently been ruled out.

Genuis said witnesses can't simply ignore orders to provide information to Commons committees, which he argued "bear certain features in common with a court ... there is a requirement to respect motions."

"Parliamentary committees aren't just a group of people getting together to talk about a topic. They have particular powers as a function of the fact that we're a democracy and our institutions should be subject to democratic oversight."

The governing Liberals have been using procedural tactics to block opposition demands for more ministerial aides and civil servants to testify at committees examining the WE Charity affair and allegations of sexual misconduct in the senior ranks of the military.

On Thursday, government House leader Pablo Rodriguez accused opposition parties of an "abuse of power" and declared that aides will be instructed not to appear at committees in future, on the principle that it's cabinet ministers, not their staffers, who should be held accountable.

However, in the case of the PHAC president, Liberal committee members went along earlier this week with a motion ordering Stewart to explain the firing of the two scientists by mid-afternoon Friday. That motion, introduced by Genuis, passed unanimously.
A Harvard University professor who had close ties with Jeffrey Epstein and is accused of giving the disgraced financier an office on campus will be barred from starting new research or advising students for at least two years, the school announced Thursday.

Martin Nowak will be allowed to continue teaching during that period, but other contact with students will be limited and his research center is being shut down, according to a memo from Claudine Gay, dean of Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Nowak, a math professor, was placed on paid leave after a May 2020 review found that he violated school security rules by giving Epstein unrestricted access to campus. The review found that Nowak gave Epstein an office in Nowaks campus research center, along with a building key card, and allowed Epstein to visit even after the financiers 2008 sex crimes conviction.

The review also found that Nowak devoted a page to Epstein on the centers website and included links to the financiers websites, both at the request of Epsteins publicist. Epstein had no formal affiliation with Harvard at the time but had previously donated $6.5 million to help start Nowaks Program for Evolutionary Dynamics.

In a statement on Friday, Nowak said he is humbled to be able to return to my work at Harvard and immerse myself once again in this most remarkable of academic communities.

While I have always been grateful to anyone who would support my research, I regret the connection I was part of fostering between Harvard and Jeffrey Epstein and the hurt that it has caused, he said. I will take the lessons from this time with me as I move forward.

Epstein killed himself in a New York City jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing girls as young as 14 and young women in New York and Florida in the early 2000s. In lawsuits, women say the abuse spanned decades.

Harvard announced the new sanctions against Nowak after a further review found that he violated several policies around professional conduct, campus access and other areas. In her memo, Gay said Nowaks penalties are proportionate to the severity of the behavior but also allow for the possibility of productivity and improvement.

Nowaks research center will be shut down as soon as it is feasible, Gay said, and Nowaks research operation will be shifted to the universitys math department. After two years, Gay will decide whether to restore Nowaks privileges, she said.

Ellen Zucker, a lawyer for Nowak, said shes pleased that Nowak can return to his position and continue his research. But she also said its a tired truth of organizational dynamics that individuals, and not institutions, are too often left alone to take responsibility when things go wrong.

Harvards 2020 review found that the university accepted more than $9 million from Epstein during the decade leading up to his conviction but barred him from making further donations after that point.

It concluded that Epstein visited campus more than 40 times after his conviction, including as recently as 2018. The visits stopped after other researchers complained to Nowak about Epsteins presence, investigators said.

The report cleared Harvards senior leaders of wrongdoing, saying they acted appropriately in their dealings with Epstein. Although most of the funding from Epstein had been spent by last year, the school said it donated a remaining $200,000 to groups that support victims of sex trafficking and assault.

Other universities have also faced scrutiny over their ties to Epstein, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The former director of MITs famous Media Lab, Joi Ito, resigned in 2019 amid uproar over his financial connections to Epstein. He issued a public apology and vowed to raise money for victims of trafficking.
London, March 28 : Another 4,715 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,329,180, according to official figures released on Saturday.

The country also reported another 58 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 126,573. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nearly 30 million people in Britain have been given the first jab of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.

Earlier on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said England is still on course for a "roadmap to freedom," but warned of the impact of Europe's third wave of infections on Britain.

Speaking at the virtual Conservative Party spring conference, Johnson said while "we are in a different world from last spring" there was a need to be "honest about the difficulties ahead".

Johnson said there were still unanswered questions about the impact of a third coronavirus wave from Europe, adding that "bitter experience" had shown a wave like the one in Europe would hit Britain "three weeks later".

"The question is -- is it going to be, this time, as bad it has been in the past? Or have we sufficiently mitigated, muffled, blunted impact by the vaccine rollout? That's a question we still don't really know the answer to," he said.

On February 22, Johnson announced his long-anticipated "roadmap" exiting the lockdown, the third of its kind since the start of the pandemic. The March 8 reopening of schools was the first part of the four-step plan, which is expected to see all legal restrictions in England being removed by mid-June.

The National Health Service (NHS) England has warned that Britain is going to face a "significant reduction" in vaccine supplies from March 29 onwards.

British Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said Friday that the government was "on course" to meet its target of offering a first dose to the top nine priority groups by April 15 and all adults by the end of July.

Experts have warned Britain is "still not out of the woods" amid concerns over new variants and the risks of the public breaching restriction rules.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the US as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Kolkata, March 27 : Voters in West Bengal were found queuing up in large numbers outside polling stations across the 30 assembly constituencies with 36.09 polling recorded in the first five hours on Saturday.

Over one-third of the 73 lakh electorates have already cast their votes by noon in five districts registering their choice from the 191 candidates who are in the fray on the first day of the eight-phase poll in the state.

There have been some reports of EVM malfunctioning at over 60 booths and allegations of violent incidents.

However, the serpentine queues showed people are aware of the importance of the crucial poll that is seeing a bitter battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress-led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the BJP that has pitched every high profile leader into the campaign.

The voters also have 21 women candidates to choose from in the first phase.

The approximate voter turnout trend till noon in Bankura district was 36.48 per cent, Jhargram 36.87, Paschim Medinipur 35.90, Purbo Medinipur 38.80 and Purulia 33.65 per cent, according to the Election Commission's voter turnout App.

In East Midnapore, two security personnel were reportedly injured in a firing incident that took place early Saturday at Satsatmal, Bhagwanpur Assembly constituency ahead of voting.

There was tension reported from Tulsidi village where a fire incident took place. Security forces are keeping a close vigil in the area, surrounded by forests that were once Maoist hideouts.

There were reports of EVM malfunctioning at 20 booths in Bankura district, eight in Jhargram and 39 in Purulia. The EVMs in various booths had stopped working temporarily due to a technical glitch. The people said they waited for over two hours to cast their votes.

In Purulia, allegations were raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against former minister and Trinamool candidate of purportedly distributing cash among the voters. The BJP has filed a complaint with the poll body.

Suvendu Adhikari's brother and BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari accused Trinamool Block President Ram Govind Das and his wife for poll rigging at three polling booths, saying "my arrival here created problem for them to continue with their mischief, so they attacked my car and thrashed my driver".

Dibyendu Adhikari another of the Adhikari siblings, told media that he got to know that his brother's vehicle was attacked in Contai with help of TMC Block President Ram Govind Das. "Soumendu isn't injured. Driver was beaten up. I've informed Police Observer." There are seven seats in high-stakes Purba Medinipur -- the home ground of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. These seven -- Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri, Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar and Egra -- are ticked off as sensitive.

Polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security for the first phase when Jungal Mahal area in the south-western fringes that are said to Maoist affected are also voting. The polling will end at 6 p.m.

The polls are being closely watched because of prestige battles between Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool Congress man, who is now facing his erstwhile supremo Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh cast his vote at a polling booth in Jhargram during the polling.

Compared to first two hours in the morning, the number of voters increased manifold on polling booths with all section of citizens seen enthusiastically exercising their franchise. Women, particularly the first-time voters, carrying voter slips and Aadhar cards were seen standing in long queues. Special police officers deputed for election duty helped the aged and the physically challenged voters at the polling stations.

Youth, who exercised their franchise for the first time, expressed happiness. At many places, students who came in groups waited in queues and cast their vote.

Of the five assembly elections scheduled in four states and one Union Territory, West Bengal has the maximum number of seats and highest phases staggered into eight.

The other seven phases to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. Results will be declared on May 2.

The Election Commission has deployed around 684 companies of central forces that would guard 10,288 polling booths housed in 7,061 premises, officials said.

Besides, the state police is also deployed at strategic locations.

In the first phase, a total of 73,80,942 electorates will cast their votes. Of them, 37,52,938 are male and 36,27,949 female, while there are 55 third gender voters.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Sorry, no jab means you cannot come in Stopping international travel into Victoria, albeit only for the short-term, was a very wise and effective measure. With the proposed reintroduction of international travel and talk of improved hotel quarantine, including vaccination of frontline workers, everyone seems to be missing the bleeding obvious. That is to allow the entry of only vaccinated travellers.

Peter Knight, St Arnaud The importance of early testing for travellers The new guidelines for returned travellers still indicates that they will not be tested until they have located their baggage, been through customs and boarded a bus to take them to a city hotel. Until we hear that they will be checked and tested before they move into the arrivals lounge, we cannot be sure that no infection will be passed on to workers and others that they may encounter during the transition through the airport and while being transported to their hotel.

Margaret Smithers, Southbank Twice bitten, were three times shy, Premier

After two outbreaks resulting from hotel quarantine, why is our state government insisting on reintroducing it, thereby risking yet another lockdown, rather than building the purpose-built facility at Avalon airport?

Doug Springall, Yarragon Lets keep wearing masks and social distancing The relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions combined with the resumption of flights into Victoria when we are still not anywhere near all vaccinated is a recipe for new cases in our community. Why take the risk? Why not keep up masks in supermarkets and crowded spaces? It is not that much of an imposition after we have all become used to being careful. Oh, I forgot. The economy is worth more than our lives. Silly me.

Fiona McHugh, Preston WOMENS STORIES In an emotional press conference this week, Scott Morrison said it had been a traumatic month for many Australians, as he and the nation were confronted by the issue of violence against women. He said he had been listening to womens stories, and was horrified that all women have put up with this rubbish and this crap for their entire lives, as their mothers did, as their grandmothers did. He said he would continue to listen.To

day, we are running letters from our women readers with similar experiences. We hope the Prime Minister, and all those in power, will read them. All letters are published with name withheld for legal reasons. National Sexual Assault, Familyand Domestic Violence Counselling Line: 1800 737 732. Lifeline: 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au I am a woman and a survivor of child sexual abuse by a family friend. I put up with sexual harassment and bullying in my work life, personal life and in public. I smiled and was polite and did not complain. That is what a good girl did. I have never spoken of this before now. Now in my 60s, I can finally put aside my shame and guilt and do so. I know I am one of many. I am so angry that generations of women born after me still have to put up with misogynistic behaviour. Let silent women tell their stories.

Name withheld My friend and I worked for IT companies and were on a regional trip visiting stores which sold our products. We invited one proprietor and his second in charge to dinner where they became extremely intoxicated. Both men made lewd and suggestive comments to my friend and I. After dinner we walked to the pub. The proprietor and I were separated from my friend and the other man. He bailed me up in an alleyway, against the wall, and demanded I perform oral sex on him, otherwise he would not order my products again.

Thankfully he was so drunk I was able to push him away. He was sacked the next morning for abusing a female staff member as she struggled with the lock to the front door. I never reported the incident for fear of being labelled a trouble maker and losing my career. I hope this man did not go on to hurt other women because I was afraid to speak out.

Name withheld I was 23 and raped at a party by a stranger. I woke up and he was on top of me, taking off my clothes. I was so drunk I could not consent, nor could I stop him. I told my friends and family days later. Not one person suggested I should go to the police. I also never reported it to the police because I did not trust them, or the law, to do anything. Every man I have told my story to has suggested that I did something to lead the man on or that it was a misunderstanding. Every woman I have spoken to about this has believed me. It has been 10 years and I still am fearful of men. I am afraid to date men or to live my life the way I deserve to. The fear and hurt never goes away.

Name withheld I was in grade 6 when my first sexual assault occurred on a tram. It took me about 10 seconds to realise the swollen throbbing thumb was actually the guy masturbating whilst rubbing my thigh. These stories continued on until my year 12 English exam when a lovely, stocky man bellowed to the guy who was dry humping me to Get the f--- off the packed tram at the next stop and then stood guard protectively of me when I crumbled in a heap, sobbing quietly until I got off at my stop. I was in my school uniform. I am 44. I have two daughters and I am terrified for them because I see how men look at them.

Name withheld My career was in a male-dominated industry. Three anecdotes (of many) before I turned 30. First, at 27, I was a finalist in an awards competition. At the awards ceremony, a male winner was announced. One of the men whod been on the interview panel said, You were the clear winner but we couldnt have a girl win two years in a row. He followed me around and tried to grope me on the dance floor. I left the event in tears.Se

cond, I overheard two senior managers, whom Id highly respected until then, discussing my recently announced promotion. She must have some skills. Yeah, sucking c--k. And third, I was grabbed and kissed by a smelly contractor when I was signing his timesheet late at night, with just the two of us on site. I kicked him out of the office but was terrified to walk to my car, alone in an industrial area. I banned him from site, and the companys state manager called me to apologise. Said the man would still have to attend site occasionally. I rejected this arrangement and my manager implied I was overreacting.

Name withheld I am a 50-year-old female from a middle-class Baptist family. In grade 2 or 3, I was taken by an older boy at school to a remote corner where he sexually assaulted me. Over the years I had men in passing cars shout slut, men stare and wolf whistle at me, and had my bottom pinched by a stranger. At church we were told women should be silent and men were the rightful leaders. At home I was slapped for taking up my hem, told I could not go out with friends, and body shamed. Women who were sexually assaulted were asking for it.Male colleagues told sexist and derogatory jokes about women, tried to infer I was in competition with female colleagues for the title of princess, counted my eggs, made pregnant women and new mums redundant, and were promoted over me when I was more qualified and experienced. I, too, am angry and tired like so many other women. I just want to be treated with dignity and fairness as an individual irrespective of my gender.

Name withheld In 1964 when I was 11, I was molested by our local Catholic priest. He ingratiated himself into the trust of my parents and took my two brothers and me to the beach one day. He encouraged my brothers to swim out while he taught me to float. It was during that teaching that he touched me between the legs.I righted myself in the water and told him to leave me alone. All the way home, he spoke only to my brothers, leaving me to feel that I had done something terribly wrong. I was so worried and found myself reliving and reviewing it the whole way home. I knew intuitively that I would be doubted. So I said nothing to my brothers or parents. I carried the anger about it all of my life. It did not damage my life, but it certainly gave me a healthy mistrust of authority and a clear understanding of male power. Years later, I read that the same priest had gone on to molest and rape many little girls. I felt so guilty that I had not told anyone back in 1964.

Name withheld

I was not intoxicated or in the wrong place when I was sexually harassed as a young girl. I was unable to understand this behaviour and was frozen in fear. I never told anyone until now. As a young woman I was harassed at a work conference. I did not report this. I quietly retreated to my room and locked myself in. My teenage daughter and I were threatened with rape by a carload of louts. I rang the police. They came to our home to write a report. They were supportive and thanked us as there had been similar abuses in our area. Recent reports have reawakened my feelings of terror and anxiety.

Name withheld When I was attacked by a stranger as I was leaving a party, the police grilled me on what I had been wearing and how much I had drunk. I was covered in scratches and bruises but they gave more time to what I had done during that day than the events around the attack. I found out the attackers name from the hosts and told the police. They never contacted me again. The guy got away with it, despite my injuries. The police did not care, it was demoralising.

Name withheld AND ANOTHER THING Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding Canberra

Liberal women need to speak their own truth, not Liberal male spin. We are sick of it.

Elizabeth Bolger, Eltham Tin ear. Glass jaw. A blind eye. On the nose. Maybe ScoMo could claim some credibility if he spoke in tongues.

Kieran Martin, Mallacoota Cabinet reshuffle: deck chairs on the Titanic.

Lyn Beaumont, Bentleigh Earth to Scotty. Is anyone there?

Mayda Semec, Brighton East Washington may have a swamp but Canberra certainly has a cesspool.

Ross Coulthard, Glen Iris

Its a cop-out to blame the atrocious behaviour on culture. Its the poor quality of the perpetrators and those who turn a blind eye to these actions.

Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont If the Coalition gets more women into Parliament, will it treat them any better?

Julie Carrick, Leopold Bring back Julia.

Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff Having worked for our most misogynistic PM, Credlin is laser sharp on the cause of the problem: Turnbull. Whod have thought?

Dick Davies, North Warrandyte Another day, another episode of Men Behaving Badly.

Krystyn Hendrickson, East Melbourne

For some political hopefuls, feigning sincerity has become an art form.

Jaroslaw Kotiw, Strathfieldsaye Its clear that Scotty from marketing was not born to rule after all.

John Bye, Elwood Recently ScoMo has pretended to be a pilot and a scientist. When will he pretend to be a prime minister?

Hans Pieterse, Narre Warren North Furthermore Did art curator Nina Miall really say slow practices and ideas have developed momentum (26/3)?

Anna Horsfall, Chirnside Park
Seoul, March 27 : Samsung Electronics said it has developed a new System-on-a-Chip (SoC) that can improve the performance of 5G networks in collaboration with US chip designer Marvell Technology Ltd.

The South Korean tech giant said the new SoC will be used in the company's network equipment, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and other radios, and plans to introduce the product in the second quarter of the year.

An SoC refers to an integrated circuit that integrates entire or most electric or computer systems, including a central processing unit, memory and input/output ports, onto a single substrate.

Samsung, the world's top memory chip maker and number 2 foundry firm, said its latest SoC can provide increased capacity and coverage to cellular radios, while decreasing their power consumption and size, reports Yonhap news agency.

"The new SoC is equipped to support both 5G and 4G networks simultaneously, and it can also save up to 70 per cent in chipset power consumption compared with previous solutions," Samsung said.

Samsung and Marvell have been closely working to develop network solutions. Last year, the two sides announced they are joining forces to develop 5G products, including radio architectures.

Their latest collaboration came amid Samsung's aggressive push to expand its presence in the 5G network equipment market.

The company recently signed deals with Japan's top mobile network operator NTT Docomo, as well as Canada's SaskTel and New Zealand's Spark to supply 5G solutions.

Marvell was the world's seventh-largest integrated circuit design firm in 2020 with its revenue at $2.9 billion, according to market researcher TrendForce.
Republican lawmakers in Alabama have introduced a half-dozen bills this year to block state and local authorities from enforcing any new federal restrictions on gun rights that might be coming down from Washington.

The Alabama legislation has not drawn much attention but that could change.

The recent mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado that left 18 people dead have caused President Biden to issue new calls for gun control, including a ban on assault weapons and stricter background checks on gun sales.

In addition to Alabama, Republicans in many states are sponsoring bills to try to negate any new gun restrictions approved by Congress and the Biden administration, the Associated Press reported.

Now is the time for conservatives to plant our flag for the cause of freedom and push back on any and all proposals that seeks to limit the 2nd Amendment, Rep. Wes Allen, a Republican from Troy, said in an email response to questions about his bills to block federal gun control laws.

Federal courts blocked laws passed by some states to nullify federal laws during the Obama administration, the AP reported.

Rep. Merika Coleman, a Democrat from Pleasant Grove, said bills that seek to block federal law with state law are more show than substance.

Some of that to me is more theater, Coleman said. Oftentimes on both sides of the aisle there are people that play to their own base. My Republican colleagues do understand that we have to uphold federal law in our state.

Tara Grove, a constitutional law professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, said questions about the constitutionality of bills like the ones proposed in Alabama are complex and can depend on details in the legislation.

Grove, who has taught constitutional law for 12 years, said the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution means that federal law applies in Alabama and that state court judges must apply it in their decisions. But the U.S. Supreme Court has not interpreted the Supremacy Clause to mean that the federal government can force state executive branch agencies to enforce federal law, Grove said.

While its unclear whether the bills would be unconstitutional, Grove said they are most likely problematic. For example, if the federal laws the bills are intended to block specifically give state and local officials the authority for enforcement, that would probably preempt any state law that sought to block enforcement by those officials.

Just imagine, for example, officials in Birmingham are happy to enforce federal gun law, Grove said. Officials in Tuscaloosa are happy to enforce federal gun law. But the state of Alabama passes a law that says you cant enforce federal gun law. And the federal gun law says you can enforce federal gun law. I think its quite possible that the federal law would be said to preempt the state law.

Grove said another possible problem with the bills is that Congress sometimes makes certain sources of federal funding to states contingent on state enforcement of federal laws.

Grove noted that the question of whether states can refuse to enforce federal gun laws has parallels to the dispute between the Trump Administration and sanctuary cities that would not enforce some federal immigration regulations, although in those cases it was Republicans taking the side of federal authority over local authority.

Grove said thats an example of how points of view on federal vs. state authority can change from issue to issue, whether its gun rights, or the rights to terminate a pregnancy, or immigration law.

Coleman said the gun bills follow a similar theme to the GOP-backed bills to change voting and election laws this year. She said those bills are a way to help promote the idea that President Trump lost the election last year because of problems with mail-in voting and other irregularities.

When you have conversations with people individually they understand that Joe Biden won this election, Coleman said. There was not this widespread fraud that happened. But again, when people are participating in theater and playing to the base they introduce pieces of legislation to do just that.

The Legislature has taken little action on gun bills so far this year but theres still time to do so after they return from their spring break on Tuesday.

Six of the bills aim to do essentially the same thing, saying that any new federal laws that would infringe on the Second Amendment in Alabama cannot be enforced by state and local agencies. The bills would impose sanctions and some include criminal penalties for enforcing federal laws. Two of the bills are proposed constitutional amendments that would require approval by voters.

Allen is the sponsor of two of the bills, including House Bill 349, called the Alabama Second Amendment Protection Act. It would prohibit state and local enforcement of federal gun control laws or regulations passed after Jan. 1, 2021.

HB349 intends to protect our law-abiding citizens ability to exercise our 2nd Amendment rights that is enshrined in the Bill of Rights, Allen wrote in an email. It is meant to be a check on any proposals that infringe on our right to self-defense coming from the Biden Administration or the democratic controlled congress. HB349 is about defending our God-given rights to protect our families and homes.

Other bills intended to block enforcement of new federal gun laws are by Reps. Tommy Hanes of Scottsboro, Shane Stringer of Mobile County, and Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa.

Dana Ellis of Hoover, leader of the Alabama Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, said the bills to block federal laws are a concern, in part, because she said they would cause confusion. Moms Demand Action is a volunteer organization that promotes laws and policies to reduce gun violence. Alabama consistently has one of the nations highest rates of gun violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It would be quite confusing to our citizens and quite confusing to law enforcement, Ellis said. So we oppose this because our interest is gun safety and gun violence prevention. And the confusion created doesnt support gun violence prevention. You would hate for an Alabamian to get into trouble thinking its OK to ignore federal law, when in fact its not.

On another gun rights issue, Sen. Gerald Allen is sponsoring a bill to repeal the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Alabama. Allen has pushed the same bill for years. It has passed the Senate before but has not passed the House.

Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals is sponsoring the same bill in the House for the third year in a row. Sorrell said support for what advocates call constitutional carry is growing. He had about six co-sponsors the first year but has 24 this year. He is probably still a couple of votes short of getting his bill approved by the House Public Safety Committee, which is needed before the bill has a chance to become law.

State law now requires a permit to personally carry a concealed handgun or to carry a handgun in a vehicle. No permit is required for carrying in a vehicle if the gun is unloaded and locked away, but Sorrell said that defeats the purpose of having a gun for protection, Sorrell said.

The Second Amendment says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, Sorrell said. And right now, requiring people to get a permit in order to carry a pistol concealed on their person or in their cars in my opinion is a clear and obvious infringement of their Second Amendment right. Youre charging somebody for the right to carry a gun. Thats like charging a poll tax or telling somebody they only have free speech if they get permission from their sheriff.

Ellis, the Moms Demand Action leader in Alabama, said the permit requirement is important, in part, because it requires a background check.

If the concealed carry permit was done away with, anyone could legally put a gun in their pocket in the state of Alabama without a background check, Ellis said. As an Alabama resident it gives me more of a sense of safety to know that anyone who has a concealed carry weapon on them has gone through a background check.

Ellis acknowledged a point advocates of lifting the permit requirement have made: Criminals are not going to follow the law anyway. But losing the permit requirement would take away a tool for law enforcement, she said, a point police and sheriffs have made in lobbying against the legislation.

Now, if somebody is carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, law enforcement can take action, Ellis said. They cant if this law passes.

Rep. Coleman, the Democrat from Pleasant Grove, is sponsoring gun legislation from a different perspective than the Republicans bills.

Her bill, the Gun Violence Protection Act, would set up a process for law enforcement, teachers, and family members to petition a court to order a person to temporarily surrender their firearms if they believe the person is about to hurt themselves or somebody else.

Nineteen states have similar laws, called red flag laws or extreme risk laws. Florida passed its law after 17 people died in a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., in 2018.

Under Colemans bill, a petitioner could request an ex parte order, which means the person named in the petition would not be notified until after the decision. They would have to surrender their firearms to a law enforcement officer. They could then challenge the order in court. The order could last up to a year and could be renewed.

Coleman noted that relatives of the alleged gunman in the Colorado shooting have said they believe he was delusional and mentally ill. He bought an assault weapon six days before the shooting.

Im a gun owner myself, Coleman said. Im not trying to take away peoples right to bear arms.

Its a tool that law enforcement can use where a person shows a risk to themselves or others, Coleman said.

Sorrell, sponsor of the bill to repeal the gun permit requirement, opposes red flag laws and has a bill that would block enforcement of risk protection orders, or orders to surrender firearms.

The fear is that people can turn you in and say that Andrew Sorrell is mentally unstable. We need to go take his guns away. And without any due process, you can be deprived of your Second Amendment rights. The government can send people to your House to take your gun away from you. And youve not been adjudicated mentally defective in a court. Youve not been convicted of anything criminally and you just lose your gun rights because somebody says, Hey, Andrew is a dangerous person.

Coleman said her bill would allow due process because the person surrendering their firearms could request a hearing to challenge the order, and the court would have to hold it within 14 days.

Moms Demand Action supports red flag laws like Colemans Gun Violence Protection Act bill. Family members and law enforcement are often the first to see warning signs of people in crisis who might be about to hurt themselves or others, the organization says.

Ellis said Moms Demand Action volunteers include gun owners and she understands the concern about ex parte orders, or ordering someone to surrender their guns without prior notice of the court hearing. But she said they could save lives, such as when a parent or spouse believes a loved one is at risk of harming themselves.

About half of Alabamas gun deaths are suicides. The rate of gun suicides in Alabama is far above the national average, according to Everytown Research & Policy, which is affiliated with Moms Demand Action.

I can remember times in my career when I was talking with a family after a loved one committed suicide, Ellis said. They were telling me, I knew something was wrong but I didnt know what I could do. So, if I became concerned that my son was suicidal, yes I would want an ex parte hearing to save his life.

Fredrick Vars, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law who has researched gun laws and suicides, said a red flag law in Connecticut has saved lives. Its been in place 1999.

Vars said there are concerns about due process but that laws in other states try to balance that by setting a high bar for when to issue orders -- when there is an eminent threat of harm from using a firearm.

As for the bills like Rep. Wes Allens that would block state and local law authorities from enforcing new federal gun control laws, Vars said they appear to be distinct from some earlier efforts by states to nullify federal laws, efforts that failed in court.

Whats different about this new round of bills, I think, is they are really just directed at state and local law enforcement, Vars said. And state and local law enforcement doesnt have a duty to enforce federal law.

But Vars said state and county law enforcement officers use federal gun laws in Alabama because the state law is less stringent on restrictions like possession of firearms by felons.

Alabama cant prevent the federal government from enforcing federal law in Alabama, Vars said. So to the extent any of these bills attempt to nullify the law, they cant really do that. But they can constrain state and local actors from whether or not they start enforcing federal law or continue enforcing federal law. So, thats a big issue.

Allens bill and others would only apply to new federal gun laws or regulations, those enacted after Jan. 1 of this year or later. Still, Vars said that could be an important difference if major changes come down from Washington.

For something like an assault weapons ban or universal background checks, that could put a serious impediment to enforcement and execution of those policies if state and local actors really do have their hands tied, Vars said.
Texas Department of Public Safety

A 37-year-old man wanted in the shooting of a Texas state trooper has died by suicide, authorities said.

The suspect, DeArthur Pinson Jr., was last seen around 6 p.m. Friday on Highway 84 in Coolidge, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The shooting happened near Mexia, roughly 170 miles northwest of Houston, the agency said.
Former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken was brought back from the brink of death by a 'medical miracle'.

The 78-year-old former Tory MP, who began a new career as a prison chaplain after he was jailed for perjury in the 1990s, survived two heart attacks during emergency surgery on his gut, which left him in an induced coma.

Friends told The Mail on Sunday that when doctors failed in their first attempt to wake him, a priest was called to perform the last rites.

A family source said: 'Doctors warned us he was slipping away and would likely have brain damage if he pulled through. After three days in a coma there was no change.

'He didn't wake up from the coma the first time they tried. A day later, they tried again and we all said a big 'hooray' when he came round. We had our first conversation with him and he was foggy, but all right. It was a miracle, frankly.'

The source added: 'Now his brain is fine, he's up and the only issue is his throat. He's being fed through a tube. His gut is working. He's such a fighter, the prison experience has taught him how to survive.'

Former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken was brought back from the brink of death by a 'medical miracle'

Mr Aitken, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in John Major's government, was jailed for 18 months in 1999 after admitting perjury and perverting the course of justice during a failed attempt to sue a newspaper for libel.

He had been an MP for Thanet in Kent for 23 years before losing his seat at the 1997 General Election.

His medical problems began a year ago when he began suffering from a mild internal bleeding condition which were exacerbated when he contracted Covid in March last year.

Then two weeks ago he attended hospital for a routine gut procedure to treat the problem. When he returned home, he became unwell and was taken to the Lister Hospital in Central London two days later.

'His gut basically died,' said the family source. 'During emergency surgery he had two heart attacks. Doctors put him in an induced coma when his organs began failing.'

Mr Aitken's son William, 37, a Dubai-based businessman, flew back to the UK as his father lay in intensive care, but had to go into quarantine at a Gatwick hotel.

Meanwhile, Mr Aitken was receiving support from a collection of religious friends who formed a WhatsApp group to pray for his survival.

The family was also contacted by high-profile wellwishers, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Tory Party co-chairman Ben Elliot, Prince Michael of Kent, Tory MP David Davis; the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; various Arab royals and Diane Abbott, whose son is Mr Aitken's godson.

Novelist and friend Lady Antonia Fraser held a candlelit vigil for him.

Mr Aitken's four children have since been making arrangements to fly into the UK from their homes around the world to see him once lockdown restrictions allow.

Mr Aitken, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury in John Major's government, was jailed for 18 months in 1999 after admitting perjury and perverting the course of justice during a failed attempt to sue a newspaper for libel

The family source added: 'This experience has been good in one way as it's brought the whole family together. They are united.'

A friend of Jonathan's wife, Elizabeth Rees-Williams, said: 'Jonathan has been speaking daily to Elizabeth. She has been stoic.

'She's determined to visit Jonathan and has been ringing the hospital daily talking to the doctors. At least his son William is here on UK soil and has had a video call with Jonathan. He has also managed to speak to his children in the US  Ally, Victoria and Petra.'

Mr Aitken was ordained in the Church of England in 2018. Several prisoners at HMP Pentonville, where Mr Aitken is a part-time chaplain, have sent messages of support.

A source said: 'Jonathan has changed their lives for the better and they wish him to get better very soon. The road to full recovery may be a long one... but as Jonathan said to Elizabeth yesterday: 'I'm winning; I'm winning!'

Last night, doctors at the Lister Hospital said they were pleased with Mr Aitken's progress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated India's "sincere and continued efforts" to conclude the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement in consultation with relevant stakeholders during his talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

Briefing reporters on Prime Minister Modi's two-day visit to Bangladesh, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the Teesta issue was discussed during the talks between the two leaders.

"Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's sincere and continued efforts to conclude this agreement in consultation with relevant stakeholders," he said in response to a question.

The Indian side also requested for early finalisation of the draft of the interim agreement for sharing of water of Feni River, pending with the Bangladesh side which had been agreed upon by both sides in 2011.

"River water cooperation is something that will continue...we have extensive cooperation," Shringla said.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hasina underscored that to alleviate the sufferings and save the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the Teesta river basin, it is necessary that Bangladesh receives its fair share of the Teesta waters, the draft agreement of which has already been agreed upon by both Governments in January 2011, according to a Joint Statement issued after the talks.

"The two leaders directed their respective Ministries of Water Resources to work towards an early conclusion of the Framework of Interim Agreement on sharing of waters of six common rivers, namely, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar," it said.

Two countries are currently cooperating on 56 rivers that flow between them. The cooperation in the area is very diverse as the use of water for drinking, irrigation and how we can work together to control flood and pollution, he said.

"We just had a meeting of the water-resources secretaries of the two sides in New Delhi... It was an excellent meeting. We are meeting and are talking about all the important issues, including the Teesta issue," Shringla said.

The Teesta river originates in Sikkim, flows through the northern parts of West Bengal, before entering Bangladesh and joining the Brahmaputra river.

The flow of the river is crucial for Bangladesh from December to March during which the country requires 50 per cent of the rivers water supply.

The Teesta deal was set to be signed during then Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit to Bangladesh in September, 2011 but was postponed at the last minute due to objections raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Banarjee had expressed strong reservations against giving Bangladesh a greater share of water from the Teesta river.

The two prime ministers directed the Joint Technical Committee, formed for the purpose, to expeditiously commence the feasibility study of the Ganges-Padma barrage and other alternative options in Bangladesh for optimum utilisation of the Ganges waters received by Bangladesh as per the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, 1996.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hasina sought steps to bring down the "border incidents" to zero level, her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told reporters.

Both leaders emphasised the importance of effective border management for ensuring a tranquil, stable and crime free border, the Joint Statement said.

Bangladesh has repeatedly complained that villagers along the borders were often killed by Indian border guards.

During the talks, Hasina expressed her concerns about the "border incidents" which she said increased in recent period, Karim said.

Both sides agreed that any death at the border is a matter of concern and directed the concerned border guarding forces to enhance people-oriented measures for ensuring border security and bring down such death of civilians to zero, the Joint Statement said.

Bangladesh has reiterated the request for 1.3 km Innocent Passage through river route along with River Padma near Rajshahi District, on humanitarian grounds. The Indian side has assured to consider the request, the Joint Statement said.

The Indian side requested for completion of border fencing at all pending sectors at the international border at the earliest, beginning from the Tripura (India) - Bangladesh sector. Bangladesh side assured to look into the matter, the Joint Statement added.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Almost all wild canines in Australia are genetically more than half dingo, a new study led by UNSW Sydney shows  suggesting that lethal measures to control wild dog populations are primarily targeting dingoes.

Thats not my name: 99 per cent of wild canines in Australia are pure dingoes or dingo-dominant hybrids, but they're being labelled as wild dogs. Image Credit: Chontelle Burns / Nouveau Rise Photography.

The study, published today in Australian Mammalogy, collates the results from over 5000 DNA samples of wild canines across the country, making it the largest and most comprehensive dingo data set to date.

The team found that 99 per cent of wild canines tested were pure dingoes or dingo-dominant hybrids (that is, a hybrid canine with more than 50 per cent dingo genes).

Of the remaining one per cent, roughly half were dog-dominant hybrids and the other half feral dogs.

We dont have a feral dog problem in Australia. They just arent established in the wild. There are rare times when a dog might go bush, but it isnt contributing significantly to the dingo population. Dr Kylie Cairns, Study Lead Author and Conservation Biologist, UNSW Science

The study builds on a 2019 paper by the team that found most wild canines in NSW are pure dingoes or dingo-dominant hybrids. The newer paper looked at DNA samples from past studies across Australia, including more than 600 previously unpublished data samples.

Pure dingoes  dingoes with no detectable dog ancestry  made up 64 per cent of the wild canines tested, while an additional 20 per cent were at least three-quarters dingo.

The findings challenge the view that pure dingoes are virtually extinct in the wild  and call to question the widespread use of the term wild dog.

Wild dog isnt a scientific term  its a euphemism, says Dr Cairns.

Dingoes are a native Australian animal, and many people don't like the idea of using lethal control on native animals.

The term wild dog is often used in government legislation when talking about lethal control of dingo populations.

The terminology used to refer to a species can influence our underlying attitudes about them, especially when it comes to native and culturally significant animals.

This language can contribute to other misunderstandings about dingoes, like being able to judge a dingos ancestry by the colour of its coat  which can naturally be sandy, black, white, brindle, tan, patchy, or black and tan.

There is an urgent need to stop using the term wild dog and go back to calling them dingoes. Only then can we have an open public discussion about finding a balance between dingo control and dingo conservation in the Australian bush. Mr Brad Nesbitt, Study Co-author, Adjunct Research Fellow, University of New England

Tracing the cause of hybridisation

While the study found dingo-dog hybridisation isnt widespread in Australia, it also identified areas across the country with higher traces of dog DNA than the national average.

Most hybridisation is taking place in southeast Australia  and particularly in areas that use long-term lethal control, like aerial baiting. This landscape-wide form of lethal control involves dropping meat baits filled with the pesticide sodium fluoroacetate (commonly known as 1080) into forests via helicopter or airplane.

The pattern of hybridisation is really stark now that we have the whole country to look at, says Dr Cairns.

Dingo populations are more stable and intact in areas that use less lethal control, like western and northern Australia. In fact, 98 per cent of the animals tested here are pure dingoes.

But areas of the country that used long-term lethal control, like NSW, Victoria and southern Queensland, have higher rates of dog ancestry.

The researchers suggest that higher human densities (and in turn, higher domestic dog populations) in southeast Australia are likely playing a key part in this hybridisation.

But the contributing role of aerial baiting  which fractures the dingo pack structure and allows dogs to integrate into the breeding packs  is something that can be addressed.

If we're going to aerial bait the dingo population, we should be thinking more carefully about where and when we use this lethal control, she says.

Avoiding baiting in national parks, and during dingoes annual breeding season, will help protect the population from future hybridisation.

Protecting the ecosystem

Professor Mike Letnic, senior author of the study and professor of conservation biology, has been researching dingoes and their interaction with the ecosystem for 25 years.

He says they play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity and health of the ecosystem.

As apex predators, dingoes play a fundamental role in shaping ecosystems by keeping number of herbivores and smaller predators in check, says Prof. Letnic.

Apex predators effects can trickle all the way through ecosystems and even extend to plants and soils.

Prof. Letnics previous research has shown that suppressing dingo populations can lead to a growth in kangaroo numbers, which has repercussions for the rest of the ecosystem.

For example, high kangaroo populations can lead to overgrazing, which in turn damages the soil, changes the face of the landscape and can jeopardise land conservation.

A study published last month found the long-term impacts of these changes are so pronounced they are visible from space.

But despite the valuable role they play in the ecosystem, dingoes are not being conserved across Australia  unlike many other native species.

Dingoes are a listed threatened species in Victoria, so theyre protected in national parks, says Dr Cairns. Theyre not protected in NSW and many other states.

The need for consultation

Dr Cairns, who is also a scientific advisor to the Australian Dingo Foundation, says the timing of this paper is important.

There is a large amount of funding currently going towards aerial baiting inside national parks, she says. This funding is to aid bushfire recovery, but aerial wild dog baiting doesnt target invasive animals or wild dogs  it targets dingoes.

We need to have a discussion about whether killing a native animal  which has been shown to have benefits for the ecosystem  is the best way to go about ecosystem recovery.

Dingoes are known to negatively impact farming by preying on livestock, especially sheep.

The researchers say its important that these impacts are minimised, but how we manage these issues is deserving of wider consultation  including discussing non-lethal methods to protect livestock.

There needs to be a public consultation about how we balance dingo management and conservation. The first step in having these clear and meaningful conversations is to start calling dingoes what they are. The animals are dingoes or predominantly dingo, and there are virtually no feral dogs, so it makes no sense to use the term wild dog. Its time to call a spade a spade and a dingo a dingo. Dr Kylie Cairns
A Muslim preacher who told protesters outside Batley Grammar School of his disgust over the Prophet Mohammed cartoon controversy has spread anti-vaccine propaganda and shared a vile smear against the UKs Chief Rabbi, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Mohammed Amin Pandor, who announced the suspension of a teacher to protesters outside the Yorkshire school last week, has opposed gay marriages and even condemned Strictly Come Dancing.

The 62-year-old, who belongs to the ultra-conservative Deobandi branch of Islam, has courted controversy for a number of years and recently shared a fatwa, or ruling, on Facebook and Twitter stating that the uncertainty about the ingredients in Covid-19 vaccines meant they should not be promoted.

Mohammed Amin Pandor, has opposed gay marriages and condemned Strictly Come Dancing

The fatwa declared that God had given a definite remedy for safety from every form of harm and disease and urged followers to recite a prayer three times.

In 2017, Mr Pandor went on social media to post a false story from a website linked to an Iranian disinformation campaign that accused Ephraim Mirvis, the UKs Chief Rabbi, of saying it would be permissible to take sex slaves.

He has also signed letters opposing gay marriage and comments by Mak Chishty, a Muslim former Metropolitan Police commander, who wrote a newspaper article headlined We must reclaim Islam from extremists.

The imam, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, has also used a religious slur when talking about Ahmadi Muslims, a persecuted Islamic sect in Pakistan. And speaking on BBC radio in 2016, he even told an interviewer that his religious beliefs meant Strictly Come Dancing was not acceptable.

Mr Pandor, a mechanical engineer by training and former Department of Health worker, last week told protesters outside the school: What happened here, we are disgusted. What has happened is totally unacceptable and we have made sure they are aware. The teacher has been suspended. They cant just sack him, they need to do their due process. Weve asked for an investigation, an investigation to be independent. We are going to work with the school to make sure things like this dont happen.

Protesters have been outside Batley Grammar School over the Prophet Mohammed cartoon

Responding to questions from this newspaper, Mr Pandor wrote on Twitter yesterday of his sincere apologies to the Rabbie [sic] for sharing the false slaves story.

He also tweeted that his view on Covid-19 vaccines was backed by a statement declaring eligible at-risk individuals in Muslim communities should take the Pfizer vaccine.

RE Teacher 'defended his right to freedom of speech'

The suspended teacher is reported to have defended his right to freedom of speech in a heated telephone call with the father of a Muslim pupil.

He is also disclosed as saying British values allowed him to present a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad to his class of year nine students as part of their course work'.

He allegedly showed students a caricature widely reported as taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, and telephoned the irate father after he had called the school and left a message to speak with him.

Meanwhile, a school governor is backing calls for the teacher to be re-instated, and is said to feel that the teacher is being 'unfairly blamed'.

Protestors gathered outside the school near Bradford, West Yorkshire, for a second day on Friday, with Headteacher Gary Kibble keeping 980 children at home.

It follows Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick saying the protests were 'not right', adding that suggestions the teacher was in hiding are 'very disturbing'.

Robert Jenrick (pictured, file photo) said protests taking place outside the school were 'not right', adding that suggestions the teacher was in hiding are 'very disturbing'

The Muslim parent demanded to speak to the teacher after his year 9 son returned from school and reported the matter to him.

When the teacher returned the call he told the father that he had warned his pupils that some would find it offensive, but his aim was to pose a question to his class.

He believed he was right to show the cartoon which has offended Muslims across the world.

He wanted to discuss whether the cartoonist was to blame or the terrorists who had committed murder over it in France after the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo had published it.

The angry father said the teacher did not appear apologetic when told that showing the cartoon to his son was offensive and instead was arrogant. The teacher asked the father to voice his concerns to another staff member.
St Aidans Day Care Centre walkers who also participed in the walkathon: (front, from left) Mags Greene, John Doyle (St. Aidans team leader) and Ann Kennedy, (back) Sharon Woods, Catherine Gregan and Aileen Masterson

An incredible 43,000 has been raised by the Kilrush Askamore community thanks to a 24-hour walkathon and a series of other charity events.

Organised by the local GAA and camogie clubs, the main event saw upwards of 350 people walk day and night over the course of 24 hours. Each small group of people walked for one hour before passing the baton on to the next participants as the community came out in force to support the development of new facilities for both clubs and, nominated charity, St Aidan's Services.

In addition to the walkathon, there was also an online poker night, a virtual duck race and some 5k walks. And Jack Quinn of Kilrush GAA saw the amount raised had exceeded all expectations. 'We thought maybe we'd get 25,000 if we were doing well but it's now over 43,000, we never envisaged it getting that high. 'We were thrilled at the amount of businesses who donated particularly given the circumstances many of them currently find themselves in.'

Revealing that work had already begun on improving facilities at the club, Jack thanked committee members Tomas Kenny, Joe Kenny, Edmond Kenny, Shane Tomkins, Stephanie Guildea, Ian Munnelly, Elma Buttle and Lisa Kavanagh, and said they were 'delighted to help St Aidan's Services'.

* More photos in the March 23rd issue of The Gorey Guardian
International

Taliban threaten attacks on foreign troops after May 1

Kabul, Mar 27 (IANS) | Publish Date: 3/27/2021 12:37:36 PM IST

Taliban militants have warned that they will resume attacks against foreign forces if they do not withdraw from Afghanistan by the May 1 deadline, in response to US President Joe Biden offering an unclear timetable on when American troops would be pulled back.

All responsibility for the prolongation of war, death and destruction will be on the shoulders of those whom committed this violation, dpa news agency quoted the insurgent group as saying in a statement on Friday.

The May 1 deadline is part of an agreement the US administration under former President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban in February 2020 in Doha.

It is now under review by the Biden administration. Under the deal, the US promised to withdraw all US and international forces from Afghanistan. In return, the Taliban vowed to cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Since the signing of the deal, there have been no attacks on US-led NATO forces in the country.

However, the Taliban has intensified attacks against the Afghan government.

In addition, there is no tangible progress in ongoing peace talks between the representatives of the Taliban and the government that started in September 2020.

On Thursday, Biden said that he cant picture US troops still being in Afghanistan next year, but he did not offer a precise timetable.

The Taliban called Bidens remarks vague and emphasised that the Doha agreement is the best option to end the past 20 years of war.

The group added that it was committed to its part under the deal.
Doctors in Vietnam have successfully treated and discharged from hospital the countrys most critical COVID-19 patient to date after 70 days of treatment.

The female patient, numbered 1,536, is a 79-year-old resident in District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City.

She had made her entry into Vietnam from the U.S. in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang on January 13, before her COVID-19 testing result returned positive the next day.

The woman was then sent to the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases, where her health conditions deteriorated shortly after that due to the cytokine storm complications that led to her lung consolidation.

She started losing appetite, building up fluid in her body, and suffering from exhaustion from January 25.

The patient needed the support of the ventilator and the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) from February 2.

Her medical record included 10-year diabetes and high blood pressure.

During her treatment at the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases, the patient was constantly in critical condition, with a prognosis of death having been made for her.

She was also considered the most severe patient since the pathogen had first hit Vietnam in January 2020.

However, the team of 18 doctors, who shared four shifts a day, from six different hospitals in Da Nang did not give up on the patient.

Thanks to their efforts, the patient could be taken off ECMO machine from February 28 and no longer needed ventilator assistance later.

Her hemodynamic situation and other organ operations also gradually stabilized.

The patient then received nutritional care and rehabilitation.

As her test results recently returned negative for the coronavirus, the Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases director Le Thanh Phuc announced her full recovery from COVID-19 and discharge from the hospital on Saturday morning.

She is expected to be transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City by Saturday night for the treatment of her underlying conditions of diabetes and high blood pressure as per her familys request.

The recovery of patient No. 1,536 is considered as a great success of the Vietnamese medical sector.

Before patient 1,536, doctors in Vietnam had also successfully treated several serious COVID-19 cases, including a 43-year-old British pilot, who caught the virus in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2020, and the country's oldest patient -- an 88-year-old woman.

Vietnam has recorded a total of 2,586 COVID-19 cases, with 2,265 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths as of Saturday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Health's data.

The majority of the deceased patients had severe pre-existing illnesses.

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The Kremlin said it would ignore a call by jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalnys wife to have her husband freed to receive urgent medical treatment and said his prison conditions could be worse.

Mr Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putins most prominent critics, has said that being woken up by a guard every hour during the night amounted to torture and that an appeal to be treated for acute back and leg pain had been refused in a deliberate attempt to run him down.

Yulia Navalnaya, his wife, called on Mr Putin to free her husband so he could be treated by doctors he trusted. But Mr Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday the Kremlin would be leaving her appeal without a response since such matters were handled by the federal prison service.

Asked about Mr Navalnys allegation of torture by sleep deprivation, Mr Peskov said that Russian citizens held in foreign prisons faced much harsher situations.

Some of them have been convicted without reason and illegally, he said. These various examples of discipline in prisons in other countries are often linked to much more crude and inhumane treatment, said Mr Peskov.

Mr Navalny was jailed last month for two and a half years on charges he called politically motivated. He was arrested as he returned to Russia from Germany in January, where he had been recovering from what doctors said was a nerve agent poisoning.

Nabila Massrali, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, said the reports of Mr Navalnys worsening health were worrying. Russia authorities must give @navalny access to medical care, she tweeted.

Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on summary killings whose investigation blamed Russia for last year trying to kill Mr Navalny, something it has denied, said reports of Mr Navalnys deteriorating health were profoundly disturbing.

This same Russia is now imprisoning him, arbitrarily in conditions amounting to ill treatment or worse, she wrote on Twitter.

The European Court of Human Rights has demanded Russia release Mr Navalny. Moscow has called such appeals unacceptable interference in its internal affairs.

Mr Navalny is being held in a heightened security sector at the IK-2 prison camp in Pokrov, a town about 100km east of Moscow.

Russias federal prison service, the local branch in the Vladimir region where Mr Navalny is being held, and the specific prison camp where he is incarcerated did not respond to questions about the daily routine he and others face. The Federal Penitentiary Service said on Thursday that Mr Navalnys health was stable and satisfactory.

He was arrested as he returned to Russia from Germany in January, where he had been recovering from what doctors said was a nerve agent poisoning.

The Kremlin said yesterday that Russian citizens held in foreign jails faced far worse conditions than Mr Navalny, who in one Instagram post dubbed his prison our friendly concentration camp.

Prison guards wake inmates at 6am, according to Mr Navalny, who says prisoners are played the Russian national anthem before their morning exercise routine. Imagine the area around the barracks. Snow. Men in black prison uniforms, boots and fur hats are standing in the dark with their hands behind their back, with a loudspeaker atop a high pillar blaring: Be glorious, our free Fatherland, Mr Navalny said in an Instagram message posted via his lawyers.

Dmitry Dyomushkin, a nationalist released from the same prison in 2019, said inmates in the heightened security sector are given two minutes to dress and another two minutes to make their beds. The last two prisoners to be fully dressed are punished, he said.
DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI) - The City of Delphi has been chosen as a pilot city for the Rural Opportunity Zone Initiative (ROZI). The city is just one of six communities chosen for the second phase of the initiative.

The goal of the initiative is to encourage investment and development in low income and rural communities. Long term investors will be encouraged to invest in Delphi with the promise of a long term federal tax deferral on capital gains after ten years. Mayor Anita Werling believes this is an exciting announcement.

"The local enthusiasm about how do we market this, you know how do we make this a tool that will actually enable us to showcase our community," Werling said.

The City of Delphi with the help of the Carroll County Economic Development Corporation, the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and others had previously applied for the initiative. Those groups will help Delphi target investors.

"We have the pieces in place to attract major development," Werling said.

"We're looking for residential development as one of the core pieces. That could be mixed use with a little bit of commercial and perhaps health care components, and then we're also looking for industrial components."

The opportunity zone includes most of the city of Delphi and parts of Carroll County. Werling says her advisory board will utilize the city's assets such as the school system, parks, and infrastructure in combination with the boost of ROZI to attract business. She believes those assets make the city especially competitive.

"Often because we live here we don't see what those assets are because we just kind of take them for granted, so when you're preparing something to tell other people about your community it kind of sheds a new light on it and we're looking forward to that," Werling said.

In 2018, Governor Eric Holcomb nominated 156 communities as opportunity zones. ROZI is a partnership between the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Purdue Center for Regional Development and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
Tucker Carlson has lashed out at The Pentagon claiming it has been overtaken by 'woke' military officials who are more concerned with identity politics than they are with protecting the safety of the American people.

In the opening monologue of his Fox News show Friday, the conservative pundit claimed that a new 'diversity and inclusion plan' published by the Special Operations Command is evidence that the military has become preoccupied with gender, race, and sexuality.

'If you're wondering whether our military leadership has gone woke, consider that question settled for good. The Pentagon is now the Yale faculty lounge, but with cruise missiles,' Carlson tartly stated.

He implied that the strategic plan appeared likely to prioritize women, people of color and those from the LGBTQ community, even if they were not the most qualified.

'The one thing we know about that plan is it will result in the dramatic lowering of standards within our elite ranks. It probably already has. How will that make America safer? The generals never said.'

Tucker Carlson has lashed out at The Pentagon claiming it has been overtaken by 'woke' military officials who are more concerned with identity politics than they are with protecting the safety of the American people

Meanwhile, the Special Operations Command recently appointed Richard Torres-Estrada as its new 'Diversity & Inclusion' chief - a move that has concerned Carlson.

The pundit points to Torres-Estrada's Facebook page as evidence that he is a woke political activist whose interest in keeping America safe seems a secondary priority.

'On his Facebook, you'll find an attack on the police, you'll find crude BLM propaganda, you'll find a picture of Donald Trump holding a Bible in front of a church. Next to Trump is a photograph of Adolf Hitler. The point is, they're the same. So, this is the guy who now oversees hiring for the SEALs,' Carlson seethed.

Meanwhile, Carlson also critcized Joe Biden's newly appointed Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin.

Austin, who is black, recently stated he would 'fight hard to stamp out sexual assault and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists'.

Carlson alleges that Austin never defined what he meant by 'extremism', meaning that it could be used as a way to silence conservatives.

'Lloyd Austin believes the real threat to America is not the Chinese government or paralyzed global trade. The real threat is people who didn't vote for Joe Biden,' Carlson claimed.

'What you're seeing is not an attempt to make the military better. What you're seeing is a political purge of the military.'

The Special Operations Command recently appointed Richard Torres-Estrada as its new 'Diversity & Inclusion' chief - a move that has concerned Carlson

Meanwhile, Carlson also criticized Joe Biden's newly appointed Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin

Carlson played a clip by Republican Matt Gaetz who also stated that Austin's definition of 'extremism' was nebulous.

'How long until MAGA hats are considered an extremist symbol? How long until Catholic or pro-life groups or those who believe in two genders are too extreme for the ruling Woke-topians?' Gaetz asked in the clip.

'Today is about nothing more than cancel culture coming for our military and it is disgusting.'

Carlson concurred stating: 'Disgusting. Usually that's hyperbole. In this case, it's understatement.'

Carlson claims 'woke' officials have taken control of The Pentagon, compromising the safety of Americans

Friday's segment wasn't the first time that Tucker Carlson has hit out at the 'woke' Pentagon.

Last week, the star railed against the promotion of two female generals that were becoming combat commanders and the recently updated guidelines for maternity flight suits and permissible hair styles.

General Jacqueline D. Van Ovost of the Air Force and Lt. General Laura J. Richardson of the Army were nominated to lead two of the military's combatant commands.

'So we've got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It's a mockery of the U.S. military,' Carlson said.

'While China's military becomes more masculine as it has assembled the world's largest navy, our military needs to become, as Joe Biden says, more feminine, whatever feminine means anymore, since men and women no longer exist Again, this is a mockery of the U.S. military and its core mission, which is winning wars,' he added.
Boris Johnsons father Stanley last night hit back at questions by Nigel Farage over his links to China.

In his interview, Mr Farage suggests that the Prime Minister was pro-Beijing because of the attitude of his Sinophile brothers, Max and Jo, and Stanley, of whom he said: There is the ever more mysterious role of Stanley, who appears to have been acting as an interlocutor between the previous Chinese ambassador and No 10, running messages back and forth...would it be unfair to ask whether he financially benefits out of these pronouncements hes making?

Stanley Johnson has strongly denied benefitting financially from China

But last night Stanley Johnson hit back, denying that he has benefited financially from China and branding the suggestion totally unforgivable. Mr Johnson told The Mail on Sunday: I have absolutely no financial, or indeed any other interest, except believing that it still makes sense to have a good, friendly relationship with the Chinese government and the Chinese people, particularly when were confronted with these two great challenges  biodiversity and climate change.



He said Mr Farage should know better than to fling accusations around, adding: I do think that thats a totally unforgivable remark.

Mr Johnson first visited China in 1975 as part of an EU delegation, and had close links with Liu Xiaoming, the outgoing Chinese ambassador to the UK.

Last week, the 80-year-old Mr Johnson said it was absolutely vital that Britain continued to work very closely with the Chinese government, even more post-Brexit.

He said: China is not a bete noire. Its the key to so many things. In political terms, its absolutely vital we work very closely with China.

Mr Farage suggests that the Prime Minister was pro-Beijing because his brothers, Max and Jo

'He [the Prime Minister] is right not to write off China at this point  on the contrary, I think hes right to move to discussions with China, important discussions.

It is inevitable, even more inevitable now that we have left the EU.
2021-03-27 - 9:09 p

Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Six positive Coronavirus cases have been discovered so far among inmates in Jaw Prison. It was confirmed that prisoner of conscience Ahmad Mohammad Saleh from Bani Jamra contracted the virus on March 25, 2021. Human rights defender Ibtisam Al-Saegh has stated that "the place of detention of prisoners is crowded," which raises concerns about the virus outbreak among them. "Humanitarian conditions should be addressed and prisoners, especially those with chronic diseases, should be released," she added.

Political prisoner Abed Ali (Mohammad) Al-Singace, from Al-Sanabis, contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday (March 24, 2021). Al-Signace is held in Jaw Prison and suffers from chronic diseases that put his life in danger.

It seems that the authorities do not care or give significant attention to calls launched by the families of prisoners and political groups to release detainees during the pandemic. On the contrary, according to a statement signed on behalf of the "mothers of prisoners", what has been happening on the ground is more like "tightening the noose on detainees and preventing them from accessing the most basic rights, especially hygiene products, as well as the opportunity to visit the canteen."

Today, families of inmates intensified their calls to the directors of Jaw Central Prison after the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday the discovery of three cases and other reports indicating that this number is increasing. Prison officials were reluctant to respond to the various calls in a move that exacerbated the families' concerns. "They are not responding to our calls," brother of one of the prisoners told Bahrain Mirror.

Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society held the regime fully responsible for what was taking place inside prisons, as the pandemic is now striking prisoners, whose bodies have been exhausted by torture and many years of inhuman conditions inside prison.

The tests carried out on March 23, 2021 revealed that inmate Naser Yackoub Yousif from Azari has contracted the Coronavirus and so was the case of prisoners Ali Sayed Mousa Al-Alawi from Diraz and Nouh Abdullah Hasam Al Amroum from A'ali. Prisoner Sayed Mahmoud Sharad who is currently serving a 10-year jail term contracted the virus as well. Most of the revealed cases were in building 21, prison cell block 1 in Jaw Prison, which includes more than 150 prisoners.

When Coronavirus reached Bahrain in 2020, the authorities released a number of political prisoners, who had spent between 1 and 8 years in prison and who had only a few days or months left from their prison sentences, due to fear of having Coronavirus spread among inmates. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa later issued a decree pardoning 901 prisoners "for humanitarian reasons and under the current circumstances". The majority of the released were criminal prisoners, whereas the number of political prisoners amounted to only 17% of the 1,490 prisoners who were actually released. However, these releases soon stopped despite the Prime Minister's speech to local media about their approach to turn to an open prison system and the rush to implement the alternative penal code.

Arabic Version
(CNN)  Europe's had a torrid time since the start of the pandemic. For a continent whose prosperity relies on political cooperation, seamless supply chains and the uncomplicated crossing of borders, a crisis that pits nation against nation and demands limited movement is a challenge.

The pandemic has exacerbated gripes that have existed between European nations for decades. Countries have sniped at one another as they scrambled for protective equipment and vaccines, while pointing the finger at one another over their measures to contain the virus. This has been especially true of the 27 member states of the European Union.

At the start of the pandemic, countries closed their borders for lack of trust that their neighbors were sufficiently containing the virus. There have been bitter disputes over exactly how the bloc should finance its economic recovery, with wealthier member states in the north contemptuous of financing those in the south, which they believe to be fiscally irresponsible.

Most recently, countries have been falling out over Europe's lackluster vaccine rollout.

This week, Italian authorities raided a factory where 29 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were being stored. While the EU didn't directly accuse the pharmaceutical company of withholding the vaccines, EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis noted that the drug maker "committed to deliver 120 million doses to the EU in the first quarter of the year. They are promising to be able to deliver 30 million doses, but they are not even close to this figure." The raid took place on the same day that the EU Commission proposed stricter export controls on vaccines.

The episode in Italy comes at a time when trust seems low. One recent example: Sebastian Kurz, the Chancellor of Austria, accused the Commission of distributing vaccines unfairly, pointing out that countries including Malta and Denmark have had more doses per capita than Austria. Maltese officials and representatives of the Commission speculated to CNN that perhaps Austria is falling behind because it declined to buy its full allocation of vaccines procured by the EU.

On one hand, this is just the brutal world of politics. "Every head of state or government understands the situation. They are all under pressure to show that they are delivering at home. None of them take these comparisons personally," says Alexander Stubb, the former prime minister of Finland.

On the other, underlying tensions among the bloc have been very bad of late and could have long-term impacts on European unity.

"The pandemic has definitely made the usual tensions more obvious. Normal diplomacy cannot happen on a video call, let alone trying to navigate a once-in-a-century pandemic that is killing thousands and wrecking economies," says Neale Richmond, an Irish government backbencher who was previously appointed to represent Ireland in Brussels.

Vaccine nationalism could backfire

The anger is real, but somewhat scattergun. Some of it is aimed at Brussels, some of it is aimed at fellow member states and some of it is aimed at the recently departed UK, whose vaccine program is racing ahead.

The anger aimed at the Commission is mostly over its proposals for placing export controls on vaccines. The Commission believes that it should only export doses produced in the bloc to countries that are sending vaccines back in.

Critics believe that this move was an unsubtle attempt to make clear its view that the UK and AstraZeneca are holding back vaccines from the EU. They fear it could backfire badly.

"Vaccine nationalism makes absolutely no sense. The problem with zero-sum politics is that there is always a loser and, in this case, losing means more deaths for the loser," says Mohammed Chahim, a Dutch member of European Parliament who sits on the public health committee. He adds that a single-minded focus on vaccinating Europeans won't stop the virus spreading and mutating outside. "Inevitably, new strains will end up back in your country and we're back to square one."

The anger between member states is more complicated. Diplomats in Brussels from different countries cannot even agree on what they are disagreeing about. Western European diplomats say there is no disagreement at all and those who say there is are simply seeing the glass as half empty. Central and Eastern Europeans feel they are being punished for being responsible and not blindly buying their full allocations of vaccines before knowing if they'd even be able to store them.

Members of the so-called "Frugal Four" -- Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands and Sweden -- believe that southern European nations have created a "victim narrative" which placed responsible nations on the wrong side of history. And southern European diplomats say that caricatures of their nations have meant they've been treated like irresponsible children by the others, who can't be trusted not to squander any funds sent their way from wealthier neighbors.

While very little of this has anything to do with the actual handling of the pandemic, it's obvious when talking to officials how raw and deep the emotion is.

The anger aimed at the UK is slightly easier to understand.

Boris Johnson has not been shy in claiming that the UK's successful vaccine rollout would not have been possible without Brexit. This makes blood boil because it's simultaneously untrue but easy to believe.

While an argument can be made that Brexit inspired a way of thinking independently of Brussels, there was no specific rule that would have prohibited the UK from acting exactly as it has if it were an EU member state.

"The perception that the UK is rolling out so fast while the EU is stumbling from crisis to crisis is very unhelpful," says Richmond. "While no one believes a member state is going to leave over the EU's handling of the pandemic or that it will fall apart, the post-Brexit reality is that all crises are automatically linked to the fact the UK has created a framework for leaving."

Others are less measured and still believe Europe will have the last laugh. "You might feel very happy on your little island when you are all vaccinated, but your island might feel very small when you cannot leave it because your neighbors are not vaccinated," one senior diplomat told CNN.

Resentment and anger

It's perhaps unsurprising that Europe is an angry place politically at the moment. From the Greek crisis to Brexit to a deadly pandemic, it's had a rough decade.

The pandemic has laid the ground for some pretty important discussions to take place about Europe's future, especially concerning Brussels assuming greater centralized power.

"Europe's pandemic can be viewed through the Commission's failures on health policy and its successes on economic policy," says Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group. "My sense is that it will be hard for the Commission to say that its failures on health mean it should have more control of Europe's health policy. However, if the Covid recovery fund results in serious reform, that could be a catalyst for more European integration."

As it was originally envisaged, the EU was, at a Brussels level, supposed to not be dictated to by the national politics of member states. Officials fear that the horse has long bolted, leaving decisions at the mercy of the political whims of the strongest nations. If the post-pandemic anger fails to dissipate, it could create a toxic dynamic that is unlikely to end in closer integration and greater unity.

The EU is not on life support by any stretch of the imagination. But if it's to move on from its years of pain, it needs to find a way of healing wounds that have led to such deep-seated resentment and anger.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "The pandemic is stirring deep resentments in Europe. They may not be quick to heal."
Glynn S. Lunney, the NASA flight director who played a major role in Americas space program and was hailed for his leadership in the rescue of three Apollo 13 astronauts when their spacecraft was rocked by an explosion en route to the moon in 1970, died on March 19 at his home in Clear Lake, Texas. He was 84.

The cause was stomach cancer, his son Shawn said.

Mr. Lunney (rhymes with sunny), who joined NASA at its inception in 1958 and became its chief flight director in 1968, worked out of mission control in Houston in developing the elaborate procedures for the flight of Apollo 11, sending Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on their pioneering journey to the moon in July 1969.

He managed the July 1975 mission in which an Apollo spacecraft with three astronauts docked with a two-man Russian Soyuz spaceship. Each vehicle carried equipment that would facilitate another linkup someday if an international rescue mission were needed. The Americans and the Russians carried out joint experiments and exchanged commemorative gifts in what became a step toward cooperation among nations in space aboard the International Space Station.

But Mr. Lunney was remembered especially for his take-charge efforts in the dramatic rescue of the Apollo 13 astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., Fred W. Haise Jr. and John L. Swigert Jr.
Karnataka Health Minister K



Sudhakar on Saturday said cases are on the rise in all states and it was an indication of beginning of the second wave, as he called on people to exercise caution.

Noting that 8 to 10 states have more active cases and there are about 2.84 lakh cases in Maharashtra, 24,000 in Kerala, and about 19,000 in Karnataka, he said, "It is clear that the second wave has begun. So if we don't curb activities the danger is imminent."



The minister urged the people to compulsorily wear masks and follow social distancing. The state's positivity rate of 1.6 per cent is more than the national average which is not a good sign, he said.

"We should take this seriously. More than 1 lakh tests are being conducted every day," he was quoted as saying by his office in a release.

The Minister said Covid-19 containment restrictions are already in place and the government will take more stringent actions in coming days.

"Have requested the Chief Minister to take necessary measures to prevent spread of infection in educational institutions and CM himself will take action in this regard," he added.

On vaccination coverage among health care workers and front line workers, Sudhakar said Bidar has achieved 113 percent, Dharwad 107 and Gadag has achieved 103.

Whereas Bengaluru Urban, Bagalkot, Davangere and Koppal have achieved 61, 64, 65 and 65 percent respectively.

"So far, 2,22,377 frontline warriors have been vaccinated with the first dose. 3,34,110 healthcare workers have been given the 2nd dose," he added.

So far 16.18 lakh senior citizens aged above 60 years have been inoculated, 4.70 lakh people aged above 45 years with comorbidities have been vaccinated.

He further said in 2 to 3 days the state will receive 12 lakh more doses.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prairie View A&M University launched its Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice virtually .

The creation of the center has been a long time coming and is a continuation of the historically black colleges efforts to create a more equitable society, said both the centers director and the university president.

We know that when the Texas legislature created Prairie View A&M in 1876 on the old Alta Vista Plantation, we began a new race and justice project that very day, said Melanye Price, director of the center and an endowed political science professor at Prairie View. When the first students arrived in 1878, those young men who had themselves been enslaved, they came with a desire to create a new future for themselves and their community. This became a call for justice that was built into the soil, into the trees, into the buildings that we have come to know as Prairie View A&M.

The center, located in the Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences building, is named for current university President Ruth Simmons,.

Recent and continuing events in the country remind us that we have not done nearly enough to educate the country on the legacy and current reality of racial bias, Simmons said. We have not done nearly enough to deepen our own understanding of the continuing effects of racism in the country, but there is time for us to get it right.

The death of George Floyd, a man with Houston roots who died in Minneapolis police custody in May 2020, aroused in many the recognition of how little progress African Americans have made toward equal treatment under the law, Simmons said.

Floyds death inspired her to write a letter calling for a response across the country to rebuild race relations and to create the center. Simmons letter drew praise from people around the country, including H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt, who donated $1 million for the centers development.

Simmons said she believes the world can achieve this through truth telling and each person challenging themselves to be anti-racist, fighting for the equality and fair treatment of all groups, and inviting the widest swath of citizens to engage in  justice work.

The center is one step toward that work and launches with three priorities.

The Committee on the Legacy of Slavery and the Impact of Segregation will explore the experience and histories of those who were enslaved on the former plantation grounds where the university is located. The committees work will include studying the impact of segregation on the institution and the local Black community, Price said.

Aided by student researchers and community partners, the committee will also do archival searches and collect oral histories of Prairie View residents and present a report in anticipation of the colleges 150th anniversary in 2026.

The Implicit Bias Training and Equity Project, another of the centers priorities, will collaborate with nonprofit My Brothers Keeper Outreach Center and Morehouse Colleges National Training Institute on Race and Equity, Price said.

Sponsored by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, the project will kick-start a city-wide effort to decrease bias within organizations and institutions and invite community members to participate in workshops and training. During the first training session three weeks ago, more than 80 people from the Prairie View A&M community attended.

The third rung of the centers initial priorities is voting rights. Prairie View A&M students have long been at the forefront of voting advocacy efforts in Waller County. The centers PVAMU HBCU Voting Rights Lab will offer a space where the political work of students and activists will be displayed in a digital exhibition.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Prairie View A&M students win fight for early voting polling place

Price said the lab will compile and feature the stories and experiences of Prairie View students in a modern-day battle of voter suppression of African Americans and college students. And other historically black colleges and universities will be able to curate their own histories.

The hope, she said, is to conceive a national response to the problem of voter suppression at HBCUs.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Prairie View A&M produces young politicians

Other initiatives of the center include an undergraduate scholars program and an activist-in-residence. The intent, Price said, is to expose students to people who have committed their lives to community service.

To view the full program of the centers virtual launch which included several speakers, go to youtube.com/pvamu. For more information about the center, go to pvamu.edu/simmonscenter.

brittany.britto@chron.com
Thursdays European Union summit demonstrated once again that the EU is neither able nor willing to offer its citizens even the most minimal protection against the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council and US President Joe Biden in EU summit video conference. (Credit: European Union)

As the 27 EU leaders met for their video conference on March 25, the infection and death toll across Europe was once again soaring dramatically. Nearly 900,000 people have now died from the pandemic, nearly 40 million have been infected, and around 250,000 new infections are being added every day.

The seven-day incidence (the weekly number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants) is over 500 in five European countries, with Estonia leading the way with 708, followed by Hungary (658), the Czech Republic (527), Montenegro (517) and Serbia (503). In Poland, it is 444, in France 362.

In France, the number of new infections rose above 45,000 on Wednesday, the highest since November last year. In the region around Paris, intensive care units already stand on the brink of exceeding their capacity. In Germany, the head of the Roland Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, warns that the number of new daily infections will rise to 100,000 if the current trend is not halted.

Nevertheless, European governments and the EU strictly refuse to impose a lockdown, as would be necessary to contain the pandemic. In particular, they categorically refuse to close non-essential production facilities, schools and day-care centres, even though it has now been proven beyond doubt that schools are among the most important vectors for spreading the pandemic and that pupils and parents are far more susceptible to the new variants of the virus than the original one. The interests of big business and corporate profits take precedence over the health and lives of working people in every respect.

This also applies to the procurement of vaccines, which was at the centre of the EU summit. Here, too, the focus is not on human lives but profit interests and geopolitical goals.

So far, only 62 million of the EUs 450 million inhabitants have been vaccinated once and 18 million of them twice. The EU has failed to provide the necessary production capacity. So far, pharmaceutical companies have delivered only 88 million vaccine doses to the EU. By the end of Marchi.e., in the first three months of the yearit should be 100 million. This means that just 10 percent of the population can be fully immunised against the virus.

At the summit, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that three times more vaccine would be available in the second quarter than in the first. But even if this were to be the case, which, based on past experience, is anything but certain, the quantity would not even be enough to vaccinate half of the 70 percent needed to stop the further spread of the virus by the middle of the year. At the same time, new strains are constantly developing against which the vaccines are less effective.

Throughout Europe, outrage and resistance to the governments reckless coronavirus policies are growing. The ruling class everywhere is responding by fuelling nationalism.

In the days leading up to the summit, there had already been a fierce exchange of blows between Brussels and London. Von der Leyen accused Britain of importing 21 million vaccine doses from the EU without delivering a single one to the EU. She accused Boris Johnsons government of withholding vaccine supplies from AstraZeneca, which has so far delivered only about a quarter of the agreed 120 million doses to the EU. London hit back, invoking existing treaties and threatening the EU with retaliation.

The day before the summit, the EU Commission tightened up the rules for vaccine exports. In future, exports are to be stopped if a recipient country already has much more vaccine than the EU or if it obtains vaccine and does not allow exports itself. Until now, an export ban had only been possible if a company had not fulfilled its delivery obligation to the EU. In practice, such a ban had only occurred once, when Italy banned the export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Australia.

After several telephone calls between Johnson and European heads of government, the waves were somewhat calmed at the summit. The Netherlands in particular, and to some extent Germany, which have intensive trade relations with Britain, tried to play it cool. There were also fears that a trade conflict over vaccines could disrupt the supply of components needed for their production from other countries.

But the conflict is by no means resolved. France, for example, is taking a much tougher stance, and the German media are also promoting a trade war. The Suddeutsche Zeitung commented that tightening export rules was not enough: In fact, the European Union should not merely restrict the export of vaccines under certain conditions but ban them in general. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also wrote: As long as vaccine doses are a scarce commodity, the EU cannot export unconditionally all over the world. Exports should depend on how others behave.

There are also fierce national tensions within the EU, which were vented at the summit. Poorer states, such as Latvia, Bulgaria and Croatia, are far behind on vaccinations because they had relied on the cheaper AstraZeneca vaccine, which has seen the biggest supply shortfalls. Others, like Hungary, have ordered vaccines from Russia and China, which the EU strongly opposes because it undermines its confrontational course against these countries. In Slovakia, Prime Minister Igor Matovics decision to order 2 million doses of the Russian vaccine even triggered a government crisis.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Austrian head of government Sebastian Kurz, both Christian Democrats, clashed violently at the summit because Kurz threatened to veto the decision to give poorer countriesbut not Austriasome extra doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The fierce national conflicts further undermine the inadequate measures against the pandemic. The virus, which knows no national borders, can only be defeated through coordinated international action. But the capitalist governments are organically incapable of doing this. While their profit-before-life policies have now claimed 2.8 million lives worldwide, they use the vaccine as a means of enrichment and as a weapon in the geostrategic struggle against their international rivals.

China, where only 90,000 have been infected with the virus and 4,600 have died from it thanks to a consistent lockdown and vaccination policy, is encountering growing hostility. In the evening, US President John Biden spoke to the EU summit participants via video link to convince them of his confrontational course against China and Russia. His words fell on receptive ears, as the European powers increasingly view China, a rising economic power, as a rival in the export of high-value industrial goods and influence over Central Asia, Africa, and other regions of the world.

However, the aggressive action of the US against China puts Europe, and especially Germany, between a rock and a hard place, as the pro-government German think tank DGAP wrote in an English-language article. China is the largest and fastest-growing market for many German companies.

The EU may well consider China a strategic rival and an economic competitor. And Berlin may find much to criticize about Chinas economic policies and an uneven level playfield. But no-one can wish away the fact that China is of major economic importance to Germany. Meanwhile, the US remains Germanys largest export market, the most important destination of foreign direct investment and a crucial provider of advanced, including foundational and emerging technology. The intensification of China-US competition will create many losers. Germany is going to be one of them.

Germany and the EU are responding to this predicament with a massive military buildup to pursue their own imperialist interests in the escalating geostrategic conflicts. The business-oriented Institut fur deutsche Wirtschaft (IW) recently calculated how much Germany will have to increase arms spending in the coming years to keep its commitments to NATO: An additional 86 billion by 2024, almost twice as much as the current annual defence budget.
If we dont create change, if there is no investment, no other vision for our sons and daughters, we are going to fill our cemeteries with children.

JHON ALBERT MONTILLA, the father of a 16-year-old girl who was killed in a military bombing in Colombia nearly five years after a peace deal in the country.
Richard Torres-Estrada, left, in an undated photograph. On right, the USSOCOM logo. (USSOCOM; AFP via Getty Images)

US Special Operations Command Not Aware of New Hires Anti-Trump Posts

U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) didnt know that a newly hired official had compared former President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler and expressed support for the quasi-Marxist equity theory, a spokesperson said on March 27.

USSOCOM earlier in the week announced the hiring of Richard Torres-Estrada as its chief of diversity and inclusion.

Torres-Estrada last year compared Trump, who was president at the time, to Hitler, who perpetrated the Holocaust, killing millions of Jews in Europe. He also made at least one other clear anti-Trump post, according to Facebook posts reviewed by The Epoch Times. In addition, Torres-Estrada posted an image expressing support for the radical theory of equity, which posits that an equal outcome among people is favorable to certain persons getting ahead of others.

The ideology has been reintroduced across the federal government by President Joe Biden, who reversed an order by President Donald Trump that had banned the use of training for federal employees based on the ideology amid deep concerns that it fostered racism.

Ken McGraw, a USSOCOM public affairs officer, told The Epoch Times on March 27 that the agency was not aware of the posts when it hired Torres-Estrada.

A screenshot from Facebook shows how Richard Torres-Estrada compared former President Donald Trump to Hitler. (Screenshot/Facebook)

Now that we are aware of the situation we are looking into it, he added via email.

Torres-Estrada didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

He previously worked as an equal employment officer at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and directed the Virginia Department of Human Resource Managements Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, among other jobs.

Torres-Estrada was the focus of comments by Fox News host Tucker Carlson on March 26 for his social media posts.

Who exactly is Richard Torres-Estrada? His Facebook page gives us some indication of who he is. On it, youll find an attack on the police, youll find crude BLM propaganda, youll find a picture of Donald Trump holding a Bible in front of a church. Next to Trump is a photograph of Adolf Hitler. The point is, theyre the same. So, this is the guy who now oversees hiring for the SEALs, Carlson said on his show.

If youre wondering whether our military leadership has gone woke, consider that question settled for good. The Pentagon is now the Yale faculty lounge, but with cruise missiles. That should concern you.

Carlson and the Pentagon got into a war of words earlier this month, with top military officials publicly criticizing the host after he lambasted Bidens focus on adding more women to the military, asserting it came at the expense of accepting the best candidates and making sure America is ready to fight its enemies.
(Natural News) It goes without saying that the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, was tragic. Ten people, including a police officer, were killed. And you all know the drill people. Cue the calls for gun control, the demonization of the AR-15 and its variants, and the fear the white man narratives.

(Article by Matt Vespa republished from TownHall.com)

The latter was spewed at such a rate of fire that liberals totally missed that the suspect, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Issa, wasnt white. Hes from Syria. And there have been quite a few tweet deletions, but we have the receipts. Katie wrote about how this narrative was obliterated yesterday. It shows the grotesque nature of American liberalism. They are always waiting to exploit death to push their agenda. It makes sense. Theyre hyper-emotional people who base their political views solely on feelings instead of facts, and theres a lot of potential room for scoring political points when it comes to death.

Were seeing a gun control push now (we saw it even before the shooting), but were going to get a rehash of the liberal medias appalling statistics on gun violence in America. First, mass shootings are and will always be rare. Are they awful? Of course, but its still a rare occurrence. Gun violence in America overall has declined massively. If theres an uptick, its because liberal mayors in cities across America decided to hamstring and spit on police last summer, which allowed leftist thugs to burn down half the country. But we can thank NBC News for torching the liberal media narrative on mass shootings because apparently, they cant get their numbers right. It exposed how these outlets are false narrative factories. You all know this, but Newsbusters noted something interesting about the mass shooting narrative as the network highlighted two separate numbers to overexaggerate the frequency of mass shootings. Which one is it, folks? It cannot be both (via Newsbusters):

Determined to not let any tragedy go to waste, each of the broadcast networks touted President Bidens call for gun control on Tuesday following the mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado. But NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt went a step further, trying to browbeat viewers with a claim that America had experienced more than 100 such shooting in the last 20 years. But back on November 8, 2018, the network claimed there were 307 mass shootings in the first 10 months of the year alone. As a nation, we have been here so many times before. More than 100 times over the last 20 years. After a deadly pandemic year, the country is again facing an enemy within: gun violence and mass murder, Holt pontificated. But as NewsBusters reported back in 2018, NBC was known for throwing out completely bogus mass shooting statistics. Less than two weeks ago, we were reporting from the scene of another mass shooting in Pittsburgh. In fact, folks, there has been a mass shooting almost every day this year, he said back then. Holt left it up to Stephanie Gosk to specifically toss out the fabricated stat. This year alone, Parkland, Santa Fe, Pittsburgh, and now Thousand Oaks. And that skims the surface, she proclaimed. There have been 307 mass shootings with four or more people shot. 328 people killed, and the year is not over. But NBCs conflicting information was of no concern to correspondent Tom Costello, who claimed: Since the Columbine massacre in 1999, there have been at least 114 mass shootings, 1,300 victims.

I know, shocker  these people lie in order to help their Democratic Party overlords. Its the same story, but we have new ammunition regarding how the media is horrible when it comes to reporting on gun violence. Theyre running with two separate data points to push their narrative, and both are garbage. We know theyre getting their points from other anti-gun groups, which overexaggerate the frequency of mass shootings. Even Vox said that mass shootings were a small portion of all gun violence committed in the United States.

When it comes to school shootings, the data sets are worse, as anti-gunners classified a school bus window being shot at with a BB gun as a school shooting. Everytown was the group that issued the school shootings report in 2018, which included The Washington Post shredding it for being inaccurate. National Public Radio also looked into the 2015-2016 Department of Educations numbers on school shootings and found that two-thirds of them never actually happened.

The Left lies, but that hasnt stopped them from continuing to push for unconstitutional gun grabs.

Read more at: TownHall.com and GunViolence.news.
REDDING, Calif. - The Redding Rancheria donated $15,000 to Pathways to Hope. The money will go towards the organizations Camp Hope program.

Camp Hope is a week-long program for kids between the ages of 7 to 17. The money donated by the Rancheria will help fund activities, food, and other program events.

There are about 24 counselors who help kids work through their trauma. Pathways to Hope says during the pandemic it saw increased calls for service.

Coming out of the pandemic, children are going to need our community more than ever, said Michael Burke, the Executive Director of Pathways to Hope. They're going to need a way to process what they've been through. All of us worldwide have had trauma because of the pandemic.

Due to the pandemic last year, instead of being an overnight week-long camp, Pathways to Hope had to switch Camp Hope into a day camp. The organization said Camp Hope helps kids process the trauma theyve been through.

With a time where everything is so uncertain and disconnected these kids really, really need to have something that's going to make them feel whole and help them feel connected again, said Jennifer Ely, a Camp Hope Coordinator.

Data from U.C. Berkeley shows that in 2019 there were 753 substantiated reports of child abuse in Shasta County.

April marks Child Abuse Prevention Month.
[March 26, 2021] CUPE School Board Members Elect Provincial Representatives

Education workers who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) gathered virtually to attend the 2021 convention of its bargaining council, the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU). As part of convention business, members also elected their provincial and regional representatives, who will serve on the negotiating committee when OSBCU goes into the next round of central bargaining in 2022. Laura Walton was acclaimed OSBCU's president. Reflecting on the challenges that were part of working through the COVID-19 pandemic, she said: "Over the past year, CUPE members have learned to pivot, work outside the box, advocate for themselves and for their students. "Within weeks of the lockdown last year, our custodial, caretaking and maintenance staff returned to building, deep cleaning, completing long overdue preventative maintenance and securing our sites. Our information technology, audio-visual and tech members tackled the aunting task of redistributing technology to students and staff alike and developed procedures to keep themselves and others safe while doing so.



"Clerical staff moved their offices into their homes, schools continued to run with administrative tasks without missing a beat. Education assistants, designated early childhood educators, instructors, child and youth workers, library workers, and many more learned ways to connect and engage with students from afar, enabling learning to continue and supporting students. "And they did all of this in spite of a government that has failed to provide a real and sustainable plan to keep us all safe while undermining the real key services we provide."

The other elected representatives that will meet the Crown and the Council of Trustees' Association in central bargaining in 2022 are Rod McGee, First Vice-President; Tammy Graham, Secretary-Treasurer; Christine Couture, Francophone Vice-President; along with area vice-presidents Dave Geroux, Area 1; Keith Levere, Area 2; Todd Canning, Area 3; David McOuat, Area 4; Liz James, Area 5; Mike Galipeau, Area 6; and Devin Klassen, Area 7. Said Walton: "This group is determined to build a strong bargaining council and is committed to rank-and-file activism. We are already looking ahead to 2022 and securing the services that CUPE education workers provide." OSBCU bargains centrally on behalf of 55,000 CUPE education workers across the province. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210326005495/en/

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Lisa Haydon on Saturday took to her Instagram handle to share a stunning picture flaunting her 'summer body'. The third-time pregnant Lisa dressed in an orange bikini looked beautiful, courtesy photographer her husband Dino Lalvani.

The actor recently announced that she and her husband, businessman Dino Lalvani are expecting their third child, a daughter, together. The couple is already parents to sons, Zack and Leo.

Lisa Haydon recently took to her Instagram handle to wish her 1.3 million fans on International Women's Day with a special picture. Haydon, flaunting her baby bump, wrote, "With my very little woman".

Lisa wore an unbuttoned pair of denims and completed her look with a stunning orange bikini. The post received over 55,000 likes within minutes.

The 34-year-old actor shared a video on Instagram to reveal her pregnancy. She captioned the post: "#3 Coming this June." In the video, Haydon said she wanted to share something with her fans when her three-year-old son Zack entered the frame.

"What is inside mummy's tummy, Zack?" Haydon asked her son, to which he replied, "Baby sister." The Queen star and Lalvani, who is a son of Pakistan-born British entrepreneur Gullu Lalvani, tied the knot in October 2016 after one year of dating.

Haydon's last big-screen outing was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) and she hosted the reality show Top Model India in 2018.

Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
Lyon Trespassing Complaint Ends in Drug Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

LYON COUNTY - A trespassing complaint in Lyon County Friday led to the arrest of a Hopkinsville man on several charges.Friday morning, a trespasser was reported on a farm near KY 730.The man was gone when Lyon County deputies arrived, but someone reported seeing a man near KY 293 and KY 93 pushing a bicycle across a field toward a reportedly vacant house.At the home, deputies found 32-year-old Daren R. Starnes. A search reportedly uncovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.Deputies say Starnes was on parole from Missouri for felony drug-related convictions.Starnes was arrested and charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), criminal trespassing, and drug paraphernalia possession.He was lodged in the Crittenden County Jail.
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New Mexicos public lands are a treasure trove of opportunity for our state. They are cherished by all and an asset to our states future. And public lands will be even more important as New Mexicos post-pandemic economic recovery will be aided in large part by our burgeoning outdoor recreation industry and strong tourism industry. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham brings the vision and leadership to make that effort a great success.

But story after story, year after year, has revealed a persistent, lurking problem on our public lands. Maya Anthony was 17 years old when a family outing on national forest land near her home in San Cristobal was cut short after her dog, Joker, was caught in a leg-hold trap. Panicked and in pain, the dog struggled and lashed out while his family tried to rescue him  leading to a deep puncture wound on Mayas arm, and a laceration on her mother Ninas leg. Unable to free the dog, Maya drove down the canyon to fetch her father at home for help, and he returned with towels to hold over the dogs head while they released Jokers paw. After about a half hour of suffering in the trap, Jokers foot was free and thankfully healed after a few days  but Maya temporarily lost full motion of her arm and required a round of antibiotics to stave off infection.

After this incident, Maya swore to advocate to stop trapping on public lands, and her advocacy led to the first introduction of legislation to address this problem in 2013. Almost a decade later, Senate Bill 32 has passed the New Mexico Legislature and now awaits the governors signature to become law.

As co-sponsors of Senate Bill 32, the Wildlife Conservation & Public Safety Act a.k.a. Roxys Law, we come to this subject matter with unique perspectives but have arrived at the same conclusion: It is time to end private recreational and profit-driven use of traps, snares and poisons on public lands in New Mexico. We are ready to put stories like Mayas  and Roxys, the dog who died in a neck snare on public land in 2018  in the past.

In this very moment, New Mexico has an opportunity to recommit to progressive, science-based, forward-thinking wildlife conservation. We can stop sabotaging our endangered species conservation efforts with accidental trapping injuries and deaths of Mexican gray wolves. As climate change continues to alter our land and water, we can renew our focus on responsible, thoughtful, humane management of wildlife species. We can join our neighbors of Colorado and Arizona as one of multiple states in the West who have removed hobby and commercial trapping from our public lands.

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New Mexico is home to landscapes that provide unparalleled opportunities for hiking, backpacking, hunting, biking, rock climbing and more. We are home to millions of acres of richly biodiverse habitats, with unique native wildlife and endangered species populations that draw visitors hoping to watch birds, hear wolves and turn natures beauty into art. New Mexicos outdoor recreation economy is growing faster than the overall state economy, and that is something we can leverage to benefit our urban and rural communities alike and support our home-grown businesses.

Thanks to our public lands, the future looks bright for New Mexico. Traps, snares and poisons have led to too many tragic endings. New Mexicans stand ready to tell a new story on our public lands  one of leadership in conservation, community, and green economic opportunities. By signing Senate Bill 32 into law, Gov. Lujan Grishams pen starts that new story for us all.
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Long-awaited, tear-filled, joyful reunions will soon be happening at local nursing homes. New York State has relaxed nursing home visitation guidelines. But for most facilities, that doesn't mean the doors will immediately swing open.

"We have reached out to Department of Health officials today for further clarification on their expectations for a re-opening timeframe. They understand that it will take facilities some time to prepare for visitation as each facility must update policies and procedures as well as update their NY Forward Plan which needs to be submitted to them prior to opening. In addition, there is a vast amount of instructional signage that must be present on campus for visitors to review when they come to visit. This signage needs to be made and printed," says Brenda Cobane, VP of Long Term Care Services for Sitrin Healthcare Center, in New Hartford. "Therefore, our goal is to open sometime late next week (date to be announced no later than next Tuesday).

Similarly, the Masonic Care Community, in Utica, plans to resume visitation next week.

"We anticipate that we will be opening up for in-person visitation the week of March 29th and we will notify families when they can schedule visits with their loved ones," says a message on the facility's website.

"The big change with the guidelines is, it's allowing us to visit even under the definition of an outbreak," says Jim Enos, Director of Social Work for Utica Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, in Utica "If there's a positive staff person, we just have to stop visits for a few days until the next cycle of our weekly...all of our residents get tested weekly. Once they're all negative, then we can resume again.....rather than two weeks, four week time frames, we're talking days, possibly."

Enos is quick to point out, COVID hasn't gone away, and there are still rules and guidelines.

"Visitation here is in a designated area that is cleaned in between visits, sanitized," says Enos. "Our policy is, we're doing rapid testing on our families before the visit occurs."

Utica Rehabilitation and Nursing Center met the prior criteria, and has been conducting visits for about a week.
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Jensen Karp started off the week by going viral for finding what appeared to be sugar-coated shrimp tails in a box of his Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Karp, a Los Angeles-based comedian and writer, seemed to revel in the spotlight, eagerly talking to The New York Times for a humorous interview about scarfing down a bowl and going back for seconds when the apparent crustaceans remains plopped out and discussed his ongoing talks with General Mills.

But by Wednesday afternoon, as Karp kept gleefully tweeting about every development, rumblings began to emerge from former girlfriends who accused the 41-year-old of manipulation and abusive behavior. Industry peers and former coworkers also began to speak out, detailing repeated incidents where Karp allegedly screamed at people and ripped off ideas and spun them as his own.

One of the first to speak out was Melissa Stetten, who previously worked with Karp on her documentary Pistol Shrimps and on a Bachelor podcast in 2016. What you may not know about the man behind the viral posts what like hes a manipulative gaslighting narcissistic ex-boyfriend who once told me he was surprised I hadnt killed myself because my life was so worthless, she wrote. Getting lots of texts from girls still in therapy over his terror. At least we have this fun little club!

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Soon after, more women began Tweeting out similar sentiments. Actress Rory Uphold shared, This is the most abusive person I have ever been with and I am crying as I type this.

Writer Stephanie Mickus alluded to an alleged incident with Karp where he blocked her on Twitter when she was not gracious enough after a surprise threesome and allegedly told her to be careful or I would never work in this town again. She later added that shed been contacted by several women who had shared experiences with Karp.

Another woman, who goes by the name of Meghan, tweeted that Karp is selfish, controlling, manipulative, and ruined my life for close to a decade. Even after he broke up with me, he kept in close contact to try to mold me into the person he wanted me to be under the guise of if you just do this, we can get back together and live happily ever after but that was never the case.

Story continues

Upon hearing all of these womens stories, a former girlfriend of Karps told The Daily Beast that she feels that shes one of the lucky ones'' for being to recognize that Karp was verbally abusive and a manipulator. She credits this in being able to walk away from the relationship when it went south.

He constantly makes you feel like he's the victim of something, she said. That you should be apologizing to him for something you did, even though you didn't do anything wrong.

Stetten, Uphold, Mickus, and Meghan did not comment on the allegations when reached by The Daily Beast.

Stories also began to circulate about Karp professionally, as many began casting doubt on his cereal story. (In an interview with The Daily Beast before the allegations surfaced, Karp insisted the incident was legit. I have a career outside of being the stupid shrimp guy that would be on the line as you know, including being an Emmy-nominated writer, he said. I wouldnt do this. Thats very annoying and I dont want to be part of that. He has not since responded to requests for comment on the allegations, as well as going silent on Twitter.)

But the suspicions still swarmed, and artist Brandon Bird piped up to claim Karp is both a marketing professional and someone whos lied to my face without flinching.

He co-owned the gallery I did most of my shows at when I first moved to LA and the experience of how that soured and how he lied and gaslit over nothing made me never, ever want to deal with a gallery ever again, he Tweeted.

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In addition to his other work, Karp has run Gallery1988 alongside Katie Sutton since 2004. The pop culture-focused gallery is well-known in the Los Angeles art scene and describes itself as being a premiere venue to witness the rise of emerging artists before they break.

Artist Amanda Visell worked with the gallery on a couple of group shows before having her first solo exhibit there in January of 2007. She echoed Birds claims, telling The Daily Beast how Karp tried to gaslight her about a dispute over chipping in some money for costs related to the show. She admits its a small detail in the wider claims surrounding Karp but felt so weird about the situation she kept the chat transcript with Karp all these years. In the messages, seen by The Daily Beast, Visell becomes so frustrated with Karp, she accuses him of being a liar. Visell said because of the experience, she never dealt with Karps gallery again.

In a Twitter statement on Friday afternoon, former Gallery1988 manager Lily Idle said that when she managed the venue, she witnessed Karp completely screw an artist out of any profit from a solo show that was the culmination of a years worth of painting. Idle withheld the name of the artist, citing their privacy, but claimed Karp convinced them to create a show around a certain intellectual property which Karp wanted to work with down the line. However, right before the show, Karp was allegedly concerned that the show would jeopardize his potential chance of getting an officially licensed show with the property.'' Idle claims he basically blocked the sales of the artwork by not displaying the prices on the show cards. People could not purchase the pieces off Gallery1998s website either, according to Idle.

The Daily Beast has reached out to Idle for comment.

Another source who worked closely with Karps gallery in the 2000s described him to The Daily Beast as being ego-driven, fame-hungry, un-collaborative, selfish, and narcissistic.

Hes like the Loki in the gallery, comedy, and writing world, added the source. Hes not untalented, but hes not talented enough to be doing what hes doing because he doesnt put the work in. Hes not a hard worker. He just kind of takes, takes, takes and then moves on. The real Loki trick is that hes very charming. When you talk to him, he uses language really well, hes funny enough. The charm and the moxie are disorienting at first, you get kind of lost in it. Then you peel the layers back and you realize that [he] is there to take what youll let him until youre left with nothing.

Eliza Skinner worked with Karp on Drop the Mic, a comedy rap battle show that aired on TBS and was produced by CBS and production company Fulwell 73, and described to The Daily Beast a hellish three seasons working for him on the show. For Skinner, the experience was awful, she said, detailing how Karp often screamed at her. She admitted she regrets taking the job, even though it was a concept she had been working on for years.

Comedy writer Brittani Nichols, who also spoke out in a tweet about working with Karp on the show, told The Daily Beast that she often heard Karp yelling for Skinner to come to his office instead of walking the few feet it took to reach her.

The source who knew Karp from Gallery1988 made similar claims of Karp routinely erupting at people, both over the phone and in person, describing his volume as being at the top of his lungs. It was super distressing, they said. It wasnt uncommon for anyone to walk in the gallery and witness Katie and Jensen in a screaming match, like a yell-out fight that ended in tears.

Hes a big crybaby and definitely a yeller, the former girlfriend who spoke to The Daily Beast agreed. Screaming, yelling, manipulating and saying mean things, were all tactics Karp used to get his way or in a show of power, she said.

But beyond just yelling at her, Skinner also claimed that Karp would constantly rewrite her teams jokes, often making them worse, with no constructive feedbacksimply labeling them bad or I hate this.

By the third season, which was my final season, Jensen wouldn't look at or speak to me in the office, Skinner said.

Skinner claims that when she tried to raise concerns about Karp screaming at her and the overall treatment she endured to another executive producer, she was instructed to go to Karp with her complaints and to hash it out.

It was a very difficult response, Skinner said. When you say, Someone is abusing me that you put in power, you gave them power over me. And now Im the one who has to fix it? But I did. I sat down with him with my list of complaints and said, Please, you cannot do these things to me, you cannot do these things to the writers, and he agreed to them.

But eventually, as we worked, it kind of eroded away, she said. It was really tough. I ended up feeling like a lot of my job was to protect the writers from the way he was treating me and to fight for salvaging as much of their work as I could.

Some of Karps joke revisions or straight-up replacements involved lines that referenced people of color, Skinner claimed, adding that he often made them offensive. As one example, Karp allegedly kept revisiting the trope that all Black people look the same, using it as a punchline.

Nichols also made similar claims in a tweet, writing that Karp routinely replaced lines about Black celebrities with couplets about how they just looked like other Black celebs that they did not at all resemble. I expressed discomfort with this several times but again, he never spoke to us, so I had to shuffle this through the head writer.

His feeling was thats part of rap battle culture, Skinner said. My feeling was were not just a rap battle culture show, were a comedy show. So, these should be funny jokes and, to me, racist jokes, any kind of bigoted joke is lowest common denominator.

Skinner said she was eventually fired according to Karps wishes in summer 2018. She hasnt spoken to him since. A representative for TBS deferred comment to CBS and Fulwell 73 when reached by The Daily Beast. CBS declined to comment.

When Karps story about his shrimp saga went viral, Skinner couldnt resist liking some of the tweets from people hinting at their stories, explaining she knows that hes treated people very badly.

And while she admits shes squirrelly about speaking out because of potential blowback on her career, Skinner said she was compelled to do so in a show of support for others. I noticed a pattern of behavior from him because hes done it to me, she said. Ive seen him do it to other people. I especially feel bad for the women that he was involved with, who were mistreated by him and seeing him praised. I know that can be really shitty. So, I want to support other people when they speak out about that.

For the art gallery source, watching the events unfold around Karp has been karmic.

You cant shovel that much shit and serve it to so many people and not have expected it shoveled back eventually, they said. I almost think its too perfect that he found black specks in the [cereal] bag. If its rat shit, its just too specifically poignant.

Laura Bradley contributed reporting.

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Register to attend our upcoming Platts North America Natural Gas Methodology and Market Update webinar.

The Platts North American natural gas team will discuss the FERC Policy Statement's proposed changes on natural gas price reporting. They will also provide their analysis for the 3-day bidweek proposal and summarize the feedback received. Recent and upcoming Trade Vision enhancements, including API connectivity, will be highlighted. The team will also provide an update on its low methane gas initiative. In addition, they will discuss the volumes underpinning the core North American natural gas benchmarks and provide a natural gas market update.

This webinar is now available for on-demand replay.
Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshov announced the need to check all filling stations in Ukraine to prevent illegal fuel turnover.

According to the press service of the Regional Development Ministry, he said this at a meeting with the leadership of the Ukrainian Oil & Gas Association and representatives of filling station chains.

"As a result of joint work, the activities of all illegal filling stations should be stopped. Work continues to identify illegal fuel turnover. All filling stations in Ukraine will be checked," the Minister for Communities and Territories Development said.
A Houston man is out on bail after being accused of sexually abusing four girls at a foster home in Conroe.

Former Conroe resident Marquis Javon Bates, 28, is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. Bates was arrested March 11 and bonded out on Tuesday, according to the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office.

Bates charges stem from allegations of sexual abuse of two sisters, 5 and 7 at the time of the reported incidents, when detectives determined he would have been 17, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by a Texas Department of Public Safety officer.

There are two other accusers who were allegedly abused by Bates when they were younger than 14, the affidavit shows. All alleged victims were foster children at Park Village Apartments, located at 1230 S. Frazier. This was the home of Bates grandmother, a licensed foster parent, according to the affidavit.

After one alleged victim came forward, the DPS officer and Texas Ranger found three more accusers, including the sisters. On March 20, DPS special agents met with the sister who was 7 years old at the time of the alleged abuse. Bates assaulted her once, trying to force her to perform oral sex and also assaulted her 5-year-old sister, she told agents, court documents show.

That same day, the younger sister detailed to investigators her allegations of sexual abuse by Bates. She told the Texas Ranger that Bates sexually abused her more than five times, along with abusing her sister and the first alleged victim to come forward. She said she would cry during the abuse, court records show.

The incidents involving the sisters allegedly took place between Oct. 1, 2009 and Dec. 23, 2009, the time in which they lived as foster children at Bates grandmothers home, according to court documents.

The investigation began March 6, 2020 when a Texas Ranger met with a girl who accused Bates of sexually assaulting her when she was a foster child and they lived with his grandmother, according to court records.

The DPS officer determined the alleged victim was between age 2 and 6 when she lived with Bates who was 14 when she first moved in. The assault happened in the company of another teenage male and under threat by Bates, the alleged victim told a Texas Ranger and a forensics expert, court documents show.

On Oct. 15, the DPS officer and a special agent questioned a man who shared a bedroom with Bates in his grandmothers foster home when they were both teens. He said he remembered sisters staying there as foster children. The man said the first accuser was whom he remembers Bates made sexual contact with, court records show.

An investigator with the Texas Department of Family Protection Services confirmed to the Texas DPS officer that Bates first accuser was living with Bates grandmother at the time of the alleged sexual assault on the first accuser. It was then when the DPS officer and the Texas Ranger set out to find other children who lived at Bates grandmothers home, court documents show.

On March 13, 2020, the DPS officer and the Texas Ranger spoke with an alleged victim who lived at Bates grandmothers home when she was 11. The sexual abuse by Bates allegedly started after she arrived when he was 15. Bates, she alleged, forced her to perform oral sex on him until she vomited, according to court records.

In between tears, she told the officer and the Texas Ranger about how Bates allegedly sexually assaulted her at least 10 times at his grandmothers home and did not stop until he realized she was entering puberty and told her she was getting too old for him, according to court documents.

On Friday, requests for comment from Bates attorney were not returned.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
In a previous article for this column, I referred to an initiative by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), which led to the publication of Considering Grace, a book which explored how Presbyterians responded to the Troubles.

To prepare for my contribution this week, I had a phone conversation with Rev Tony Davidson, from First Armagh Presbyterian Church, who is the chairperson of Dealing with the Past, the group within PCI which came up with the idea for the book.

Tony explained to me the approach which the committee took to the project, which included exploring the past - truthfully, therapeutically and together. He also explained how they went about finding people to contribute to Considering Grace.

The book itself, by Gladys Ganiel and Jamie Yohanis, is, in my opinion, a "must-read".

It was written by Gladys, with Jamie having conducted the majority of the interviews and transcriptions, as well as providing feedback on the drafts.

I won't say I "enjoyed" it, because the authors "spoke to more victims than any other category", or group, and it was painful to read about their suffering, which for some continues to this day.

I commend the Presbyterian Church In Ireland for the courage and commitment in the way they went about the book, knowing that the Church, as an institution, would not at times come out well in it.

At times it doesn't.

In her foreword to Considering Grace, the journalist Susan McKay writes: "Many people feel the Church was too timid in the face of the aggressive scorn poured on it by Ian Paisley in his belligerent days as leader of the Free Presbyterians."

There were also comments critical of PCI for its lack of support of its own ministers involved in peace and reconciliation.

Two ministers working in north Belfast said this: "We didn't feel supported by the Presbyterian Church as such.

"No one centrally contacted us during tense periods and that was hard."

The issue of peacemaking is touched on throughout the book, with a certain theme running through the comments well captured by this statement: "Quiet peacemakers persisted, because they believed Churches could contribute to peace. But for this to be fully realised, they believed Churches must make peacemaking central to their missions, rather than treating it as an 'optional add-on'."

Standing back from the project, and while acknowledging the criticism of PCI, I believe the Church needs credit for doing so.

As I look at our society, so many organisations resort to spin and presenting themselves in the best light; here we have PCI having the humility to embark on a project which would bring to light criticism from its own people.

How many other organisations have done the same? Let me throw this out: what about some of the other Churches adopting a similar approach and see what comes of it?

Considering Grace presented various challenges, such as how does a worshipping community respond when a traumatic event happened in the previous week.

Several people gave examples of violence taking place in their community and no reference made to it at the Sunday worship.

Aaron (not his real name) had this to say about dealing the past: "Somebody needs to have some vision and take some leadership on how to deal with the past, because it's not going away, is it?"

In this well-written book, we have the example of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland showing leadership and offering one way of dealing with the past.

This week's scripture verses come from the book and were quoted by people who spoke to Jamie or Gladys.

Fr Martin Magill is parish priest of St John's, Belfast

Apt Bible readings

Some Scripture suggestions for the week ahead:

Monday: Matthew 28:20

Tuesday: Ephesians 3:20

Wednesday: Philippians 4:7

Thursday: Proverbs 3:5

Friday: Romans 12:19
A Mathura village woman was revealed to have been infected earlier in March with a South African strain of COVID as per PTI. Also, 2 district health workers have tested positive despite getting vaccinated.

Hindustan Times

What happened

Dr Bhudeo Singh who is head of Mathuras anti-Covid Rapid Response Team said the womans test sample was found to be having a South African strain of the Covid-19 virus during its genome sequencing in a Lucknow government laboratory.

What's being done

She tested positive on March 3 when Deen Dayal Veterinary University tested her sample.

Hindustan Times

However, some doubts resulted in a re-test in Lucknow.

But when it was discovered that it was the South African variant, she was placed back in quarantine and given preventive medicine.



India has nearly 1.2 crore affected while over 1.6 lakh people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

Worldwide, almost 13 crore are affected and almost 28 lakh dead.
Members of NASA's Perseverance rover team cheer in Mission Control after the spacecraft landed successfully. AP

Insider spoke to Heather Justice, a NASA Mars Perseverance driver, who operates the rover remotely.

The team has set up a successful operation but there are still a few challenges that drivers face.

Justice indicated that maintaining a work-life balance was tough.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

It's been about a year since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and like most companies, NASA is still dealing with the ongoing effects and challenges posed by the crisis. But unlike other firms, the US space agency is doing so while also presiding over a hugely ambitious mission to Mars.

For engineers and scientists working on the Mars 2020 mission with its Perseverance rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, one of the key challenges is adjusting to new styles of working. This means that some rover drivers have adopted a hybrid-working model, for example.

Insider spoke to Heather Justice, a NASA engineer from the Perseverance rover team, about the challenges of driving the machine. She also explained how she manages to perform commands and make new scientific discoveries during a pandemic while operating on Mars time.

Justice has worked at NASA since 2011 and works on the Mars 2020 mission as a rover driver. She was the lead driver for the Opportunity rover, which travelled over 45 km and was operational on Mars from 2004 to 2018.

Faced with lockdowns and social-distancing restrictions, she explained the teams' changed way of operating Perseverance, which launched on July 30 2020, and working together as a team. "It's definitely a little different from operating a brand new rover on Mars," she said.

In normal circumstances with past rovers, all of the team would come to JPL and get together and work together on operations for the first two months. "It's a group bonding experience for all the engineers and scientists working together," said Justice.

She added: "As rover drivers, we also do our own little huddle thing where we'll look at the images and say: 'OK this part of the terrain looks steep, or 'this part looks like there might be some risks to how we want to drive'. Now, we can't really do that. We can't all get together all close around a computer right now so that does make it a little bit more challenging."

Story continues

The Perseverance team has had to think about different ways of working, given the effects of the pandemic. The team was used to working in an organized facility filled with lots of large rooms, where all the scientists and engineers would congregate.

"Instead we have just a few primary engineering roles that really need to be collaborating on lab who are in there but spread out across new work stations that are really far apart," Justice said. "We're sort of like yelling to each other from our separate workstations, but it makes it a little easier to collaborate without having to stress so much about all of the virtual meetings."

One particular challenge has arisen from the fact that teams cannot huddle around a computer to discuss where the rover is going to drive. Instead, scientists and engineers have to put together all of the sequences that will eventually command the rover each day through teleconferencing systems.

Justice said this is a popular way of communication between the teams, who are all spread out across work stations due to social-distancing restrictions. Simultaneously, remote team members who are responsible for the navigation camera, have to coordinate with the rover drivers in laboratories to obtain images they need of the terrain.

But for Justice, there has definitely been a lot of improvement and evolution in the process of driving rovers. Some of that has been a focus on the flight systems side, where they've tried to make Perseverance more capable.

She said: "An example of that would be the autonomous navigation where we've done a lot of improvements on the software so that the rover can drive further on its own. Hopefully in the long term that will make it easier for us to get longer drives in which will let us get to the places that science really wants us to go to."

"There have also been hardware improvements, where the wheels are different from Curiosity so that they are more robust to drive over sharp rocks," she added.

Adam Steltzner, Perseverance chief engineer, shows a rover wheel during a NASA Perseverance rover mission engineering and technology overview. AP

Preparation was key for Justice before she immersed herself into the Mars mission. "I was very good about making sure that any major chores that had to be done during this time period were done in advance," she said. "I also made sure I stocked up on food because I don't know what time I'm going to be able to get to a grocery store to buy food if it's in the middle of the night when I'm trying to eat."

When asked how she managed her work-life balance, Justice indicated that it was tough. "We're working weekends too, it's 7 days a week so there definitely was a period where I forgot what day of the week it was."

"It's not like you have your general eight-hour workday and you go home and you stop thinking about it," Justice said.

Then, of course, there's the additional challenge of working on Mars time: "You're working and sleeping at weird hours and it changes every day - you don't really have a consistent schedule," she added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Press Release

March 27, 2021 De Lima says Muntinlupa judge failed to uphold her sworn duty, asks her to inhibit Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has maintained that Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan has clearly exhibited bias against her considering the magistrate's "blatant errors" regarding the case. In her 49-page Motion filed last March 25 asking Aquiatan to voluntarily inhibit from handling one of her two remaining trumped-up drug cases, De Lima said the former failed to uphold her duty to junk the drug case despite the failure of Prosecution to present sufficient competent evidence that would link her in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). "The Honorable Presiding Judge disregarded the Amended Information vesting her with jurisdiction. The Amended Information alleged that a) there was consummated drug trading and b) the accused conspired to commit the same," the document read. "Since the Prosecution failed to adduce any evidence to prove any of the elements of drug trading--there was no evidence offered to prove the drug traded, its quantity, the identity of the buyer and seller, and the consideration of the illegal drug sale--the grant of the Demurrer was the duty of the Honorable Presiding Judge, which duty she failed to do," De Lima said. It can be recalled that the Prosecution filed an Amended Information that changed the crime imputed against De Lima from "illegal drug trading" to "conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading," fully realizing that they had no proof of any of illegal drugs allegedly traded. In this case, the Prosecution accused De Lima for allegedly receiving two payments of P5 million on Nov. 24, 2012 and another P5 million on Dec. 15, 2012 purportedly coming from NBP drug trade proceeds to raise funds for her senatorial bid, an accusation she consistently and firmly denied. In her Motion for Voluntary Inhibition, the lady Senator from Bicol enumerated the elements that the Prosecution failed to establish during the years of trial. De Lima said these include the alleged agreement between her and co-accused to commit the trading of illegal drugs, the identification of the buyer and seller as provided in the agreement, the illegal drugs to be sold, the consideration in exchange for the illegal drugs to be sold and the method (specifically the use of electronic devices) employed in selling the illegal drugs. "As there is clearly an undeniable paucity of evidence proffered by the Prosecution to prove these elements - or the corpus of the crime, it became the duty of the Honorable Presiding Judge to grant the Demurrer. Here, she failed in her duty," De Lima reiterated. "Given the ramshackle reasoning of the Honorable Presiding Judge in her recent orders and her outright act of just ignoring the compelling arguments of the Defense in the Motion for Reconsideration through a two (2)-page Omnibus Order, she has given the impression that she has already prejudged the case. "For her to constantly ignore compelling evidence on record in a consistent pattern can only mean one thing: she is not inclined to consider whatever evidence and arguments Accused De Lima may have. She already ignored all the pieces of evidence favoring Accused De Lima. What can now assure the Defense that she will all of a sudden open her mind and be receptive once she continues handling the case?" the Motion stated. In a previous statement, De Lima's legal counsels already stressed that De Lima's case is the only drug case without any proof of drugs traded, and that no witness admitted to being involved or conspiring in the selling of illegal drugs. De Lima also has this to say: "While Judge Aquiatan is the same judge who acquitted me in the other case, Crim. Case No. 17-166, the errors and irregularities that characterize her disposition of our Demurrer to Evidence in Crim. Case No. 17-165, are too palpable to ignore as would incite belief that she has other motivations in so acting as she did. In asking her to recuse, I'm simply safeguarding my rights to a fair trial and an impartial judge." De Lima, the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, has earlier said that the entirety of the Prosecution's evidence more credibly and reasonably makes out a narrative that proves her innocence.
Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
: For the second consecutive day,



Andhra Pradesh reported more than 900 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the cumulative to 8,97,810.

A health department bulletin said the state reported 947 fresh cases and 377 recoveries, but no deaths in 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday.

The state COVID-19 chart showed 8,85,892 total recoveries and 7,203 deaths, leaving 4,715 active cases.

The overall infection positivity rate has now came down to six per cent after 1,49,58,897 tests were conducted at the rate of 2.80 lakh per million population, the bulletin said.

The contagion left tens of students in the Andhra University in Visakhapatnam sick, forcing the authorities to announce closure of the hostels.

The infected students have been isolated and lodged in special rooms in the university, where the health authorities were treating them.

Visakhapatnam District Collector V Vinay Chand and other officials visited the university on Saturday and took stock of the situation.

The Collector said 83 students tested positive for COVID-19 in AU, but all had only mild symptoms.

"We have informed the parents about the infection, but there is no need for any alarm.

We have provided quarantine facilities in both boys and girls hostels in the AU Engineering College.

Sanitisation is being vigorously carried out," the Collector said.

The university chief warden issued a notice that all hostels on the campus would be closed from Sunday.

The scheduled examinations for BE, B.Tech and B.Pharmacy students have been postponed due to the outbreak of the pandemic in the university.

Meanwhile, in Kadapa, 18 staff members of the District Water Management Authority tested positive for

The DWMA office has now been shut down after sanitization.

The infected staff have been kept in home quarantine, according to health department officials.

In 24 hours, Chittoor district reported the highest 180 fresh cases, followed by Visakhapatnam 156, Guntur 145 and Krishna 113.

Kurnool reported 61, East Godavari 58, Srikakulam 56, SPS Nellore 43, Kadapa 40, Anantapuramu 35 new cases.

Prakasam added 23, Vizianagaram 19 and West Godavari 18 new cases in a day, the bulletin said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Just be clear, the cup keeps refilling, Ms Wood said. Its not like its a finite number and the door has closed. More and more people have registered. However, Ms Wood said the number of registered Australians, which was previously stuck at 40,000 for several months, had finally started to reduce as more flights became available and some registered Australians declined to take up flights. Loading When Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised in September that all stranded Australians would be home by Christmas, there were 24,000 on the list but there were many more Australians abroad who had not registered. Since then, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne told the Senate, 63,100 Australians had returned from overseas, of whom 24,800 were registered by DFAT and 5150 were classified as vulnerable.

Ms Wood said the government-facilitated repatriation flights and the Northern Territorys Howard Springs quarantine facility  which was ramping up from a capacity of 850 to 2000 over the coming months  were dedicated to Australians who had registered with DFAT, with priority given to those who are vulnerable. Sophie had been living in Europe for 10 years and was already planning to return home for family reasons when the pandemic hit. She had booked her flight in January last year for a date in August, planning to serve out her three months notice, pack up her belongings and enjoy some time off. By the time she had served her notice period, the pandemic was under way and she was stranded without a job. Her original flight was cancelled when the flight caps were imposed and she bought tickets with three airlines, before finally making it home in December. So far she hasnt managed to find work in Australia, with hiring managers telling her she has too much experience. She sometimes regrets coming home and predicts Australia will once again face a brain drain once the borders reopen.

For Ms Duffield, who left Australia when she was 18 and was living in Indiana in the United States when her marriage ended, the priority has been trying to get her daughters Luca, 16, and Zara, 13, settled in Sydney. While they are grateful to be back and especially that they are no longer doing remote schooling, there have been challenges. Ms Duffield said the school had failed to prevent bullying and assumed that the girls should know everything about how school works in Australia simply because they are citizens, even though they have never lived here. She has found a steep learning curve herself, finding it difficult to navigate the supermarket and being bamboozled by terms like CTP when the person on the other end of the phone was unable to explain the acronym stood for compulsory third party insurance. Pieter den Heten was living in Germany when the pandemic hit Pieter den Heten was working in Germany when the pandemic hit. His partner returned to Australia in February  before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic  and he planned to follow as soon as he served his notice period at work.

In the end they were separated for nine months. In March he got sick and he was ill for over a month, probably with COVID-19 though there was no testing. By May he moved to the Netherlands  his country of birth  and was looking for tickets back to Australia. He had several flights cancelled and finally made it back in October. He said he felt very scrutinised even by friends who couldnt believe he couldnt get a flight sooner, even though fares rose as high as $15,000 and quarantine fees were $3000. A lot of people dont believe you. One friend of mine said I was just cheap, he said. What bothers me the most is the lack of empathy, and sympathy. Mr den Heten said his advocacy on behalf of fellow stranded Australians had invited abuse from trolls on the one hand and horrible stories from stranded Australians in desperate circumstances on the other. There were dozens of those stories and people would send me messages on Facebook in the middle of the night that theyre thinking of killing themselves, he said. Altogether, its taken quite a big toll on me but some of that was my choice.
The people of Ramsgrange proved they are a shining example of what can be achieved by lighting up their local church for St Patrick's Day.

Chairperson of Ramsgrange Tidy Towns Stephanie Catt said the group wanted to do something to lift the spirits of the community.

'Covid had run rampant through the village at Christmas, putting a real dampener on what should be a really nice time of the year. It saddened me as within the community people were pointing fingers. There was a sense we had fallen short as a community. We decided if we could light the village up green and decorate it that it might somehow lift people's spirits.'

They were assisted by the team at St Michael's Theatre and latterly by Event Lighting Solutions to bring the Paddy's Day spirit local. Having seen Wexford County Council light up urban locations, the volunteers in Ramsgrange decided to do it their way and got assistance at the last minute from a local donor. The church drew a socially distant crowd on St Patrick's Day night and remained illuminated until Friday. The initiative was well received and got 5,000 Facebook views.
The Colorado police officer slain in Monday's massacre at a Boulder grocery was the final person shot in the rampage that left 10 people dead, police said Friday.

And no one -- other than that officer, Eric Talley -- was shot after he and other officers started engaging the gunman at the King Soopers store after witnesses called 911, Boulder police said.

Boulder police made the comments on Twitter, responding to what it said were 'comments from some in our community who questioned the response time of our officers.'

'We think it's important to share that Officer Talley led a contact team of officers into the store within 30 seconds of arriving on scene,' the department's tweet reads.

'The suspect then shot at officers, killing Officer Talley, and firing on officers until he was taken into custody. No other individuals were shot or killed after these brave officers engaged the suspect,' the department's account reads.

The tweets do not address when the 911 calls started, and when police arrived at the store. Police previously said officers were dispatched around 2:40 p.m. Monday, and that officers arrived 'within minutes.'

A gunman opened fire outside and inside the supermarket that afternoon, killing 10 people -- including Talley, store workers and shoppers -- as numerous others fled or hid.

A suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, of the Denver suburb of Arvada, was arrested in the store that afternoon -- with a gunshot wound to the leg -- following a gunfire exchange with police, authorities said.

Alissa has been charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree and one charge of attempted murder. The attempted murder charge alleges Alissa shot at a separate police officer, according to court documents.

The county district attorney has said in the 'next couple of weeks' he anticipates filing more charges of attempted murder, stemming from accusations Alissa fired at other officers.

Police have said they're still trying to determine a motive in the shooting.

Those killed Monday were: Talley, 51; store manager Rikki Olds, 25; store employee Denny Stong, 20; store employee Teri Leiker, 51; Neven Stanisic, 23; Tralona 'Lonna' Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65.

Suspect passed a background check when buying gun, shop owner says

Alissa passed a background check before purchasing the weapon used in the slaughter, a Colorado gun shop owner said Friday.

Alissa used a Ruger AR-556 in the shootings, and he bought it on March 16, days before the massacre, a senior law enforcement source previously told CNN on condition of anonymity.

'We are absolutely shocked by what happened and our hearts are broken for the victims and families that are left behind,' John Mark Eagleton, the owner of Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada, said in a statement.

The gun shop will continue to fully cooperate' with investigators, Eagleton said.

'Ensuring every sale that occurs at our shop is lawful, has always been and will always remain the highest priority for our business,' the statement said.

'Regarding the firearm in question, a background check of the purchaser was conducted as required by Colorado law and approval for the sale was provided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.'

Nothing in the federal system would have prevented Alissa from passing a background check and buying a firearm, a law enforcement source had previously told CNN.

The suspect pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault in 2018 after attacking a high school classmate one year earlier, according to court documents and a police report. He was sentenced to one year probation, 48 hours of community service and anger response treatment, court documents said.

'Why that King Soopers? Why Boulder? Why Monday?'

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said Friday the motive for the rampage continues to elude investigators.

'I think the victims' families and the community are desperate to know the motive,' he told reporters. 'We want to know the motive. And that's going to be the focus of our efforts going forward. Whether or not we're able to determine it remains to be seen.'

Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said: 'Why that King Soopers? Why Boulder? Why Monday? Unfortunately, at this time, we still don't have those answers.'

In Alissa's first court appearance Thursday, one of his defense attorneys asked a judge to delay the next hearing for weeks because the defense needs time to assess what she called her client's mental illness.

The attorney did not elaborate. However, investigators have been examining possible mental health questions in the case, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation previously told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Alissa's brother also told CNN earlier this week that Alissa may have been suffering from mental illness.

The presiding judge, Thomas F. Mulvahill, agreed to set the next hearing in 'about 60 to 90 days.'

Suspect moved from county jail after threats

Alissa has been moved out of county jail after officers became aware of 'threats toward him' from other inmates, a jail official told CNN.

He was relocated early Wednesday, according to Jeff Goetz, Division Chief of the Boulder County Jail.

Alissa was never in direct contact with the inmates and was not harmed, but other inmates were asking about him and making threats, according to Goetz. These questions were directed toward other officers.
New Delhi:

India on Friday slammed Pakistan for raising Kashmir issue at the United Nations on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) saying it has no locus standi on Indias internal affairs.

"India outrightly rejects all such references. The OIC has no locus standi on India's internal affairs. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future," Dr Sumit Seth, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to UN said.

"India notes with utmost regret that the OIC in its statement contains factually incorrect and misleading references to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inseparable part of India," Seth added.

The OIC is a group of 57 nations including Pakistan which claims to be the collected voice of Muslims across the world.

Pakistan, on behalf of OIC, had blamed India for the violations of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir and accused it in denying the right of self-determination to Kashmiris.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
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The Watchdog: Inmate magazine subscription scheme ripping off prisoners, first exposed by The Watchdog, is shut down
Speakers of states houses of assemblies from North-west Nigeria have endorsed the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for president in the 2023 general election, Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly has said.

A statement issued by Mr Obasas media office Saturday said the speakers pledged their support at a meeting held at Kano on Friday.

A former speaker from Kano, Abdullahi Yanshana, reportedly said 95 per cent of the votes from Kano in 2023 will be in favour of the national leader of the APC, the statement said.

Mr Obasa said both the serving speakers and their predecessors in the North-west zone declared their support for Mr Tinubu as the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

Mr Tinubu, a former senator and two-term governor of Lagos State, has not officially declared interest to run for office in the next election. But recent moves by forces loyal to him show its a matter of time before he makes his intention known.

The APC leader was in Kaduna on Saturday where he chaired the Arewa House 11th annual lecture.

Over the past few months, several youth groups have clamoured for Mr Tinubus candidacy in 2023.

Mr Obasa said the endorsement by the northern speakers and ex-lawmakers is coming some weeks after speakers in the South-western zone did the same.

We should now be thinking beyond him being the flagbearer of the APC and concentrate on securing victory for him in the actual election.

We know that 90 per cent of the structure of the party is built by Tinubu, Mr Yanshana said.

The lawmakers also reportedly praised Mr Tinubu for being able to unite the South-west, saying that his leadership qualities are scarce in some other zones of the country and are an advantage for the entire country.

Some lawmakers who attended the meeting, according to the statement, include Abdu Dauda from Jigawa; Mohd W. G. from Sokoto; Aliyu Auwal from Kaduna; Aliyu Muduru from Katsina; Ahmad Garba from Jigawa; and Isa Idris from Jigawa.

Others are Shehu Dalhatu from Katsina; Yusuf Ata from Kano; Aliko Shuaibu from Kano; AbdulAzeez GG from Kano; Balarabe Gani from Kano; and Kabiru Alhassan.

Mr Obasa said some of the speakers argued that with the challenges currently being faced by the country, Nigeria deserves a leader who is detribalised and Mr Tinubu has shown (this) over time.

Another attendee, Abu Dauda, a former deputy speaker in Jigawa, noted the contributions of Mr Tinubu to the success of the APC and the growth and progress of Nigeria, the Lagos speaker said.

If not him, then who? If not now, then when? Mr Dauda reportedly asked.

Also, the host speaker from Kano, Hamisu Ibrahim, reportedly said with 2023 approaching, there was a need to source for a flagbearer who can stand on his feet and effectively direct people.

He said Tinubu already has their support and promised that he would win in Kano during the 2023 presidential election.

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Meanwhile, Mr Obasa urged his colleagues to look within for the person that is capable, that has all it takes  the knowledge and capability to deliver, in the person of Mr Tinubu.

The statement further said the speakers also discussed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Movement, and how they will use it to garner the support of Nigerians for Mr Tinubu ahead of 2023.
(The Center Square)  The New York State Department of Health informed all nursing homes late Thursday that residents can receive visitors. The move puts the state in line with current federal recommendations regarding the coronavirus.

DOH sent a memo to nursing home officials informing them this decision supersedes and replaces previous guidance.

[W]e recognize that physical separation from family and other loved ones has taken a physical and emotional toll on residents and their loved ones, the memo stated.

The memo added that since the most recent federal guidance, which was released a month ago, millions of nursing home residents and staff have received a COVID-19 vaccine. That policy required facilities to enforce a 14-day visitation suspension if the facility reported a positive case.

In a statement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state has always used science as its guide to protect its residents. Over the last two months, the number of positive cases has dropped by more than 80 percent.

We now have three effective vaccines that are leading to significant decreases in long-term care COVOD cases and a robust staff testing system to limit community spread from entering a facility, the governor said.

State policies on nursing homes have been among the most controversial guidelines the administration has set since the pandemic started more than a year ago. However, even some of the governors harshest critics welcomed this change.

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Prior to the announcement, Better Nursing Homes for New York State repeatedly questioned why the state wasnt following most up-to-date guidelines established by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

NY visitation rules 'outdated & cruel' with most elderly vaccinated, the group tweeted Thursday morning.

The states memo tells long-term care facilities they can construct visitation policies based on both its and residents' needs. That gives them the flexibility to allow visitors in resident rooms, dedicated spaces or outdoors.

The state said nursing homes must screen all who enter and conduct coronavirus screenings that include asking questions and conducting temperature checks. Face coverings and observance of six-foot social distancing guidelines will also be required. Visitors who cant follow the guidelines either should not be allowed to enter or they should be asked to leave.

The Cuomo administration finds itself under both a federal investigation as well as a legislative impeachment inquiry regarding its previous handling of nursing home policy as well as a significant undercount of fatalities. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for Cuomo's resignation.

On Wednesday, the state Senate took action to repeal immunity protections for nursing home operators by passing S.5177 unanimously.

During the early months of the pandemic, the legislature granted healthcare facilities broad corporate immunity stripping grieving families of their right to seek proper legal recourse and potentially incentivizing nursing home executives to cut corners, bill sponsor and state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi said in a statement. Now knowing that we would lose over 13,000 nursing home residents to COVID-19, we have a duty to right this wrong and fully repeal the remaining protections.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has acknowledged that Narendra Modi never discarded former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's contribution in the fall of Dhaka in 1971. The former UN under-secretary general admitted his mistake and said his assumptions were "on the basis of a quick reading of headlines and tweets". He shared a news report on Prime Minister Modi's address to the people of Bangladesh.





I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. Yesterday, on the basis of a quick reading of headlines &tweets, I tweeted "everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh," implying that @narendramodi had omitted to acknowledge IndiraGandhi. It turns out he did: https://t.co/YE5DMRzSB0 Sorry!  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 27, 2021

In this speech, Prime Minister Modi said, "Bangaldesh's freedom fight got support from every nook and corner, every political party and every section of society in India. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's efforts and her pivotal contribution in freedom of Bangladesh is publicly known."

He added, "On December 6,1971, Atal Ji had said we aren't just fighting with people who're laying down their lives in the Liberation War, but we are also trying to give a new direction to liberty."

The Prime Minister also conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to the daughters of Bangabandhu and Bangladesh's first Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rehman-- current Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana during an event.

Tharoor had previously tweeted, "International education: our PM is giving Bangladesh a taste of Indian "fake news". The absurdity is that everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh."

International education: our PM is giving Bangladesh a taste of Indian fake news. The absurdity is that everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh. https://t.co/ijjDRbszVd  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 26, 2021

Prime Minister Modi visited the National Martyrs' Memorial, also known as the JatiyoSritiShoudho and the National monument of Bangladesh, to pay his respects to all those who laid down their lives to liberate Bangladesh in 1971. He also met the Bangladeshi Muktijoddhas apart from Representatives of Minorities in Bangladesh, Youth Icons and Friends of India.

This is a historic visit to mark Mujib Borsho-- the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, 50 years of the fall of Dhaka and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh.

Also read: PM Modi visits war memorial, meets Bangladesh leaders, young achievers in Dhaka

Also read: PM Modi to meet Sheikh Hasina, sign key pacts on Day 2 of Bangladesh visit
In the few weeks since the reopening of schools across the UK (in Scotland on February 22; in Wales on March 15; in England between March 8 and March 15) infections of COVID-19 have grown exponentially among pupils.

Mask wearing and testing have not been made mandatory in schools, even as data proves that pupils and education staff have an elevated risk from contracting COVID-19.

Public Health England figures for the week to March 21 show that 43 percent of all new coronavirus cluster outbreaks occurred in Educational Settings. Of the 233 outbreaks, 101 were in Education Settings.

Public Health England graph showing that 43 percent of all new coronavirus cluster outbreaks last week occurred in Educational Settings (source: Public Health England)

On March 23, TES (formerly, Times Educational Supplement ) reported that the number of pupils absent for COVID-related reasons had doubled in the second week since schools reopened.

Citing recent data published by the Department for Education (DfE), the journal said that around 2 percent of state school pupils were absent on March 18 (up from 1 percent on March 11) due to having contracted or come into contact with the virus, or because their school was closed as a consequence of COVID-19.

TES explained that this includes a near fourfold rise in the number of pupils self-isolating after potential contact with the virus in school from 33,000 on March 11 to 127,000 on March 18. One in 10 secondary school pupils were absent on March 18.

The DfE figures revealed than on March 18 there were:

 7,000 pupils with a confirmed case of COVID-19

 21,000 pupils with a suspected case of the virus

 127,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of the virus from inside the educational setting

 42,000 pupils self-isolating due to potential contact with a case of the virus from outside the educational setting

 4,000 pupils unable to attend because their school was closed due to Covid-related reasons

The following is a snapshotmainly from local press accountsof the initial impact of growing infections after just a few weeks of in-person schooling across Britain.

On March 19, the Daily Mirror reported that 137 areas in England have seen a rise in COVID-19 infections since schools reopened, up to March 15, according to government data.

According to the Manchester Evening News on March 22, there had been confirmed cases of the virus at 74 schools in the Greater Manchester area since they fully reopened. The newspaper noted, However, these are only the ones the Manchester Evening News has been alerted to by parents, so the true figure is likely to be even higher.

Hundreds of pupils were sent home this week at schools across Yorkshire, including in Keighley, Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Sheffield. Ecclesall Primary school in Sheffield sent home 100 pupils to self-isolate. Another Sheffield school, Valley Park Community Nursery and Primary School, closed after a number of positive cases as a precautionary measure, following advice from Public Health England. Valley Park was one of the schools used in the national media as part of its schools are safe to open propaganda on March 8.

The BBC reported March 18 that Bricknell Primary School, in Hulla previous epicentre of the virus closed for two days following several positive coronavirus test results. Acting headteacher Nicola Waites sent a letter to parents informing them that the school was also awaiting the results of further tests. The 630-pupil school was to be deep-cleaned on Thursday and Friday ahead of reopening the following Monday.

Hull City Council, reported the BBC, said that a third of schools in the city had closed some educational bubbles.

The day before, March 17, the BBC had reported on the closure of Henley-in-Arden secondary school in Warwickshire due to staff and pupils testing positive. Martin Murphy, the CEO of the Arden Multi-Academy Trust, said there were only 268 of 650 pupils present on the day the decision to close the school was made.

The Lowestoft Journal reported March 19 that Phoenix St Peter Academy in Lowestoft postponed its reopening until after Easter due to infections in the school and the local community. A spokesperson said that cases had affected the schools staffing capacity.

The same day, the Hampshire Chronicle reported that Westgate Secondary in Fulflood, Winchester, and St John the Baptist Primary in Waltham Chase, had been added to the Hampshire County Council list of affected schools, joining Kings Secondary in Winchester and Micheldever Primary, since they reopened.

Although much of the sporadic press coverage has publicised infections among secondary-age pupilsdue in large part to the fact that many of them are undertaking voluntary twice weekly lateral flow tests (which only pick up around 60 percent of positive cases, and in some instances even fewer)there have been reported infections among very young children, too.

Wales Online reported March 17 on 21 positive cases of COVID-19 in the previous seven days among the youngest pupils at Pontprennau Primary School, Cardiff. Three members of staff and 80 pupils from reception and nursery years were told by Public Health Wales (PHW) to self-isolate for 10 days after they were identified as close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Significantly, as the 21 cases at the school were all in the same two contact bubble groups, the rest of the school remained open.

In total 9,634 cases have been reported by Welsh schools since September, including 4,300 staff. The total pupil population of Wales is just 377,000.

The Johnson government is stopping at nothing to ensure that pupils remain in classrooms in order that their parents are able to go to work and churn out profits for the corporations.

This week, a trial at an initial 10 schools was rolled out under which pupils who are classed as close contacts of a positive case are kept in school. A full trial will see around 200 schools and colleges participating after the Easter holidays.

In order to participate, pupils and their families have to agree to be tested for COVID daily for seven consecutive school days. One of the schools which has volunteered to be part of the trial is Westhoughton High in Bolton. The Manchester Evening News reported that Thirty-eight students who would have been sent home last week, after two positive cases in Year 7, have remained in school for all their lessons after their parents consented to them doing the daily tests instead. The newspapers comment that They [pupils] still need to isolate when outside school demonstrates how farcical, and dangerous, such a trial is. The tests mainly being taken in schools are the notoriously unreliable Lateral Flow tests. Of the new daily tests over seven days in the trial, only two will be the more reliable laboratory analysed PCR tests.

The reopening of schools and the wider economy last September, following the first national lockdown, resulted in a huge second wave of the virus, which cost over 80,000 lives. By December, school-aged children had the highest rates of infection in the country, alongside young adults.

At the time of the September reopening, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that one in 1,400 people in England had COVID-19. The figure in the most recent data, for the week to March 20, is one in 340. An estimate provided to the governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies predicted that even a more gradual reopening plan, and factoring in an effective vaccination programme, could cost another 58,000 lives by June 2022.

Parents take children to a primary school in Bournemouth, UK following the reopening of schools nationally. March, 2021 (credit: WSWS media)

Over 146,000 people have already been killed by COVID-19 according to official figures. The only reason this staggering death toll is not higher still is due to the opposition in the working class which forced the ruling class to impose national lockdown measures.

There still exists enormous opposition among educators, parents and workers to the reckless reopening of schools and nonessential workplaces, but this is being suppressed by the education unions and the Labour Party who are collaborating with the Tory government to ensure they remain open. In response to the schools infection data from the DfE, Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders union, saidafter ensuring all his members were sent into unsafe workplacesthat it was inevitable with schools fully open once again that there will be positive cases and close contacts having to self-isolate.

The UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee urges all teachers, parents and students to join us in the fight to close unsafe schools and education settings until the virus has been suppressed. Sign up here to receive our regular newsletter and attend our upcoming meetings.
A bus outside the Crowne Plaza hotel, Santry, near Dublin Airport, where travellers arriving from one of 33 high risk countries will stay during a mandatory 12-day quarantine (Brian Lawless/PA)

Gardai are investigating reports that a number of people have left mandatory quarantine at a Dublin hotel without authorisation.

The quarantining rules came into effect on Friday with the first passengers impacted having checked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry near Dublin Airport.

It is understood gardai are responding to a report that three people who had commenced their quarantine period left the hotel on Saturday.

Travellers arriving from 33 countries deemed high risk by the Government must quarantine for 12 nights at a designated hotel.

Expand Close A member of the Defence Forces at Dublin Airport on Friday (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp A member of the Defence Forces at Dublin Airport on Friday (Brian Lawless/PA)

The new quarantine rules also apply to any passenger who arrives from any other country without a negative PCR test for Covid-19 carried out no more than 72 hours before they arrive in Ireland.

The Defence Forces and private security guards are involved in monitoring compliance with the rules at the facilities.

If a person leaves prior to the expiration of their quarantine period, it is a criminal offence and gardai are called in to investigate.

A Garda spokesman said: An Garda Siochana are this afternoon liaising with the (Defence Forces) State Liaison Officer at a designated quarantine facility in the Dublin area, in accordance with current protocols.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: It is a criminal offence if you do not fulfil the legal requirement to present for mandatory hotel quarantine, if you resist being brought to quarantine or if you leave a designated facility without authorisation.

A person found guilty of these or other relevant offences is liable for a fine of up to 2,000 euro, imprisonment for one month or both.

An Garda Siochana will investigate any suspected offences and enforce these laws.

Affected passengers arriving in Dublin Airport are being transferred by bus to the hotel with a Defence Forces escort.

Travellers are required to pre-book accommodation in a designated quarantine facility and to pre-pay for their stay.

The cost per adult traveller for a 12-night stay inclusive of all services is 1,875 euro

The stay at the hotel could be reduced if a person receives a negative test for the virus taken on day 10 of quarantine.

The booking portal for mandatory hotel quarantining went live on the Government website earlier this week.

The Tifco Hotel Group has been appointed as the service provider.
Local Vaccinations Move to Phase 2 & 3

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - The Purchase District Health Department, Mercy Health, and Baptist Health are opening COVID vaccinations to Phase 1, 2, and 3. Phase 2 is anyone 40 and older, and Phase 3 is anyone 16 and older.Purchase District Health Department in McCracken County is scheduling Phase 2 and 3 immediately: To schedule in McCracken County please go to www.purchasehealth.org and select schedule or call 270-444-5170 if you would prefer to schedule by phone. The health department is administering the Moderna Vaccine. You must be 18 or older to receive this vaccine. Please be certain youre available to return 28 days following your first dose to receive the second dose.Mercy Health says it will begin scheduling Phase 2 and 3 on March 31 at 8 a.m. Call 866-624-0366 to schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Callers are advised to be patient, as call volumes will be high. Mercy Health is administering the Pfizer vaccine, which can be administered to the 16 and older population. Please be certain youre available to return to Mercy Health - Lourdes Hospital 21 days following your first dose to receive the second dose.Baptist Health will also begin scheduling Phase 2 and 3 on March 31 at 8 a.m. Schedule an appointment by visiting www.scheduleyourvaccine.com. You must use their online form. Baptist Health is administering the Moderna Vaccine. You must be 18 or older to receive this vaccine.Patients are asked to call and cancel if they are unable to make their appointment.The Pfizer vaccines 2nd dose is administered 21 days after the 1st dose. The Moderna vaccines 2nd dose is administered 28 days after the 1st dose. Please do not mix vaccine types.
The death penalty has not been shown to deter crime, despite the repeated claim to the contrary by its supporters. Its going to make Virginia less safe, less secure, Jason Miyares, a Republican lawmaker, said of abolition. In fact, states that execute people have consistently higher murder rates than those that do not.

Despite this compelling evidence of the death penaltys futility, the federal and state governments have put to death more than 1,450 people since the reinstatement of capital punishment in 1976.

The good news is that its overall use has dropped sharply in recent years. New death sentences are down from a high of 315 in 1996 to 18 in 2020. Annual executions have plummeted, too, from 98 in 1999 to 17 in 2020.

More than half of last years executions were for federal crimes, the first time in history that the federal government put more people to death than all the states combined. Credit for this dubious achievement goes to former President Donald Trump, who authorized a spate of executions as the election neared, and then three more after he lost to Joe Biden.

Politicians once calculated that backing the death penalty was an effective electoral strategy to show their tough-on-crime bona fides. But thats less and less true. Americans support for the death penalty, which in the past reached as high as 80 percent, has now fallen to 55 percent, its lowest mark in half a century  part of Americans growing awareness of the profound failures and inequities of their criminal justice system.

With Virginias ban this week, 23 states now prohibit the death penalty, and 11 more havent used it in at least a decade. Its not a simple partisan issue, either. In several states, Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats in voting to ban capital punishment. In Virginia, some Democrats still supported the practice as recently as last year.

What remains for the defenders of state-sponsored killing? Nothing but cruelty. Its a tried and true tactic, even among certain Supreme Court justices, to linger on the grisliness of the crimes, as if those who oppose capital punishment are somehow unaware of those facts, or are untroubled by them. Horror stories miss the point. No one disputes that the crimes for which people are sentenced to death are abhorrent and demand justice. But a society that sinks to the level of its worst offenders is not only hypocritical, it also poisons itself with an endless cycle of vengeance.
Patna, March 27 : A husband of block chief (Prakhand Pramukh) has been gunned down in Bihar's Samastipur district.

The deceased, Annu Tiwari, husband of Ravita Tiwari, has a criminal background. He was facing charges in murder of RJD leader Raghuvar Rai and released on bail a month ago.

Ravita Tiwari is the chief of Pusa block in the district.

According to an official, Annu was in the Vaini area of the district when three bike borne assailants on Friday afternoon opened fire at him. Annu received three gunshot injuries on chest and abdomen and died on the spot.

Following the incident, a large number of local villagers assembled at the place and blocked the Vaini-Samastipur main road for an hour.

"We are trying to identify the accused. They fled before local villagers assembled at the place. Efforts are on to nab them. We are also taking statements of the victim's family to find some clues," a police officer said on the condition of anonymity.
The Quebec Superior Court has rejected the request of the Federation autonome de l'enseignement (FAEAutonomous Federation of Teachers) for an emergency injunction ordering the Quebec government to improve safety in the schools in the face of a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Brian Riordans scandalous March 19 ruling is in line with a similar ruling last fall in which the court rejected the FAEs plea that the government be ordered to implement a series of measures to improve school safety, including improved ventilation of classrooms and preventative COVID-19 testing on asymptomatic staff and students

These rulings demonstrate the utter indifference of the capitalist courts and the entire ruling elite to the health and very lives of teachers, students and their families.

It needs to be added here that the FAEs demands for enhanced safety measures would have done little to reduce the risk of infections in Quebecs schoolsespecially now under conditions where they are serving as major vectors for the transmission of more contagious COVID-19 variants.

The courts staggering disregard for teachers and students, which is in keeping with the right-wing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) governments stated policy of herd immunity, is underscored by the fact that Riordan issued his ruling even as COVID-19 cases are again spiking across the country. This third wave of the pandemic is fueled by the B.1.1.7 and other more contagious and likely lethal COVID-19 variants.

Infections in the provinces schools accelerated every day this past week. On Thursday alone, new variant infections had increased by 314 over the previous 24 hours, an additional 35 classes had gone into isolation, and the total number of active infections among students and teachers rose to 2,252.

Dr. Karl Weiss, one of the provinces leading infectious disease specialists, told the Montreal Gazette, When you look at the number of variants right now, I would estimate that 35 percent of them in Quebec are in people under the age of 19. So kids are now spreading the variants around, and theyre not vaccinated. The second group which is being infected by the variants are the parents of these kids.

The FAEs request for an emergency court injunction, whether this month or last fall, was always a political manoeuvre. The union leaderships principal concern has been to maintain some degree of credibility in the eyes of teachers, who know full well the central role it and the provinces other teacher unions have played in ensuring that schools have remained open almost without interruption since the 2020-21 school year began last August.

In September, the union filed an initial motion against the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government to demand that teachers have priority access to COVID-19 testing. This request was rejected by the court on September 30 on the grounds that this was a political issue and that the government was best able to determine what was in the publics interests.

Satisfied that this futile move was sufficient to save face with its members, the FAE joined with the other teachers unions and did nothing to mobilize educators and rally popular support as the second wave of the pandemic hit Quebec schools with full force last fall.

It similarly suppressed opposition to the CAQ governments push to resume in-class instruction after the November-December surge in infections had forced Premier Francois Legault to re-impose some lockdown measures in late December and early January. This despite the fact schools had been shown to have played a critical role in fueling the second wave, and multiple new variants of concern had been identified.

It was only after these more contagious and deadly variants were surging through schools in much of the province, and teachers were increasingly vocal in their calls for action, that the FAE on March 8 once again petitioned the Superior Court for an emergency court order.

Ultimately, the legal maneuvers of the FAE, a union that claims to be more militant than the larger CSQ, serve only to justify its collaboration with the ruling elite in its drive the keep schools open so that parents can be sent back to work to produce profits for big business.

This was effectively admitted by FAE President Sylvain Mallette. When asked about the purpose of the unions injunction request, he said, Its essential, because we collectively want to keep schools open.

The petition the FAE submitted to the Superior Court in support of its most recent injunction request demonstrates that it is fully aware of the role schools are playing in the transmission of the coronavirus in the community and the dangers that confront school personnel, students and their families.

For example, the union noted that one-third of COVID-19 outbreaks in Quebec have occurred in schools (32.5 percent as of March 8), and that in total, more than 2,350 of the 2,994 institutions in the school system have had at least one confirmed case. Since the beginning of the school year, more than 30,000 students and staff members have contracted the potentially deadly and debilitating virus.

In its plea to the court, the FAE was also forced to admit that the limited health measures put in placeand agreed to by the unionshad not prevented cases from appearing in schools as soon as they reopened after the holiday break in January. It also observed that a third wave is imminent and that the variants are of great concern to experts because of a higher potential for contagion even among children. The union went on to lament that teachers are forced to perform their duties under conditions that do not meet pandemic health standards and that compromise their health and safety.

While true, these points all constitute an indictment of the FAEs own policy, which has been to send educators back to in-person teaching under unsafe conditions without adequate public health measures or sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).

The union does not demand that schools be closed. Rather it calls on the government to correct deficiencies in its open school policy to limit the spread of the virus. In other words, the FAE accepts that students and workers must risk their health and lives so that the financial and business elite can continue to accumulate profits.

It concluded its petition with four extremely timid demands that, even if implemented, would do nothing to stop a third wave of the pandemic.

In the end, these demands run up against the limits of the bourgeois justice system, which since the beginning of the pandemic has sided with the Legault government. In response to Riordans dismissal of its request for an emergency injunction, all the FAE could muster was to express its disappointment and shock. Apart from continuing with its legal case, which will drag on for months, the union proposed to do precisely nothing.

For example, take the very important issue of ventilation in schools. The FAE has pressed the court to order the government to put in place a timetable and methodology for properly testing school ventilation systems. Only at a later stage of the legal proceedings will the FAE get around to arguing that based on the results of these tests the government should be forced to implement the necessary measures to ensure ventilation in the classrooms. Considering the time required to conduct the tests and hold new hearings, any ventilation fixes would not even take place until after the end of the current school year some three months away.

According to media reports, in oral arguments before Justice Riordan, the government displayed a complete disregard for the safety of school personnel and students. After cynically observing that ventilation is not a silver bullet to halting the viruss spread, government lawyers reportedly said that schools should simply stop using poorly ventilated classrooms. With schools already short of space due to decades of capitalist austerity, such a measure would invariably result in increased students per class, thus aggravating the risk of spreading the coronavirus, not to mention the negative effects on teaching.

The government also argued that preventive testing of staff or students who do not show symptoms is not necessary, confirming that nothing will be done to prevent the COVID-19 contagion in schools. Finally, government lawyers argued that the school environment does not pose a greater risk than other workplaces. In other words, the government is allowing thousands of workers to contract COVID-19 in the factories, so it is only equitable that the same homicidal policy be applied in the schools.

Neither legal proceedings nor pleas from the union bureaucracy will change the determination of the CAQ government and big business to keep the economy running at full speed at the expense of human lives.

Only the political mobilization of teachers and all school staff, independently of the big business parties and the pro-capitalist unions, can enforce the only solution to stop the contagion in schools and protect the lives and health of staffthe immediate closure of schools and halting of in-person teaching. These measures must be accompanied by full financial compensation for teachers and all workers forced to stay at home to care for their children.

Teachers across Canada have begun organizing to fight for this program in the Cross-Canada Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. Teachers, workers, parents and students who want to join this struggle, in alliance with their class brothers and sisters in the US and around the world can contact the committee at cersc.csppb@gmail.com or visit its Facebook Page .
An octopus named Marshmallow lies at rest at the bottom of her tank, suddenly shifting in color from a pale white-green to brown and then orange, as her muscles twitch, suckers contract and her closed eyes shift around.

This moment was captured in remarkable footage shot by scientists in Brazil, who published a new study in the journal iScience on Thursday that says the sophisticated cephalopods experience at least two different types of sleep.

One of these states, which they dubbed "active sleep," is akin to rapid eye movement (REM) in mammals, birds and some reptiles -- raising the intriguing possibility that, like humans, octopuses experience dreams.

"Octopuses are unique in terms of their complexity, both behavioral and neural," senior author Sidarta Ribeiro of the Brain Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil told AFP, noting they have the most complex brains of any invertebrates.

"But they're nevertheless very different from us."

To explore the question of octopus sleep patterns, the researchers continuously recorded four octopuses in their tanks over several days, then went back to analyze the footage.

They found during "quiet sleep," the animals were still, with pale skin and their pupils contracted to a slit.

During "active sleep," however, they dynamically changed their skin color and texture, noticeably heaved and twitched, and their eyes moved around.

The pattern was cyclical, with the quiet period lasting around six or seven minutes and followed by an active cycle lasted about 40 seconds.

The cycle might then repeat, or the octopus could wake up, but usually fell back asleep 30 to 40 minutes later. All told, their slumbers take up a quarter of the day.

To establish whether these states really represented sleep, the researchers devised visual and tactile stimulation tests, the paper's first author, graduate student Sylvia Medeiros told AFP.

The first test involved playing a video of a crab on a screen that was placed next to the octopuses.

"When they are awake, because crab is a natural prey, they try to attack," she said.

But they didn't try to pounce in the two states where they were presumed sleeping.

In the second test, they struck the octopus tanks with a rubber hammer, with the animals physically reacting and changing their color when awake, but not when asleep.

'Video clips, or even gifs'

Learning more about what makes us similar to octopuses, whom our species diverged from 500 million years ago, can shed new insight into our distinct evolutionary paths, said Ribeiro.

"If we see a similar phenomenon, in this case, a sleep cycle comprising quiet sleep and then active, it's most likely due to convergent evolution," he said, meaning our two species independently evolved the same biological mechanisms.

That in turn sheds light on the evolutionary pressures that shaped this behavior.

For mammals, REM sleep represents a time of memory consolidation and triggers a variety of molecular mechanisms that have a restorative effect on brain health and cognition.

The authors think this could be the case for octopuses too.

Most human dreaming also comes during REM sleep -- so might this also be the case for the eight-limbed molluscs?

"We cannot affirm it for sure," said Medeiros.

But if they do, it's unlikely to be similar to the complex narratives we can experience, given how short the active phase is for octopuses, she added.

"It should be more like small video clips, or even gifs."

The color patterns the octopuses form on their skins during sleep could offer a window into their minds, as they can mirror patterns they exhibit while they are awake.

For example, the "half and half," where they are black on one side and white on the other, is sometimes seen during courtship -- so might an octopus that displays this pattern during sleep be dreaming of romance?

Maybe, but it's too early to say, said Ribeiro, and the subject of future research.

The team next hopes to find ways to record octopuses' neural data -- a tricky proposition given they are moving around in water -- and to learn more about the role sleep plays for the animals' metabolism and cognition.
Massachusetts health officials announced 2,362 new cases of COVID-19 and 35 more deaths on Saturday, bringing the number of active cases to 29,806.

Saturday marks the third consecutive day in which the Department of Public Health reported more than 2,000 new cases in Massachusetts. From February into March, the number of new cases had been declining following the winter peak.

The number of active coronavirus cases has also been increasing slightly. For several days last week, the number of active cases was around 25,000, DPH data indicates. On Friday, the state reported 28,810 active cases.

Saturdays new cases are based on 108,411 new molecular tests. The states seven-day average of positive tests stands at 2.35%, a slight increase from rates around 1.8% seen earlier this month, according to DPH data.

So far through the pandemic, at least 590,961 Massachusetts residents have tested positive for the virus and 16,746 have died.

Currently, 654 people are hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 143 patients in the intensive care unit and 86 who are intubated. Hospitalizations increased from 622 reported by DPH on Friday.

As of Saturday, 3,300,864 residents have received one vaccine shot and 1,225,307 residents are fully inoculated, according to DPH.

This week, the department labeled 32 towns and cities as high risk for spreading the virus, which is an increase from 20 high-risk municipalities the week prior.

Here are the total COVID-19 cases by county:

Barnstable County: 1,806

Berkshire County: 5,390

Bristol County: 59,199

Dukes County: 930

Essex County: 88,521

Franklin County: 2,173

Hampden County: 45,225

Hampshire County: 8,225

Middlesex County: 120,686

Nantucket County: 1,278

Norfolk County: 49,282

Plymouth County: 43,569

Suffolk County: 83,704

Worcester County: 69,741

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Riverdale actress Camila Mendes and her photographer boyfriend Grayson Vaughan have called time on their relationship after less than a year of dating.

The pair reportedly split around a month ago and Camila, 26, has deleted all pictures of her ex from her Instagram feed and has stopped following him.

However, Grayson is still following the actress on the social media platform and insiders insist they will remain friends.

Moving on: Camila Mendes and her boyfriend Grayson Vaughan have called time on their relationship after less than a year of dating but insiders insist they will remain friends

A source told E! News: 'There was no drama at all, and they are still friends. Their relationship just ran its course.'

Camila and Grayson's relationship reportedly fell apart due to distance. MailOnline has contacted Camila's representative for comment.

The TV star returned to Canada in September 2020 to resume filming her role as Veronica Lodge in Riverdale.

The source explained: 'Camila has been shooting in Canada and travel has been banned, so the pandemic didn't make it easy to see each other.' MailOnline have reached out to Camila's representatives for further comment.

Separated: The pair reportedly split about a-month-ago and Camila, 26, has deleted all pictures of her ex from her Instagram feed and has stopped following him

Camila previously dated her co-star Charles Melton, who plays Reggie Mantle. They started dating in August 2018 and split in 2019.

A source said at the time: 'Cami and Charles have been separated for a few months now. They are taking a break from their relationship. Their relationship escalated very quickly and they are taking time now to focus on their work and themselves.'

Earlier this month, Camila said she began suffering from panic attacks amid the isolation of lockdown last year.

Talking to Health for the April issue, she explained: 'When we first started shooting season 5, I started having panic attacks, which was strange for me.

'I think it was because I was in Vancouver and borders were closedno one could visit us. You start to miss your home and your life, and you dont have your friends or community with you.'

Amicable: However, Grayson is still following the actress on the social media platform as a source told E! News : 'There was no drama at all, and they are still friends' (pictured in 2010)

The Virginia-born star insisted that she was happy to be working but still had to learn self care remedies to manage the panic attacks.

'I want to say, I am so grateful to be working and would never want this to come off that I am not. Taking baths helped with the panic attacks.

'I also learned in those moments to put down my phone and take a break from technology and get in the tub with some music on and a book. I never did that before the pandemic, and now I love that Ive learned to do that for myself.'

Camila added that while she's always been a social butterfly, the pandemic has taught her that she actually likes to spend time along.

'When this all started, I was in a place in my life that was go, go, go. I never imagined Id have time to just sit and be by myself. It has really made me reevaluate priorities.'

Ex: Camila previously dated her co-star Charles Melton, who plays Reggie Mantle. They started dating in August 2018 and split in 2019 (pictured in 2018)

The actress has played Veronica Lodge on the drama since 2017 and told Health that it was a 'dream' to land the role straight out of college.

'I never expected as an actress studying theater at NYU that my first gig would be so transformative.

'Then, theres the other side of it. When you have such a massive fan base, there are haters that come along with it.

'But that has actually been a good learning experience, too. It forces you to accept and get comfortable with the fact that not everyone is going to like youand thats OK. Thats a very valuable lesson to have learned early in my career.'
Burma Day of Terror and Dishonor Sees More Than 100 Slain by Myanmar Military Regime

A protester runs when troops charge in Yangon's Thaketa Township on Saturday. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars military regime marked its Armed Forces Day on Saturday by slaughtering more than 100 people across the country, making it the bloodiest single day since the generals seized power on Feb. 1.

As of evening, The Irrawaddy has recorded at least 102 people, including at least four children ranging in age from 5 to 15, killed on Saturday in 41 locations in 10 out of Myanmars 14 states and regions.

Most of the victims were shot dead by trigger-happy soldiers and police during crackdowns on anti-protesters. One child was hit with a randomly sprayed bullet while playing.

Since early February, the junta has staged fatal assaults on protesters across the country who are opposed to military rule. A total of 429 have been slain so far.

While Saturday marked the seventh week of protest against the regime, it was also the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, an annual celebration for the military to mark Myanmars resistance against the Japanese fascists in 1945.

However, protesters across the country viewed Saturday as Revolutionary Day against the regime and poured into streets. True to form, the regimes soldiers and police responded with a burst of bloodshed, as if the heightened violence was a way of commemorating their special occasion.

The bloodshed came to Dala Township, a small town across the Yangon River, just after midnight. Eight people were shot dead about 12:30 a.m. Saturday as a crowd besieged a police station demanding that security forces release two women detained after a protest on Friday morning.

They [security forces] kept shooting until 3 a.m. Several people were injured. Some of them are still critical condition, a witness said.

In northern Yangons Insein Township, residents took to the streets at 2:30 a.m. to set up roadblocks, taking advantage of the absence of security forces in the small hours. Deadly crackdowns came about 6 a.m. and continued on into the day, resulting in four deaths.

A nurse from a local professional medic team that provided medical assistance in the area throughout the day said that not only protesters were slain. People like a drinking water deliveryman and other bystanders were either shot dead in the head and abdomen or wounded as attacks continued in neighboring areas and townships.

They are devils. How can a human being behave like this? I cant even find any proper words to describe their brutality, said the nurse who gave her name as Soe for security reasons.

While Insein residents ran for their lives and fought back with whatever they could findfrom broken bricks to slingshots to Molotov cocktails to burning piles of tirescoup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing celebrated Armed Forces Day on a grand scale in the capital 200 miles away.

In his lengthy and cliche-ridden speech to a gathering of troops, he said the military has historically prioritized the safeguarding of the nation and its people and repeated his worn out excuse on staging the takeover by saying, There was massive electoral fraud.

A few hours after of his boast about how the military safeguards the nation and its people, his troops killed four civilians, including a 13-year-old girl, in Meiktila in Mandalay Region. The deaths occurred when security forces fired shots into a housing estate in an effort to disperse protesters.

Its worth asking why the people of Myanmar are still taking to the streets, risking their lives to the violence of the regimes troops.

A 26-year-old protester in Yangons Thaketa Township said he keeps protesting because hes afraid of losing his future in the regimes hands.

We are not lambs to the slaughter. But if we stayed quiet, it would be the same as dying. So we fight for our hope and our future, he said.

In northern Shan States Lashio, three more protesters including a lawyer were killed. They were shot in the head and chest when police and soldiers opened fire on anti-coup demonstrators, according to a local charity group. It also reported that several people were wounded during the crackdown.

We could not retrieve the dead bodies. They dragged the bodies and the injured people onto a military truck, a volunteer from the charity group told The Irrawaddy.

Not surprisingly, the record-breaking killings by soldiers and police on Armed Forces Day have shocked diplomatic missions in the country.

The European Union in Myanmar said, This 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day will forever stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonor.

The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, is indefensible, the EU statement said.

US Ambassador Thomas Vajda condemned the security forces for murdering unarmed civilians, including children, the very people they swore to protect while calling for an immediate end to the violence and the restoration of the democratically elected government.

This bloodshed is horrifying. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force, he said in a statement released on Saturday.

For the nurse Soe in Yangon, the regimes brutality prompted her to question one of her professional ethics: neutrality.

As professional health workers, we are supposed to help anyone whoever they are. But they even killed kids! They shot people living in their homes, she said.

So, would she save a dying soldier or wounded policeman now?

I would surely do it in the past. But, not now! she vowed.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Regime Unwittingly Acknowledges Shoot-to-Kill Policy Against Protesters

Myanmar Regime Kills 23 More Protesters as It Marks Armed Forces Day

Protest Fatalities at Hands of Myanmar Military Regime Now Stand at 327
It's hard to quit when you're ahead.

That's why, in trying to pick off the House seat of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Democrats effectively re-opened the whole November election. If Republicans act on this, they will turn defeats into victories.

Many close races need to be repeated because, in as many as 30 states, elections were not conducted by the rules but, instead, were done in ways that favored the Democrats. Widespread use of absentee ballots and drop boxes never had the required approval of state legislators. This includes the key swing states, where Republican majorities in the state legislatures still have the power to hold repeat elections.

People think it's too late after the vote is certified. We can thank Pelosi and her House Administration Committee for telling the world it's never too late  although it is none too soon, either.

The House Committee gave the two Iowa contenders until March 29th to specify "any ballots that were not validly cast." With mass mailing of ballots plus drop boxes, there is no way to tell whether votes were illegally harvested. The only solution is a legally valid repeat election, secured against fraud.

In Iowa, as in all but eight states, the law never provided for drop boxes. ("Iowa law says that absentee ballots should be returned to the county elections commissioner's office by voters or their designees and is silent on the use of drop boxes to collect them.") Indeed, "Only eight states ... have explicit language about ballot drop boxes written into their laws." Nevertheless, mail-in ballots were sent to all of Iowa's two million registered voters.

The House should not even try to decide any election. The Constitution gives power over elections primarily to state legislators. Republicans in Congress and the Iowa Legislature ought to pre-empt the Committee now by calling for an election rerun, to let the people decide.

Pelosi's play for the Iowa seat is from the same script as January 6, when the Dems acted as defendants, judge, and jury to vote down objections to Electoral College counts. No impartial tribunal, no due process, and therefore unconstitutional. There are also good reasons why it is not too late after the Capitol riot [1].

Even bigger than the changes in voting laws was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's illegal tactics to buy the 2020 election. He targeted $400 million on a gerrymandering vote-getting project in left-leaning cities in swing states  as much as the CARES Act budget on election support for the whole country. Yet Republicans can still overturn that. They have a majority in the state legislatures in all four of these big swing states, so they can rerun these contests with law-abiding elections.

Bigger still is the uncounted value of free publicity from Facebook, Twitter, and other media for Biden and against Trump, amounting to untold billions. According to the Loomer lawsuit, failure to declare such support as in-kind contributions is in violation of campaign financing laws.

Our democracy has been taken over by Democrats in name only colluding with billionaires who control our media [2]. These DINOs are even trying to expel a democratically elected member of Congress, Marjorie Greene. They are well on the way to a one-party dictatorship.

If ever we needed a rerun for a fair and legal election, now is the time!

NOTES

[1] Trump is being blamed for causing the Capitol riot with "baseless claims" of a stolen election. As we have seen, the election was indeed bought and stolen. Time magazine even bragged about how it was rigged.

It is easy for provocateurs to incite a crowd. "Insurgent" John Sullivan was being paid to organize and film BLM riots. He tweeted that a BLM bus was coming to "Kick out the Fascists from DC" on Jan. 6, where he filmed himself breaking windows and urging others to burn it down.

The riot could have been prevented by Trump's order to call up 10,000 National Guardsmen for security, but Pelosi and Democrat D.C. officials blocked it.

Instead, their city police let protesters into the Capitol.

Leftist politicians had praised BLM rioters for months, encouraging a precedent of violent protest.

A couple of links on agitator John Sullivan: here and here

The riot helped the left to stampede Congress so it would confirm Biden and impeach Trump.

Large, peaceful protest marches on Washington are a tradition. No Trump rally before this was ever violent.

[2] Here are some examples of Democrats colluding with billionaires who control the media:

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/media-bias-left-study/

https://www.newsweek.com/collusion-between-democrats-media-reaches-new-low-opinion-1530176

https://thefederalist.com/2021/03/17/medias-entire-georgia-narrative-is-fraudulent-not-just-the-fabricated-trump-quotes

"Marc Elias, well known for his role in the Russia collusion hoax and other Democrat operations, runs the campaign to change voting laws and practices to favor Democrats." Elias is counsel for the Democrat challenger to Rep. Meeks in Iowa.

John Lockwood is a pseudonym for a man who loves to research new angles on important issues. He has started the website ElectionCorrection.org, calling for a rerun of the November election, especially in the swing states.

Image: Photo of Nancy Pelosi. YouTube screen grab, slightly sharpened to diminish blurring in YouTube footage.
Joe Biden, who was elected on a raft of election irregularities, is unusually upset about Georgia's legislative effort to clean up its voting system.

According to Politico:

President Joe Biden slammed Georgia's new voting restrictions, calling them 21st-century "Jim Crow" and urging Congress to pass election reform bills. "This law, like so many others being pursued by Republicans in statehouses across the country is a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience," Biden said in a statement Friday afternoon. "This is Jim Crow in the 21st Century. It must end. We have a moral and Constitutional obligation to act." In the statement, Biden called on Congress to pass H.R. 1, or the "For the People Act," which would reform ballot access and campaign finance. It would require states to offer same-day voting registration as well as two weeks of early voting, among other things. The House passed the bill earlier this month but it faces an uphill battle in the Senate amid heavy Republican criticism of the bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the bill is about "rigging the system." Biden also urged Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would bring back Voting Rights Act protections that the Supreme Court took down. Later on Friday afternoon, Biden told reporters that the new law is an "atrocity."

So what is it specifically that's got him lathered up?

Georgia's broad new elections law will add an ID requirement for voters requesting an absentee ballot, cut the length of runoffs, and effectively turn the election board over to the legislature. It also limits drop boxes and prohibits people from giving voters in line food or beverages. Voters in Georgia's primaries faced several-hour lines at times, particularly near and in Atlanta, a heavily Democratic area in the closely divided state.

He doesn't like voter ID. He doesn't like Election Day; he wants election season extended and extended to give Democrats time to get the result they want. He wants those cronies on the election board calling the shots, not the constitutionally tasked Legislature. He wants unsupervised drop boxes left around for anything to happen overnight. Kind of like those Atlanta midnight suitcases.

Right now, he's distorting and spinning, though, going for the lo-fo vote, claiming that the cruel Georgia Legislature won't permit water to thirsty voters waiting in line in the hot sun.

The Legislature had good reasons to do this  it's a bid to prevent illegal campaigning in line. After all, free water is an emolument, a cheap one for sure. But as is commonly known in Latin America, at least, some voters can be bought with a bag of beans. Hugo Chavez used to hand out washing machines. The Democrats would like to get the camel's nose under the tent, starting with bottled water. Many Democrats, after all, have learned their tactics at Hugo's knee. Hugo was never a warning; he was a how-to guide. Certainly these Democrats have.

The law doesn't say anything about supposedly impartial election-organizers handing out water, or putting it in a bin for those who need it. That might be something voters can ask for. But to have Democrats handing out bottles of water with their Biden stickers on is pure third-world politics. Joe, as usual, is doing what he does best in this situation, which is distort and lie.

Georgia's move toward election integrity is not Joe's job, but he can't stop ranting. He brings up the state legislative matter, which is none of his business, again and again and again, horning in on someone else's job. Apparently, he's gotten comfortable with rule by executive action now, and he thinks he should rule each state, just as the Soviet Politburo once did. He's yelling "Jim Crow" in a bid to yell racism. He's effectively saying black voters never have any ID. He's screaming "atrocity." He's yelling "un-American" even though the republic has gotten by without these newly created holes such as same-day registration from the dawn of the republic. What he wants are the newer mass junk mail ballots, the lost-chain-of-custody systems, and the monstrous ballot-harvesting from voters' doors, all of which are illegal in any country that does have election integrity.

He's got the hyperbole going, and instead of his typical lost and sleepy torpor, he actually sounds furious.

He would be.

Because a guy who's been elected himself on a slew of election irregularities  starting with those suitcases in Atlanta, or that a phony water pipe break, or that suddenly sharply flipping tally that came in the dead of night, after all those election observers were suddenly sent home only for the counting to restart  isn't exactly a guy who'd like to have the anomaly of his election exposed by a new election from an airtight high-integrity voting system. There might be a voter reaction, and, for him, that can't get out.

What's more, the yelling from far-left Sen. Raphael Warnock has an equally funny ring. He's being investigated for voter registration fraud, brought on by these monstrous holes in the system that the Legislature is trying to correct. He knows he can't get re-elected unless the holes remain. For a probable election cheat to yell about voter integrity is probably something he should stay away from.

Ensuring ballot integrity is exactly what making every vote count is about. Opening the door to cheating cancels out great numbers of valid ballots. It also invites the other side to play by the same tactics, making elections free-for-alls, all about who is most skilled at cheating, not what voters want. Elections are what the state legislators in Georgia are responsible for, and somehow, Joe doesn't want them to do what they were elected to do in their state.

Going through with an airtight system in Georgia might make a difference in voter confidence, though, and fairly reflect actual voter wishes.

From Joe's perspective, these moves to ensure ballot integrity are a threat, and he's revealing it. These measures might make his election as president look...funny...in comparison. That's a problem for him. That's the root of his desperate bid to obstruct a fair vote. He's yelling voter exclusion, but what he wants is exclusion of his opponents, and the disenfranchisement of Republicans, canceling out their votes by fraud, one by one by one.

Never mind the will of the voters, or the need to restore the voter perception of fairness, which has taken a battering. Were these legislators elected fairly? Absolutely. Is this their constitutionally mandated duty to organize elections? 100% true. And as representatives of the people of Georgia, they ought to be making the rules, and cleaning up the open invitations in the system for fraud. But Biden can't help himself from interfering. He wants those skeezy Georgia election results, which by all indicators were brimming with fraud, to become the usual result now, so no one thinks his own election was amiss.

That explains why Biden's on the war path to stop this matter of none of his business. He will marshal extremists in his administration such as his Antifa-apologist attorney general to take this legislative move on. He wants elections like his to be the norm, but if he were smart, he would sit this one out. In Georgia, this Legislature will resist Joe's yelling and interference, with all it has and force Democrats to get elected on their socialist arguments, not their sleazy tactics. To defend themselves, they can bring those irregularities leading to Joe's election up, again and again and again, so there's never any doubt. For Joe, that could be embarrassing.

Image: Pixy.org, free download.
A spear fisherman has been rushed to hospital after he was bitten by a shark at a Western Australian beach.

The man suffered calf injuries when he was attacked near Coral Bay, 1,200 kilometres north of Perth, at about 12.15pm on Saturday.

The incident occurred about 500 to 1000 metres offshore, south of Warroora Station.

The incident occurred about 500 to 1000 metres offshore south of Warroora Station. Pictured: A woman swims at Coral Bay

It's understood the man, who is aged in his 20s, was bitten by a whaler or bull shark.

A St John Ambulance spokesperson said the man was taken to Coral Bay Nursing Post with non-life threatening injuries.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development were alerted to the attack at about 1.40pm and are currently coordinating a response with local authorities.

'Take additional caution in the Warroora Station area,' DPIRD said.

'Adhere to beach closures advised by Local Government Rangers, Parks and Wildlife Service officers or Surf Life Saving WA.'

Surf Life Saving WA earlier tweeted that an unknown shark was sighted at 12.20pm 750 metres offshore, near Coral Bay.
Kashmir: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday (March 27, 2021) hailed the recents talks between India and Pakistan and stated that the two countries must move beyond secret talks and join the table for open discussion.

While talking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function at NC office in South Kashmirs Pulwama district, Omar said that peace overtures between India and Pakistan is always welcomed. "Whatever is happening is good."

Further, he said that peaceful and friendly relations between India and Pakistan is not only good for Kashmir but also for entire South Asia.

"We have always said that good relations between these two countries is not good for Jammu and Kashmir but for whole south Asia. It's good that both countries instead of threatening each other are talking. We have heard that there are secret talks going only we wish that the day come they talk openly there are lot of issues including Jammu and Kashmir. We want they all are solved by talks," he said.
Stephanie Denaro, known as Bagel Karen, used several racial slurs when she wasnt served without a mask

The Black father of Stephanie Denaros four children-who is now known as Bagel Karenis speaking out against her racist tirade.

Durven Dawes spoke with TMZ on Thursday in New York to share his feelings on the widely shared viral incident of his ex verbally abusing Victor Kamara, a cashier at Davidovich Bakery in New York.

As theGrio reported, Denaro was angered that she would not be served without a mask.

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Read More: White woman calls bakery worker b*tch a** n*gger for not serving her without mask

In response, Denaro berated Kamara in a racist and profanity-laced rant after he informed her she wouldnt be served.

Why cuz hes a bh as n-r? she said, eliciting shock from other store patrons.

Ohh, thats what he is. Thats what he is. b as n-a. I just said it. You heard it.

(Credit: screenshot/Instagram)

Denaro had three of her children, whom she shares with Dawes, with her at the time. He told TMZ that shortly after the incident, he began to receive messages and texts about her behavior.

If Stephanie Denaro conducts herself in a manner like that in 2021 or any other time, then I think she responsible for her actions. She damaged our children by spitting race poison, a masked Dawes told the outlet.

I have a problem with everybody using that form of languageeven my own children.

Dawes, who was wearing a mask during his exchange with TMZ, said he was worried about his childrens safety with their mother, though the outlet reported that hed previously lost custody of them.

Read More: Keyon Harrold Jr.s family to file lawsuit against hotel, woman who falsely accused teen

I have concern about childrens safety 150%. Im not a psychiatrist or a psychologist but my opinion is that if that young lady gets proper mental care and gets monitored effectively, then her actions wont be so negative; that to attack people in a racist manner, he said.

Dawes urged Denaro to repent for her actions.

Story continues

My message to you as my childrens mom: Atone yourself. Youre educated enough to do the right thing. Sit back, think about it. Dont get indoctrinated. Dont let poison into yourself, your mind, make amends.

Dawes also extended his heartfelt apology to Kamara in sharp contrast to his ex, who doubled down on the abusive language she used in an interview with The Daily News.

I said, Youre a bh a- n-r, a term they use, she told the publication on Tuesday.

Denaro created a new Instagram account where she dismissed criticisms as an affront to her First Amendment rights.

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I came here to say this. I STAND BY WHAT I SAID!!!! You mistreat me with my children, she captioned alongside a picture of the American flag.

You infringed on my freedoms. I have freedom of speech. I can SAY WHAT I FEEL. Leave me alone and stop attacking me for saying my opinion. Do you know what the 1st amendment is? FREEDOM OF SPEECH. I dont see you all getting mad about the others that uses that word? Go focus on more important problems like Chicagos murder rate Stop telling me how to live my life.

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The post Black father of Bagel Karen fears for kids: She damaged our children by spitting race poison appeared first on TheGrio.
In 2005, when the Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, San Antonio became a refuge for evacuees, as they came to be called.

They were much like refugees, emotionally and physically spent after suffering through one disaster and then a disastrous federal response.

San Antonios response was centered at the former Kelly AFB, then known as Kelly USA, where a massive effort created temporary shelters for thousands of people. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and dozens of agencies and charities responded.

Reporters interviewed evacuees, who were as shell-shocked as they were grateful, as they spent days resting, recovering, praying and making plans to rebuild or start over.

I hope they recall their time in San Antonio as humane and comforting despite the circumstances. I hope they saw a city that rose to the occasion and responded with humanitarianism.

Central American migrant youth coming our way soon deserve no less.

Theyll be headed to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Refugee Resettlement will lead efforts to unite them with their families or sponsors.

Under the Homeland Security Act, HHS has adopted a child welfare-based model of care.

Someday these children, at least some of them future Americans, will tell stories to their grandchildren about how they were treated.

Like so many evacuees from Hurricane Katrina and Rita, migrant children left places where poverty exacerbates violence and political instability.

Despite the many risks, their parents sent them to us because they face far worse at home, where police and other authorities are as menacing as representatives of cartels and gangs.

As temporary a shelter at Lackland and the Freeman Coliseum will be, both will exceed the circumstances these asylum seekers have experienced and are far superior to those theyre leaving in crowded Border Patrol facilities ill-equipped to house them.

President Joe Bidens transition team had asked the outgoing Trump administration to ready the number of licensed beds to shelter minors and spend available federal dollars.

But the requests were ignored, the president said Thursday at his first news conference, where he underscored his position that his administration will not turn away children or leave them in Mexico.

They suffered in Third World refugee camps along a First World border.

A pastor who runs a migrant shelter in Laredo this week said he listened to migrant minors who said they left Central America because of fear. They will need to prove credible fear to win asylum.

Theyll be temporarily housed at Lackland and the coliseum and then placed with family or sponsors while they go through the asylum process.

This comes after the Biden administration abolished Trumps Remain in Mexico program, which kept asylum seekers at bay. He also halted a more inhumane Trump program that separated children from their parents without an efficient system to reunite all of them.

The children wholl arrive in San Antonio were apprehended by border authorities or surrendered themselves and requested asylum. Some had telephone numbers on their clothing.

They left Central America after weather permitted, as others before them have done this time of year to avoid the deadly desert heat.

Their treks are seasonal and have come to be expected, at least by migration data experts who study such movements.

This time, however, their numbers were joined by migrants held back on the Mexican side of the border, preventing them from asylum case work, screenings and hearings.

The Biden administration had sought to avoid overcrowding at Border Patrol facilities by scaling up the number of licensed beds for migrant minors.

The president said his administration is building capacity that his predecessor should have maintained or strengthened.

In the coming days or weeks, Lackland will be the site of the administrations short-term immigration work.

Its humanitarian work that shows the Biden administration is headed in the right direction. But it will face well-deserved criticism for its lack of transparency.

So far, the White House has been unwilling to open shelters to the press and immigration advocates that want to inspect conditions.

The long-term work will be much harder. Vice President Kamala Harris, a daughter of immigrants, has been tapped to lead an effort to work with Central American leaders to keep more of their citizens at home.

What San Antonians can do to help is still unknown and may not be possible given federal rules. But knowing San Antonios great big heart, it will find a way.

When San Antonio became home to thousands of Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees, a local nonprofit agency did express disagreement with the federal response, but it was mostly centered on providing more humanitarian support.

People are so frustrated, the nonprofit leader said. They want to help and dont know what to do.

eayala@express-news.net
Barefoot Contessa star Ina Garten may not have discovered her love of cooking had it not been for a camping trip with her husband Jeffrey early in their marriage. The couple camped in a tent in Europe for four months and Garten said the experience really changed the way she thought about food.

Ina Garten with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager | Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Ina and Jeffrey Garten lived in a tent for 4 months

Early in their marriage, Ina and Jeffrey traveled to Europe but, since they didnt have much money, they spent four months camping in a small tent.

During a May 2020 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the host asked if Ina had learned anything new about Jeffrey during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Garten explained how their camping trip in Europe allowed them to spend time together in very close quarters, so being in quarantine wasnt that challenging.

When we were married for, I think like a year and a half, we had four months and nothing to do. And no money. He was going to graduate school, Ina explained.

We just decided that we were going to get two really cheap tickets to Europe, we bought an orange pup tent which was like three feet tall, and we lived in that pup tent for four months, Garten noted.

That experience, she said, was a testament to how strong their relationship has always been. At the end of that I thought if were still such good friends we can survive anything, she explained. So being quarantined in a whole house is like a luxury.

RELATED: Barefoot Contessa Ina Gartens Raspberry Baked French Toast Recipe Is the Perfect Breakfast

The camping trip gave Ina Garten a new perspective on food

Living in a tent in France brought the Gartens closer together, but it also provided Ina with an immersive experience with food that really changed her viewpoint.

Ina had a preconceived notion that French food was more fussy and involved but she found out that wasnt true at all. In her cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, she explained the magical moment that changed everything.

Sometimes its possible to pinpoint that moment when your thinking about food completely changes, when something as basic as a slice of crusty bread, a piece of runny cheese, or a perfectly ripe peach shows you how delicious the simplest food can be, she wrote (via Bon Appetit). For me, that moment came in France.

She went on to explain how, when they had four months before Jeffrey was to attend grad school, they decided to embark on an adventure.

At that time students could buy a round-trip plane ticket from New York to Brussels on Sabena airline for $99, so we got ourselves two tickets and set off on a magical trip that would dramatically alter both of our lives, she shared in the book.

Since they couldnt afford a hotel, they camped, buying food to cook in their tent.

Garten discovered how simple food can be amazing

That experience was life-changing for Ina. Our first stop was Paris and it was a revelation to me, she wrote. I had always thought about French food as cuisine with complicated preparations and slowly simmered sauces.

Instead, I discovered French street markets and simple, seasonal food that was based on incredibly good ingredients, she continued.

We bought baskets of Gariguette strawberries that tasted like strawberry preserves, and ripe peaches that would drip down your arm as you ate them. Id never tasted anything like that!, she explained.

Ina explained that her tartine recipe is inspired by their travels to Paris, noting, when I make it for us here at home, it reminds us both of that amazing trip, and of how extraordinary simple food can be when its made with really good ingredients.
The mother of a toddler left locked inside a daycare bus on a scorching day for 90 minutes has spoken up about the terrifying ordeal.

The mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, waved goodbye to her three-year-old son at the front of their Caboolture, Queensland house as he climbed aboard the Guppy's childcare bus for the 15 minute ride to the centre.

On the way, the little boy fell asleep and woke up to find the bus parked outside the centre, everyone else gone, and himself still firmly strapped in to his seat.

Realising he was alone, the distraught tot started to yell and bang on the windows for help.

The managing director of the Caboolture Guppy's childcare centre (pictured) plead guilty over the 2019 incident on Tuesday

The three-year-old miraculously survived after being locked in the bus for 90 minutes (pictured)

The temperatures reached more than 30C on that day, November 12, 2019, and it wasn't until a full 90 minutes later that another parent who had been running late spotted the child in the bus, likely saving his life.

'We don't know how long he was asleep on the bus for. He said he knocked on the windows and yelled but no one heard him. He was strapped into his car seat and couldn't move,' the boy's mother told The Courier Mail.

'We have no idea what went through his head,' she said.

She described the phone call she received from the childcare centre as she was leaving her house to go grocery shopping, saying she assumed they were calling about fees.

After asking how her day was, the call then moved on to her son, who she thought might have scraped his knee.

When she was told he had been left on the bus she 'dropped everything' and bolted straight for the centre to check on her child, who she found sitting on a carer's knee.

'He looked terrified. I hadn't seen that look in his eye before but I knew something was wrong. He just sat there frozen,' she said.

The incident is eerily similar to another just three months later in Cairns in which another three-year-old boy Maliq Nicholas Lloyd Namok-Malamoo, known to his family as 'Meeky', was left on a childcare bus.

Tragically Meeky was not found for six hours with the Cairns heat - reaching 56C inside the bus on that day - proving deadly.

The bus driver has since resigned and the company (pictured) was also fined $18,000 each for two separate charges

The mother of the Caboolture toddler said she heard about that incident on the news and felt a wave of anguish at what the other mother must have gone through.

Andrew Park, the managing director of the Caboolture facility, Guppy's Early Learning Centre pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of failing to ensure a child was adequately supervised and failing to ensure every reasonable precaution was taken to protect the child from hazard.

The bus driver has since resigned and the company has also been fined $18,000 for each charge.
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind was referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi for further investigation into his health condition by the Army's Research and Referral Hospital on Saturday (March 27).

The hospital informed that his condition is stable. The President was under observation at the hospital following chest discomfort yesterday.

"The President is being supervised by doctors after regular medical checkups. The President has expressed his thanks to all the well-wishers who have come to know about his health," the office of President of India tweeted.

The President has been under observation after a routine medical checkup. He thanks all who enquired about his health and wished him well.  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 27, 2021

The President on Friday (March 26) visited the Army's Research and Referral Hospital after he complained of chest discomfort.

PM @narendramodi spoke to Rashtrapati Ji's son. He enquired about the President's health and prayed for his well-being.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 26, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day visit to Bangladesh had enquired about the President`s health. "PM Narendra Modi spoke to Rashtrapati Ji`s son. He enquired about the President's health and prayed for his well-being," the PMO tweeted.

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Last month, The Indian Ministry of Defence (MOD) had signed a contract with Bharat Forge for M4 armoured vehicles and now the Indian Army had also placed an order with Mahindra Defence System worth Rs 1,056 crore. The contract is for an order of 1,300 Armoured Light Specialist Vehicles to be used by the Indian Army. Here's all you need to know about the new addition to the Indian Armys garage.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 26, 2021 - 09:17 | All, World

President Joe Biden warned Thursday the United States will "respond accordingly" if North Korea opts to further heighten tensions following its recent missile test, but signaled the door for dialogue remains open.

"We're consulting with our allies and partners. And there will be responses if they (North Korea) choose to escalate," Biden said at his first formal press conference since taking office on Jan. 20, acknowledging Pyongyang violated U.N. Security Council resolutions banning it from using ballistic technology.

Biden also underscored his view that the United States is heading into "steep competition" with China and will work with U.S. allies to make the Asian power play by international rules, while vowing not to be overtaken as the world's most powerful country.

"China has...an overall goal to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world. That's not going to happen on my watch because the United States is going to continue to grow and expand," he said.

Viewing the world as now facing a battle between the "utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies," he described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a person who does not have a democratic "bone" in his body.

Former Vice President Biden, 78, has been criticized for not facing extended questioning from the media since being sworn in as president, with his first press conference appearance coming much later than those of his predecessors.

It also came after North Korea on Thursday launched its first ballistic missile in a year, testing the Biden administration as it carries out a policy review in consultation with Japan and South Korea, two key allies in Asia.

Biden nonetheless said he is ready for "some form of diplomacy" with Pyongyang, which many past U.S. administrations have failed to denuclearize despite taking a range of approaches.

Such talks would have to be "conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization," he said.

Asked about his bid for a second presidential term, Biden, the oldest-ever U.S. president at the time of inauguration, said, "My plan is to run for re-election. That's my expectation."

In the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, he announced a new goal to administer 200 million vaccine shots by his 100th day in office, doubling his initial pledge.

Biden also called for the need to beef up domestic investment to compete effectively with China in technologies such as artificial intelligence, saying the United States needs to spend "closer to 2 percent" of its gross domestic product on research and science.

The president did not answer the question of whether he plans to maintain tariffs his predecessor Donald Trump imposed on China amid an escalation of a bilateral trade war, or whether he will consider taking specific trade actions in protest to its human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region.

But he said he will continue to speak out on Uyghur issues, the crackdown on Hong Kong and other concerns, while holding China "accountable" to follow the rules whether it relates to its assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea or elsewhere.

On Afghanistan, Biden said it will be hard for the United States to meet the May 1 deadline to withdraw American troops from the country it invaded in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. But he said, "It is not my intention to stay there for a long time (into the future)."
Francesca Paris is The Eagle's data and public records reporter. She was previously the North Adams reporter. A California native and Williams College alumna, she has worked at NPR in Washington, D.C. and WBUR in Boston. Find her on Twitter at @fparises.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Reservoir storage along the Rio Grande will be severely restricted this spring and summer because of New Mexicos large water debt to downstream users and extreme drought conditions.

The situation is dire all the way up and down the (river) system, said Rolf Schmidt-Petersen, director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission.

The state is currently under Article VII restrictions of the Rio Grande Compact, meaning no water can be stored in El Vado Reservoir or other upstream reservoirs when water levels at Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs drop below 400,000 acre-feet.

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Elephant Butte has dropped below that threshold many times during the last 15 years.

But a water debt of 96,300 acre-feet, or more than 31 billion gallons, complicates matters.

New Mexico must retain that amount of water in its reservoirs before storing any Rio Grande water for other uses.

Schmidt-Petersen told commissioners on Wednesday that this particular mix of reservoir restraints hasnt happened since the 1970s.

It means that after the snowmelt runoff that we get, we wont have significant amounts of stored water available for release to meet demands in the middle valley, he said. Well be largely dependent on the inflows that come from Colorado or our upstream mountain ranges, and any precipitation that occurs in the system.

New Mexicos current water debt situation is largely the result of an emergency water release in July 2020. State Engineer John DAntonio received permission from Colorado and Texas to free up 12 billion gallons of water from El Vado Reservoir for Middle Rio Grande farmers and fish instead of saving it for a fall release to Elephant Butte.

DAntonio sent a letter on Monday to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Albuquerque office and the City of Santa Fe, directing the entities not to store Rio Grande water in El Vado, Nichols or McClure reservoirs.

The stark reality is that, should Rio Grande water be stored this spring and released for consumption above Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexicos Compact accrued debit could significantly increase in 2022, DAntonio said. That is a prospect I seek to avoid.

State water agencies and local irrigation districts could face more restrictions if the water debt grows to 200,000 acre-feet.

Reclamation will still be allowed to store a reasonable amount of water to irrigate some land for the six Middle Rio Grande pueblos, which have prior and paramount water rights.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
For many working people, 4:30 is a welcome sign that the workday is drawing to a close. But $4.30  the price for a gallon of gas at some stations in San Francisco this week  is enough to force a double take, and raises the question: Why are gas prices so high right now?

As the Bay Area and the country slowly awaken from their pandemic-induced deep freeze, gas prices have increased as more commerce and better weather have increased demand while the price of oil has gone up. San Francisco, along with Santa Clara and Marin counties, moved to the less restrictive orange tier this week. The other feature they share is eye-popping gas prices at or near $4 per gallon.

Thats a dollar higher than the national average. And why that is may depend on whom you ask.

Some industry observers insist the higher cost of gasoline in California is due to higher taxes and regulations on gas and carbon emissions statewide. State agencies and consumer advocates insist those factors are only partly to blame and that the largest manufacturers charge more in California simply because they can, while big oil companies have held back on ramping up supply, according to the New York Times, after seeing huge cuts to their profits and workforce last year because of the pandemic.

A massive container ship blocking the critical Suez Canal could also increase the price of a variety of goods, including oil.

What is not disputed is that gas prices have soared since the beginning of the year, although they have leveled off somewhat recently. National average prices tracked by the AAA auto club are higher than they have been since May 2019. Although, again, why theyre higher is not so simple.

Crude oil prices have increased since the beginning of the year. According to the California Energy Commission, a barrel of crude went from less than $50 at the start of the year to around $65 now.

That contributes around 38 cents per gallon to gas prices and accounts for around 60% of increased prices for consumers throughout the U.S. and California, according to an email from CEC spokeswoman Lindsay Buckley.

More people driving as coronavirus restrictions have eased has also increased demand, driving up prices, Buckley said.

CEC monitoring of Bay Area bridge traffic shows drivers havent returned to pre-pandemic commuting rates, but car travel in the region increased more than 20% between the beginning of January and the beginning of March. It is likely that this recent surge in driving is related to more vaccinations and continued economic recovery, Buckley said.

So why are prices so much higher in California specifically?

The overall differential is due largely to higher taxes and environmental fees like cap and trade and the low carbon fuel standard, in California, said Severin Borenstein, a UC Berkeley energy economist.

Even factoring in those extra fees, Borenstein said that since 2015 Californians have paid an extra 25 to 30 cents per gallon on top of that, what he calls the mystery gasoline surcharge.

That adds up to around an extra $4 billion that California residents pay annually for their gas, Borenstein said. He said the spike in prices first started in 2015 after a fire at a Southern California refinery crimped supply, but never went away.

A 2019 report from the CEC also identified the extra 30 cents-per-gallon charge, concluding, The primary cause of the residual price increase is simply that Californias retail gasoline outlets are charging higher prices than those in other states.

Californians do pay some of the highest gas taxes in the nation. The American Petroleum Institute lobbying group in a January report found Californians paid more than 80 cents per gallon in taxes, the most of any state, driven mostly by a state excise tax. CEC data estimated those taxes to be a few pennies less per gallon.

Pennsylvania was next on the list at 77 cents on the gallon, according to the API.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

The California Department of Justice opened an investigation into the issue in 2019. The case looking at unfair and anticompetitive practices in the states oil industry is ongoing in San Francisco Superior Court.

High gas prices tend to hurt people who are least able to afford them.

Research by the Urban Institute has shown that higher gas prices affect working people whose household income falls below the federal poverty threshold and who tend to spend more of their income on gas. That impact is felt doubly by people at the lower end of the wage scale who have seen their employment most affected by the pandemics economic fallout.

For some analysts like Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a company that tracks fuel prices, the higher average prices in California are no mystery.

The states Low Carbon Fuel Standard, cap-and-trade system to limit emissions, and its taxes at the pump are squarely to blame for higher fuel prices, De Haan said. The greenest policies do cost money.

Regardless of what is driving higher prices in the Golden State, economics still plays a role. Typically when demand and prices increase, producers ramp up production to meet it, which causes prices to fall.

Production is increasing, Borenstein said. But with the hit taken by the oil industry last year  oil prices briefly went negative as the pandemic slashed demand, cratering gas prices  bringing capacity back online is not as simple as flipping a switch, De Haan said.

Big oil companies are being very slow and cautious in terms of ramping up production, should the virus spiral out of control and drive demand back down again, De Haan said.

That caution on the part of oil executives is calibrated to keep prices where they are by restricting production, at least in the U.S., according to the New York Times.

The industry is getting ready for people to go back out and the economy to open up but its not producing more crude oil, said Jamie Court, president of the progressive nonprofit Consumer Watchdog.

Because Californians pay more for gas on average, when prices go up, we get a double whammy, Court said.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
Dhaka, March 27 : Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e Islam has called for a dawn-to-dusk 'hartal' in Bangladesh on Sunday in protest against the killing of four of its activists in clashes with the police on Friday.

Four persons, including three madrasa students, were killed while over 50 others were injured in a series of clashes between anti-Modi protesters and the police in Dhaka and Chattogram on Friday. In a separate incident, another radical wing of Hefazat vandalised the Brahmanbaria railway station.

The situation is still tense in the Hathazari area in Chattogram, known to be a stronghold of the Hefazat, where scores of madrasa students clashed with the police on Friday after reports came in of police action against a group of Hefazat supporters who tried to take out a procession against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the country in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area in Dhaka.

After a long disruption, train service on the Chittagong-Dhaka and Sylhet-Dhaka routes resumed late on Friday, though the situation in Brahmanbaria still remains tense.

Hefazat radicals and followers of Jamat-e-Islam Pakistan, mainly comprising students from the Hathazari Madrasa, attacked the Hathazari police station in Chattogram on Friday while protesting against the Indian Prime Minister's visit.

The radicals also vandalised the local land office and set files, furniture and a vehicle on fire. They also ransacked the local dak bungalow besides blocking the Jatrabarri entry point to Dhaka.

Later, the police brought the situation under control while the students took position in front of the madrasa, suspending traffic movement on the busy Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway.

Additional Superintendent of Police (North), Md Mosiuddowla Reza, told IANS on Saturday that the students carried out the attack without any provocation, causing huge damage to the police station compound.

However, the organising secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, Azizul Hoque Islamabadi, claimed that there was no prescheduled programme of Hefazat on Friday.

The Qawmi madrasa-based Jamat-e-Islam backed the Hefazat at a press conference on Friday evening, and announced to holding countrywide protests on Saturday.

On Friday, scores of Hefazat supporters, comprising mostly students from the Hathazari Madrasa, took out a rally at around 2 pm in protest against the arrival of Narendra Modi to Bangladesh and the 'attack' on their leaders and activists in the Baitul Mukarram area in Dhaka. Raising slogans, the radicals soon reached the Hathazari police station, around 500m from the madrasa,.

At one stage, they started pelting the police station with bricks, damaging the glass doors and furniture, Dakub Mia, an eyewitness, told IANS.

In retaliation, the police opened fire to disperse the violent protesters, leaving 12 of them injured. Eight injured persons were rushed to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where the doctors declared four of them dead, Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam Bhuiyan told IANS.

The deceased have been identified as Kazi Mirajul Islam, Rabiul Islam and Jamil, all students of the madrasa, and Md Mijan, an employee with a local tailoring shop.

Earlier on Friday, a large number of Hefazat supporters had gathered at Dhaka's prominent Baitul Mukarram mosque for Friday prayers. As they were about to take out a anti-Modi march soon after the prayers ended, they were stopped by the police and the altercations between the two sides soon turned violent after a few Hefazat followers hurled brickbats at the cops.

The police first tried to disperse the crowd by using tear-gas shells. But as things turned bad, they fired from shotguns and used rubber bullets and water cannon to bring the situation under control.

At least 50 people, including four journalists, were injured in the clash between the police and anti-Modi protesters.
Cork City Fire Service is currently battling a house fire in Sundays Well.

Cork city fire services dealing with a derelict house fire on Strawberry Hill, Sunday's Well. Pic: Cork City Fire Service.

Two units from the Fire Service were deployed to the derelict house fire on Strawberry Hill at 5pm on Friday evening.

Crews from Ballyvolane and Anglesea Street are currently in attendance and the emergency services have asked people to avoid the area if possible as crews deal with the fire.

Read More Cork weather: Wintry showers and risk of isolated thunderstorms forecast
The 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council on March 23 received a mandate to collect evidence of crimes during Sri Lankas civil war between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatists. The resolution titled Promotion of Reconciliation Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka was brought to the council by the United Kingdom and gained vast support among the members. The war in which thousands are estimated to have died, ended in 2009 after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were defeated.

What it means for Sri Lanka

The resolution is considered important because human rights activists believe that the resolution is a step towards justice for victims of war crimes and the current Sri Lankan government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa may face consequences as a result. Member states could use the resolution as a basis for action against the war crimes that were committed, by investigating and prosecuting under universal jurisdiction and potentially refer cases to the International Criminal Court.

How did Sri Lanka respond?

Gotabaya at the peak of the war and towards the end was the countrys defence chief. Sri Lanka is expected to not fully cooperate with the OHCHR. They responded to the resolution saying that the report consisted of baseless statistics and misinformation. The resolution was brought by countries supported by Western powers that want to dominate the Global South, said Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunewardena.

A Foreign Ministry statement added, Today, the country has been transformed into a country that protects the civil rights destroyed by the LTTE terrorists. The resolution against us by several countries including Britain excluding these positive points could not get a majority but only 22 votes.

Also Read | Consistently calling upon Sri Lanka to fulfil aspirations of Tamil people, says India

Sri Lanka's ambassador, C S Chandraprema, rejected the text of the resolution as "unhelpful and divisive. He argued that the resolution would polarise Sri Lankan society and adversely affect economic development, peace and harmony.

What is Indias stand?

Out of the 47 members, 22 voted in favour, 11 against and 14 abstained. India is among the four countries that abstained from voting on the motion.

The abstentions, including from neighbours India and Nepal and some friendly Islamic countries, were a blow to Colombo and could upset relations. Sri Lanka was expecting these nations including India to vote against the motion.

Indias decision to abstain from voting was questioned by a section of the Tamil media based in Sri Lanka. The Tamil press reporting on the outcome was positive in their quest to deliver justice to victims of the three-decade-long civil war.

Also Read | India abstaining from voting in UN meet on Sri Lanka is 'betrayal' of Eelam Tamils: DMK

This resolution is important from Indias point of view too considering the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils is a major electoral issue in Tamil Nadu, state going to elections on April 6. Major political parties in the state had urged the Indian government to take a stand against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC session, however, it did not.

The main opposition DMK and its allies, including the MDMK, in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, condemned the Centre over India abstaining from voting on a UN Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka and termed it "an unpardonable betrayal" of the Eelam Tamils.

(With agency inputs)
Just over 130,000 in special contributions have been paid to finance upgrade of the 'Top Road' in Strandhill but councillors voted against using that money to progress improvements at this stage in the absence of a proper plan.

Councillors were tied 3-3 on a motion from Cllr Arthur Gibbons calling on the council to start the consultation process and start plans and works using the money that was already in situ, with Mayor Rosaleen O'Grady using her casting vote to defeat the proposal 4-3.

Cllr Gibbons argued that the money already in place could be used to advance the project at this stage. He said people were 'frustrated and annoyed' with the lack of progress.

However, other councillors pointed out that the sum of money - 130,451 - was not sufficient to meet the significant cost of the required works.

Cllr Sinead Maguire said she couldn't support the motion as the sum of money 'won't be able to do what it is supposed to', though she understood was the motion was being tabled as people are 'frustrated'.

Acting Chief Executive Tom Kilfeather said the council had to follow 'proper order' and that they could not carry out any works not backed up by a 'proper design'. Mr Kilfeather explained that it would likely require the remainder of this year to complete that process.

Director of Services Dorothy Clarke had earlier explained that the council's Road Design section is currently undertaking a revised topographical survey along the R292 from the Rugby Club to the Carrowdough road.

Councillors Bree, Gibbons and O'Boyle backed the motion, with Cllrs MacSharry, Maguire and O'Grady voting against.

Using her casting vote as Mayor, Cllr O'Grady said she understood the reason for the motion but had 'huge concern' in spending money for which there was no plan.
The Associated Press checks out some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. This one is bogus, even though it was shared widely on social media. Here are the facts:

CLAIM: The CEO of Pfizer refuses to get the COVID vaccine.

THE FACTS: A video on social media is trying to spread doubt about COVID-19 vaccines by falsely claiming Albert Bourla, the chairman and CEO of Pfizer, refuses to get the vaccine his company created.

In fact, he has already received two shots. Albert Bourla received his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on March 10, 2021, Pfizer spokesperson Faith Salamon told The Associated Press in an email.

Bourla tweeted a photo of him receiving his second shot on March 10.

Excited to receive my 2nd dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech#COVID19 vaccine, his post reads. Theres nothing I want more than for my loved ones and people around the world to have the same opportunity.

A popular video that includes the false banner, PFEIZER CEO REFUSES VACCINE, has been shared thousands of times on Facebook.

The name of the company is misspelled and some of the letters in the word vaccine have been replaced with an image of a coronavirus particle and a syringe. The video includes a clip of an interview Bourla did with CNBC on Dec. 14, but the video does not note the date.

In that interview, host Meg Tirrell asked when Bourla planned to get the shot. In his response, Bourla never refused to get the vaccine -- he simply noted that, at the time, it wasnt yet his turn.

As soon as I can, I will. The only sensitivity here, Meg, is that I dont want to have an example that Im cutting the line, Bourla said, according to the CNBC transcript. He went on to say he was 59, in good health, and not a frontline worker. My type is not recommended to get vaccination right now, Bourla said.
The Telegraph

No country in Europe with UK travel restrictions has as strong a grip on Covid-19 as Portugal did when it initially went on the green list, Telegraph analysis shows. Every amber- or red-list European nation still has either higher cases, higher deaths or lower vaccination rates than Portugal on May 17, the day the UKs traffic light system for quarantine-free travel came into force, according to data compiled by Our World in Data. The gloomy outlook for holidays on the continent comes as ministe
Panaji, March 27 : The combined trend of filing a PIL, then aggressively campaigning for it on social media and finally slandering the judges, when the order does not go their way is unacceptable, Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Saturday.

Speaking during the inauguration of a new office complex for the Bombay High Court bench in Goa, Prasad also said that "it is not fair" to target judges using social media, even as Chief Justice S.A. Bobde who was present at the function spoke about "vested interests" involved in such campaigns.

"I am a great supporter of social media. Social media is empowering. Social media enables the people of India to ask questions, criticise the PM. That is a part of healthy democracy. Therefore, we all encourage that. Of late, I am noticing a rather disturbing trend...," Prasad said.

"Some people...They file a PIL on a particular issue, which they have got the right to file. Many PILs are filed. I am also a supporter of PILs, but at times there have to be some restraints, which the judges themselves have cautioned in their judgements. They file a PIL then they start a campaign on social media that only this type of judgement is possible in this case," the Minister further said.

"And if the judgement does not come in accordance to what they wish or what they perceive to be right, then they start not only criticising judges, but also trolling the judges.

"You can always criticise a judgement. That is your right, but if you start campaigning against a particular judge on social media, this is plainly not fair," he added.

Prasad also said that if judiciary has to work and discharge its duties, it must be left completely free to decide the cases as per the rule of law, the Constitution and their conscience.

"This kind of 'campaign justice' is plainly not acceptable," Prasad said.

Responding to the comments made by Prasad in his speech, Chief Justice Bobde said: "The administration of justice which Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad said is often tried to be made difficult by some vested interests. But that is something we as judges have got used to."
Mexico City, March 27 : Mexican police have rescued 87 migrants who were locked up by human traffickers.

The group of Central American migrants, including children, were heading towards the US when they were held for three days in Amozoc, dpa news agency quoted the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection in Puebla state as saying on Friday.

A Honduran migrant who was able to make an emergency call from the house sounded the alarm.

Authorities launched a search and found 45 women, 26 men and 16 children from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

The traffickers were apparently supposed to bring the group north to the city of San Luis Potosi, but left them behind at the house, according to the Secretariat.

Two men and a woman who were conducting surveillance of the property were detained, police said.

Further details of the case were not immediately known.

There has been a significant increase in the number of migrants travelling across Mexico towards the US recently.

In recent weeks, US President Joe Biden's administration has come under increasing pressure over the issue.

Accommodating the many unaccompanied minors is posing a particular challenge for US authorities.
Photograph: John Minchillo/AP

If the moustache, trimmed narrowly in the style of Adolf Hitler, dont give it away, then the antisemitic YouTube rants, the testimony of 34 colleagues and the neo-Nazi reading material certainly do.

Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a US army reservist, is  according to court documents  an avowed white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer.

The 30-year-old was charged in January with five counts in relation to the Capitol riots, and denied bail this week after a judge expressed concern over Hale-Cusanellis alleged enthusiasm for a civil war.

A navy contractor who prosecutors say has access to a variety of munitions, Hale-Cusanelli might seem like an outlier among the masses who attacked the Capitol on 6 January. But the darker truth is that Hale-Cusanelli was one of dozens of former or current members of the military who have been investigated or charged in connection with the Capitol riot  at a time when the Pentagon warns white supremacy and white nationalism within the military pose a serious threat for the US armed forces.

A court sketch of Timothy Hale-Cusanelli appears during a virtual hearing in a New Jersey court. Photograph: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

Hale-Cusanelli was charged with seven crimes, including obstructing congressional proceedings, in connection with the 6 January attack. The criminal complaint said Hale-Cusanelli, who worked at Naval Weapons Station Earle, a support base for military ships, has access to a variety of munitions.

Prosecutors said that on 14 January a confidential source used a listening device to record a conversation with Hale-Cusanelli.

During this conversation, Hale-Cusanelli admitted to entering the Capitol and encouraging other members of the mob to advance  giving directions via both voice and hand signals, charging documents said. Hale-Cusanelli told the [source] that if theyd had more men they could have taken over the entire building. In the recording Hale-Cusanelli also admitted taking a flag and flagpole which he later observed another rioter throw like a javelin at a Capitol police officer, the criminal complaint said.

Story continues

During the investigation it emerged that Hale-Cusanelli was able to hold on to his security clearance at Station Earle, despite dozens of his co-workers stating he was open about his white supremacist beliefs, and despite being rebuked for turning up to work with a Hitler-esque moustache.

In a 23 March motion opposing Hale-Cusanellis bail  he has been held in jail since his arrest in mid-January  prosecutors said at least 34 of Hale-Cusanellis co-workers said he had made no secret of his antisemitism and racism.

One navy seaman remembered Hale-Cusanelli saying that if he was a Nazi he would kill all the Jews and eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A navy petty officer said Hale-Cusanelli had stated that Jews, women and Blacks were on the bottom of the totem pole.

Of the more than 160 people arrested by the end of January, almost one in five were current or former members of the military, NPR reported, and there is evidence that an extremist infiltration of the armed forces is under way.

Thomas TJ Robertson and Jacob Fracker in the Capitol in the Capitol on 6 January. Photograph: AP

A Pentagon report released in March found that domestic extremist groups pose a serious threat to the military, both by seeking to recruit members and, more troublingly, have existing extremists join the military to gain training and combat experience.

According to the Military Times, authorities estimate one in five of the people charged by late February were either current or ex-military, with Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson among the first to be arrested in connection for their alleged roles in the riot.

Fracker, 29, is a corporal in the national guard, Robertson, 47, a former military policeman in the army reserve, and the pair, who photographed themselves inside the Capitol during the siege, were Virginia police officers until they were fired for their part in the riot. Fracker and Robertson pleaded not guilty to charges including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, entering and remaining in a restricted building.

Navy veteran Thomas Caldwell is another veteran allegedly involved. He was arrested on 19 January and charged with conspiracy, destruction of government property, obstruction of an official proceeding, and violent entry or disorderly conduct.

Prosecutors allege Caldwell, who served as a naval intelligence officer for 19 years, according to the Washington Post, led a band of Oathkeepers  a domestic extremist group  in storming the Capitol, charges Caldwell denies.

Charged along with Caldwell was Donovan Crawl, a veteran of the marine corps, who prosecutors allege conspired with Caldwell and others to obstruct the Senates confirmation of the electoral college vote.

It isnt just the arrests at the Capitol that have people worried. In 2020 a coast guard lieutenant was sentenced to 13 years in prison after stockpiling weapons with the intention to kill a number of Democratic politicians, journalists and socialists.

Federal prosecutors said Christopher Hasson intended to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country and described him as a domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life.

The US defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, visits national guard troops deployed at the US Capitol on 29 January. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/EPA

While the Capitol riot may have shone a light on the issues with extremism that the military faces, there is evidence the problem has been growing for some time.

A 2019 survey by Military Times found that 36% of active duty troops have seen evidence of white supremacist and racist ideologies in the military  up from 22% the year before. Among ethnic minorities, 53% reported witnessing racist behavior.

After years of racist pandering and inflammatory rhetoric from Trump, under the Biden administration there is at least an acceptance that theres a problem. In February Lloyd Austin, the first Black defense secretary in US history, ordered the military to intensify their efforts to combat white supremacy in its ranks, initially by reinforcing existing regulations on extremism in the armed forces.

The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies, Austin had told the US Senate armed services committee in January.

But we cant do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.
Mumbai, March 27 : Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan on Saturday shared a funny reaction to the night curfew being imposed in Maharashtra Sunday onwards.

The actor, who has tested positive for Covid-19 and is living under quarantine, took to Instagram to share a selfie.

Along with the selfie, Kartik wrote: "Mera lockdown ho gaya, Tum sab ka night curfew toh ho. #CovidSelfie #GlowingTvacha (I'm under lockdown, at least you'll go through a night curfew)." Kartik took to social media earlier this week to share the news that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced re-imposing of night curfew from Sunday (March 28) across the state Covid second-wave wreaks havoc.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Frackville

In cooperation with the Schuylkill Vietnam Veterans, Lewies Cafe, Lehigh Avenue, will host the annual Vietnam Veterans Day free breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Monday to honor all Vietnam veterans. David Bowen, an Air Force veteran, will be on hand to welcome the veterans.

Pottsville

The Pottsville Open Writers group meets from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the second Saturday of the month at the Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St. All are welcome, bring pen, paper and your imagination, organizers said in a release. People should check at the front desk for the meeting location; COVID-19 safety protocols are followed. Meetings are set for April 10, May 8 and June 12, which is the last meeting before the summer break. Meetings will resume beginning in September. For more information, call 570-622-8880.

Shenandoah

Registration/open enrollment at Trinity Academy in the Father Walter J. Ciszek Education Center, 233 W. Cherry St., for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in northern Schuylkills only remaining Catholic school, is underway and will extend through the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. For preschool, children must be age 4 by Oct. 15; for kindergarten, age 5 and first grade, age 6 by the aforementioned date. For more information, call Kay Zagrosky at 570-462-3927 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Valley View

A St. Andrews United Methodist Church chicken barbecue prepared by Valley View VFW, 204 Post Road, is set for May 1, with pickups between 3 and 5 p.m. The deadline to buy tickets is April 22. For tickets, or more information about pricing and menu, call 570-617-3404 or 570-682-9952. Tickets will also be available at the church from 10 a.m. to noon today as well as April 2, 10 and 17. Baked goods will also be on sale.
UPDATE: The crash has now been cleared.

A fatal crash on I-81 north near exit 66 and along the George N. Wade Memorial Bridge is causing traffic to back up, according to officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

It happened around 4 p.m on Friday near the exit for downtown Harrisburg and Front Street. There is a lane restriction, 511pa.com is reporting.

The road is currently closed at exit 65, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokeswoman Fritzi Schreffler said.

Authorities are asking that motorists try to avoid the area.

This is a developing story.
The World Food Program is warning of severe food shortages and rising hunger in Angola as the country is gripped by its worst drought in nearly four decades.

Angolas rainy season, which normally runs from November to April, is delivering a trickle of the rainfall needed to grow a good crop and raise healthy livestock. The abnormal dryness is adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the countrys southwestern provinces.

World Vision Australia said 11 million people, half of them children, were being affected by the high price of food and rising hunger. The World Food Program said conditions were not expected to improve in the coming months because of the below-average rainfall.

WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri said Angolas water shortage was damaging crops, with losses of up to 40%. In addition, he said, lack of grazing land risks decimating people's livestock.

"WFP is extremely concerned, given the chronic food insecurity and malnutrition rates in the worst- affected areas," Phiri said. "The situation is also reportedly giving rise to migratory movements, with families moving towards other provinces and across the border into Namibia.

The U.N. childrens fund (UNICEF) said Angola has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with nearly 75 deaths per 1,000 live births.

There is also a great disparity in the mineral-rich African nation, with some people extremely wealthy and others living in poverty. The United Nations said 40% of the Angolan population lives below the poverty line.

Because Angola is moving toward being classified as a middle-income country, the World Food Program does not provide food aid to the hungry. Phiri said the government was able to take care of its own people.

However, he added, WFP provides technical assistance and expertise to improve conditions for the needy. For instance, he said, WFP is helping the government expand its school feeding programs, particularly in the south and southwest. It also is involved in the response to malnutrition, a chronic problem in the country.


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The boss of a salvage firm has revealed his masterplan to clear the huge tanker blocking the Suez canal using two large tugboats to tow the ship to safety.

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground Tuesday in the narrow canal that runs between Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

The massive vessel got stuck in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, has since said that said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides.

Berdowski told the Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur on Friday night that the front of the ship is stuck in sandy clay, but the rear 'has not been completely pushed into the clay and that is positive because you can use the rear end to pull it free'.

The boss of a salvage firm has revealed his masterplan to clear the huge tanker blocking the Suez canal using two large tugboats to tow the ship to safety

Peter Berdowski (right), CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, has since said that said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides

Berdowski said two large tugboats were on their way to the canal and are expected to arrive over the weekend. He said the company aims to harness the power of the tugs, dredging and tides, which he said are expected to be up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) higher Saturday.

'The combination of the (tug) boats we will have there, more ground dredged away and the high tide, we hope that will be enough to get the ship free somewhere early next week,' he said. If that doesn't work, the company will remove hundreds of containers from the front of the ship to lighten it, effectively lifting the ship to make it easier to pull free, Berdowski said.

A crane was already on its way that can lift the containers off the ship, he said.

An official at the Suez Canal Authority said the authority planned to make at least two attempts Saturday to free the vessel when the high tide goes down. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists. Egyptian authorities have prohibited media access to the site.

The salvage mission was turning its focus to the ship's lodged bow, after some progress was made towards freeing the ship's stern, the canal service provider Leth Agencies said Saturday.

There were two failed attempts to free the vessel failed Saturday, according to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the ship's management company, despite hopes that a high tide might give the vessel a boost.

Transit authority Leth Agencies, who operate in the area, issued a tweet late on Saturday which read: 'Unfortunately, the tidal conditions didn't help re-floating #EverGiven tonight. While the SCA dredgers will continue their work, tugs will assist in new attempts again tomorrow.

'Since this morning, another 23 vessels have arrived at Port Said outer anchorage area and 27 vessels have arrived at Suez outer anchorage area. That makes a total 326 vessels waiting in the Suez Canal area.'

It comes amid reports that around 10 vessels stuck in and around the Suez Canal contain animals, according to reports as desperate rescue efforts are underway.

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground Tuesday in the narrow canal that runs between Africa and the Sinai Peninsula

The massive vessel got stuck in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly called the ship's predicament 'a very extraordinary incident,' in his first public comments on the blockage in a press conference in Cairo. He said the head of the canal authority, Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei, would hold a news conference Saturday in the city of Suez to share more details of the operation.

Yukito Higaki, president of Shoei Kisen, the company that owns the giant container ship, told a news conference in Imabari, Japan on Friday night that 10 tugboats were deployed and workers were dredging the banks and sea floor near the vessel's bow to try to get it afloat again.

Shoei Kisen said Saturday the company was considering removing containers to lighten the vessel if refloating efforts fail, but that would be a difficult operation.

The White House said it has offered to help Egypt reopen the canal. 'We have equipment and capacity that most countries don't have and we're seeing what we can do and what help we can be,' President Joe Biden told reporters Friday.

An initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure, the company and the canal authority said. GAC, a global shipping and logistics company, had previously said the ship had experienced a power blackout, but it did not elaborate.

However, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said strong winds were 'not the only cause' for the Ever Given running aground, appearing to push back against conflicting assessments offered by others. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei told a news conference Saturday that an investigation was ongoing but did not rule out human or technical error.

A satellite image taken above the Gulf of Suez where it leads into the Suez Canal (top left) shows at least 50 large ships at anchor (right) as they wait for a stricken container ship to be freed from where it has lodged in the narrow waterway

A maritime traffic jam grew to around 280 vessels near Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, Port Suez on the Red Sea and in the canal system on Egypt's Great Bitter Lake, according to canal service provider Leth Agencies.

Some vessels began changing course and dozens of ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain. Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures. About 10% of world trade flows through the canal, which is particularly crucial for transporting oil. The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.

Apparently anticipating long delays, the owners of the stuck vessel diverted a sister ship, the Ever Greet, on a course around Africa instead, according to satellite data.

Others also are being diverted. The liquid natural gas carrier Pan Americas changed course in the mid-Atlantic, now aiming south to go around the southern tip of Africa, according to satellite data from MarineTraffic.com.

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal

Millions of pounds worth of cargo has become unable to reach its destination, affecting supply lines for major companies such as Ikea.

Data compiled by Bloomberg suggests that as many as 10 vessels are stuck in the canal, most likely sheep.

This could create a desperate situation as supplies to feed and water the livestock could run out and dislodging the vessel blocking the canal could take at least a week.

Bob Bishop, president of the Livestock Exporters Association of the USA said ships would generally have at least two or three days' extra food for animals.

Peter Stevenson, chief policy officer at animal-welfare group Compassion in World Farming said: 'I wouldn't expect just after a two-day delay for a problem to have built up.

'It's as time goes by that the problems get worse. Occasionally, there are real scandals when things go wrong, but it's a day-to-day horror.'

Some 326 tankers and cargo vessels are now stuck waiting to transit the Suez Canal which has been blocked for the past five days.

Authorities have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts to dislodge the massive 1,900-ft long Ever Given, which is firmly lodged around 3.7 miles north of the southern entrance of the canal, near the city of Suez.

There are fears goods such as washing machines, car parts and toys which are commonly imported from China and other Asian trading partners could be in short supply as cargo ships destined for Europe remain stuck in the bottleneck

Rabei said he could not predict when the ship might be dislodged. A Dutch salvage firm is attempting to refloat the vessel with tugboats and dredgers, taking advantage of high tides.

Rabei said he remains hopeful that dredging could free the ship without having to resort to removing its cargo, but added that 'we are in a difficult situation, it's a bad incident.'

Shoei Kisen, the company that owns the vessel, said it was considering removing containers if other refloating efforts fail.

Since the blockage began, a maritime traffic jam has grown to more than 320 vessels waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake in the middle of the waterway.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the Ever Given's technical manager, said Friday that its initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure. However, Rabei seemed to be pushing back against that assessment Saturday.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain. Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures. About 10% of world trade flows through the canal. The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

Some vessels began changing course and dozens of ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

It is hoped the specialist suction dredger which arrived at the site yesterday could see the ship refloated within days

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal.

More than 200 vessels were caught in the logjam after the Ever Given  which is almost as long as the Empire State Building is high  ran aground on Tuesday amid strong winds and a dust storm sweeping off the Egyptian desert as it sailed from China to the Mediterranean.

As experts warned of 'major real world consequences' as a result of the crisis, rescuers admitted they may have to bring in 200ft cranes to unload some of the ship's 20,000 containers to help refloat it.

The complex operation could cause weeks of disruption  forcing cargo ships at the canal to take a two-week detour around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

The blockage has already disrupted global supply chains for everything from grains to baby clothes. Last night the White House said it is seeing the impact of the incident on energy markets and would respond to the situation if required.

And Downing Street has previously warned of the prospect of delays to goods entering the UK.

More than 20 per cent of Britain's imports  worth more than 147billion  came from Asia in 2019, much of it on container ships using the Suez Canal to enter the Mediterranean.

There are fears goods such as washing machines, car parts and toys which are commonly imported from China and other Asian trading partners could be in short supply as cargo ships destined for Europe remain stuck in the jam.

It is hoped the specialist suction dredger which arrived at the site yesterday could see the ship refloated within days.

The machine is capable of shifting 70,000 cubic feet of sand and mud every hour. Experts believe 706,000 cubic feet of sand needs to be removed for the ship to refloat.

Joe Reynolds, of the Maersk Ohio  a US-flagged container ship anchored in the Red Sea on the southern side of the bottleneck, said the gridlock was like 'a traffic jam on the M5'.

'Standing outside, as you look, everywhere around you is ships,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. 'It's going to affect shipping schedules around the world.'

The backlog of vessels is putting additional pressure on European ports and the international supply of containers, which is already strained by the pandemic. 'Even if the situation is resolved within the next 48 hours, port congestion and further delays to an already constrained supply chain is inevitable,' ratings agency Moody's said.
The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, has commended the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) for its role in ensuring that there is an uninterrupted supply of premix fuel for all landing beaches in the country.



According to the minister, the steady supply of premix fuel for fisher-folk in the country remains a topmost priority for her ministry.



Ms. Koomson thus assured Ghanaians that her ministry will collaborate with TOR and the pre-mix Secretariat as well as other stakeholders to ensure the steady availability of pre-mix fuel to ensure productivity in the country.



The minister made these remarks during her familiarisation visit to TOR  the first State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) to be visited by the minister since she assumed office in March 2021. The visit offered the minister an opportunity to interact and gather useful information on processing and distribution of the commodity, and the strategic role played by TOR. She toured parts of the refinery including its loading gantry, where pre-mix fuel and other products are lifted by clients through BRVs.



Managing Director of TOR, Francis A.T. Boateng, expressed his appreciation to the minister for choosing Tema Oil Refinery as the first SOE to visit, weeks after the Energy Minister had also paid a working visit to the refinery.



The familiarisation visits by both the Minister of Energy some weeks back and now the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture have shown that Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) remains an important national asset which contributes to both Energy Security and National development.

Source: B&FT









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Western Australia has further tightened restrictions on visitors from Queensland, requiring all visitors to self-isolate for 14 days.

The move comes after revelations one of two new Brisbane coronavirus cases hosted a house party for about 25 people, ignoring advice to self-isolate.

'Due to the evolving Covid-19 situation in Queensland, additional steps are being taken to keep WA safe,' Mr McGowan said in a Facebook post on Saturday night.

'Effective immediately all arrivals from Queensland will now need to complete 14 days of self-quarantine.'

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has ordered all QLD visitors to quarantine for 14 days

The move comes after revelations one of two new Brisbane coronavirus cases hosted a house party for about 25 people, ignoring advice to self-isolate. Pictured: Travellers in Brisbane

The new directions also apply to those who arrived from Queensland earlier on Saturday.

'Initially, those travellers were required to self-quarantine until a negative Covid-19 result was returned, however due to updated health advice a full 14-day period of self-quarantine is now required,' Mr McGowan said.

The premier said the Emergency Management Team, himself, the health minister, police commissioner and chief health officer met late on Saturday afternoon to review new information from Queensland.

'Based on further information from QLD, the WA Chief Health Officer has recommended QLD's risk rating be adjusted from 'very low risk' to 'low risk',' he said.

The man at the centre of Queensland's latest Covid-19 outbreak hosted a house party when he was meant to be isolating while waiting for his test results.

Health authorities revealed on Saturday that the man threw a party for 25 people despite being identified as a close contact of a 26-year-old tradie who earlier tested positive to the highly-infectious UK strain.

Local residents line up outside a 24-hour Covid testing clinic south of Brisbane in January

The man, aged in his 20s and from Strathpine in Brisbane's north, later tested positive and his 25 guests have now been forced into quarantine.

'More locations may be added after it was revealed the Strathpine man hosted a gathering of around 25 people at his home between being instructed to isolate and getting his positive test results,' Queensland Health said on Saturday night.

Queensland issued a Public Health Alert for parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions following the two local infections.

Officials announced on Friday a landscaper from Stafford in the city's north tested positive to the highly contagious UK strain of Covid, sparking exposure alerts for venues including a busy Westfield shopping centre.

A Public Health Alert has been issued for parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions following the two local infections. Pictured: Two people wear face masks

Genomic sequencing shows the 26-year-old's case is linked to the strain which infected a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital two weeks ago  but officials have no idea how it jumped between the two, who are not known to have ever met.

Queensland Health updated their growing list of Covid hotspots on Saturday night to include more than a dozen venues visited by the Strathpine man.

The new venues, which are dated from March 20 to March 25, include a Bunnings, Dan Murphy's and Hungry Jacks.

Anyone who has been to the venues must immediately isolate and get tested on Sunday.
Statehouse Reporter

Danny Jin is the Eagle's Statehouse reporter. A graduate of Williams College, he previously interned at the Eagle and The Christian Science Monitor. Danny can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @djinreports.
Back in 2011, Scotland set a green-energy related goal for itself: It aimed to generate the equivalent of 100 percent of the country's gross electricity demand from renewables by 2020. While the country failed to reach that objective, 97.4 percent of its gross electric consumption still came from clean energy sources last year. Scottish Renewables, the trade body for Scotland's renewable energy industry, says (PDF) that shows an 8 percent increase compared to the figures for 2019.

The trade body's chief executive, Claire Mack, added that the industry has "more than tripled [its] renewable electricity output" and has generated "enough to power the equivalent of more than 7 million households." Wind remains the top renewable energy source for the country, though hydro energy saw the most growth last year.

Scottish authorities are hoping that renewable energy sources can meet 50 percent of the country's energy demands across electricity, heat and transport by 2030. The country has a lot of work to do to be able to reach that goal, however, especially when it comes to transportation and heating.

Mack said "domestic and commercial transport accounts for almost 25 percent of the energy used in Scotland, with heat making up more than half, as well as more than half of its emissions." Currently, renewable sources only meet 6.5 percent of its non-electrical heat demand. "The technologies we need to replace gas in our homes largely exist now but deploying these across the country is an enormous task," Mack said. "Industry and government must continue to work together to address the challenges which exist if we are to fully realize our potential, meet net-zero by 2045 and achieve a just energy transition."

Holly O'Donnell, WWF Scotland's Climate and Energy Policy Manager, is calling for an acceleration in EV rollout and more grants for renewable heating. Those could help Scotland rely more on renewable energy for heating and transportation, as well as lower emissions coming from those sources.
Emily Myra Wilborns grandchildren picked through the rubble of her mobile home Friday morning. Their own nearby houses were also damaged by Thursdays tornado. But there was one item they absolutely had to find first.

Were trying to find the Bible now, said grandson Justin Norris. She had everything she wanted us to do in there.

Funeral instructions, that is. Wilborn, 71, was one of five people killed Thursday when a tornado touched down in rural Calhoun County, striking hardest in Ohatchee and Wellington.

On Wellington Road where Wilborn lived, work crews and local storm survivors on Friday morning picked through the muddy remains of their neighborhood. A two-story house sat tilted and roofless, its columned front porch still intact. Nearby were the homes of Wilborn and her extended family, who lived close to each other here.

Here is full coverage of the storms

Wilborns home is now an oblong field of debris in the middle of a field. Norris pointed out the spot about 70 feet away where it originally sat. Other family members took shelter on Thursday. Wilborn stayed put.

Shes old-fashioned, Norris said. She said if the good lord was going to take her, then it was just her time.

Neighbors and family members described Wilborn as a woman of strong Christian faith, generous to a fault and sometimes headstrong.

She was the type of person that would put up anybody who needed a place to stay, said ex-husband John Sams, who was among those searching through the wreckage Friday.

She loved her grandbabies, said granddaughter Summer Hightower. For her, everybody was family. She was a kind of person who would take a homeless person in and feed them.

Neighbor Deborah Barnes said she saw Wilborn daily, during chance encounters while dog-walking. She described Wilborn as generous and always willing to offer help.

She was really a pleasure to everybody, Barnes said.

Barnes rode out the storm at the nearby J & M Midway store, which was also damaged in the tornado. Its not her first experience with a tornado. Wellington was also hit in the 2018 twister that struck Jacksonville. Barnes is tired of it.

Im about ready to sell my house and find another place to live, she said.

Another neighbor, Deborah Reyes, installed a half-underground shelter in 2018. Its where she spent Thursday afternoons storm.

We just heard a big, roaring sound and I knew it was on top of us, she said.

She emerged in a neighborhood where nearly every house is damaged or destroyed, where trees are toppled or snapped in half.

We just came out and had a surprise, she said.

Capitol & statewide reporter Tim Lockette: 256-294-4193. On Twitter @TLockette_Star.

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YANGON, Myanmar  As Myanmars military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the countrys capital, soldiers and police elsewhere killed scores of people while suppressing protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last months coup.

The online news site Myanmar Now reported late Saturday that the death toll had reached 114. A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total at 107, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. Thats more than the previous high on March 14, which ranged from 74 to 90.

The killings quickly drew international condemnation, including a joint statement from the defense chiefs of 12 countries.

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A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting  not harming  the people it serves, it said. We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.

The European Unions delegation to Myanmar said that the 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonor.

The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts, it added.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda in a statement said security forces are murdering unarmed civilians.

These are not the actions of a professional military or police force, he wrote. Myanmars people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule.

The death toll in Myanmar has been steadily rising as authorities grow more forceful in suppressing opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup reversed years of progress toward democracy after five decades of military rule.

Figures collected by the Yangon researcher, who asked not to be named for his security, have generally tallied with the counts issued at the end of each day by the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which documents deaths and arrests and is widely seen as a definitive source. The Associated Press is unable to independently confirm the death tolls.

Up through Friday, the association had verified 328 deaths in the post-coup crackdown.

Junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing did not directly refer to the protest movement when he gave his nationally televised Armed Forces Day speech before thousands of soldiers in Naypyitaw. He referred only to terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and social security, and called it unacceptable.

This years event was seen as a flashpoint for violence, with demonstrators threatening to double down on their public opposition to the coup with more and bigger demonstrations. The protesters refer to the holiday by its original name, Resistance Day, which marks the beginning of a revolt against Japanese occupation in World War 2.

State television MRTV on Friday night showed an announcement urging young people  who have been at the forefront of the protests and prominent among the casualties  to learn a lesson from those killed during demonstrations about the danger of being shot in the head or back.

The warning was widely taken as a threat because a great number of the fatalities among protesters have come from being shot in the head, suggesting they have been targeted for death. The announcement suggested that some young people were taking part in protesting as if it was a game, and urged their parents and friends to talk them out of participating.

In recent days the junta has portrayed the demonstrators as the ones perpetrating violence for their sporadic use of Molotov cocktails. On Saturday, some protesters in Yangon were seen carrying bows and arrows. In contrast, security forces have used live ammunition for weeks against what have still been overwhelmingly unarmed and peaceful crowds.

The U.S. Embassy said shots were fired Saturday at its cultural center in Yangon, though no one was injured.

The military government does not issue regular casualty counts, and when it has released figures, the totals have been a fraction of what independent parties such as the U.N. have reported. It has said its use of force has been justified to stop what it has called rioting.

In his speech Saturday, Min Aung Hlaing used the occasion to try to justify the overthrow of Suu Kyis government, accusing it of failing to investigate irregularities in last Novembers general election, and repeating that his government would hold a free and fair election and hand over power afterward.

The military has claimed there were irregularities in the voting rolls for the last election, which Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party won in a landslide.

The junta detained Suu Kyi on the day it took power, and continues to hold her on minor criminal charges while investigating allegations of corruption against her that her supporters dismiss as politically motivated.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Saturdays events showed that the military, known in Myanmar as the Tatmadaw, should be prosecuted in international courts of law.

This is a day of suffering and mourning for the Burmese people, who have paid for the Tatmadaws arrogance and greed with their lives, time and time again, he said.
Memes are being used to draw in teenagers to neo-Nazi groups, experts told Insider. Getty Images

Instagram is a fertile ground for extremist propaganda, experts told Insider.

Neo-Nazi groups are using the social media platform to recruit teenagers, the experts said.

Parents are now being advised to spot far-right messaging to protect their kids.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

"My kids have had a pretty progressive upbringing," Joanna Schroeder told Insider. "So it was pretty shocking to me when I started looking over their shoulders to see that there was some really disturbing content showing up on their Instagram feeds."

Schroeder, a parenting writer from Los Angeles, was troubled by the photos and videos being recommended to her two teenage sons on Instagram. "There was alt-right and borderline Holocaust-denial stuff, memes, showing up on there," Schroeder said.

While Schroeder was shocked and appalled, the abundance of far-right content on the photo and video sharing platform is well-known to researchers.

Instagram has allowed itself to emerge as a fertile ground for extremist propaganda, experts on extremism told Insider.

Read more: Facebook says it removed more than 1.3 billion fake accounts in the months surrounding the 2020 election

"Instagram is actively pulling its predominantly young users down an extremist rabbit hole,' Imrah Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, wrote in an email.

The rabbit hole, in some cases, leads to kids being introduced into neo-Nazi groups. So much so, in fact, that Instagram has become the primary platform for far-right groups to recruit vulnerable teenagers in recent years, several experts said.

'A premium on recruiting youth is really standard'

Instagram has become the "platform of choice for young Nazis to radicalize teenagers," according to the UK anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate's annual report. Neo-Nazi groups are using it to prey on vulnerable young people and sign them up to their extremist causes, the report said.

Story continues

In the past year alone, Hope Not Hate found that two violent far-right groups have used Instagram as their primary mode of recruitment. The British Hand and the National Partisan Movement - two UK-based extremist groups - actively recruited teenagers on the app, the study found.

Three teenage boys, all alleged to be members of The British Hand, are now facing trial on terrorism charges.

Similarly, in the US, a neo-Nazi group's presence on Instagram led to two young men's arrest. Both were involved in the hardcore, white supremacist Iron Youth group, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Iron Youth is a neo-Nazi organization active in Texas and California. A young man, alleged to have been a vocal supporter of the group on Instagram, has been arrested. ADL

One of the young men had shared Instagram posts urging fellow group members to kill Jewish and Black people, according to a court document.

"The idea that white supremacists and other far-right extremists would put a premium on recruiting youth is really standard," the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism's vice president, Oren Segal, told Insider. What is novel, he said, is how neo-Nazi groups are skillfully utilizing Instagram's functions.

"Extremists never miss an opportunity to leverage their hateful ideas through the lens of the latest technology," Segal explained.

Memes are an effective way to cloak more sinister views

The focus on visual media and the abundance of young users makes it "a great platform to push far-right propaganda which is stylized and punchy," said Hope Not Hate researcher Patrik Hermansson.

The punchiest way to garner attention from young people is through memes, Hermansson said. "Memes are easily consumable and they are funny and they're easy to share," he added. "They spread quickly and it exposes a lot of people to them."

Memes are also an effective way to cloak more sinister views under a layer of humor or irony, Hermansson said. "The humor makes them easier to swallow," he added.

Some of the more inoffensive memes use characters popular with the alt-right - Doge, Pepe the Frog, Cheems - to articulate controversial sentiments.

A screenshot of a meme, including 'Swole Doge' and 'baby Cheems,' that was used to target Instagram's younger audience. Patrik Hermansson

"What many extremists have learned is that explicit expressions of hatred may not attract as many people as more subtle references," the ADL's extremism expert said.

"It's a tried and true technique of how to win hearts and minds," Segal added. "You don't hit them over the heads with the hatred. You sort of slow roll that process."

'Instagram's algorithm leads users down rabbit-holes'

The "slow roll" process, which gradually introduces youngsters to more troubling material, is enabled by Instagram's algorithm, say experts. Liking a seemingly innocuous meme can, in turn, present the teenager with more radical content.

Schroeder saw this process unfold when she began to monitor her teenage sons' Instagram use.

"A kid might like something edgy, Pepe the Frog or something, and that triggers the algorithm," she said. 'That then sends them tumbling down into anti-feminist, racist, Holocaust denial, neo-Nazi type of content."

Pepe the Frog, pictured, is an internet meme that is popular with the alt-right. Wikimedia Commons

While the Instagram algorithm is relatively opaque and constantly evolving, it is known that the Explore page is a curated page of recommended content. The content is chosen "based on an individual's historical interactions," according to social media marketing company Later.

A March study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that users are directed to far-right content on the Explore page.

Liking content relating to any form of misinformation - election, vaccination, or race-based - leads to anti-Semitic and extremist content being promoted to the user, it found. "Instagram's algorithm leads users down rabbit-holes to a warren of extremist content," the study said.

"Instagram's algorithm actively seeks out individuals who have not yet engaged with the extreme or radical accounts, but who have characteristics that the algorithm determines may find it appealing and then serves it to them," Angelo Carusone, president of the media watchdog Media Matters, told Insider.

He believes that directing younger users to problematic users makes Instagram a recruiting sergeant for extremists.

"Instagram isn't merely hosting the content; it is actively building extremist movements by recruiting new adherents into the fold and connecting them with like-minded extremists," Carusone said.

Direct messaging can lead to 'grooming'

The DM feature allows users to send a message to any other use of the app and facilitates sending messages en masse aiding the indoctrination process, said Hope Not Hate's Hermansson.

"They [extremists] can directly get in touch with people and say, "why don't you join my group?'"

This can lead to "grooming," according to far-right researcher Miro Dittrich. "You see 30-somethings talking to 14-year-olds and kind of grooming them for the far-right ideology."

It's particularly hard for social media platforms to police private messages unless a user reports them, Dittrich noted.

While it is hard to moderate direct messaging, experts believe that moderation generally is insufficient on the apps.

"There's the question of how long viral content can stay up on the platform and, therefore, be exposed to a lot of people," Hermansson said. "On Instagram, it appears that it's too long. We see recruitment accounts for fascist groups that stay online for two months."

Instagram faces an even bigger challenge in spotting and removing harmful content published on Instagram Stories. The feature allows users to host videos for 24 hours before they disappear from a user's profile.

"I think they definitely have a problem with Instagram Stories," Dittrich said. "A lot more of the content that violates the terms of service is shared via Stories. I think that's a really hard space to moderate."

When accounts are locked, the content reaches fewer people but has less chance of being reported. "Accounts among the neo-Nazi radical front usually have a locked account, so it's not easy for people to flag stuff. Only the inner circle is allowed in these spaces," Dittrich added.

Parents have to warn their kids

Every expert Insider spoke to agreed that Instagram needs to speed up the moderation process and removing the odd post isn't enough.

"You can't just take down one player or delete one picture someone posted," Dittrich said. "You have to analyze and see that this is a network that all post content that leads to offline violence and do a systematic takedown."

Insider asked Instagram about its policy on extremist content but it did not respond to the request for comment.

The responsibility isn't entirely on Instagram, Dittrich told Insider. It also falls upon parents to be aware of the sort of content that their kids are consuming.

Hermansson agrees. "I think the solution to these issues comes down to the parents and schools because they are the closest to the kids," he said. "The more you know about the terminology and language of the far-right today, the easier it is to see the signs."

Schroeder, who has taken it upon herself to learn how to protect her kids, said: "It's like teaching your kids to swim or teaching them to dial 911. They have to learn critical media skills, and they have to learn how to sniff out propaganda."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The sun sets out over the Gulf of Mexico, as seen from Key West, in this file photo. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

Exploring Another World in Key West

If theres anywhere in the continental United States thats a true getaway from reality, its Key West. One of the funkiest towns in the country, this small tropical islandthe last in the Florida Keys archipelagofollows the beat of its own drum, to say the least.

In fact, Key West proved its fierce independence by declaring itself the Conch Republic with a tongue-in-cheek secession in 1982. The flag of the Conch Republic, which youll see flying from many a front porch in Key West, jokingly declares We Seceded Where Others Failed! and its proud citizens live by the motto: Were all here because were not all there.

The sun sets out over the Gulf of Mexico, as seen from Key West. (Ricardo Reitmeyer/Shutterstock)

Visit today and youll agree that Key West is a town that plays by its own rulesand has a whole lot of fun doing so. Its a blast to visit, especially during a time when many cooped-up Americans facing restrictions crave the chance to get out, enjoy some sunshine, and let their hair down. What better place to do so than Americas own piece of paradise, a spot as blissfully tropical as any (currently-hard-to-get-to) Caribbean island, no passport required?

Old Town Trolley tours provide engaging, narrated history of Key West. (GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock)

While Key West does have virus-prevention safety protocols in place, Florida remains one of the most famously lax states in the country, in part due to year-round mild weather and the resulting ability to soak up the great outdoors no matter the month. In recent months, peopleespecially freshly vaccinated seniorshave taken notice. Key West has seen high numbers of tourists this winter and spring, with many weekends fully sold out in hotels across town.

The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

How to Get There

Key West sits at mile marker zero. In other words, its pretty far from the mainland128 miles and 42 bridges, to be exact. As the southernmost point in the continental United States, its at the very southern tip of the Florida Keys island chain, which extends off the southeast tip of the Florida peninsula.

One of the six-toed cats of the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum on Aug. 30, 2020. (LEILA MACOR/AFP via Getty Images)

Getting to Key West can be a bit tricky; one option is to fly into Miami International Airport, which has a lot of flight options, and from there you can rent a car, book a seat on the Keys Shuttle, or even book an hour-long connecting flight to get to Key West. Another option is to fly directly into Key West International Airport, though flight options are limited and tend to be pricey. Many people arrive via cruise ship, at least in normal times.

Roosters on Duval Street. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Once in Key West, you can rent a car or get around via bicycle, ridesharing, or even your own two feet, especially if you stay near one of the main drags like Duval Street or Mallory Square. Key West isnt very bigabout four miles long and two miles wideand the popular Old Town makes up about half of this area, but you will likely want to be able to explore further than your own feet can carry you, so renting a bicycle can be a great option during your stay.

Tourists look out over Key West from the top of the Key West lighthouse in this file photo. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)

History, Sunsets, and Food With Character

A common misconception about Key West (and the Florida Keys as a whole) is that because its a tropical destination, there must be beaches, but this is, oddly, inaccurate. Key West isnt a beach town and there really arent many sandy shores; instead, people go there to enjoy the history, culture, and town. If you do want to get out on the water during your visit, it will be via sailing, snorkeling, diving, or boating excursions.

Denny Woods, who won the 2001 Ernest Hemingway contest, visits the home/studio where the real Hemingway wrote many of his classic books, on July 22, 2001. The home is where Hemingway wrote classics such as Death in the Afternoon and For Whom the Bell Tolls, among others. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Most visitors will spend most of their time on land; luckily, theres plenty to do. Any city where Old Town Trolley Tours are available, Im going to recommend taking one, and Key West is no exception. In fact, its one of my favorite cities for this tour because theres just so much funky history youd miss out on otherwiseand Key West loves its tourists, so the tour guides tend to be especially informative, interactive, and engaging.

A sign welcomes visitors to Mallory Square. (Luiz Barrionuevo/Shutterstock)

Taking an open-air trolley tour is a great activity to do on your first day to both get the lay of the land and cover a ton of ground, which can help you find places you want to circle back to. Your ticket includes unlimited hop-on and hop-off all day long, so you can disembark where you please and get transported all around the island.

Visitors gather on colorful bar stools lining Sunset Pier at Mallory Square in Jan. 2019. (lazyllama/Shutterstock)

Youll hear Key Wests history on your tour, but before you go, you should know that this spot has long attracted artists, poets, and creative typesincluding, famously, Ernest Hemingway and his beloved six-toed cats. Touring the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum is a must on any visit to Key West.

Approximately 60 quirky-looking cats roam the property freely, many of them likely descendants from Hemingways own original cat, Snow White, whom he received as a gift from a ship captain (sailors preferred polydactyl cats, believing their extra toes made them exceptionally deft mouse-catchers).

Kermits is one of the places to taste key lime pie. (LMspencer/Shutterstock)

While you have Hemingway on the brain, head over to one of his favorite haunts, now a Key West institution: Sloppy Joes Bar. You practically havent visited Key West unless you made a stop at Sloppy Joes, so pop in for an original Sloppy Joe sandwich and a dose of history: the bar opened, conveniently, the very day Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Its been a Key West staple ever since.

Like many popular bars and restaurants in Key West, Sloppy Joes is located on Duval Street, one of the main drags to shop and stroll. Stick around here to find things to do during the day, but come time for sunset, head over to Mallory Square, located on the streets northern terminus. Sunset is celebrated every night on Mallory Square with street performers, artists, and eccentrics. It offers a splendid view of the setting sun, which usually appears in brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows, made especially beautiful as it reflects over the tropical blue waters.

Sloppy Joes Bar opened on Dec. 5, 1933, the day Prohibition was repealed. (Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock)

Sloppy Joes Bar opened Dec. 5, 1933, on the day Prohibition was repealed. (Courtesy of Sloppy Joes Bar)

A sloppy joe at Sloppy Joes. (Courtesy of Sloppy Joes Bar)

Theres a lot to explore in Key West, so if you start feeling drowsy, its best to grab a cortadito from Cuban Coffee Queen to perk you right up. This charming coffee stand, which is painted with the iconic Greetings from Key West mural on one side, is representative of Key Wests Cuban heritage; its only 90 miles to Cuba from the southernmost point (where all tourists stop to snap a photo), and Cuban refugees have been settling here since the 1830s.

Lining up for cafe con leche at Cuban Coffee Queen. (Courtesy of Cuban Coffee Queen)

A spread of sandwiches from Cuban Coffee Queen. (Courtesy of Cuban Coffee Queen)

Another Key West must? Tasting several different versions of its famous key lime pie. Organize your own tasting tour, sampling the towns many different takes on this sweet-tart concoction. At Blue Heaven, youll find a version with a tall tower of meringue, while at Kermits (and many other spots around Key West), its key lime pie on a stick: its a frozen slice dipped in Belgian chocolate and put on a stick, which makes it (somewhat) easy to walk and eat on the go. Rich and unique, its the spirit of Key West captured in one memorable bite.

Skye Sherman is a freelance travel writer based in West Palm Beach, Fla. She covers news, transit, and international destinations for a variety of outlets. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter @skyesherman
Democrats Will Kill the Goose That Lays the Golden Vaccines

Commentary

Given the Lefts desire to ban some of the works of Dr. Seuss, it is not surprising that its members also seem intent on discounting the lessons of another classic childrens story.

In the Aesops fable, The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, a farmer has a goose that lays a golden egg every day. Instead of being happy with this miracle, the farmer decides to kill the goose assuming there must be an even larger deposit of gold inside. However, the goose is no different on the inside than any other goose, and the farmer is left with nothing.

The story describes the folly of short-sighted decision-making that destroys something that is predictably and routinely valuable. Unfortunately, this is precisely what Democrats seem intent on doing to Americas biopharmaceutical ecosystemat precisely the time when it has proven most essential.

Thanks to a unique partnership between public sector investment at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a robustly capitalized private sector biopharmaceutical industry, the United States has created an engine for new cures and treatments that is the envy of the world.

Both parts of this engine are essential. NIH funds the basic science that identifies promising leads for drug development, and the private sector takes those findings and sees if they can be used to develop new treatments. This latter step must be funded by the private sector because it can move much faster and more creatively than the public sectors grant application processand there is simply more money in the private economy than in the public sector.

The value of this public private partnership has just been proven in a spectacular way. Thanks to the ambitious streamlining of regulations and other initiatives in President Trumps Operation Warp Speed, biopharmaceutical companies were able to rapidly take a theory developed with publicly financed research into mRNA and use the private sectors considerable resources and agility to develop vaccines for COVID-19 less than a year after it was first identified. NIH Director Francis Collins was right when he called the speed breathtaking and said that the Trump administration deserves credit.

Now, even while taking credit for the distribution of these vaccines under President Joe Biden, Democrats want to destroy this critical partnership in the short-sighted search for a nonexistent reward.

According to The Hill, key Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), are pressuring the United States to support a radical proposal at the World Trade Organization. They seek to strip patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is also reported to have expressed support for this measure.

In other words, they want to kill the goose that lays the golden vaccines. It is hard to imagine a more destructive step for the current pandemic and future drug development.

First, as numerous experts have pointed out, stripping patent protections would not meaningfully increase manufacturing capacity. Thats because there are a limited number of places with the infrastructure needed to safely make the vaccines, and they are already being employed to do so. Even Bill Gates, whose foundation is dedicated to vaccine distribution in developing countries, has said, Theres not a single additional vaccine that would have come out of [the WTO effort].

Second, and more fundamentally, the Left consistently fails to understand the kind of incentives that their big government, anti-capitalist economics create. Even if new manufacturing capabilities are brought online, removing the patent protections will simply disincentivize the current patent holders from continuing to produce their vaccines once the wealthier countries of the world are fully vaccinated. So, without patent protections there will be fewer available vaccines for developing countries than if protections remain in place.

Thats in the short term. Removing patent protections would also send a chilling signal across the biopharmaceutical industry, drying up investment and research and development dollars. This would delay or even prevent entirely the next generation of treatments.

This same criticism also applies to most of the Democrats proposals regarding drug prices. They sacrifice the future to benefit the presentand even that short-term benefit is minimal.

For instance, Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone (N.J.-6), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has pledged to take up a bill similar to H.R. 3, which passed the House in 2020 but went nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate. The White House recently signaled it may use pieces of this bill, essentially taking money out of Medicare to fund the infrastructure package.

H.R. 3 was a grab bag of destructive policies that would cripple biopharmaceutical development by drying up investment in the future. This includes allowing Medicare to dictate the price of drugs. The Democrats refer to it as negotiating prices, but the way the bill is structured, manufacturers must accept the governments suggested prices or face punitive taxes on the gross sales of the drugs.

Defenders of this idea protest that in other countries, governments set the prices of drugs. This is true. It is also true that these same government routinely refuse to pay for drugs that are available to patients in the United States. Thats because the government is only interested in paying what a drug is worth to the government, not to patients. Patients in those countries, at least, do have some recourse: They can come to America to be treated.

But if America follows the same path, where will American patients go to get treatments that are never developed? Where will we go if Democrats kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

From Gingrich360.com.

Joe DeSantis is chief strategy officer at Gingrich 360 and leads the organizations health care strategic initiatives and consulting.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Prince Philip's cousin Lady Pamela Hicks shares fascinating never-before-seen journal entries from her time as the queen's lady-in-waiting in a new documentary.

The 91-year-old, who is a childhood friend and confidante of the monarch, 94, was by her side for some of her most defining moments.

From witnessing the tragic moment the Duke of Edinburgh informed her of her father's passing, to admiring the Queen's 'tremendous' arm muscles as a result of non-stop waving while on tour in Australia, Lady Pamela shares her intimate memories with her daughter India Hicks, 53, in My Years With The Queen.

The ITV programme is the first of a series to mark Her Majesty's 95th birthday on April 21.

Prince Philip's cousin Lady Pamela Hicks shares fascinating never-before-seen journal entries from her time as the Queen's lady-in-waiting in a new documentary (pictured with daughter India Hicks)

Lady Pamela tells how her father, Lord Mountbatten, urged her to keep a diary after being asked to accompany the Queen on the Commonwealth tour she undertook on behalf of her ailing father King George VI in February 1952.

Days after landing in Nairobi, where they were greeted by 'men wearing swords and decorations', the tour came to an abrupt halt when news broke the king had died.

The Queen and her party were staying at the Treetops hotel in Kenya, and Lady Pamela describes how she 'climbed up that ladder as a Princess and then, in the morning, she came down the ladder as Queen'.

After being informed by his 'stunned' equerry, the Duke of Edinburgh suggested he and 'Lillibet' go for a walk by a trout stream.

From witnessing the tragic moment the Duke of Edinburgh informed her of her father's passing, to admiring the Queen's 'tremendous' arm muscles as a result of non-stop waving while on the coronation tour, Lady Pamela shares her intimate memories with her daughter India Hicks, 53, in My Years With The Queen (pictured: the Queen and Prince Philip waving in New Zealand on the coronation world tour in December 1953)

Lady Pamela recalls: 'You could see the moment shes been told, the body language. She stopped walking and slumped a bit. And one thought, how awful for her.'

Over a year later, while watching a 'frail' Queen at her coronation at Westminster Abbey in June 1953, Lady Pamela muses: 'Seeing her, this young woman of 27, utterly alone, I wondered how she'll have the strength to undertake this duty all her life.'

She also reveals her uncle Lord Brabourne wore robes borrowed from a film costume department for the occasion.

During the Queen's subsequent six-month tour of the Commonwealth, Lady Pamela was by her side yet again and discusses the gruelling schedule and being endlessly hounded by royal fans.

Reading a journal entry from Australia, she recounts: 'I sat with Lillibet under a tree, listening to her holding forth about being marooned on a desert island.

The Queen and her party were staying at the Treetops hotel in Kenya (pictured at a polo match days earlier), and Lady Pamela describes how she 'climbed up that ladder as a Princess and then, in the morning, she came down the ladder as Queen'

'But she cheered up considerably, when a boatload of trippers appeared shouting whether we had seen the Queen, where is she?

'Lillibet, in slacks, tore down to the beach, pointed to the other side of the island and yelled, "She went that-a-way" and jumped up and down with joy as the boat disappeared around the corner.'

In another entry she tells how the Queen and Philip were required to wave non-stop, remarking: '[Her Majesty has] developed tremendous muscles in her arms. Sitting still in a car, being yelled at and having to wave is part of the tour that Philip loathes.'

She goes on to explain Philip's bewilderment at constantly waking up with a cold hand, before realising he was waving 'in his sleep'.

Lady Pamela Hicks, Queen Victoria's great-great-granddaughter and former lady-in-waiting to the Queen, regularly shares stories of her life and regal encounters on her daughter India's Instagram

Lady Pamela reveals how the Queen used to keep chocolates in her room to stop her 'greedy' family from stealing them, and also once riled her mother for querying why she needed so many new dresses.

The Queen's 'thrifty' nature is further highlighted when India Hicks, who is Prince Charles' goddaughter and was a bridesmaid at his wedding, recalls being handed down Princess Anne's thermal underwear.

Lady Pamela says the Queen's life has been 'entirely dictated by her sense of duty' and describes her as an 'amazing person'.

'Theres such inner strength there. And she has just remained like that throughout her life,' she says.

'[Duty is] a word thats barely used and certainly not understood but duty was good. It gave you a goal.'

My Years With The Queen airs on ITV on April 1 at 9pm.
What looked like a victory this month for Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, his government, and their reform pledges instead risks becoming just another example of empty promises in Central Asia's most populous country.

On March 19, around 280 workers from the Indorama Agro cotton farm gathered for the founding meeting of Uzbekistans first independent labor union, Halq Birligi (People's Unity).

The Berlin-based Uzbek Forum for Human Rights called it a "historic day," but the victory did not last long.

By March 24, Uzbek Forum was reporting that local officials were harassing members of the new union.

"Leaders of Xalq Birligi...reported receiving calls from officials at the local administration who did not identify themselves, warning them that their involvement in union activities would cause them problems," Uzbek Forum wrote.

The report said police were also phoning union activists demanding that they stop their organizing activities and leave the union."

The new union aims to protect the rights of Indorama Agro's workers in Syrdarya Province.

Singapore-based Indorama Agro has been active in Uzbekistan since 2010, mainly in the cotton industry.

According to Uzbek Forum, the Uzbek government made some 40,000 hectares of irrigated land available to Indorama Agro in four districts -- the Kasbi and Nishan districts of Kashkadarya Province and the Akaltyn and Sardoba districts of Syrdarya Province -- in August 2018 to "organize modern cotton-textile production."

Indorama Agro established cluster farms, a controversial scheme that allows companies to invest money and reorganize land and local labor to boost efficiency in production.

Critics argue that this system has simply allowed the wealthy -- some with alleged connections to senior Uzbek officials -- to privatize agriculturally based businesses in the areas, depriving local farmers of their land and stripping local workers of many of their rights.

And some Uzbek farmers have alleged that they are being forced to work on cluster farms.

RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik, reported in January that more than 100 textile workers from an Indorama Agro cluster farm in Kashkadarya Provinces Kasbi district demonstrated after they were laid off without being paid accrued wages.

One of the allegations was that Indorama Agro had dispensed with many full-time contract workers and switched to three-month contracts without sick pay, pensions, or compensation for overtime.

Some workers at Indorama Agro clusters complain of low wages, and Uzbek Forum quoted one farm worker as saying he had worked for two years without a vacation or holiday leave.

Halq Birligi is vowing to change that and otherwise work to rein in alleged abuses on cluster farms in Syrdarya Province, as well as to improve working conditions for agricultural laborers.

But the independent union appears to be running into some of the same obstacles that other local rights activists and opposition political parties have experienced.

Uzbek Forum reported that on March 19, when Halq Birligi unionists intended to hold their meeting, "workers had rented a meeting room to hold their election but when they arrived, the building administrator refused them entry, telling them the room was unavailable due to urgent repairs.'"

Uzbek Forum said workers then moved to a nearly teahouse, "but the electricity was cut off soon after they began. They continued their meeting outside, with workers holding up their cell-phone flashlights to provide light."

Roza Agaydarova was elected head of the union.

According to Uzbek Forum, Agaydarova said on March 23 that "she received a call from a regional representative of the Federation of Labor Unions of Uzbekistan, the national union federation, which is not considered independent from the government, and was told that according to the laws of Uzbekistan, they had to join the federation, otherwise their union is invalid."

Uzbek Forum cited a guarantee in Uzbekistan's new law on labor unions ensuring workers the right to join the organization of their choice and the right to avoid being forced into joining an organization.

Ozodlik contacted the head of the Syrdarya provincial branch of the Federation of Labor Unions of Uzbekistan, Rustambek Tursunmuradov, who confirmed he had phoned Agaydarova and told her that forming an independent trade union was a bad idea.

Asked why his organization had not defended the rights of farmers working for Indorama Agro, Tursunmuradov said that when those individuals started working for Indorama Agro they lost their membership in the Federation of Labor Unions of Uzbekistan.

After the death of Uzbekistan's first president, Islam Karimov, in 2016, Mirziyoev came to power promising better working conditions, including the eradication of forced labor in the cotton fields.

Most observers agree that there has been significant progress toward ending forced labor in Uzbekistan. But the cluster-farm idea is not only unpopular; it could be counterproductive if the goal truly is to improve working conditions for agricultural workers.

The executive director of the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, Umida Niyazova, credited Mirziyoev's government for showing "the political will to combat forced labor and open its economy."

But, she added, "The way it treats the first independent trade union is a test of the seriousness of its reforms, and the world is watching."
This may be the last year NJ Route 495 appears on the annual list of the most heavily traveled bridges in poor condition.

The $95 million reconstruction of the major approach to the Lincoln Tunnel is expected to be completed by the end of the year. For now, spans on the NJ 495 viaduct appear twice on the American Road and Transportation Builders Associations list of the 10 heaviest traveled deficient bridges in New Jersey.

The bridge over US 1&9 and Paterson Plank Road in North Bergen is also on the transportation builders associations list of the 100 most heavily traveled bridges in poor condition, ranked 65th.

The I-80 Passaic River bridge ranked 57th on the list, based on the number of vehicles driving across a span. Theyre the only two New Jersey spans in the top 100.

California led the way with 38 heavily traveled bridges in poor condition, followed by Illinois with 14, New York with nine, Colorado with eight and Pennsylvania and Rhode Island with five apiece.

Overall, New Jersey ranked 21st among the 50 states with 502, or 7.4% of its 6,801 bridges rated as deficient, according to an analysis of Federal Highway Administration statistics by NJ Advance Media. A year ago, 7.7% of the states 6,786 bridges were rated as deficient.

State officials attributed the decline to increased spending on bridges, thanks to a higher gasoline tax.

As the report indicates, New Jersey has continued its trend over several years of reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges in the state, state Transportation Department Stephen Schapiro said.

A deficient bridge doesnt mean its about to fall down but rather a key element, such as the road deck or the piers, is in poor condition and needs to be repaired or rehabilitated.

Among New Jerseys neighbors, Pennsylvania ranked fifth and New York 11th in the percentage of bridges rated in poor condition. Delaware ranked 46th with just 2.2% of its 882 bridges rated as poor.

West Virginia had the highest percentage of deficient bridges with 21.2%, followed by Iowa with 19.1% and Rhode Island with 19%.

The report was issued before U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegs appearance Thursday before the House Transportation Committee, where he discussed President Joe Bidens infrastructure proposal. The president has talked about spending as much as $3 trillion. He is expected to announce his plan Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Any robust increases in federal investment would help every state, said Alison Premo Black, chief economist for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. Such funding could give the state additional resources to try to accelerate the pace for improvements and repairs.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JDSalant.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.

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The first phase of Assembly elections began today at 7 a.m. in Assam and Bengal. Polling is taking place in 47 seats in Assam and in 30 seats in Bengal. Over 1.54 crore people are expected to vote in the first phases of polls in Assam and Bengal, and, decide the fate of key candidates of national and regional parties.

In West Bengal, the political rumble has been going on between the ruling TMC and the central government for months. Both the parties will contest to outdo each other in the assembly elections. While in Assam, the BJP is facing the grand alliance or the Congress-led mahajot to retain its power. In the 2016 WB elections, The Trinamool Congress had won 26 out of 30 seats. In Assam, the BJP had delivered a similar performance having won 35 out of the 47 seats. The polling booth in both the states shall be opened till 6 p.m, it has been extended for an hour because of the protocol being followed due to the covid-19 pandemic. A voter turnout of 7.5 per cent was recorded and Bengal registered 5 per cent in the same duration.

Here are some significant key points of the ongoing elections :

(i) Five districts of West Bengal- Jhagram, Purulia, Banura, West Medinipur and East Medinipur, with a voter count of over 73 Lakhs will vote in around 10,200 booths during the first phase of Bengal 2021 elections. In Assam, around 81 lakh voters are about to cast their votes across the upper Assam area and parts of Central Assam with over 11,000 polling booths and around 2,000 auxiliary booths that are being set up in the state.

(ii) Out of the 30 seats in Bengal, BJP is going to contest with 29 and one seat has been given to the AJSU- All India Jharkhand Students Union. The Trinamool Congress is also going to contest on 29 seats and one seat has been allotted to support an independent candidate for contesting. The congress is likely to run third and has been delivering moderate election performances and is contesting on just 5 seats. Congresss alliance partner, the left-led parties will contest the majority out of which the CPM will fight with 18 seats and CPI with 4.

(iii) In Assam, the BJP will be contesting 39 out of the 47 seats and its alliance party AGP- Ason Gana Parishad will contest on 10 seats. The two parties will go smooth in what is said to be an amicable and friendly contest. The Congress has its grand alliance formed in Assam and will contest on 43 seats, in which one each is for the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the AIDUF, the CPIML and the AGM. The third option for the voters in the state would be Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which was started last year by the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad and All Assam Students Union.

(iv) The results of the Bengal and Assam elections along with that of Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be declared on May 2nd.
Trailing Berkeley on zoning reform is a little like following Los Angeles on public transportation or playing catch-up with Chicago on corruption-busting. And yet that is precisely the position in which San Francisco and much of California find themselves.

Continuing a stark break with a century of history as a hotbed  and, indeed, a pioneer  of residential segregation, Berkeleys City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to advance measures to undo single-family zoning and dramatically expand a deliberately suppressed housing supply. A month after voting to dismantle single-family zoning in principle, the council agreed to begin the process of changing the citys general plan to accommodate nearly 9,000 more housing units by a variety of means, including allowing duplexes and other multifamily dwellings across the vast swaths of the city restricted to suburban-style homes.

Truth be told, getting rid of the most reactionary zoning is just one of many steps California and its cities must take to tackle the housing crisis. But its the sort of change the state Legislature has refused amid a housing and homelessness crisis that keeps getting worse. San Francisco and most other Bay Area cities have hardly considered abandoning the single-family zoning that Berkeley invented, and others soon adopted, to further the goals of more overtly racist policies.

Not that the shift has been untrue to Berkeley in most respects: Its proceeding at the usual glacial pace amid no shortage of deliberation, qualification and commentary. The more ambitious measure under consideration, sponsored by Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Vice Mayor Lori Droste, and City Council members Rashi Kesarwani and Terry Taplin, was softened by the end of Thursdays meeting amid familiar blowback from the anti-growth inertia that made Berkeley and the Bay Area what they are today. The members ultimately resolved to explore the possibility of permitting up to four units on lots currently restricted to single-family homes and study allowing the division of such homes into more than one unit.

The council has nevertheless taken the truly progressive step of agreeing to eliminate the citys most restrictive zoning and plan for an 18% increase in the housing supply within eight years. Thats in keeping with a tripling of Berkeleys allotted housing production, and a more than doubling of the Bay Areas, under a 2018 law championed by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. A few cities, including South San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, have also taken steps to undo single-family zoning, but others can be expected to continue their habitual resistance to the state requirements.

Wiener and state Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, among others, are still pursuing legislation to facilitate slumping apartment construction and end most single-family zoning statewide. Even San Franciscos staunchly anti-housing Board of Supervisors is considering a measure by Rafael Mandelman to dial back the most exclusive zoning in certain areas. For now, however, theyre all lagging behind Berkeleys unlikely lead.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Earlier this spring, First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise devoted to education equity, launched #GiveLearningaShot, a suite of resources that provides educators and families with trusted, accessible information about the Covid-19 vaccine. This clearinghouse of expert-based information debunks pervasive myths about the vaccine and answers many of educators and parents most pressing questions about it. One of the key elements of the effort is the Give Learning a Shot Covid-19 Vaccine Time Saver, a document that presents facts and essential information in an infographics-heavy format containing numerous links and complemented by a series of videos. The #GiveLearningaShot campaign was inspired by feedback from members of First Books nationwide network of 500,000 educators and practitioners who work with children in underserved communities.

According to Becki Last, chief programmatic officer at First Book, the organization surveyed educators in its network in early January and received 575 responses. We typically do very large-scale quantitative surveys, Last says. But this one was a little different. It was more qualitative in nature and contained a significant number of responses to open-ended questions that we read through to really understand the themes. We wanted to take a very broad sense of what was happening on the ground for educators to see where they were at and what they needed. The idea for this vaccine campaign and these additional resources was born out of that survey.

The results of the January survey further clarified some of the concerns that First Book had already been monitoring and confirmed the fact that the pandemic is a significant barrier to learning. And they revealed that this holds true regardless of the age of the students, or whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually. One of the results that stands out to Last is that just over half of students were back in school in person to some degree in early January; only 41% were fully virtual at that time. We were surprised to see how many kids were at least part-time in school, she says. We were also surprised to see that whether you are physically in school or virtually in school, the trauma from Covid-19 is real. Everyone has been talking about the impact of Covid-19 on virtual learning, but the grass is not necessarily greener on the side of in-person learning.

Survey respondents who have already returned to the classroom provided a snapshot of what its like. Kids are not mentally focused on learning and ready to learn, and honestly, educators are not mentally focused and ready to teach, even if theyre physically present, Last says. A big part of the reason for that is that everyones preoccupied with getting sick or bringing home sickness to their families. Many dont have health insurance; they may live in close quarters with multiple families under one roof or in close communities physically. Theres a lot of fear. Last said that fear was a word used quite frequently throughout the surveyfear of getting sick and contracting or spreading the virus.

Being physically back in school posed other challenges for students and teachers alike, according to educators who responded to the survey. Even when kids were in the class, there were a lot of interruptions and transitions that took away from learning and added to the stress, Last says. Kids were in one day, then out for two weeks. People were coming and going. It wasnt the same. They cant have lunch together in the same way, they cant have parties or recess, there are no group projects. Its just a very different environment, even in the school.

Ultimately, Last notes, respondents to the January survey overwhelmingly emphasized that the biggest benefits of the vaccine are that it will result in getting back to school, and that it will lessen the fears associated with being in the classroom. All of the research led to comments like, We really are looking forward to the vaccine so we can get back to learningnot necessarily back to school but back to learning,  she adds.

To that end, surveyed educators noted that they hoped people in their communities would be open or more open to getting the vaccine, and replied, Wed love to share information about the vaccine, Last says. But while the vaccine information out there is plentiful, she adds, its not accessible for the families that we serve. Its very wordy, there arent enough graphics or infographics, and its written at a high reading level.

Survey respondents indicated that they wanted to see something that is expert based, factual, and coming from trusted sources but is more accessible, shorter, and with more infographics, according to Last. They also wanted resources highlighting stories from folks in communities that look like theirs, and highlighting stories of celebrities and other recognizable, trusted figures.

Kisha Dimbo, First Books senior v-p of strategic alliances, noted that creating a new resource for vaccine information was a vitally important undertaking because the organization largely serves people of color, who are disproportionately experiencing Covid-19 illness and death, as well as the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and inequitable access to vaccines. We are very focused on breaking down barriers to education for kids in need, Dimbo says. And when you look at kids in need, we know that the majority of those children are kids of color. We also understood that in those communities of color fewer people are receiving the vaccine. For example, we know that in Black communities only 5%6%, based on the metrics we have, of vaccines have gone to Black folks, and I dont think the numbers are that different for Hispanic populations. We knew that getting back to school was critical, but we didnt know how critical until Becki and her team did the survey.

When the survey findings revealed that serious challenges existed whether kids were in or out of school, Dimbo says, we realized we needed to do something to address this specific issue, because all kids are falling behind, but the kids that we serve are falling further behind faster.

Effectively addressing rumors and misinformation about the vaccine was another driver behind the #GiveLearningaShot campaign. Seventy-one percent of educators who responded to the First Book survey said people they know are concerned because of the speed of development and worry the vaccine is too risky. And two-thirds of respondents reported that they had heard of resistance to taking the vaccine in their communities. The Time Saver debunks various myths about the vaccine with additional information from the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins, and the District of Columbia Department of Health, among other outlets. Celebrities who appear in photos taking the vaccine or who share their vaccine experiences include actor and director Tyler Perry, politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and actor Randall Park. And #GiveLearningaShot provides access to additional relevant resources from First Book, including a Trauma Toolkit, the discussion guide Using Books to Support Students Through Grief, Loss, and Healing, and Empowering Educators: A Guidebook on Race and Racism.

To roll out the #GiveLearningaShot resource, Last says that First Book will rely heavily on its nationwide network of educators. They are the child advocates on the ground, she notes. They are incredible activists in their own communities. Throughout the pandemic, they have done everything from collecting and delivering resourcesincluding books and foodto their kids on their doorsteps to taking extra care to print out and drop off information for kids who may not have access to the internet or electronic devices. Our hope isand all indications arethat these educators will share #GiveLearningaShot with the families that they serve. We would like to reach millions of families, specifically in communities of color, with these resources.
NEW YORK (AP)  Beverly Cleary, the celebrated childrens author whose memories of her Oregon childhood were shared with millions through the likes of Ramona and Beezus Quimby and Henry Huggins, has died. She was 104.

Clearys publisher HarperCollins announced Friday that the author died Thursday in Carmel Valley, California, where she had lived since the 1960s. No cause of death was given.

Trained as a librarian, Cleary didnt start writing books until her early 30s when she wrote Henry Huggins, published in 1950. Children worldwide came to love the adventures of Huggins and neighbors Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, Beatrice Beezus Quimby and her younger sister, Ramona. They inhabit a down-home, wholesome setting on Klickitat Street  a real street in Portland, Oregon, the city where Cleary spent much of her youth.

Among the Henry titles were Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Paper Route and Henry and Beezus.



MORE ARTS NEWS: Selena makes it across the pond with latest mini fan

Ramona, perhaps her best-known character, made her debut in Henry Huggins with only a brief mention.

All the children appeared to be only children so I tossed in a little sister and she didnt go away. She kept appearing in every book, she said in a March 2016 telephone interview from her California home.

Cleary herself was an only child and said the character wasnt a mirror.

I was a well-behaved little girl, not that I wanted to be, she said. At the age of Ramona, in those days, children played outside. We played hopscotch and jump rope and I loved them and always had scraped knees.

In all, there were eight books on Ramona between Beezus and Ramona in 1955 and Ramonas World in 1999. Others included Ramona the Pest and Ramona and Her Father. In 1981, Ramona and Her Mother won the National Book Award.

Cleary wasnt writing recently because she said she felt its important for writers to know when to quit.

I even got rid of my typewriter. It was a nice one but I hate to type. When I started writing I found that I was thinking more about my typing than what I was going to say, so I wrote it long hand, she said in March 2016.

Although she put away her pen, Cleary re-released three of her most cherished books with three famous fans writing forewords for the new editions.

Actress Amy Poehler penned the front section of Ramona Quimby, Age 8; author Kate DiCamillo wrote the opening for The Mouse and the Motorcycle; and author Judy Blume wrote the foreword for Henry Huggins.

Cleary, a self-described fuddy-duddy, said there was a simple reason she began writing childrens books.

As a librarian, children were always asking for books about `kids like us. Well, there werent any books about kids like them. So when I sat down to write, I found myself writing about the sort of children I had grown up with, Cleary said in a 1993 Associated Press interview.

Dear Mr. Henshaw, the touching story of a lonely boy who corresponds with a childrens book author, won the 1984 John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. It came about because two different boys from different parts of the country asked me to write a book about a boy whose parents were divorced, she told National Public Radio as she neared her 90th birthday.

Ramona and Her Father in 1978 and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 in 1982 were named Newbery Honor Books.

Cleary ventured into fantasy with The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and the sequels Runaway Ralph and Ralph S. Mouse. Socks, about a cats struggle for acceptance when his owners have a baby, is told from the point of view of the pet himself.

She was named a Living Legend in 2000 by the Library of Congress. In 2003, she was chosen as one of the winners of the National Medal of Arts and met President George W. Bush. She is lauded in literary circles far and wide.

She produced two volumes of autobiography for young readers, A Girl from Yamhill, on her childhood, and My Own Two Feet, which tells the story of her college and young adult years up to the time of her first book.

I seem to have grown up with an unusual memory. People are astonished at the things I remember. I think it comes from living in isolation on a farm the first six years of my life where my main activity was observing, Cleary said.

Cleary was born Beverly Bunn on April 12, 1916, in McMinnville, Oregon, and lived on a farm in Yamhill until her family moved to Portland when she was school-age. She was a slow reader, which she blamed on illness and a mean-spirited first-grade teacher who disciplined her by snapping a steel-tipped pointer across the back of her hands.

I had chicken pox, smallpox and tonsillitis in the first grade and nobody seemed to think that had anything to do with my reading trouble, Cleary told the AP. I just got mad and rebellious.

By sixth or seventh grade, I decided that I was going to write childrens stories, she said.

Cleary graduated from junior college in Ontario, California, and the University of California at Berkeley, where she met her husband, Clarence. They married in 1940; Clarence Cleary died in 2004. They were the parents of twins, a boy and a girl born in 1955 who inspired her book Mitch and Amy.

Cleary studied library science at the University of Washington and worked as the childrens librarian at Yakima, Wash., and post librarian at the Oakland Army Hospital during World War II.

Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and inspired Japanese, Danish and Swedish television programs based on the Henry Huggins series. A 10-part PBS series, Ramona, starred Canadian actress Sarah Polley. The 2010 film Ramona and Beezus featured actresses Joey King and Selena Gomez.

Cleary was asked once what her favorite character was.

Does your mother have a favorite child? she responded.

___

Biographical material compiled by former AP staffer Polly Anderson and AP Staffer Kristin J. Bender.
In Lucknow, the capital of Indias most-populous state Uttar Pradesh, crowds gathered at three major centers to receive Covid-19 jab, after the city launched a campaign Tuesday that aims to vaccinate over 10,500 people a day. The campaign is part of the state governments drive to vaccinate at least 10 million people this month

Jun 03, 2021 05:20 PM
New Delhi: BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda will address rallies in Kerala on Saturday (March 27) as a part of two-day visit to the southern poll-bound states.

The BJP national president will address numerous rallies and road shows in the state today as part of the campaign. Kerala will witness single-phase elections on April 6.

Earlier, last night Nadda held a meeting with BJP leaders at Hotel Blue Nile, Kannur a day before he is scheduled to lead a grand roadshow in Kannur's Dharmadam Constituency from Nalampeedika to Chakkarakkal at 09:35 am.

Following which the BJP chief will address a public meeting in Manalur's Kanjani Anakkadu and then in Thodupuzha Municipal Ground in the afternoon.

After the public rallies JP Nadda will also hold two massive roadshows in the evening. The first roadshow will be from Kaimanam to Pappanamcode followed by Kaimanam to Pappanamcode.

The election for the 140-member Kerala Assembly will be held on April 6 in over 40,771 polling stations. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

Live TV
NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Houston Wire & Cable Co. ("HWCC" or the "Company") (HWCC) relating to its proposed acquisition by Omni Cable, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, HWCC shareholders will receive $5.30 in cash per share.

The investigation focuses on whether Houston Wire & Cable Co. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the transaction is properly valued.

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We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

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MUSKEGON, MI - On the western edge of Muskegon sits the Lakeside neighborhood--an area that curls around Muskegon Lake and is packed with small businesses and restaurants.

The Lakeside Business District is about three miles away from downtown Muskegon. The district offers a unique lineup of shops including an art gallery, a gourmet cotton candy shop and an old fashioned candy store.

The marina-lined neighborhood also showcases a sector of Muskegons restaurant scene. Here are some options for dining out in the bustling area.

Pierogi Shack

The Pierogi Shack opened at 1950 Lakeshore Dr. in Muskegon's Lakeside Business District during 2020.

The Pierogi Shack offers Polish cuisine to the Muskegon area, including its specialty: pierogis.

The Polish dumplings can be sweet or savory, and the Pierogi Shack rotates its choices weekly. The menu often includes traditional flavors like potato, cheese and sauerkraut as well as new takes like four cheese, with mozzarella, provolone, muenster and cream cheese blended into potato.

Other Polish foods include potato pancakes, smoked kielbasa and handmade cabbage rolls.

The Pierogi Shack opened its Lakeside location, 1950 Lakeshore Dr., in October of 2020. The restaurant is open for takeout Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m.

Related: Pierogi restaurant opening for takeout in Muskegons Lakeside neighborhood

Lake Dog Coney Island

Lake Dog Coney Island, 1845 Lakeshore Dr., is another restaurant that joined the Lakeside District last year. It opened in December and serves Detroit-style Coney hot dogs smothered with chili, onion and mustard.

Lake Dog features six styles of hot dogs in addition to poutine, a Canadian specialty of French fries dolloped with gravy and cheese.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Related: Lakedog restaurant to bring Detroit-style Coney dogs to Muskegons Lakeside neighborhood

Lake Dog Coney Island opened at 1845 Lakeshore Dr. in Muskegon's Lakeside Business District during 2020.

Wonderland Distilling

Wonderland Distilling Co., a craft distillery that produces spirits inspired by Michigans natural beauty, opened a tasting room in Lakeside last fall.

The bar, 1989 Lakeshore Dr., offers classic cocktails and original recipes created with the distillerys whiskey, vodka and gin. Additional ingredients are made in-house from scratch.

Wonderland also serves wraps, snacks and shareable food items.

The tasting room and cocktail bar is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

Related: Local Eats: New distillery in Muskegons Lakeside neighborhood celebrates Michigans natural wonders

Wonderland Distilling Company, 1989 Lakeshore Drive, in Muskegon's Lakeside business district, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Cory Morse | MLive.com) Cory Morse | MLive.com

Lott on the Lakeshore

Lott on the Lakeshore leans into its waterfront location with a beach theme and quick eats.

The breakfast, lunch and early dinner spot, 2445 Lakeshore Dr., serves a selection of sandwiches and handhelds. Some specialties include a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, loaded fries and barbeque pulled pork on a brioche bun.

Lott is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Related: Muskegon eatery starts over because of cultural differences

Phyllis Loundermill-Watson poses for a photo in front of Lott on the Lakeshore, in Muskegon on Thursday, August 8, 2019. (Kayla Renie | MLive.com)

Zalomas Pizza Company

Zalomas Pizza Co., 2009 Lakeshore Dr., moved into the Lakeside District in 2017.

The mom-and-pop shops serves hand-tossed pizza covered in a secret tomato sauce recipe, cheese and toppings.

The Barry pizza is named after co-owner Todd Haugh, whos legal name is Barry. It features pepperoni, sausage, ham, bacon, fresh mushrooms, red onion, green peppers, banana peppers and black olives.

Customers can pick up a 12- or 16-inch pizza for $10 to $20, depending on the menu item.

Zalomas is open for takeout Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m.

Related: Zalomas Pizza Co. is a mom-and-pop shop featuring secret recipe sauce

The outside of the pizza restaurant Zaloma's in Muskegon, Mich. on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com) Kaytie Boomer I MLive.comKaytie Boomer I MLive.com

Marine Tap Room

The Marine Tap Room has been around since 1946. The neighborhood bar and restaurant, 1983 Lakeshore Drive, faces the Great Lakes Marina and the Lake Express Ferry.

The Marine Tap Room says its menu offers something for everyone, including pizza, oven baked subs, burgers, hot dogs and Mexican-inspired items.

The bar features a rotating tap of domestic and local craft beers.

The Marine Tap Room is open every day from noon to 11 p.m.

Related: Michigans Best Neighborhood Bar: Marine Tap Room a working persons bar thats pretty good for fun, too

Marine Tap Room advertises its re-opening on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 in Muskegon. It has been closed since Nov. 18. (Hope Davison | MLive.com)Hope Davison

More on MLive:

Michigan recovered 56,000 leisure/hospitality jobs in month after dine-in ban ended

Bridge construction in Grand Haven, Tri Cities area will cause closures

COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up in Muskegon County, see how to get registered
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) meets with the visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe (L) in Belgrade, on March 26, 2021. (Photo by Li Xiaowei)

BELGRADE, Mar. 27 -- Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic met the visiting Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe in Belgrade on March 26.

Vucic said that Serbia and China stand together through thick and thin and share a common destiny, China is the most trustworthy friend of Serbia. He expressed his gratitude to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government and people for their valuable support to Serbia in safeguarding national security, accelerating economic development and fighting against COVID-19 pandemic.

Serbia firmly supports the Chinese governments positions in safeguarding Chinas core interests including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang and supports the "One Belt And One Road" initiative, Vucic stated.

Serbia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields including military affairs to promote bilateral relations to a new level, Vucic added.

Wei highly valued the Sino-Serbian relations by saying that China and Serbia enjoy profound traditional friendship and the two countries are true "iron friends". Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing at a high level, China appreciates Serbia for its firm support to China's core interests and fully supports Serbia in taking the path of independence, Wei said.

The Chinese military is ready to work with the Serbian side to expand military exchanges and cooperation and push forward in-depth development of bilateral military relations, Wei said.

Wei said that they made a special trip to the site of the bombed Chinese Embassy in former Yugoslavia to pay tribute to martyrs (three Chinese reporters were killed in a bombing attack at the Chinese Embassy conducted by NATO forces on the night of May 7, 1999). The Chinese people will never forget this period of history and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army will never allow such history to repeat itself, we are fully capable and determined to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, the Chinese defense chief stated.

After the meeting, President Vucic and Gen. Wei Fenghe watched the training exercise given by a garrison of the Serbian Armed Forces.

Wei also held talks with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic on the same day.
Even Professor Luke O'Neill, who had a head start on the rest of us in terms of being aware of Covid-19, had no notion that the virus would have such a severe and long-lasting effect on the world.

The Bray native has become a household name since the pandemic changed the lives of everyone in the country. A renowned immunologist, author and lecturer at Trinity, he has been called upon to impart his knowledge regularly over the past year. Prof O'Neill has cheerfully and thoroughly educated the nation amid a whirlwind of misinformation and worry.

'We thought at first it would be like SARS or MERS, and they were easier to control,' he said. 'Those two viruses are in the same family. 'They were spread by severe symptoms so people who were infected, you could put them into quarantine to stop the spread of it. That was our assumption with Covid-19.'

He and others thought that a lockdown of a few weeks would get things under control because it lasts about two weeks in someone's body.

'You can imagine if we'd all been locked up the virus would have gone away, as happened in China. So when the lockdown was happening I thought this might work, you know. As time went by it got worse and worse and different features began to emerge about the virus.'

It became clear in late march that it could spread from someone with no symptoms.

'That made it very difficult to control because you don't know who's sick and who isn't,' said Luke. 'And that meant it could really spread widely, and that's what happened. The reason for the global lockdown is that single fact.

'You can't quarantine people who are sick only because there are still people walking around with the virus and spreading it. Hence the need for the big lockdowns that happened.'

By the time April and May came around, he knew that this would go on a lot longer. But he wasn't anxious or worried about the final outcome,

'I was fed up like everyone else. But I knew science would get there. I knew we'd have better therapies in hospital. I knew we would get a vaccine eventually. That was all in the back of my mind. I just wasn't sure when, but I was 100 per cent certain of that and I still am. There are still grounds for huge optimism because I know what science can deliver.'

Luke counted himself lucky in that his scientific knowledge was telling him that there was a way out, which science would deliver. 'That's exactly what happened, and is happening.'

The development of vaccinations in such a short period of time came as a surprise.

'I was amazed in November when Pfizer announced their clinical trial data,' he said. 'And it was such a high efficacy, 95 per cent. That was unexpected.

'The previous record for making a vaccine was four years, and here we had one in 10 months.'

While panic-buying was under way in the country's 'supermarkets a year ago, Luke remained calm when all around him lost their heads.

'Our house wasn't buying up all the toilet paper! It was a bit like a snowstorm or something when all the bread gets bought up,' he said.

'I knew lockdown would work. That was obviously going to have a successful outcome.

'I did feel that by the autumn we'd be in a much better place than we were.

'I thought we'd have it much more under control by then. Because of this aspect of it spreading with no symptoms, because people weren't really maintaining the various distancing recommendations and so on, it just came back with a vengeance.'

He has been well known and regarded in scientific circles for some time, and has been a contributor on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk for a number of years, but the past year has seen Luke's profile soar. 'I'm now recognised in the streets which is unusual,' he said.

Most of those encounters are positive but he has had the occasional unpleasant incidents, such as being yanked by the collar on Grafton street and being informed, quite correctly, if aggressively, that he is a 'vaccine guy'.

'It's very rare,' he said. 'You don't want it happening to you but it wouldn't really bother me. You can't do much about it. It wouldn't be keeping me awake at night. Thank God I'm not a politician - how do they put up with it! All I can do is make my side of the argument as best I can. Some people won't believe you or think you've got a vested interest and criticise you in various ways. That goes with the territory.'

Others are more likely to smile and say hello. In a previous life, perhaps they would have shook his hand.

Luke receives daily emails from people thanking him for informing and reassuring them, and indeed he gets showered with gifts. 'I've been sent so many gifts you wouldn't believe it.'

They include a crystal decanter (he likes a nice drink), a music book of pop songs with the chords (a nod to when he moonlights as a rock star), and a voucher for a 'posh hotel'.

His favourite was a cared sent by a primary school in Donegal. 'They all signed this massive card for me and put little drawings on it to thank me for giving me the information.

'People are grateful because they want to know what's going on. They are anxious and desperate for information and they thank me for giving up my time I suppose to give people information.'

The AstraZenica vaccination had been paused at the time he was speaking and Luke thought that was a mistake.

'Mission one is to get the vaccine into as many people as possible as quickly as we can. The government has to be focussed on that as their key mission. I think they could do a bit better.'

Ireland is dependent on the EU for its share of any vaccines. 'If we weren't in the EU we may have no vaccines. It would be a free for all and we're a tiny country.

'But I would encourage them to look to the Russians and the Chinese to get extra vaccines. Especially as the supply looks like it's being threatened. We keep seeing delays. And now we have this pause with Astrazeneca which is hardly helping.'

He welcomed the checking of the product, as there were fears around clotting. 'The mistake they made was to pause it, because the EMA hd said keep using it. The World Health Organisation said use it. So why did we go against this advice?

'It's very important to keep an eye on safety. It's very important to be stringent. But this is more than likely going to be just random events that aren't linked to the vaccine, given what we know already. I was a bit surprised they paused it. I thought that was a bit premature.'

Knock-on effects could include an increase in people's anxiety around vaccines. 'We also need to get the vaccine to the developing world. 'It's really important that the AstraZeneca vaccine is the one that they've said will go to the developing world because it's cheaper. In fact they're giving it out for free. That threatens that because maybe some countries might start turning it down. I think it was a mistake to pause it.'

Data from Israel and the UK is indicating that the vaccines are working in the real world.

'They're really working tremendously well. We can predict that they'll protect all the vulnerable. Of course, most deaths are among people over 65 or with underlying conditions and we know the vaccine is protecting those people in other countries.'

There are great grounds for optimism, Luke believes.

'We're not doing badly. I think we're third or fourth in Europe now with the overall vaccination.

'The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is coming along next and then there'll be at least three more approved I predict by the time we get to the summer. Maybe even the Russian one. The EMA is looking at it and may approve it in the coming months. We've got great grounds for the goal being achieved, which is mass vaccination.'

Prof Luke O'Neill is the presenter of the 'Show me the Science' podcast on Newstalk.

He appears twice-weekly on Pat Kenny's Newstalk programme as well as other national shows, and has written a range of scientific books for both adults and children.
(Newser)  It was a turbulent Friday night in Virginia Beach, with two separate shootings that left two dead and eight injured, as well as a police officer getting hit by a car. It was "a very chaotic night in the beach," Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said at a press briefing held early Saturday, per CNN. "Many different crime scenes." Police arrived at the first of those scenes around 11:20pm after hearing gunshots while patrolling Atlantic Avenue, notes a release on the city's website. Cops found multiple victims with gunshot wounds; eight of them were transported to local hospitals for treatment, with injuries said to range from serious to life-threatening. One woman died of her injuries at the scene, per the AP.

story continues below

While they were dealing with that incident, police heard shots fired nearby, Neudigate says. He adds that an officer shot and killed a suspect in what he calls a "police intervention shooting," per CNN. That officer, a five-year veteran of the Virginia Beach force, has been placed on administrative leave. Meanwhile, a police officer was struck by a car while responding to the first shooting, though that officer's injuries were said to be minor. "Police are still working to determine how everything is, or is not, connected," reports 13News Now. Both shootings are being investigated. No motive has been offered and arrests have yet to be made, though police say they have several people in custody. (Read more Virginia Beach stories.)
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Violence reported during the first phase of voting in West Bengal. CPM candidate Sushant Ghosh engaged in a fistfight, the vehicle of BJP leader's younger brother attacked. Two security personnel injured during the gunfire.

During the first phase of voting, violence was reported in West Bengal. At the same time, the TMC, the ruling party, has accused the Election Commission of getting into trouble with the app. Meanwhile, a number of violent incidents have also reported from various regions. Two security personnel were injured in East Midnapore during the gunfire. Sushant Ghosh, a candidate for the CPM, was engaged in a fistfight in Salboni. Simultaneously, the vehicle of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikaris younger brother, Soumendu Adhikari, was reportedly attacked, and the TMC has been blamed.

Voting underway smoothly in Midnapore town. But, at some places in rural areas, TMC workers are trying to create a disturbance. At booth no. 266 & 267, 7-8 TMC workers entered the booth to influence the voters. We've complained to EC: BJP candidate from West Midnapore, Samit Das pic.twitter.com/nVZUn4TPnP  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

In East Medinipur, West Bengal, the attack occurred just before voting began. During the firing in Satsatmal, Bhagwanpur assembly constituency, two security personnel were wounded. TMC has been accused by the BJP. People connected with the TMC are threatening people in the Argol Panchayat area, said District President Anoop Chakraborty.

Sushant Ghosh, a CPM candidate, was attacked by a man in Salboni. The situation worsened when, stones were hurled at the CPM candidates vehicle by the crowd. Sushant Ghosh has blamed the attack on the Trinamool Congress. There is also a recording of this. In this scenario, three suspects have been arrested.

Also Read: First phase of elections LIVE updates: Voting underway in West Bengal and Assams poll-bound constituencies

A vehicle hired for election duty was set on fire in Bandwan, Purulia district, just hours before the first phase of voting in West Bengal. The car was said to be returning after leaving the election officials at the polling station. Tulsidi village, in the Naxal-affected Junglemahal region of the state, was set on fire during this period.

Soumendu Adhikari, the younger brother of BJP leader and Nandigram candidate Suvendu, has said that his car was attacked. Ram Govind Das, the accused TMC block chief, and his wife were rigged at three polling booths, he said. My arrival caused them problems, and they were unable to do anything wrong. As a result, they vandalized my vehicle and assaulted the driver, added Soumendu. Although, Soumendu is unharmed and the driver has been beaten up badly. The Police has been informed.

TMC cadres are allegedly attempting to spread discontent in rural areas, according to BJP candidate Samit Das from West Midnapore. TMC activists entered booths 266 and 267 from 7 to 8 a.m. to try to impress voters. According to Soumendu Adhikari, the Trinamool Congress has allegedly employed a local numerologist to discourage voters. Terrorists are seeking to sway voters and officials to vote for TMC.

Also Read: PM Modi in Bangladesh amid Bengal polls: Know all about Bangladeshs Bengal connection
The University's Professor Jason Roach will work alongside the National Police Wellbeing Service on a research project that will study to what extent the health and wellbeing of the nation's police officers has been affected by the pandemic.

POLICE officers have had to overcome new obstacles and deal with challenges of a kind not witnessed before, as a result of the COVID pandemic.

Now, a research project at the University of Huddersfield will provide a snapshot of policing amidst a global pandemic and has been awarded funding from the National Police Wellbeing Service(NPWS) to carry out the research.

The University's Director of the Applied Criminology and Policing Centre, Professor Jason Roach, is to lead a team of researchers that will work with the NPWS exploring to what extent the health and wellbeing of the nation's police officers have been affected.

The idea behind the project originated after Professor Roach recognised how research into the wellbeing of NHS staff working during the pandemic was well documented but, the same couldn't be said for the nation's police officers and their psychological, emotional and physical 'wellbeing'.

Working alongside him will be Dr Michelle Rogerson, Dr Melanie Flynn, Dr Ashley Cartwright plus two PhD researchers Liam Curran and Rebecca McCarthy.Together they will create a survey that will include general questions such as how they felt doing their job during the various phases of the COVID-19 Lockdown.

For example, during the initial phases when no-one could be outside, the rules of social distancing where clear and easier for police to enforce, 'Stay at home, Save Lives. Protect the NHS', compared to when the relaxing of the rules happened. We'll be asking how they dealt with enforcement in the potential vagueness of it all." Professor Jason Roach, University of Huddersfield

The survey will be disseminated by the NPWS to potentially thousands of police staff across England and Wales.

"The police force as a whole has come on leaps and bounds over the last five years when dealing with staff mental health and wellbeing issues," said Professor Roach. "However, some forces are further down 'the wellbeing road' than others, so we are likely to get different responses from staff from different forces and working in different roles," he added.

The project's second phase will entail conducting numerous interviews with UK police staff, to identify personal accounts of working in policing during the pandemic and to acquire more detailed information relating to findings from the survey.

Professor Roach explains, "while the survey will identify 'the what', we will need to talk with police staff to understand 'the why'."

As well as identifying negative effects impacting on UK police staff wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team will also be searching for more positive factors relating to how individuals coped with the negative impact on their wellbeing from working during the pandemic. For example, which coping strategies they used, was it exercise and talking with colleagues, or if was there any specific support provided by their police forces.

When the research project is complete, the findings are to be published in an academic paper and presented to the UK College of Policing, to inform the maintaining of police wellbeing in the case of any further COVID or future pandemics.
MPs could extend their summer holidays for a fortnight to allow more time for refurbishment work at the Palace of Westminster.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is said to favour scrapping the short period of time between the summer holidays and the party conference season to enable vital maintenance and restoration projects to take place.

But Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg is responsible for tabling motions for parliamentary recesses for the House of Commons  meaning the Government gets to make the decision  and is unlikely to be won over by the idea.

The break would come at a time when unemployment is increasing and the country is looking to Westminster to help rebuild the economy from the impacts of the pandemic.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is said to favour scrapping the short period of time between the summer holidays and the party conference season to enable vital maintenance and restoration projects to take place

It is understood that the restoration and renewal (known as r and r) team at the Palace of Westminster has not had time to carry out repairs that are needed.

Lengthening the summer break would give officials an extended period of time to concentrate on the renovation works, according to a Commons source.

Government sources said they were not expecting any proposals from the sponsor body which determines what work is carried out in the near future.

A spokeswoman for the Speakers Office said: The scheduling of sitting days and recesses is not a matter for the Speaker.

If the sponsor body came forward with proposals for preparatory surveys and works that could be done during the summer months of recess to progress r and r, then the impact would have to be considered.

Earlier this month, Mr Rees-Mogg criticised an official reviews recommendation for MPs and peers to be temporarily relocated during restoration work as being for the birds.

He warned that moving Parliament to another location while the work was carried out could cost as much as 20 billion.

It is understood that the restoration and renewal (known as r and r) team at the Palace of Westminster (pictured) has not had time to carry out repairs that are needed

He said the proposal for MPs to relocate from Westminster Palace to nearby Richmond House and peers to cross the road to the QEII Centre could cost up to 1.5 billion in creating temporary chambers alone.

He warned that spiralling costs of the renovations could turn Parliament into Disneyland amid concerns that the work would not be fully carried out because of the pandemic.

The Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority said in its review that the relocation would be minimised through a phased approach but that fully vacating the palace was likely to last for years rather than months.

In a statement it said the temporary local relocation would be the most secure, cost-effective and practical solution, with the plan being submitted to Parliament for final consideration.

It said the review found that restoring the historic building while all parliamentarians remained on site would cost billions of pounds more and take decades longer than the temporary move.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

When Sean Lannon boarded a flight to the East Coast, he left behind a monthslong trail of brutal violence in New Mexico that robbed families of a sister, a father, a brother and a grandson, police say.

The Journal gathered the stories of those people  their personalities, quirks and passions  from relatives all around the state and across the country to paint a picture of the loss.

Jennifer Lannon, 39

Chris Whitman, Jennifer Lannons brother, said he was the last of the family to speak with his sister on Jan. 12.

I was actually in the hospital with COVID and she was giving me a call, just worried about me. Letting me know that she was praying for me and was thinking about us. She couldnt wait to get back home, he said. After that we lost contact. Which wasnt like her.

In the months that followed Whitman said Sean Lannon, 47, would regularly touch base with their parents, always maintaining that Jennifer had ran off. Soon Lannon hopped a plane to bring the kids to New Jersey and said he planned a return to New Mexico to look for her.

My mom was talking to him that Saturday, without even knowing the bodies were found, Whitman said.

Once Lannon became a suspect, Whitman said authorities moved the family to an undisclosed location for their safety until his arrest. The brother cant wrap his head around the case.

Its mind boggling  I mean you try to piece together  Why did he do this to her?  to me he might have had some type of pain in his life that he was trying to let out somehow or deal with, Whitman said.

He said, throughout the years, Sean Lannon was often silent at Thanksgiving dinners, birthday parties and other family get-togethers.

We were cordial, would be friendly, tried to get to know him. But there was always something where he was standoffish and I couldnt understand why, Whitman said. He wouldnt really talk much to us.

He said Jennifer Lannon, a nurse, moved to New Mexico with her husband after he got a job as the foreman of an environmental clean-up crew at an oil field. Court records show the couple filed for bankruptcy in 2015 in New Jersey and, by 2018, had filed for divorce in New Mexico.

Sean Lannon asked for sole custody, citing his wifes longstanding difficulty with prescribed and non-prescribed drug use.

Despite the divorce, Whitman said the couple stayed in the same house and raised the kids together. He said neither Jennifer nor Sean indicated anything was wrong.

Nicole Brown said she met Jennifer Lannon in 2019 when the two shared a dorm for six months at Hoving Home in New York, a program for women with drug and alcohol abuse.

She was struggling a little bit, she said of Lannon, but was funny, smart and had a really good heart.

Brown said Jennifer Lannon was so good with the ladies coming into the home and letting them know there were better things ahead of them.

During their stay at Hoving Home, Brown said Sean Lannon would call often and even drove from New Mexico to visit Jennifer at the home. But Brown said Sean Lannon was extremely controlling and just seemed real off.

When she heard what happened, she said her heart was broken.

Im still in absolute shock, just the way it happened, I mean, thats insane, Brown said.

Like most people, Whitman said his sister had her issues in life.

I know she had a few but she had addressed it, gotten her life better and was looking to continue to live a good life for herself and her family, he said.

Whitman said the whole family is mourning a daughter, sister and mother of five, who had a beautiful friendly smile and personality that people gravitated towards. Jennifer Lannon had three kids with Sean and two other children.

He said Jennifer Lannon always loved musical theater, taught herself to play the harp and was a social butterfly. Whitman said she loved taking family trips to the Jersey Shore or Disneyland and told him she was planning to move back to New Jersey.

Even when she moved to New Mexico she always kept in contact with us and would miss us, he said.

Whitman called what happened unbelievable, senseless and unthinkable but said he also feels for Sean Lannon.

At first, I had hatred for Sean but now I feel sorry for him that he experienced this, because obviously he had some stuff going on in his mind, Whitman said. I do feel bad for him, as a father, knowing he has kids hes never seeing again. Ill be praying for him and hopefully one day I can forgive him We want to get to a place where we can forgive him.

Jesten Mata, 40

Hilary Sweeney cant help but cry when she thinks of the first time she met Jesten Mata.

Sweeney was at a picnic table studying outside Northern Arizona Academy in Show Low, Arizona, when Mata walked up and sat at the table across from her.

I was a little shy He just wanted to talk, wanted to know who I was, she said, adding that the pair were inseparable from then on.

Sweeney said the two went on to have a child, Ryan, in 2004 but split in the years that followed after Mata began hanging with the wrong crowd and using drugs.

Because we had a young boy, we grew apart, I couldnt live that life. I couldnt be around those types of people. Its not the type of life I wanted for my son, she said.

But  even as Mata was in and out of jail  the couple kept in touch. Letters between Mata and his son turned into phone calls and then Facebook messages.

More recently, Sweeney said shed grown more concerned for Mata.

I just knew that something bad was going to happen, I never wouldve thought that this was what was going to happen, she said. The weekend after the bodies were found at the Sunport a friend sent her the article.

I just saw the headline and just started bawling  I dont even remember reading the article, I kind of blacked out, she said.

Sweeney said although Mata fell into a life of crime and addiction, she knew the best of him.

To be honest with you, not in any mean way, the person he ultimately turned out to be is not someone I could go and have a baby with, she said. That wasnt the person I fell in love with.

The Mata she knew was very charismatic and fun. He loved to take long, spontaneous drives and listen to Tupac Shakur. Sweeney said their son Ryan, now a teenager, reminds her of him.

I tell my son often, throughout the years, you laugh just like your dad or you smile just like your dad, she said. He was a real kind, loving person. We didnt always have the best of times together  but, none of that matters at all to me right now. No one deserves to die like that.

Matthew Miller, 21

Juanita Schult said her grandson, Matthew Miller, had a rough go of it.

The poor kid was going through hell, he really was, she said, adding that he didnt have a snowballs chance in hell.

She said Miller lost both parents and the grandparents he lived with in the past year. Miller fell into using drugs after his mother, who he was closest with, died of a blood clot in April.

He was just a nice, sweet, naive kid, that everybody took advantage of him, Schult said.

She said she would give him cash but stopped when he began using drugs but would still buy him food or fill his tank with gas. Miller lived in the home he shared with his grandparents after they died.

Schult said Miller was extremely smart but was very sheltered and quiet. He dropped out of Grants High School and later got his GED, something he worked hard for.

An animal lover, he had three cats and three dogs at the home, which had electricity but no running water. She said he would come to her house to fill buckets of water or use the shower. The last time he came over, before he went missing, Schult said he brought one of the kittens.

He brought his kitty to show grandma, he always brought one of them to my house, she said, fondly. When she found out Miller hadnt come home for a week, Schult said she called the police to report him missing.

I knew something was wrong because he would have never left those animals, ever, she said.

Schult later added, Im not going to make no excuses for him  because he was doing drugs  but theres no way in hell he ever deserved something like this. None of them did.

Randall Randy Apostalon, 60

Tammie Perez wants answers.

How did they do it, or why did they do it? she asked, referring to Randall Randy Apostalons death, her voice broken up by sobs.

Perez said she lived with Randall Randy Apostalon on and off for the past nine years.

We spent a lot of time together, he was my best friend, she said.

Perez said Apostalon met Lannon, the man suspected of killing him, at the Pearl apartments in Albuquerque and he asked Apostalon if he could store some bins in Apostalons storage unit. She said the two loaded Lannons stuff into Apostalons truck and came by their apartment, where she met Lannon briefly and he told her his wife left him a month ago.

Perez said Apostalon told her he was making $20 off the job and, after the two had an argument, Apostalon left with Lannon to his storage unit off Menaul.

All he was doing was trying to help him out, Perez said.  If I had known that was the last time I (was going to see) him I wouldnt have argued with him.

She said Apostalon was outgoing, had a great smile and would do anything he could to help somebody.

Perez said Apostalon took her in when she had no place to go and nobody to turn to.

We looked out for each other, she said. Its just lonely without him.

Relatives said Apostalon, one of five siblings, was a dear brother who did not deserve such a stupid and cruel demise.

Most recently, Apostalon worked as a handyman and tree trimmer around town and took his boxer Lucy with him everywhere. Family members said he was a good hearted man and a storyteller who loved to crack jokes and was especially fond of puns.

Mark Apostalon, his brother, called Apostalon a kind soul taken too early in this life. Apostalon said his brother had struggled on and off with drugs but was not homeless, as previously reported, and had recently started the journey of eliminating substances from his life for good.

He was loved by his family and extended family as well, he said. We are all going to miss him.

Alexis Young, Apostalons niece, said shes not sure how the family gets closure for Lannons alleged senseless and evil actions.

His anger toward his ex-wife condemned innocent people and I dont know how hell atone for that, she said, adding that she regrets not being able to hug her uncle again or laugh at another ridiculous pun.
A clash broke out on



Saturday between activists of the BJP and the TMC in Purba Medinipur's Nandigram constituency -- which is set to go to polls on April 1 -- leaving at least three persons seriously injured, a senior police officer here said.

Seikh Sufiyan, the election agent of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, however, claimed that goons hired by the BJP carried out an attack on the workers of the state's ruling party, a charge denied by the saffron camp.

"All three, who sustained injuries during the attack, are activists of the TMC. They were rushed to SSKM hospital in Kolkata. The condition of one of them has been stated to be serious," Sufiyan said.

BJP goons have "let loose a reign of terror" in Nandigram over the past 15 days, he alleged.

"These goons have been visiting homes of TMC activists to attack them, twisting their hands and even snatching gold chains. The police, however, are not doing anything about it," he said.

Denying Sufiyan's allegation, the senior police officer said action was immediately taken to bring the situation under control and restore peace in the region.

Local BJP leaders, on their part, contended that the TMC men are trying to disrupt peace in the constituency -- where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is locked in a fierce battle with protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari.

"None of our workers was involved in any attack on TMC activists. On the contrary, the ruling camp members assaulted our karyakartas during Suvendu Adhikari's rallies. The three TMC men, undergoing treatment, must be victims of infighting," a saffron party leader said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The findings of an official French commission that Paris bears overwhelming responsibilities in the 1994 Rwandan genocide created little surprise in Kigali on Saturday, but there was a ray of hope for future ties.

Only France did not know of its role, said MP John Ruku-Rwabyoma.

But the whole world, especially Rwandans, knew.

The commission of historians set up by President Emmanuel Macron declared a failure on the part of France over the genocide that saw around 800,000 people slaughtered, mainly from the ethnic Tutsi minority.

After years of accusations France did not do enough to halt the massacres, the MP urged the French government to make a clear apology.

Now the next step for France is to accept that they have to pay reparations to the victims, he added.

With genocide remembrance events starting on April 7, the memorial site in Kigali was full of students, tourists and locals on Saturday.

Jean Dushimimana, 29, was in the genocide museums section documenting Frances role.

There is nothing that they (France) can pay back for what they did, said the computer engineer whose parents were killed in the massacres.

France helped the perpetrators that committed the 94 genocide, he said.

Paul Habumugisha, 27, stood nearby and added: Most young Rwandans are afraid of France because of what we know that they did.

But he said that if Paris had finally accepted its role it means that France is going to be our friend.

Outside the museum, waitress Josiane Umurerwa said she hoped Frances acknowledgement will also help the victims and those who have lost their loved ones to have peace of mind.

Rwanda officially hailed the findings on Friday as an important step toward a common understanding of Frances role in the genocide against the Tutsi.

The foreign ministry statement said the results from the countrys own investigation commissioned in 2017 would be released in the coming weeks and complement and enrich the French commissions report.

African Union chief Moussa Faki noted in a tweet that the report was courageous and worthy of appreciation and had established a great number of responsibilities.

It was an important decision in the service of truth about the most dramatic event in contemporary African history.

The genocide between April and July of 1994 began after Rwandas Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana was killed when his plane was shot down over Kigali on April 6.

The issue still poisons modern relations a quarter of a century later between the colonial power France and Rwanda under President Paul Kagame, a former Tutsi rebel in power since the aftermath of the genocide.

France led Operation Turquoise, a military-humanitarian intervention under a UN mandate in June 1994. Critics say it was in reality aimed at supporting the genocidal Hutu government.

For Macron the report brought considerable progress in understanding Frances role in Rwanda from 1990 to 1994.

The Elysee said it hoped it would mark an irreversible reconciliation process between the two countries.
While Pennsylvania is making some progress in its distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, many are still waiting for their first shot.

Heres a quick rundown of the vaccine rollout and whats expected next.

Where we are

The state is still in the initial phase of the vaccine efforts: Phase 1A. Those in this phase include health care workers; those 65 years and over; and younger adults with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Others qualifying conditions also include Down syndrome, kidney disease, smoking and obesity.

While many in this first phase have been given their first dose, many are still waiting for that first shot - and some are waiting for their second. More than 4 million people are in Phase 1A.

Gov. Tom Wolf has said he wants everyone in this phase to at least have an appointment for a vaccination by the end of March. At a news conference in Scranton Thursday, Wolf said the state is on track for that goal. Those in Phase 1A have been getting the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which require two doses.

On Thursday, the Wolf administration ordered COVID-19 vaccine providers to work more closely with local organizations to help seniors and other people at high risk get appointments.

Other states have begun lowering the age requirements for vaccines, including some of Pennsylvanias neighbors. New York and Delaware recently reduced the age requirement to 50. In Ohio, the age limit is down to 40 and it drops to age 16 on March 29. So far, Pennsylvania isnt following suit just yet.

Teachers and child care workers

The state has recently launched an effort to vaccinate teachers, school staff and child care workers. The first batch of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines - which require only one shot - is being allocated to school employees and child care staff. The goal is to help more schools reopen and allow more people to return to work. The bipartisan COVID-19 task force endorsed this approach.

Wolf said the educator vaccination effort is ahead of schedule. More than 104,000 school workers have been vaccinated as of Friday morning, the Wolf administration said. Wolf said he expects school staff will be vaccinated by the end of next week; he said the target previously had been mid-April.

The next phase: front-line workers

When the teacher vaccination effort is complete, Wolf has said the next batch of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines will go to key front-line workers in Phase 1B: law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store employees and food and agriculture workers, among others.

Wolf said Thursday he couldnt give a specific date for when vaccinations for these workers will begin. But if the governor is correct and the teacher vaccination effort will be done by the end of next week, vaccinations for those in Phase 1B could begin in mid-April.

State Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski, a Lackawanna County Democrat serving on the COVID-19 vaccine task force, said she expects front-line workers can begin vaccinations by the third week of April. The next batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines is going to be smaller than anticipated (66,000 instead of 200,000) but she said shes optimistic of maintaining that goal.

We are committed to that group we promised, she said Friday.

When will vaccines be open to all?

President Joe Biden has said he wants all Americans to at least be eligible for a vaccine by May 1. Wolf has said the state is on pace to meet that deadline. Assuming that holds, all those 16 years and older can begin trying to get shots starting in May.

Wolf has cautioned that being eligible isnt the same as getting a shot and it may take time to get vaccinated.

There are two final phases in the Wolf administrations rollout plans: Phase 1C and Phase 2. Phase 1C covers more critical workers in fields like the energy sector, mass transit, legal sectors, financial services, bank tellers and information technology workers. The final phase - Phase 2 - covers the rest of the general public 16 and over.

The presidents timetable of opening eligibility to everyone by May 1 may make the states later phases less meaningful, Wolf acknowledged Thursday. Beginning in May, all adults in Pennsylvania should be able to try to schedule vaccine appointments, Wolf has said.

The president now said May 1 that everybody should be eligible, which sort of throws out the 1A, 1B, 1C thing and I think hes right, Wolf said. The goal should be to get to that point as quickly as possible so that its open to everybody.

In a perfect world thatll be the next phase, Wolf said.

Note: only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for 16- and 17-year-olds. The minimum age for the other vaccines is 18.
Piers Morgan is reportedly showing alarming behavior after he cleared his table on "Good Morning Britain."

On Wednesday, Morgan completely cut ties from GMB by finally removing all his things out of the studio. His decision to leave the show came after he sparked drama following his comments on Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Usually, the 55-year-old presenter would post a follow-up blow on his social media site after showing his rage on the show.

However, this time, Morgan seems to be on AWOL - and his supporters are not happy about it.

On Twitter, GMB viewers expressed their concerns over the broadcaster's silence.

One fan said, "Piers Morgan is suspiciously quiet..."

"Where's @piersmorgan, all quiet on Twitter? Work trip to the states perhaps to negotiate a new work contract.....? What do people think?" another one wrote.

Another Twitter user mentioned Morgan's account and penned, "You been very quiet, GMB is boring now, keep us entertained on Twitter."

For what it's worth, Morgan's last post on the aforesaid account was his goodbye message to the news program.

He posted a photo of his dressing room, showing boxes where he stored his things. There is also a life-size cardboard cut-out of his former co-host, Sussana Reid, which he pledged not to bring home since it would be "a bit creepy."

Goodbye, Good Morning Britain! (I think Ill leave the cardboard cut-out, would be a bit creepy to take that home... ) pic.twitter.com/MSQMeXA9zr  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 24, 2021

GMB Suffering Without Piers Morgan?

After leaving his post, GMB immediately suffered from a rating mishap.

The Sun reported that the show faced massive ratings lost weeks after beating BBC's ratings during Morgan's last day. Per the news outlet, over 1.1 million viewers tuned in on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the record did not last for a long time as it lost 100,000 viewers the following day.

The ITV executives tried to manage the backlash by allowing Alex Beresford to step up into the former presenter's role.

Ever since Morgan left, the show already welcomed several people on its chair, including Ben Shephard and Adil Ray. On Friday, Alex Beresford sat on the chair, as well, but received backlash for doing so.

Beresford, whom Morgan had a heated argument with, left his job as the resident weather reporter and joined Kate Garraway on the stage.

Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with his appearance, with fans demanding GMB to sort their programs.

As of the writing, the show is still looking for a permanent host to replace Piers Morgan.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
by Mons. Isao Kikuchi

A message of solidarity to the Church of Myanmar from Msgr. Isao Kikuchi. "I am impressed by the great dedication and commitment of the people". A request to the Japanese government.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - "I am impressed by the great dedication and commitment of the people I met and I deeply pray that their hopes and aspirations will not be destroyed": this is the message that Msgr. Isao Kikuchi, archbishop of Tokyo, sent to all the bishops of Myanmar to express his solidarity and that of the Church in Japan with the population and the Church of Myanmar. The prelate who visited Myanmar last year prays "that the sacrifices and prayers of the people of Myanmar bring peace and renewal to their country".

Other Asian Churches have expressed their closeness to the population and Christian communities, exhorting them to peace, but also to work for democracy. In recent days, the cardinals of Asia issued an appeal for peace. The Church of Korea and Card. Yeom expressed their sympathy for the population, recalling that Korea itself has experienced the transition from military dictatorship to democracy.

Activists in Myanmar note that Japan has condemned the coup from a diplomatic point of view, but has not initiated sanctions. Above all, they are calling on Japanese development agencies to cut funding for companies linked to Myanmar junta and their projects. These include the construction of a bridge in the city of Thanlyin.

Here is the message of Msgr. Kikuchi (dated March 19, 2021)

Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar

President Cardinal Charles Bo

Bishops of Myanmar

Your Excellencies

During this season of Lent, when we strive through prayer and sacrifice to renew our commitment to Christ and foster new life within our communities, we in Tokyo pray that the sacrifice and prayers of the people of Myanmar will bring peace and renewal to their country. Having developed a sister church relationship with the Myanmar Church, we are greatly concerned about the current situation and how it is affecting all the people.

I wish to assure you of our prayerful solidarity with the church of Myanmar and with its role of serving the weak and seeking peace for all. With the Holy Father, we pray that those with authority will work with sincere willingness at the service of the common good, of fundamental human and civil rights, of promoting social justice and national stability, for a harmonious, democratic and peaceful coexistence. (As reported by Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Holy Sees Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva February 12 2021)

I remember with happiness my own visits to Myanmar, most recently in February 2020. Though only 6 days long, I was able to learn a lot about the situation of the Church in Myanmar, its joys and challenges, its struggles and its resilience. I am impressed by the great dedication and commitment of the people I met and deeply pray that their hopes and aspirations will not be destroyed.

As Cardinal Charles wrote, Peace is possible. Peace is the only way. I have asked that the churches of Tokyo pray for Myanmar and in our own small way offer support and encouragement to our sisters and brothers in Myanmar.

Fraternally yours in Christ

+ Isao Kikuchi, SVD

Archbishop of Tokyo
Resuming Examinations in Clubs

The RSGB remote invigilation exams have been a great success during the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 3,100 candidates have made the first step into the hobby by obtaining a Foundation pass, nearly 950 have progressed to the Intermediate exam and over 330 to the Full licence.

However, the UK Governments roadmap to exiting the Covid-19 restrictions means we can now plan to resume exams for candidates who prefer to sit them in a club setting with in-person invigilation.

The RSGB will start accepting bookings from club Examination Secretaries from the date when the Government lifts all Covid-19 restrictions in their part of the UK. There will be some changes to make the booking process more streamlined and details will be released in a later communication.

The online remote invigilation exams will continue in parallel as they clearly satisfy a demand from many candidates who do not have easy access to a club setting.

Mandatory practical assessments at Foundation level will remain suspended pending an ESC/ESRG-led review and consultation on their long-term future. The review and consultation will consider whether the mandatory practical assessments should continue and, if so, in what form. The suspension will allow clubs time to get back on their feet after the long closure and will also avoid them having to get practical assessments back up and running only to find there may be changes made to those assessments after only a short time.

Tony Kent, G8PBH

ESC Chair
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The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Saturday asked Sahara Reporters to retract and apologise for its story accusing Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State of demanding bribe over the settlement of N159 billion judgment debts concerning Paris Club refunds.

PREMIUM TIMES had, in an exclusive comprehensive report on the indebtedness, revealed that President Muhammadu Buharis Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and two other ministers, are scrambling to hurriedly disburse the payments to six individuals and entities said to be owed the humongous debts by states and local governments.

This newspapers report also showed that Mr Fayemi-led NGF is against the settlement, and has demanded a suspension of moves to pay the purported creditors until a probe into the legitimacy of the entire indebtedness is carried out.

But Sahara Reporters had in a follow-up to the PREMIUM TIMES story reported that Mr Fayemi demanded 10 per cent of the N159 billion as kickback for the creditors to be paid.

Reacting to Sahara Reporters story on Saturday, the NGF through its Head, Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, described it as untrue, malicious and libelous.

Mr Bello-Barkindo said the NGF would not want to join issues with Sahara Reporters other than to demand a total retraction of this mischievous, untrue and fake news within 24 hours.

Read the statement in full:

UNTRUE, MALICIOUS AND LIBELLOUS ALLEGATION AGAINST THE NIGERIA GOVERNORS FORUM AND ITS CHAIRMAN, DR. JOHN KAYODE FAYEMI

The attention of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has been drawn to a publication on the Sahara Reporters online newspaper marked as an Exclusive news item dated March 26, 2021 alleging that the Chairman of the Forum, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi demanded 10% of the N159 billion Refund to Paris Club Contractors As Kickback.

Ordinarily, this salacious and sensational gossip would have been ignored but we know that it is intended to mislead the innocent reader and coax them into believing these lies from the pits of hell and we know that leaving them unchallenged would be catastrophic, apart from also assuming a life of its own.

So, because of this, the Nigeria Governors Forum refuses to engage with Sahara Reporters at the deep abyss that it has taken the noble profession of Journalism to and will not join issues at all.

However, the NGF demands a total retraction of this mischievous, untrue and fake news within 24 hours, with an apology published by your news site. In the event that Sahara Reporters fails, neglects or omits to follow these steps, the NGF will be left with no other option than to seek redress in a court of law.

While looking forward to an immediate response from your publication, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo

Head, Media and Public Affairs

Nigeria Governors Forum Secretariat
The virus has killed more than 300,000 people in Brazil, its spread aided by a highly contagious variant, political infighting and distrust of science.

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil  The patients began arriving at hospitals in Porto Alegre far sicker and younger than before. Funeral homes were experiencing a steady uptick in business, while exhausted doctors and nurses pleaded in February for a lockdown to save lives.

But Sebastiao Melo, Porto Alegres mayor, argued there was a greater imperative.

Put your life on the line so that we can save the economy, Mr. Melo appealed to his constituents in late February.

Now Porto Alegre, a prosperous city in southern Brazil, is at the heart of a stunning breakdown of the countrys health care system  a crisis foretold.

More than a year into the pandemic, deaths in Brazil are at their peak and highly contagious variants of the coronavirus are sweeping the nation, enabled by political dysfunction, widespread complacency and conspiracy theories. The country, whose leader, President Jair Bolsonaro, has played down the threat of the virus, is now reporting more new cases and deaths per day than any other country in the world.
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By Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

The recent statement of a PAS leader that Malay political parties must unite in order to win two- thirds majority in Parliament which would enable them to change the election boundaries to benefit Muslims, is by far the most "seditious" and dangerous statement by any political leader I have ever seen in this nation's history.

We have had racial conflicts before that had turned bloody, but if a religious element is introduced, the consequences would be too devastating to contemplate.

As usual, I waited for any Malay or Muslim leader, academic or official, to criticize that minister who hails from a known extremist party proclaiming Islam as its crusade.

I was hoping for at least one out of the thousands of professors and associate professors in social science, particularly from political science, from public universities to criticize the minister for his narrow-minded and selfish statement, but none came forth.

I was hoping for a statement from professors and associate professors from "Islamic" universities to remind the minister on Islamic justice in governance, but still none came forth.

I was hoping for leaders who claim to be authorities of Islam to reprimand the minister on his overbearing statement of total dominance of one religion over others in Malaysia, but none came forth.

I doubted that any Malay political leader would counter this man's dangerous suggestion because they would be construed as an enemy of Islam and thus would probably lose their Malay vote bank.

As usual, the reactions that came immediately were from civil society, the DAP and Sarawak. All were non-Muslim reactions, which is what that minister, I think, was hoping for.

If many non-Muslim reactions came forth, then PAS could fan the flame of "saving Islam" from enemies in the next election as a battle strategy.

It's a standard strategy now for that party to use Islam as a political tool to canvass for Malay voters who are in general extremely gullible and ignorant on Islam.

It does not matter whether Malays are educated at universities and have PhDs or at the sekolah pondok, all are too "busy" to think critically about Islam and rely mainly on "authority" figures that are supplied by such parties as PAS.

I am, therefore, thankful to Tok Mat or Mohamad Hassan, the deputy president of Umno, when he said in a recent interview with FMT that we are a nation of many cultures and faiths and cannot set up a Malay or an Islamic government because we must cater to all races and religions.

Tok Mat then made an interesting reference that the Malays must be a "core" group in governance, but not a "Tuan".

The replacement of the Malay word for core was "induk" or "keindukan" instead of "tuan" as in "ketuanan". This use of the two words, some may argue, is the same but I found it refreshing because the words tuan and induk can have different meanings since the word "tuan" is overarching and "all-powerful" without any checks and balances.

I would like to remind the minister in PAS that democracy gives dignity of existence to all the citizens of this country as the rightful owners of this nation.

I would like to remind the minister that he is not a born Raja nor a born-Sultan but a mere "wakil" or representative of the people.

His mandate ends once the emergency is declared over and the rakyat may no longer require his "useful" service or "meaningful" ideas of governance.

Democracy places power in the hands of the rakyat. The prime minister and a minister like him are nothing but "servants" to the rakyat.

The rakyat of all faiths, of all cultures, of all races, of all socio-economic status are all equal in the eyes of the Constitution. Preferential treatment of some rakyat that need economic, educational and administrative assistance is given to those in dire needs and not because of race or religious belief.

I am reminding him, as a responsible citizen of this country and as a Malay like him.

Secondly, as a Muslim like him, I would like to remind the minister from a so-called "Islamic" party, of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

When the Prophet came to liberate Mekah at the head of a large Muslim army, the Surah An Nasr came down, "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, and you see the people come into the religion in multitudes, then exalt with praise of your Lord and ask Forgiveness of Him, He is ever receiving of repentance".

According to Syed Qutb, in his tafsir called "In the Shade of the Qur'an", the Surah, which were the Word of Allah, reminded the Prophet to be humble in victory.

Syed Qutb explained that many conquerors became arrogant and vengeful when they won. They would think that all the people that now came in droves to support them did so out of love for them. They would also wreak untold atrocities to seek vengeance against those that did harm to them.

The Prophet was reminded that all the Arabs who now came into Islam did so not necessarily for love of religion or the prophet but out of fear and awe of a new political and military power in the region.

The Prophet forgave most of the inhabitants of Mecca that had done harm to his person and he did not commit acts of vengeance.

Abu Sufian, who conspired to kill him, was pardoned. His wife, who ripped and devoured the Prophet's uncle heart as he lay dead in battle, was forgiven. Even Wahsyi, the assassin of Hamzah, the Prophet's beloved uncle, was pardoned but he lost the sweetness of the Prophet's presence as the Prophet asked that he never cross his path again.

To be a Muslim and not to be able to be in the presence of the Prophet was a punishment that has no equal.

I wish also to remind the arrogant minister of PAS that it was the Christian King Najashi who protected the Muslims from the massacre when they were chased by the Quraish tribe for treason.

The minister must think about the justice that the Prophet had displayed to his enemies who were his family and tribes and also that Muslims need the help of others to survive and prosper.

Do not be arrogant in thinking that Muslims and only Muslims alone can survive in this world without the cooperation, wisdom and heartfelt help of other faiths and cultures.

None of us human beings in this world can be like God and stand alone. That's why we are humans and not Gods.

Finally, I wish to tell the readers that before Tok Mat made his statement, I was going to title this article as "No hope for Malaysia". But Tok Mat's interview gave a light at the end of a tunnel for a rejuvenated Barisan Nasional that had a track record of non-religious extremism, as that suggested by the PAS minister.

Perhaps MCA and Gerakan can enlighten Malaysians as to their stand on their partner's statement on changing the election boundaries to benefit one particular religious faith in this country. That would relight the flame of a Malaysia for many, and not for a selfish and solitary "one".

(Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor at a local university.)
The number of those who left the Stavropol Territory turned out to be higher than the number of arrivals, the press service of the North Caucasusstat informs.

It is reported that last year 44 700 people arrived in the territory of the Stavropol Territory, excluding intra-regional migration, 45 800 people left the region, the migration outflow of the population amounted to 1080 people.

According to statistics, 10 600 people came to the region from other countries, 34 000 - from other regions. At the same time, 12 800 Stavropol residents went abroad, and 32 900 - changed the region.
These sites were in addition to the locations visited by the man who tested positive on Thursday.

Earlier, health authorities upgraded their advice to people who attended a Redcliffe restaurant and a shopping centre on Brisbanes southside, as they work to catch any more cases of community transmission of COVID-19.

Authorities revealed on Saturday that a 26-year-old man who tested positive to COVID-19 spent three hours at Mammas Italian Restaurant at Redcliffe on Sunday, March 21.

The man was at the restaurant between 12.30pm and 3.10pm, and Queensland Health says anyone who attended the restaurant during that period must immediately quarantine at home for 14 days, as well as get tested.

Even if they get a negative result, they must remain in quarantine for the full 14 days, counting from March 21.

Authorities have now also issued a blanket warning to anyone who went to any part of Carindale shopping centre on Saturday, March 20, between 12pm and 2.16pm to isolate and get tested.
NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- /The Simmons Group, VC/ -- The DropLoads mobile app (beta) has quickly become recognized as a game-changer in the logistics world. The mobile application now allows big box retail businesses to compete with mass online retailer Amazon. DropLoads beats out Amazon Prime's 24-hour service with its same-day shipping and receiving. With over 40,000 consumers and 267,000 users combined- including DropLoaders and businesses- DropLoads is revitalizing what has become an over-saturated and stagnated market.

The logistics sector of business has been struggling to maintain and keep up with the high demand for shipping and receiving, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. UPS- to name one carrier- has suspended its UPS Service Guarantee because of the uncertainty in packages arriving at their destination on time. On-time delivery is one of the many areas lacking that has led to constant customer dissatisfaction.

DropLoads has revamped the industry by providing consumers and retailers complete control of their shipping services. With DropLoads, a consumer can order online and receive their shipment the same day, within a 50-mile radius. GeoLocation technology removes the need for tracking numbers. Via the app, a consumer can trace their package live up until the point of delivery. DropLoaders receive the package, add the Geotag and upon delivery, will take and upload a picture of the parcel. Due to its innovation and usage of real-time tracking technology, DropLoads is often called the shipping industry's Grub Hub.

As a DropLoader, independent contractors can function as their own shipping company. DropLoaders control their daily schedules, and their services add much-needed assistance to struggling retailers and consumers that want a dynamic, on-demand logistics service. DropLoads provides efficient and safe, same-day contactless shipping for anything as small as an envelope to freight size. Thus, the corporation contracts partners from all walks of life, including messenger-type bikers and CDL eighteen-wheeler truck drivers.

Consumers may opt to use the app for personal or business use. Shipping inner-city on the same day has never been easier or faster. For consumers, the shipping distance for the same day is within a 50mile radius. Businesses will receive same-day shipping within the tri-state. DropLoads has concentrated its efforts in the northeastern US states and is rapidly expanding into the southern and western regions.

DropLoads, most recently, has begun discussions with the moving industry giant U-Haul. With a potential partnership in play, DropLoads aligns itself with scaling quickly and penetrating other markets beyond logistics' scope.

Creator and Founder of The Simmons Group, VC, states: "As we embrace the new definition of normal, we're propelling industries forward via advanced technology, implementing innovative ways to do business during difficult times. When it has to be there, anytime, anywhere, with care, we want the world to know that they can count on DropLoads to get it done".

The DropLoads application is a viable shipping resource that creates a new way for retailers to compete with Amazon's 24-hour Prime delivery service

Drivers and independent shippers can earn consistent, autonomous income and manage their work schedule

Geolocation for each package assures loss prevention for shipments and protection for DropLoaders and its consumers

The DropLoads application administers a smooth and secure user experience for its consumers, business partners, and DropLoaders

Consumers and businesses can have their packages shipped and received the same day, including oversized freight

DropLoads is available on IOS and Android mobile platforms. For press relations, consumer, or carrier questions, please call (888) 460 1939.

SOURCE The Simmons Group

Related Links

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Union Agriculture Minister



on Saturday said the deadlock over the ongoing farmers' agitation will end the day the leaders of farm unions decide to sort out this issue.

"The government will also find a way out. The Centre is ready for talks and wants to resolve the issue," Tomar told reporters.

He reached here after campaigning for the BJP for the Assembly polls in Assam, where voting for the first phase was held on Saturday.

"The incumbent BJP government in Assam worked well. After a long period, the people of Assam witnessed peace, development and a sense of security under this government. The BJP will come to power again in that state," Tomar said.

To a query, the Morena MP said the BJP is in a very strong position in TMC-ruled West Bengal, where polling was held for the first phase.

Thousands of agriculturists, mainly from Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting since past four months at Delhi's border points, demanding a rollback of three new farm laws, terming them "anti-farmers".

The Centre in September last year enacted the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Multiple rounds of talks between the government and leaders of farmers have failed to break the impasse.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It's possible that the Coronavirus spread between species on farms that supply live civets, snakes, and bamboo rats.

Exotic Farm Experiences

Peter Li describes a pre-pandemic visit to one of China's many small businesses specialized in breeding wild animals for meat as "a transformed pigsty." According to Li, a China policy expert at Humane Society International and a professor of East Asian studies at the University of Houston-Downtown, some ten civets, wild animals with long, hairy tails and face markings similar to a raccoon's, lived penned together for eight to 12 months before being sold. He claims that the risk of disease transmission is high because wild animals are held in close quarters and sometimes in unsanitary conditions.

Farm to Restaurant Delicacies

High-end restaurateurs are likely to have used some of the civets, which are considered a delicacy in China, as ingredients in a pricey soup with snake meat.

Prior to the pandemic, such farms kept China's wildlife markets stocked with live animals, mostly for sale to restaurants, such as civets, bamboo rats, crocodiles, porcupines, and snakes. The small farms, which were encouraged by government leaders to relieve hardship in rural areas with few other job alternatives, numbered in the thousands and employed millions. However, by the end of 2020, the government declared that all of these farms had been closed as part of its reaction to the novel Coronavirus.

WHO Investigation

Today, a WHO team is looking at whether wildlife farms are a missing link in the Coronavirus's hop from its possible host animals-bats-to humans at Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, which was related to a cluster of the first human infections. (The team is also looking at potential connections to a Wuhan business connected to an early patient who had no ties to Huanan.)

Peter Daszak, a British disease ecologist at the EcoHealth Alliance in the United States and a member of the WHO delegation that traveled to China in January 2021 to investigate the pandemic's origins, told NPR last week that the WHO team discovered new evidence indicating that wildlife farms in southern China had been supplying animals to Huanan market, bolstering the theory that the farms may have helped start.

The WHO team has yet to have documentation or verification of contaminated animals on the farms or at the Huanan auction. The group refused to comment ahead of a report outlining their results, which is due in the coming weeks, and members of the delegation did not respond to requests for comment.

Obtaining such facts could be unlikely considering the time period between late 2019, when the disease was related to the market, and December 2020, when China claims it has shut down all of its food-supplying wildlife farms. Still, studying the COVID-19 pandemic and fighting possible zoonotic outbreaks necessitates filling in the holes on how the virus could have made its way to humans.

Related Article: Scientists Double Effort to Find Possible Next Pandemic, Caused by Other Zoonotic Diseases



Beginning of a Pandemic

Virologists discovered a bat virus nearly similar to the Coronavirus circulating in humans in Yunnan, the southern Chinese province where many of the now-closed wildlife farms are located. Scientists claim that certain wildlife farms sold animals that could be infected with other coronaviruses, such as civets, and that these animals could be vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

"Potentially, some of these animals were contaminated at those farms and then took the virus into the market," Peter Ben Embarek, the Danish food safety scientist in charge of the WHO delegation, told Science in February after returning from China adding that further research was required.

Since several wildlife farms bordered wilderness areas, captured animals may have potentially become poisoned by infected bats' urine. Furthermore, according to Li, some farms' ostensible breeding practices served as a front for capturing and selling wild animals masquerading as farm-bred animals.

Zoonotic Disease

The pathogen may have hopped from animal to animal after incubating in a captive animal-whether that animal came from the wild or was bred on a farm-mutating in the process. The virus may have developed to the point that it could infect yet another species: humans, by the time the animal arrived at Huanan or other Wuhan markets.

Wildlife farms are a possible cause of spillover. Still, virus hunter W. Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia University's Center for Infection and Immunity, who was operating in China in January 2020, says he'd be "really shocked" if there's clear proof of it.

Also Read: Pet Can Have Heart Problems Due to This Covid-19 Strain

For the recent health and zoological news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Nurses are leaving Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill because of stress and workload, and management isnt doing enough about it.

That is the claim by the union representing nurses at the two Pottsville hospitals as they continue to negotiate a new contract and push for passage of a federal law they believe would help alleviate some of their concerns.

Baschki Robertson, a senior representative for the Office and Professional Employees International Union, said during a virtual press conference Thursday that management of LVH-Schuylkill has come into bargaining with an aggressive stance that she said silences nurses.

She claims management wants to abolish nurses roles on safety and staffing committees and force overtime, which she said is allowed only in emergency situations under Act 102.

OPEIU Local 112s proposals to create safer environments for health care workers and patients and address staffing have been rejected by management, she said.

Brandee Siegfried, of Pottsville, bargaining team leader for LVH-Schuylkill and a nurse for 18 years, said non-unionized employees get bonuses that union members dont get and that staffing has been an issue at the hospital.

The union and hospital are negotiating a three-year contract for 95 nurses. The previous contract expired June 30, but it was extended to March 31.

Lehigh Valley Hospital spokesman M. Michael Peckman said he couldnt discuss contract negotiations publicly out of respect for the collective bargaining process.

Staffing shortages

Siegfried said after the conference the hospital has been losing staff for the past few years. Ten to 15 nurses who have left in the past six months havent been replaced, she said.

They feel stressed with the workload and dont believe management has listened to their concerns, she said.

The shortages have resulted in a reduction of usable beds, and nurses are often being moved to units for which they are not specialized, Siegfried said.

Christine Newton, of Palo Alto, the unions other bargaining team leader and a nurse in the city for 19 years, said the pandemic exposed problems that have existed for years. She said even with the risk of COVID-19, nurses went to work every day.

We didnt complain; we worked eight- to 16-hour days, she said, noting some union members contracted the disease.

Newton said nurses also took over the role of family, whether supporting expecting mothers or dying patients, because of visitor restrictions.

Were fighting for a fair and equitable contract to provide the best care for the community, she said.

Newton called it unfair that nurses not in the union have been given bonuses and extra days off during the pandemic.

Siegfried said at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill S. Jackson Street, the nursing staff and a security guard have had to handle emergencies on the three psychiatric wards, and that some nurses have been injured. One of the proposals she said was rejected by management called for a security officer at the building at all times.

Siegfried said the raise proposed by management of less than 1% is a slap in the face, and the 3% retirement contribution is lower than other Lehigh Valley Health Network hospitals.

She said management is proposing lowering the raise for nurses with 20 and 25 years of service from 25 to 10 cents and eliminating incremental increases for nurses of three, five, seven and nine-year employment.

That isnt good for retention, Siegfried said.

PRO Act impact

The nurses virtual press conference took place at the same time a webinar was hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Allentown-based law firm Hoffman, Hlavac and Easterly, which represents the hospital in negotiations, on the impact the PRO Act, or Protecting the Right to Organize, could have on businesses, said Robertson. She called the webinar anti-union and anti-worker.

The act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in February and awaits a vote in the U.S. Senate.

Newton said the legislation would allow enforceable penalties against companies that violate workers rights and gives workers the ability to speak out without fear of retaliation. She said unions gives nurses a say in hospital decisions.

It makes the working environment not just better for nurses, but for patients, the hospital and the community we live in, she said.

Siegfried said the act would better protect nurses.

Nurses are supposed to be heroes, but were not being treated as heroes, she said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the PRO Act, saying it would undermine worker rights, ensnare employers in unrelated labor disputes, disrupt the economy and force individual Americans to pay union dues regardless of their wishes.
Because TKC is merely a blog and not a respected journalist at a dying print publication, we're free to say what Kansas City newsies and police can't . . .



NOBODY WANTS MORE KANSAS CITY RIOTING IN SUPPORT OF SOME DUDE WANTED FOR SHOOTING UP AN URBAN CORE BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

Whilst any deadly violence is regrettable, it's important to focus on facts and not unsubstantiated claims of martyrdom or inequity.

However . . . The aftermath of the shooting is "complicated" because it's connected to an innocent youngster who was shot dead in his sleep and championed by the Prez Trump administration in a nationwide crime sweep.



Even worse . . . What's unfortunate in this conversation is that community concern for the cop who was shot is almost nil and the local conversation mostly focuses on the continued threat of civil unrest and outcry over alleged systemic racism that will never justify some guy opening fire in the direction of youngsters.



Check the deets that might or might not serve to calm local tempers amid so much anti-police chatter via social media:



On Friday, police say Malcom Johnson was wanted for a shooting that happened inside the 9700 block of 43rd Street on March 15.



An official police report says Johnson, at a birthday party, opened fire towards the calling party's daughter. A male was injured in the shooting. The intended victim was the ex-girlfriend of Johnson, according to the report.



Four vehicles were struck during the gunfire.



The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating and told KCTV5 they werent aware of any body cam footage.



Johnson was also the Godfather of LeGend Taliferro.

Developing . . .


New Delhi/Dhaka: Addressing Bangladesh's 50th Independence anniversary at the National Parade Square in Dhaka in the presence of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina on the first day of his two-day visit that began on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the immense contribution of the founder of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the sacrifices made by both the Indian Army and the people of Bangladesh in securing independence from Pakistan. PM Modi also revealed that he had participated in a Satyagraha in India in 1971 as a youth in support of Bangladeshs struggle for independence and had even courted arrest and gone to jail. He recalled the atrocities and heinous crimes committed by the Pakistani Army in 1971 on the people of Bangladesh and said photographs of these did not let people sleep for days.

The high-profile visit of PM Modi began on a stormy note, with four supporters of hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam being shot dead after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town, according to international news agency reports from Dhaka. The four were apparently shot dead during protests being staged by the Islamist group against PM Modis visit. Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, told news agency AFP that upto 1,500 supporters of the hardline group attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans. Other reports said hundreds of protesters also staged protests outside Dhakas Baitul Mokarram Mosque to oppose the visit, resulting in clashes and injuries after they attacked the Police.

Meanwhile, in a special gesture, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Ministers from her cabinet welcomed PM Modi at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival in Dhaka earlier in the day. A salute of 19 guns and Guard of honour were accorded to PM Modi. The Bangladesh PM praised India for its current development partnership and support during the Covid Pandemic and recalled the historic support of India for the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971. She also recalled the horrific assassination nearly 46 years ago of her father and founder of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib on August 15, 1975, and the killing of several of her family members on that day. Sheikh Hasina was abroad at the time.

Earlier in the day, soon after his arrival in Dhaka, PM Modi visited the National Martyrs Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh, at Savar, about 35 km north-west of Dhaka to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. PM Modi signed the visitors book in the monument and wrote, I pray that the eternal flame at Savar remains a lasting reminder of the noble victory of truth and courage over deceit and oppression.

Bangladesh is celebrating 50 years of its existence this year and both countries are also celebrating 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations with each other this year. The Indian armed forces victory over Pakistan in the war in December, 1971, had led to the liberation of the erstwhile East Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh as an Independent nation. The Pakistani Armys crackdown began in March, 1971, and officially three million people were killed during the nine-month long war. PM Modis historic visit is to celebrate Mujib Borsho- the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladeshs war of liberation.

Paying homage to the martyrs of the freedom struggle, PM Modi said, The photographs showing the atrocities and heinous crimes committed by the Pakistani Army did not let people sleep for days. We will not forget those who secured independence for Bangladesh by sacrificing oceans of blood. We will not forget (their sacrifice). ... Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman emerged as a ray of hope or the people both here and in India.

PM Modi added, I must have been 20-22 years of age when I along with several of my colleagues offered a Satyagraha in support of Bangladeshs struggle for Independence. I courted arrest while supporting the struggle for Bangladeshs independence and went to jail. PM Modi also recalled the efforts of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Bangladesh liberation war.

PM Modi further said, I salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who stood with the brothers and sisters of Bangladesh in Muktijuddo (liberation war). Those who gave their blood in Muktijuddo, sacrificed themselves, and played a very big role in realising the dream of independent Bangladesh. This is one of the most memorable days of my life. I am grateful that Bangladesh has included me in this event. I am grateful that Bangladesh has invited India to take part in this function. It is a matter of our pride that we got the opportunity to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the Gandhi Peace Prize. India had conferred the prestigious award posthumously on Sheikh Mujib for the year 2020 just ahead of the visit.

PM Modi also praised the leadership of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and mentioned the rapid strides in development made by Bangladesh under her leadership. He said Bangladesh had proved those wrong who had raised doubts and questioned the identity of Bangladesh. He also spoke about the current strong ties between the two nations, the supply of Indian-manufactured Covid vaccines to Bangladesh and landmark agreements between the two nations such as the Land Boundary Agreement.

We must remember that we've similar opportunities in fields of trade and commerce, but at the same time, we've similar threats like terrorism. The ideas and powers behind such types of inhumane acts are still active. We must remain vigilant and united to counter them, PM Modi said, adding that both India and Bangladesh have the power of democracy and vision for the future, and it is necessary for the region the two countries progress together. That is why Indian and Bangladeshi governments are making meaningful efforts in this direction, he said.

During the course of the day, he also met met Political leaders from Bangladeshs ruling 14 Party Alliance and discussed diverse issues of bilateral relations were held during the meeting to strengthen ties between the two nations. But he also met met and interacted with opposition leaders from various political parties of Bangladesh. Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr A.K. Abdul Momen also called on PM Modi. Apart from this, PM Modi also met the Community leaders including Representatives of Minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Mukhtijoddhas (freedom fighters), Friends of India and Youth Icons.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Police said four bodies of members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a hardline Islamist group, were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town where the group's main leaders are based. We got four bodies here. They are all hit with bullets. Three of them are madrasa students and another a tailor, Alauddin Talukder, a police inspector at the hospital, told news agency AFP. He said at least four other demonstrators were critically injured but did not say who opened fire. Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, said upto 1,500 supporters of Hefazat attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans. They attacked us all of a sudden," he said, without confirming whether any protesters were killed. Hathazari is home to one of Bangladesh's largest madrasas and is the headquarters of the Hefazat, which was formed in 2010 and is believed to be the country's largest hardline Islamist outfit.

According to other international news agency reports, by Friday afternoon, hundreds of protesters had also gathered outside Dhakas Baitul Mokarram Mosque after which violent clashes broke out after one faction of protesters began waving their shoes as a sign of disrespect to PM Modi, while another group tried to stop them. Protesters reportedly threw stones at the police, who were heavily present on the streets near the Mosque.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (March 27, 2021) called upon his 'young friends' to vote as polling began for the first phase of West Bengal and Assam Assembly elections.

Minutes after polling began at 7 AM on Saturday, PM Modi took to his official Twitter account and said, "The first phase of elections begin in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote."

The Prime Minister added, "Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers."

The first phase of elections begin in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

In West Bengal, voting will be held for 30 seats while in Assam over 47 seats are going to polls in the first phase of the assembly elections.

The WB Assembly elections 2021 will take place in eight phases, of which, the first round of polling will decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates. Polling in West Bengal will be a contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In Assam, the elections will be conducted in three phases, where the main contest will be between the ruling BJP-AGP alliance and the Congress-led opposition grand alliance.

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Patna: After Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) declared BSEB 12th Result 2021 on Friday (March 26), the sources are certain that the Bihar Board 10th Results 2021 will be announced in the first week of April. However, the board hasnt officially announced the date for class 10th results yet.

Over 16.84 lakh students appeared in this years Bihar Board 10th examinations. These candidates will be able to check their results on Bihar boards official websites- bsebonline.in, biharboardonline.com, and biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in.

ALSO READ: BSEB Bihar Class 12 Result 2021 declared, check scores on biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in

Earlier on Friday, the board had announced class 12 results at 3 pm, but the link was not available till 4 pm.

Heres step-by-step guide to check Bihar Board 10th Result 2021:

Visit the official website of Bihar Board- biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, bsebonline.in or biharboardonline.com

Go to result sections on the homepage

Click on the Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 link

Enter the credentials required and log in

Check and download Bihar Board 10th Result 2021

Take print of Bihar Board 10th Result 2021 for future reference

The Bihar Board class 10th examinations were held from February 17 to 24 across 1525 exam centres in over 38 different districts of Bihar. Sources suggest that the checking of Bihar Board class 10th exams is over and currently the authorities are working to verify the results and toppers list after which the result will be announced.
Three of the 2021 Luce/ACLS Fellows in in Religion, Journalism and International Affairs As our society continues to reckon with the urgent need for social justice and greater respect for difference amidst deep polarization, the timely research led by these scholars helps create paths to richer understanding of one another. - ALCS President Joy Connolly

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the 2021 Fellows of the Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism & International Affairs. The fellowships support exceptional scholars in the humanities and social sciences who are pursuing research on the roles religion plays in public life around the world and who are poised to enrich public understanding of religion through media engagement. The program is made possible by the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation.

The humanities and social sciences give voice to key perspectives on religion, which exerts deep influence on what people all over the world believe about family and state structure, gender roles, the nature of divinity, and the characteristics of the best life, said ACLS President Joy Connolly. As our society continues to reckon with the urgent need for social justice and greater respect for difference amidst deep polarization, the timely research led by these scholars helps create paths to richer understanding of one another.

Awardees receive stipends of $63,000 to implement their projects. In addition to providing fellows with a years leave to pursue their research and outreach efforts, the program also offers media training activities, and hosts a spring symposium that brings journalists into dialogue with scholars to discuss key issues in religion and international affairs.

This years diverse cohort of fellows explore connections between religion and public health, environmental change, the rights of Indigenous Peoples, foreign aid, evangelical Christian ministries, broadcast media, and more. The fellows and their projects are:



The Second Baptism of Rus: Cultural Memory after Communism

This study investigates the memory politics of the contemporary Russian Orthodox Church. It explores the complex relations between the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate and uncovers their collaborative efforts to transform cultural memory in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, in the three decades since the collapse of the USSR.

I Cannot Write My Life: New Perspectives on the Life and Writings of Omar ibn Said

An examination of African Muslim scholar Omar Ibn Said (1770-1863), who wrote an autobiography in Arabic in 1831 while a slave in Bladen County, North Carolina. The project addresses the local and global implications of Saids life and writings and traces their complex connections to West African and Islamic cultures.

Haunted: Possession, Time, and the Agency of the No Longer

This project explores claims of spirit possession of schoolgirls in Niger. These incidents have reignited debates about the place of women in Islam, and the project pursues questions at the intersection religion, gender rights, and development that are the focus of much international attention.

Religion as Peoplehood: Native Americans, the Environment, and the Sacred

This project explores Native American religions through the lens of their engagement with contested sacred lands. The project is part of a public scholarship partnership with the Native American Rights Fund/Colorado Law joint effort on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United States.

The Revolution Within: Islamic Media and the Struggle for the New Egypt

This project aims to enrich ongoing conversations about the 2011 cultural revolution in Egypt and the complex intersections of religion, media, and politics in a moment of resurgent authoritarianism and resistance alike.

The Missionary Majority: American Evangelicals and Power in a Postcolonial World

This project analyzes the growth and influence of American evangelicals missionary work across the Global South, from 1945 to the present. It shows how their efforts to spread their gospel throughout a decolonizing and postcolonial world most changed their ideas and practices related to race and sexuality.

Learn more about the fellows projects and media engagement activities here.

The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to enrich public discourse by promoting innovative scholarship, cultivating new leaders, and fostering international understanding. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission through grantmaking and leadership programs in the fields of Asia, higher education, religion and theology, art, and public policy.

Formed in 1919, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $140 million endowment and $35 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the humanities in the modern world.
Virginia recently announced its Governors Cup Case, a list of the states 12 best wines for 2021.

Frank Morgan, who writes throughout the year on the states wines and wineries in a blog called Drink What YOU Like, will use the proximity of that announcement as the hook for his second annual Open That Bottle of Virginia Wine day. Hell talk about the state of the industry with a panel of guests who are immersed in it.

Its purpose is to bring awareness to Virginia wines, wineries and winemakers along with the ciders that more and more producers are making.

Over two dozen wineries and cideries across the state are offering special Open Virginia Wine day: You can see all those specials here.

If you have any of these bottles at home or take the time today to purchase several, Morgan is inviting you to open a bottle (or two) during the program that begins at 5 p.m., post a photo, and use the hashtag #OpenVAWine.

Morgan and his group will use the dinner hour to talk about the Virginia wine industry. He has assembled a group that included Betting Ring, Virginias Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Master of Wine Jay Youmans, who organizes the Virginia Governors Cup competition; oenologist Dr. Joy Ting, who runs the Virginia Winemakers Research Exchange; and winemakers Caitlin Horton of Horton Vineyards and Ben Jordan of Early Mountain Vineyards.

You can register to join the discussion at this link.

In the Governors Cup competition, Horton earned three golds (for its Petit Verdot, Tannat and Petit Verdot Reserve) and Early Mountain early four (for two of its Cabernet Francs, a Petit Mensang-dominated white blend called Five Forks and a Merlot-dominated red blend called Eluvium).

You can see the full list of gold-medal winners here. The announcement of all the winners was made March 9.

More than 100 Virginia wineries submitted 544 wines for this years competition. The highest 12 ranking red and white wines earned a spot in the Governors Cup Case, with one of those winning the Governors Cup.

Its a contest that has been ongoing since 1982, and this years list featured the names of many wineries that have been appeared there before.

Barboursville Vineyards, one of the countrys top wineries, landed three finalists: its 2015 Paxxito, 2016 Octagon and 2019 Vermentino Reserve. Paxxito is a dessert wine made from Moscato Ottonel and Vidal grapes. The 2016 Octagon, a Bordeaux red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and the 2019 Vermentino Reserve, a white wine made from Vermentino grapes and fermented in stainless steel.

Ultimately, Paxxito earned Barboursville its fifth Governors Cup.

Among the other wineries placing in the top 12 were Breaux Vineyards (2016 Nebbiolo and 2016 Meritage), Bluestone Vineyard (2019 Petit Manseng), King Family Vineyards (2017 Mountain Plains, a red blend) and Veritas Winery (2017 Petit Verdot).

The list of finalists can be found at this link.

Asked for his assessment of the Cup competition, one he helped judge, Morgan said: This years Governors Cup really does showcase the viticultural diversity and potential of Virginia  wines made from 20 different grapes earned gold medals, new wineries like Carriage House to the most established winery, Barboursville, across all regions. What an exciting time for the Virginia wine industry.

He also noted that the local cider industry has grown so much it now warrants its own category within the Governors Cup competition. You can find that list of winners here.

ALSO READ: Maryland winery says COVID did us in as it announces its closing
It was a no-brainer for Sir Keir Starmer. One of his partys most high-profile new MPs had just appeared on national TV and refused to join the local Labour Mayor, local Labour MPs and her own leader in condemning the explosion of rioting in Bristol.

I dont want to see violence being perpetrated against anybody, said Nadia Whittome. But, as I say, I am not going to get into condemning protesters when we dont know what has happened yet.

We need a full investigation into whats happened on the side of the protesters but also on the side of the police.

Suspending Corbyn and getting to grips with Labours sordid antisemitism is one of Starmers biggest achievements as he approaches his first anniversary as leader

Im told there were a number of reasons Starmer opted to hold back. One is that, despite the fact Whittome is from the hard Left of his party, he rates her

Given Starmers purported commitment to dragging his party out of its Corbynite cul- de-sac, it seemed only a matter of time before he ordered his wayward colleague to issue a clear statement of condemnation. But he didnt. Keir thought this one was better dealt with by getting Marvin [Rees, the Bristol Mayor] and Thangam [Debbonaire, a Bristol MP] to have a chat, said a source. He didnt agree with Nadias comments. But he thought it was best to handle this quietly.

Im told there were a number of reasons Starmer opted to hold back. One is that, despite the fact Whittome is from the hard Left of his party, he rates her. She is also popular with backbenchers. And, crucially, she took a principled stand against antisemitism. While others ducked for cover, Whittome accepted the Equality and Human Rights Commissions report into Labour antisemitism in full, and criticised Jeremy Corbyn for his own self-serving response. She was useful to Keir over that, says another Shadow Minister.

Which is admirable. Suspending Corbyn and getting to grips with Labours sordid antisemitism is one of Starmers biggest achievements as he approaches his first anniversary as leader. But it also highlights a significant problem. Which is, its hard to pinpoint his other big achievements.

When I asked a close ally, they cited his appointment of a new General Secretary and extension of control over Labours ruling National Executive Committee. But these are administrative matters  not likely to set the pulses of voters racing, while ensuring your party isnt irredeemably racist shouldnt require plaudits.

The reality is that as he enters his 12th month as Opposition leader, Starmer isnt offering the country much more than the slogan, We dont hate the Jews any more  Vote Labour.

The saga over the Police and Crime Bill is a case in point. Starmer initially took the decision to abstain on the legislation to  in his mind  communicate that his party would no longer be weak on law and order.

But following the appalling scenes at the Sarah Everard vigil, he changed tack, declaring he would vote against. At which point, a number of his MPs surged out across social media, egging on those taking to the streets against the Act. The result? The public saw Labour MPs aligning with a masked mob burning police vans and chanting Kill The Bill.

Speak to Starmers inner circle and their strategy is clear. Put as much clear red water between him and the poisonous legacy of his predecessor. Yet the pattern of his first year is when given a chance to do so, he squanders it.

Last summer I was told by his aides he was preparing a major intervention on the economy, by announcing his opposition to tax rises.

Then three weeks ago, the moment duly arrived. Rishi Sunak trailed a series of eye-watering Budget tax hikes. Labour began briefing that Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds would stand against them.

Then they promptly bottled it. Were not going to oppose, Dodds declared. When that takes place its going to have more of an impact on better-off people than worse-off people.

A Shadow Cabinet revolt saw that position eventually reversed. But by then another chance to redefine the terms of the economic debate had been lost, as Labour retreated to its comfort zone of pay rises for nurses.

The public saw Labour MPs aligning with a masked mob burning police vans and chanting Kill The Bill

Whats bizarre is Starmer knows precisely what direction he needs to lead his party. Another ally told me that in a few weeks hes planning to push back against the woke culture war he thinks is undermining the Left. And they pointed to his performance at last weeks PMQs, where he attacked Boris Johnson over cuts to the Army.

But tiptoeing timidly out of Corbyns shadow wont cut it. Corbyns 2019 manifesto attacked Tory troops cuts, pledged to ring-fence defence spending at two per cent of GDP and committed to the renewal of Trident. None of it altered the national perception that Labour would be as good for British national defence as Lord Haw-Haw.

Starmer needs big, brash pronouncements, not a couple of clever Dispatch Box jibes. But look across any of the major policy briefs after a full year of Starmerism and its next to impossible to find any significant departure from the political orthodoxy that has led Labour to four successive Election defeats.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has been touted as a party heavyweight. But last week he was to be found at the Dispatch Box, hurling the same old cliched, overwrought attack lines at Priti Patels imaginative attempt to finally get a grip of the nations asylum and immigration system. Or he was, until Patel stood up and started knocking him around the Commons chamber.

Where is the new economic offer from Anneliese Dodds? What is Ed Milibands stint as Shadow Business Secretary contributing to Starmers mission to convince Britain that Labour is now under new management?

Yes, on occasion Starmer has been forensic and inquisitorial. But antisemitism aside, the nation has yet to see a true display of political courage. Taking a risk, diving in where the boots are flying.

No one has seen Keir Starmer commit. He lacks belief. And the British people can smell it.

I think he probably does want Labour to be seen as patriotic. And tough on crime. And a safe pair of hands on the economy.

But at the moment he doesnt want it enough. There isnt the drive. Or the hunger. He doesnt want to cast Corbynism into the dustbin of history, where it belongs. He wants to set it quietly aside and hope people just forget about it.

Its been a year. We dont hate the Jews any more  Vote Labour isnt enough.
Pune: Over 500 shops were burnt down in a fire that broke out at the Fashion Street market in Pune. The authorities said on Saturday (March 27) that they managed to contain the fire and douse it but many shop owners suffered major property damage.

No casualties have been reported as of now. However, hawkers and shop owners have suffered heavy losses.

As per the fire department, the fire had broken out around 11 pm and around 16 fire tenders as well as two water tankers were utilised to douse the fire on Friday(March 26) night.

The fire is now under control, informed the Chief Fire Officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation on Saturday."

At around 1:06 am, the fire was brought under control. Cooling operations are on. About 60 fire officials including 10 officers are at the spot," informed Prashant Ranpise, Chief Fire Officer of Pune Municipal Corporation, according to news agency ANI.

"Fire has been controlled. No casualty has been reported so far but there was a heavy loss to the hawkers and shop owners as their shops were gutted in fire," he added.

The Fashion Street on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) area is a famous 'window shopping' destination that houses small outlets selling garments, shoes, goggles and other accessories.

(With inputs from ANI)

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The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a series of challenges for local businesses in south Wicklow.

Reflecting on the last 12 months, Garrett Dempsey, President of the Arklow and District Chamber of Commerce, said local businesses continue to face many challenges and Government could help by developing a long term plan to offer supports.

'Currently, our Chamber Council are critically evaluating the Arklow and District Chamber of Commerce Strategic Plan vis-a-vis Wicklow County Council's Development Plan for Arklow. Examining the plans, we are compelled to ask: Are they still fit for purpose? Have our values/priorities changed as a result of Covid-19?

'We believe there is an enduring increase in demand for public amenity space and a renewed interest in pride of place. The Chamber is exploring what this will mean for the business community.

'Further, our research and analysis reveals that the slow pace of progression with the roll out of broadband infrastructure is a threat to existing businesses and our ability to continue to attract tech-reliant companies to Arklow.'

'As part of Ireland's Ancient East, Arklow and its surrounding district is well placed to capitalise on the potential boom in tourism from 'staycationers'.

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'We see this revenue stream as vital for the recovery of our hospitality sector and we are supporting our partners in Visit Arklow, Town Team, and Tidy Towns to ensure our members in the hospitality sector are supported in attracting a share of the indigenous vacation market. Already we are witnessing innovation in the 'foodie' sector, at the heart of our mission statement is sustainable growth, we are well equipped to advise start-ups on developing a robust business model,' Mr Dempsey said.

As part of Chambers Ireland Network, the local Chamber of Commerce has been able to highlight issues facing local businesses and call for measures to support viable local businesses.

Paul Lynch of 8020 Consultancy Ltd works with a variety of businesses as a consultant. He said he has seen how Covid-19 has brought a variety of issues for businesses. While government supports to help are needed, he suggests a more nuanced approach could be used to support businesses in future.

'As we emerge from this social and economic crisis we need to ensure that the funding that's available from both national and European funds finds its way to the sectors who need it most,' Mr Lynch said.

Like other local businesses, ASL Safety and Training had to close its doors overnight following the start of the pandemic last March.

'Our training arm disappeared literally in the blink of an eye,' Mark Corcoran of ASL Safety and Training said.

Cash flow at the business stalled and client companies shut. Then, the phones began to ring more.

'After a few weeks and when we all started to understand essential services, our phones were now ringing looking for Covid support, Covid supplies, infection control and to see if we could look at some training delivery online. It was small stuff but it all helped,' Mr Corcoran said.

The business quickly adapted to develop services, training and supply lines to respond to the demand from its clients. Mr Corcoran said Government supports have been 'fantastic' and 'allowed us to bring the team back and keep them engaged in the business'. Staff are now working from home and Mr Corcoran is full of praise for his team.

'Overall, it's been a tough, stressful and worrying time, I really thought we were going to lose the business this time last year, given the broad range of services we provide and our ability and agility to pivot to emerging demands our business will hopefully come out of the pandemic stronger and more agile.

'We learned some tough lessons but thankfully our business is in strong survival mode and looking the future as positively as we can,' Mr Corcoran said.

New businesses have also emerged over the last year. Eoin Murtagh is expected to open his new street food venture 'Murt's' this week.

A former head chef at Vodafone, Mr Murtagh lost his job shortly after the first lockdown. Other chef jobs were hard to come by so he decided to set up his own business.

'I'm excited and can't wait to open,' he said.

With help from friends and family, he renovated the site at South Quay. He hopes 'Murt's can expand in future to offer farmers markets and music. He is also supporting local suppliers for his ingredients.

'I wanted to set it up in Arklow to give people something to get excited about,' Mr Murtagh said.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2021

At the Crossroads: Taking the Path of Peace Through Development

March 26, 2026 (EIRNS)Before the end of March, The LaRouche Organization will release its first print run of thousands of copies of its mass circulation, 55-page report, The Great Leap Backward: LaRouche Crushes the Green New Deal Fraud. This comes at a moment of great urgency, given the imminent blow-out of the dead monetarist system, the war danger, and the push for Doomsday, green Great Reset policies. This new report initiative in the U.S. feeds into the momentum shown by the dialogue at the March 20-21 international Schiller Institute conferencestill reverberating ever more widely, which is in the direction of the peace through development path, for a world at the crossroads.

Special expression of prospects for taking the right path comes from international co-sponsors joining Schiller Institute president Helga Zepp-LaRouches statement, released March 21 at the conference, titled, Declaration of China Experts from All Over the World.

Today, the statement was recognized in Beijing at the Foreign Ministry press briefing by Ministry Department of Information Department Director Hua Chunying. She was asked by a CCTV reporter, referring to the Declaration appearing in France, What is Chinas comment on this?

Hua replied at some length, beginning, We have taken note of the statement. We believe that it represents and reflects the rational and just voice of the international community, and it is also a condemnation and opposition to the crazy words and deeds of some Western anti-China forces over time, such as disregarding the facts and attacking China, and even falsely slandering.

I note that the co-signers of the statement have hundreds of experiences or objective observations of China, dwelling with, or having lived and worked in China, or who have frequently travelled and stayed in China for long periods of time. Many of them have witnessed Chinas great achievements since the reform and opening-up, and observed up close the Chinese governments people-centered Chinese ruling philosophy, lifting up more than 800 million people out of extreme poverty, and recently witnessed the victory of 1.4 billion Chinese people in the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic. I think their statement proves once again, that what they see is true.... (Full remarks below). Madame Huas words are all the more noteworthy, given that they came in the same, super-hot briefing in which the Ministry took the gloves off, when it comes to the latest revelations of how the issue of Uighur human rights violations was deliberately concocted from the start, as an internal destabilization against China and its government. The briefing began with a showing of a 2018 video clip of Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (ret.), former chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in which he gave three reasons why U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, including: The third reason we have troops in Afghanistan is that there are 20 million Uighurs in Xinjiang, China. The best way for the CIA to destabilize China is to create unrest in China. If the CIA can take advantage of these Uighurs and work with them to keep stimulating Beijing, it will not need external forces to bring down China directly from within. It should be noted that Wilkerson, since leaving government, has been an outspoken opponent of the endless wars, and he was speaking at the anti-war Ron Paul Institute, so his words were more an exposure of U.S. bad actions rather than a confession by an insider to those bad acts.

Hua, nonetheless, drew out the significance of this exposure, summarizing that, Facts have proved time and again that the Xinjiang issue is not a national, religious or human rights issue, but an anti-secession, anti-riot, anti-intervention issue, and that the United States had concocted other stories and conducted destabilizations elsewhere, including in Iraq and Syria. She confronted the media for their retailing of lies and false information.

Otherwise, there are expressions elsewhere of sanity in the pushback against the anti-China, anti-Russia geopolitics, and against the green reset agenda. This week the United States-China Agriculture Roundtable held two of four planned sessions (online) co-hosted by the U.S. Heartland-China Association, based in Missouri and covering the Central States. The speakersgovernment, business and farm commodity leaderscalled for continued, expanded win-win trade and good relations between the two countries, and spoke in depth about dairy, pork and soybeans. Leaders of the sister states of Hebei and Iowa stressed economic ti s, and their special friendship history, which includes personal visits to Iowa by President Xi Jinping, going back to 1985. Keynote speakers, including former Missouri Gov. Bob Holden, CEO and Chairman of the USHCA, declared there must be collaboration not confrontation.

In Europe, seven of the EU nations have issued an open letter in support of nuclear power, which goes against the current green rule book for the future. What the Schiller Institute conference process of dialogue provides is the positive conceptbeyond rearguard defenseof contributing to limitless advance of mankind and the universe. This is embodied in the concrete programs, as presented at last weekends sessions, for the North American/Western Hemisphere Belt and Road Initiative, and projects for Southwest Asia. In his current week-long tour of the region, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in Iran today, stressed that 19 countries in the greater Southwest Asia region are now part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Schiller Institute President Helga Zepp-LaRouche gave the overview, in her remarks concluding last weekends conference. The overriding necessity, she said, is a global Glass-Steagall breakup of banks and multinational financial creations, and a New Bretton Woods international credit system. The path forward.
Biden (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Donald Trump has issued a statement praising a sweeping elections bill signed into law by Republicans in Georgia - introducing tough new voting restrictions - that has otherwise provoked an outcry and which Joe Biden called Jim Crow in the 21st Century, un-American and an atrocity, saying his Justice Department will be taking a look.

Fellow Republican populist Ted Cruz has meanwhile been rebuked for his midnight appearance at the Rio Grande attempting to stoke controversy over the immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border, with Democratic activist Beto ORourke accusing him of engaging in cosplay.

Elsewhere, Mr Biden has invited both Russia and China to return to global climate crisis talks, hoping to bolster international cooperation on the issue and unite the superpowers despite recently attacking both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

Read more:
By Ivan Tolit

Aruu County MP Odonga Otto has been remanded to Gulu Prison after he pleaded not guilty to assault and malicious damage charges.

The outspoken MP was on Friday charged with two counts of malicious damage to property and assault when he appeared before Grade One Magistrate in Pader District.

The Grade one Magistrate, Mr Edward Akankwasa, denied the MP bail and remanded him until April 6, 2021.

The MP, through his lawyer, Ms Juliet Oyullu of Odonga Otto and company advocates had asked to be released on bail but he was not granted after the state prosecutor, Mr Tomson Epia told court that investigations into the charges against him were complete.

The magistrate remanded him saying hearing of his case will start on April 6 when he returns to court.

The magistrate also directed the MP to first be quarantined and subjected to Covid-19 test at Gulu Regional Referral hospital before being taken to prison.

According to the charge sheet, the MP on May 6, 2018 at Ogan Kanakok, Pajule Sub-County in Pader district, assaulted Mr Henry Mugisha, a driver of a Fuso truck vehicle UAR 234 C before destroying its windscreen.

He also reportedly caused grievous bodily harm to Mr Mugisha during the assault.

But the legislator denied all the charges.

Mr Odonga is one of the 12 lawmakers in Acholi Sub-region who lost in the just concluded elections.

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Ms Oyullu who is also his wife said she was disappointment with court's decision to deny her client bail which is his right.

"We came to court well prepared with all the sureties to apply for bail for my client but the court has decided to remand him to prison up to April 6, 2021," Ms Oyullu said.

Before the court proceedings, Mr Otto, while entering the court chambers shouted that he will be sworn in as Aruu County come May 2021.

Meanwhile there was heavy security deployment around the court chamber and police station before the legislator was taken to court.

Police blocked his supporters who had turned up to witness the court proceedings from accessing court premises.

Only the relatives of the legislator and some of his campaign agents were allowed to attend the court session.

Mr Odonga was arrested on Tuesday this week at Bomah hotel in Gulu City by Police Criminal Investigation department.

Other charges are Illegal possession of a gun and assaulting a journalist while at Pece Stadium in Gulu city in 2019.
The virtual 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) concluded Friday, with world leaders issuing a strong pledge for women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life and the elimination of violence against them

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2021 ) :The virtual 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) concluded Friday, with world leaders issuing a strong pledge for women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life and the elimination of violence against them.

As the two-week-long session ended, the countdown began for the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico (29 - 31 March).

At CSW65, UN Member States adopted 'Agreed Conclusions', its main outcome document, which recognizes the need to significantly accelerate the pace of progress to ensure women's full participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making in executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and the public sector. It also recognizes that temporary special measures, such as quotas, and increased political will are needed as an enabling pathway to this goal.

"This is the first session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 15 years to engage with the issue of women's participation in public life and these Agreed Conclusions make important advances," the Executive Director of UN Women, which serves as the CSW Secretariat, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said.

"The women of the world have made it very clear that the past and the status quo have not met their need for gender equality," she said. Recalling the devastating, discriminatory impact of the pandemic, Mlambo-Ngcuka urged all Member States to move ahead rapidly to achieve equal representation.

Pakistan was represented by Dr Shireen Mazari, the human rights minister. She told the session earlier this week Pakistan firmly believes that economic growth, sustainable development, peace and prosperity can only be achieved through women empowerment and gender equality.

Mazari said, remains committed to creating an enabling and safe environment for women so that they can shatter the glass ceiling and overcome obstacles hindering them from their equal participation in decision making and public life.

Meanwhile, the Agreed Conclusions at CSW65 acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities that perpetuate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, as well as racism, stigmatization and xenophobia. Yet, recent data show that women have been mostly absent from COVID-19 government task forces around the world -- women make up only 24 percent of the 225 task force members examined across 137 countries.

The Agreed Conclusions make strong recommendations for concrete measures which can enable women's role in decision-making, for instance: -- changing laws and policies that discriminate against women and hinder their equal participation in public life; -- innovative measures to promote women as leaders, executives and managers, in all areas; -- setting targets and timelines to achieve gender balance in all government branches through relevant measures such as quotas, appointments, or training programmes; -- and encouraging political parties to nominate as many women as men candidates and promote equal leadership in their structures.

Young women are particularly underrepresented in public life and disproportionately excluded from consultations on issues that affect them, despite being involved in activities that call for broader change and address issues such as climate change and poverty. Women under 30 years of age make up less than 1 per cent of parliamentarians globally.

Recognizing this, the Commission has agreed on the need for measures that target them: from access to education, technology and skills development, to mentorship programmes, increased financial support, and protection from violence, and recognized the benefits of early exposure to women leaders as role models, as well as of legislative and policy-making spaces.

Other recommendations include measures to eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spaces, end impunity of perpetrators, and support victims and survivors' full recovery, for instance through access to psychosocial support, affordable housing and employment.

Recognizing women's important role as agents of change in responding to climate change, the agreement also stresses the need to reinforce women's presence and leadership in all places where decisions on climate change mitigation and adaptation are taken, and to ensure that related policies, plans and programmes account for the specific needs of women and girls.

The Commission's outcome stresses the importance of the full engagement of men and boys in this task; and of the availability of data that is disaggregated by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability, geographic location, and any other characteristics relevant in national contexts.

Despite this being the first-ever mostly virtual session of the Commission, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been strong interest from both government and civil society participants, it was pointed out.

During the General Discussion high-level speakers included a Prime Minister, 3 Vice-Presidents and 93 ministers  all expressing their strong commitment to advancing gender equality, the UN said. Nearly 70 ministers from around the world participated in the Ministerial roundtables over the two weeks and more than 10,000 representatives from over 850 ECOSOC-accredited civil-society organizations registered for CSW65. Almost 150 virtual side events were organized by UN Member States, intergovernmental organizations and UN entities, and more than 700 virtual parallel events were organized by civil society as part of the NGO CSW65 Forum.
New Delhi, March 27 : The United States Trade Representative has announced initiation of investigation against the taxation on digital services adopted or under consideration by countries including the equalisation levy applied by India.

The other counties under investigation included Italy, Turkey, UK, Spain and Austria.

A statement from the office of the USTR said that in January it was found that digital service taxes (DST) adopted by Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were subject to action under Section 301 because they discriminated against US digital companies, were inconsistent with the principles of international taxation, and burdened US companies.

USTR is proceeding with the public notice and comment process on possible trade actions to preserve procedural options before the conclusion of the statutory one-year time period for completing the investigations.

"The United States is committed to working with its trading partners to resolve its concerns with digital services taxes, and to addressing broader issues of international taxation," said Ambassador Katherine Tai.

"The United States remains committed to reaching an international consensus through the OECD process on international tax issues. However, until such a consensus is reached, we will maintain our options under the Section 301 process, including, if necessary, the imposition of tariffs." Among the proposed actions, the Joe Biden administration has proposed to impose retaliatory tariffs up to 25 per cent on around 40 Indian products including shrimps, basmati rice, gold and silver items.

The Government of India will examine the proposed action with the stakeholders concerned and would take suitable measures keeping its trade and commercial interest of the country and overall interest of its people, according to official sources.

With regard to India, the investigation was targeted on the 2 per cent equalisation levy (EL)levied by India on e-commerce supply of services. The investigation included whether the EL discriminated against US companies, was applied retrospectively, and diverged from U.S or international tax norms due to its applicability on entities not resident in India.

The U.S. requested for bilateral consultations in this matter, and India submitted its comments to the USTR on 15 July 2020, participated in the bilateral consultation held on 5 Nov 2020.

India made a strong case that the levy is not discriminatory and only seeks to ensure a level-playing field with respect to e-commerce activities undertaken by entities with permanent establishment in India.

It also clarified that the equalisation levy was applied only prospectively, and has no extra-territorial application, since it is based on sales occurring in the territory of India through digital means.

India based e-commerce operators are already subject to taxes in India for revenue generated from Indian market. However, in the absence of the levy, non-resident e-commerce operators, not having any permanent establishment in India but with significant economic presence, are not required to pay taxes in respect of the consideration received in the e-commerce supply or services made in the Indian market.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The worlds most mutated coronavirus variant has been found in travellers from Tanzania, according to a new analysis. A recent report submitted to the WHO and regional bodies showed that the strain has ten more mutations than found on any other version. Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Krisp scientific institute, said the discovery by the institute that carries out genetic testing for 10 African nations found the new variant in travellers arriving in Angola from Tanzania.

According to Bloomberg, the Krisp institute, which discovered a new strain in South Africa last year, said that they will continue to analyse the variant to examine how it interacts with antibodies. Currently, very little is known about the virus in Tanzania, whose late COVID-19 sceptic leader, President John Magufuli, died earlier this month. It is worth noting that Magufuli had repeatedly played down the threat of the virus and refused to order measures widely adopted across the world such as mask-wearing and lockdowns.

Tanzania had also stopped releasing data on coronavirus infections and opened its economy including the resort island of Zanzibar, which attracts several international tourists. In April 2020, Magufuli even declared Tanzania coronavirus-free. Now, observers are keen to see whether Mugufulis successor Samia Suluhu Hassan will take measures like mandating mask-wearing or ordering vaccines to try to halt the spread of the pandemic.

Tanzania variants roots traced to China

Variants of coronavirus have caused concern among health experts around the globe as the first identified in South Africa has proven to be more infectious and able to more easily evade some vaccines. Scientists have yet to investigate the strain found in three Tanzanian travelled to find if it is more infectious or severe than other variants. As per reports, the Krisp analysis said that the Tanzania variant comes from a lineage of the virus first identified in China whereas many others trace their roots to Europe.

Meanwhile, the latest discovery of a new coronavirus strain comes after India announced that it had detected a new double mutant variant. The Health Ministry revealed that the Genome sequencing by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) has detected coronavirus variant with double mutation. Doctors in India have noted that mutations in rapidly spreading viruses are common but also alerted that it is a matter of concern but not panic.

(Image: PTI/Unsplash)


A restructuring plan for beleaguered Scandinavian airline Norwegian has been approved by the High Court here following an examinership process.

The carrier said it will now send the same proposal to Norway for creditors to vote on.

It added that once that approval is received, the embattled carrier will start the process of raising fresh capital.

The examinership process here was being handled by Kieran Wallace of KPMG.

Norwegian chief executive Jacob Schram welcomed the exit from the examinership process.

We can now go forward with the reconstruction in Norway and initiate a capital raise, he said, adding that the High Court decision enforces our belief in a positive final outcome.

We are looking forward to and are preparing for a post-pandemic world, without travel restrictions and open borders, he said.

Norwegian, which was struggling even before the pandemic, has axed its long-haul routes and is instead focusing on short-haul routes in the Nordic region.

Aircraft lessors including Dublin-based AerCap had ended up owning chunks of Norwegian following a debt for equity swap last year.

Norwegian also announced yesterday that it has hired Ryanairs director of operations, Adrian Dunne, as its executive vice president of operations. Before joining Ryanair in 2005, he worked at Aer Lingus.




San Antonio's newest hot spot, boasting cocktails with wanderlust-worthy-views, is officially open and ready to enchant this weekend.

The Moon's Daughters is a twentieth floor indoor-outdoor bar inside the just-opened Thompson Hotel. While the indoor space is a luxe backdrop for cocktails, it's the panorama views of downtown San Antonio that are leaving the nightlife crowd starry-eyed.
New Delhi, March 27 : Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's likely roadshow in Nandigram from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting the Assembly polls, war of words between the BJP and Trinamool Congress has intensified.

BJP District Vice President in Nandigram Proloy Pal claimed on Saturday that Banerjee called him and sought his help in the election. Later on, the saffron party released an audio of a conversation between Pal and Banerjee.

The BJP sources, meanwhile, said that Shah will hold a massive roadshow in Nandigram on March 30 for party candidate Suvendhu Adhikari, a former trusted aide of Banerjee.

West Bengal BJP co-incharge Amit Malviya tweeted, "Massive, Mamata Banerjee calls Proloy Pal, BJP's district Vice President in Nandigram and pleads for help. Proloy tells her that he was humiliated in TMC and he along with this family cannot betray the BJP. Pishi is definitely losing Nandigram and TMC Bengal." In a video statement shared by the BJP, Pal said that he received a call from Banerjee seeking support. "Today, I received a call from Banerjee. She asked me to support her," Pal said.

Earlier, taking a dig at TMC, Malviya tweeted, "TMC spokesperson's concern is Mamata Banerjee winning Nandigram, What about rest of West Bengal? Given up? The fear and nervousness in TMC on Pishi's own prospects is palpable. They know she is losing Nandigram and Bengal, both." On the other hand, the TMC claimed that Banerjee's campaign will get another boost with Shah's roadshow.

As the first phase of polling in 30 Assembly constituencies began on Saturday, TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O Brien tweeted, "May 2, Trinamool will win Bengal. Bengal's daughter (Banerjee) will defeat Bengal's traitor in his 'backyard' in Nandigram. Mo-Sha and members of the tourist gang will continue trying to destroy every institution. Women in Bengal will continue to wear saris any way they want." Referring to Shah's roadshow, the TMC leader further said, "The Mamata Banerjee campaign in Nandigram just got another boost. We hear that a member of the Tourist Gang (part time HM) will be doing a roadshow there on March 30. Khela Hobe, bring it on." Polling in Nandigram will be held in the second phase of elections in the state on April 1.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
BERLIN (Reuters) - Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party has fallen further, a poll released on Sunday indicated, with the ecologist Greens closing in to just two points behind them ahead of a national election September.

With popular frustration growing over Merkel's government's management of the coronavirus pandemic, support for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian CSU sister party - together dubbed the Union - dropped to 25%, the Kantar poll showed.

The fall of two percentage points from the previous week was the fourth consecutive decline in support for the conservative alliance to a level not seen since early March last year.

The CDU suffered defeats in two state elections earlier this month, dogged by frustration over the sluggish COVID-19 vaccine campaign, flip-flopping over virus restrictions and a face mask procurement scandal.

"There is a change of mood in the country," Bavarian premier and CSU leader Markus Soeder, who is a possible contender to be the conservative candidate for chancellor, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"The Union must show that it still has strength and ideas and is not exhausted and worn out. It needs new beginnings now."

Support for the Greens rose 1 percentage point to 23%, according to the poll for Bild am Sonntag by Kantar, which canvassed 1,447 voters between March 18-24.

The left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD), currently in an awkward grand coalition with the Union, were steady at 17%. The business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were unchanged on 10%, while the far-left Linke rose one point to 9%.

(Reporting by Caroline Copley, editing by Louise Heavens)
European Unions drug regulators approved storage of Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine at normal freezer temperatures for a short period of time. This is based on data showing the stability at the recommended temperatures in standard pharmaceutical freezers. According to a press release by Pfizer, The new data is a testament to the companies ongoing commitment to developing this vaccine further and collecting data in order to support broader and more flexible vaccine distribution and inoculation.

Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech said, From the beginning our goal was to make our vaccine broadly available to people around the world. This approval by the EMA will enable us to access important additional channels to distribute and administer our vaccine. It comes at an important point in time, as governments now have more flexibility to move from inoculations in vaccination centers to a more decentralized vaccine roll-out through local doctors and general practitioners to accelerate our path out of the pandemic.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which uses mRNA technology, was first approved in the UK. Its inability has been a major hurdle for distribution efforts. Vaccine doses are shipped in specially-designed containers that must be topped up with dry ice every five days and once it arrives at a clinic, it can be kept in a fridge for only five days. These stringent requirements have complicated vaccine rollout.

Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer said, We appreciate the collaboration with the EMA and other regulatory agencies around the world as we work to ensure our vaccine can be shipped and stored under increasingly flexible conditions. He added, This new storage option in Europe will help make the vaccine even more accessible to people across the continent, another important step as we continue our global fight against this virus.

Phase I trial of an anti-COVID-19 pill

In another significant development, Pfizer has initiated the Phase I trial of an anti-COVID-19 pill that could be given to patients showing early signs of illness. According to Pfizer, the pill could be used in the early treatment of COVID-19 disease and to address future coronavirus threats. Pfizer has said that the oral candidate PF-07321332 has shown positive signs in lab tests against SARS-CoV-2. Pfizer has said that the potential oral therapy will complement vaccines and could be used on patients who have been inoculated but become COVID-19 positive.

As per Pfizer, the Phase I trial of the potential oral candidate PF-07321332 is being conducted in the United States. The preclinical studies have demonstrated that the drug holds the potential to stop the virus from replicating and developing into a more serious infection. The structure of PF-07321332, together with the preclinical data, will be shared in a COVID-19 session of the Spring American Chemical Society meeting on April 6, Pfizer said.

(Image Credits: AP/Pixabay)
The Crufts dog show has been cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic, its organisers have announced.

The Kennel Club said it decided to cancel the event set for July 15-18 because of the 'ongoing uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic' and concerns about the safety of the thousands of participants had prompted the decision.

It comes despite the UK government setting a tentative date of June 21 for lifting all restrictions on social contact.

The Kennel Club said it took the decision 'with deep regret', but that it was looking 'extremely unlikely' that overseas judges and exhibitors would be able to attend 'in light of recent announcements and the emergence of a third wave of coronavirus in Europe.'

It is the first time the annual event has been cancelled since 1954.

Maisie the Wire Haired Dachshund and owner Kim McCalmont from Gloucestershire celebrate after winning Best in Show on the last day of Crufts Dog Show last year

A man is embraced by a Great Dane dog on the third day of the Crufts dog show last year. This year's event has been cancelled

The next edition of the four-day show, which features some 27,000 dogs, is now scheduled for March 2022.

Tom Mather, Crufts chairman, said in a statement: 'We are very disappointed that we have had to cancel Crufts for the first time since 1954, in what would have been its 130th anniversary year, and it is a decision we have not taken lightly.'

Organisers said they surveyed dog enthusiasts in recent weeks and found 63 percent were uncomfortable about attending an indoor event.

Italian Spinone dogs wait to be shown on day 2 of the Cruft's dog show at the NEC Arena on March 6, 2020

A woman sits with two Komondor dogs on the third day of the Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham last year

The dog show was one of the last major public events to go ahead in Britain in early March last year, as fears over virus cases mounted. It took place at the NEC exhibition centre in Birmingham in central England.

The Kennel Club had earlier pushed back this year's event from March to July.

The show, first held in 1891, has been cancelled three times before: for World War I, World War II and due to strike action by electricians in 1954.

Last year Crufts said that dog entry numbers were down due to uncertainty on rules for animals' entry during the Brexit transition period.
Australian Liberal Party Divided Over PMs Call for Female Quotas

The Australian Liberal Party has not decided whether to go with gender quotas for its preselection of political candidates, despite the call from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and other members of Parliament over the past week.

The call by some Liberal politicians comes as the Morrison government is under increasing scrutiny over its handling of allegations of sexual violence and misconduct towards a female staffer and female MPs by male MPs and staffers.

We must get this house in order, Morrison declared on March 23, saying that the revelations of scandals over the last month had been traumatic.

But he noted that there had never been a more critical time for women to work in the Parliament.

I want to see more women in this place. I have done many things to get more women in this place, and I intend to do more, Morrison said. I need women to stand with me as we go about this, as we stand together. I need them to stand in this place (Parliament).

I need them to stand right where they are, I need them to continue to blaze the trail right here, this place. I admire their courage, and I call on it, he said.

Morrison has been at the forefront of placing women in positions of power in Parliament, currently having the highest level of women in his cabinet than any other prime minister.

But Morrison said he believes more needs to be done and thinks that a gender quota system in the Liberal Party may be a better option than the current target-based methods.

The idea has met with both support and concern from his party room, including by some female politicians who disagree with quotas.

The Australian reported that frontbenchers and cabinet politicians have all said they believe the idea has merit.

These include Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Health Minister Greg Hunt, Environment Minister Sussan Ley, Industry Minister Karen Andrews, Education Minister Alan Tudge, Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price, and Financial Services Minister Jane Hume, as well as about a dozen backbenchers.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne speaks to the press. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)

Payne, who is also the minister for women, noted during an interview on March 23 that the Liberal Party needed to consider every option available to encourage and ensure that more women enter Parliament.

Whether it takes a good, hard look at options for much more focused initiatives like quotaswell, of course, we should look at those, and we should look at them properly because clearly, there are ongoing issues that mean in parts of our organisation, we have not been able to achieve the outcomes we want, she said.

Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, a former member of the lower house, has said that only 6 of the Liberal Partys 39 safe seats were held by women, and there was only a 26 percent female representation at a federal level.

That is not good enough, and strong action is required, in particular, to ensure more women are preselected in safe seats, she told The Australian.

I support a robust conversation about any mechanism, whether or not it involves quotas, which results in more female Liberal parliamentarians, she said. With a disproportionate number of Liberal women battling to hold marginal seats, no matter how talented, this impacts on their capacity to move into senior leadership positions and into Cabinet where government decisions are made.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells is congratulated by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove in Canberra, Australia on Sept. 21, 2015. (Stefan Postles  Pool/Getty Images)

However, not everyone believes that quotas were the right path for the Party.

NSW Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells wrote on Twitter that she doesnt believe in quotas. Preselection must be on the basis of merit and bad politicians need to be responsible for their own actions, she wrote.

Likewise, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Claire Chandler, who led a party review into female engagement, said improved representation could be achieved without mandated quotas.

The review I led into female engagement in the Tasmanian Liberal Party in 2017 resulted in rapid and significant improvements in female representation, with three of the last four Tasmanian Liberals elected to federal parliament being women, she said

Nick Cater, executive director of the Menzies Research Centre, echoed Chandler and Fierravanti-Wells, arguing that the quota system is an ineffectual method to create gender parity.

Quotas are an ineffective tool beloved of socialists that attempt to regiment equality and sideline merit, he wrote in an op-ed piece for The Australian. In an attempt to end discrimination against women, quotas seek to discriminate in their favour and arguably to discriminate against men. Their proponents denounce the fallacy that women are the weaker sex while treating them as victims and offering them a protective hand.

While quotas may satisfy Labors quest for equal outcomes, at least on paper, they are hardly the solution for a party committed to the far nobler aim of equal opportunity like the Liberal Party, he wrote.
Its not exactly a coast-to-coast drive from East to West (or vice-versa) like Tesla envisioned its autonomous endeavor, but Xpeng comes close after covering a total distance of exactly 2,284 miles, which is very close to the shortest route one could take across America The leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company instead opted for the South to North approach as it linked the renowned city of Guangzhou to the countrys capital of Beijing across no less than six provinces in a week, between March 19th and 26th.It was all done in the name of technology, as the automaker wanted to showcase the advanced capabilities of its newly introduced autonomous driving assistance NGP (Navigation Guided Pilot) function. Of course, the company made sure the conditions were fairly positive, having a total of 3,145 km (1,954 miles) of highways at its disposal.Naturally, the company had its flagship Xpeng P7 Premium version for the ride, which packs the Xpilot 3.0 system with NGP compatibility. En route to the destination, the company did test the key functionalities and reliability of the NGP, including automatic highway ramp entering and exiting, automatic switching of highways and optimization of lane choices, automatic lane changing, overtaking and speed limit adjustment.It was the longest expedition for any automated driving assistance system used on production-specification models in China, so the fleet of P7s crossed a total of six provinces and ten urban agglomerations (including Hangzhou and Shanghai, among others) on its journey from Guangzhou to Beijing.By the way, even though Xpengs NGP is a fairly recent release (it was introduced in late January), the company noted its system thats capable of providing navigation assisted autonomous driving based on the route selected by the driver and with help from high-precision highway maps. The system has already covered over one million kilometers (over 621k miles) alongside Xpeng P7 owners.
In the early 2000s, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe were a Hollywood It couple. After marrying in 1999, the Cruel Intentions stars had two children. But by 2006, the romance had fizzled out. The pair divorced, with Witherspoon eventually going on to marry agent Jim Toth and Phillippe having romances with several women, including actors Abbie Cornish and Alexis Knapp.

So, why didnt the relationship last? Both Phillippe and Witherspoon have indicated that getting married when they were fairly young played a role in the split.

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon married young

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe in 1998 | SGranitz/WireImage

Phillippe and Witherspoon met at her birthday party in 1998. The attraction was immediate.

I met him at my 21st birthday party, she recalled to JANE magazine. I dont know what came over me  maybe the seven Midori sours  but I told him, I think youre my birthday present. He thought it was so flattering, and now that I think about it  how embarrassing!

Soon after, Phillippe landed a starring role in the future teen cult classic Cruel Intentions. He and the films director Roger Kumble thought Witherspoon would be perfect for the part of Annette, the principled high school student who is seduced by Phillippes manipulative Sebastian Valmont. Though it took some convincing  and Kumbles agreeing to let Witherspoon rework the Annette role  she eventually signed on.

Not long after the Cruel Intentions premiere, Witherspoon and Phillippe said I do in Charleston, South Carolina. She was 23; he was 25. A few months later, their daughter Ava was born. Their son Deacon arrived in 2003. In 2006, they announced the marriage was over. The divorce was very humiliating and very isolating, Witherspoon said in a 2009 interview with Elle.

The Big Sky star explained why he and Witherspoon divorced

In a 2015 interview with Larry King, Phillippe reflected on his breakup with Witherspoon. He said that their high-profile careers in Hollywood werent a factor in the divorce. But getting married in their early 20s was.

I think more of the problem was age. We got together so young, he said.

While Phillippe said being in the spotlight didnt cause the split, he understood how it could negatively affect a relationship.

I think it can create issues, two people in this industry, because theres so much noise that goes along with it, he said, adding that he and his ex-wife were very much friends.

The Big Little Lies actor hinted that age played a role in the end of her first marriage

Reese Witherspoon | Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter

RELATED: Reese Witherspoon Didnt Have a Great Experience Kissing One-Time Co-Star Robert Pattinson

In a 2017 appearance on ITVs Lorraine, Witherspoon also implied that getting married young contributed to the end of her relationship with Phillippe.

I got married when I was 23, she said. I had two kids by the time I was 27. Sometimes its good to know yourself. In the interview with Elle, Witherspoon talked about feeling isolated as a young mother, when she was far away from family and the only one of her friends who had a baby. But Witherspoon has made it clear she doesnt regret her lifes path.

I would never change anything, she said during her Lorraine interview. However, it sounded like shed discourage her own children from marrying young. Ive said to my daughter, [by age] 25, you start to know yourself a bit better.

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PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs attended a high-level meeting together with Prefet Delegue for Saint Martin and St. Barths Serge Gouteyron and his support staff. Joining Prime Minister Jacobs were Head of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Affairs Angelique Gumbs, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs Patrice Gumbs, and support staff. During this meeting, the synchronization of Dutch and French St. Martins current health protocols and vaccination strategy, travel restrictions, and the Platform for the realization of the proposed St. Martin United Congress were discussed.



Prefet Gouteyron expressed that the Regional Health Agency (ARS) is currently preparing to increase its vaccination rollout plan for French Saint Martin. In the interim, the ARS will be opening a temporary vaccination center in French Quarter on Saturday, March 27, to vaccinate persons who are 75 years and older and persons with underlying conditions. Currently, Louis Constant Fleming Hospital is open daily for vaccination of these persons as well. Collective Prevention Services (CPS) and the ARS have committed to synchronize their communication plan to encourage a wider portion of the population to get vaccinated. Prefet Gouteyron is also working diligently to get the go-ahead from the vaccination rollout management of the State to adjust the implementation phases to be on par with St. Maartens. Prime Minister Jacobs stated, Currently we are in phase 4 whereby all persons are eligible to receive the vaccination, however priority will be given to the registered person in phases 1-3. All persons are encouraged to register to be vaccinated as soon as possible on both sides of the island.



Prime Minister Jacobs gave an update concerning the changes to Dutch St. Maarten's travel restrictions, while those on French Saint Martin have remained the same. She also took the opportunity to inform Prefet Gouteyron of the opening of the COVID-19 Testing Center located at the Princess Juliana International Airport.

On the topic of the Platform for the realization of the proposal for the United Congress for St. Maarten, Prime Minister Jacobs highlighted the importance of ensuring that St. Maarten, the Collectivite of Saint Martin as well as the Prefecture, are included in decision making on all matters that affect the people of French Saint Martin due to the differences in authorities. As it relates to the finalization of the platform, Technical assistance is already at work and as such our local technical teams must now get together to advise on the best way forward for us to make joint decisions that relate to us in order to move St. Martin forward as a collective, stated Prime Minister Jacobs.

As St. Martin continues to make strides in maintaining our active COVID-19 cases at a minimum and vaccinating a large amount of our population, it is of paramount importance that these monthly meetings which have proven to be fruitful, continue with the presence of a representative of the Collectivite as well due to the shared authorities, concluded Prime Minister Jacobs.
Texas Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, questioned President Joe Biden's fitness for office, despite his service as a physician having also undergone scrutiny during the Obama and Trump administrations. "Biden's behavior at his first solo press conference should bother every American who needs to know if their president is fit for duty and in charge," the Texas congressman said Friday, according to Fox News.

Ronny Jackson questions if Joe Biden is fit for office

Jackson said the U.S. president was armed with friendly reporters to call on and appeared to be prepared with answers. However, Biden still could barely make it in his first press conference, the congressman said.

Jackson's fitness while serving as the President's physician was also recently questioned. On March 3, the Department of Defense inspector general released a scathing report on Jackson's tenure as the White House's top doctor.

The investigation revealed that Jackson made "sexual and insulting" remarks about a female subordinate, broke the ban on drinking alcohol while on a presidential tour, and took prescription-strength sleeping pills, creating questions among his peers about his capacity to offer proper care, as per CNN.

President Joe Biden's Approval Rating Starts To Decrease Amid Immigration Surge at the U.S. Border

Biden had his first official press conference 64 days after taking office, which was much longer than many of his predecessors, and he addressed reporters' questions for a little more than an hour.

Biden announced that he plans to run for reelection in 2024 with Vice President Harris as his running mate. He also said he is open to revamping the filibuster to achieve the passage of his legislative agendas. And that he does not see U.S. troops in Afghanistan next year, The Washington Post reports.

Jackson and other Republicans panned the President's first official conference with the news media. Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson claimed that if the President cannot handle questions in the White House press corps from his cheerleaders, it concerns how Biden represents the American people when speaking to foreign leaders.

Last week, Biden sparked attention with a physical misstep, slipping and falling several times as he boarded Air Force One. Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, dodged concerns about whether President Biden was examined by a doctor afterward.

Joe Biden May Regret Passing the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Bill, Realizes It Could Be Useful for Other Priorities

Ronny Jackson's service amid Obama, Trump administrations

Meanwhile, the probe into Jackson, a member of the House Armed Services subcommittee that oversees military forces, began in 2018 and looked into charges that dated back to his tenure in the Obama and Trump administrations. According to the investigation, four witnesses said Jackson appeared drunk and made derogatory remarks about a female medical subordinate during a presidential trip to the Philippines in April 2014.

Two witnesses claimed they saw Jackson drinking a beer while serving as the president's physician and in charge of delivering medical attention for a presidential trip two years later in Argentina. This happened despite laws barring him from drinking for 24 hours before the president's arrival until two hours after leaving, as per Daily Mail.

The report also detailed several instances during Obama's and Trump's administrations in which Jackson lost his temper and cursed subordinates. Jackson claimed that the inspector general 'resurrected' old allegations against him as he declined to "turn his back on former President Donald Trump," who supported his 2020 congressional bid.

Joe Biden's Health: 'Something's Not Right' says Former White House Physician

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Youtube/Ringbio) COVID-19 Amazon test kit approved by FDA

Amazon has finally received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration or the FDA for their COVID-19 test kit. The company is hoping that it can use it to bolster its employee screening program.

The retail giant is planning to use the test kit among its workforce as part of its COVID-19 response program. They are now starting to automatically sign up workers to get tested every 14 days, which is in line with its stated goal of testing front-line employees on a regular basis.

Amazon COVID-19 test kit gets approved

The test kit is being developed by Amazon subsidiary STS Lab Holdco, according to an FDA filing. The test is done through a nasal swab that people can do themselves, either under the supervision of a health-care professional or at home.

Amazon plans to use the test kit among its employees as the company continues to practice COVID-19 preparedness.

Also Read: India Spots 'Double Mutant' Coronavirus Variant--Experts Say That it Can Reinfect Those Who Recovered from COVID-19

Depending on the work schedule, Amazon employees may be scheduled for an on-site test, or they will be given a collection kit so that they can administer the test at home.

It is still not clear if Amazon intends to make the test available beyond its workforce or if they will offer it commercially through its online marketplace. The representatives of the company did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC.

The FDA letter of authorization is addressed to Cem Sibay, the Vice President of Amazon Labs, who was previously a top executive of Amazon's Prime unit.

According to Business Insider's report last July 2020, Sibay was tapped to steer Amazon's efforts to create an internal COVID-19 testing lab.

Amazon is leaning into healthcare

CNBC reported in June 2020 that Amazon created a dedicated team to help develop COVID-19 testing capacity, assigning research scientists, procurement specialists, program managers, and software engineers to support the company's effort. Amazon also launched standalone diagnostic labs in Sunnyvale, California, and Hebron, Kentucky.

Amazon has been vocal about eyeing medical diagnostics as an area of expansion. In 2018, the company looked at purchasing a start-up developing at-home health tests, and it operated a team dedicated to diagnostics within its moonshots group.

The FDA authorization comes as Amazon continues to expand its testing program for its delivery and warehouse employees.

In February, the company said its Kentucky laboratory had processed more than 1 million COVID-19 tests for their front-line employees from 700 testing sites.

Amazon stated that it has started to automatically assign regular testing appointments for some of its workers at its facilities, usually every two weeks, although the set appointments are voluntary. Employees could only sign up to get tested through an internal system in the past, but that has changed since.

The assigned appointments fall in line with Amazon's previously stated goal of testing the bulk of its front-line workforce every two weeks. This week, Amazon indicated that it would start setting up an on-site vaccination clinic at facilities in Missouri, Nevada, and Kansas.

In October 2020, Amazon stated that almost 20,000 front-line employees contracted COVID-19 between March 1 and September 19 of last year.

The statement was released after politicians, labor groups, and even Amazon employees pressured Amazon to disclose the number of workers infected by COVID-19.

Related Article: COVID-19 Variants Could Mean Pandemic is Far from Over; German Experts Say Third Wave Could be 'Most Devastating'

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sieeka Khan

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The San Antonio metro areas unemployment rate edged up in February after trending downward the previous four months.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas tallied the areas unemployment rate at 6.5 percent, up from Januarys 6.3 percent.

While the month showed a slight worsening, its still less than half of April 2020s 14.1 percent, the record high reached during the pandemic. By comparison, however, last months rate is more than double February 2020s 3 percent.

Im more optimistic, certainly, than the end of last year, and even earlier this year  right now, things are looking pretty positive, said Christopher Slijk, associate economist at the Dallas Fed. Thats, again, contingent on how the vaccination rates play out versus the continued spread of COVID and COVID variants.

On ExpressNews.com: S.A.s recovery may lag rest of state

Slijk said its normal for slight volatility in the unemployment numbers from month to month, and the bump up is not overly concerning at this point.

As long as its not a persistent upward trend  its not notable yet, he said.

The Dallas Fed predicted 6 percent employment growth in its February Texas economic forecast released Friday. Thats down from Januarys 6.5 percent.

In February, the San Antonio-New Braunfels area gained 5,400 nonfarm jobs, up 6.4 percent over the previous month. That significantly outpaced statewide employment numbers. According to the Dallas Fed, the state shed 18,900 jobs for a 1.8 decline.

Thats not a huge decline and not unexpected given the winter storms that we saw last month, he said. Generally, the sentiment is that (the winter storm) is sort of a bump in the road for our recovery, but the momentum is strong enough that its not going to derail our growth for the rest of the year.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios unemployment rate dipped in December

Despite the local job growth, nearly 18,000 people in the region filed for unemployment benefits in February, the third highest number in the state, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Most applicants came from elementary and secondary schools, temporary help services and full-service restaurant jobs.

More than 82,700 people are currently unemployed in the area, according to the TWC.

A lot of the more timely indicators that we see for March show that that this month will come in quite strong, Slijk said. He noted that its too early to tell the effect of the recent government stimulus package, but if past stimuli are any indicator, they boost consumer spending.

On ExpressNews.com: Aircraft maintenance firm lands in Kerrville

The metro areas February unemployment rate was lower than the states rate of 6.9 percent. The nations jobless rate was 6.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The TWC calculated the areas unemployment rate at 6.8 percent, down from Januarys 6.6 percent. The TWCs numbers arent seasonally adjusted and differ slightly from the Dallas Fed statistics.

Brandon Lingle writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. brandon.lingle@express-news.net
YANGON, Myanmar - As Myanmars military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country's capital, soldiers and police elsewhere killed scores of people while suppressing protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month's coup.

Anti-coup protesters gesture during a march in Yangon, Myanmar, Friday, March 26, 2021. Protesters against last month's military takeover in Myanmar returned to the streets in large numbers Thursday, a day after staging a "silence strike" in which people were urged to stay home and businesses to close for the day. (AP Photo)

YANGON, Myanmar - As Myanmars military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country's capital, soldiers and police elsewhere killed scores of people while suppressing protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month's coup.

The online news site Myanmar Now reported late Saturday that the death toll had reached 114. A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total at 107, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. Thats more than the previous high on March 14, which ranged from 74 to 90.

The killings quickly drew international condemnation, including a joint statement from the defence chiefs of 12 countries.

A professional military follows international standards for conduct and is responsible for protecting  not harming  the people it serves, it said. We urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to cease violence and work to restore respect and credibility with the people of Myanmar that it has lost through its actions.

The European Unions delegation to Myanmar said that the 76th Myanmar Armed Forces Day will stay engraved as a day of terror and dishonour.

South Korean peace activists lie on a street to pay tribute to the victims of the recent protests in Myanmar, during a rally against Myanmar's military coup in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The killing of unarmed civilians, including children, are indefensible acts, it added.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda in a statement said security forces are murdering unarmed civilians.

These are not the actions of a professional military or police force, he wrote. Myanmars people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule.

Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presides an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Saturday, March 27, 2021. The head of Myanmars junta on Saturday used the occasion of the countrys Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations.(AP Photo)

The death toll in Myanmar has been steadily rising as authorities grow more forceful in suppressing opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup reversed years of progress toward democracy after five decades of military rule.

Figures collected by the Yangon researcher, who asked not to be named for his security, have generally tallied with the counts issued at the end of each day by the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which documents deaths and arrests and is widely seen as a definitive source. The Associated Press is unable to independently confirm the death tolls.

Up through Friday, the association had verified 328 deaths in the post-coup crackdown.

Anti-coup protesters prepare makeshift bow and arrows to confront police in Thaketa township Yangon, Myanmar, Saturday, March 27, 2021. The head of Myanmars junta on Saturday used the occasion of the countrys Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations. (AP Photo)

Junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing did not directly refer to the protest movement when he gave his nationally televised Armed Forces Day speech before thousands of soldiers in Naypyitaw. He referred only to terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and social security, and called it unacceptable.

This years event was seen as a flashpoint for violence, with demonstrators threatening to double down on their public opposition to the coup with more and bigger demonstrations. The protesters refer to the holiday by its original name, Resistance Day, which marks the beginning of a revolt against Japanese occupation in World War 2.

State television MRTV on Friday night showed an announcement urging young people  who have been at the forefront of the protests and prominent among the casualties  to learn a lesson from those killed during demonstrations about the danger of being shot in the head or back.

Anti-coup protesters prepare with a makeshift airgun to confront police in Thaketa township Yangon, Myanmar, Saturday, March 27, 2021. The head of Myanmars junta on Saturday used the occasion of the countrys Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations. (AP Photo)

The warning was widely taken as a threat because a great number of the fatalities among protesters have come from being shot in the head, suggesting they have been targeted for death. The announcement suggested that some young people were taking part in protesting as if it was a game, and urged their parents and friends to talk them out of participating.

In recent days the junta has portrayed the demonstrators as the ones perpetrating violence for their sporadic use of Molotov cocktails. On Saturday, some protesters in Yangon were seen carrying bows and arrows. In contrast, security forces have used live ammunition for weeks against what have still been overwhelmingly unarmed and peaceful crowds.

The U.S. Embassy said shots were fired Saturday at its cultural centre in Yangon, though no one was injured.

Demostrators hurl back tear gas canisters towards police during a protest against the military coup Saturday, March 27, 2021, in Mandalay, Myanmar. Myanmar security forces reportedly killed 93 people Saturday in the deadliest day since last months military coup. (AP Photo)

The military government does not issue regular casualty counts, and when it has released figures, the totals have been a fraction of what independent parties such as the U.N. have reported. It has said its use of force has been justified to stop what it has called rioting.

In his speech Saturday, Min Aung Hlaing used the occasion to try to justify the overthrow of Suu Kyis government, accusing it of failing to investigate irregularities in last Novembers general election, and repeating that his government would hold a free and fair election and hand over power afterward.

The military has claimed there were irregularities in the voting rolls for the last election, which Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party won in a landslide.

The junta detained Suu Kyi on the day it took power, and continues to hold her on minor criminal charges while investigating allegations of corruption against her that her supporters dismiss as politically motivated.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Saturday's events showed that the military, known in Myanmar as the Tatmadaw, should be prosecuted in international courts of law.

This is a day of suffering and mourning for the Burmese people, who have paid for the Tatmadaws arrogance and greed with their lives, time and time again, he said.
(Newser)  Tragedy has struck a mother from Guatemala trying to make her way into the US with her two children, both Mexican nationals. Newsweek reports that on March 20, US Border Patrol agents received a rescue call after bystanders saw three people stranded on an island on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, near Eagle Pass, Texas. There, authorities found the family membersthe mother, her 9-year-old daughter, and her 3-year-old sonall unconscious. Agents started administering first aid and were able to resuscitate the mother and son, but the girl was transferred to emergency medics in Eagle Pass. She never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead, per a Customs and Border Protection statement.

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CBP notes that since the fiscal year began on Oct. 1, agents along the Del Rio Sector in the southern part of Texas have rescued more than 500 migrants trying to enter the US illegally, with more than 80 deaths from October through February. Earlier this week, President Biden discouraged people from coming to the border right now as his administration tries to help those already there, noting, per the Guardian: "The only people we are not going to leave sitting there on the other side of the Rio Grande with no help are children." The New York Times notes the challenges in handling the soaring numbers at the border, which are overwhelming processing sites there and forcing the Border Patrol to release families faster than they usually would. Smugglers, meanwhile, are exploiting the situation, bringing people across the Rio Grande, often at night on inflatables. "The coyotes know and will say everyone gets in," a Texas immigration lawyer tells the paper. "So people come." (Read more migrants stories.)
A direct mail attack piece sent just before the March 20 congressional primary contained several head-scratching details that has left the campaign of state Sen. Troy Carter criticizing the prominent national womens organization behind it.

This is an unfortunate example of how out of touch the Washington, D.C.-based PAC supporting Karen Carter Peterson is with the people of Louisiana, Victoria Short Coulon, Carters campaign manager, said in an email.

The super PAC of EMILYs List, which aims to elect pro-abortion rights female Democrats, designed the unflattering mailer to pull voters from Carter by saying he had gone on a mid-1990s junket to Los Angeles on the taxpayers dime, with other city officials, as a member of the New Orleans City Council.

The award for partying with taxpayer money goes toTROY CARTER, read the mailer against the silhouette of an Oscar.

+4 Why Troy Carter says he's 'more ready now' to win a seat in Congress Troy Carter appeared on the cusp of being elected mayor of New Orleans in 2002. He was young, handsome, and well-known to voters, having spent

EMILYs List is supporting Peterson, who finished second in the primary to Carter. The two Democratic state senators from New Orleans are squaring off in the April 24 runoff to represent a New Orleans-centric congressional district that extends to Baton Rouge.

The mailer contained six photos of Carter.

None had anything to do with his trip to Los Angeles, EMILYs List acknowledges, saying in an email that they came from Carters Facebook campaign page.

In one photo, Carter is pictured with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the mayors 13-year-old daughter.

Cantrell hasnt endorsed either candidate but has been an ally of Petersons.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

In another photo, Carter is pictured with New Orleans Civil District Court Judge Kern Reese. In an interview, Reese noted that the judicial canon of ethics does not allow him to participate in politics and said he hadnt approved usage of his image in the mailer. Im disappointed and upset, said Reese, who added that the photo was taken at a 2020 Mardi Gras ball.

+2 Alliance forum vets 2nd District candidates State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson provided much more specific answers at a recent campaign forum in the 2nd District Congressional race than di

Voters recognize the individuals in those photos, and that many of them were taken at Mardi Gras events - not an Oscars ceremony in the 1990s, said Coulon. Further, the attack is dishonest and misleading. Sen. Troy Carter went on a trip to Los Angeles with Mayor Marc Morial and his fellow Councilmembers to help begin what we now know as a successful Hollywood South.

Coulon said the cost to taxpayers was $26,000  not the $200,000 mentioned in the mailer. Her figure came from a 1993 Times-Picayune article, which said the group had attended an Academy Awards viewing party at the House of Blues in Los Angeles with a New Orleans theme.

The EMILYs List mailer cited three Times-Picayune articles as its sources, one from 1993 and two from 1995.

But none of those articles had anything to do with the Los Angeles trip.

Coulon noted that Carter favors abortion rights, as does Peterson.

Benjamin Ray, an EMILYS List spokesperson, was asked why a pro-abortion rights group would attack Carter for a trip from 25 years ago that had nothing to do with abortion.

"We support Democratic pro-choice women for elected office and use a wide range of issues and methods to do so," he said in an email.

Advocate Librarian Manager Judy Jumonville contributed research for this article.
The Dancehall fraternity is demanding justice after it was revealed that the body of accounting clerk Khanice Jackson was discovered earlier today, March 26. A man has been listed as a person of interest and was detained by police in connection with the death of the 20-year-old.

Police have stated that the man was picked up in the Half-Way-Tree area in St Andrew this afternoon. Jackson, who lived on Manchester Avenue in Independence City in Portmore, was found on Dyke Road in Portmore, St Catherine. She had been missing since Wednesday, March 24. Reports also indicated that her body was found around 7:00 a.m, in a state of partial decomposition.

DAngel joined a number of female artists who were shocked and outraged at the news. She posted a short video clip to Instagram and expressed condolences to Jacksons family.

She also called on the justice system to work with the people of Jamaica to bring about change. She captioned her post: Rip Khanice Jackson mi sorry for her mother and family God know smh.

Nadine Sutherland joined the voices of consternation using Twitter.

She said: Lawd! There was crazy in this land! But this is a different kind of crazy thats been unleashed. Social distance deprivation a mad de people dem! It feels unbearable.

Lawd! There was crazy in this land! But this is a different kind of crazy that's been unleashed. Social distance deprivation a mad de people dem! It feels unbearable.  NadineSutherland (@Nadinesutherlan) March 26, 2021

Shenseea expressed her anger in her Instagram Story writing,  sick sick sick smh big fxcry!! We need to find that man!

Another female artist who joined the rallying call for men to stop killing women included Dovey Magnum, who said: Psy cheaper than rape!! Him nuffy get no time!! No free food no water unless a vinegar! He needs to be heng ! Or give him to the people of jamaica flag of jamaica #junglejustice raper fe dead. #stopviolenceagainstwomen

Pamputtae also shared her solidarity for the cause and said: Dis is too much.

Tami Chin Mitchell used Facebook to relay her message appealing for the violence to stop. She used her own experience of feeling unsafe to convey her point.

Seeing the tragic news today about #KhaniceJackson made me really think about if there was ever a time when I felt truly safe as a woman. The answer is simpleNEVER!!! No matter where in the world I have visited or lived I have always been well aware of the fact that just based on my gender, I had to move differently in the world.



I try to explain to men all the time the emotional stress we walk around with as women from simple activities like walking to a parking lot, taking public transportation, stopping at a red light, entering and leaving our homes, schools, places of business etc constantly playing out worse case scenarios for everything and generally having to operate with a level fear that we were taught when we were growing and continuing practises that would keep us safe when we finally grew up.



I feel like the truth is that I may never feel TRULY safe, and that is heartbreaking but I hope that we can find a way to change that for girls and women to comewe should not have to be afraid just because of our genderlife is scary enoughperiod.



I am sending love to Khanices family and to every family, friend and partner who has senselessly lost a loved one to gender based crime and violence. ENOUGH!

Several male Dancehall artists also shared their condolences and reacted to the unfortunate news.

Popcaan had some strong words for men who are violent towards women.

He posted a short video clip expressing his outrage on Instagram, with the caption:

Tired a them dutty bomboclaat bwoy ya Government of Jamaica hang these rapist please and thanks!!

He also threatened to gather up a crew to set an example out of rapists. How long this ah go go on for? he asked exasperated by the current situation. He also called for a meeting among artists to address the matter. Who ah go protect the women dem? Who ah go protect the women dem in ah Jamaica and all over the world? he questioned further. He called on the Jamaican government to hang rapists as he added: rapist fee get RIP.

Beenie Man used his Twitter account to say: the real pandemic is the crime & violence in jamaica. We are not ok!!! Our hearts are bleeding, our children & women are not safe! This Nuh right Iyah! This nuh right. We need justice and a that we need. #JusticeForKhanice.

THE REAL PANDEMIC IS THE CRIME & VIOLENCE IN JAMAICA. WE ARE NOT OK!!! OUR HEARTS ARE BLEEDING, OUR CHILDREN & WOMEN ARE NOT SAFE! This Nuh right Iyah! This nuh right. We need justice and a that we need. #JusticeForKhanice  Beenie Man (@KingBeenieMan) March 26, 2021

Teejay shared his personal story of how he was made to feel small while growing up because of the situation between his mother and father.

While he said he was thankful his mother was never harmed by his father, he made a personal vow to never treat his children the same way. He called for a stop to violence against women in a short video clip on Instagram that he captioned: Stop the violence against woman. Yow listen to this story.

In the video, he pleaded: Stop kill the oman dem as he shared about his own tumultuous upbringing due to domestic issues.

Romeich also reached out via Instagram and also begged men to stop the violence.

Tarrus Riley used a picture from the Gleaner with Jacksons photo to highlight his feelings. He posted: Almighty Jah Jah U alone knw. Strength n Prayers to her family.

Jah Vinci shared a powerful rendition of a song that also called for men to respect all that women have to go through and do on a daily basis to feel safe. He captioned the soulful video clip: The violence against our women needs to stop! Violence overall needs to stop this is the real Pandemic!! #justiceforkhanice #abetterjamaica.

Fellow Reggae artist Richie Spice also shared his two cents. He said: Come on now my people this has to stop! We need to protect our sisters not kidnap, abuse and rape them! My heart cries to see whats taking place in our little country! Condolences to the family of Khanice Jackson.

Police have issued an appeal for any information that could help them figure out what happened.

While there is a general culture of militancy towards informants in Jamaica, Skatta Burrell, called for an end to this type of thinking.

He posted: Ive been guilty of supporting the informa fi dead culture and Ive also been good friends of evil People. Until we can admit we are all a part of the problem we can never seek to place the blame solely at the heals of Government and Police. IF YOU A RAPE, ROB OR KILL PEOPLE DONT COME AROUND ME BECAUSE I PERSONALLY WILL SELL YOU OUT. Jamaica over Bad Man culture.

We at DancehallMag extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to Jacksons family and friends.
Another successful five-year tenure is coming to an end in Vietnam, creating a foundation for stronger national development in the coming years.

The countrys 14th National Assembly (NA) commenced its final meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday, with much attention paid to the working reports of the state president, prime minister, and NA chair.

In the report on the state presidents performance during the 2016-21 tenure, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong stated that he had paid attention to the lives and production activities of the people, as well as listened to their thoughts, hopes, and suggestions.

The state presidents work throughout his tenure, together with the entire Party, people, and army, has embodied both the countrys patriotic tradition and its great national unity.

The report also noted that the state president contributed to building a clean and strong Party and political system, pushing ahead the Doi moi (Renewal) process, strengthened the countrys defense - security capacity in order to firmly safeguard the countrys independence and sovereignty, and fostered external relations and international integration.

For the time ahead, the report emphasized that the state president should continue to exert effort in performing tasks regulated by the Constitution and laws, as well as the duties assigned by the Politburo and the Party Central Committees Secretariat.

A section of Vietnams north-to-south expressway. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

In her report, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that the legislature had stepped up and improved the quality of the countrys law making activities, creating a uniform legal foundation for the countrys fast and sustainable development.

The NA considered and made many important decisions over the 2016-21 tenure that greatly impacted the countrys socio-economic situation, development of mountainous and ethnic minority areas, national defense and security, and Vietnams foreign relations.

A total of 72 laws, two ordinances, and dozens of resolutions were passed over the tenure.

The NAs external activities were also carried out effectively, adding considerable contribution to the Party and states diplomatic achievements and helping to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for national construction, defense, and development.

Delivering a report on the governments performance between 2016 and 2021, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated that Vietnam had successfully navigated the tempestuous sea voyage with far greater challenges than initially projected.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc reviews an infrastructure project in Long An Province, March 21, 2021. Photo: Son Lam / Tuoi Tre

Infrastructure improvement was one of the governments major accomplishments during the 2016-21 tenure, with 654 kilometers of the north-to-south expressway in the works, several highways built to boost connectivity in many regions, expansions added to Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports, groundbreaking of the new Long Thanh mega airport, and other capacity enhancements in logistics, seaports, and 5G networks.

Vietnams gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 soared to more than US$340 billion.

Despite global downturns, Vietnam posted an economic growth of 2.91 percent in 2020, being the only country in Southeast Asia to record positive growth, Phuc said, adding that the 2016-20s average growth of 5.99 percent is still higher than the average of 5.91 percent in the 2011-15 period, putting the country among the fastest expanding economic zones in the world.

Total export and import turnover increased by 1.7 times, from $328 billion in 2015, to $517 billion in 2019, and $545 billion in 2020, with five consecutive years of increasing trade surplus.

Vietnams internationally recognized pandemic response has ensured the achievement of double goals  effective containment of COVID-19 pandemic and socio-economic recovery.

The premier also pointed out several shortcomings, as many draft law projects remained unfinished, equitation of state-owned enterprises was still sluggish, and some socio-economic targets were not achieved due to COVID-19.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
William Fernandez, 24, was being held on remand awaiting trial

Police tonight launched a desperate hunt for a remand prisoner who has gone missing after he was accidentally released by staff at HMP Wormwood Scrubs three days ago.

William Fernandez, 24, was being held on remand awaiting trial for sexual assault by touching, indecent exposure and possession of a class B drug.

Staff at the west London prison told police Fernandez was 'released from custody in error' on Wednesday - a year after he was first imprisoned.

Police have today released a photograph showing Fernandez at East Acton Station at the same day he was released in the hope it will help their search.

Officers were sent to the prison and carried out searches in the local area this week but lost him after he travelled by London Underground from East Acton station.

At 9.24pm Wednesday night he was spotted on CCTV walking along Wealdstone High Street, heading north, but there have been no confirmed sightings of him since.

Officers are now conducting 'extensive enquiries' to find him, including CCTV analysis and house to house enquiries at 'several locations'.

Before his arrest last year, Fernandez had no fixed address but officers think he is most likely to still be in the west London area.

He has been known to travel on public transport and to spend time at transport hubs, they said.

Police have today released a photograph showing Fernandez at East Acton Station at the same day he was released in the hope it will help their search

Detective Inspector Rory Wilkinson, who is leading the search, said: 'Officers are exploring every possible line of enquiry to track Fernandez down and return him to prison.

'We would ask the public to assist us by being our eyes and ears and calling us if they see him or have any information about his whereabouts.'

Fernandez is white, of medium build, with thinning hair and a dark beard, police said.

He has a distinctive cross tattoo on the left hand side of his neck and, when last seen, he was wearing a black tracksuit and black hat.

He is also known to use the name Agustin Fernando Jimenez Eiberte.

If you see Fernandez or know where he is, please do not approach him. Call 999 immediately providing the reference 7873/24MAR.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 13:35:25|Editor: huaxia

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Visitors take a selfie in front of China culture pavilion during the 2018 Carassauga Festival in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, May 27, 2018. (Xinhua/Zou Zheng)

"Harmony fosters diversity, homogeneity undermines sustainability," ancient Chinese philosophy argued more than 2,500 years ago.

by Xinhua writer Wu Xia

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- In the arduous fight against a once-in-a-century pandemic, countries around the world have adopted various measures that are tailored to their different indigenous economic and social conditions.

This takeaway from battling the unprecedented outbreak is not just about public health, but also cultural and philosophical -- that it is diversity, not universalism, that helps humanity prevail against a common enemy.

"As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature," the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

In practice, however, cultural diversity is often forgotten, and sometimes despised. At the personal, community and national levels, many have lost the appetite to embrace differences.

Symptoms vary. Some did it quietly. Some picked up the idea of "the clash of civilizations." Some expressed outright discrimination against particular groups of people.

Since last week, nationwide protests erupted across the United States after eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were shot dead at three Atlanta-area spas. Demonstrators gathered to stop surging anti-Asian hate crimes in the country, and shouted messages like "Asians are not a virus."

The horrible Atlanta shootings serve as an epitome of xenophobic violence, and a cruel reminder of how a lack of inter-cultural understanding, coupled with political manipulation of ethnicity, can breed a massacre of the innocent.

People take part in a protest against Asian hate in San Jose, California, the United States, on March 21, 2021. (Photo by Dong Xudong/Xinhua)

Arrogance and prejudice are at play. The stubborn refusal to respect differences is a product of a self-centered perception that the global neighborhood, instead of celebrating diversity, is a place where everybody should follow one certain set of superior values and do things in the so-called "right" way. This is mind-slaving colonialism.

Call them cultural colonists, who fervently pursue the annihilation of differences in thinking and ways of life by forcing their culture upon others.

"There are 200-odd countries and regions, over 2,500 ethnic groups and a multitude of religions in the world today," Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech delivered at the UNESCO headquarters in 2014. "We can hardly imagine if this world has only one lifestyle, one language, one kind of music and one style of costume."

Xi also warned at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in 2019 that "the thought that one's own race and civilization are superior and the inclination to remold or replace other civilizations are just stupid. To act them out will only bring catastrophic consequences."

"Harmony fosters diversity, homogeneity undermines sustainability," ancient Chinese philosophy argued more than 2,500 years ago.

Indeed, what makes the human civilization unique and great is its ability to protect and promote diversity. That ability itself is in dire need to be preserved today. 
Thousands returned to the streets of the Algerian capital on Friday, demanding sweeping changes to the country's government and political system.

The supporters of the Hirak movement - that pushed out former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019 after 20 years in power - made their way through Algiers chanting slogans such "let the system fall."

Recently, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced early parliamentary elections in June, bringing them forward from next year, but that wasn't enough to quell the protests

"The people want a complete change and not just elections," said Ali Lekhdari, a journalist and member of Hirak movement.

Activists are pressing for a full makeover of the opaque system governing Algeria, with the military in the shadows, which has been at the helm since the country won its independence war against France in 1962.

Tebboune announced last month that he would dissolve parliament to open the way for a new batch of candidates from outside the establishment.

He also reshuffled the government and released around 30 detained activists, though dozens more remain jailed.

In another effort to satisfy protesters, Algeria's government finalized a new electoral bill aimed at limiting corruption and giving voters more choice.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
As the SC upheld Tata Sons decision to remove Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons, shares of Tata Group companies started gaining

Tata Group stocks gained sharply, rising between 2 to 6 per cent after a favourable Supreme Court verdict. (Photo: AFP)

Mumbai: Tata Group stocks gained sharply, rising between 2 to 6 per cent after a favourable Supreme Court verdict in the matter of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) reinstating Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Group.

As the Supreme Court upheld Tata Sons decision to remove Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons, shares of Tata Group companies started gaining.

Almost all listed companies shares closed in the green on NSE and BSE, the top gainers included Tata Steel (6.04 per cent), Indian Hotel (5.29 per cent), Tata Power (4.87 per cent), Tata Communications (4.24 per cent), Tata Motors (3.8 per cent), Titan Company (3.79 per cent), Voltas (2.18 per cent), Tata Steel BSL ( earlier Bhusan Steel) (4.96 per cent), Nelco(3.76 per cent).

Other gainers included Tata Investment Corporation (2.76 per cent), Tata Chemicals (1.79 per cent), Tata Consumer (2.19 per cent), and Tata Metaliks (3.26 per cent).

Rallis India and Trent closed flat on profit-taking. Tata Group's flagship company Tata Consultancy Services shares also rose to a high of Rs 3118 after the news break but later saw profit-taking and closed flat at Rs 3,068.15 on BSE.
Akinwumi Adesina, 2017 winner of the World Food Prize and current President of African Development Bank, alongside other World Food Prize laureates, have called for United States intervention to end global hunger by 2030.

In an open letter to President Joe Biden, a group of 24 scientists, economists, researchers and past winners of the World Food Prize, including Mr Adesina, described Americas role in tackling the scourge of global hunger as foundational.

They, therefore, urged President Biden to re-establish Americas global leadership to end hunger, play a leadership role in the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit and other global initiatives.

The World Food Prize laureates urged Mr Biden to refresh U.S. evidenced-based policy and investments to achieve the goal of ending hunger.

They added that he should expand the highly successful USAID Feed the Future Initiative and Innovation Laboratories, to reach more countries.

Appeal

As the world staggers out of COVID-19 and into the light of 2021, we seek to illuminate our collective path towards 2030.

We urge the Biden-Harris Administration to focus on the promise to Build Back Better in transforming our food systems.

The United States leadership in ending global hunger is imperative and must be backed by bold actions and your personal commitment for the U.S. to engage on major global initiatives.

The opportunity for renewed U.S. leadership to transform food systems has never been greater. The appetite of partners around the world to work with the U.S in both the public and private sectors is strong.

We urge the Biden-Harris Administration to seize this moment and invest in development and cooperation to achieve zero hunger by 2030.

Americas leadership on getting food systems right will inspire and embolden others to join forces to end hunger, counter climate change, generate jobs, and promote responsible stewardship of the environment.

Supporting economic growth globally leads to increased trade for American entities, increases stability in conflict areas, builds bonds of solidarity and trust that are the bedrock of diplomacy, and alleviates the suffering of the most vulnerable.

These outcomes reflect long-held, treasured American values and offer opportunities to realize global aspirations. the letter reads.

LAquila Declaration

The World Food Prize laureates recalled that in 2009 post-financial crisis and as a result of the LAquila Declaration, the U.S. announced the $3.5 billion Feed the Future Initiative with bipartisan support.

They noted that the initiative helped to reverse decades-long declines in funding for food and agriculture, around the world, which also prompted collective global investments of $22 billion and triggered progress for hundreds of millions.

They cited a recent Ceres2030 report that says the world could end global hunger by 2030 with an extra annual investment of $33 billion, a small fraction of the worlds COVID mitigation investment.

The World Food Prize was created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Norman Borlaug, in 1986 to recognise scientists and others who had improved the quality and availability of food.

The sum of $250,000 prize is awarded annually by the Des Moines, Iowa-based World Food Prize Foundation, which receives support from more than 80 companies, foundations and individuals.

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In 2017, Akinwumi Adesina, current President of the African Development Bank Group and Nigerias former Minister of Agriculture, won the World Food Prize.

For millions of poor people around the world, the risk of dying from hunger is greater than dying from COVID-19.

Without food, medicines dont work. Food and nutrition are the vaccines against hunger. Lets vaccinate the world against hunger, Adesina said.
The police have rearrested two leaders of Idumuje-Ugboko, a community in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State, who had been facing trial in Abuja over a crisis in the community.

Seven persons, including the president of the Idumuje-Ugboko Development Union (IUDU), Okey Ifejoku, had been charged with allegedly killing one man, Cyprian Kumaorun in 2017.

The six other defendants in the terrorism charge are Godwin Aniemeke, Nonso Omefe, Dennis Nwoko, Light Nwochie, Aikhomu Omezi and Emeka Bidoku.

They were accused of conspiring with others now at large in May 2017 to unleash terror on the community by burning houses and killing Mr Kumaorun.

The defendants had prayed Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja to transfer the case to Delta State, where the alleged incident took place.

Their application was supposed to be heard on Thursday but the court adjourned sitting to May 27 because Justice Abang was indisposed, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

However, as Messrs Ifejoku and Aniemeke drove towards the airport to board their flight, they were arrested by a police team led by one DSP Dauda.

They are currently being detained at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) in Abuja.

Our unions President General, Mr Okey Ifejoku, and Godwin Aniemeke were arrested and locked up at the Central Police near the Federal Secretariat. Their charge is Conspiracy and Murder of the same Benue man, Cyprain, for which two of our youth were acquitted after three years of incarceration.

The same murder of Cyprian features in the terrorism case that is on-going. Meanwhile all the names under the terrorism case are listed in this new case, a source told our reporter.

The defendants lawyer, Marvin Omorogbe, confirmed the arrest of the duo to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday evening.

He said the police denied them bail and have decided to charge them with murder in a separate suit.

Im just coming out from the office of the IPO (Investigation Police Officer). He said they had concluded the investigation and that authorities above have approved that they should be arraigned.

Meanwhile, legal experts who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES condemned such move as irregular since the case was already being treated in the terrorism charge.

This is just an attempt to frustrate justice. But you know this is Nigeria where what is abnormal is the norm. Since they have been charged before a competent court previously and it is in the same case, there is no need for a new suit, Anthony Williams, a Lagos-based lawyer said.

Background

PREMIUM TIMES, in a two-part series published last year December, reported how a former lawmaker, Ned Nwoko, dislodged poor farmers from their farmlands to build a private university in the village.

This newspaper reported how the billionaire, in 2015, grabbed 90 hectares of land in Idumuje-Ugboko and how he relentlessly used security personnel to intimidate members of the community who challenged him, starting from 2015.

Mr Nwokos land grab later led to violence, kingship tussle and rights violations in his hometown when some members of the community, led by his kin from the royal family, kicked against his demands for 90 hectares of land.

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While there are pending lawsuits surrounding the approval of the land by the late monarch, Mr Nwoko had commenced the building of the proposed STARS University on the 90 hectares.

2017 Mayhem

On May 23, 2017, about 30 hoodlums disrupted a meeting of the community leaders called to address the crisis over the land.

But the youth of the community repelled the thugs, the exchange leaving many injured and one Cyprian Koumaru, a motorcyclist from Benue State, suspected dead after going missing since the incident.

The police later arrested some persons over the violence, including the monarch of the community, his uncles and supporters.

Some were illegally detained before being charged to court while nine were taken into custody in Abuja on charges of terrorism.
More than 300 people gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstans largest city, on March 27 to protest China's growing economic influence. The event was organized by the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) and the unregistered Democratic Party of Kazakhstan (DPK). At least 20 people were arrested ahead of the rally and the Internet was blocked in the neighborhood where the gathering took place. Protesters spoke against joint ventures with Beijing, Chinese investment in Kazakhstan's economy, as well as the persecution of ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs in Chinas autonomous region of Xinjiang. Similar protests took place in the capital, Nur-Sultan, as well as Oral, Shymkent, and Aqtobe.
If you're a fund management business looking to attract new investors, there's one guaranteed route to success. Put any of the words responsible, sustainable, ethical, green or positive into the name of an investment fund and then sit back as investors buy into it.

Sustainable, ethical or ESG investing is currently one of the hottest themes in town as investors  especially the young and women  look to make money with a conscience, with an eye very much on preservation of the environment (E), society (S) and good corporate governance (G).

According to wealth manager Interactive Investor, some two per cent of investments owned by investors on its platform now fall under the socially responsible umbrella. Although a tiny percentage, it is more than double what it was three years ago.

Gamble: Research suggests that some investors are not necessarily ending up with a fund that is as sustainable or responsible as its label suggests

Among wealth platforms, Interactive has led the way on sustainable investing, launching in late 2019 the first best buy list of ethical funds.

Over the last year, sustainable fund Baillie Gifford Positive Change has been the third most bought fund by its investors, only out-bought by Fundsmith Equity and Baillie Gifford American.

Rival AJ Bell also reports growing demand, especially among the young who it says are 'more attuned' to responsible investing.

Its latest research indicates that more than half of its self-invested personal pension investors plan this year to invest more of their funds in companies that have a positive impact on the environment.

Yet research by wealth manager SCM Direct, conducted exclusively for The Mail on Sunday, suggests that some investors are not necessarily ending up with a fund that is as sustainable or responsible as its label suggests.

Many of these funds, SCM Direct says, are no more socially responsible in the companies they invest in than mainstream investment funds.

In other words, socially responsible investors would be just as well served by investing in many funds that do not have a sustainable label.

Furthermore, SCM Direct questions the reliability of some of the favourable sustainability ratings given to individual listed companies that are operating in industries normally off limits for ethical investors  for example, gambling and the manufacture of alcohol.

This can result in companies ending up in ethical fund portfolios that investors would be very uncomfortable with.

Alan Miller, author of the research, says: 'SCM Direct is a strong believer in the reallocation of investors' money towards sustainable investments and companies that can contribute to a better future.

'But at the moment, it's an investment area that resembles the Wild West in terms of lack of transparency, inconsistencies and ineffective rules.'

He adds: 'As a result, it makes it impossible for ethical investors to know with certainty that their money is being invested in a socially responsible way.' SCM Direct's research is based on analysis of the current 'sustainability' scores of 194 investment funds from the Investment Association's 'UK all companies' sector.

Between them, these funds manage assets of 99billion and invest primarily in UK companies  many of them FTSE100 listed.

The scores, compiled by ESG data scrutineer Sustainalytics, are built around how ESG-friendly individual funds are.

ESG stands for environmental, social and corporate governance and is the bedrock around which socially responsible or ethical investing is built.

Sustainalytics rates companies held by the funds on each of these three criteria and then comes up with an overall sustainability score for the fund.

None of this information is available on individual fund provider websites. But it can be found on the website of fund scrutineer Morningstar if investors know where to look before making a decision to buy an individual fund.

The lower the score (out of 100) the more appropriate the fund is for an investor seeking to invest responsibly.

Of the 194 funds analysed, 16 are labelled as ethical, responsible or sustainable. In theory, they should come up with the best sustainability scores. But they don't.

As the table above shows, only two of the 16  Aegon Ethical Equity and the popular Royal London Sustainable Leaders  appear in the top ten sustainability scores within the 194 funds analysed, based on Sustainalytics' data.

But even these two are beaten by mainstream funds such as Lindsell Train UK Equity and Franklin UK Mid Cap, in terms of sustainability.

Some of the 16 score poorly, most notably Liontrust Sustainable Future UK Growth, Jupiter Responsible, Castlefield Best Sustainable UK Opportunities and Premier Miton Ethical. Out of the 194 funds analysed, they were ranked 83rd, 88th, 110th and 128th.

Miller says one of the problems is that ESG covers a broad range of issues  from the impact of a company's business on the environment, how an employer treats employees, supplier ethics, through to the diversity of its boardroom.

This can result in companies getting favourable ESG ratings even though many ethical investors would baulk at holding them in their portfolios.

For example, drinks companies Diageo and Heineken are respectively judged low risk and medium risk by Sustainalytics.

This explains why Lindsell Train UK Equity's 15 per cent exposure to these two companies does not damage the funds' overall sustainability score. 'Baffling,' says Miller.

The wealth manager believes the way forward is for sustainable funds to disclose all their holdings to investors, in an accessible and up-to-date format.

This, says Miller, would then allow a potential investor to make an informed decision on whether to buy a fund or not. 'Investors need to be protected,' he says.

This is not the first time Miller has raised concerns about socially responsible investments.

Eighteen months ago, he produced a report on the 'Misclassification and Misselling of Ethical Funds', stating there was evidence of a 'greenwashing epidemic'  funds dressed up to be more ethical than they really are.

Then, in August last year, he told Wealth that companies were 'jumping on the ethical bandwagon offering portfolio services and funds that do not fit the bill'.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday said she was maintaining the threat of US tariffs on goods from Austria, Britain, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey in retaliation for their digital services taxes.

In a statement, Tai announced that her office would proceed with steps to impose potential tariffs, including filing public notices and collecting public comments as part of investigations launched originally by the Trump administration into the taxes aimed largely at American internet companies and e-commerce platforms.

The taxes target in-country revenues of digital services platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon.com.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the decision despite Democratic President Joe Biden's renewed commitments to pursue a global agreement on digital services taxes through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Tai also said that the USTR was terminating "Section 301" tariff investigations against Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union and Indonesia because these jurisdictions have not adopted or implemented digital services taxes that were previously under consideration. If they do adopt a digital services tax, USTR said it may open a new tariff probe.

The move is among the first negotiating tactics revealed by Tai since she took office last week. Tai said in her confirmation hearing in February that tariffs were a "legitimate tool" for US trade policy.

"The United States remains committed to reaching an international consensus through the OECD process on international tax issues," Tai said in a statement. "However, until such a consensus is reached, we will maintain our options under the Section 301 process, including, if necessary, the imposition of tariffs."

The Internet Association, which represents major U.S. internet platforms, applauded the move to keep the tariff threat alive against the six countries, calling its industry a "great American export" that supports millions of jobs.

"Today's move by USTR is an important affirmation in pushing back on these discriminatory trade barriers as the U.S. continues to work to find a viable solution at the OECD," the trade group said in a statement.

The United States also is maintaining a more advanced tariff threat against $1.3 billion in imports of French Champagne, cosmetics, handbags and other goods in retaliation for France's digital tax.

Like the French tax, the USTR investigations into the taxes adopted by Austria, Britain, India, Italy, Spain and Turkey found that they discriminate against U.S. technology companies and are inconsistent with international tax norms.

Also read: Centre chalks out four-point plan to deal with Suez Canal blockage
RTHK: Boris Johnson condemns new unrest in Bristol

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday condemned "disgraceful attacks" on police after a third night of violence hit the western city of Bristol by protesters against new crime legislation.

Police in Bristol arrested 10 people on Friday night after what they called "violent conduct" at the protest, which swelled to 1,000 participants despite a government ban on mass gatherings owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Previous "Kill the Bill" demonstrations in Bristol last Sunday and Tuesday also turned violent, with protesters demanding the withdrawal of the legislation, which critics say harshly restricts the right to peaceful protest.

"Last night saw disgraceful attacks against police officers in Bristol," Johnson said on Twitter.

"Our officers should not have to face having bricks, bottles and fireworks being thrown at them by a mob intent on violence and causing damage to property," he said.

"The police and the city have my full support."

Protesters in Bristol have accused police of excessive force, and mocked them on Friday after the local force was forced to admit that it was mistaken in initially saying some officers had suffered broken bones last Sunday.

Further protests against the bill are planned later Saturday in British cities including Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield, but police are warning people to stay away because of the coronavirus ban. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-03-27. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Brides took Insider on their journeys to find their wedding gowns. Trinity Photography/Ingrid Lepan

As part of Insider's wedding series, "The One," brides shared how they found their wedding outfits.

They told Insider about their budgets, almost-buys, and why they fell in love with their ensembles.

The brides proved that gowns, suits, and two-pieces can all be beautiful wedding looks.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hattie O'Hara tried on 12 dresses before falling in love with this colorful gown.

Hattie O'Hara tried on 12 gowns. Hattie O'Hara

O'Hara knew she wanted a nontraditional wedding dress, imagining that she would wear a dress with a unique structure or fun cutout.

She didn't imagine herself in something colorful until she tried on this bright-yellow skirt, paired with a simple, shiny top.

"The color was perfect," O'Hara said. "There was just enough texture to the skirt, and it felt bridal but definitely not too sweet."

"I will look back on this dress as a highlight of my wedding forever," O'Hara said of the gown.

O'Hara's dress had a yellow skirt. Katie Jewell Co.

She also said she knew the dress was the one because it felt like a reflection of her personality.

"It made sense for how I understand myself as a whole person, and not just a bride," O'Hara told Insider.

You can read more about O'Hara's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Mariel Swan fell in love with the second dress she tried on.

Mariel Swan only tried on two dresses. Mariel Swan

Swan had seen the Morilee couture gown online before she went shopping, and it was exactly what she had been imagining herself in on her wedding day.

RK Bridal had the dress in stock when she went shopping, and it was even better when she tried it on in person.

The gown's full skirt, intricate detailing, and stunning sleeves were everything Swan had been hoping for.

"It was my dream dress," Swan told Insider of the princess-style gown.

Swan had feathers added to her gown's skirt. Trinity Photography

"It was exactly what I wanted," she said. "Everything about it was just perfect for me."

Swan added feathers to the skirt to make the dress unique, which made it slightly more expensive than it would have been otherwise. She also paired the dress with a crown to elevate the look even further.

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You can read more about Swan's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Sabina Leybold wanted a dress that could blend two cultures together.

Sabrina Leybold originally shopped for her dress online. Sabina Leybold

Leybold hoped her wedding dress would fit well with her husband's Indian culture. She also wanted something comfortable, and she imagined herself in something more casual.

After trying on dresses she ordered online, Leybold went to a store and fell in love with this fitted Willowby By Watters gown.

The gown's delicate detailing "felt like it could toe the line" between Leybold and her fiance's cultures, as she told Insider, and the cutout on the back was a fun addition.

After a few custom alterations, the dress was perfect for Leybold.

Leybold's gown was the perfect mix for her blended wedding. Swiger Photography

Leybold had to have the dress taken in, and she also removed the train, as she felt it would be too big for the small wedding she planned to have.

She ended up having to postpone her wedding, but Leybold and her now-husband got married at home. She's saving the dress for her eventual celebration.

You can read more about Leybold's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Sarah Shine wanted her wedding dress to be sleek and feminine.

Sarah Shine picked a dress with a thigh-high slit. Victoria and Sarah Shine

"I definitely wanted a slit, but I wanted everything to be lace and have a really low neckline and thick straps," she told Insider.

This Paloma Blanca dress ticked nearly all of her boxes. The dress had a silk skirt with a high slit, a delicate lace bodice with spaghetti straps, and a plunging neckline.

"This is exactly what I was looking for," she said of the gown.

Sarah's wife Victoria, on the other hand, surprised herself by falling in love with a strapless gown.

Victoria Shine didn't originally want a strapless dress. Victoria and Sarah Shine

Victoria thought she wanted a dress with straps, as she didn't want to have to adjust her gown throughout her wedding celebrations.

But this Mikaella gown by Paloma Blanca, which featured head-to-toe lace and a sweetheart neckline, ended up being the perfect dress for her.

It also had a removable skirt that allowed Victoria to have two looks on her wedding day.

Both brides found dresses that felt like them.

Both brides found dresses that suited them. A Sweet Focus

Sarah loved her dress because of its look and how comfortable it was. She was able to dance effortlessly during the reception, giving her the freedom she needed to celebrate to the fullest.

Victoria knew her dress was the one because of how confident she felt while wearing it. "I'm super self-conscious," she told Insider. "But I put this dress on, and I just felt so good about myself, which is very, very rare."

The Shines were also able to find dresses that coordinated without seeing each other's gowns ahead of the wedding.

Their dresses coordinated. A Sweet Focus

Both brides bought their gowns at Kleinfeld Bridal in New York, and they used the same consultant who ensured their dresses would go together.

"We were worried Victoria's was going to be white or mine was going to be stark white and then it would have clashed," Sarah said. But their consultant, Shay, made sure they fit perfectly.

You can read more about the Shines' journeys to find their wedding dresses here.

Kiaya Demonbreun fell in love with her dress from a photo before trying it on in real life.

Kiaya Demonbreun's dress was fitted. Kiaya Demonbreun

Demonbreun had loved Pronovias dresses for years, and she had seen this fitted gown with a lace bodice online months before she went shopping.

She even showed it to her now-husband in a photo, and he loved it. When she finally tried on the gown in person, Demonbreun knew it was the dress for her.

"It was just perfect," she said. "It was elegant."

"It was just the best dress that I could wear that would be me in a wedding dress," Demonbreun told Insider.

The keyhole back was a fun addition. Sacia Matthews Photography

She felt like it mixed her traditional roots with her chic sensibilities.

"A little bit of fun and flirty up top, but very traditional. And it's very contemporary at the same time," Demonbreun said.

"There were at least five other Pronovias dresses that I think I adored separately," she added. "But in that one dress, all of them combined into one."

You can read more about Demonbreun's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Carla Nasui found her dress with the help of a creative member of her entourage.

Carla Nasui had a skirt custom made for her dress. Carla Nasui

Nasui had seen this sparkly Pnina Tornai gown in a magazine ahead of actually going shopping, and she was drawn to the unique fabric and low back. But she initially disliked the dress when she tried it on in person, as the detachable skirt was only a half skirt.

Luckily, Nasui's godmother suggested she spin the skirt to see what it would look like as a full ball gown, and the bride was instantly in love.

"It was a game-changer," she said of the dress. "I absolutely loved it when I saw it like that."

Nasui decided to get a custom-made overskirt for the dress, which would give her two looks for her wedding day.

"I absolutely love, love, love that decision," Nasui said of getting a custom alteration on her skirt.

The skirt was removable. Ingrid Lepan

The custom look was perfect for her destination wedding, giving her a wedding dress that was both classic and modern.

Plus, the fact that the skirt was removable ensured she wouldn't be uncomfortable throughout her wedding day. "My skirt was actually 16 pounds, which was really hard to walk in," Nasui told Insider. "But that's why I was thankful it was removable."

You can read more about Nasui's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Beatriz Iglesias was able to create her perfect wedding dress using separates.

Beatriz Iglesias' dress featured separates. Beatriz Iglesias

Iglesias had loved Chantel Lauren's Mae dress for years, but she knew she wanted something slightly more traditional for the ceremony portion of her wedding day.

When she found Lee Ann Belter's collection of separates, she knew she could have two looks that would fit her vision.

She paired a simple white skirt and a lace top together for the ceremony, and she switched into the blue skirt for the reception.

"I felt like it was really me," Iglesias told Insider of the colorful skirt.

The blue skirt was her favorite. Rustic White Photography

"I definitely had a completely different vision than where I landed, but I feel like I stayed true to the themes I liked, like lace and the color," Iglesias said, explaining that the dress she chose was really different than what she had imagined for herself.

"If your vision that you've always had in your head isn't what you like, try not to fight it," she said.

You can read more about Iglesias' journey to find her wedding dress here.

Helena Howard fell in love with a lace dress with a transparent bodice and tulle skirt.

The bodice is transparent. Ayeh Khalatbari and Mischa Durrant

The sleeves sat off the shoulders on the Milla Nova Elle dress. Howard had the dress custom-altered so it was backless, and the bodice sparkled thanks to small glass beads sewn into the lace.

"The lace detailing on top was what sold me on the dress," Howard told Insider. "It's Italian lace with what they call 3D glass beading for the flowers."

Her husband is Italian, so the design of the dress was even more meaningful to her.

Howard said the dress made her feel "like a princess."

She felt beautiful in the dress. Ayeh Khalatbari and Mischa Durrant

The dress made her feel beautiful, and she was comfortable in it, which she advises brides prioritize as they look for a wedding dress.

It also fit well with her wedding venue, as she and her husband were married in an outdoor church.

"I think my dress fit in so beautifully with the flowers and the leaf detail," she told Insider.

You can read more about Howard's journey here.

Janal Montagna could picture herself in this ball gown thanks to its royal look.

The gown had a large skirt. Janal Montagna

Montagna was having a destination wedding in Croatia, and she wanted her gown to make a statement.

The Ysa Makino dress stood out from the other gowns she tried on because of the sleeves and the color. The gold detailing made it look ornate, while the mesh on the sleeves ensured the dress was comfortable.

"It was so different and contemporary, but so classic all at the same time," she said of the dress.

"It was everything I didn't even know I wanted and needed in the most important dress I would wear," Montagna told Insider.

It was everything she wanted. Fabijan Drnas and Katija Zivkovic

"The royal feeling, the floral work, the beading, the ball-gown silhouette, the sleeves, and that gold color just made me think Croatia," she said.

Montagna also had more crinoline added into the skirt to give it a fuller look, which made the dress weigh 35 pounds.

"It was magical," she said of wearing the dress.

You can read more about Montagna's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Sandra Kim opted for a modern wedding dress.

The pearls drew her to the gown. Sandra Kim

She had been hoping to find a dress that was off-the-shoulder and long-sleeved, and this unique Danielle Frankel gown fit the bill.

But it was really the unique, Baroque pearl buttons lining the center of the dress that showed Kim it was the one.

"I'm a really big pearl person," Kim told Insider. "All of my jewelry and accessories have gold and pearl. And when I saw this dress with a line of pearls going down the middle, I was immediately in awe."

"It was literally the look that I envisioned," Kim said of the gown.

Kim felt like herself in the dress. Lucy Douglas "LUCIE Weddings | @lucieweddings"

She had the train lengthened to give the gown a more dramatic look, and she kept her jewelry minimal to let the dress speak for itself.

The dress had so many elements that made Kim feel like herself. It was everything she wanted.

You can read more about Kim's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Aly Schneidman decided to look pretty in pink on her wedding day.

The pink color drew her in. Aly Schneidman

Schneidman had been planning on wearing something modern with clean lines to her wedding, but her vision for her dress totally changed when she found this Monique Lhuillier gown.

The ruched skirt, asymmetrical train, low back, and soft pink color were dynamic and one-of-a-kind.

"I went for pink and poofy, but I'm not super girly and I'm not into poofy dresses normally," Schneidman said. "But my dad kept saying 7-year-old-me would have been so proud of this dress."

"I just felt the prettiest I had ever felt in my whole life," Schneidman told Insider of the look.

The dress made her feel beautiful. The Edges

The gown surprised her, but it ended up being everything she wanted in a wedding dress.

"I just really felt like the best version of me instead of a magazine bride," she said. "It was super comfortable and lightweight."

You can read more about Schneidman's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Sanjana Rishi bucked tradition by wearing a suit to her Indian wedding.

She wore a suit. Sanjana Rishi

As a result of the coronavirus, Rishi and her husband decided to throw a ceremony together in just two weeks.

She had always wanted to wear a suit to her reception, but the change of plans led her to show off a pant look at her ceremony.

"I love suits on women," Rishi said. "There's something powerful about them."

A vintage, pre-owned Gianfranco Ferre suit was the perfect wedding look for her.

Rishi liked that the ensemble was beautiful and eco-friendly.

The outfit was environmentally friendly. Sanjana Rishi

Rishi paired the suit with a friend's bustier and borrowed jewelry, as well as a more traditional headpiece to nod to her culture.

By shopping vintage and borrowing accessories, she was eco-conscious with her wedding day look as well.

"I have loved thrift shopping for many, many years, and buying secondhand is, in my opinion, one of the very best ways to shop ethically," she said. "It made sense to me to combine something vintage with something that celebrates local craft, like the veil or the jewelry."

You can read more about Rishi's journey to find her wedding outfit here.

Molly Burchett and Blake Ballard also found bridal looks under a time crunch.

They planned their wedding in just 10 days. Liz Osban Photography

The longtime couple decided to elope, and they had just 10 days to throw the event together.

They decided they wanted to wear wedding dresses to the event despite the short timeframe.

Ballard picked a long-sleeved, lace gown with a transparent back at David's Bridal. Burchett, on the other hand, ordered her high-neck dress from Anthropologie that featured a keyhole cutout.

The brides felt beautiful, but they were most happy with how comfortable the dresses were.

They switched into boots. Liz Osban Photography

"I felt really confident in it because even though I ordered it really quickly, it's still very much exactly what I wanted," Burchett said of her gown.

They both wore heels to the ceremony, but they switched into boots to be more comfortable later in the celebrations. They found gowns that reflected who they were as people.

You can read more about Burchett and Ballard's journey to find their wedding dresses here.

Alyssa Higgins found a dress that was comfortable to wear in her wheelchair.

She bought the first dress she tried on. The Ramsdens

Higgins' spine was broken during her birth, so she's used a wheelchair her entire life.

When she was shopping for her wedding dress, she needed to find a dress that would be comfortable to wear while sitting and would accommodate the trach tube that connects her to her ventilator.

Higgins fell in love with the first dress she tried on, a form-fitting Martina Liana. The dress was covered in delicate lace, and it dipped low in the bodice, accentuating Higgins' cleavage without calling too much attention to her trach tube.

She was also able to use leftover fabric from the dress to cover her ventilator.

The dress made Higgins feel beautiful and comfortable.

The dress kept her warm. The Ramsdens

First and foremost, Higgins felt like a beautiful bride in her dress. But the dress was also good for her physically.

"It kept me warm, to be honest," she said of her gown, which was made from a heavy material. "I'm very cold with my spinal cord injury all the time, so it was actually really nice to have something thick."

You can read more about Higgins' journey to find her wedding dress here.

A removable skirt won Alexa Persico over.

She loved the dress as soon as she saw it. Alexa Perisco

Persico was hoping to find a dress that offered two looks for her wedding day, and a 2018 Love by Pnina Tornai dress with a detachable skirt was a perfect fit.

The dress is covered in head-to-toe sparkles, and the neckline dips low and has a transparent layer of fabric to keep the straps together.

Persico told Insider she knew it was the one for her as soon as she saw it.

"I felt like a princess, but I also felt like myself," Persico told Insider of how the dress made her feel.

She felt like herself in the gown. Felix Feygin/Fred Marcus Studio

The skirt created a dramatic look, but Persico was able to remove it during her reception so it was easier to move around.

Persico shined in the gown, and a coordinating Pnina Tornai veil added to the look.

"I think the biggest mistake a bride can make is having too many people with them while dress shopping because everyone will have a different opinion," she said. "At the end of the day, you have to wear what is going to make you happy."

You can read more about Persico's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Lizzie Boudreau favored a pant-look for her wedding.

Lizzie Boudreau wore a Gabriela Hearst set to her wedding. Morgan Hydinger

Boudreau told Insider she hoped her wedding look would feel like a modern iteration of an ensemble Grace Kelly would wear.

She tried on a few wedding gowns, but none of them felt like her.

When she stumbled upon a matching Gabriela Hearst set made up of an off-the-shoulder top and coordinating pants, Boudreau fell in love. The pants had a built-in train that gave the modern look a bridal edge.

She bought the set without even trying it on.

Boudreau said the ensemble was a beautiful and comfortable wedding look.

Boudreau loved the outfit. Morgan Hydinger

"I felt great," Boudreau told Insider. "I was thrilled at how everything looked. I was super comfortable."

The bride paired the outfit with white heels and a statement headpiece that gave the modern look a classic feel.

"It's totally just the aesthetic and the energy that I wanted to portray on my wedding day," she added.

You can read more about Boudreau's journey to find her wedding outfit here.

Georgianna Hagl had her heart set on wearing a gown with a bow on it.

Hagl wanted a bow on her wedding dress. Georgianna Hagl

Hagl married her high school sweetheart, who had a crush on her since she wore bows in her hair during their youth. Wearing a wedding dress with a bow on it felt like the perfect way to nod to their shared history.

After trying on four dresses, Hagl decided a Sareh Nouri gown with a removable bow was perfect for her wedding day.

The V-neckline and trumpet skirt were sleek and simple, while the bow, which could be worn in multiple places on the gown, gave Hagl flexibility with her look.

The dress also had buttons down the back of the gown, a detail Hagl loved.

"It was perfect," Hagl told Insider of her gown, which offered multiple looks for her wedding day.

She wore the bow in multiple places. Alice Shoots People

"I just loved it," Hagl said. "I loved the silhouette. I loved that the buttons went all the way down."

She wore the bow on her shoulder during the ceremony, and she moved it to her hip to make dancing easier during the reception.

"I had never thought about putting it on my shoulder, but once it was, it was everything I wanted," she said.

You can read more about Hagl's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Samantha Viola created a one-of-a-kind wedding dress by combining two gowns.

Samantha Viola combined two gowns. Samantha Viola

Viola wanted a sexy, beachy look for her rooftop wedding in New York, but she also wanted to make a statement when she walked into her ceremony.

Combining two Pnina Tornai gowns was the perfect solution for Viola. A lace, sheer dress that was form-fitting was the base of her outfit.

To add some drama to the outfit, Viola wore a full, tulle skirt over the gown for her ceremony.

"I was so happy that I had those two styles," Viola told Insider.

She felt beautiful in both dresses. Robert Carlo

The big skirt made her feel like a "princess," while the sheer gown was exactly what she dreamed of when she pictured her wedding dress.

"I felt beautiful," Viola said of how she felt in her dress. "I felt like it flattered my body type. It felt very bridal, but also not like the classic bride that everybody looks like."

"I felt so beautiful," she added. "It was my dream dress."

You can read more about Viola's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Katya May selected a short, chic dress for her intimate wedding.

May wore a short gown. Katya May

May knew she wanted a nontraditional look, and the short gown fit the vibe she was going for.

She was drawn to the long sleeves and high-neckline on this Harriette Gordon dress. It also had button detailing on the cuffs and a ruffled hemline.

"It was fun, different, and not ridiculously expensive," May told Insider of why she chose the gown.

A long veil made the dress look more bridal.

She wore black shoes. Chloe May

The contrast of the short gown and the veil made the outfit even more striking, as did black shoes.

"I couldn't have been happier with the overall look," May told Insider of her wedding ensemble. "I loved my dress with the veil together."

"I just think it was perfect," she added.

You can read more about May's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Karen Lima stunned in a sheer, sparkly gown at her wedding ceremony.

Lima wore a sheer dress to her ceremony. Juliana Kneipp

Lima didn't try on any wedding dresses when she was engaged. Instead, she saw this gold Kyha Studios dress on Pinterest, and she ordered it as soon as she was able to track down the designer.

"The moment I saw it, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I want to get married in this dress,'" Lima told Insider.

The sparkly dress had a low neckline, and it was completely see-through and backless. Lima wore a nude slip underneath the dress.

"The moment I saw it was just magical," Lima told Insider of seeing herself in the dress on her wedding day.

Lima changed into a backless slip dress for her reception.

She changed into a slip dress for the reception. Juliana Kneipp

Although she loved her gold dress, Lima wanted to be able to dance with ease at her reception.

She changed into a sleek Jot Losa gown for the reception. Losa is a friend who gave Lima the dress as a wedding present.

Although it was different, the reception dress had a similar tone to Lima's first dress thanks to the backless design.

Lima's ceremony dress was heavy because of the beading, so she was grateful to have something lighter for the reception, she told Insider.

You can read more about Lima's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Ally McGown wore two custom Pnina Tornai dresses to her wedding.

She wore two custom gowns. In Focus Pro Photography, Inc.

McGown is the boutique manager for Pnina Tornai at Kleinfeld in New York City.

When it was time for McGown to get married, Tornai designed two custom dresses for her.

The off-the-shoulder gown had a cat-eye neckline, a tight bodice, and a full, lace skirt. A tulle, cross strap in the back completed the look, and the sleeves could be removed.

"I loved how romantic it was," McGown told Insider of the ceremony dress.

The second dress was covered in bling and had a keyhole back.

McGown wore a second wedding dress. In Focus Pro Photography, Inc.

The satin, mermaid-style gown was covered in crystal embellishments. The low neckline and open back gave the dress a sexy feel.

The second gown made McGown feel "really, really confident and good," she told Insider.

Plus, the outfit change was a surprise to her husband, which made the dress even more special to McGown.

You can read more about McGown's journey to find her wedding dresses here.

Madison Taylor found a wedding dress that looked just like a gown she sketched before shopping.

Madison Taylor found her dream dress. Madison Taylor

Before she even started trying on dresses, Taylor, who works in fashion, drew her ideal wedding gown, which had a full skirt and was covered in flowers.

Taylor ended up buying a Kleinfeld-exclusive Pnina Tornai dress at a sample sale that looked almost exactly like her sketch.

The dress was too big for Taylor, but she was able to get it altered so it fit her perfectly.

"It was perfect," Taylor told Insider of the gown.

The dress was covered in flowers. J. Brynnae Photography

The A-line dress had a corset bodice and was covered in delicate flowers. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were made of flowers too.

A sheer, long train completed the look.

Taylor said she was "elated" that she found something that fit her vision so well.

You can read more about Taylor's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Bijon Vaughn chose the same dress Beyonce wore to her vow renewal for her wedding.

Beyonce wore the same dress. Bijon Vaughn

Vaughn chose a form-fitting Galia Lahav gown after recognizing it from photos of Beyonce.

The dress had sheer cutouts on the thighs, as well as a see-through back panel.

Detailed embroidery covered the bodice, and Vaughn had romantic, sheer sleeves added to the gown for her ceremony. She removed the sleeves for more flexibility at her reception.

"I love the fact that it was a little sexy with the illusion," Vaughn told Insider.

Bijon told Insider that her wedding dress made her feel like "a million bucks."

She felt beautiful in the dress. Gareth Davies Photography

The gown, which gave her two looks in one, was the perfect combination of sexy and elegant, as Vaughn told Insider.

"I felt beautiful," she said. "I felt like a woman. I felt classy. I felt timeless, but I still felt young and vibrant."

You can read more about Vaughn's journey to find her wedding dress here.

Alex Throckmorton rocked a strapless, floral gown at her wedding.

Alex chose a nude gown. Feather and Twine Photography

As Alex and her wife Paige planned their Parisian-themed wedding, Alex wanted two things out of her dress: a non-traditional look and a floral element.

A nude Watters dress covered in flowers was exactly what Alex was looking for. The full trumpet skirt contrasted with a daring cutout on the bodice.

"I knew it was just meant to be," Alex said of the gown. "It was really dramatic and not your traditional wedding dress."

Paige Throckmorton's green suit complemented Alex's gown.

Paige wore a custom suit. Feather and Twine Photography

Instead of a dress, Paige decided to get Bykowski Tailor and Garb to make her a custom tuxedo for the wedding.

Paige had always wanted a custom suit, and she had been admiring the brand's work for some time before the wedding. It was the perfect occasion to make her dream a reality.

Paige and her sister designed the green, three-piece suit together. The pants and jacket were solid toned, but the lapel and vest were covered in flowers, like Alex's dress. Paige had a custom shirt made to match the ensemble as well.

"I loved getting to pick out the different materials," Paige said of designing her suit.

The floral elements tied the Throckmortons' outfits together.

The outfits worked together. Feather and Twine Photography

The Throckmortons didn't show each other their outfits ahead of the wedding, so they were happily surprised their outfits worked so well together.

"I was blown away by how beautiful she was," Paige told Insider of her wife. "I feel like our outfits just really complemented each other, but Alex stole the show."

You can read more about the Throckmortons' journey to find their wedding outfits here.

Devon Stewart Bacher opted for a chic jumpsuit for her mini-mony.

Devon Bacher wore a jumpsuit. Sasithon Photography

Bacher was originally supposed to have a big wedding in August of 2020, but she and her husband had to postpone the celebration.

They still decided to get married on their original wedding date, tying the knot with just their immediate families in attendance on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The gown Bacher selected for her big wedding wouldn't work for the smaller ceremony, so she decided to wear a white Jonathan Simkhai jumpsuit from Intermix instead. She originally planned to wear the jumpsuit to her rehearsal dinner.

The jumpsuit had a scoop neck, a chunky belt, and wide legs with cutouts that gave it a modern touch. It scooped low in the back.

Bacher told Insider she felt like the ensemble balanced retro and modern aesthetics.

She paired the jumpsuit with a pearl-covered veil.

The veil completed the look. Sasithon Photography

Bacher paired the look with a pearl-covered veil, a statement ponytail, and a pearl choker. The veil transformed the ensemble into the perfect bridal look.

"It made me feel on top of the world," Bacher said of the outfit, adding that it made her feel "powerful."

You can read more about Bachers' journey to find her wedding outfit here.

If you are in the process of shopping for your wedding dress or have photos from when you shopped and want to talk to Insider for a story, get in touch at sgrindell@insider.com.

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For the moment, put aside whether voters should still elect a county register of wills or other row officers.

Lets focus on the Lackawanna County Democratic Partys executive committee meeting Thursday where incumbent Register of Wills Fran Kovaleski gained the endorsement for a third four-year term without a challenge from former county Commissioner Patrick OMalley.

Kovaleski did not attend for health reasons, but sent county Recorder of Deeds Evie Rafalko McNulty to speak for her.

Kovaleski said Friday shes thrilled to have the endorsement.

Ive proven myself to be a real Democrat, Kovaleski said. Ive been a hard worker for the Democratic organization since Ive been a young girl.

OMalley, she pointed out, was a Democrat, switched to the Republicans, then switched back to the Democrats. She didnt mention it, but OMalley also teamed up with a Republican commissioner, Laureen Cummings, for four years, in an unusual majority, leaving his Democratic running mate, Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, effectively in the minority.

Democratic voters penalized OMalley for that by denying him renomination to the commissioners office in the 2019 primary election.

After teaming up with attorney Debi Domenick in 2019 and trying to knock off Notarianni, a former county Democratic chairman, hes back trying to take out another loyal Democrat.

He showed up at the meeting and asked executive committee members for their support on primary Election Day, May 18, but not for their endorsement. Endorsed by the executive committee for commissioner in 2015 and 2019, OMalley didnt want to put members on the spot to choose between him and Kovaleski.

Maybe he thought he didnt have the votes, but maybe he just showed his political smarts.

Weve said it before. Feel free to criticize OMalleys work as an elected official, but give him his props as a pol. Hes great at attracting attention in his political bids even if the 2019 loss sullied his record.

Whether Democratic voters buy into his latest campaign, well see.

Efforts to reach OMalley on Friday were unsuccessful.

So voters will choose row officers as usual this year, but the spat between OMalley and Kovaleski highlights why, perhaps, row office elections should disappear.

The issue is simple: OMalley says Kovaleski spends more time in Florida than doing her job. Kovaleski says thats untrue, that she works even when shes on vacation and never takes more time off than the five weeks allowed to her most senior employees.

Its hard to dispute that this issue wouldnt exist if the commissioners hired the person who makes sure wills get registered. Commissioners Jim Wansacz and Corey OBrien tried to do away with electing the register of wills, sheriff, recorder of deeds and clerk of judicial records in 2013, but voters rejected it. Luzerne County voters did away with most row officers years ago. We havent heard of any problems that followed.

On to the other big endorsement, county common pleas court judge. The party endorsed Magisterial District Judge Paul Ware over attorney Mary Walsh Dempsey. Lackawanna County Democratic Chairman Chris Patrick said he had to bar the other candidate, attorney Nisha Arora, from appearing because shes a registered Republican. The county Democratic bylaws forbid non-Democrats from appearing, Patrick said.

Efforts to reach Ware were unsuccessful.

Dempsey issued a statement about not receiving the endorsement.

I knew going into the Democratic meeting that the good old political network had been making back-room deals all week and that the decision was basically made before I even I walked in the room. Nonetheless, I fairly asked for an open primary to allow the voters to decide who is the best candidate. This was obviously denied by design. My judicial campaign moves forward stronger, and more invigorated than ever, with the belief that back-room politics, which have been prevalent in this area for so long, must finally come to an end.

Patrick, who prefers avoiding endorsements in contested primaries, says a committee member who favored endorsement told him the executive committee should decide whether to endorse. The committee decided to endorse and chose Ware, Patrick said.

Arora said she understood the bylaws shutting her out, but called Democratic executive committee members to introduce herself anyway.

Rules are rules, she said. Im running for judge. I respect the rules.

Senators differ on Levine

In case you missed it, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey voted no, and Sen. Bob Casey voted yes Wednesday on confirming former Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.

We note it here because it was a historic vote. Levine is the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate.

In a statement last month, Casey called Levine exactly the kind of crisis-tested leader our nation needs at HHS during this difficult time.

From her time as a nationally renowned physician to her work as Pennsylvanias secretary of health, Dr. Levine has established a track record of results that will serve our nation well in this important role, Casey said. She is a leader who has worked to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians.

Toomey didnt say anything about Levines transgender background either.

In Pennsylvania, the pandemic struck seniors in nursing homes disproportionately hard compared to other states. This was due in part to poor decisions and oversight by Dr. Levine and the Wolf administration, he said in his statement. Moreover, the commonwealths extended economic lockdown that Dr. Levine advocated for was excessive, arbitrary in nature, and has led to a slower recovery. While I appreciate Dr. Levines service and responsiveness to my office over the past year, she has not earned a promotion to help lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and I cannot support her confirmation.

BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, The Times-Tribune politics reporter, writes Random Notes.
MAIN Street Project is closing its temporary Disraeli Freeway shelter, reducing the overall number of beds it can offer to the homeless.

MAIN Street Project is closing its temporary Disraeli Freeway shelter, reducing the overall number of beds it can offer to the homeless.

The social-services agency is moving its entire operation to a new location in the former Mitchell Fabrics building at Main Street and Logan Avenue.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSP moved its shelter and drop-in services from 75 Martha St. to 190 Disraeli last May while the Main Street building was being renovated.

The Disraeli buildings owner donated the space on a temporary basis last April to provide more space for the vulnerable during the pandemic. But last fall, he began to charge rent  money the shelter didnt have to spare.

Although MSP is now moving out of that space, executive director Jamil Mahmood said Friday he was grateful to the buildings owner for stepping up.

"That action to create shelter, over 200 beds from what we had previously that definitely saved lives and kept the number of COVID (cases) down. Were way below any projection anticipated in our sector," he said.

The shelters capacity on Martha Street was 70.

A source who works within the social-services sector said it doesnt make sense why the temporary location would be closed now, while the pandemic continues to rage.

"I find it really curious we are shuttering programs during a pandemic when we dont really know yet whether were on the verge of a third wave because of the (highly contagious variant virus strains)," the source said.

"The pandemic has not been declared over, were still in the red zone... We need to hang on to those resources for now."

Main Street Project opened its new location in mid-December, but at the time only men were able to sleep in its 120 physically distanced overnight beds. Women continued to stay in the 60 beds left at 190 Disraeli.

"Were very aware theres a need for a female-identified shelter," Mahmood said.

In a memo to staff, Mahmood said that as of Thursday, the shelter will have 120 combined  90 male, 30 female  beds at the Main Street facility, along with some space for couples.

On an "average night were seeing 130 to 150 people, so there will be a slight reduction (in capacity)," Mahmood said. "Were not anticipating that it will cause any huge gaps."

He said in his memo the move means the shelter needs to renew its focus on encouraging people to exit shelters.

"This reduction in beds means that we will continue to work with our community partners to triage and redirect people when possible," Mahmood wrote.

"Now more than ever, it is important for Main Street Project to realign some of its philosophy to encourage people when and where they can to focus on exiting the shelter system into appropriate housing suitable to their self-determined needs."

Meanwhile, the Salvation Army is renovating 16 suites in one of its buildings into supported housing specifically for women, after receiving funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.s rapid housing initiative.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Anyone crossing the land border from France into Spain will have to present a negative PCR taken in the last 72 hours, the Spanish government's official bulletin said on Saturday.

The measure, which takes effect on Tuesday, comes as Spain ramps up restrictions in the hope it can avoid a surge in cases over Holy Week, which begins this weekend.

It is the first time such a requirement has been imposed on those crossing the land border between the two countries; until now, it has only been required of arrivals by air.

"They must have a PCR test (RT-PCR), a TMA test or another type of diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 based on equivalent molecular techniques, with a negative result, carried out in the 72 hours prior to arrival," the bulletin said.

Only those working in transportation and cross-border workers will be exempt, along with those who live in the border zone as long as they remain within a 30-kilometre (18-mile) radius of their home.

Until mid-March, the number of infections had been steadily falling in Spain but has started to climb again, with government figures showing 7,586 new cases in 24 hours on Friday, raising the overall number to 3,255,324 and more than 75,000 deaths.

In France, however, daily cases have nearly doubled since the start of the month, reaching over 45,000 on Thursday, raising the overall number around 4,466,000 with more than 93,000 deaths.

With its bars and restaurants open and 11:00 pm curfew, Madrid has become a sought-after destination for leisure-starved Europeans, particularly those from France.

But the reality has angered Spaniards, who have been subjected to tight internal travel restrictions for months preventing them from leaving their own regions.

The ban has caused particular upset over Holy Week, a hugely popular holiday when people routinely travel to see family.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
The title of this piece[1] was adapted from an article by Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov and former Undersecretary of State Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller. Ambassador Antonov was writing not as a private citizen but as a senior official of a hostile foreign government. It contained distortions typical of Russian information operations, claimed that the New START Treaty was "THE GOLD STANDARD" of arms control, and ended with the suggestion that the U.S. government should adopt the Russian position: "Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that the Russian side is ready to extend New START without any preconditions. There is nothing stopping U.S. President Donald Trump from immediately announcing the same."[2] It represented opposition to the Trump administration's quite reasonable approach to bringing China into the negotiation, closing the loopholes in the New START Treaty, and enhancing the inadequate verification regime.

In January 2021, the Biden administration extended the New START Treaty for five years without changes.[3] The outcome was so much in Russias interest that both houses of the Russian parliament promptly approved it unanimously.[4] Senator Tom Cotton observed, President Biden is giving Vladimir Putin a gift by unconditionally extending the New START treaty.[5] A five-year extension is particularly foolish in light of the Biden administration's apparent intent to engage in arms control negotiations with Putin's Russia.[6] It eliminates U.S. leverage without any concession from Russia as the Trump administration tried to obtain.

Even the Obama administration did not seek to extend the New START Treaty; rather, in 2013, President Obama proposed to build on New START by negotiating a new agreement that would reduce nuclear forces one-third from the New START level.[7] Toward the end of the Obama administration, then-Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Scher noted, Russia remains in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and remains unreceptive to the Presidents offer to negotiate further reductions in strategic nuclear weapons below the limits of the New START Treaty.[8] There is no mystery why Russia wanted to extend New START without changes. Russia got exactly what it wanted in New START  large loopholes to exploit and a dramatic reduction in the START Treaty's verification regime (START I).[9]

Prior to his article with Secretary Gottemoeller, Ambassador Antonov in April 2019 asserted before the Arms Control Association that the new nuclear weapons that Mr. Putin has presented recently, I would just like to say [to] you that its not subject of this [the New START] treaty.[10] No one at this meeting challenged his obviously faulty treaty interpretation, which would gut the New START Treaty. Antonovs statement would exclude from coverage the new Sarmat heavy ICBM, one of Putins new nuclear superweapons weapons. In December 2019, Russia announced a large expansion of the planned Sarmat force to 20 regiments of ICBMs, which represents 120-200 deployed missiles and up to 4,000 deployed nuclear warheads.[11]

On occasion, Russia has suggested it would be willing to discuss the inclusion of Putin's nuclear superweapons in the context of the Treaty. In February 2020, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, Weve already said that our military is ready to consider at least a part of these weapons, such as Avangard and Sarmat, as subjects of this Treaty.[12] In May 2020, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia would be willing to discuss Russias advanced weapon systems on condition of discussing the American missile shield system in detail.[13] I certainly would not take these Russian statements to the bank (they are likely playing bait and switch, and certainly Russia will try to attach unacceptable conditions).

Secretary Gottemoeller is a controversial figure. Double hatted as Chief Negotiator of the New START Treaty and Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and Verification, she had unprecedented authority. Distrust of her developed when she interacted with Senators. A letter signed by over 40 senators challenged her handling of the missile defense issue in New START. The letter reigned her in, but the damage had been done, and the Obama administration continued to falsely claim the New START treaty did not limit missile defense.[14]

There was very strong opposition to her confirmation as Under Secretary of State by Republican Senators. According to the Arms Control Association, 42 Republican Senators voted against her confirmation because of concerns that the Obama administration had dragged its feet in informing them about Russias possible violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.[15] It reported that a senior Obama administration official acknowledged the delay but tried "blaming bureaucracy for the delay," saying "the clearance process took longer than I would have liked."[16] This was a rather disingenuous argument. Indeed, three State Department non-compliance reports prepared by Secretary Gottemoellers bureau between 2011 and 2013 were quite misleading. All these reports said, The Parties to the [INF] Treaty last met in the Special Verification Commission in October 2003. There were no issues raised during this reporting period.[17] The July 2013 Noncompliance report did not even say in a footnoted what the State Department later revealed, that in May 2013, The Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Gottemoeller raises U.S. concerns [with INF treaty compliance] with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabakov.[18] In January 2014, Michael Gordon, then with The New York Times, reported that we know about the INF Treaty compliance issue in 2011.[19]

Even after Michael Gordon broke the story, confirmed by the State Department, that, The United States informed its NATO allies this month that Russia had tested a new ground-launched cruise missile, raising concerns about Moscows compliance with a landmark arms control accord,[20] Gottemoeller, then-Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, delivered a speech entitled Arms Control Priorities in 2014 and Beyond, which did not say a word about INF Treaty non-compliance or Russian non-compliance in general.[21]

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) characterized her track record as one of prioritizing getting a deal over defending our national security interests, and said, this nomination poses an unacceptable risk in a dangerous time.[22] There was concern that she supported unilateral reductions in U.S. nuclear capability.[23]

The Biden administrations decision to extend the New START Treaty without changes.[24] This is a bad decision that likely will make it impossible to obtain any future arms control agreements with Russia. If it does and makes the same mistakes the Obama administration made in New START, it will negotiate an unratifiable treaty because of its negative implications for national security.

Misrepresenting New START Limitations

Secretary Gottemoeller has a record of inaccurately describing the limits contained in the New START Treaty. In September 2017, Secretary Gottemoeller, then the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, stated, So they [Russia] will be constrained to 500 delivery vehicles, 500 delivery vehicles and no more, and that means 1,550 operationally deployed warheads, no more.[25] There is no 500 limit on delivery vehicles in the New START Treaty, and it contains no limit at all on

operationally deployed warheads. (Operationally deployed warheads was the bomber weapon counting rule in the 2002 Moscow Treaty negotiated by the Bush administration.) The three New START Treaty limits, as recently described by the State Department, are 1,550 deployed warheads (with bomber weapons counted a one per aircraft irrespective of how many warheads they can actually carry), 700 deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and heavy bombers.[26] According to Colonel General (ret.) Viktor Yesin, former commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Russia wanted 500 deployed delivery vehicles while the U.S. wanted 1,100.[27]

Secretary Gottemoeller has consistently avoided facing the implications of what counting a full bomber load of nuclear cruise missiles (or in the near future hypersonic weapons) under New START as one warhead really is. In 2010, Arms control enthusiast Hans Kristensen of the Federation of the American Scientist said it was totally nuts because it frees up a large pool of warhead spaces under the treaty limit that enable each country to deploy many more warheads than would otherwise be the case[28] Russian Major General (ret.) Vladimir Dvorkin pointed out, Firstly, it [the New START Treaty] does not provide a real reduction of strategic offensive armaments by the number of nuclear warheads as compared with the Moscow Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty [SORT] of 2002 due to the new rules in counting nuclear armaments of heavy bombers: one heavy bomberone warhead.[29] For example, the new Russian Tu-160M2 bombers, at least 50 of which are planned, will each count as one nuclear warhead but can carry 12 nuclear missiles.[30] The existing Tu-160s carry the same number, and the Tu-95 Bear can carry between 6 and 16 nuclear missiles.[31] In his 2010 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, former Under Secretary of State Dr. Robert Joseph concluded that "Because bombers, no matter what they are loaded with, are counted as 'one,' both parties could increase deployed warheads beyond 2,200 [the maximum number of deployed warheads allowed under the 2002 Moscow Treaty].[32] Indeed, in 2018, Hans M. Kristensen and Robert S. Norris estimated that Russia had 2,522 deployed strategic nuclear warheads.[33]

Ambassador Antonov and Secretary Gottemoeller spoke only about the limit on deployed warheads and deployed delivery vehicles. Russia was below both of these limits on the day that the new START Treaty went into effect.[34] Thus, the only reduction in these categories was made by the United States.

Because of the New START Treaty's loopholes, there is no real limit on the number of strategic-range nuclear warheads that can be deployed other than affordability. Four of Putins six nuclear superweapons do not count against the New START Treaty limits -- the Poseidon nuclear-powered nuclear-armed drone submarine, the Tsirkon powered hypersonic missile, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, and the nuclear powered nuclear-armed cruise missile.[35] No cruise missile is numerically limited under New START. Extending New START keeps these loopholes in effect.

There are issues of Russian non-compliance with the New START Treaty. In March 2011, state-run Ria Novosti reported that Russia had over 400 ICBMs.[36] On numerous occasions between 2013 and 2017, Colonel General Karakayev stated that the Strategic Missile Force had 400 ICBMs, a much larger number of deployed ICBMs and nuclear warheads than is allowed under the New START Treaty in light of Russian data declarations.[37] In December 2019, Russian state media again reported that "Spread around the country in silos and on truck-mountable containers are about 400 ICBMs, each with multiple nuclear warheads as their payload.[38] The problem is that Russia can't have more than about 300 deployed ICBMs under its New START Treaty data declarations, which are made public. Colonel General Karakayevs statements suggest a covert ICBM force, a major New START Treaty violation. We do not monitor the production or the elimination of Russian mobile ICBMs under New START as we did under the original START Treaty. Indeed, there is no New START Treaty limit on non-deployed mobile ICBMs, which creates major cheating and breakout potential.[39]

In December 2018, Colonel General Karakayev said that the nuclear potentials of the sides have [been] reduced more than 66% since the signing of START I.[40] This is a major departure from the normal Russian position. At the United Nations in April 2018, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the U.N Dmitry Polyanskiy declared that "Russia cut its nuclear arsenal by over 85 percent as compared to its stockpiles at the height of the Cold War."[41] If one uses the reported late Soviet number of over 10,000 deployed strategic nuclear warheads for the calculation,[42] the difference between an 85% reduction and a 66% reduction is almost 2,000 strategic nuclear warheads above the supposed New START Treaty allowed level of 1,550. This is only possible if there is Russian cheating, presumably with mobile ICBMs.

Facilitating Treaty Breakout

In December 2019, Secretary Gottemoeller argued in favor of the extension of the New START Treaty because "the Russians could rapidly add several hundred more warheads, some say up to a thousand warheads, to their existing deployments of ICBMs without deploying a single additional missile.[43] (It could be thousands in light of the Sarmat program.) New START is the cause of this problem, not the defense against it. The New START Treaty omitted the original START Treaty's many provisions designed to prevent or limit a Treaty breakout. These include: 1) provisions that limited the number of warheads that could be tested on each type of ICBM and SLBM; 2) a throw-weight (missile payload) limit on the entire strategic missile force; 3) limits on the throw-weight of individual missile types (ICBM sand SLBMs); 4) the near abolition of the New START Treaty requirements regarding the provision of missile telemetry (which provides information on the technical characteristics of missiles); 5) the START Treaty warhead attribution rules; 6) limitations on downloading (reducing the number of accountable warheads); 7) provisions for the monitoring of the number of mobile ICBMs produced; and 8) the prohibition on the creation of new types of heavy ICBMs and SLBMs (thus we now face the Sarmat threat).[44]

Article V of the New START Treaty (2010) and Article V of the original START Treaty (1992) have the same function  listing types of weapons systems and capabilities that are prohibited. Article V of the New START has 125 words. Article V of the original START Treaty contains 1,863 words. Thus, the START Treaty prohibitions related to limiting breakout and cheating were completely eliminated from the New START Treaty.

Breakout and cheating are actually the opposite sides of the same coin. The same New START Treaty provisions that facilitate breakout also facilitate cheating, and the New START Treaty verification regime is only a pale reflection of what was in the START Treaty.[45]

New START Treaty Verification

In Secretary Gottemoellers joint article with Ambassador Antonov and in her later article on the New START Treaty's verification, the effectiveness of the New START verification regime is greatly exaggerated. The sad fact is that no inspection conducted under the New START Treaty can prove a treaty violation as distinct from every inspection conducted under the original START Treaty. As former Under Secretary of State John Bolton observed, we have lost important START requirements for on-site inspections, telemetry exchanges, and production monitoring.[46]

Secretary Gottemoeller states, New START made good use of what worked in previous treaties, but it did not perpetuate problems encountered in implementing those treaties.[47] This apparently refers to the elimination in New START of START Treaty provisions the Russians had violated, thus reducing the verification regime. According to the Obama administration, the most common Russian violation of the START Treaty involved mobile ICBMs and telemetry provisions;[48] these requirements were nearly eliminated in New START.

Verifying the Number of Deployed Nuclear Warheads

The New START Treaty limit of 1,550 deployed warheads is not real and not verifiable with regard to ballistic missile warheads. Even with the full START Treaty verification regime, verifying the number of deployed warheads was difficult.[49] This was made worse by Russian violation of the procedures for warhead inspection. It prevented verification that no more than the allowed number of warheads (reentry vehicles) were deployed on the inspected missiles.[50] In 2010, then-Senator Christopher Bond noted that, The Select Committee on Intelligence has been looking at this issue closely over the past several months. As the vice chairman of this committee, I have reviewed the key intelligence on our ability to monitor this Treaty and heard from our intelligence professionals. There is no doubt in my mind that the United States cannot reliably verify the Treaty's 1,550 limit on deployed warheads."[51] He pointed out that since any missile under New START could carry any number of warheads, and the number of missile inspections was very low (10 per year), there was no way to prove a violation. Secretary Gottemoeller defends the elimination of START Treaty attribution rules, which provided accountable warhead numbers for each type of missile, claiming New START's "streamlined proceduresmake inspections reliable in confirming information that the Russians provide to the United States[52] This may be true for the inspection of ten missiles, but it prevents any inspection from being able to prove a Treaty violation (Russian deployment of over 1,550 accountable warheads) because of the absence of attribution rules (i.e., any observed deployed missiles is automatically counted as a specific number of warheads). Without attribution rules, National Technical Means of Verification cant count the total number of warheads accountable on Russian missiles. Moreover, it is possible to verify the warhead numbers even on the inspected missiles only if the Russians do not violate verification procedures in the manner they did under the START Treaty. Former Assistant Secretary of State Paula De Sutter has pointed out:

The New START treaty's verification measures add nothing to what was there

before in the original START treaty. They are using the original START Reentry Vehicle

On-Site Inspection regime, complete with all of the same shrouds and covers that were

used during the original START, some of which we found to violate the Treaty because

we couldn't confirm the number of Reentry Vehicles (R.V.s). And those are all still

permitted.[53]

Russian cheating with covert mobile ICBMs is facilitated by the fact that the New START Treaty omitted almost the entire START Treaty verification regime for mobile ICBMs.[54] Most significantly, permanent on-site monitoring of mobile ICBM production was omitted. Even with the comprehensive START Treaty verification regime, the Senate Select Committee report on the monitoring of the START Treaty concluded that " U.S. intelligence will have less than high confidence in its monitoring of such areas as non-deployed mobile ICBMs."[55] If we cant verify the number of deployed mobile ICBMs, we cant verify the number of deployed warheads.

Ambassador Antonov and Secretary Gottemoeller put a lot of emphasis on the number of notifications made under the New START Treaty, specifically mentioning a missile is going to a maintenance facility They don't tell the reader that maintenance facilities were dropped from the list of inspectable facilities in New START or that the number of notifications under New START was dramatically reduced compared to the original START Treaty. Russian Major General (ret.) Vladimir Dvorkin noted the reduction in the number of notifications was from 152 under START to 42 under New START, and the number of inspections was reduced from 28 to 18.[56]

The New START Telemetry Regime

Telemetry is the diagnostic measurements that are broadcast from ballistic missiles during flight

testing. Access to unencrypted telemetry from ballistic missile test flights was one of the

START Treaty's key achievements. According to Secretary Gottemoeller and Ambassador Antonov, we exchange telemetry from a selection of missiles launched on an annual basis.[57] The truth is that we went from the exchange of telemetry from every launch in the START Treaty to up to five a year in the New START Treaty, and by a subsequent agreement (under Gottemoellers watch), the exchange was limited to one launch a year.[58] Former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Wolsey has recognized the fact that New START made it "free to encrypt telemetry" and that this was one of the key verification problems in the Treaty.[59] Moreover, the Russian resolution of ratification prohibits providing telemetry of any modern system. The Heritage Foundation has accurately summed up the provisions for the original START Treaty (START I) telemetry and compared them to those in New START:

The START I Treaty required the broadcast of telemetry from every flight test and the provision of telemetry tapes and interpretive data from every flight test. In contrast, New START requires telemetry from at most five flight tests per year. Agreement on the precise number of telemetry exchanges and for which flight tests telemetry will be provided will occur in the Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC). Moscow will be free to determine which of its flight tests it will select to meet this goal. The Russians are likely to provide telemetry data on Russia's aging missiles' flight tests rather than from its development tests of new ICBMs and SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles).

The START I Treaty contained very strong restrictions on the encryption of telemetry. These have been eliminated for New START. Thus, it is clearly legal to encrypt all telemetry for every flight test for which a party does not intend to provide telemetry tapes. This is very likely to be the case for all flight tests for new development or modern Russian ICBMs and SLBMs. Our understanding of the new and modified Russian missiles is, therefore, likely to decline dramatically over time. This will have profound implications.[60]

Conclusion

The New START Treaty is the worst arms control Treaty negotiated since the 1970s. It is not a viable base tor a new agreement. The reductions in deployed warheads and delivery systems mandated by the Treaty were entirely by the U.S. The Treaty is loaded with loopholes that Russia is exploiting, and the verification regime was seriously degraded. According to press reports, When Putin raised the possibility of extending the 2010 treaty, known as New START, [President] Trump paused to ask his aides in an aside what the Treaty was, these sources said. Trump then told Putin the treaty was one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama administration, saying that New START favored Russia.[61] He was correct. There are very serious implications of this for future negotiations with Russia.

Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. Before his retirement from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, Dr. Schneider served in a number of senior positions within the Office of Secretary of Defense for Policy including Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and Verification Policy, Director for Strategic Arms Control Policy and Representative of the Secretary of Defense to the Nuclear Arms Control Implementation Commissions. He also served in the senior Foreign Service as a Member of the State Department Policy Planning Staff.

Notes:

[1] Iron pyrite is commonly called fools gold.

[2] Anatoly Antonov and Rose Gottemoeller, Keeping Peace in the Nuclear Age -- Why Washington and Moscow Must Extend the New START Treaty, Foreign Affairs, April 29, 2020, available at https://www.foreignaffairs. com/articles/united-states/2020-04-29/keeping-peace-nuclear-age.

[3] New START extension enters into force. TASS, February 3, 2021, available at https://tass.com/politics/1252323.

[4] Robert Burns, Renewed US-Russia nuke pact won't fix emerging arms threats, The Telegraph, January 28, 2021, available at https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Renewed-US-Russia-nuke-pact-won-t-fix-emerging-15904188.php.

[6] Stephanie Nebehay, Biden to pursue arms control, seeks to engage China: U.S. envoy, Reuters, February 4, 2021, available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-newstart-idUSKBN2A417F.

[7] Roberta Rampton, Stephen Brown, Obama challenges Russia to agree to deeper nuclear weapon cuts, Reuters June 19, 2013, available at https://www.reuters.com/article/us-obama-berlin-nuclear/obama-challenges-russia-to-agree-to-deeper-nuclear-weapon-cuts-idUSBRE95J01K20130620.

[8] Statement of Robert Scher, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces March 2, 2016, p. 3, available at http://docs.house.gov/meetings /AS/AS29/20160302/104619/HHRG-114-AS29-Wstate-ScherR-20160302.pdf.

[9] New START Working Group, An Independent Assessment of the New START Treaty, The Heritage Foundation, April 30, 2010, available at http://www.heritageorg/Research/Reports/2010/04/An-Independent -Assessment-of-New-START-Treaty.: New START: Potemkin Village Verification, (Washington D.C.: The Heritage Foundation, June 24, 20100, available at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/06/new-start-potemkin-villageverification?query=New+START: +Potemkin+Village+Verification.

[10] New Risks and New Arms Control Solutions: North Korea, Disruptive Technologies, and the New Arms Race, Arms Control Association, April 15, 2019, available at https://www.armscontrol.org/armscontrol2019.: Russias new strategic weapons dont fall under limits of New START Treaty, says envoy, TASS, April 15, 2019, available at http://tass.com/defense/1053781.

[11] Mark B Schneider, Russian Modernization of Its ICBM Force, Real Clear Defense, April 23, 2020, available at https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/04/23/russianmodernizationofitsicbmforce115224.html.

[12] Russia/Iran/United States: FM: Russia Ready to Extend New START Arms Control Treaty, Negotiate on New Weapons, Yet US Ignores Offers, Asia News Monitor, February 11, 2020, available at https://dialog.Proquest .com/professional/professionalnewsstand/docview/2352675678/fulltext/16FD941B9FF2478E747/13?accountid=155509&site=professionalnewsstand&t:ac=16FD941B9FF2478E747/1&t:cp=maintain/resultcitationblocksbrief&t:zoneid=transactionalZone17073c0965b.

[13] "Russia to discuss its new weapon systems only along with U.S. missile shield says diplomat," TASS, May 22, 2020, available at https://tass.com/defense/1159453.

[14] Keith Payne, Evaluating the U.S.-Russia Nuclear Deal, The Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2010, available at http: //nipp.org/National%20Institute%20Press/Current%20Publications/PDF/WSJ%20Payne%20Article%20April%202010.pdf.

[15] Tom Z. Collina, Gottemoeller Confirmed by Senate, Arms Control Association, no date, available at https:// www.armscontrol.org/act/2014-04/gottemoeller-confirmed-senate.

[17] Adherence to and Compliance With Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of State, July 12, 2013), available at https://2009-2017. state.gov/t/avc/rls/rpt/2013/211884.htm.

[18] U.S. Department of State, Timeline of Highlighted U.S. Diplomacy Regarding the INF Treaty Since 2013, Fact Sheet, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of State, July 30, 2019), available at https://www.state. gov/timeline-of-highlighted-u-s-diplomacy-regarding-the-inf-treaty-since-2013/.

[19] Michael Gordon, U.S. Says Russia Tested Missile, Despite Treaty, The New York Times, January 29, 2014, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/world/europe/us-says-russia-tested-missile-despite-treaty.html.

[20] Ibid.: Jen Psaki Spokesperson, Daily Press Briefing, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, January 30, 2014), available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/01/221045.htm.

[21] Rose Gottemoeller, Arms Control Priorities in 2014 and Beyond, Exchange Monitors Sixth Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit Arlington, VA February 14, 2014, available https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/us/2014/221662.htm.

[22] Cruz: On the nomination of Rose Gottemoeller to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Chron.com, March 6, 2014, available at https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pearland/ opinion/article/ Cruz-On-the-nomination-of-Rose-Gottemoeller-to-9945152.php.

[23] GOP Senators Press Gottemoeller on Prospect of Unilateral Arms Control, National Journal, September 26, 2013, available at https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-senators-press-gottemoeller-prospect-unilateral-arms-control-010204256--politics.html.

[24] New START extension enters into force, TASS, February 3, 2021, available at https://tass.com/politics/1252323.

[25] Remarks by NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller at the panel discussion Global nuclear governance: Quo Vadis?' at the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), Slovenia, NATO, September 5, 2017, available at http://nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_146617.htm?selectedLocale=en.

[26] U.S. Department of State, New START, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of State, no date), available at https://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/index.htm.

[27] Mark B. Schneider, New START: The Anatomy of a Failed Negotiation, (Fairfax Va.: National Institute Press, July 2012), p. 45, available at http://www.nipp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/New-start.pdf.

[28] Peter Baker, Arms Control May Be Different on Paper and on the Ground, The New York Times, March 30, 2010, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/world/europe/31start.html.

[29] New START Enables Russia To Keep Nuclear Balance with U.S., Interfax AVN, December 23, 2010, available at http://business.highbeam.com/407705/article-1G1-245176770/new-start-enables-russia.

[30] Ibid.: PAK DA's Precursor, Russian Tu-160M2 Bomber to Get Universal Anti-Missile Shield, Sputnik News, January 21, 2017, available at https://sputniknews.com/military/201701211049858468-tu-160m2-missile-defense-pak-da/.; Marissa Papatola, Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces Under New START, Arms Control Association, March 12, 2018, available at https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Russian-Strategic-Nuclear-Forces-Under-New-START.

[31] Hans M. Kristensen & Matt Korda, United States nuclear forces, 2020, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, January 13, 2020, available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00963402.2019.1701286.

[32] THE NEW START TREATY (TREATY DOC. 1115) HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION APRIL 29, MAY 18, 19, 25, JUNE 10, 15, 16, 24, AND JULY 15, 2010, p. 357, available at http: //foreign.senate.gov/treaties/details/?id=1668ace8-5056-a032-526a-29c8fc32e1dc.

[33] Hans M. Kristensen & Robert S. Norris, Russian nuclear forces, 2018, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, April 30, 2018, p. 186, available at https://thebulletin.org/2018/05/russian-nuclear-forces-2018/.

[34] Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Russian and U.S. Strategic Offensive Arms (Fact Sheet)," Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, June 27, 2011, available at http://www.mid. ru/brp_4.nsf/0/55016EBF86 9728C1C32578BD0058B349.: U.S. Department of State, New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms, U.S. Department of State, June 1, 2011, available at http://www.state.gov/t/avc/rls/164722.htm.

[35] Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, Kremlin.ru, March 1, 2018, available at http://en.kremlin.ru/ events/president/news/56957.: Presidential Address to Federal Assembly, Kremlin.ru, February 20, 2019, available at http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59863.; Joe Gould, U.S. nuclear general worries over Russia's weapons outside New START, Defense News, February 28, 2019, available at https://www.Defensen ews.com/smr/nucleararsenal/2019/02/26/us-nuclear-general-worries-over-russias- weapons-outside-new-start/.; US State Department Says Russia's Sarmat ICBM, Avangard Would be Subject to New START, Sputnik, May 15, 2019, available at https://dialog.proquest.com/professional/professionalnew sstand/docview/2225164993/fulltext/ 16A3BBC046B4F382BD7/1?accountid=155509&site=professionalnewsstand&t:ac=16A3BBC046B4F382BD7/1&t:cp= maintain/resultcitationblocksbrief&t:zoneid=transactionalZone16ad63acf70.

[38] Worlds end at their fingertips: Russian troops in charge of ground-launched ICBMs celebrate 60th anniversary, R.T., December 17, 2018, available at https://www.rt.com/search?q=400+RVSN&type=.

[39] Schneider, New START: The Anatomy of a Failed Negotiation, op. cit. p. 10, 16, 34.

[40] U.S. to seek ways of leveling capacities of Russian strategic nuclear forces - Gen. Karakayev, Interfax, December 17, 2018, available at https://dialog.proquest.com/professional/professionalnewsstand/docview/215783 3980/fulltext/170A12F3A8169524B30/1?accountid=155509&site=professionalnewsstand&t:ac=170A12F3A8169524B30/1&t:cp=maintain/resultcitationblocksbrief&t:zoneid=transactionalZone1713bae0b2d.

[41] "Statement by Mr. Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the U.N., during General Debate at the U.N. Disarmament Commission 2018," Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, April 2, 2018, available at http://russiaun.ru/en/news/desarm0204.

[42] FACTBOX  Strategic Missile Forces Day in Russia, Sputnik, December 17, 2018, available at https://dialog .proquest.com/professional/professionalnewsstand/docview/2157472585/fulltext/170A13075F1754EEEB6/1? accountid=155509&site=professionalnewsstand&t:ac=170A1307 5F1754EEEB6/1&t:cp=maintain/resultcit ationblocksbrief&t:zoneid=transactionalZone_1713baf472d.

[43] US May Lose Nuclear Parity With Russia Without START - Ex-NATO Deputy Chief, Sputnik, December 6, 2019, available at https://dialog.proquest.com/professional/professional newsstand/docview/2321933850/ fulltext/16E4CBE4E1D213FDCE5/3?accountid=155509&site=professionalnewsstand&t:ac=16E4CBE4E 1D213FDCE5/1&t:cp=maintain/resultcitationblocksbrief&t:zoneid=transactionalZone_16ee73d1b23.

[44] New START: Potemkin Village Verification, op. cit.: Senator Christopher Bond, The New START Treaty. The Congressional Record, November 18, 2010, available at http: /www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r 111:34:./temp/ ~r111MwN34p.; James Woolsey, Old Problems with New START, Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2010, available at http://www.sroblog.com/2010/11/15/r-james-woolsey-old-problems - with-new-start-wsj/.; Schneider, New START: The Anatomy of a Failed Negotiation, op. cit., pp. 5-9, 12.

[45] Mark B. Schneider, Russia Nuclear Breakout and the New START Treaty, Real Clear Defense, January 14, 2020, available at https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/01/14/russianuclearbreakoutandthenew start _treaty_114973.html.

[46] John R. Bolton, A Treaty for Utopia, National Review Online, May 3, 2010, available at http://article.national review.com/431722/a-treaty-for-utopia/john-r-bolton?page=4.

[48] The New START Treaty (Treaty Doc. 1115), op. cit., p. 262.

[49] Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, CAPABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE START TREATY, (Washington D.C.: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, September 29, 1992), p. 3, available at https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/publications/102431. pdf.

[50] Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control and Nonproliferation Agreements and Commitments, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of State, August 2005), pp 12-13, available at http://www.state.gov/t/avc/rls/ rpt/c15720.htm.

[51] Bond, The New START Treaty. op. cit.

[52] Gottemoeller, The New START verification regime: How good is it?, op. cit.

[53] Paula DeSutter, Verification and the New START Treaty, (Washington D.C.: The Heritage Foundation, July 12, 2010, available at http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/verification-and-the-new-start-treaty.

[54] New START: Potemkin Village Verification, op. cit.

[55] CAPABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE START TREATY, op cit., p. 3.

[56] Cited in Schneider, New START: The Anatomy of a Failed Negotiation, op. cit., p. iii.

[57] Antonov and Gottemoeller, Keeping Peace in the Nuclear Age -- Why Washington and Moscow Must Extend the New START Treaty, op. cit.

[58] ANNUAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW START TREATY, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of State, 2013) p. p 5, available at January 2013), p. 5, available at https://2009-2017.state.gov/ documents/organization/212101.pdf.

[59] R. James Woolsey, Old Problems with New START, Wall Street Journal, November 15, 2010, available at http://www. sroblog.com/2010/11/15/r-james-woolsey-old-problems-with-new-start-wsj/.

[60] New START: Potemkin Village Verification, op. cit.
One of the most interesting reads in a long time was an interview with deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill  and there wasnt a single line about party politics.

Instead she was talking about becoming a mum at the age of 16, and it was the story of a teenager coping with a dramatic change in her life that proved so riveting.

But it was also because we were getting a fascinating insight into a very different Mrs ONeill.

This wasnt the Sinn Fein politician on the steps of Stormont issuing statements on the partys policy position on this and that.

Nor was it one of those hostile interviews with a public figure, setting out to examine a career trajectory, with a bristling writer chipping away at a carefully constructed persona.

No, this was Michelle ONeill talking at length about what had happened to her as a young woman in the early Nineties when she found herself engulfed by circumstances many would dread to find themselves in.

Reflecting upon her teenage pregnancy from the vantage point of being 44, she said: You are still a child yourself really when you look back.

She didnt reveal how her parents initially reacted when she first told them, but she did acknowledge that they were very supportive. She went on: Quite often people are left isolated and dont have that kind of network of support.

Perhaps unsurprisingly some at the Catholic grammar school where she was studying werent thrilled by her news.

It wasnt a good experience... you were nearly made to feel girls like you cant be at school, that kind of a thing.

In the later months of pregnancy during her GCSEs and no longer able to fit into her uniform, she had to travel to school in her own clothes. Once, she forgot her bus pass and the driver fought with me that I wasnt actually a pupil at the school.

How excruciating this would have been for a young woman, already self-conscious about her changing figure, singled out for this sort of attention. When she finally made it to school she was treated like a plague.

She revealed: I remember coming home that day and I walked through my front door and I fell on the floor and I collapsed and I cried. Ill never forget that experience and I thought nobody will ever treat me like this again.

To her credit, Mrs ONeill went back to school after having daughter Saoirse, now 27, and sat A-levels. Her own mother gave up work to enable her to continue with her schooling.

While Mrs ONeill is adamant that things were very different in 1993 than today, there are still those who would recognise and identify with some of her experiences and take some comfort that life will still hold many opportunities for them.

One of the most encouraging aspects of Michelle ONeills journey is that is illustrates how life isnt set in stone, but is fluid with the potential for new opportunities. That a particular event doesnt have to derail your ambitions or destroy your hopes. In fact, it can even prove a motivating factor. UltimatelyMrs ONeill says her experiences made her stronger. She married and went on to have a son, Ryan, now 22.

Her interview shows politicians have full and complex lives, just like the rest of us. Politics is a job, but not necessarily their life.

Here, of course, we tend to see our politicians as essentially Orange or Green. For many, thats the most important characteristic. It can also even suit the parties that their politicians remain two dimensional  some feel personal issues get in the way of principle. The Sinn Fein Press office isnt alone in often seeming reluctant to put its people up for interview.

Which is why, when we do get to see beyond the public figure of politicians, its often because some personal lapse has been exposed, whether a financial scandal or an affair, all of which only leads to more stereotyping.

Of course, most unionists knowledge of Michelle ONeill will be defined by her republicanism. Their opinion will be formed by seeing her at commemorations for dead IRA men who may have murdered their loved ones. Understandably, that doesnt cast her as a sympathetic figure in their eyes.

Still, some women, no matter their allegiance, will empathise with elements of her story and feel a kind of sisterhood.

Cynics might also argue that her interview in the Irish Times this week was also a piece of crafty PR, presenting her in a softer light as a mother battling the odds to become a success in her chosen field  an image which will distract from the continuing fall-out from her mid-pandemic attendance at the Bobby Storey funeral.

But this particular perspective on Michelle ONeill is indeed unusual, and it took courage to open up about something so intensely personal, especially given the excoriating abuse routinely heaped upon female public figures on social media.

We talk a lot about what female politicians can bring to public life  a more human face, greater understanding, aware of the need for flexibility. Is any of that true, simply because one is female?

We do know what type of politics men deliver, because that gender has been the norm in government for centuries.

Both Mrs ONeill and Arlene Foster, for example, have been remarkably open about the personal experiences which have shaped them and also about the horrendous sexist abuse heaped on them across social media. That stuff simply doesnt land on male politicians.

The openness cant be said to have won them voters across the divide  that would be naive. But it has certainly helped illuminate the very real additional obstacles and challenges facing women who want to be active in society.

Even very senior republicans, you might say, and even unionists at the very top of the tree, are going to be vulnerable to the cheap jibe about their looks, gossip about their personal history, what the rumour mill generates about their private lives, when some bullies feel they have something on them.

It doesnt matter what the flag is if you feel belittled, abused, ashamed and small, and while personal openness wont deflect attacks or change someone elses politics, it absolutely moves us forward to a healthier climate for living in.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low near 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low near 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
The policy of the TS government is that the issue of reservations should be left to the states. (Photo: Twitter @TelanganaCMO)

Hyderabad: The state government supports the lifting of a 50 per cent upper cap on reservations in education and employment set by the Supreme Court in 1992, said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.

The government has informed the Supreme Court to this effect when the court sought views of all states recently, he said. The policy of the TS government is that the issue of reservations should be left to the states.

Deccan Chronicle had reported on March 16 that the government was in favour of the limit being increased.

Favouring a larger bench to review the judgment, the government affidavit said: This view of the Supreme Court cant be cast in iron as there are special circumstances in different states, like some of the northeastern states have more than 50 per cent tribal population or OBC communities in some other states. Secondly, social circumstances change over time in view of different population growth rates among communities."

The government noted that the Constitution doesn't have any provision related to the upper limit on reservations. The 102nd Constitutional amendment, resulting in insertion of Article 342(A), took away the powers of state legislatures to include deserving communities in the list of OBCs and enhance the reservation percentage which can go beyond cap fixed by the Supreme Court in the Indira Sawhney judgment.

Therefore, the Telangana state government demands/ requests the Supreme Court to lift the 50% upper limit imposed in Indira Sawhney judgment and leave to the State Legislatures to determine the quantum of reservations depending upon the particular circumstances existing in each of the States and also how it evolves over time, the government contended.

The TS government has already passed the Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Bill, 2017 increasing reservations for Muslims under the BC-E category to 12 per cent from the existing four and STs to 10 per cent from six, taking the quota to 62 per cent.

But these increased reservations could not be implemented as the Centre had kept the legislation pending.
Mumbai, March 27 : The number of Covid-19 deaths in Maharashtra crossed the 54,000-mark as the state again retreated into stringent semi-lockdown style restrictions from Saturday night, health officials said here on Saturday.

The state recorded 166 new deaths, pushing up the total number of fatalities to 54,073, just 10 days after zooming past the 53,000-mark on March 17.

The state also added another 35,726 new cases - down from the highest ever tally of 36,902 recorded on March 26, taking the overall caseload to 26,73,461, the highest in the country.

Simultaneously, the state's recovery rate dropped from 87.02 per cent to 86.58 per cent, while the death rate stood at 2.02 per cent, compared to 2.04 per cent recorded a day earlier. The number of active cases in Maharashtra presently stands at 3,03,475.

The situation has worsened faster than state Health Secretary Pradeep Vyas' prediction 12 days ago, that the state could have more than 3 lakh active cases by April first week.

Of the 166 deaths reported on Saturday, Akola and Nagpur led with 20 fatalities each, followed by Nandurbar (15), Pune (14), Mumbai and Thane (12 each), Nashik (10), Raigad (8), Parbhani (7), Amravati (6), Solapur, Aurangabad and Wardha (5 each), Jalgaon (4), Latur, Osmanabad, Beed and Buldhana (3 each), Nanded and Gadchiroli (2 each), and Palghar, Kolhapur, Sangli, Ratnagiri, Washim, Gondiya and Chandrapur (1 each).

Mumbai Circle set a new record of fresh infections - 10,638, - taking up the total to 847,827, besides reporting 20,193 deaths till now.

Next is Pune Circle with 7,482 new cases, pulling up the total to 636,885, besides reporting 12,036 fatalities. Nashik Circle notched up 6,199 fresh infections, dragging up the total to 376,633, plus 5,558 fatalities till date.

With 4,487 new cases, Nagpur Circle's total shot up to 309,155, besides 5,184 fatalities till now.

Aurangabad Circle notched 2,347 new infections and 2,175 deaths, Latur Circle recorded 2,152 new cases and 2,653 fatalities, Akola Circle 2,090 fresh infections and 2,067 deaths, while Kolhapur Circle recorded the lowest new cases -- 331 -- while its death toll stood at 4,113.

Meanwhile, the number of people sent to home isolation shot up from 14,29,998 to 14,88,701 while those shunted to institutional quarantine increased from 14,578 to 15,644 on Saturday.
Hospital boss Michael Cullen, who now finds himself in the middle of a Covid-19 vaccine storm, is a world away from his days racing Ferraris.

The affable chief executive of the Beacon Hospital in Sandyford, Dublin is best known for being a talented amateur rally driver in his younger days when he even beat the professionals in the very competitive Ferrari Challenge.

Mr Cullen (57) apologised yesterday after it emerged 20 teachers from the private St Gerards School in Bray, Co Wicklow, received Covid-19 vaccines there this week.

Mr Cullen, who is married with two children, is a past pupil of Terenure College. His family background is in selling luxury cars and his father Des ran Des Cullen Cars in Rathmines ,where he sold Ferraris, Porsches and Aston Martins.

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He took an unexpected turn into healthcare when his friend, heart surgeon Mark Redmond, returned from John Hopkins Hospital around 2000.

He asked if Dr Redmond would stay if there were John Hopkins-standard facilities here and they soon set up the Beacon Medical Group. Michael Cullen was chief executive and planning permission was granted for the seven storey hospital.

The 190m hospital was funded by bank loans and private investment.

He continued to race Ferraris for an Italian team abroad eight weekends a year and clocked up two victories.

The hospital was run by Triad Hospitals and VHI agreed to cover it in its plans.

When former health minister Mary Harney came up with the idea of co-located hospitals, he became one of the main bidders. The idea was to build a private hospital near a number of existing public hospitals to relieve overcrowding.

The private sector build hospitals fast and they would provide the investment.

His consortium BMG were interested in six sites and were selected for three at Beaumont, Cork and Limerick.

Ms Harneys vision soon became bogged down in a quagmire over insurance cover and criticism from opposition.

It ended up being shelved after an investment of 30m by BMG.

In 2014 the Beacon was purchased by businessman Denis O Brien.

Earlier this year the HSE wanted to secure a deal with private hospitals to take on work from public hospitals which were swamped by Covid-19 patients.

The Beacon was the last to sign up insisting last years takeover by the HSE left beds empty. It wanted its doctors to deal directly with their counterparts in public hospitals to take public patients rather than the HSE.

The arrangement has worked out well this time.

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During a session of the Libyan parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk on March 15, newly appointed Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al Dbaiba and members of the incumbent presidential council led by Mohamed Al Manfi took a constitutional oath and officially became heads of the interim Government of National Unity (GNU) of Libya. As Geopolitical Monitor writes, this historic meeting of the House of Representatives, which is expected to put an end to many years of diarchy and the struggle for political leadership, was not entirely predictable, but quite the long-awaited outcome of a slow process under the auspices of the United Nations.

Stephanie Williams, the American diplomat who took charge of the UN Support Mission in Libya after the resignation of Ghassan Salame, initiated the Forum of Libyan Political Dialogue. The platform proved to be crucial in determining the current shape of the GNU. As a result, many Libyans skeptically refer to the new administration as the Stephanie government.

The success of the initiative brokered by Williams coincided with the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president of the United States, and Washingtons reanimated interest in reconsidering its stance on the Libyan conflict. Long before Biden took office, concerted efforts had been made by representatives of the Democratic Party and the US State Department to move away from the policy of non-interference and reduction of military presence abroad, something Republican Donald Tramp attempted  or so he claimed  to adhere to during his presidential term. But the Trump administration and the Republican-dominated Senate managed to tame the State Department and ensure that the foreign policy toward the countries of the Middle East and North Africa remained largely unchanged.

Bidens victory in the presidential election, as well as winning a majority in Congress, signaled a green light for the resumption of US political and military expansion in Libya, which the Democrats have so persistently called for. The power transition in Washington has already made itself felt in the statements of the acting head of UNSMIL, Stephanie Williams, who blamed the former US presidents adviser on national security, John Bolton, for unleashing armed conflict between the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army headed by Khalifa Haftar. Williams said it was the conversation with Bolton that prompted Haftar to launch a military offensive on Tripoli in April 2019.

Such statements by the head of the UN diplomatic mission clearly indicate a dramatic change in the political climate in Washington. Casting the principle of non-intervention aside, the United States is increasingly participating in the peace process and reaching out to the parties to the conflict. In an attempt to compete with other foreign stakeholders and restore the influence partially lost during the reign of Trump, Washington has acquired a habit of making verbal interventions condemning the interference of foreign states in the internal affairs of Libya. The United States has also adopted the Libya Stabilization Act, which envisages sanctions against all those who threaten peace and stability in the North African country. The list of the states whose activities were considered suspicious by Washington includes almost all of the countries involved in the Libyan conflict in one way or another: Turkey, Russia, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt.

Many analysts suggest that the United States are seeking to prevent Russia and Turkey from strengthening their hold over the region. At the same time, the Russian threat and Turkish menace came in handy for justifying Washingtons efforts to increase military and diplomatic activity in the Libyan theater to the American public.

However, in an attempt to sideline interested countries and exclude them from the political settlement and post-conflict reconstruction, the United States risks spoiling the fragile balance in the country, repeating its old mistakes.

Former US President Barak Obama repeatedly expressed his regret over Libya, naming the White Houses failure to prepare for the aftermath of ousting of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as the worst mistake of his presidency. The US lack of any action plan, coupled with blind conviction in their own rightfulness, plunged the North African nation into a series of endless wars and economic turmoil. In fact, the Jamahiriya, with its undeveloped democratic institutions, appeared simply unprepared for progressive reforms of the autocratic political system. All the while, Western countries turned their backs on Libya, leaving it alone during the first stages of the chrysalis of its newly claimed statehood.

Therefore, in order not to fall into the same trap, the United States, as well as other countries, if they really want to help Libya, have to develop a concrete, long-term plan of action that takes into account the interests of all involved parties. This very issue has been at the core of the complexity of the Libyan conflict, that has long evolved from a civil war to a hybrid confrontation between multiple foreign states.

A compromise between internal and external players in Libya is difficult, but not impossible to reach. Although it will probably take more time to find a path and follow it, this is undoubtedly the cornerstone of a sustainable solution to the conflict.
New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) over the years has realised the requirements of the citizens and has made several arrangements to make the polling process hassle free for them.

While the single-phase polling for assembly elections has begun in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, Assam will be witnessing its third and final phase today (April 6). Voting is also underway for the third phase of assembly elections West Bengal.

The commission also takes initiative of running numerous awareness programmes to educate the voters of the requirement and process. The polling booths being completely electronic is a cause of worry and can be daunting for many first-time voters in marginal areas.

Another cause of worry for the voters is the method to locate the polling station near them. In many areas the eligible citizens dont cast their votes because they are not aware of the polling station near them and finding one might seem as a big task, well not anymore.

ALSO READ: Assembly Elections 2021: Here's what you need to carry to cast vote

The Election Commission has made now it easy for the voters to locate the polling booth near them. To locate your polling booth, voters can either download the Voter Helpline App developed by the EC or call on the voter helpline number.

The voter helpline number 1950 will also help voters locate polling booths near them. You can call this number after adding the STD code (011 in this case) or get the details by sending an SMS to 1950 with <ECIP011> space <YourEPICNo>.

ALSO READ: UP panchayat election 2021: Not more than 5 people allowed for campaigning, says Yogi government

Additionally, the electoral roll will also reveal the exact address, Google location and photographs of the polling booths.

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Wink Hotel Saigon Centre is the first in a pipeline of 20 hotels to be opened in Vietnam within the next five years

As Vietnams first homegrown hospitality group, Wink Hotels is created to deliver affordable luxury for the dynamic Indochine 2.0 generation, appealing to their fast-paced lifestyle and enterprising mindset.

Centrally located in Ho Chi Minh Citys vibrant Da Kao ward within District 1, the property features 237 space-efficient rooms that personify the brands contemporary ethos of chic and creative design, deep functionality, and traditional Vietnamese values.

The opening of Wink Hotel Saigon Centre is a significant milestone in Vietnams hospitality landscape. It marks the start of a new lifestyle movement, a community where everyone is welcome and connected, said Michael Piro, CEO of Wink Hotels.

The Wink Hotel Saigon Centre's facade

On behalf of the developer and owner, Indochina Kajima and the operator, Indochina Vanguard, Peter Ryder, Indochina Capitals CEO, stated that Wink Hotels is a brand made in Vietnam and for Vietnam.

Here we are today, launching this amazing brand and beautiful hotel. We have created something new, something dazzling, something fun, something colourful, and something essentially Vietnam, said Ryder.

Meanwhile, Piro added that upwardly-mobile Vietnamese entrepreneurs, creatives, explorers, and the young-at-heart will all appreciate this brand that is distinctively local and authentic.

From today, every traveller can enjoy luxurious sleep experiences and intuitive services from our team of local Wink Guides without the 5-star hotel price tag, Piro said.

For the first time in Vietnams hospitality industry, Wink Hotel Saigon Centre will pioneer the STAY24 programme, which guarantees a 24-hour guest stay regardless of check-in time.
Nigerian comedian, Caleb Itietie, popularly known as Calibird, is dead. He died on Saturday at the Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, ...

Nigerian comedian, Caleb Itietie, popularly known as Calibird, is dead.

He died on Saturday at the Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, after an illness.

Calibird was also a compere and an actor. His last post on Instagram was three days ago.

Mirabel, a long-time friend said that everyone who knew him were in shock.

He grew up around the Powerline read in Ifako. He attended Harvesters International Christian Centre in Gbagada.

I woke up this morning and saw his photo on the WhatsApp status of our mutual friends. He was a very jovial person, she said.

Grand Komanda, Kenny Blaq, Akpororo, Real Warri Pikin, Koffi, among other comedian have expressed their condolence.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 05:50:20|Editor: huaxia

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PRAGUE, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic's Chamber of Deputies on Friday approved the extension of the country's state of emergency till April 11.

The government had submitted a request to the lower house to extend it till April 27, but a compromise was struck.

Without the prolongation, the current state of national emergency would have expired on March 28.

The state of emergency is needed for most of the government's coronavirus restrictions to stay in force, mainly the measures restricting people's movement.

The lower house also passed some other resolutions concerning COVID-19 restrictions. For example, it asked the government to end the closure of the districts no later than April 6, immediately after Easter.

In the meantime, the members of the lower house wanted to see children return to kindergartens and primary schools no later than April 12, a week after the Easter holidays. Enditem
"Jeopardy!" is not doing really well in continuing Alex Trebek's legacy.

Following the debut appearance of Dr. Oz on the award-winning game show, several news outlets reported how most of its viewers decided not to watch it.

One of the articles that left great blow was the one published by Variety.

This week, Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote an article with the headline "Dr. Oz Gives 'Jeopardy' a Black Eye."

He highlighted that Dr. Oz has been one of the most-well-renowned personalities in the world aside from being an effective cardiothoracic surgeon.

However, his past claims, especially about COVID-19, made people hate him instead.

To recall, the physician promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. The baseless claims he made reportedly made him unfit to be a "Jeopardy!" host.

"Two weeks of Oz is a black eye for "Jeopardy"; anything more would be outright destructive to a show that is a part of many millions of Americans' daily routines," he said.

The Variety writer also noted that the producers of the long-time running show are the ones to be blamed since they know what the aftereffects of hiring Dr. Oz are.

Hiring Dr. Oz a Big Mistake for "Jeopardy!"

Meanwhile, Forbes also warned that the number of criticisms the show has been receiving since Dr. Oz's appearance truly affected the company's brand.

The associate professor of the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, Prof. Garrett Broad, also left some pieces of advice to "Jeopardy!"

"The best thing to do would be to prevent a problem like this from happening at all. People watch Jeopardy! because they trust Jeopardy! to say what is true and what is false," he said.

He added that the viewers felt disrespected as soon as the producers chose a person known for misinformation to become the host.

Unfortunately, the "Jeopardy!" team can no longer change that and ultimately lost most of their viewers' trust.

The U.S. magazine also suggested that there are a lot of well-deserved people who could be the host instead.

Per Grant Polacheck of squadhelp.com, "Jeopardy!" could do two things: either they prove Dr. Oz's innocence and provide the reasons why he aligns with the brand.

The other one allows them to cut him from the show and find someone who can promote the brand even better.

As of the writing, the show has not commented regarding any of these branding troubles.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their cramped and unsuitable hotel rooms.

Michelle ODowd and her husband Ciaran OReilly and their three young daughters have been confined to their hotel room at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Santry in Dublin since being taken there from Dublin Airport yesterday.

On Friday evening, they lodged an appeal with department officials to be moved out of the two interconnecting rooms on the basis that the rooms were too small to confine three children and two adults.

We do not have enough space for our children. There isnt even enough room to move around freely or to play board games. There is just a tiny circular table in each room that are completely unsuitable, she said.

She said families should be given more space to live in, such as an aparthotel or an apartment.

I was told I was lucky we had one of the few inter-connecting rooms on the floor. That means that other families wont even have the space we have. I was told that all four hotels in this hotel group had more or less the same rooms, so these hotels are not suitable for families at all, she said.

An offer of an extra room was turned down because who ever was placed in the extra room would have to remain apart from the others, she said.

Expand Close An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms. / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms.

The meals in the hotel are really good and the staff are very helpful and lovely. But the rooms are too small and unsuitable, for her family, she said.

The couple have moved back to Ireland this weekend after spending seven years working abroad. They have a home in Easkey in County Sligo and they had intended to move in immediately on their arrival in Ireland.

The quarantine rules became active at 4am on Friday and their jet landed in Dublin shortly after 11am. They now face a hotel bill of more than 5,000, they said.

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Michelle is from Easkey and is a nurse. She will begin a new nursing job in Sligo University Hospital in the same ward where she worked seven years ago. Ciaran is a lorry driver. The couple and their children lived for two years in New Zealand and five years in Australia.

We lived the last five years in Perth which was the safest place in the world as it only had one case of Covid in the past year and that case was in a quarantine hotel.

It is very unfair that a nurse and a truck driver have to pay more than 5,000 of a hotel bill just because our plane landed in Dubai on the way to Dublin. We only entered the airport building for 45 minutes to visit an empty McDonalds restaurant. It is very unfair that transit passengers have to be subject to quarantine in Ireland, she said.

Our daughter Cadhla is celebrating her ninth birthday tomorrow and we had hoped to celebrate it with a cake at home in Easkey. It is so unfair, she said.

She said she and her husband went to the lobby of the hotel by arrangement on Friday night where they made their requests to me moved out of their rooms to an Irish Army liaison officer. They filled in forms and received their reply from State officials today.

Expand Close An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms. / Facebook

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Whatsapp An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms.

We are making our appeals again, she said.

One of their rooms have two double beds and the other room has a double bed and tiny table.

A manager at the Crown Plaza Hotel said today that the hotel was unable to give a response to the claims by Ms ODowd that the bedrooms were too small and unsuitable for families with three children.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said they do not comment on individual cases.

The Department of Health is in constant contact with Tifco Hotel Group about all issues relating to the management of mandatory hotel quarantine. At all times, our priority is to ensure that everyone completing their period of mandatory quarantine is comfortable and secure.

The Department and Tifco continue to work together to ensure this is the case. At present, the only mandatory quarantine hotel in use is The Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport, she said.

A Department of Justice spokesman said the hotel accommodation was a matter for the Department of Health which was in charge of quarantine accommodation.
Ahead of the GP weekend in Bahrain, there is great doubt about Mercedes' form. Certainly, during the winter test the team seemed to have big problems, but with them you never know to what extent they have shown their true speed. Regardless of their problems, Johnny Herbert is not worried about Mercedes.

"I think in the end Mercedes will be fine, although they might have a little problem with the rear end. But we all know Max had it last year too. Alex [Albon] couldn't deal with that, but special drivers can."

A string of special drivers

"That was true for the Mansells of this world, for Senna, Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen. The same applies to Lewis and Max. They can deal well with a nervous rear end and I think Mercedes will still sort it out, as Red Bull have done."

Mercedes themselves say they have already made a big step forward with the instability of the car between the winter test and this weekend's Grand Prix. This is reflected in the times set by Lewis Hamilton in the free practice sessions, while Valtteri Bottas is struggling to keep the car on the track.
Voting rights activist Stacey Abrams speaks at a Get Out the Vote rally for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 2, 2020. (Elijah Nouvelage/AFP via Getty Images)

Accusations of Hate Divert Attention From Need to Address Election Integrity

Commentary

The headline in the online edition of The New York Times on March 16 instantly caught my eye: Florida Finds Election Fraud in High School Homecoming Votes.

Ah-ha! I thought. So thats where the Timess crack team of investigative reporters looking into election fraud have been for the last five months: J.M. Tate High School in Escambia County, Florida.

No doubt its important for Times readers to know that Emily Grover, 17, was illegitimately elected as homecoming queen at J.M. Tate last October because her mother, Laura Rose Carroll, 50, an employee of the school district, was able to stuff the electronic ballot box. Yet, I couldnt help wondering if the articles author, Patricia Mazzei, might not have been better employed looking into the elections that have been held since Tate-gate in the neighboring state of Georgia.

Fortunately, we no longer need the Times for the latter investigationor for much of anything else, reallysince we have bulldog-like Mollie Ziegler Hemingway of The Federalist who, on the day after Mazzeis bombshell hit, published an exhaustive and closely reasoned 3,500-word piece on the election mess in Georgia.

Its headed Medias Entire Georgia Narrative Is Fraudulent, Not Just the Fabricated Trump Quotes.

Mollie was following up on a piece, also in The Federalist, by her husband, Mark Hemingway, the day before that had summed up the story of the fabricated Trump quotes, allegedly taken from a phone call by President Donald Trump to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2.

The Washington Post, wrote Mark Hemingway, anonymously printed fabricated quotes they knew were from a second-hand source in the office of a political enemy, couldnt confirm the quotes with additional sourcing, still attributed them to the sitting president of the United States, used those quotes as a basis to speculate [that] the president committed a crime, and the Democratic party would later repeatedly cite the bogus article when attempting to impeach Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Moreover, numerous other once-respectable media outlets claimed to confirm the Posts fabricated quotes by citing their own anonymous sources, including NBC, ABC, USA Today, PBS, and CNN.

That the Posts falsehoods were not accidental but deliberate is suggested by the fact that the fabrication only came to light when a recording of the phone call was found by an open records search in a laptops trash folder. Yet both the Posts anonymous sourcenow identified (with her permission) as Jordan Fuchs, deputy to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and inveterate anti-Trump tweeterand the Posts own Eric Wemple attempted to minimize the importance of the falsified quotations to what they still see as the essential accuracy of the story.

As Mark Hemingway notes, The conclusion [that] a sitting president may have committed a crime is still in the corrected story.

The Post and its Trump-hating allies in Georgia appear to take as relaxed an attitude to media malpractice as they do to election fraud.

But as Mollie Hemingway points out, the Posts contribution to the more general misdirection of inquirers into the Georgia elections is only the tip of the iceberg. Raffenspergers office and other state election officials werent only not interested in looking into allegations of election fraud in the state, but they threw up roadblock after legal roadblock to prevent the Trump campaign from doing so.

They were also compliant, she notes, with a pre-election legal action by Perkins Coie, the Democratic-allied law firm behind the Russian collusion fraud, to relax the states election laws with respect to signature-matching and other security measures on absentee ballots.

At this distance of time, we will probably never know what really happened on election night(s) in Georgia. How many more laptop trash files will have been permanently deleted in the wake of the Posts correction of its Fake News?

But the legacy of the states monumental screw-up in 2020 lives on in the federal election regulation legislation long on the Democrats wish-list and now reintroduced in the new Congress as H.R. 1though its Democratic sponsors prefer to call it the For the People Act of 2021.

On March 12 in this space, I noted the UK Guardians smearing of Republican opponents of this legislation as attempting to go back to Jim Crow. Now, it appears that this same outrageous falsehood is an official part of Democratic propaganda on behalf of the bill.

Stacey Abrams, who rose to national prominence and Democratic heroine status for questioning the legitimacy of an election for Georgia governor that she lost, writes for CNN that eliminating voter access under the guise of race-neutral actions that clearly target communities of color is nothing short of Jim Crow 2.0.

It kind of makes you wonder if theres something more to such outrageous language than just hatred of Republicans. Could this be, like the impeachment narrative that the Posts fake quotations were meant to serve, another attempt at misdirection to cover up Democratic corruption of the electoral process?

John Hinderaker of the Powerline blog has written, I dont know whether the Democrats stole the 2020 election, but I do know that they tried hard to steal it.

Now that theyre trying to write that same effort into federal law, binding on all states, the escalation of their hate speech against Republicans suggests that its getting harder and harder for them to keep up the fiction that Republican counterefforts to preserve election integrity are really just an excuse for voter suppression against communities of color.

James Bowman is a resident scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. The author of Honor: A History, he is a movie critic for The American Spectator and the media critic for the New Criterion.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
She is one of the most powerful women in India  so when Mamata Banerjee announced that she had been attacked by a group of men, breaking a bone in her leg on the campaign trail, it sent shockwaves across India.

The only place where the attack was dismissed was in West Bengal itself, where Banerjee is standing for re-election as chief minister in a crucial state poll that began on Saturday. There, the local leader of the Hindu nationalist BJP joked that Banerjee should wear Bermuda shorts to show off her injured leg since people dont want to see her face.

West Bengal is one of five states and territories going to the polls in the coming weeks, but it is seen as particularly important for the advancement of womens representation in Indian politics, in a country where men dominate the levers of power and where such sexist comments are standard campaign fare.
Tesla Model S interior. Tesla

Tesla is eyeing next month for a wider release of its "Full Self-Driving" beta software.

The system is still buggy and sometimes gets drivers into dangerous situations, videos show.

Neither the software nor Tesla's Autopilot make its cars fully autonomous, despite the company's marketing.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

When Tesla beamed out a prototype version of its "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) technology to select Tesla owners in October, videos of the driver-assistance system fumbling normal traffic situations - from failing to follow road rules to nearly steering into parked cars and cement barricades - flooded the web.

Now Elon Musk wants any Tesla owner that has paid for FSD to have access to the beta next month. But clips cropping up online continue to cast doubt on whether the technology is safe enough to test on public streets.

A March 12 video posted by Youtube user AI Addict shows a Model 3 running FSD beta version 8.2 clumsily navigating around downtown San Jose at dusk. With FSD switched on, the vehicle nearly crashes into a median, attempts to drive down railroad tracks, and almost plows down a row of pylons separating the road from a bike lane. All of those dicey situations were narrowly avoided only because the driver quickly took over control.

In another clip posted March 18, Model Y owner Chuck Cook tests the beta's ability to make unprotected left turns. The software performs admirably a few times, waiting until a break in traffic to cross the three-lane road. More than once, however, Cook has to slam on the brakes to avoid coasting into oncoming traffic. And on his last go, the Tesla nearly drives headlong into a pickup truck with a boat in tow.

FSD testing videos have become an entire genre on YouTube. Many of them depict cars comfortably navigating lane changes, four-way stops, and busy intersections. Yet the buggy clips illustrate the potential dangers of letting amateur drivers experiment with a prototype software on public roads.

Story continues

Tesla is using its owners as "guinea pigs for the technology," Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group, told Insider. "And what's much more concerning, quite frankly, is they're using consumers, bystanders, other passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists as lab rats for an experiment for which none of these people signed up."

FSD - a $10,000 add-on option - is a more advanced version of Tesla's Autopilot, its standard driver-assistance feature that enables cars to maintain their lane and keep up with highway traffic using a system of cameras and sensors. FSD currently augments Autopilot with features like self-parking, traffic light and stop sign recognition, and the ability to take highway on-ramps and exits.

The limited beta software in question adds on a capability critical for any system that aims to be called fully self driving: the ability to navigate local streets, which, as opposed to highways, have a much more complex driving environment that includes left-hand turns across traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and the like.

Even before it introduced the FSD beta last fall, Tesla faced scrutiny over Autopilot and its potential for abuse. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed earlier this month that it is investigating Autopilot's role in 23 recent crashes, including multiple where Teslas barreled into stopped emergency vehicles. Over the years, numerous videos have surfaced on social media of drivers sleeping with Autopilot turned on or otherwise misusing the feature.

Read more: Tesla and Apple are incredibly important companies, but their progress on self-driving vehicles is pathetic

To make things safer, Levine said, Tesla could begin using vehicles' internal cameras to monitor driver attention as many other carmakers do. Currently, Tesla only monitors whether a driver's hand is on the steering wheel, while other systems, like GM's Super Cruise, track a driver's eyes to make sure they are paying attention to the road.

Changing the names of Autopilot and FSD - which are misleading since neither technology is autonomous and both require constant driver attention - would be a good start as well, Levine said.

"The insistence on utterly hyperbolic description really undermines any sort of good-faith effort to present this technology in a way that is going to not present an unreasonable risk," he said.

For Tracy Pearl, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma who researches self-driving technology, the main problem isn't so much the quality of Tesla's driver-assistance systems, but rather the way drivers interact with them.

Although advanced driver-assistance suites like Tesla's could make cars safer when used properly, research has shown that drivers on the whole don't understand their capabilities and limitations, Pearl said. Moreover, drivers' attention tends to wander when those features are switched on. Tesla exacerbates these issues by marketing its tech in ways that overstate the cars' abilities, but the information gap between manufacturers and drivers extends to other carmakers as well, she said.

Problems with the way driver-assistance systems are marketed and the way drivers interact with them are heightened where a beta system is concerned, she said.

"I think calling it 'Full Self Driving' is not just deceptive, I think it is an invitation for people to misuse their cars," she said.

Tesla, though it consistently claims that self-driving cars are right around the corner, acknowledges that both Autopilot and FSD require constant driver attention and aren't fully autonomous. Still, it's much more blunt with regulators than it is with the general public.

In a series of emails to California's Department of Motor Vehicles in late 2020, a Tesla lawyer said that FSD can't handle certain driving scenarios and that it will never make cars drive themselves without any human input.

Tesla also makes an effort to inform users about the risks of using a system that isn't completely ready for prime time. In a disclaimer beta testers received with the October update, Tesla urged drivers to use the software "only if you will pay constant attention to the road, and be prepared to act immediately.

"It may do the wrong thing at the worst time," Tesla said.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Read the original article on Business Insider
News

Denver, Colorado - The Justice Department Monday announced it has reached a settlement agreement with the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts (OAC) to help people with limited English proficiency (LEP) access timely and competent language assistance in the court system.

The OAC is an administrative court that hears workers compensation claims, as well as claims in other critical areas such as civil rights, environmental justice, education, and transportation. The agreement resolves a Justice Department investigation of the OAC under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by recipients of federal assistance, such as the OAC. The Justice Departments review uncovered concerns with OACs Title VI compliance, including a rule that prohibited the OAC from providing qualified interpreters to help limited English proficient individuals understand and participate in their court proceedings.

For people with limited English proficiency, not getting the language services they need to participate meaningfully in a court proceeding can have truly devastating consequences," said Pamela S. Karlan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "We cant achieve our nations promise of access to justice for all without dismantling language barriers in our judicial system. I commend the OACs Chief Judge and leadership for taking action to realize this promise and for their commitment to provide critical services for court users with limited English proficiency.

This agreement will result in real help for people who seek justice in Colorados administrative court system but who dont speak English, said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt T. Kirsch. I appreciate that Colorados Office of Administrative Courts recognized an opportunity to work with our office and the Civil Rights Division in crafting an agreement that will benefit communities in Colorado that speak languages other than English.

A key aspect of the OACs implementation of the settlement will be a revision to its Rule 21, which will now require the OAC to provide qualified interpreters at no cost to LEP individuals in court proceedings. In addition, the OAC has created a language access policy and plan and agreed to provide notice of language assistance services in at least the top eight languages it encounters. The OAC will create and publicize a language access complaint process, and require annual training on LEP issues for judges, staff, and contractors. The strong support and active participation of the OACs Chief Judge and Colorado Office of the Attorney General have been key to the swift and cooperative resolution of this matter.

Under the terms of the agreement signed today, the Justice Department will monitor the OACs compliance for two years.
On March 23, 41 years after a ruling junta dominated by the Sandinista National Liberation Front launched Nicaraguas National Literacy Crusade, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega went on TV to talk about the nations efforts to end illiteracy.

In his speech, Ortega also brought up COVID-19. Nicaraguans have to continue keeping the measures to prevent a greater number of contagions from occurring, he said, adding that vaccines will come for everyone regardless of social status and that the most serious cases will be prioritized.

Just how Ortega will fulfill that pledge is unclear.

The president, who has frequently disappeared from public view for extended periods, has not explained his vaccination plans, how Nicaragua will obtain sufficient doses or how the economically troubled country will pay for them.

Critics say the Ortega government has not been transparent about its pandemic strategy. When it comes to vaccination, Rosario Murillo, Nicaraguas vice president and Ortegas wife, said in January that the government was working to acquire vaccines for 3.7 million people (about 55% of the population), CNN reported. For that, the Nicaraguan government was planning to acquire 7.4 million doses  3.8 million doses of Russias Sputnik V, 1.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine and 2.16 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Since then, little has been revealed about the status of vaccinations in Nicaragua. In late February, Murillo announced the first donation of vaccines to Nicaragua -- an unspecified number of doses of Russias Sputnik V, donated by the Russian government. Later, it was reported that only 6,000 doses were donated.

The Nicaraguan health ministry then announced it would begin voluntary vaccination for citizens on March 2, without detailing the schedule, locations or mechanisms.

Nicaragua reportedly received 200,000 doses of AstraZenecas Covishield vaccine from the Indian government, and another 135,000 doses of that vaccine donated by the World Health Organizations (WHO) global vaccine-sharing program, COVAX.

That is a total of 341,000 doses, far fewer than the 7.4 million announced by Murillo. The doses provided by COVAX are part of a total of 432,000 to be delivered by May. That still puts the total magnitudes from the stated goal. In his speech, Ortega did not say where the rest of the shots would come from or when.

According to the Voice of America, medical personnel in Nicaragua have not been immunized, even though the WHO recommends that medical personnel get vaccinated first. Doctors in Nicaragua are demanding that the government publicize the National Vaccination Plan and make the population fully aware of the procedures to access the vaccine in an orderly manner.

To date, Nicaragua has officially reported more than 6,600 COVID-19 cases and 177 deaths from the disease. However, independent data from Citizen Observatory, which was established to track infections rates in the country, shows there have been nearly 13,300 suspected cases (i.e., confirmed by the group) and 3,009 deaths either by pneumonia or the coronavirus, which attacks the respiratory system.
Suspect Charged With Murder in MSU Student Death

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CALLOWAY COUNTY - A man from Dexter has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Murray State University student.Kentucky State Police identified the victim as 21-year-old Sarah Townsend of Farmville, Virginia, who was studying veterinary science at Murray State.Townsends body was located in southern Calloway County on Fox Road near McCuiston Drive around 7:00 Friday morning.Later Friday, KSP learned that Murray State Campus Police were asked to conduct a welfare check on a student after she failed to show up for work Friday afternoon.Detectives compared the student profile with the description of the unidentified body, and with the help of family were able to identify Townsend.An autopsy was conducted at the Western Kentucky Medical Examiners Office in Madisonville.State Police say the preliminary autopsy results indicate Townsend died of multiple gunshot wounds.After Townsend was identified, they began interviewing friends and relatives which allowed them to determine her last known whereabouts.With the help of intelligence services, it was determined that her stolen Toyota Camry had been seen in central Georgia.Once they determined a suspect in the case, KSP realized he had ties to Georgia.At 4:00 am Saturday, KSP located Townsends car and arrested 22-year-old Julius Sotomayor at his home in Dexter.Sotomayor was charged with murder, theft by taking (automobile), and tampering with physical evidence.He remains lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
LANSING, MI - Senate Republicans say a package of bills introduced this week would make it easier to vote, harder to cheat in Michigan elections.

Democrats beg to differ. The 39-bill package earned the ire of liberal lawmakers and activists for provisions that would control the absentee ballot mailing and counting process and allow election challengers more power at the polls.

Many of the Senate bills specifically target the policies of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat. Her office released a statement denouncing the proposed measures, saying the Legislature should be codifying what worked in 2020.

The bills in their current form likely wont make it past Gov. Gretchen Whitmers desk to become law. However, Democrats and Republicans are sparring over how the bills could affect voters and potentially send messages sowing doubt in the 2020 election.

Read more: Michigan Senate GOP debuts election reforms critical of Secretary of States handling of November election

Dead on arrival

Whitmer made it known hours after the Senate bills were introduced that shes loading up on ink for future vetoes.

I have a veto pen, and I am ready to use that for any bill that is looking to make it harder for people in our state to vote, she said Thursday at a Michigan Chronicle Pancakes and Politics media availability.

Bensons office indicated that the bills echo accusations of fraud at the 2020 election.

Many of the bills in this package would make it harder for citizens to vote, Bensons office said in a news release. Rather than introducing bills based on disproven lies and copied from other states, lawmakers should be codifying what worked in 2020.

In the November 2020 election, President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Michigan by more than 150,000 votes. Benson announced in early March that the states election audit performed by more than 1,300 local clerks produced no evidence of foul play.

One of the packages key sponsors is Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, who also serves as chair of the Senate Oversight Committee that held several post-election hearings. The bills address real vulnerabilities, he said, and while he has been reassured by the resilience of our election system, there can still be room for improvements.

Ive tried to break this (package) into four parts, he said. Pre-election, Election Day, post-Election Day and voter integrity... and take the various parts of the puzzle that we found in need of reform and bring those forward.

Extra steps

Some of the proposed measures include pre-registering 16-year-olds to vote if they have some form of state ID, easing electronic voting for active duty overseas military, overhauling county canvassing of election results and not allowing Benson or future secretaries of state to use their likeness on election material paid with public money.

Democrats are focusing the majority of their criticism of Senate bills 273 through 311 on the absentee ballot measures. Some of the bills gum up the process, said Sam Inglot, deputy director for the liberal advocacy group Progress Michigan.

Regarding absentee ballots, Inglot specifically points to measures such as Senate Bill 310, which would require absentee ballot applications to only be sent to voters that request them. In its current form, the secretary of state wouldnt even be able to share an online link directing voters to an application page.

It ties the hands of the Secretary of State to be able to educate people about their voting options, he said. They want to make more hoops for people to jump through to actually vote absentee.

Read more: Michigan Republicans want election reform. That usually means opposing absentee ballot expansion

Other restrictions he noted was a bill requiring a voter to attach a copy of their state ID to their mail-in ballot and making voters pay for the postage.

A lot of folks dont have copy machines, he said, and its just another step that folks have to go through in the process.

These bills are meant as a starting point for negotiation, McBroom said, but extra steps to request absentee ballots is how things were done before.

Extra steps... that used to be the norm, he said. Its just a slight variation of having to request (a ballot application) rather than just expect it. People have the right to check a box that says I want to always be on the permanent AV list.

One of McBrooms bills is Senate Bill 286, which would ban the dropping off of absentee ballots in collection boxes after 5 p.m. the day before Election Day. He argues that the whole process of collecting ballots for various boxes in a precinct, processing them and finally tabulating them can be expedited by simply telling people to vote in-person on Election Day (barring a public health emergency, he added).

If youre waiting til Election Day to vote, just walk inside the building and hand the ballot off to a person, so they can start working on that as soon as possible, he said, Rather than having a huge wave of them coming in after 8 p.m.

This would get in the way of last-minute voters who work jobs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Inglot said.

Speaking from personal experience, my wife and I walked to downtown Lansing probably around 7 p.m. and dropped off our absentee ballots, he said. It was easy, it was convenient. It was after work for us, which a lot of folks work in 9-to-5 jobs. This is shutting off a way for them to have their vote counted in an easy, accessible way.

Overall, Inglot called many of the bills voter suppression attempts. The same terminology was used by Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians, in a Thursday press conference.

These bills allow bad actors to spread misinformation about our elections without consequences, are all tactics that will suppress the vote and are all part of the packages that were dropped yesterday, she said.

McBroom pointed to the pre-registration of 16-year-olds to vote, the active duty military electronic voting and improved clerk training as trade offs that justify the Senate Republican message that the package makes it easier to vote.

There is always going to be a trade off in anything, he said. Whether its to drive a car, buying alcohol or voting, and we always try to strike that right balance between the security we want and the citizens right to access... Im not gonna say that there arent those trade offs in there. We have to weight which ones are reasonable and which ones arent.

Complicit

State Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, said Wednesday the bills put lipstick on Jim Crow. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, responded to that sentiment Thursday, pointing to the bills that dont control the absentee ballot process.

If people actually read them, theyll find pre-registration for 16-year-olds, Election Day on Saturday, access to state IDs for people who cant afford them, making it easier for members of the military to vote and a special emphasis on additional training for election workers, election observers (and) election challengers, he said on the Senate floor. I dont see any of those things that do anything but make it more accessible and make it fairer and easier to vote.

Shirkey was referring to a bill that would allow early in-person voting two Saturdays before Election Day.

The Senate Majority Leader has previously claimed that in the November 2020 election, too many dead people voted, despite a lack of evidence.

His previous comments shine a light on the aims of the Republican election bills, Inglot said.

A lot of these bills and the rhetoric that is being used to push them by folks like Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey are all dog whistles back to the lies and misinformation that Trump and his allies spread about the election last year, Inglot said.

After meeting with Trump at the White House in December, Shirkey released a statement acknowledging that President Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

Inglot said Shirkey and other Senate Republicans are now attempting to scale back elements of Proposal 3, approved by Michigan voters in 2018 to allow no-reason absentee ballot voting.

Mike Shirkey is on the record saying a high turnout election does not accrue with his interests, Inglot said. 2020 was one chapter in this story. From November 5 onward, it was very clear what they were trying to do. Maybe they werent going to overturn the results of this election, which again was safe, secure and accurate, but they were going to make it more difficult for people to vote, because they dont want people voting.

The Michigan House approved a different series of election reforms earlier in March based on a report from the Auditor General in 2019. It recommended multiple ways to improve the election process, including cleaning up the qualified voter files list of names, ensuring better training of local clerks and improving campaign finance reporting.

Read more: Auditor-recommended election reforms approved in Michigan House

Inglot said Republicans in the junior chamber should stand against the Senates vastly different election package.

If they dont stand up to Mike Shirkey and what the Senate Republicans are doing, then theyre just as complicit, he said.

The tenor of the election legislation debate disappointed McBroom, who said he did not expect the vitriol.

With the current atmosphere of politics in this country, all issues are much more difficult to deal with and obtain solutions to than they should be, he said.
Pascal Saint-Amans is the Director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration which is aiming for a global deal

A leading MEP has hit out at Irelands free rider tax strategy, asking the government to get on board with the EUs corporate transparency drive.

Austrian social democrat Evelyn Regner, one of the European Parliaments lead negotiators on a draft law on multinational tax reporting, said Ireland should be more open minded on tax.

I hope that Ireland is changing, improving its position in this regard. Im very much looking forward to having a more open-minded position of Ireland towards transparency issues, towards reporting, she said.

"We would [like to] find a solution for the whole of Europe, where the whole European Union, including Ireland, is benefitting - and jointly benefitting, not to be a free rider on the cost of others.

Negotiations between MEPs and national diplomats begin on Monday on rules for public country-by-country reporting, a proposal the Irish government tried to block last month.

The rules would apply to large multinationals operating in the EU  even if headquartered in the US  with a consolidated global turnover of more than 750m a year.





The targets are giants such as Facebook, Amazon or Starbucks, who Ms Regner says are benefitting from profit shifting while also  in Starbucks case in Austria  asking for Covid-19 handouts.





Read More

The rules, if agreed, would oblige big companies to publish data including net turnover, pre-tax profits, accumulated earnings and tax paid per EU country  data they currently send only to national tax authorities.

While MEPs have added a safeguard clause allowing companies to temporarily omit commercially sensitive information, they want additional disclosures on public subsidies received, political donations made and sweetheart tax deals done.

Similar rules are already in place for banks, oil and gas, mining and logging companies, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published non-binding standards in 2015.

The proposal had been languishing in EU lawmaking limbo since 2016, but was revived by the Portuguese finance minister last month.

It is now supported by at least 17 EU countries, including Irelands usual allies The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Austria.

National vetoes on tax matters dont apply as it is considered an accounting matter, which the Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Robert Troy, told his EU counterparts last month could set a worrying precedent for the future .

Just this week, an EU parliamentary committee voted through a report asking the Commission to consider removing national vetoes on future digital tax proposals.

Meanwhile, EU leaders said on Thursday that the Commission should press ahead with its plan for a digital levy in June, despite parallel work being done by the OECD on global corporate tax standards.

Earlier this month, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told his EU counterparts that going it alone on a digital tax could antagonise the US.

Ms Regner said the US was losing a lot of revenue when Apple and Facebook shifts its taxes to Ireland and could benefit from the EU's rules.
NASA has honoured Stellenbosch University alumnus and former solar system exploration director Japie van Zyl by naming the location of its upcoming Ingenuity Mars Helicopters flight after him.

Van Zyl was born in Outjo, South West Africa (Namibia) in 1957. After finishing matric he attended Stellenbosch University where he completed an honours degree in electronic engineering.

Following two years in the South African Navy, he left South Africa to complete MSc and PhD degrees in electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Van Zyl joined NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1986 where he served in numerous senior roles over his 33-year career.

These roles included director for the Astronomy and Physics Directorate, associate director for project formulation and strategy, and director for the Solar System Exploration Directorate.

As solar system exploration leader he oversaw numerous successful NASA missions, including Juno, Dawn, Cassini, and the implementation of the Mars InSight lander.

During his career Van Zyl won numerous awards, including Global Young Engineer of the Year (1997) and the Distinguished Achievement Award (2010) from the International Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

In 2015 he received an honorary doctorate in Engineering from the Stellenbosch University for his work at NASA.

He also served as an extraordinary professor at the Stellenbosch University between 2006 and 2020.

Prof Christo Viljoen, former Dean of Engineering and Vice-Rector at Stellenbosch, described Van Zyl as one of the greatest of our graduates, not only in engineering, but among all alumni.

Van Zyl passed away unexpectedly in August 2020 after suffering a heart attack. He was 63.

NASA has now honoured him by naming the location where the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will attempt its powered controlled flight Van Zyl Overlook.

Ingenuity is currently attached to the belly of NASAs Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on 18 February 2021.

On 21 March, the rover shed the guitar case-shaped graphite composite debris shield that protected Ingenuity during landing.

The rover is now in transit to the Van Zyl Overlook airfield where Ingenuity will attempt to fly.

Before Ingenuity takes its first flight it must be squarely in the middle of its airfield  a 10-by-10-meter patch of Martian real estate chosen for its flatness and lack of obstructions.

Once the helicopter and rover teams confirm that Perseverance is situated correctly, the process to deploy the helicopter on the surface of Mars begins.

Once deployed, the 1.8kg Ingenuity rotorcraft will have 30 Martian days, or sols, (31 Earth days) to conduct its test flight campaign.

NASA is targeting no earlier than 8 April for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to make its first flight attempt.

This will be the first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet.

Flying in a controlled manner on Mars is more difficult than flying on Earth because the red planet has significant gravity  one-third that of Earth  but its atmosphere is just 1% as dense as ours.
I took my first airline flight in a year and a half recently. Completely forgot how to do it.

As I stood at the bag drop-off area, wondering why it my bag wasnt registering, a kind attendant pointed out that I had failed to print out any bag tags to affix to them.

Budgeting takes the worry out of whether or not you can afford a holiday Credit:Kate Geraghty

In my defence, I used to have bag tags the machines could automatically read. But Ive long since lost those  discarded in one of my lockdown de-cluttering purges, I suspect.

The pandemic has reshaped all our financial lives. One of the biggest changes for many has been the money weve saved on interstate and international travel and holidays.
Srinagar, March 27 : One army soldier was killed in action and another army soldier has been injured in an ongoing encounter that rages on between terrorists and security forces at Wangam area in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Saturday evening, officials said.

Two unidentified terrorists have so far been killed in the encounter, police said.

The injured soldier has been moved to army's 92 base hospital in Srinagar.

The firefight between terrorists and security forces started after security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of a specific information about the presence of terrorists.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter.

It is a joint operation by the police and army.
New Delhi:

In a one-of-its-kind special awareness programme, Punjab government on Friday announced a cashless cancer treatment scheme that will cover all cancer patients up to 18 years of age.

Under the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund scheme, Rs 1.5 Lakh will be allocated to the cancer patients for the treatment. Earlier, the focus was only placed on adults for such cashless treatments.

Making this announcement during a state-level workshop on paediatric oncology stakeholder sensitisation, state health minister Brahm Mohindra said, "The government is committed to providing tertiary health services to each and every child of the state suffering from cancer. We have commenced the first-of-its-kind special awareness programme to ensure health security.", reported Hindustan Times.

Read more: Over 2.70 lakh people in Punjab addicted to drugs: Report

The health department is also carrying out special training to medical officers, staff nurses and auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs) to conduct tests concerning cancers, especially among children and women in rural areas, the minister was quoted as saying.

"We have already implemented the plan to strengthen facilities at government medical colleges in Patiala and Amritsar and other cancer hospitals to provide quality tertiary health services to the affected children", he further added.

The Punjab Department of Medical Education and Research has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a non-profit organisation CanKids, that will organise a car rally across Punjab next week to generate more awareness.

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Election updates live: Polling for 30 seats has begun in West Bengal, whereas in Assam, 47 seats will go to the polls today. Ove 1.54 lakh Bengali voters will decide the fate of 191 candidates, while chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, several ministers and leaders of the opposition are in the fray in this phase in Assam. Voting for the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam began at 7 am and is set to last till 6 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the voters in West Bengal and Assam to vote in "record numbers".

Check out all the latest updates on West Bengal and Assam phase 1 assembly elections on BusinessToday.In live blog

04:15 pm: West Bengal polls: PM Modi went to Bangladesh for votes, we'll complain to EC, says Mamata Banerjee

#WATCH | In '19 LS polls when a Bangladeshi actor attended our rally, BJP spoke to Bangladesh govt&cancelled his visa.... When polls are underway here, you (PM) go to Bangladesh to seek votes from one section of ppl, why shouldn't your Visa be cancelled?We'll complain to EC:WB CM pic.twitter.com/CQfeUDgZ0y - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

03:50 pm: West Bengal polls: 55.27% voter turnout reported till 3pm; voters throng polling booths in Paschim Medinipur, Salboni

West Bengal reported 55.27 per cent voter turnout till 03:00 pm during the first phase of Assembly polls on Saturday. Paschim Medinipur has the highest turnout amongst all districts whereas Salboni has the maximum voter turnout amongst all constituencies.

--Agencies

03:45 pm: Purulia voter turnout till 01:45 pm

Baghmundi -52.50%

Balrampur -58.66%

Bandwan 56.23%

Joypur -51.73%

Kashipur -43.25%

Manbazar -52.79%

Para -53.97%

Purulia -48.63%

Raghunathpur -44.76%





03:40 pm: Purbo Mednipur voter turnout till 01:45 pm

Bhagabanpur -58.11%

Egra -52.78%

Kanthi Dakshin -56.74%

Kanthi Uttar -59.79%

Khejuri -61.45%

Patashpur -56.25%

Ramnagar -59.64%





03:30 pm: Jhargram voter turnout till 01:45 pm

Binpur -58%

Nayagram -58%

Jhargram -59.80%

Gopivallavpur -61.10%

03:17 pm: Paschim Medinipur voter turnout till 01:45 pm

Dantan-- 62.20%

Garbeta-- 48.67%

Keshiary-- 46.67%

Kharagpur-- 43.81%

Mednipur-- 56.17%

Salboni-- 56.50%





03:10 pm: Bankura voter turnout till 01:45 pm

Chhatna-- 60.52%

Raipur--48.12%

Ranibandh-- 58.44%

Saltora-- 62%





Also read: West Bengal, Assam polls: Cast ballots against 'divisive forces' to strengthen democracy, says Rahul Gandhi

03:00 pm: West Bengal voter turnout district wise

Bankura-- 57.40%

Jhargram-- 59.23%

Paschim Medinipur-- 52.60%

Purbo Medinipur-- 57.75%

Purulia-- 51.42%

02:40 pm: 45.24% voter turnout in Assam, 54.90% in West Bengal till 2pm

45.24% and 54.90% voter turnout recorded till 2 pm, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively: Election Commission of India. - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

02:25 pm: Sisir Adhikari, father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said, "We will take the help of more Central forces at polling booths from now only ahead of second phase of elections." Polling for the second phase of West Bengal elections will be held in Nandigram on April 1.

02:10 pm: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's father Sisir Adhikari casts his vote

Sisir Adhikari, father of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, casts his vote at a polling booth in Contai, in the first phase of #WestBengalPollspic.twitter.com/5P1gPLQsUQ - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

1.59 PM: Assam Congress President Ripun Bora casts his vote at a polling booth in Gohpur

Assam Congress President Ripun Bora casts his vote at a polling booth in Gohpur. #AssamAssemblyElections2021pic.twitter.com/cM2bfgjPV4  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

1.00 PM: West Bengal: 54.90% of 73.80 lakh voters exercise their franchise till 1 pm in 30 seats where polling is underway for first phase.

11.55 AM: BJP West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh says TMC is levelling allegations of rigging against the BJP because it's losing the polls. "For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission. TMC & Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things," he said.

11.50 AM: As per the Election Commission of India, 24.48 and 24.61% voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively.

10.17 AM: A delegation of TMC MPs to meet West Bengal CEO today at 12 noon to "raise some serious concerns", as voting for the first phase of State Assembly elections is underway. - ANI

9.50 AM: BJP accuses TMC of malpractices during the polls, while TMC says BJP misguiding voters by asking them to vote on first button, voting on other people's behalf, BJP cadres creating ruckus, CRPF and BJP creating problems for voters, and rigging.

9.30 AM: As per the Election Commission of India, 8.84% and 7.72% voter turnout recorded till 9 am, in the first phase of polling in Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections, respectively.

9.15 AM: Nandigram BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari writes to the Election Commission, seeking suspension of Haldia Addl SP Partha Ghosh, Haldia SDPO Barunbaidya and some other officers of Nandigram Police Station 'for helping TMC members in carrying out malpractices, irregularities during polls'.

May2. Trinamool will win Bengal. 



1Bengal's Daughter will defeat Bengal's Traitor in his 'backyard' in Nandigram.



2Mo-Sha and members of the Tourist Gang will continue trying to destroy every institution



3Women in Bengal will continue to wear saris any way they want.  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) March 27, 2021

9.12 AM: Two security personnel injured in a firing incident at Satsatmal, Bhagwanpur assembly constituency, early morning today, ahead of voting for West Bengal polls.

He later went there again & met people. We approached EC that there should be free & fair polls. People will choose whom they want. TMC is scared. We've given name of one Alauddin to EC, he creates disturbance there: Soumendu Adhikari, BJP leader & brother of Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/jPfMcGM37Q  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

09:01 am: Phase 1 voting in west Bengal: Mamata Banerjee urges voters to vote in large numbers

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has urged the voters to exercise their right to franchise in massive numbers in a tweet. TMC supremo tweeted, "I call upon the people of Bengal to exercise their democratic right by coming out and voting in large numbers."

08:57 am: Assam election voting live updates: Casting your vote in the times of COVID-19

The Election Commission has made all arrangements to ensure that voting takes place safely in Assam in the times of coronavirus. In districts like Dibrugarh and Majuli, the EC has arranged temperature checks for voters at entry and exit points. Besides, it has also made masks and hand sanitiser available at the polling booths here.

In Majuli district, voters are following social distancing at the polling station set up at the Kamala Bari Junior Basic School.

Also read: Assam election Phase-1 voting tomorrow: Poll timings, result date, other details; all you need to know

08: 48 am: West Bengal polls: TMC MP Derek O' Brien claims "Bengal's Daughter" will give a crushing defeat to "Bengal's traitor" in Nandigram

May2. Trinamool will win Bengal.  1Bengal's Daughter will defeat Bengal's Traitor in his 'backyard' in Nandigram. 2Mo-Sha and members of the Tourist Gang will continue trying to destroy every institution 3Women in Bengal will continue to wear saris any way they want. - Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) March 27, 2021

08:43 am: West Bengal election voting updates: First phase of polling begins in Jhargram

West Bengal: First phase of polling begins in Jhargram #WestBengalElections2021pic.twitter.com/fHP1oKNQ2x - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

08:40 am: Where to catch West Bengal, Assam polls live?

You can watch the latest and live updates about the West Bengal and Assam election on India Today and Aaj Tak TV channels as there will be full coverage and detailled analysis about each constituency and leader. Aaj Tak and India Today are also live streaming West Bengal and Assam election updates on their YouTube channels as well.

Also read: West Bengal, Assam Election 2021: Where, when to watch live TV coverage, streaming on polling day

08:35 am: West Bengal polls: BJP candidate from West Midnapore Samit Das casts his vote

BJP candidate from the West Midnapore constituency has cast his vote during the phase 1 of West Bengal Assembly Elections. While talking to reporters here, Das alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers are trying to create disturbance in rural areas.

Voting underway smoothly in Midnapore town. But, at some places in rural areas, TMC workers are trying to create a disturbance. At booth no. 266 & 267, 7-8 TMC workers entered the booth to influence the voters. We've complained to EC: BJP candidate from West Midnapore, Samit Das pic.twitter.com/nVZUn4TPnP - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

08:23 am: West Bengal election news: Amit Shah appeals people to vote in "maximum numbers"

Union Home Minister Amit Shah invoked Subhash Chandra Bose and Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and tweeted in Bangla, "I urge the first round voters of West Bengal to cast their votes in maximum numbers to restore the glory of Bengal. One of your votes will realise the dream of building Bengal according to the thoughts of great men like Subhash Chandra Bose, Gurudev Tagore and Shyamaprasad Mukherjee."

Also read: West Bengal Election 2021: Voting dates, poll full schedule, timings, election results, all FAQs

08:20 am: Assam election voting live: Large voter turnout seen in Nagaon and Dibrugarh districts

#WATCH Voters turn out in large numbers in Rupahi, Nagaon District, for voting in the first phase of Assam Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/5vjn7GgVNn - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

#AssamAssemblyPolls | A long queue of voters outside a polling station in Bakul, Dibrugarh pic.twitter.com/ySg34ZEWrh - ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

08:15 am: Home Minister Amit Shah appeals Assamese voters to vote in "large numbers"

Following in the lead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged voters in Assam to come out in large numbers and exercise their right to franchise. Shah tweeted in Hindi, "Today, the first phase of polling is being held in Assam. I appeal to all the voters, especially youngsters to vote in large numbers to maintain peace, development and prosperity in the state. Your participation in this mahaparva of democracy is the main pillar of progress of Assam, so do vote."

Also read: Assam Election 2021: Voting dates, full poll schedule, timings, election results, FAQs

08:07 am: Ex-PM and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on being an MP from Assam

Former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh thanked the people of Assam saying it was his "privilege to represent Assam in Rajya Sabha for 28 years from 1991 to 2019". The veteran Congress leader, who is also the architect of the 1991 economic reforms, added voters must elect a government that upholds the values of Indian constitution and democracy and is capable of putting Assam back on the path of peace.

-- Agencies

08:00 am: Election news live: PM Modi urges people to vote in large numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to urge voters in West Bengal and Assam to "exercise their franchise in record numbers".

Today, Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections begin. I would request all those who are voters in the seats polling today to exercise their franchise in record numbers. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

The first phase of elections begin in Assam. Urging those eligible to vote in record numbers. I particularly call upon my young friends to vote. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

07:50 am: Voting begins in Purulia
Nine US service members who drowned when their amphibious vehicle sank off the coast of California last summer did not have any breathing devices because they had been cut to save money.

The nine  eight marines and one sailor - were killed when their 26-ton tank-like Marine landing craft sank in hundreds of feet of water off the coast of Southern California on July 30 after completing routine training.

The troops were heading back to a Navy ship from the island, which lies about 70 miles west of San Diego.

The AAV was one of three Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles making the journey back to the ship when they suddenly hit rough seas and began taking on more water than could be pumped back out.

The amphibious vehicle, with 16 people on board, rapidly sank in 385 feet of water.

The troops were wearing full combat gear and flotation devices at the time of the disaster.

There are about 800 AAV's in the Marin'e inventory that can carry up to 21 people and each weighs 26 tons

The vehicle took on water at around 5:45pm while 15 Marines and one sailor were inside near San Clemente Island in Los Angeles County. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is seen during training on Monday

Only one of their bodies was found on the day of the incident, despite an intense days-long search involving helicopters and boats ranging from inflatables to a Navy destroyer.

Now it has emerged the nine were not carrying breathing devices because the Marine Corps axed them because the $15.9million cost outweighed concerns about a possible catastrophe, says Business Insider.

Marines used to each carry a Waterborne Egress Capability (WEC) breathing systems as a component of their LPU-41 life preservers.

In the event of an accident, the bottled breathing devices would provide up to five minutes of air  enough to removed your gear and take action.

But the devices were axed in 2015 as the Corps looked to save money. That decision has now been overturned, the publication claims.

The body of Pfc Bryan J. Baltierra (left), 19, of Corona, California, was flown to Delaware on Wednesday. Found at the scene was Lance Cpl Guillermo S. Perez (right), 20, of New Braunfels Texas. His body was flown to the Dover base on August 5

Other victims include Lance Cpl Marco A. Barranco (left), 21, of Montebello, California, and Pfc Jack Ryan Ostrovsky (right), 21, of Bend, Oregon

Pfc Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, was killed during the accident last month

US Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California, was one of the victims. Gnem was posthumously advanced to the rank of Petty Officer Third Class and awarded his enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist qualification

Other victims include: Lance Cpl Chase D. Sweetwood (center), 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, Cpl Wesley A. Rodd (left), 23, of Harris, Texas, and Cpl Cesar A. Villanueva (right), 21, of Riverside, California

In addition, USNI news reports that an investigation into the tragedy revealed the battalion 'did not properly train or equip this AAV Platoon for a very difficult MEU training cycle and deployment.

'It said they formed the platoon late, the platoon was not properly trained and evaluated to join the 15th MEU, and they were assigned AAVs in horrible condition.'

The mishap was the culmination of a 'combination of maintenance failures, due to disregard of maintenance procedures, AAV crewmen not evacuating personnel when the situation clearly demanded they be evacuated, and improper training of embarked personnel on AAV safety procedures,' the investigator wrote.

Additionally, the training off San Clemente Island didn't have the proper safety procedures in place that could have helped evacuate the crew from the floundering 'amphibious tractor', according to the investigation

All the Marines were attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at nearby Camp Pendleton.

They ranged in age from 19 to early 30s and all were wearing combat gear, including body armor, and flotation vests, Osterman said.

The coffins then arrived at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where they were received by family members

An intense days-long search involved helicopters and boats ranging from inflatables to a Navy destroyer

The vehicle, known as an AAV but nicknamed an 'amtrac,' for 'amphibious tractor' is used to take Marines and their gear from Navy ships to land.

Found at the scene was Lance Cpl Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels Texas. His body was flown to the Dover base on August 5.

The other victims include: Pfc Bryan J. Baltierra, 19, of Corona, California; Lance Cpl Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California; Pfc Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin; and US Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California.

Pfc Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon; Cpl Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas; Lance Cpl Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon; and Cpl Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California, were also killed in the accident.

Gnem was posthumously advanced to the rank of Petty Officer Third Class and awarded his enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist qualification.

This image is an aerial view of the coast near San Clemente Island where the incident occurred

The sunken craft, one of 13 involved in the exercise, was designed to be naturally buoyant and had three water-tight hatches and two large troop hatches.

This was the third time in recent years that Camp Pendleton Marines have been injured or died in amphibious assault vehicles during training exercises.

In 2017, 14 Marines and one Navy sailor were hospitalized after their vehicle hit a natural gas line, igniting a fire that engulfed the landing craft at Camp Pendleton.

In 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp.
Eve Fischer, 57, sits alone in the park with her dogs after seeing her usual birthday gathering dashed for the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Toronto on Tuesday, March 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
There are plenty of theatre podcasts to get listening to while you have the extra time, and you may have seen some of our previous picks not so long ago. But here are more you may not have heard of, and are definitely worth putting on your list!

Updated: 27 March 2021

Interval Drinks

The RSC has unveiled a new podcast featuring a variety of creatives that have been part of some of their most celebrated productions. You can have a listen to Tim Minchin chatting to Miles Jupp in what is an illuminating time for any listener.





Lucy Eaton's Hear Me Out

Eaton won over a whole wad of fans after her appearance on BBC's Staged, and she will now be chin wagging with the likes of Mark Bonnar, Denise Gough, Adrian Lester and Claire Skinner on her brand new podcast.





Jim and Tomic's Musical Theatre Happy Hour

American Tommy and Scottish Jimmy come together to talk about their favourite musicals. Each episode focuses on a different show, and goes in-depth about its origins, impacts and of course with plenty of opinions. We highly recommend their episodes on Be More Chill, Into the Woods and their live episode on the Cats movie at BroadwayCon.





Wise Children

This podcast launched alongside the birth of Emma Rice's new company Wise Children, and sees the theatremaker take you through the company's process of making their hit shows, including Wise Children, Romantics Anomymous and Malory Towers. From making music to adapting novels, this is a great podcast for anyone who wants to know more about how theatre is created.





Welcome to the Rock

The WhatsOnStage and Olivier Award-winning musical has released an eight-part podcast which documents the creation of the life-affirming show. Featuring interviews with the cast, creative team, and some of the residents of Gander, it's the perfect insight into how a critically-acclaimed musical is made.





What the Musical

Friends Chelsey and Tara talk about a different musical each episode (which are released every other Friday)  from The Wiz to She Loves Me. Listening to this podcast feels like chatting with your friends about your favourite shows  and what could be better?





NT Talks

National Theatre

 Philip Vile

The National Theatre hosts regular talks with incredible industry members  from actors to critics  and is now making these available to access through their new podcast! Some top choices to get you started include Neil Gaiman on The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Rachel Chavkin and Anais Mitchell on Hadestown.





My Little Tonys

This podcast dives into a different Tony Award ceremony each episode, talking about the winners, the surprise nominees, and any controversies surrounding that year's awards. If you want to brush up on your theatre history, then this is the one to be listening to.




A young soldier has died after collapsing during a physical training session in Darwin.

The 20-year-old man was training earlier this week at the headquarters of the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, when he reportedly suffered heat exhaustion and collapsed. He died in hospital on Thursday.

A Defence spokesman confirmed the death, but said News Corp reports that an ambulance wasnt called for 30 minutes were inaccurate.

In a statement on Saturday, the spokesman said it is with profound grief that the Australian Defence Force confirms the death of an Australian Army soldier in the Northern Territory on 25 March 2021.

At the time of the incident, soldiers from his platoon administered first aid, and immediately called an ambulance. Paramedics responded and were on the scene treating the member within 15 minutes.
More than 100 oldiers assigned to the Tennessee National Guards 252nd Military Police Company returned home on Friday, after an 11-month overseas deployment as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Welcomed home by their families, friends, fellow service members and various state leaders, the 252nd returned to Smyrnas Volunteer Training Site at approximately 3 p.m., conducted a short in-processing, and were then released to their families to go home.

We are all excited to be back, said Capt. Aaron Johnson, commander of the 252nd Military Police Company. The deployment went really well and all of the Soldiers excelled at everything they did. We worked hard and are proud of what we accomplished.

Headquartered in Cleveland and with a detachment in Oneida, the 252nd mobilized last April. They were one of the first units from Tennessee to train and deploy in support of overseas contingency operations in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

These Tennesseans were mobilizing just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, said Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessees Adjutant General. They overcame countless challenges brought on by the many unknowns at the beginning, but were adaptive and agile and focused on their mission. Im proud of the great job they did and all they persevered through as they exemplified selfless-service. One of their most difficult tasks was to leave their home and families during a tumultuous time and trust us here at home to look after them.
WINSTED  School officials for two systems both will seek to increase education spending next year, as the superintendents of the Gilbert School and Winchester Public Schools are scheduled to present their proposed budgets for 2021-22 on Monday.

Winchester Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanleys proposed budget for 2021-22 totals $20,558,504, reflecting a 2.99 percent increase over the approved budget of $19,961,686.

Drivers for the increased spending proposal include the Gilbert Schools tuition for the coming year, totaling $7.345 million, an increase of 4.1 percent. Brady-Shanley warned board members that some grant funding is ending, meaning the district will have to find other funding sources going forward.

Since 2016, Winchester schools have been part of a grant program from the Commissioners Network, which provides grants to low-performing schools in exchange for heightened accountability, according to the state.

Our Commissioners Network grant is ending and it was worth $450,000, Brady-Shanley said recently. We also have about $116,000 in carryover grant funds that will be used up this year.

For Gilbert, the 2021-22 proposal includes tuition at $7.345 million, and a capital improvement budget of $462,544, part of an overall $7.843 million spending plan for 2021-22. Capital improvements include a new roof for the auditorium, as well as heating units in the gym and cafeteria. Gilberts budget reflects a 2.11 percent increase over current levels, Superintendent Anthony Serio said.

During the Gilbert School Corp.s most recent meeting, Serio told the board that he was concerned about endowed academies receiving less funding this year.

The amount is lower because, while the federal government has provided grants and other funding to school districts to compensate for added costs, not every school is eligible for full funding. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, signed into law in December 2020, provided an additional $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II Fund), according to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The thing is, we are educating public school students, Serio said at the time. But were not considered Title 1, so we were left out of the ESSER II equation.

How to attend

Mondays hearing is being held at the Pearson School on Wetmore Avenue at 7 p.m., and will also be presented on Zoom by the Board of Selectmen. Those attending in person will be required to wear masks and distance themselves.

Residents are welcome to use the online option if theyre not comfortable attending in person.

Please be advised that every effort is being made with the video and audio as the Livestream will be through the Zoom link on a computer laptop. Unlike the regular meetings held in the P. Francis Hicks room at Town Hall, there is no sound system to link to for the Zoom component, according to a statement from Mayor Candy Perez.

Public comments can be given during the in-person meeting, and can also be emailed or called in.

To attend the meeting on Zoom, go to zoom.us/join, and enter the meeting code 894 3409 2476, and an ID of 982777. All residents attending the meeting on Zoom must provide their identity; be sure the correct name accompanies you when you log in. For example, each persons Zoom name should not just reflect Family iPad.

After the superintendents presentations, public comments will be taken.

Remaining budget meetings include a town budget public hearing at 7 p.m. April 5, followed by the annual town meeting at 7 p.m. May 10. A budget referendum then will be scheduled at the end of May. Past referendums have been held on Saturdays, and a tentative date is May 29 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Board of Selectmen will hold additional meetings as needed to deliberate on the budget up to April 23, Perez said. There will be information coming from the State of Connecticut legislative decisions as well as from the American Rescue Act regulations that will need to be analyzed as well over the next few weeks. The Board of Selectmen will present a budget to the town that they feel will meet the needs of the community.

All budgets may be viewed online; to obtain a copy, call 860-738-6962.
New Delhi, March 27 : Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has been shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Saturday for further treatment. His condition is stated to be "stable".

"He is being referred to AIIMS, Delhi for further investigation," Indian Army's Research and Referral Hospital said in a statement.

He was admitted the Army's Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi on Friday morning after a chest discomfort.

The 75-year-old President had complained of chest discomfort in the morning and thereafter he was rushed to the military hospital.

The President, who underwent routine tests and was put under observation, is now in a stable condition, the hospital said.

In a statement the hospital authorities said: "He is undergoing routine check-up and is under observation. His condition is stable."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
(Corrects name in paragraph 7)

By Paul Lorgerie and Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Local officials in northern Mali accused France's army on Friday of killing six civilians in an airstrike, but French forces said they had hit Islamist militants.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday in the remote Gao region, is the second time this year that France's Operation Barkhane has been accused of killing civilians. The operation comprises more than 5,000 troops fighting militants in Mali and neighbouring countries.

Barkhane said the strike had "neutralised" a group of militants 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of In Deliman.

"This strike was ordered after a phase of surveillance and identification permitting the characterisation of the presence of an armed terrorist group," it said in a statement.

But Mohamed Assaleh Ahmad, mayor of the nearby village of Talataye, said the victims were six male civilians from Talataye between the ages of 15 and 20. He said they were out hunting birds and had a single rifle between them.

"I know all these young people. Some are from my family," he told Reuters by telephone. "We have seen these airstrikes in the past here. We have never said anything, but this time, it is 100% an error."

Akli Iknan Ag Souleymane, a former member of parliament from the area, also said the strike had killed six civilians.

Barkhane declined to comment beyond Thursday's statement.

The United Nations is currently investigating a Jan. 3 airstrike near the village of Bounti that local residents said hit a wedding party attended by civilians. The French military denies that account, saying the strike killed about 30 Islamist fighters.

Barkhane troops are deployed across West Africa's semi-arid Sahel region, where militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State are waging a widening insurrection against national armies.

France is searching for an exit strategy eight years after it first sent soldiers to intervene in Mali against Islamist militants, but President Emmanuel Macron last month ruled out an immediate reduction of trops in the region.

(Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Administrators said President Joe Biden's mandate for everyone to be eligible for a vaccine by May, made during the president's first official press conference yesterday, should give students plenty of time to get their shots, UPI reports.

"We are committed to health and safety for all members of our community, and adding COVID-19 vaccination to our student immunization requirements will help provide a safer and more robust college experience for our students," Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said in a statement. [...] "Vaccination is key to stopping the current pandemic," Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, said.

Notably, the university added that students with religious or medical exemptions would be allowed to attend classes without the vaccine.

Of course, students who opt to continue taking classes online won't be bound by the mandate. "An effective vaccination program is a continuation of Rutgers' commitment to health and safety for all members of our community of more than 71,000 students, the cities we are in and the communities we serve throughout New Jersey," Rutgers Chief Operating Officer Antonio Calcado added.

Some criticized the university's decision to grant staff, from groundskeepers to professors, an exemption to the ruling, saying they won't be required to be vaccinated in order to teach (although, since professors are generally older than students, they would in theory have had more time to get the jab). Still, they will be "strongly encouraged" to receive it.

For Rutgers students wondering when they might be eligible, the NYT has published a summary of recent announcements from US states that are accelerating the expansion of eligibility, in keeping with President Biden's push to get 200MM doses into American arms by the end of his first 100 days.

Governors across the United States are speeding up eligibility for coronavirus vaccines as the number of new cases nationally plateaus, adding more urgency to vaccination efforts. California will open up vaccine eligibility on April 1 to any resident who is 50 or older, and will expand that to residents 16 or older on April 15, state officials announced on Thursday, saying they could do so because of increasing supplies of vaccine from the federal government. And Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida announced that any state resident who is 40 or older would be eligible starting on Monday, and that the minimum age would drop to 18 on April 5. In Connecticut, which is among the most-vaccinated states in the country, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday that all residents 16 and above would be eligible beginning April 1. New Hampshire will make shots available to all residents 16 and older starting April 2, and North Carolina on April 7. In Rhode Island, Gov. Dan McKee said the state was on track to make vaccines available to all residents over 16 by April 19. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky said the state would open vaccinations to those 40 and older starting Monday, adding that a mask mandate would stay in place for at least another 30 days. And in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz is expected to announce on Friday that all residents over the age of 16 will be eligible starting March 30.

Meanwhile, New Jersey announced Friday that it would lower minimum age to 55 as of April 5, meaning it's running behind some of its neighbors.

As we wait to see whether more schools will follow Rutgers' lead, many Americans are wondering whether employers will impose similar requirements. Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC in a Friday morning interview that he doesn't expect employers. But while they might not explicitly mandate vaccination, Dr. Gottlieb believes they will find ways to incentivize employees to get it done.

"I think every college and university is going to require vaccination to return to campus or at least most of them," says @ScottGottliebMD on the Rutgers announcement. "Universities have more discretion over what they require their students to do to be a part of that community." pic.twitter.com/h6lYkWRdhT  Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) March 26, 2021

Meanwhile, in the UK, citizens are pushing back against PM Boris Johnson's proposal to make vaccination mandatory to visit the pub.
The funeral of murdered Belfast woman Stacey Knell took place in east Belfast earlier today.

The number of mourners of those who attended Ms Knell's mother's house at Inverleith Drive for 10.30am to pay their respects were restricted due to Covid-19 regulations.

Ms Knell was then taken to Roselawn Cemetery where she was buried.

The 30-year-old was killed by her boyfriend, Ken Flanagan (26), last Friday.

Expand Close Stacey Knell who was murdered by Ken Flanagan last Friday was buried today / Facebook

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Whatsapp Stacey Knell who was murdered by Ken Flanagan last Friday was buried today

Flanagan then took his own life at the scene of the murder at a house on the Glenville Road in Newtownabbey.

Before he travelled to the property to murder Ms Knell, Flanagan killed his own mother, Karen McClean (50), in her home in Rathcoole, around a mile away from the Glenville Road murder scene.

Expand Close Ken Flanagan first murder his mother Karen McClean (pictured) before killing his girlfriend and taking his own life / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ken Flanagan first murder his mother Karen McClean (pictured) before killing his girlfriend and taking his own life

The murder-suicide left residents in Newtownabbey in shock at the horror which had unfolded on their doorsteps over the weekend.

On Sunday, we reported on how a former partner of Ms Knell, who has a child with her, contacted the PSNI earlier last Friday, just hours before the attacks took place, saying he was concerned about Flanagan being around his daughter.

Expand Close Ken Flanagan killed his mother and girlfriend at separate properties before killing himself / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ken Flanagan killed his mother and girlfriend at separate properties before killing himself

Since then, a GoFundMe appeal has been set up by friends of Ms Knell which has almost doubled the 1,500 it aimed to raise to help the victims family with funeral costs. The remainder will go to her nine-year-old daughter.

Read More

A funeral notice described the young woman as the much loved mother of Sophia, devoted daughter of Roberta and Paul, a loving sister, aunt, cousin and friend to many.

It continued: Stacey will be very sadly missed by her loving family and many friends.

Meanwhile, tributes have poured in for the popular mum on social media.

One wrote: "Rest easy beautiful girl. You have been robbed of your precious young life. May God watch over your beautiful daughter and family and ease there pain. My thoughts go out to the entire family. God bless."

Another read: "Hope she gets the send off she deserves. My beautiful best friend. Gone far too soon. Absolutely heartbroken. Thoughts with all the family. Sweet dreams angel xxx."

The PSNI described the murders as shocking and horrific and said the police are not looking for anyone else in connection with their investigation.
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Sara Sampaio, Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skrive took full advantage of the idyllic weather - and the recent ease on COVID-19 restrictions - in Los Angeles on Friday.

The supermodels met up in the afternoon to grabbed lunch together at Hugo's, which is located in the heart of West Hollywood.

The trio looked like they were back on the catwalk as they strolled side-by-side and chatted on their way to the celeb-friendly restaurant.

A vision: Gal pal models Sara Sampaio, Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver were a vision when they met up for lunch at a restaurant in Los Angeles on Friday

Sampaio, 29, opted for a simple but classy look with a white button-down shirt tucked into black pants with matching leather boots.

The Portuguese beauty also carried a black bag and had her long raven tresses styled long and straight with a middle part.

With a strong glare from the sun at times, she periodically wore stylish sunglasses to and from Hugo's.

Safety First: The trio all made sure to wear protective masks over the mouths and noses as soon as they were in the vicinity of others

Simple but stylish: Sampaio, 29, went with a black and white ensemble as she carried a black bag and wore her dark brown tresses long and flowing near her waistline

Tookes, a Southern California native, walked in-between her two model pals, while rocking a brown leather power suit.

The pants had a loose, high-water design, which showcased her bare ankles and white sneakers, and the blazer was worn over a white t-shirt.

She rounded out her ensemble with her long, straight locks pulled into a tight ponytail, all the while securing her cream-colored purse under her right arms.

'That good car light. What are your plans this weekend?' the American model, 30, wrote when she shared a couple of images of herself, seemingly on the ride over to meet her ladies.

Social media butterflies: All three ladies documented their get-together on Instagram; Sampaio shared this selfie of the models sitting in an outdoor patio area

Fashion statement: A couple hours after posting about her lunch with her two friends, the Portuguese beauty declared that she might start wearing hats like this purple one

Glowing: Tookes, 30, blamed the good car light, n part, for this lovely snap of the model, seemingly on her way to meet her friends for lunch

Sleek: The California Native pulled her long raven tresses into a tight ponytail

Skriver, 27, opted to show off her toned midriff in a white crop top that was matched with an orange blazer and olive-green pants

The Danish model also wore black boots and had her blonde tresses in a ponytail.

'I have never seen three pretty best friends,' she gushed in the caption of a couple of photos she posted on Instagram.

The trio made sure to wear protective masks over the mouths and noses as soon as they were in the vicinity of others.

Stylin': Tookes showed off her fashion touch decked out in a brown leather suit.

Glimpse: The American model also shared a quick video of herself on her ride over

Attached at the hip: Skriver referenced Sampaio and Tookes as 'best friends' in the caption of her photo taken during their lunch date
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) employees on their professional holiday.

Rosgvardia was created five years ago. In this period it has become an "independent, significant structure" that effectively participates in solving state problems - participates in the fight against terrorism, controls civilian circulation of weapons, "protects the law, the safety of people during mass events", the president noted.

I would like to highlight that Rosgvardia maintains the historical traditions of the Internal Troops, a number of services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, special forces units.

"I thank all the military personnel, employees, civilian personnel of the Russian National Guard for a competent, clear solution of the tasks facing you, for your readiness to carry out your important, demanded service in the most difficult conditions, for the fact that you are always at your post," Putin's congratulation says.
MEDINA, Ohio, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Oak Lane Partners, a private investment firm, has made a strategic investment in thomastech, a leading data center lifecycle solutions company.



thomastech provides enterprise and datacenter hardware solutions, storage array management services, multi-vendor third-party maintenance support, and global parts distribution capabilities across 68 countries.



thomastech, today, serves the high-availability needs of over 1,000 major enterprise clients, hardware OEMs, leading channel partners as well as mid-sized businesses. By offering an integrated solution, from hardware to services and from parts to maintenance, thomastech is one of the few end-to-end solutions providers in this industry.



Founder and CEO of thomastech, Trent Thomas, stated, "We have built our reputation, culture, and business over the past 14 years relentlessly attending to the evolving needs of our clients in a dynamically ever changing industry. This investment from Oak Lane not only reassures our dedication to our clients but also provides us capital and guidance to grow inorganically and organically and continue to innovate new solutions and expand existing services."



"Upon reviewing many players in this industry, we selected thomastech as our platform investment because of its scalable hardware sourcing capabilities, highest service delivery ratings, and extensive multi-vendor OEM platform expertise," said Michael Horne, Senior Operating Partner of Oak Lane Partners. "With the thomastech team, we are confident of growing this platform both far and wide."



Learn more about thomastech by visiting its website: https://thomastechllc.com/



Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12863569



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE thomastech

Related Links

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Maharashtra, which is one of the worst affected states in terms of Covid-19 in India, has reported 1.8 lakh new coronavirus cases in just 6 days. Around 608 people have also lost their lives due to the deadly virus in the state.

As India reported about 62,258 new infections on Friday, 36,902, or 60 per cent, of the fresh cases came from Maharashtra, followed by Punjab and Gujarat. The Maharatra state is experiencing a continuous rise in Covid cases, which has necessitated state night curfew from March 28.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has said considering the rise in several cases, it seems public healthcare infrastructure may fall short. "Don't want to impose lockdown but looking at the rising number of cases it seems the present health infrastructure may fall short. Districts are advised to look into the availability of beds, health facilities, etc . Malls shall remain close between 8 pm and 7 am," the CM said on Friday.

Also read: COVID-19 in Maharashtra: Night curfew in state from March 28

Maharashtra is the first state in the country to impose state-wide restrictions after India's first Covid-induced lockdown on March 25, 2020. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also warned that "stringent decisions" would be taken if the COVID-19 situation in the Pune district did not improve in one week.

The cases in Maharashtra started rising rapidly after March 24 when it reported 31,855 fresh Covid-19 cases. Mumbai remains one of the most affected cities in the state. In the last six days alone, the financial capital of India, Mumbai, has reported 26,765 Covid-19 cases and 57 deaths.

At present, the state has over 2.82 lakh active Covid-19 cases. Nine out of 10 districts with the highest number of active Covid-19 cases are in Maharashtra, with Pune and Mumbai being the top two.

In the last 24 hours, Maharashtra has reported 36,902 cases, with Mumbai reporting 5,513 new cases and 9 new fatalities. The coronavirus doubling rate reached 68 days in Mumbai. Other districts like Nashik, Nagpur, Nanded, Beed, and Parbhani are also reporting a significant rise in Covid-19 cases.

Also read: Enforce COVID protocols during Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Easter: MHA to states
A federal judge ordered Philadelphia Proud Boys president Zach Rehl released on house arrest but immediately stayed that decision on Friday, the same day an appellate court issued more stringent requirements for prosecutors seeking to keep Capitol riot defendants like him behind bars while they await trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard A. Lloret did not mention the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as he weighed government arguments to keep Rehl detained during a brief court hearing in Philadelphia.

Though he ultimately rejected prosecutors arguments, the stay he issued means that Rehl  one of the most visible Proud Boys leaders on the East Coast and one of four charged with conspiring to instigate the Jan. 6 assault  will remain in custody for now pending a hearing scheduled for Thursday in Washington.

Rehls attorney, Shaka M. Johnson, dismissed government claims that his client played a leading role in coordinating the attack on the Capitol or that he poses an ongoing threat that should keep him in custody until trial.

He had some opinions. He let those opinions be known, Johnson argued in court Friday. But nothing that he said was meant to incite, infuriate or fuel what happened Jan. 6.

Philly Proud Boys president Zach Rehl said he was proud of groups role in Capitol riot, feds say

The issue of pretrial detention has emerged as one of the central early fights in the hundreds of cases the Justice Department has brought against accused insurrectionists since the Jan. 6 riot.

The vast majority of the more than 300 people charged so far have been released while their cases move forward with no objection from the government. But prosecutors have fought strenuously to keep those facing accusations of attacking police or organizing the attack behind bars, saying there is little to stop them in the current charged political environment from acting out again.

The D.C. Circuits ruling Friday codified those standards, drawing a distinction between those charged with specific acts of violence or conspiracy and defendants who have been charged merely with entering the Capitol illegally.

In our view, those who actually assaulted police officers and broke through windows, doors, and barricades, and those who aided, conspired with, planned, or coordinated such actions, are in a different category of dangerousness than those who cheered on the violence or entered the Capitol after others cleared the way, D.C. Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins wrote in an opinion for a three-judge panel of the court.

Within hours of the ruling, a district judge in a separate conspiracy case involving top leaders of the Oath Keepers  another right-wing militant group accused of conspiring to attack the Capitol  reversed previous decisions and ordered two defendants released on house arrest.

And the shadow of the appellate courts decision is likely to loom over a detention hearing scheduled next week in Washington for Rehl, 35, and his codefendants.

Judges had already ordered the release of two of Rehls fellow Proud Boys leaders  Ethan Nordean, 30, of Auburn, Wash., and Joseph Biggs, 37, of Ormond Beach, Fla.  finding that the government had not proven that either man was a continued threat to the community.

Subsequently, Rehl, Nordean, Biggs, and a fourth member of the organization  Charles Donohoe, 33, of Kernersville, N.C.  have been charged in a six-count indictment that more fully fleshes out the planning that went into the coordinated strike they are accused of leading aimed at interfering with police and disrupting the certification of Joe Bidens electoral victory.

Philly Proud Boys president Zach Rehl marched alongside leaders charged in Capitol riot

Prosecutors have urged U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who will preside over next weeks hearing, to reconsider bail decisions for all four men. They argued in a recent court filing that while Rehl and the others may not have been among the riots most violent actors, they came to Washington with the intent of stirring up an attack and set a violent tone that infected the rest of the mob.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Jones conceded in court Friday that the government had no evidence that Rehl had directly participated in any property destruction or violence against police once he was inside Capitol grounds. But he balked at the suggestion from Rehls lawyer that the man was being jailed pretrial solely for expressing controversial political views.

He is not before the court because of his opinions, he said. Hes before the court because of his actions and the people he led.

Hours after the attack, Rehl gleefully celebrated the chaos he and the others are accused of unleashing that day.

THIS is what patriotism looks like, Rehl posted on Telegram, the encrypted messaging app the group used to communicate with each other Jan. 6. He added later: This is NOT what I expected to happen. All from us showing up and starting some chants and getting the normies all riled up.

Rehl, the son and grandson of Philadelphia cops who has made a public showing of his organizations support for police, also disparaged officers at the Capitol who struggled to keep the violent mob at bay.

They deserve to be tarred and feathered, he wrote. These cops turning on us are also what they call turncoats. Just saying.

Ultimately, though, Lloret, the judge, was swayed by the portrait painted by Johnson, Rehls lawyer, who described his client as a Marine Corps veteran, an expectant father, and a man with deep roots in his community.

Hes proven himself to be a worthy father, a worthy son [and] a patriot, Johnson said.

Jones dismissed Rehls brand of patriotism  at least the kind he exhibited at the Capitol  as misguided.
It was nice to greet everyone, but when we got started, the tone was very much something where we were grieving, Haralambidis said. I talked about the intersection of racism and misogyny with the shootings being very targeted toward women. I talked a lot about allyship and intersectionality with the other communities of color.
The Duke of Sussex's royal career ranges from military work and royal duties to mental health advocacy. RUNE STOLTZ BERTINUSSEN / NTB SC/AFP via Getty Images, Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images

Prince Harry has an impressive royal resume.

Harry's latest work project involves advocating for mental health at BetterUp.

Previously, he served in the military and launched his own charities as a senior working royal.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Prince Harry has taken on two new jobs in the past week.

San Francisco-based mental health startup BetterUp announced on Wednesday that the Duke of Sussex had joined the company as a Chief Impact Officer - a role that will focus on product strategy decisions, charitable contributions, and mental health advocacy.

The following day, Harry confirmed he had become a part-time commissioner for The Aspen Institute's six-month study on disinformation and misinformation in the US.

Harry's new roles are strikingly different from his royal career. The duke was previously a full-time working royal, meaning he undertook charity work and royal tours on behalf of the Queen.

Here's the prince's entire resume.

2004-2015: Prince Harry spent a decade in the armed forces and launched a sporting tournament for injured and wounded soldiers

After graduating from Eton College in 2003, Prince Harry took a gap year, where he spent time in Australia and Southern Africa.

In September 2004 he passed the qualification required to train at Sandhurst, a prestigious military academy that has been attended by royals from around the world, including Prince Michael of Kent and Harry's brother Prince William.

He began his 44-week training course in May 2005, which allowed him to join the Blues and Royals regiment of the British Army in 2006.

He went on to serve two tours of Afghanistan, and worked his way through the ranks; being promoted to Lieutenant in 2008, and Captain in 2011, according to the royal website.

Harry also kept up with his charity work throughout his time in the military. He co-founded the charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to support vulnerable children in Lesotho, and launched The Royal Foundation with Prince William in 2009.

Story continues

Although the duke left the army in 2015, he continues to work closely with servicemen, women, and veterans through The Invictus Games, which he created in 2014.

The tournament, which was first held in London in 2014, allows injured or wounded army personnel to compete against one another in various sports. It has since taken place in locations throughout the world, including Orlando and Toronto.

The next Invictus Games will be held at The Hague in 2022.

2016-2017: Royal duties and Heads Together

Following his departure from the military, the Duke of Sussex became a full-time working member of the royal family. His new role involved representing the Queen at official charity events and royal ceremonies in the UK and across the world.

One of his first major projects was the Heads Together campaign, which he launched with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2016 to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

The following year, Harry announced the campaign had partnered with the Ministry of Defence to improve the mental health of current and former armed forces personnel.

"It isn't just about the vital work to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health in our armed forces. It is about showing everyone the amazing advantages we will all enjoy from training our minds as well as our bodies," Harry said in a speech announcing the partnership.

2018-2020: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertook 3 royal tours on behalf of the Queen before announcing their resignation

After Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in May 2018, the couple represented the monarchy at royal engagements both in the UK and across the world.

They embarked on their first joint tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand in October 2018.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Bondi beach on October 19, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Pool/Samir Hussein/Getty Images

The 16-day tour involved public walkabouts, private engagements focused on youth leadership, and private receptions with world leaders.

The couple also toured Morocco in February 2019, and Africa in October 2019.

The Sussexes worked closely with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during this period. In May 2019, the couples teamed up to launch Shout, a mental health textline service.

The two couples worked on the project secretly for six months - going behind-the-scenes and meeting volunteers for the program - before launching the service.

However, just a month later the Sussexes announced plans to resign from The Royal Foundation.

The couple announced their "step back" from their senior royal duties in January 2020. They completed a final round of royal engagements across the UK before their resignation was finalized on March 31, 2020.

2020-2021: Archewell, Netflix, and post-royal opportunities

In April 2020 Harry and Markle announced plans to launch their non-profit, Archewell, named after their son Archie.

The charity is currently working in partnership with various organizations to "uplift and unite communities." In March, the Archewell website encouraged the public to celebrate International Women's Day with acts of compassion in their everyday lives.

In September the couple launched a production company, Archewell Productions, which will produce TV, documentaries, and film for Netflix.

They launched a podcast, Archewell Audio, for Spotify in December. At the time of writing, couple have released one episode, a holiday special, which featured celebrity guests including James Corden and Sir Elton John.

Harry's latest work projects, which involve advocating for mental health at BetterUp and fighting misinformation with The Aspen Institute, are among his first solo projects since arriving in the US.

Read the original article on Insider
New Delhi, March 27 : Led by Flipkart again, Indias online smartphone market reached its highest-ever share at 45 per cent in 2020, registering a growth of seven per cent (on-year) in a pandemic-hit year, according to a new report.

Flipkart remained the top online platform with 48 per cent share, followed by Amazon which captured 44 per cent share. Amazon grew 34 per cent (on-year) and was the fastest growing online platform, Counterpoint Research said late on Friday.

Xiaomi remained the top online brand with a 40 per cent market share driven by the Redmi as well as Poco brand smartphones.

With 19 per cent, Samsung captured the second position in the India online smartphone market driven by the Galaxy M-series. Samsung captured more than one-third shipments on Amazon.

Realme was third in the online segment, also with 19 per cent share.

According to Counterpoint, realme remained the top smartphone brand on Flipkart in 2020, registering a growth of 27 per cent (on-year).

Vivo captured the fourth position due to strong shipments of the Y91i, Y20 and V20 series.

"OnePlus was the top online premium smartphone brand on Amazon and captured the fifth position in the overall online smartphone market," the report mentioned.

The top five brands in the online market captured more than 82 per cent of the total shipments.

realme and Poco were the top smartphone brands on Flipkart, capturing more than 50 per cent of the shipments on the platform.

The premium online smartphone market also registered a 22 per cent (on-year) growth due to these strategies. Apple, OnePlus and Samsung drove this segment and contributed to almost 90 per cent of the shipments in this segment.

"Major online brands are adopting a hybrid channel strategy and expanding their offline stores. Also, as the smartphone brands move to a more ecosystem strategy and multiple devices, the focus will be on consumer experience, which will further grow the offline segment," the findings showed.

Innovations such as O2O (online-to-offline) and financing schemes focusing on low-cost ownership and upgrades will also increase smartphone adoption in the country, the report added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Insecurity will always be with us, but we will cope with it better at times and despair at other times. The most critical thing is having an overwhelming majority of people who will abide by principles, norms, rules and laws founded and agreed upon, which just leaves a manageable minority for policing and criminal justice. Even individualised self-help increases insecurity.

The pattern of what we call insecurity is neither new nor worsening, and seems just different in dimensions and scope. The scope it takes in national life depends on the comfort of the elite and what is topical to their lives. In some cases, the dimensions of existing crime become heightened by elite interests, as it affects those whose influence matters to our public perception.

For example, a friend who read the first part of this piece reminded me of the Ethical Revolution under the Shehu Shagari administration. Then the influencers felt it was so laughable that our forever activist and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, made a satirical song about it. That song became the soundtrack to our movement between the top floor of the Students Union Building and the Forks and Fingers restaurant at the University of Ife around that time.

Nevertheless, our journey of insecurity in this present round seems to have been incubated in the Niger Delta. The stabilised state capture under Chief Obasanjos government had the elites largely sated with rich pickings from the administrations privatisation programme and intermediary services. The brutality of the state was not in doubt and every opportunity was used to establish that there was a Baba in charge, both practically and metaphorically.

Of course, that did not include places like Oyo State, where weapons of war were deployed at will with federal backing. Ibadan was reduced to a war front. Now, how could that be insecurity? Indeed it was, especially if you lived in Ibadan when our current champions turned our motor parks to war fronts. The dead and injured were Yoruba, not Fulani. Guess we should be grateful that those who ensured our insecurity are now fighting others on our behalf.

The incoming YarAdua administration had enough awareness of the fault lines but it did not prevent the Niger Delta becoming the proving ground for lawlessness. The elite excused the kidnapping and other crimes on the notion that much delayed justice was being achieved. That so-called justice rarely rewarded those who abided by the law, sought to better themselves, as well as compete in the marketplace. It rewarded those who took up arms against the state, became a law onto themselves, and largely punished their own for non-compliance. The self-help justification of Nigerian atrocities, whether it be the poor seeking economic justice or the indigenous rising against errant interlopers, is the ever present narrative of the complaint media and public.

The Niger Delta effectively prototyped the Economy of the Violent. Pathologies were and still are unleashed, from cultism to orgies of communal violence and rampant drugs, as well as prostitution. As if that was not enough, at the centre of the nations economic dependence, we negotiated away all moral or normative standards. We allowed ethnic warlords to carry the day, with an eventual amnesty that ensured they would regularly blackmail the entire country and claim the victors reward.

On the other side of the country, a self-indulgent act by the security forces, in assassinating the leader of a religious and fanatical militia, created what has now become one the longest lasting asymmetrical wars. It has wasted much needed billions in the pursuit of ending a war that, if properly thought through, is not resolvable by just military might.

With an ailing president, the influencers threw their weight behind the Principle of Necessity and exposed their ultimate insecurity, a dead or dying president leveraged for the personal pursuit of wealth and power, even an attempted coup with only a few people standing guard around Vice President Jonathan. How quickly we forget.

Once we had a President Jonathan, all the pathologies incubated in the Niger Delta seemed to find open season on the national stage, culminating in the October 1st bombing at the Eagle Square in 2010. As Boko Haram morphed, bombing and suicide bombing became regular events, with Boko Harams territorial control fully established. The Nigerian military was marked by mutinies and disgruntled elements. Along with regular bombing, communal conflicts were regular across the country.

What has followed is not extraordinary for a country that is yet to become a nation. However, the elite loss of influence and hegemony, including the slash in state capture, has been unbearable. So, as crime continues to morph on the basis of our pathologies, the shout of unbearable insecurity seems far more of an elite battle for the political economy

What was clear was that there was no genuine effort to contest these issues with criminals. Since oil prices were at their highest and the elite were sated, as they were sharing and banking at will. As for everyday Nigerians, the availability of trickledowns made the cries of insecurity muted. As there was no basis for home robberies, digitalisation having changed the way money was handled, kidnapping flowed out of the Niger Delta like a new found trade or skill.

The daily kidnapping in places like Omoku in Rivers State decimated many families, and sometimes the taking of victims into the nightmare of Abia continued with no interest by the national press. Out of that emerged the scourge of Vampire, who killed up to 200 people, including Oruahwo Diohwo John, my friend and colleague, who acted to drop off ransom but paid with his life for not bringing enough money. Neither the kidnapped woman nor many lived to tell the tale. Henry Chibueze, the Vampires real name, only exemplified a criminal trade that had taken root from the South-South to the South-East of Nigeria.

It found its way into Lagos, especially the Lekki/Ajah area, eventually. We had Evans, the billionaire kidnapper, for newspapers to turn the mill; even then he was treated as a celebrity in a way that can only occur in the influencer activism of Nigerians, whose sanctimonious positions are often for sale and based on bombast. There are memories of so many lost in the dizzying brigandry on the way to the South-East, with entire luxurious buses boarded or sprayed with bullets.

I must remember another loss of a man I deeply admired, Michael Osigwe Anyaim-Osigwe, who was prematurely lost to senseless criminal brutality near Okada in Edo State. It was a pointless waste of life because the robber was frustrated and needed someones blood to be shed. Were we secure? He was a champion of Nigeria, a personal friend of the president, and presidents. A son, father and chief, who helped to restore our country as a place in the committee of nations, after the devastation of the Abacha regime.

In the North-Central, the ancient battle between farmers and herders was a fixture. To get to Makurdi from Abuja required taking a circular route through the South-East or not going at all. Then the much publicised abduction of the Chibok girls! Never mind that loads more young girls were kidnapped before and after that incident. All these occurred but it was not really insecurity because the elite and newspapers never pronounced it so.

The elite have since then become aggressive. Their regular reception in Aso Rock was no longer enough, nor was their access to the corridors of power, or even the appointment of their nominees into positions of state. The government became desperate, with loads of cash found on a private jet in South Africa. Could a retired General come into power, manage the great unwashed but leave their regular slices of commonwealth for them to continue feeding? They most certainly believed that. They could still retain their access and funds with a more competent figurehead as president.

I remember being in a policy meeting during the election period when the commitment, as made by President Muhammadu Buhari that anyone who worked for him would publicly declare his or her assets, was raised. This was quickly edited out because it was largely believed that he could not be serious. After the election, the first insecurity occured through the incredible tumbling of oil prices.

What has followed is not extraordinary for a country that is yet to become a nation. However, the elite loss of influence and hegemony, including the slash in state capture, has been unbearable. So, as crime continues to morph on the basis of our pathologies, the shout of unbearable insecurity seems far more of an elite battle for the political economy, as they exploit the problems involved for positioning.

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I am a supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari and see far too much being realised under him that will be of great hope in the immediate future, to let the current hysteria and polarisation distort these achievements. Insecurity is the pattern of the stronghold in the path of a Nigerian nation emerging from our current country. It is not new and will demand greater and better efforts from all of us, if we really want it to reduce.

we need a national social compact that establishes our commitments to each other, focusing on drawing a clear line between Nigerians who legitimately accept responsibility for moving us from country to nation and those, on the other side, who will expose and exploit any inevitable differences for their venal interests.

This is the same notion of insecurity that was used to decimate the whole of West Africa of millions of able-bodied people, who were kidnapped and sold into trans-Atlantic slavery. It is the same ethnic justifications and colourations that allowed tribal warlords to mortgage the future of generations and lay the groundwork for the rape of our lands through colonialism. Then the iteration of ethnic champions who use our fear of the other, which is the demonisation of our neighbours, to continue brutalising and dehumanising many.

Instead of building on the railroads that are being renewed, the airports being updated, the local rice mills and pyramids linking Kebbi to Lagos, the emerging FinTech industry and innovations, the funds transfer programmes for artisans, education and the enabling of MSMEs, the rebuilding of the Nigerian economy from ground up to replace middle-men, while the access economy gets ignored. Instead of seeking new skills and identifying solutions, as well as perpetrators.

As elites, if our worry is genuinely our fear of crime, as we build gated estates and use armed escorts, we had better get ready for the next phase. In our homes are those whose awareness, daily, about our brutal materialism, will completely devastate our lives. Our domestic maids who watch and hear us amass wealth and buy pieces of jewellery that could pay their salaries for years. We hold parties where we throw around, in a few hours, a lifetime income for them. Yet, we pay them not even enough to live independent of our tantrums and in many cases physical abuse. And, we leave them alone with children who cannot speak.

Or is it the mai-guard who we put in airless rooms or in the open air to protect our gates, homes and belonging, whilst we lounge in indulgence? Fighting mosquitoes and scrambling for leftovers, yet they are supposed to put their lives on the line for us. Drivers who protect our lives with their skills but bear the brunt of our ill-tempered days. This next phase will be brutal, as we who all now live in the elite choices are being judged firsthand, daily, and payback will be bloody.

We can make other choices, especially the ones that lift all boats at the same time, rather than those of ours and our children who we send to be educated abroad but forget that this gig culture means the challenges are global and largely the same. We really cannot run fast or far enough.

Here are some ideas for the kind of equal life opportunities that might reduce the numbers mistakenly gunning for what we have. Establish a code of conduct and agreed employment standards, as well as pay scale for domestic workers, to ensure that their humanity is not compromised for getting paid.

Furthermore, we need a national social compact that establishes our commitments to each other, focusing on drawing a clear line between Nigerians who legitimately accept responsibility for moving us from country to nation and those, on the other side, who will expose and exploit any inevitable differences for their venal interests. We need to properly identify and map our ethnic nationalities, especially to celebrate their contributions.

Finally, to move towards this seemingly impeding state police, we must ensure that all states have systems of easy and clear accountability for local governance.

Insecurity will always be with us, but we will cope with it better at times and despair at other times. The most critical thing is having an overwhelming majority of people who will abide by principles, norms, rules and laws founded and agreed upon, which just leaves a manageable minority for policing and criminal justice. Even individualised self-help increases insecurity. We can all do better or else we will all live through Insecurity.

Adewale Ajadi, a lawyer, creative consultant and leadership expert, is author of Omoluwabi 2.0: A Code of Transformation in 21st Century Nigeria.
The Biden administration has concluded that China "is flirting with the idea of seizing control of Taiwan as President Xi Jinping becomes more willing to take risks to boost his legacy," the Financial Times reports.

Why it matters: An invasion of Taiwan, the self-governed island claimed by Beijing, would force the U.S. to decide whether to go to war with China to defend an implicit ally.

The recent conclusion by the Biden administration is based on Chinese behavior during the past two months a senior U.S. official told FT.

After a show of force by Chinese bombers off Taiwan just after President Biden took office, the State Department said: "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan."

Adm. John Aquilino, nominee to head U.S. forces in the Pacific, warned the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that the threat to Taiwan "is much closer to us than most think," CNN reported.

China views taking control of Taiwan as "their No. 1 priority," Aquilino said.

Adm. Philip Davidson, current head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, testified earlier this month that the Chinese military is building up offensive capability, making the threat to Taiwan "manifest during this decade  in fact, in the next six years."
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
A Romanian man stopped at a Garda checkpoint in Wicklow was found to be wanted in Germany after a search of a newly-introduced EU information system, the High Court has heard.

Vasile Jelecuteam, aged 44, was stopped at the checkpoint at Kilmacanogue just after 12am this morning and appeared before the High Court today.

Garda Margaret Fennelly, of Bray Garda Station, told the court that a black Jaguar vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint at around 00.05 and that she checked Mr Jelecuteam's identification and driver's licence through the Garda Pulse and SIS II (Schengen Information System). The search revealed that there was a European Arrest Warrant in place for Mr Jelecuteam from Germany.

Under the processes of the Schengen Information System (SIS II), which Ireland joined on Monday, 15 March, the details of the alleged offence have yet to be supplied to the High Court.

Bail hearing

Mr Justice Paul Burns remanded Mr Jelecuteam in custody until 31 March, with a bail hearing listed for Thursday of this week.

The SIS II system allows for the automated, simultaneous and immediate exchange of information across 26 EU countries and four others in the form of alerts.

Last week, two males  one Polish and one Slovakian  were arrested in Ireland on foot of European warrants in Eastern Europe under the system.

The SIS II alert contains three elements: identifying information on the person, object, or vehicle sought; a statement on why the person is sought, and the action to be taken when the person or object is found.

If a person, or object, is discovered in another country using SIS II, a hit is recorded and is immediately available to all authorities using the system.

There are currently 30 countries connected to SIS II - the 26 EU states and Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

In 2019, there were 120,000 missing person records shared on SIS II and over 40,000 alerts for persons wanted by countries connected to the system.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said that "accessing such information means that An Garda Siochana can swiftly deal with issues of serious crime with potential links to other European countries".
News doing the political rounds is that a senior BJP leader was behind the postponement of former Adilabad MP Rathod Rameshs ( right) entry into the party.  DC file photo

ADILABAD: Political parties are springing back to life and gearing up for elections to Adilabad Rural ZPTC seat following reports that the state government may issue a notification in May. TRS leaders and cadre are going ahead with a winning spirit.

News doing the political rounds is that a senior BJP leader was behind the postponement of former Adilabad MP Rathod Rameshs entry into the party.

The contention is that BJP leader is keen on fielding his son as the party candidate for the Adilabad Rural ZPTC seat but the prospects would be diminished if Ramesh Rathod joins before the elections. It could also affect the winning prospects of his son as Adivasis votes play a crucial role in this election.

The main contenders TRS, BJP and Congress are getting battle-ready. It may be recalled that BJP and TRS were to splurge on feasts for the villagers to whom they also planned to distribute cash ahead of festivals a month ago. However, they held back on coming to know that there was a delay in issuing an election notification.

Meanwhile, the voters are demanding leaders of all parties to initiate steps to improve road connectivity and resolve drinking water problems in their villages.
(Photo : Suez Canal Authority)

If a face could launch a thousand ships, this ship had definitely launched a thousand memes.

The massive cargo ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal for days and triggering panic about its impact on the global economy is now being rescued--by a very tiny excavator.

According to a report published by Reuters on Thursday, March 25, the salvage company tasked to free the 400-meter (1,300-feet) long "Ever Given" said that it might take weeks to finish the job.

While officials stopped all ships from entering Suez Canal, the internet used this opportunity to produce a wave of hilarious memes.

The Tale of the 'Ever Given' and the Bulldozer

The awkward situation in which the "Ever Given" found itself gave birth to a myriad of memes, including some that relate to people's everyday lives.

Meanwhile, this particular Twitter user has a lot to unload.

Another user relates the Suez Canal drama to the recent pandemic.

Others try to offer suggestions to help speed up the rescue.

Political commentator Ben Shapiro also joined in the fun, using the Suez Canal incident take a swipe at the current administration.

Aerial shot of every single one of Joe Biden's press conference answers pic.twitter.com/wNPTnvFfAZ  Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 26, 2021

One Twitter user felt that it is his duty to share this meme in particular.

I'm sorry but this had to be done.#Evergreen pic.twitter.com/L74uq1TEVO  Daniel Foubert (@d_foubert) March 24, 2021

Also Read: How to Become a Cruise Ship Photographer in 4 Steps

Suez Canal Drama: So, What Now?

On Saturday, March 27, an article from BBC reported that Egypt's presidential adviser had his hopes up and believed that the issue would be resolved within two to three days.

However, chief engineer for Maersk Ohio Joe Reynolds said that while the efforts to set the "Ever Given" free drags on, the number of vessels lining up at the channel's southern entrance continue to "growing exponentially".

"It's going to affect shipping schedules around the world," he added.

An article from New York Times published on Thursday, March 25, reports that the Japanese company that owns "Ever Given" apologized for the unfortunate incident.

Shoei Kisen Kaisha acknowledged the company's fault in a statement on Thursday that the incident is "extremely difficult" to solve and assured that they would do their best to dislodge the ship.

Royal Boskalis Westminster, the Dutch salvage company working on the "Ever Given," explained the Suez Canal's current situation to New York Times.

The Dutch company's Chief Executive Peter Berdowski said that the "Ever Given" was stuck on both shallow sides of the narrow waterway.

Calling it a "very heavy beached whale," Berdowski said that the cargo ship is too heavy for tugboats alone, and the situation calls for more equipment and an extra workforce to finish the job.

"The more deeply the ship is stuck, the harder it is to lose weight, the more time it will take to free it," he said.

About 12% of the world's trade passes through the Suez Canal daily, and the incident could threaten the already-suffering economy the world is facing at the moment.

Related Article: Ships Have Been Sailing in Circles and Some Believe it Could be Due to the Earth's Pole Reversal

This article is owned by Tech Times



Written by Lee Mercado

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Kevork Djansezian/Reuters

Sharon Osbourne will no longer host CBS daytime talk show The Talk after a review by the network found that her behavior toward her co-hosts in a recent episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The network said her exit was her decision, however.

Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk, CBS said in a statement. The co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race.

Osbournes departure comes after she erupted into a rant defending Piers Morgan against accusations of racism following his remarks on Meghan Markle during a March 10 conversation with co-host Sheryl Underwood, who is Black. Tension rose to a palpable level when Osbourne demanded Underwood educate her about how Morgans diatribes against Markle could be construed as racist. The shows remaining panelists are Carrie Ann Inaba, Amanda Kloots, and Elaine Welteroth.

Osbourne later apologized for her comments and their delivery, but in the following days, news broke that she had allegedly called co-host Julie Chen slanty-eyes in the past and referred to lesbian co-host Sara Gilbert as pussy licker and fish eater. Former host Holly Robinson Peete accused Osbourne of ousting her from the show, alleging the Brit called her too ghetto.

CBS told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement, The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharons behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace.

Though Osbourne expressed regret over her remarks, she also accused the network of blindsiding her with its review of her conduct and the shows workplace environment, adding that she had been set up as a sacrificial lamb. CBS responded to the accusation Friday, saying, We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts. The network said it would use The Talks current hiatus, which began March 15, to put together workshops on equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for hosts and production staff.

Story continues

In the rant that sparked Osbournes downward spiral on the show, Morgan called Markle a liar for leveling accusations of racism against the British royal family. He walked off the set of Good Morning Britain.

Osbourne said on air that she did not think Morgans comments were racist.

She told Sheryl Underwood, Educate me, tell me when you have heard him say racist things. I very much feel like Im about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?

Sharon Osbourne Just Blew Up Her Career Over Meghan Markle

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If Line of Duty's series six opener was somewhat more sedate than expected, then buckle up for the ride. Things are about to hit the gas.

Last Sunday night's return episode, watched by almost 10 million viewers across the UK, might have lacked the huge drama of previous seasons (think The Ambush, series two), but while there were no shoot-outs, explosions or car chases, the scene was nicely set for AC-12's latest investigation.

This time round, the anti-corruption unit has its most high-profile inquiry on its hands - scrutinising the actions of DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald). The slow burner of episode one teased plenty more twists and turns to come in the quest for those 'bent coppers'.

One of show creator Jed Mercurio's strengths is his ability to build anticipation and suspense around what's coming next and, believe me, episode two packs a punch. But with so many spoilers to avoid, all I can say is that tomorrow night's investigation takes a dramatic turn as Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and his team begin to examine Davidson's personal life.

What do we know so far? DCI Davidson is heading up an investigation into the murder of journalist Gail Vella. En route to arrest a potential suspect, she spots what she believes to be an armed robbery in process. The convoy of police officers is rerouted to deal with this situation instead, resulting in a delay in reaching their suspect. Could a potential second suspect, Carl Banks, whose DNA was found at the crime scene, have got away after being tipped off? And was the arrested man, Terry Boyle, who has learning difficulties, lined up as the fall guy?

We also learned that DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) no longer works for anti-corruption but is cosying up to Davidson instead. Her relationship with one-time gaffer, Hastings, is in tatters but DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) wants to get her on the case.

In a photograph released ahead of Sunday night's episode, we see Arnott in a graffiti-covered underpass - a well-known subway in the centre of Belfast. It's the perfect place for a clandestine meeting with his former colleague and 'mate'.

Expand Close DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) BBC/World Productions/Chris Barr / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston)

As the investigation into Davidson picks up pace, fans of the legendary Ted Hastings will be pleased to hear he's back to his best form. He's angry, frustrated, feels let down but is relentless in his pursuit of the truth. "I'm interested in one thing and one thing only - bent coppers." Yep, we get to hear those iconic words again.

Mercurio has already said that there will be a few 'break the internet' moments this series. Expect a few Twitter trends on Sunday night as a few faces reappear from previous series. And with Hastings very much at the forefront of the action, there will be several new catchphrases to add to his Tedisms - 'she's cooked her goose now'.

As Arnott and new recruit DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) turn up the heat and look into Vella's journalism, they find links to previous AC-12 cases in her research. Hastings is fired up and wants someone to pay for the murder of the 'wee girl' and he's not going to rest until he gets justice.

Now, we're cookin' with gas!
Imperial Valley News Center

Medical Doctor and Study Coordinator Sentenced to Prison in Scheme to Falsify Clinical Trial Data

Miami, Florida - A Florida medical doctor was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to her role in a scheme to falsify clinical trial data regarding an asthma medication.

Dr. Yvelice Villaman Bencosme, 64, of Miami, previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to her work at Unlimited Medical Research in Miami. Bencosme is the second defendant to be sentenced in connection with the scheme. On March 5, 2021, Lisett Raventos, 46, of Miami, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after also pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Bencosme was a licensed medical doctor who served as the primary investigator for clinical trials purportedly conducted at Unlimited Medical Research. Raventos was the site director, the director of clinical operations, and a study coordinator at the clinic. In pleading guilty, Bencosme and Raventos admitted that they participated in a scheme to defraud an unnamed pharmaceutical company by fabricating the data and participation of subjects in a clinical trial at Unlimited Medical Research.

The clinical trial was designed to investigate the safety and efficacy of an asthma medication in children between the ages of four and 11. Bencosme and Raventos admitted that they falsified medical records to make it appear as though pediatric subjects made scheduled visits to Unlimited Medical Research, took study drugs as required, and received checks as payment. In sentencing Raventos, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom said that if the defendants actions had been left unchecked, the scheme could have negatively impacted the treatment and well-being of children with asthma throughout the country.

Falsifying clinical trial data risks the health of those who might later rely on the drugs being tested, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Departments Civil Division. The Department of Justice will continue working with its partners at the Food and Drug Administration to investigate and prosecute anyone who endangers the public for personal gain.

Clinical trials are an essential part of the medical research process, as they ensure the effectiveness and safety to patients of new drugs, said U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida. Those who manipulate clinical data risk the publics health and such criminal behavior will be prosecuted.

FDAs evaluation of a new drug begins with an analysis of reliable and accurate data from clinical trials. Compromised clinical trial data could impact the agencys decisions about the safety and effectiveness of the drug under review, said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those whose actions may subvert the FDA drug approval process and put the public health at risk.

Another defendant in the case, Maytee Lledo, pleaded guilty in February 2021 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2021, in Miami.

Trial Attorneys Joshua Rothman and Kara M. Traster of the Civil Divisions Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The FDAs Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office investigated the case and the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of Florida has provided critical assistance.
Lehighvalleylive.com won one of the nations top journalism prizes for political reporting on Friday evening for a groundbreaking series that analyzed the complexities of Northampton County and its role as a bellwether in the 2020 presidential election.

The Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting, awarded annually by Syracuse University for excellence in political reporting, was given to lehighvalleylive.com and NJ Advance Media for Swing County, Swing State.

Heres a deep dive highlighting some of the pieces including in the winning entry:

Drone shot showing how rural Lehigh Township is along Route 248. Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.comSaed Hindash | For lehighvalleyl

* Blue to red in 30 miles, a stunningly visual consideration of how voter demographics change along one stretch of the county: Pennsylvanias Route 248.

The road spans a crucial swing state county touching all political subgroups in the communities it crosses. One end is in the city of Easton on the Delaware River, an urban area dependably for Democrats. The other end is 30 miles northwest in the reliably Republican rolling hills where the Lehigh River cuts through the Blue Mountain ridge.

The two sides meet in the posh purple townships and industrial boroughs in between.

* Swing County, Swing State sought to avoid cliches and accurately reflect the vibrancy of the Lehigh Valley.

* Split ticket voting is increasingly rare in todays polarized politics. But it still happens in the Lehigh Valley a lot, as shown in this careful consideration of how and why Northampton County so regularly swings back and forth between Republican and Democratic contenders.

Jena Brodhead and her husband Brian Brodhead pose at their home in Hellertown, Pa. on Saturday, October 10, 2020. Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributorDonna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

* Seven families were kind enough to open up their lives and share how they were navigating the 2020 presidential race.

The result is Beyond the great divide, a collection of intimate and insightful profiles that illuminated the concerns of voters throughout the county in two parts. (Part 1 | Part 2)

* Latinos make up 15% of the Lehigh Valleys electorate, but they often dont get the attention they deserve. Our two-part series on Latino voters highlights the issues on their minds and voter mobilization efforts in the Hispanic community. (Part 1 | Part 2)

Caravan encouraging Puerto Rican community members to vote moves west on Tilghman Street in Allentown. The National Puerto Rican Agenda Pennsylvania Chapter held a caravan for Latino voters on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributorDonna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.

* Northampton County cemented its bellwether status in 2016 when it became one of three pivotal Pennsylvania counties to propel Donald J. Trump to the White House in 2016. Northampton, Erie and Luzerne counties were three of the 206 nationwide that backed President Barack Obama twice and then flipped for Trump.

* We digitized county election results going back to 2000 to trace the countys political evolution over time down to the precinct level in this map.

* We explored how the exodus of New York and New Jersey residents has changed the countys politics.

* And we examined a centurys worth of election results to find out that whoever won Northampton County would probably win the presidency.

* Local voters then did deliver President Joseph Biden a narrow win, flipping the county back to Democrats by just 1,233 votes. With their 2020 boomerang back to the Democrats, Northampton and Erie are two of just 25 counties nationwide that went Obama, Obama, Trump, Biden.

* We brought you the personal stories of voters who had to cast provisional ballots during an unprecedented presidential election.

* And after every vote was tallied, we broke down for readers just how Biden succeeded where Hillary Clinton could.

We invite you to explore the project here and here.

The Toner Prize, named for the Syracuse University alumna and former New York Times national political correspondent Robin Toner, who died in 2008, was announced during a virtual ceremony on Friday evening. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was the guest speaker at the event. Only two Toner Prizes are bestowed each year. The prize for National Reporting went to The Atlantic.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain is to require people arriving by land from France to present a negative COVID-19 test, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, amid rising numbers of French arrivals and an uptick in Spain's coronavirus rate.

Anyone arriving by land from risk areas will have to present a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that was taken within 72 hours prior to their arrival.

"The order will take effect three days after its publication in the Official State Gazette and until the government declares the end of the health crisis situation caused by COVID-19," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The new requirement will not apply to truck drivers, cross-border workers, and people who live within 30 kilometres (20 miles) of the border.

Many French people, weary of their own lockdown, have been flocking over the border to enjoy open bars and restaurants in areas such as Madrid.

But Spain's coronavirus infection rate has continued to climb steadily over the past week, suggesting a long decline could be in danger of reversing.

The rate, which is measured over the preceding 14 days, rose on Friday to 138.6 per 100,000 people from 134 on Thursday, the Health Ministry said. It reported 7,586 new cases, bringing Spain's overall tally to 3.26 million. The death toll rose by 590 to 75,010.

The Health Ministry said risk areas were those classified by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The centre's map shows that includes the whole of France.

(Reporting by Jessica Jones; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Wicklow County Council has refused planning permission to build a wind farm near Baltinglass.

ABO Wind Limited lodged an application with the local authority seeking a ten-year grant of permission to construct five 165m wind turbines at Kilranelagh Hill. The proposal includes an electrical substation, underground cabling to connect the proposed substation to the existing substation at Stratford-on-Slaney, a 1 km heritage trail and other associated site works. The project involved land located in the townlands of Kilranelagh, Colvinstown Upper, Ballinaroan Upper, Bolleycarrigeen, Cloghnagaune, Downings, Spinans West, Kill, Eadenstown South, Eadestown Middle, Ballintruer More, Castleruddery Lower and Castleruddery Upper,

A total of 234 submissions, including a petition with 1,149 signatures, were received by the local authority in relation to the proposed development. Of these, many expressed concerns about the project's possible impact on the area's archaeology, biodiversity, tourism and cultural heritage. Concerns were also raised about noise impact and shadow flicker of the turbines.

Observations were also submitted by the Department of Defence, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Failte Ireland, local councillors, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Heritage Council.

The Department of Defence raised concerns about the possible impact of the project on military lands at the Glen of Imaal, arguing that a wind farm would affect access to this area for the Irish Air Corps' helicopters. Failte Ireland and the Department of Tourism and Culture highlighted their views about the possible impact of a wind farm on the tourism potential of west Wicklow. Kilranelagh Hill is part of the Baltinglass Hillfort Complex.

In its submission, An Taisce said the proposal would represent a 'major and inappropriate intrusion into the archaeological heritage of the area'. The agency also raised concerns about the wind farm's potential impact on the River Slaney's water quality and the area's biodiversity.

In their report, the planner states that the proposed wind farm site is within an area 'less favoured' by the local authority for wind farm development.

The planner expressed the view that 'this particular location is especially unsuited to windfarm development because of the density and significance of archaeological monuments in these townlands' which are of national, regional and local importance. Kilranelagh Hill is part of the Baltinglass Hillfort Complex.

They also raised concerns about a potential increase in traffic volumes on local roads during the construction of the project.

The planner felt that insufficient information had been provided within the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) to carry out a full assessment on the possible environmental impacts. They listed a number of areas where further details would be required to complete an assessment including on the areas of land, soil, and noise impact on the amenity of the location.

The planner felt that ABO Wind Limited had complied with the regulations in relation to a public consultation on the proposed wind farm in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The planner recommended the local authority refuse planning permission for the wind farm, as it was felt that the site was not suitable for the development of a wind farm due to its archaeological sensitivity and the potential risk to other historic features on the site.

'Although the proposed wind turbines and related infrastructure avoid the known footprint of these sites, archaeological sites and monuments are components of broader landscapes. Moreover it appears highly likely that there are other currently unrecognised sites in the impacted area,' the planner stated.

Concern was also raised about the impact of the development on the visual relationships between the hillforts within the Baltinglass Hillfort Complex and other historic features of the surrounding landscape.

Wicklow County Council refused planning permission for the development of the wind farm at Kilranelagh Hill. The planning section listed a number of reasons for its decision to refuse planning permission including the possible impacts on the archaeology of the site. The council also noted that insufficient information had been provided about the potential for avian collisions, the effect on barn owls and red kites and proposals to minimise the risk of soil erosion at the site and along the cabling routes. The planning section also said more details were needed to consider the possible impact of the wind farm development on nearby military lands and on the tourism potential of west Wicklow.
Evangelist Nick Vujicic declares all of life has value at Roe v. Wade premiere

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ORLANDO, Fla.  Nick Vujicic, who's known as the "limbless evangelist" because he was born without arms or legs, has shared his life story with people around the world to show that all life has value. Regardless of what the circumstances look like or what the doctors say, God has a plan for the unborn, he told The Christian Post.

Vujicic, alongside his wife, attended the movie premiere of Roe v. Wade held at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26. The film is based on the facts behind one of the nation's most contentious U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

Roe v. Wade will hit theaters on April 2 and features a star-studded cast, including Hollywood actors Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Corbin Bernsen, John Schneider, Stacey Dash and Nick Loeb.

The film depicts the history of "what happened from 1966 through 1973" that led to the Supreme Court's decision declaring existing state laws banning abortion unconstitutional.

"Many people have asked me, especially over the last 18 months, 'What happened, what really happened in our country for it to be where it is?' And I really believe that it started with the family, Vujicic told CP of why he wanted to attend the premiere of such a controversial film.

I also believe that it started with the church and understanding that we must hold on to what God has given us, the basics of what He's given us in Scripture  that all of life has value, that all of life God can use for His purpose. And that even though we don't get a miracle, we can still be one.

Without any medical explanation, Vujicic was born in the early 80s without arms and legs. According to his biography, growing up proved to be difficult for him, and during his school-age years, he struggled with depression and loneliness. It was his faith in God that would eventually grant him victory over his struggles.

Vujicic said regardless of what appears to be a roadblock, God has a plan for every life.

"No matter who that child is, no matter what the doctors say, God has a plan. When God says He's got a plan, a good plan, He can take whatever we have and use it for good, he declared.

The Australian evangelist, who has inspired millions of people worldwide with his testimony of overcoming the odds, went on to encourage people to look to the Lord in lifes most difficult of moments.

"You got to trust in God. And that's the pinnacle and epiphany of faith  to understand that only God can do that, Vujicic continued. Only God can use the man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet and call him to stand in front of the gates of Hell and redirect traffic.

"When we stand in front of the gates of Hell and redirect traffic, that's when we understand that what is for man impossible  it is possible with God! he concluded.

In the past, Vujicic has spoken out against the abortion of Down syndrome babies. He said he was once told that as a disabled person, he should not have been allowed to preach, get married or even have children. All of which Vujicic has accomplished.

As previously reported by CP, Roe v. Wade, a Nick Loeb-directed film, encountered several obstacles, including Facebook banning their ads and losing cast members who opposed the film's mission.

The featured film tells "the untold story of how people lied, how the media lied, and how the courts were manipulated" to legalize abortion nationwide, which has led to the killing of more than 60 million Americans, Loeb previously said in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Despite many setbacks, the film will be in theaters nationwide on April 2. For more information, visit "Roe v. Wade" movie.com.
Kabul, March 27 : At least nine policemen were killed after Taliban militants attacked a security checkpoint in Afghanistan's Helmand province on Saturday, a security official said.

The insurgents carried out the attack on the checkpoint along the Kandahar-Herat highway in Nahr-e-Saraj district, the official told dpa news agency.

However, provincial police spokesman Mohammad Zaman Hamdard told reporters that only three policemen, including a senior official, were killed and two others wounded during the clashes.

The attack was carried out by two "infiltrator mujahideen", Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said in a statement, adding that all weapons and equipment at the checkpoint were seized.

Despite ongoing peace talks between the representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, violence continues in the country.

The intra-Afghan peace talks have made no tangible progress, and the insurgent group has threatened to resume attacks against the US and NATO forces stationed in the country if they do not withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1.

The deadline is part of an agreement the US administration under former President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban last year.

It is now under review by the new US administration.

Under the deal, the US promised to withdraw all US and international forces from Afghanistan.

In return, the Taliban vowed to cut ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
The head of Myanmar's junta on Saturday used the occasion of the country's Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations.

Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing did not directly refer to the nationwide protests that show no signs of stopping. In a nationally televised speech before thousands of soldiers at a massive parade ground at the capital Naypyitaw, he referred only to terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and social security, and called it unacceptable.

People in cities and towns around marked the public holiday by again demonstrating against the Feb. 1 coup. In several locations, security forces sought to disperse them forcefully, as has become standard practice, Reports on social media, not immediately verified, said several demonstrators were shot dead Saturday morning.

The toll of protesters confirmed killed in since last month's takeover has reached 328, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group that documents deaths and arrests.

It has cautioned that its tally includes only verified cases, with the actual number of casualties likely much higher. It said eight people were killed Friday.

The protesters refer to the holiday by its original name, Resistance Day, which marks the beginning of a revolt against Japanese occupation in World War 2. This year's event was seen as a flashpoint, with protesters threatening to double down on their public opposition to the coup with more and bigger demonstrations.

State television MRTV on Friday night showed an announcement urging young people who have been at the forefront of the protests and prominent among the casualties to learn a lesson from those killed already about the danger of being shot in the head or back.

The warning was taken as an explicit threat because a great number of the fatalities among the protesters have come from being shot in the head, suggesting they have been targeted for death. The announcement suggested that some young people were taking part in protesting as if it was a game, and urged their parents and friends to talk them out of participating.

In recent days the junta has portrayed the demonstrators as the ones perpetrating violence for their sporadic use of petrol bombs. In contrast, security forces have used live ammunition daily for weeks against overwhelmingly unarmed and peaceful crowds.

In his lengthy speech, Min Aung Hlaing accused Suu Kyi's elected government of failing to investigate irregularities in the last polls, and repeated that his government would hold a free and fair election" and hand over power afterward. He gave no details.

The military has claimed there were irregularities in the voting rolls for last November's election, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won in a landslide.

The junta detained Suu Kyi on the day it took power, and continues to hold her on minor criminal charges while investigating allegations of corruption against her that her supporters dismiss as politically motivated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
HARTFORD  Police said male victim is in critical condition after being shot multiple times near the citys Upper Arsenal neighborhood Friday evening.

Patrol officers responded to a 911 call for a person shot near the West Raymond Street and Edgewood Street intersection just after 7 p.m., Hartford police spokesman Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.
 and suddenly there was a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of comic-book-movie fans suddenly moved on from talking about the Snyder Cut all at once.

The trailer for The Suicide Squad dropped on Friday, and lets get this clear right up front, it includes graphic violence and lavish profanity. The red band version seemed to be the only one available, and that may be because the filmmakers wanted to make a point: This is a film about damaged, horrible people doing desperate, horrible things in entertainingly horrible ways.

Aside from overtly objectionable content, the trailer suggests this film will be lighter than the murky flick that that kicked off the franchise in 2016. At first glance, The Suicide Squad will feature the irreverence and quick wit that director James Gunn brought to Guardians of the Galaxy plus the outrageousness or Deadpool plus the gallows humor of a team born to die.

Fans of Alabama actor Michael Rooker will find him prominently featured in the trailer, though his character isnt clearly identified. He plays Savant, a vigilante villain with lank white hair. Rooker has described the movie as James Gunn at his best.

Rooker is part of a large ensemble cast including Idris Elba, who gets off a meme-worthy swear in the trailer, as well as Margot Robbie, John Cena, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Viola Davis and more.

According to the trailer, The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on Aug. 6.
Over the past day, March 26, the armed formations of the Russian Federation violated ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas four times.

In the area of responsibility of the operational and tactical group North, the occupiers opened fire from 82mm mortars, automatic easel grenade launchers and heavy machine guns on Ukrainian positions near Shumy (41km north of Donetsk); heavy machine guns, hand-held antitank grenade launchers and small arms  in the area of Mayorske (45km north of Donetsk), the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports.

As a result of the shelling, four servicemen of the Joint Forces were killed and two were wounded. The wounded soldiers were promptly given first aid and taken to a hospital.

The Joint Forces Command expresses its sincere and deep condolences to the families and friends of the fallen soldiers.

Ukrainian soldiers returned fire in response to the enemy's shelling.

In the area of responsibility of the operational and tactical group East, Russian-occupation troops used small arms to shell Ukrainian troops outside Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk).

The OSCE representatives were informed about the actions of the armed formations of the Russian Federation through the Ukrainian side of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC). Also, the Russian mercenaries rudely ignored the Ukrainian side's requests for ceasefire, continuing to shell the positions of our defenders.

As of 07:00 on March 27, one ceasefire violation was recorded. In particular, the armed formations of the Russian Federation opened fire from grenade launchers of various systems near Slavne (26km south-west of Donetsk). No losses have been reported.

Ukrainian military continue to monitor the situation in the JFO area.

ish
Jakarta, March 27 : The Indonesian government has decided not to allow people to return home during the Eid-al-Fitr holidays this year as the Covid-19 pandemic was still raging, a Minister said.

In a statement on Friday, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said this policy applies to all Indonesians, including private employees and informal workers, reports Xinhua news agency.

"(With the policy), the Covid-19 vaccination program can be implemented maximally with our expectations," he said.

Effendy explained that there was further spread of Covid-19 with increasing deaths due to the disease after long holiday seasons in the past, such as the higher bed occupancy rate (BOR) in hospitals following the New Year vacation.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose sharply from 1,000 to more than 2,000 cases per month during those long holidays, compared to that in other months which recorded between 50 and 900 fatalities.

The homecoming prohibition will be effective on May 6-17.

However, the government has also urged people not to leave their areas before and after those dates.

Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country with urban migrants returning to their hometowns during the Eid al-Fitr holidays.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Do you now find yourself in a situation where someone very near and dear to you has chosen to believe the extreme opposite of what you believe? Perhaps a brother, a sister, a spouse or a longtime friend with whom you once shared your most cherished dreams, your deepest personal convictions, has somehow changed.

They dont think the same as you do. They dont believe the facts that you hold to be true. You think their ideas and opinions are crackpot crazy and theyve gone off the deep end. And they think the same about you. Their perception of reality is absolutely the opposite of yours.

You try talking to them, but they dont want to hear it. They dont want to consider your viewpoint. They believe what they believe to be true and immutable, and they will not accept any evidence that contradicts their belief. Its painful. Its frustrating. Its maddening, isnt it? You cant talk with them without winding up in a shouting match.

Our country has become so polarized  politically, socially and economically  that people no longer can discuss differing points of view without it ending in conflict. Compromise is out of the question. Its my way or the highway.

Larry P. Johnson: Respect for others  thats why preferred pronouns matter

Todays extremism is tearing families apart. Loving relationships are being damaged because of differences over political beliefs, conspiracy theories and even face masks.

How did we get to this point? And how can we go back  if we can go back  to where we can have disagreements but still get along?

The first step, I think, is to look for common ground  those things we can agree on and do together. Perhaps its volunteering at our local church, temple, mosque or food bank. Perhaps its helping a neighbor who became sick with COVID-19 and lost his job.

We can agree there are a lot of people  many of them our neighbors  who are hurting and need help. A hand that is extended in support is open; its not a fist.

Rifts among family members are particularly difficult. You want to keep peace in the family. But how do you do it? What will keeping the peace do for your personal well-being?

Family counselors suggest we set boundaries. This might mean an agreement that we not talk politics or religion because we know it will result in a heated argument. If the topic comes up, we have to be prepared to keep silent or walk away.

Finally, hold on to the belief that with time it may be possible to reconcile our differences and reconnect with that person with whom we so vehemently disagree today. With time, their views may change  or maybe ours will change.

And thats how I see it.

Larry Johnson is an author and motivational speaker. Email: larjo1@prodigy.net
A leader of one of Myanmar's ethnic groups has warned the military to stop using violence against protesters, amid reports that dozens have been killed in one of deadliest days since Myanmar coup.

Lieutenant General Yawd Serk, Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State, told Sky News that all ethnic armed forces in Myanmar were "watching closely whether the military is going to continue to kill civilians."

He told Sky News that they would not "sit back and do nothing."

"Yes, it is a warning. If they continue to kill peaceful protester we will not stand by," after being asked if this was a warning to the military.

"There could be big fighting," he said, speaking from Chiang Mai, in Thailand.

While much attention has focused on protests in Myanmar's major heartland cities, large daily protests have also taken place in the far-flung border areas home to minorities such as the Shan, the Karen, the Kachin, the Kayah and others.

Ethnic minorities have long been the targets of repression by the military, which has used brutal tactics to crush their decades-long aspirations for greater autonomy.

The head of Myanmars junta on Saturday used the occasion of the countrys Armed Forces Day to try to justify the overthrow of the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, as protesters marked the holiday by calling for even bigger demonstrations.

State television MRTV on Friday night showed an announcement urging young people - who have been at the forefront of the protests and prominent among the casualties - to learn a lesson from those killed already about the danger of being shot in the head or back.

The warning was taken as an explicit threat because a great number of the fatalities among the protesters have come from being shot in the head, suggesting they have been targeted for death.

The toll of protesters confirmed killed in Myanmar since last months takeover has reached 328, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group that documents deaths and arrests.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Burma Myanmar Regime Unwittingly Acknowledges Shoot-to-Kill Policy Against Protesters

Kyal Sin, 19, was fatally shot in the head by regime troops in Mandalay on March 3. / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars military regime has unwittingly admitted its policy of targeting protesters with fatal gunshots to the head and back, while issuing a warning to young people  who have played a major role in anti-regime protests across the country since the February coup  to stay off the streets.

In a thinly veiled threat aired on state-run Myanmar Radio and Television on Friday night, the regime said young people had been misled by foreign henchmen and attributed their eagerness to join protests to a mistaken belief that it was like playing a video game.

You should take lessons from earlier ugly deaths, that you could be in danger of getting shot in the head and back, it said, before adding the warning Dont be misled, boys and girls! and urging parents to prevent their children from getting involved in protests.

It was the regimes first acknowledgement of the high incidence of fatal head and torso gunshot wounds among the protester casualties. Prior to Friday, it had simply repeated the claim that combined forces [i.e., soldiers and riot police] use minimum force to quell protesters and have been forced to deploy riot gear to defend themselves only when rioters tried to attack them. It previously said live rounds were not allowed to be used and that riot-control projectiles including rubber bullets could only be used on protesters below the waist.

Pictures and video captured on the ground portray a very different picture, though.

In reality, the militarys minimum use of force turns out to include spraying protests and residential neighborhoods with live ammunition, as well as arbitrary killings during raids on homes. Empty bullet casings gathered by civilians after each deadly crackdown have shown that the regimes claim not to be using live ammunition is a lie.

As of Saturday morning, at least 350 civilians, including a 6-year-old girl, had been slain since Feb. 1. Many sustained visible gunshot wounds to the head and backjust as the regime unwittingly confirmed on Friday.

You may also like these stories:

Protest Fatalities at Hands of Myanmar Military Regime Now Stand at 327

Myanmar Coup Leader Snubbed by Karen Rebel Leader Over Killing Protesters

How Myanmars Security Forces Murder Children Through History
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
(Newser)  A new study will try to provide answers to what Dr. Anthony Fauci calls "a question of extreme importance"whether asymptomatic people who have been vaccinated can spread the coronavirus. And "if theyre asymptomatic, how much virus do they have in their nose and do they transmit it to people who are their close contacts?" Fauci said Friday. The study, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health, will track students on 21 college campuses, Axios reports. Half will be given the Moderna vaccine immediately, with the others getting shots about four months later. The students will provide nose swabs, collected in bar-coded vials. To test for antibodies, blood samples will taken and tracked using an app.

story continues below

Payment can near $1,000 for volunteers, and the study needs 12,000 of them. The results on the Moderna vaccine's effectiveness is due in September. The study could play a major role in helping public health officials decide how careful vaccinated people need to be, including whether they will need to keep wearing masks around anyone who hasn't been vaccinated, per the New York Times. Current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says masks don't have be worn in small gatherings indoors, though everyone should still wear masks in public. More than 87 million people in the US have had at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, per the New York Times. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 15:15:58|Editor: huaxia

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in Belgrade, Serbia, March 26, 2021. (Photo by Li Xiaowei/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe in Belgrade.

Noting China is Serbia's most trustworthy friend, Vucic said that the destiny and future of Serbia and China are interlocked.

He expressed his gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government as well as the Chinese people for their valuable support to Serbia in safeguarding national security, accelerating economic development and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Serbia firmly supports China's stance on issues concerning its core interests, including affairs related to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, Vucic said.

Serbia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields, including military cooperation, and elevate the relations between the two countries to a new level, the Serbian president said.

During the meeting, Wei introduced China's recently-concluded "two sessions" and achievements in economic and social development.

Wei emphasized that China and Serbia enjoy a deep traditional friendship, and the two countries are true "iron friends."

Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing at a high level, he said.

Expressing gratitude to Serbia for firmly supporting China's core interests, Wei said that China also fully supports Serbia's path of independence.

Wei said that the Chinese army is willing to expand military exchanges and cooperation with Serbia and to advance bilateral military ties.

Wei added that he paid homage to the martyrs killed in the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999.

He said that the Chinese people will never forget the history and the Chinese military will never allow such history to repeat itself.

China is fully capable and determined to defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests, he said.

After the meeting, Vucic and Wei watched a military drill by some Serbian armed forces units.

Wei on Friday also held talks with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic. Enditem
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Worcester police are investigating after a North High School student may have displayed a gun during a remote learning class, Superintendent Maureen Binienda confirmed Friday.

Were investigating an incident that was reported by a teacher that on virtual learning that a student  the police are actually investigating it  may have showed a gun on virtual learning, Binienda said. We dont want anything like that happening.

A Worcester police spokesman confirmed the department is investigating.

There was no weapon on the North High School premises, Binienda said.

The majority of Worcester students are still learning remotely. Students with high needs returned to buildings to start hybrid learning on March 15. All other students participating in hybrid will start going back to school buildings on Monday.

Asked if the student had been disciplined, Binienda said the incident is still under investigation. The superintendent would not say what grade in which the student is enrolled.

Binienda said she was not sure exactly which day the incident occurred but that it was within the last week.

Next week, as about 12,600 students go back into classrooms, School Resource Officers from the Worcester Police Department will be in buildings, Binienda said.

The SROs will be in the schools next week ... they wont be necessarily staying in a station but they will be in the buildings, walking in the classrooms, theyll be meeting the buses at the end of the day, Binienda said.

Related Content:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Wait, how long do I have to quarantine? What if Im already vaccinated? I thought they changed that rule?

These kinds of questions have become all too common in recent months, as constantly shifting coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols make it difficult to keep up with the rules.

With that in mind, weve compiled a list of the most up-to-date coronavirus guidance from New York State -- ranging from quarantine requirements, to travel restrictions, to social gatherings and more.

QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS

Any unvaccinated New Yorker who comes into contact with someone who is known to have tested positive for the coronavirus is required to quarantine for 10 days.

Testing negative during that time period does not release you from the mandatory 10-day quarantine.

It is essential to wait 10 days full days to make sure that no infection appears, even if you have no symptoms, before being released from quarantine, according to New York State guidance.

After the 10 days have been completed, New Yorkers should continue to monitor any potential symptoms up until 14 days after exposure.

Meanwhile, vaccinated New Yorkers who are asymptomatic following exposure to a known coronavirus case are not required to quarantine for the first three months following full vaccination.

TYPES OF QUARANTINES

There are currently three types of quarantine in New York State: mandatory quarantine, mandatory isolation and precautionary quarantine.

Mandatory quarantine is required whenever someone has been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive and for people who travel to New York from a foreign country.

Mandatory isolation is required for all New Yorkers who test positive for the coronavirus.

According to the state, precautionary quarantine applies to any resident who has had proximate exposure to a positive person, but has not had direct contact with a positive person and is not displaying symptoms.

DOMESTIC TRAVELERS

Currently, all travelers entering New York who have been out of state for more than 24 hours are required to complete the Traveler Health Form and obtain a coronavirus test within three days of departure, before entering the state.

Once arriving in New York, travelers must quarantine for a minimum of three days.

On the fourth day, travelers may go for another coronavirus test. If the test is negative, the traveler may leave quarantine at that point.

If travelers do not elect to obtain a coronavirus test upon return, they are required to quarantine for 10 days.

The following states are exempt from the domestic travel quarantine mandate: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont.

As previously stated, fully vaccinated residents who are asymptomatic are not required to quarantine within the first three months following vaccination.

Starting April 1, domestic travelers entering the state of New York will no longer be required to quarantine, though it remains encouraged. Travelers will, however, still need to fill out the Traveler Health Form.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS

All international travelers, regardless of vaccination status, are required to quarantine for seven days, with a coronavirus test taken between days three and five.

Without a test, international travelers are required to quarantine for a full 10 days.

Like domestic travelers, all international travelers are required to fill out the Traveler Health Form.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Currently, social gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

Meanwhile, social gatherings in public places are currently limited to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors.

MASK REQUIREMENTS

New Yorkers are currently required to wear a mask or face covering whenever theyre in a public place and unable to maintain six feet of distance from other individuals.

Additionally, masks are required in any situation where you are unable to maintain six feet of distance from others and whenever riding on any form of public transportation.
The Government is being urged to consider nationalising Liberty Steel in a bid to save thousands of jobs.

The company has asked ministers for 170 million in financial support to pay operating expenses and deal with recent losses.

Concerns over the future of the steel maker have been expressed after financial backer, Greensill Capital, went bust.

Liberty Steel employs around 5,000 workers at a number of sites across the UK.

Unites assistant general secretary Steve Turner said steel was a foundation industry and was essential for the recovery of the UK economy from Covid-19.

Unite is urging the Government to do everything that is necessary in order to preserve Liberty Steel and secure its long-term future.

This is key to protecting the jobs of its workforce and the communities where it is based, to safeguard its supply chain and ensure its customers receive the products they require.

No option should be ruled out in protecting the long-term future of Liberty Steel, and that must include the option of nationalising the business.

The loss of Liberty Steel and the specialist products it manufacturers for the aerospace, automotive and oil and gas sectors would have damaging consequences beyond the steel sector itself.

While the loss of the thousands of skilled, well-paid, unionised jobs it provides is unthinkable, deskilling whole communities, ripping hope of a secure job from future generations and damaging regional economies in areas of the country where unemployment is already high and wage rates are below average.

A Government spokesman said: The Government is closely monitoring developments around Liberty Steel and continues to engage closely with the company, the broader UK steel industry and trade unions.

The Government has supported the steel sector extensively, including providing over 500m in recent years to help with the costs of energy.

Our unprecedented package of Covid support is still available to the sector to protect jobs and ensure that producers have the right support during this challenging time.

It is understood that ministers have concerns about the structure of the company and whether any bailout would remain in the UK.
Pay No Attention To The Pain Behind the Cotton

China has reacted furiously to ethical sourcing policies of global fashion retailers including H&M, Nike, and Adidas avoiding the use of cotton produced in Xinjiang over forced labor concerns. Beijing's response has included sanctions on foreign scholars who've documented abuses and mass internment of Xinjiang's Uyghurs, a Communist Youth League-inspired boycott of the brands, and "patriotic" pressure campaigns to force celebrities to renounce their paid endorsements of the labels.
As if sensing a collective need, Portlands much beloved cherry trees are now in bloom.

The trees line the Japanese American Historical Plaza along the north section of Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. By this weekend, their blossoms should be peak.

The Japanese American Historical Plaza highlights the story of Japanese Americans in Portland and Oregon. Among the many cherry trees, the park features stones carved with poetry written about the experience of immigration and later, incarceration during World War II.

This Sunday, March 28, is Minoru Yasui Day in Oregon. in 2015, Yasui was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for challenging the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans, about two-thirds of them American citizens, during World War II. Yasui is the only Oregonian to have a day named in his honor. Staff writer Doug Perry recently published a story about Minoru Yasui that features these and other details about his life and accomplishments.

The Japanese American Museum of Oregon, in collaboration with the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project, is presenting a Zoom event on Saturday to celebrate Minoru Yasui Day. The featured speaker will be U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. The event will include a short documentary about Yasui.

-- Beth Nakamura

Twitter: @bethnakamura

Instagram: @bethnakamura
Students are suing Oregon colleges over the cost of remote learning during the pandemic.
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Artists prepare to perform during a culture and tourism festival themed on Dolan and Qiuci culture in Awat county of Aksu prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Oct 25, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]



By CUI JIA | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2021-03-26 14:18







The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom joined the European Union on Monday to take what they described as "coordinated action" against China, which contains travel bans and asset freezes on former and current senior Chinese officials from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Following are their responses to the sanctions:

Wang Junzheng

Political commissar of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

The sanctions imposed to individuals and entities in Xinjiang in the name of human rights issues are based on lies and false information. The move is a gross slander and an affront to the reputation and dignity of the Chinese people.

It is an interference with China's internal affairs, and a serious violation of China's sovereignty and security interests. It has severely trampled on international laws and the basic norms of international relations. That's why I strongly oppose and condemn it.

I want to state that I have no interest in traveling to the EU, US, UK or Canada. Also, I don't have a penny saved in their banks. So the sanction is nothing but a piece of waste paper and a self-inflicted humiliation. I am sure that the majority of the international community will despise the decision.

It seems that the EU, US, UK and Canada have found treasures after learning about the fabricated "evidence" from anti-China politicians and so-called scholars. They then have tried their best to play the tricks of sticking labels on Xinjiang and slandering the region, which have fully exposed their intentions of sabotaging Xinjiang's development and stability and interfering with China's internal affairs.

I urge those countries to stop the ridiculous farce. They should never underestimate Chinese people's strong will to safeguard national interests and dignity.

Wang Mingshan

Head of the Political and Law Commission of CPC Xinjiang Committee

I feel ridiculous about the sanctions. My family and I don't want to go to these countries at all, and we don't have any assets abroad.

The sanctions are futile and will not shake the firm will and resolve of Xinjiang officials to promote counter-terrorism and de-radicalization in the region, and to maintain lasting peace and stability there.

We will continue to fight the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and the fight will never been interrupted by outside forces.

Zhu Hailun

Deputy head of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang People's Congress

I will not go to these countries, nor do I have any assets in these countries, and sanctions against me are meaningless.

No slander can stop the process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. No rumors can discredit the fact that Xinjiang's human rights situation is progressing, and no conspiracy can shake the determination of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to work together in unity.

Chen Mingguo

Vice-chairman of the Xinjiang regional government

I am proud of being sanctioned by these countries.

People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have lived and worked happily and no longer have to worry about being threatened by terrorism and extremism thanks to the efforts to fight against terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law in recent years.

However, the EU, US, UK and Canada have turned a deaf ear to the facts. Instead, they spread false information and interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

The fact is that we will never back down on issues regarding national sovereignty, security and interests. We are more confident and determined than ever to maintain social stability and long-term stability in Xinjiang.
Google is working on a new technique that is aimed at improving hotword detection on Android smartphones while protecting users privacy.

According to a report by Android Police, Google is bringing a technique called federated learning to Google Assistant on Android smartphones. This technique is aimed to help the companys virtual assistant detect hotwords "Hey Google" or Ok, Google better, including the incidents when the hotword is not used, also called the false positives.

The report says that some users are seeing a new Help Improve Assistant menu in the Google Assistant app. In this menu lies a toggle button that enables users to collect users audio recordings with the aim of improving its virtual assistant.

The company has also updated its support pages to reflect the changes. When Google Assistant activates or nearly activates, federated learning temporarily stores short bits of your voice recordings on your device. With federated learning, we use these recordings to learn how to adjust Google Assistant's triggering logic, the company wrote on its support page.

Federated learning is a privacy-enhancing technique that helps us improve machine learning models without a need to send your raw data to Google servers, the company added.

Google says that as users turn the toggle on, federated learning will keep all on-device recordings it uses to improve the Hey Google model for 63 days after which they will be deleted automatically. Under the currently available settings, this data can be stored up to 18 months.

That said, this feature isnt available widely yet. It is available for one device per Google account only.
Details for land purchase agreement should be ready by next week
New Delhi, March 27 : Amid the concerns over the surge in the Covid-19 cases in the national capital with festivals round the corner, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday advised the people of the city not to organise gatherings as it might result in spreading of the virus.

Jain said, "Holi celebrations and large gatherings will not be allowed across the city and action will be taken against people found violating the rules." As per the recent advisory by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the vigilance team under the district magistrates will be monitoring the gatherings and celebrations at the public places. "I would appeal to all that we must celebrate the festivals within our homes. These festivals will every year and once the situation gets better we can celebrate them publicly but as of now public celebrations might result in another spike in the Covid-19 cases, therefore, celebrations at public places and gatherings must be avoided. Various teams have been constituted to monitor the celebrations and strict action will be taken against the violators," he added.

Jain also said that random testing of people coming from outside the national capital, especially from states where Covid-19 cases have reached an alarming stage is being conducted at the railway stations and the airport.

Latest updates on Holi Festival 2021

-- Syndicated from IANS
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Around 10 vessels stuck in and around the Suez Canal contain animals, according to reports as desperate rescue efforts are underway.

The area around the Suez Canal has turned into a huge traffic jam after the cargo ship Ever Given became wedged on Tuesday.

Millions of pounds worth of cargo has become unable to reach its destination, affecting supply lines for major companies such as Ikea.

Data compiled by Bloomberg suggests that as many as 10 vessels are stuck in the canal, most likely sheep.

More than 200 vessels were caught in the logjam after the Ever Given ran aground on Tuesday amid strong winds

This could create a desperate situation as supplies to feed and water the livestock could run out and dislodging the vessel blocking the canal could take at least a week.

Bob Bishop, president of the Livestock Exporters Association of the USA said ships would generally have at least two or three days' extra food for animals.

Peter Stevenson, chief policy officer at animal-welfare group Compassion in World Farming said: 'I wouldn't expect just after a two-day delay for a problem to have built up.

'It's as time goes by that the problems get worse. Occasionally, there are real scandals when things go wrong, but it's a day-to-day horror.'

Some 321 tankers and cargo vessels are now stuck waiting to transit the Suez Canal which has been blocked for the past five days.

Authorities have so far been unsuccessful in their attempts to dislodge the massive 1,900-ft long Ever Given, which is firmly lodged around 3.7 miles north of the southern entrance of the canal, near the city of Suez.

The head of the Suez Canal Authority said strong winds were 'not the only cause' for the Ever Given running aground on Tuesday, appearing to push back against conflicting assessments offered by others. Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei told a news conference Saturday that an investigation was ongoing but did not rule out human or technical error.

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal

There are fears goods such as washing machines, car parts and toys which are commonly imported from China and other Asian trading partners could be in short supply as cargo ships destined for Europe remain stuck in the bottleneck

Rabei said he could not predict when the ship might be dislodged. A Dutch salvage firm is attempting to refloat the vessel with tugboats and dredgers, taking advantage of high tides.

Rabei said he remains hopeful that dredging could free the ship without having to resort to removing its cargo, but added that 'we are in a difficult situation, it's a bad incident.'

Shoei Kisen, the company that owns the vessel, said it was considering removing containers if other refloating efforts fail.

Since the blockage began, a maritime traffic jam has grown to more than 320 vessels waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake in the middle of the waterway.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the salvage firm hired to extract the Ever Given, said the company hoped to pull the container ship free within days using a combination of heavy tugboats, dredging and high tides.

He told the Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur on Friday night that the front of the ship is stuck in sandy clay, but the rear 'has not been completely pushed into the clay and that is positive because you can use the rear end to pull it free.'

Berdowski said two large tugboats were on their way to the canal and are expected to arrive over the weekend. He said the company aims to harness the power of the tugs, dredging and tides, which he said are expected to be up 20 inches higher Saturday.

'The combination of the (tug) boats we will have there, more ground dredged away and the high tide, we hope that will be enough to get the ship free somewhere early next week,' he said.

If that doesn't work, the company will remove hundreds of containers from the front of the ship to lighten it, effectively lifting the ship to make it easier to pull free, Berdowski said.

A crane was already on its way that can lift the containers off the ship, he said.

The salvage mission was turning its focus to the ship's lodged bow, after some progress was made towards freeing the ship's stern, the canal service provider Leth Agencies said Saturday.

It is hoped the specialist suction dredger which arrived at the site yesterday could see the ship refloated within days

Egypt Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly called the ship's predicament 'a very extraordinary incident,' in his first public comments on the blockage.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the Ever Given's technical manager, said Friday that its initial investigation showed the vessel ran aground due to strong winds and ruled out mechanical or engine failure. However, Rabei seemed to be pushing back against that assessment Saturday.

A prolonged closure of the crucial waterway would cause delays in the global shipment chain. Some 19,000 vessels passed through the canal last year, according to official figures. About 10% of world trade flows through the canal. The closure could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

Some vessels began changing course and dozens of ships were still en route to the waterway, according to the data firm Refinitiv.

It remained unclear how long the blockage would last. Even after reopening the canal that links factories in Asia to consumers in Europe, the waiting containers are likely to arrive at busy ports, forcing them to face additional delays before offloading.

Analysts say an estimated 290million worth of trade is being held up every hour the ship remains wedged across the canal.

More than 200 vessels were caught in the logjam after the Ever Given  which is almost as long as the Empire State Building is high  ran aground on Tuesday amid strong winds and a dust storm sweeping off the Egyptian desert as it sailed from China to the Mediterranean.

As experts warned of 'major real world consequences' as a result of the crisis, rescuers admitted they may have to bring in 200ft cranes to unload some of the ship's 20,000 containers to help refloat it.

The complex operation could cause weeks of disruption  forcing cargo ships at the canal to take a two-week detour around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

The blockage has already disrupted global supply chains for everything from grains to baby clothes. Last night the White House said it is seeing the impact of the incident on energy markets and would respond to the situation if required.

And Downing Street has previously warned of the prospect of delays to goods entering the UK.

More than 20 per cent of Britain's imports  worth more than 147billion  came from Asia in 2019, much of it on container ships using the Suez Canal to enter the Mediterranean.

There are fears goods such as washing machines, car parts and toys which are commonly imported from China and other Asian trading partners could be in short supply as cargo ships destined for Europe remain stuck in the jam.

It is hoped the specialist suction dredger which arrived at the site yesterday could see the ship refloated within days.

The machine is capable of shifting 70,000 cubic feet of sand and mud every hour. Experts believe 706,000 cubic feet of sand needs to be removed for the ship to refloat.

Joe Reynolds, of the Maersk Ohio  a US-flagged container ship anchored in the Red Sea on the southern side of the bottleneck, said the gridlock was like 'a traffic jam on the M5'.

'Standing outside, as you look, everywhere around you is ships,' he told Radio 4's Today programme. 'It's going to affect shipping schedules around the world.'

The backlog of vessels is putting additional pressure on European ports and the international supply of containers, which is already strained by the pandemic. 'Even if the situation is resolved within the next 48 hours, port congestion and further delays to an already constrained supply chain is inevitable,' ratings agency Moody's said.

The Ever Given's technical mangers, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, said two more tugs will join the rescue effort tomorrow.
Businesses in flood-affected areas will be able to access grants and bank loans to fund their recovery, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced, as the clean-up of flood-ravaged NSW begins in earnest.

Mr Morrison announced a loan scheme would be extended to small and medium business as he visited the SES headquarters in western Sydney on Saturday morning.

He said the federal government will underwrite 80 per cent of bank loans of up to $5million for small and medium businesses in the flood-affected areas, with repayments to start two years into the loan.

It's an extension of a support program already available for Covid-affected businesses.

Flood affected areas are seen from a helicopter in the Windsor area on March 24, 2021 in Sydney

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking to media during a visit to SES Claremont Meadows, Sydney, on Saturday

'This is about backing the businesses and producers that are backing themselves to get back on their feet,' Mr Morrison declared.

He promised 'more support...more assistance' as the recovery continues.

The loans are on top of a recovery grants program jointly funded by the federal and NSW governments.

Small businesses can get up to $50,000 and primary producers up to $75,000 if they've been directly damaged by the floods.

As tens of thousands of people across NSW return to their homes, an emergency services strike force is tackling the clean-up of homes, roads and communities.

'The Australian Defence Force personnel, alongside NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW, have already been deployed,' Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud said.

'Teams are going from house to house, hosing out properties and removing damaged items, as well as sandbagging and clearing debris.'

NSW State Emergency Service workers and police load boats with supplies delivered by Coles employees intended to reach stranded locals in the Windsor region on March 24

A NSW State Emergency Service worker and police assist a local woman onto a boat in Windsor on March 24

NSW has seen a run of sunny, warm days after the massive deluge, but more than 8000 residents were still cast from their homes on Friday evening as evacuation orders remained in place in certain areas.

Flooding has eased in many parts of the state but orders remain around Moree and the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley in northwest Sydney.

Dozens more homes were evacuated on the Mid North Coast towns of Grassy Head and Stuarts Point on Friday evening after septic tanks overflowed, spilling sewage through the townships.

The Australian Red Cross is warning of a lack of access to mental health services.

'Our volunteers have heard stories about the distress about leaving homes, livestock and even a change of clothes behind,' Red Cross NSW Director Poppy Brown said in a statement.

'Many of these communities have already endured years of concurrent disasters, from drought, bushfires, COVID-19 and now floods. The impact of this latest disaster is expected to be significant.'

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seen during a visit to Stoney Aqua Park in Port Macquarie, NSW, Friday, March 26

NSW Police load supplies delivered by Coles intended to reach stranded locals by boat in the Windsor region on March 24

Those returning to their flood-damaged homes should first check for damage to the roof and walls and ensure the power and gas are off, the SES said.

Residents should wear protective gear while cleaning up, have a supply of fresh water and be wary of contaminated floodwaters.

The SES has started assessing the damage in affected areas, with at least 75 properties so far declared potentially uninhabitable.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Justin Robinson said the situation across the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley should ease by Monday and river levels in Moree were quickly dropping.

But Mr Robinson warned that although the sun was out, people should still avoid flooded rivers and be careful this weekend.

'Having high rivers, a sunny weekend, children playing ... is a pretty dangerous combination,' he said.

The SES said there had been 12,500 requests for help since last week and 1000 flood rescues.

About 500 SES volunteers remain in the field, supported by hundreds of soldiers who have made their way down from Queensland to help with the clean up.

Meanwhile the search for an elderly woman continues after police pulled her car from the swollen Barrington River on Thursday.
As the fire at a Bhandup mall which claimed the lives of nine COVID-19 patients admitted at the hospital in the same building was finally doused on Saturday, a case has been registered against HDIL promoter Rakesh Wadhawan and five others for 'culpable homicide'.

The blaze, which broke out early Friday morning at Dreams Mall in suburban Bhandup and spread to Sunrise Hospital, a COVID-19 facility on its top floor, was doused completely after 40 hours, a fire department official said.

Bhandup police on late Friday night registered a case in connection with the incident against six persons including Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd promoter Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang who are, allegedly, directors of the mall.

No arrest has been made so far.

"Rakesh Wadhawan, Nikita Amit Singh Trehan, Sarang Wadhawan and Deepak Shirke, who are directors of the mall, and Amit Singh Trehan and Sweety Jain, who are directors of the hospital are named in the FIR. Nikita Trehan is also a director of the hospital," said a police official.

IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (common intention) have been invoked, he added.

The Wadhawans had been earlier booked in the PMC Bank fraud case.

"During the probe so far we found several lapses. There was mismanagement in terms of security and the fire safety equipment was not checked regularly," the official said.

The four-storey (ground plus three) mall houses as many as 1,108 shops, but 40 per cent of them are closed, he said.

Sunrise Hospital was converted into a Covid Care Centre in January, the official said.

The fire broke out in a shop shortly after Thursday midnight and spread to the hospital on the top floor.

Nine COVID-19 patients died due to suffocation as a result of the fire, while two other patients had already died due to coronavirus just before the fire broke out, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Altogether 78 patients were being treated at the 107- bed hospital at the time of the incident, the BMC said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who visited the spot on Friday afternoon, had said permission was granted to the hospital to run a COVID-19 centre temporarily.

The rescued patients have been shifted to various hospitals including Jumbo Covid Hospital in Mulund, Fortis Hospital in Bhandup, Viraj Hospital in Thane, BKC Phase 1 COVID centre, Godrej Hospital at Ghatkopar, Sarathi Hospital on Tank Road and Agarwal Hospital.

Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has also ordered an inquiry into the fire, civic officials said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tollywood hasnt witnessed many films on stand-up comedians, but the Uyyala Jampala actors forthcoming film is creating a strong buzz for its unique genre.

Stand-Up Rahul, which is directed by debutant director Santo Mohan Veeranki, is the story of a reluctant stand-up comic who doesnt stand up for anything in life. However, he finally finds true love and learns to stand up for his parents, his love and his passion for stand-up comedies.

The actor goes on to tell us how the films team wanted to shoot the character as authentically as possible. So for my role as a stand-up comic, I went for a little makeover; I sported a different hairdo and got a clean shaven to get a uber cool look, explains the actor.

The actor also reveals that he wanted to do the story as films on stand-up comics are rare. So there were more than just changes to the physical appearances.

I underwent a one month workshops and got trained in trying and emulating stand-up comics body language, mannerisms, gait, the way they hold the mike, etc. We wanted to get everything right to make the film a typical stand-up comedy, yet keep the film very funny and entertaining, explains Raj Tarun, adding that he even hired professional stand-up comics to be part of the film.

Loving the comedy

In fact, the Cinema Choopistha Maava actor confesses that the film also showcases how he grew into the mould of a stand-up comedian.

When I heard the script I was instantly hooked to the plotline because I am a huge fan of stand-up comedians. I go to the shows in Hyderabad and even in Mumbai, and I watch them online. I follow them regularly and have an understanding on how they operate, says the youngster.

That being said, the challenges in emulating them were real. Standing like proper stand-up comedians, observing how they hold the mike, etc., were challenging. Moreover, I needed to be extremely careful with my comic timing. So all this made me learn to be a stand-up comedian, shares the actor who continued going to workshops before wrapping up the remaining portions of the shooting.

Upcoming films in his kitty include a yet-untitled film under director Srinivas Gavireddy. The actor would also soon start working for the Telugu remake of Bollywood film, Dream Girl.

It feels so good to be busy; perhaps I am in one of the best phases of my career, says the actor, describing his journey as a roller coaster ride.

I debuted with Uyyala Jampala in 2013, and I have seen ups and downs. The journey and its learning curve made me become a better individual. 
Christians must change their strategy to keep graphic sex materials out of schools: expert

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Christians must "change their strategy" to keep graphic sex materials out of public schools, an expert has advised, following reports that an Ohio public high school has assigned freshman students to read a slam poetry book about a girl who liberates herself by abandoning her Christian faith and engaging in sexual promiscuity.

According to The Daily Wire, Hilliard Bradley High School, located near Columbus, the state's capital, has assigned ninth-grade English students to read a poetry book titled, The Poet X, in which the main character, named Xiomara, rejects her faith and engages in sexual activities at school as a minor.

Parents of students enrolled at Hilliard Bradley High School must ask their children to opt-out of reading the assigned book if they're opposed to the graphic content, DW added.

In the first two pages of the assigned poetry, the underaged main character Xiomara addresses drug dealers who cat-call her. At one point the drug dealer says that church girls are all freaks.

The book also reveals that Xiomara is pressured to send nude photos of herself to boys.

One of the poems in the book, by Elizabeth Acevedo, a National Poetry Slam Champion, is titled, I Think the Story of Genesis Is Mad Stupid. The book also features descriptions of graphic sex acts, including a poem titled Fingers, which describes masturbation. Another poem, titled Hands, describes Xiomara touching her love interest in a classroom setting. Yet another poem describes the main character and her love interest preparing to have sex.

Aaron Baer, president of the Columbus-based Center for Christian Virtue, said Christians and social conservatives who routinely object to this kind of thing have to change their strategy because as soon as they manage to make a school stop doing something objectionable, like teaching sexually explicit content, theyll find another way to do it.

The reality is that public schools have no meaningful accountability measures in place to stop the sexualization and harm to children," Baer said in a phone interview with The Christian Post on Wednesday. "When a public school is failing and ignoring parents, they get more money from the taxpayers and government. So there is no incentive structure to stop schools from doing this level of harm to children."

This is happening in public schools everywhere  in inner cities, suburbs and rural areas, he stressed. Teachers and administrators have been emboldened to teach such political and sexual curriculum to young people. He believes none of this will stop until universal school choice is a reality nationwide.

I dont care how many people launch campaigns to replace the school board or how many outrage campaigns there are ... until the parents can say, I dont like what youre doing and if you dont stop, Im taking my kid out and youre going to lose the money for them, this will not change, Baer said.

There are no market forces on public schools to make them change. They have no incentive to listen to parents other than to maybe make them go away. What inevitably happens every single time we have a situation like this is, if were able to get the school to stop, within a few years, those parents move on and the school does it again."

The same Columbus-area school district had, in recent weeks, ordered teachers to have students lobby for a sexual orientation and gender identity bill at the state capitol building. We got them to stop, and now theres this [sexually graphic poetry], Baer added.

Theyre not going to stop because there are so many teachers and so many bureaucrats and so many political forces inside the school that until the parents are able to hold the school accountable, its not going to get better. Christians and social conservatives broadly have, for too long, lived in this bubble thinking ... Well, if we could only just take over the school board and fight the curriculum, we could stop this.

Weve done that for 50 years, and were now teaching that Christianity is evil and that boys can become girls. We have failed. We have to go for universal school choice. Anything else is a cop-out.



CP reached out to the Hilliard school district's communications director for comment on this article but did not receive a response by press time.

Donna Senchesak, the director of the Parents for Educational Rights chapter in Ohio and a Hilliard Bradley parent, said in an interview with The Daily Wire that the districts goal was to provide poetry written by non-white authors, though she was confused why the school opted for the graphic content. She withdrew her daughter from the class that was reading the book and said she will continue pushing back against the district on behalf of other parents and students.



I am still fighting for these students and parents even though my daughter does not have to read it anymore, she said.

I am concerned for kids  that they cant handle it.
According to a new market research report titled,  Smart Cities Market by Application (Smart Utilities, Smart Transportation, Water Management, Waste Management, Smart Healthcare, Smart Lighting, Smart Education), Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), and Geography- Global Forecast to 2027 , published by Meticulous Research, the smart cities market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.9% from 2019 to 2027 to reach $545.7 billion by 2027.

A smart city is an intellectually connected city that uses various emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, and data analytics to collect and analyze utilization data and use insights gained to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently. Over the years, smart city technologies have become a common part of the urban population. It involves innovative solutions to make life more efficient, controllable, economical, productive, integrated, and sustainable. Thus, smart cities are expanding mainly due to the rising need for smart living.

The growing government initiatives for urbanization management, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and the growing need for resource management for sustainable development are the key factors driving the growth of the smart cities market. However, significant initial investment requirements and the COVID-19-induced global economic downturn are expected to pose serious challenges to the smart cities market's growth.

Government initiatives for managing the rising urban population to drive market growth

Managing the ever-increasing urban population is one of the most pressing issues for governments around the world. Today, over 4 billion people, or more than 50% of the global population, live in cities. Globally, the urban population is expected to reach 68.4% by 2030. With a growing urban population, government and private sector organizations worldwide are working towards innovative solutions for systematic and sustainable growth. Smart communication technologies like ICT, IoT, AI, and Big Data are being applied to reduce the crime rate and facilitate seamless transportation & healthcare management by providing real-time data.

The smart cities market is mainly segmented by application (smart transportation, smart utilities, smart education, smart healthcare, smart public safety, governance, smart lighting solutions, and smart building), component (hardware, software, and services), and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the market at a country level.

Have Any Query? Speak to Analyst at https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5087

Based on application, the smart utilities segment accounted for the largest share of the overall smart cities market in 2020. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the rising adoption of energy storage technologies, smart grids, and smart meters to efficiently utilize energy resources. However, the smart education market is slated to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This is attributed to the proliferation of connected devices in the education sector and the adoption of e-learning solutions & digital technologies, such as learning management systems.

Based on component, the hardware segment accounted for the largest share of the overall smart cities market in 2020. The segment's growth is primarily driven by the rising demand for connected hardware devices and the growing requirement of resource management. On the other hand, the services segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Geographically, North America dominated the global smart cities market in 2020. This region's large share is mainly attributed to the fast-developing advanced communication infrastructure and rising IoT-enabled smart cities. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Siemens Corporation (U.S.), in 2020, over 63% of the mayors decided that the virtual and online city services would be their top investment priorities in the post-pandemic world.

However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the investments by major companies and strong government initiatives. For instance, in 2020, Japan announced to invest USD 2.4 billion to develop smart city projects in Southeast Asia. Thus, the growing investment in smart city projects will create several growth opportunities for the market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/03/26/2199942/0/en/Smart-Cities-Market-Worth-545-7-Billion-by-2027-Exclusive-Report-by-Meticulous-Research-Covering-Emerging-Growth-Factors-Latest-Trends-and-Forecasts-and-Pre-and-Post-COVID-19-Estim.html
Texas will receive next week more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials announced.

The Department of State Health Services plans to allocate 818,410 doses to 779 providers in 202 counties while more than 200,000 additional doses will be available for pharmacy locations and federally-qualified health centers, according to the agency. The delivery will arrive as the state surpassed 10 million doses administered and is scheduled to start offering vaccines to all eligible adults.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Where to get vaccinated in Houston

Almost 3.5 million people in Texas have been fully vaccinated and nearly 7 million have received at least one dose, according to DSHS.

Vaccination has helped drive down the number of new cases and people hospitalized with COVID-19 to their lowest level since October, health officials said. However, with hundreds of variant cases identified in Texas that have the potential to spread more quickly and cause more serious disease, vaccination remains critically important. The available vaccines have proven effective against the variant strains, so the more people vaccinated, the easier it will be to keep the variants under control and prevent new ones from emerging.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
Anything you tweet may be taken down and used in evidence against you.

That lesson has been reinforced for social media users over the past few weeks. A series of public figures have found themselves tripped up over questionable online remarks, some from a decade ago.

Alexi McCammond had barely been announced as editor of Teen Vogue when she was agreed to resign over offensive remarks about Asians that she tweeted in 2011, when she was 17. The fact she had apologised for them in 2019 and her employer knew about the episode when they appointed her counted for nothing when the posts were resurfaced and an online outcry followed.

Closer to home, British Labour party by-election candidate Paul Williams was urged to stand down after it emerged he had used the term milf on Twitter in 2011. He apologised for the inappropriate word and clung on, but it was an unwelcome and damaging distraction.

Its not just what they say but what they do on social media that can backfire on public figures. The BBC News presenter Naga Munchetty apologised this month after liking tweets that referred to union jack lovers as flag shaggers.

These were controversies born and whipped up on social media. Twitter can help users reach an audience, but it also opens them to attack, particularly if they have any kind of public prominence. Many will have sympathised this week when Chrissy Teigen, the model and television personality, told her 13.7 million followers that she was leaving the site.

For years I have taken so many small, two-follower-count punches that at this point, I am honestly deeply bruised, she wrote.

Expand Close Chrissy Teigen, the model and television personality, told her 13.7 million Twitter followers this week that she was leaving the site. / Facebook

Twitter

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Whatsapp Chrissy Teigen, the model and television personality, told her 13.7 million Twitter followers this week that she was leaving the site.

For many of the estimated 34pc of Irish people with a Twitter account, that bruised feeling will be all too familiar. The site can be an angry, aggressive environment where subtlety holds little sway.

Although Facebook has almost twice the number of users in this country as Twitter, its the latter that helps drive much of the news agenda. The social media behemoth came into being 15 years ago last weekend and has become a fundamental part of the daily lives of a significant portion of the population.

But, increasingly, more and more of us are taking the path chosen by Teigen and either deleting our Twitter accounts or rationing the amount of time we spend on it.

The phenomenon of social media shaming is writ large on the platform, as are pile-ons, when swarms of tweeters round on someone deemed to have tweeted something inappropriate or said something offensive.

For one figure in the public eye, being at the receiving end of a Twitter pile-on was among the worst experiences of her life. It was so sustained that she eventually closed her account.

Having spoken on-record to Review, she later asks not to be named for fear of bringing an angry mob upon her again. I can feel the panic all returning this evening even at the thoughts of it [appearing in print], she says. Im only after getting back on my feet mentally after all of it now and the fear I feel about going back there in my head is too much.

Initially, this person was an enthusiastic Twitter user, but in recent years she believes it has taken a dark turn.

I was lucky in that I didnt get bullied at school, but this had all the hallmarks of that sort of bullying, she says. It was horrific and unceasing. I felt completely demonised by what was said. I was called every name under the sun and it was particularly hard to see other women piling on.

Quitting brought some respite, but the fury kept on coming. Id hear about it from people: Youre trending again on Twitter. I just feel like Im one of those women who its become OK to say whatever you want about.

Maybe, its because I have opinions and I wont apologise for them. But Im done with Twitter. Theres such toxicity there. And its by far the worst of the social media platforms. Im still on Instagram  and the interaction from people is entirely different. Theres none of that anger and bullying.

Psychotherapist Joanna Fortune says public shaming on Twitter can be a frightening and disturbing experience.

Its not just one person having a go at you. Its lots of people  most of them complete strangers. And a lot of them arent using their real identities so they feel emboldened to say things, especially to a public figure, that they would never, ever say to their face, she says.

Youd want to be made of a particular type of stuff to be able to laugh off the sort of abuse you can get online because anyone with a human heartbeat in them is going to feel it.

Fortune has long wondered about the peculiar dynamics of the social media pile-on. I think its about power, she says. Right now, in this pandemic, theres a collective sense of powerlessness and while, for instance you might say, I cannot fix racism, but I can certainly fix this one person who said something racist. And that gives a false sense of empowerment.

I would love to see someone do a PhD that cross-references all the people who post If you can be anything, be kind and the people who cancel other people. I think there would be a correlation in the middle of that Venn diagram.

Heroes and villains

Mark Smyth, another psychologist, believes there has been an increase in social media vitriol since the pandemic began.

Were all so much more isolated than before and were spending even more time online. Were feeling under greater stress and were venting on platforms like Twitter, he says.

What happens on social media is that people get typecast as heroes and villains. Once youre typecast in that particular role, theres no room for redemption  the mob has decided that. Its like the Salem Witch Trials. Once they decided you were a witch, you were branded as that and there was no way out of it.

Humans have never been infallible in real life and what we do online is an extension of our personalities and, therefore, cant be infallible.

Expand Close Social justice warrior Linda Hayden landed in hot water when Twitter comments about gay people, Travellers and Romanians were unearthed / Facebook

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Whatsapp Social justice warrior Linda Hayden landed in hot water when Twitter comments about gay people, Travellers and Romanians were unearthed

Twitter, in the Safety and Security section of its website, says being the target of online abuse and bullying is not easy to deal with. It urges users to unfollow and block. Abusive accounts often lose interest once they realise that you will not respond, it says.

Those who receive unwanted, target and continuous replies on Twitter, and feel it constitutes online abuse are advised to report it directly to Twitter. Anyone who feels they are in physical danger is urged to contact local law enforcement authorities and to document the violent or abusive messages with print-outs or screenshots.

Stella OMalley has had her own experience of Twitter brickbats. The Dublin-based psychotherapist was subjected to a pile-on after she made a documentary for Channel 4, Trans Kids, which delved into the thorny area of trans rights.

There was such fury in it, she says. Theres no interest in engaging with the issues; its all about shouting loudest. Twitter does not allow for nuanced debate. A lot of the outrage is performative  but it can really affect those on the receiving end.

Its like the schoolyard all over again. You have a victim and loads of people piling on because they feel its safer to be part of the mob that being on the outside. And, just like the schoolyard, you have bystanders who dont intervene. On social media, there are people who can see the pile-on happening and believe it to be wrong but they dont want to say anything in case they bring it upon themselves. Its like McCarthyism all over again. The victims of the shaming are being dehumanised.

NUIG student Saoirse Connolly has been at the centre of a social media firestorm this week. The member of the Irish Womens Lobby has taken a stand on the trans issue in college.

I have an issue with self-ID, she says, this idea that you can just say you are who you are with no medical diagnosis, no therapy. And I have issues with the trans-ing of kids.

A student union motion to de-platform groups such as the Irish Womens on the grounds that they are far-right has been postponed. But the controversy has spilled out of the university and on to Twitter. Ive received a huge amount of support, but a great deal of abuse too, Connolly says. I keep my DMs [direct messages] open, and theres all kinds of nasty stuff there. Predictably, Im being called a terf, which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

She is adamant that she will not delete her Twitter account, as some have urged her to do. I want to live in a society where free speech exists and where you can freely debate ideas, she says. Otherwise, its just an echo chamber.

Irish Twitter shamings seem to be happening with increasing regularity. Linda Hayden was a voracious tweeter, especially in recent years. She had stood as a Social Democrat candidate in the Kildare South constituency in the 2020 general election, having been feted by the partys joint leaders Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy for her advocacy for victims of sex abuse.

Hayden was what some would call a social justice warrior on Twitter, a person who was quick to highlight perceived poor behaviour by others. Her tweets could be adversarial too, especially when it came to making allegations about figures in the public eye.

Earlier this month, she posted an apology to Ciara Kelly, having made false allegations on Twitter about the Newstalk presenter. Waves of people started tweeting in support for Hayden. At the same time, several of them took aim at Kelly.

Just a couple of days later, Hayden found herself in hot water after several tweets she sent between 2012 and 2014 were unearthed by another Twitter user. She was in her 30s when she made quips about black taxi drivers, Nigerians and ebola. Among her other posts from the time were comments about gay people, Travellers and Romanians.

Having long been perceived to be among those most loudly calling for others to be cancelled, Hayden found herself in the line of fire. After attempting to defuse the situation by referring to the old tweets as thick, she shut down her Twitter account after a pile-on.

Fair game

Social Democrats TDs found themselves inundated with tweets asking for action to be taken. In a statement that did not mention Hayden by name, it acknowledged the furore and said the person at the centre of it was no longer a member of the party.

Hayden declined to comment for this article, saying she was afraid of reigniting it again now that its finally quietened.

The conservative online journal Gript was among the first media organisations to report her troubles. Its editor John McGuirk says it is fair game to unearth historic tweets if he deems them to demonstrate hypocrisy.

Of Linda Hayden, he says: If those tweets had been uncovered to have been sent by you, what would she have been saying?

Fianna Fail senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee had old tweets dug up by Gript in 2019. She later apologised for her offensive comments about Travellers and Brazilians and featuring the words knacker and pikey. The tweets were sent before she entered politics.

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Today she would condemn anti-Traveller rhetoric, McGuirk says, but she was more than happy to engage with that sort of language herself when this kind of atmosphere wasnt around in society.

Senator Clifford-Lee did not respond to a request from Review for comment.

Ciaran Brennan, an editor at The Burkean online magazine  which calls itself the home of free speech in Ireland  believes the great promise of Twitter and other social media has not come to pass. While cyber-utopians of the 1990s dreamt of a free marketplace of ideas, what we see now is a splintered and increasingly charged arena dominated by a few monopolised platforms, he says.

In Ireland, just like most western nations, its hard to apprehend just how much of our politics is dictated by small ideological echo chambers, each becoming more politically charged and Americanised as the years go by.

Brennan is not optimistic that Twitter will become a more welcoming place for those who fail to subscribe to certain orthodoxies. Its less a case of a few zany pink-haired college kids castigating people for using the wrong pronouns, he says, but people wielding serious power able to inflict hefty professional damage on you if you break ranks on any issue.
Rectal cancer, along with colon cancer, is the third-most common type of cancer in the United States, and treatment and surgery greatly affect the quality of life of patients. A multi-disciplinary team at Washington University in St. Louis has developed and tested an innovative imaging technique that is able to differentiate between rectal tissues with residual cancers and those without tumors after chemotherapy and radiation, which could one day help to avoid unnecessary surgeries in some patients who have achieved complete tumor destruction after chemoradiation.

Quing Zhu, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering, and members of her lab developed a system using a new imaging technique -- acoustic resolution photoacoustic microscopy co-registered with ultrasound (AR-PAM/US) and paired with a "deep learning" artificial intelligence neural network.

This technique was better able to determine the presence of residual tumors in treated rectal tumor bed tissues than other types of imaging, such as MRI, which is often unable to discern residual cancer from scar tissue. Results of the research -- the first feasibility study using AR-PAM imaging in patients with rectal cancer previously treated with radiation and chemotherapy -- are published in the journal Radiology March 23.

Our PAM/US system paired with the deep learning neural network has great potential to better identify patients suitable for nonoperative management and improve patient quality of life. If we can tell after radiation and chemotherapy which patients may have a good response with no residual tumors, the patient may be able to avoid surgery." Quing Zhu, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering

Zhu, also professor of radiology at the School of Medicine, was joined on the paper by doctoral students Xiandong Leng, co-first author with Shihab Uddin, PhD, who earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering from McKelvey Engineering in 2020, and Hongbo Luo; and Sitai Kou.

They conducted a yearlong prospective study of patients with rectal cancer treated at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis by School of Medicine clinicians: Matthew Mutch, MD, the Solon and Bettie Gershman Chair in Colon and Rectal Surgery, chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery and professor of surgery; and William Chapman Jr., MD, a resident physician in surgery. Zhu said others who contributed significantly to the study were: Steven R. Hunt, MD, associate professor of surgery; Anup Shetty, MD, assistant professor of radiology; Deyali Chatterjee, MD, assistant professor of pathology and immunology; and Michelle Cusumano, study coordinator in the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery.

Chapman said the team spent more than three years investigating this technology in surgically removed colon and rectum specimens with promising results before developing the prototype for patient studies.

"We hope that improved imaging provided by AR/PAM will significantly improve our ability to discriminate between patients with residual tumors and those who have been completely cured without surgery," he said. "By both avoiding morbid, unneeded surgery and reducing the burden of surveillance testing, photoacoustic imaging could be a leap forward in the current management of locally invasive rectal cancer."

In the study, after completing chemotherapy and radiation, patients underwent PAM/US imaging with a handheld endorectal laser probe developed in Zhu's lab. The probe has a rotating head that allows for a 360-degree image of the rectum, the last 6 inches of the colon. The end of the probe, which takes one image per second, is covered by a small latex balloon inflated with water that allows transmission of the ultrasound and photoacoustic waves to the rectal wall. These waves highlight changes in the vasculature in the tissue and as well as new tumor growth. The imaging procedure added about 20 minutes of time that patients were under anesthesia.

Leng, who has been working on this project since 2017, was instrumental in system and software development, Zhu said. He designed and built the AR/PAM endoscope -- the first of its kind -- and programmed the system to acquire data and process and display images in real time.

"From the very preliminary ex vivo data, my setup clearly disclosed multi-layer structure from ultrasound image and rich blood vessels in the submucosa of normal colorectal tissue," Leng said. "In contrast to normal tissue, malignant tumor bed shows a lack of multilayer structure and blood vessels. This important finding may reveal an important feature accessing patients' treatment response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy."

In the first phase of the study, the team used data from surgically removed tissue specimens from more than 2,000 images from 22 patients to train the neural network, an artificial intelligence-based set of algorithms that operates similar to the human brain, to recognize normal and cancerous colorectal tissue. In the second phase, they used images from the living tissue from 10 patients who had previously undergone chemotherapy and radiation. Several hundred images from five of those patients were used to fine-tune the neural network, and hundreds of images from five patents were withheld for testing.

The deep-learning PAM model, designed and developed by Uddin, correctly predicted the cancerous status of all five of the patients who had undergone imaging, while the MRI images misclassified three out of five patients, and the ultrasound-only deep-learning model incorrectly declared three patients as cancer free.

Mutch said the team is very optimistic about the results.

"This is spectacular news, and it moves us closer in the transition from concept to clinically useful technology," he said. "The hope is that it will allow us to differentiate patients who had a complete response to chemotherapy and radiation from those patients with residual tumor. This will help better determine which patients can be managed nonoperatively versus those who truly need an operation."

Going forward, the team plans to conduct a clinical study to confirm these initial results in a large group of rectal cancer patients who have completed chemotherapy and radiation and will undergo surgery or follow patients after treatment.
Similarly, the motorcycle world is dominated by Harley-Davidson. The Americans, despite the many corporate-level blunders they keep making, are still the force to be reckoned with in the industry.Although Harley has had its share of encounters with players from the car world (the most famous of which being the work it performed with Porsche on the Revolution engine fitted on the V-Rod), it never actually made a co-branded motorcycle like Ducati did with its Diavel 1260 Lamborghini This didnt stop people from dreaming such stuff up though, and Thunderbikes RS Lambo is a fine example of that. The Enzo we have here is another.This bike started life as an unassuming Breakout, but was modified by another German shop that goes by the name No Limit Custom (NLC).There are a host of changes made to the two-wheeler, ranging from visual ones, like a custom fender and the steel handlebar, to some more mechanical in nature, like the new triple tree or rear brake system. In all, the added parts cost around 5,000 euros, which is close to $6,000 at todays exchange rates.But thats not even the spectacular bit. The thing that first catches the eye is the combination of black and red paints, dotted here and there with a touch of yellow. They are all there, together with Ferrari badges on the fuel tank and fenders, to give us a taste of how a two-wheeled Prancing Horse might look like.Enzo is how the shop Christened the motorcycle, but we doubt this nod to the man behind the Italian marque would shield NLC from the wrath of Ferraris legal department, if the carmaker becomes annoyed by it.
Passover, one of the most widely observed holidays in the Jewish calendar, begins Saturday at sundown. Normally, the weeklong holiday -- which commemorates religious stories of the ancient Israelites escape from enslavement in Egypt -- is marked by communal festivities, a seder meal and the retelling of the exodus story.

But this marks the second year that Passover practices will be altered by the coronavirus pandemic. But with vaccine distribution ramping up, and state restrictions on gathering easing far more than they were last year, those celebrating in New Jersey say theres a lot to look forward to.

I am actually suggesting that this year, we pay closer attention to the end of the Seder than maybe we usually do, said Rabbi Leana Moritt, leader of Temple Beth-El in Jersey City.

Because in the end...thats when were really focusing on the transformation. Thats when were really focusing on the future. Thats when we can taste whats coming.

Moritt said its still too early for Temple Beth-El to host any major events for Passover this year. But she suggested there is still merit to hosting rituals and traditions at home via a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Who says we cant go all out, Moritt quipped. Im still making my brisket.

Do I want to hug my kids and sit around the table? Oh, my God, more than anything in the whole world...But what weve also figured out is when you dont have to worry about seating people around the table, you can invite everybody.

But for businesses like Deluxe Retreats, a Jewish event and retreat planning company run by Heshy Goldstein, pulling out all the stops still isnt quite possible yet. The state has set indoor capacity limits for religious gatherings at 50% capacity. Goldstein said there are usually 600 people the events.

We cant take everyone. We have to limit the amount of people, so a lot of people are disappointed, Goldstein said.

He said this year is not perfect, but for many, its better than the alternative, which is staying at home again, like last year.

People are jumping out of their skin. They need to get out, Goldstein said of the interest his company has seen in recent weeks.

This weekend, Deluxe Retreats will host a celebration in accordance with the states coronavirus guidelines, he said. Itll be a day filled with food and keynote speakers, touching on topics like family and parenthood.

Last year, several of Goldsteins events had to be canceled, although he told customers he would honor their reservations on a future date. The company ramped up on hosting events again last November, spacing attendants at a safe distance and requiring everyone to wear a mask.

It takes six months to prepare (for our program)... Goldstein said. People save up money for an entire year to be able to go to a program like that.

And for us to have to go and tell them because of the COVID, Im sorry, it aint happening,...it was a big loss.

The pandemic has taught some how to cooperate better, said Lisa Karasic of the Jewish Federation in the Heart Of New Jersey, located in South River.

One of the things that the Jewish Federation has been doing throughout this pandemic is providing a forum for synagogue presidents, as well as a separate forum for synagogue executive directors and administrators to share ideas and solve problems in groups.

(Last Passover) everybody was scrambling and almost everything was virtual. And this Passover, the synagogues and the schools have the benefit of a year of convening with one another to share ideas and solutions.

The federation serves as an information hub for the regions Jewish population. It publishes a calendar of events, and while many of the Passover festivities this year are still virtual, there are plenty of outdoor socially-distanced celebrations, especially programs for kids.

Temple Beth-El has also had to get creative during the pandemic, but there has been little disruption, outside of a loss of physical camaraderie, Rabbi Moritt said. Services still take place on Zoom. And the congregation has hosted four small bnai mitzvah since the fall.

Moritt is looking forward to the time when Temple Beth-El will be able to fully open its doors again. But for now, she said this Passover can help set the tone for life after the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 24,000 people in New Jersey.

One of the messages (of Passover) is our resilience. There have been endless things in our history: people, sociological issues, and wars and stigmas and discrimination, Moritt said. And we figure out how to be who we are and live how we feel like we should live despite it.

This is just another example.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Tennyson Donyea may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com.
A man who booked a stay at a motel the day before a deadly East Side shooting was arrested Friday.

Anthony Johnson, 31, is charged with murder, according to court records. His bail totals $350,000.

On April 30, Joshua Barron Lewis, 30, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Super 8 motel at 302 Roland Road, San Antonio police said.

Security cameras at the motel captured the moment Lewis was gunned down, according to Johnsons arrest warrant affidavit.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio woman accused of wielding hammer to kidnap, rob

The footage shows Lewis buying drugs from an unidentified man while sitting in a pickup, investigators said in the affidavit.

After Lewis gets out of the pickup, a masked man later identified as Johnson walks up to Lewis and fires several shots at him, police said.

As Lewis begins to fall to the ground and back away, a second man walks up behind him and shoots him several times with a rifle, investigators said.

The men then ran to a white Dodge Ram and fled the scene, detectives said.

On ExpressNews.com: Testimony in Zetas trial recounts horrific slaughter of 6-year-old girl, parents

A witness later identified the men in the footage and said Johnson and the second shooter had checked into a room at the motel a day before the shooting.

The witness, who said she had known Johnson for many years, told investigators the second man had asked her to notify him if she saw Lewis at the motel.
A new primary school initiative is aimed at sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship with school children aged ten to twelve and inspiring them to become the entrepreneurs of the future.

Sams Business Bus is funded by Enterprise Ireland, and EDelia Group will deliver the programme on a national basis over the coming months. The programme is written by educators for educators and provides a range of classroom ready resources for teachers to use as they wish.

The learning environment enhances creativity, improves business skills and encourages students to consider self-employment and entrepreneurship as a career choice. By introducing young children to entrepreneurial skills, they will develop initiative, gain a better understanding of what good leadership and management traits are.

Sams Business Bus content is designed for a blended learning approach, enhanced by digital worksheets, animated video content and a series of attractive engagement opportunities. It features all the management and leadership skills required for young people to consider when thinking of setting up a business.

To register visit https://samsbusinessbus.ie/ or telephone 021- 4842216.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  St. Luke's Medical Center will require all patients and their companions to present a swab test result before admission beginning March 29 due to the rapid surge in coronavirus cases, according to the hospital's advisory released Saturday.

Patients and companions must show their negative swab test results three days before the admission date. Visitors need to present a negative test result three before the visit.

The hospital also said only one person is allowed to accompany a patient but added it will consider allowing a maximum of two companions for those who require extra care.

"This will ensure thorough screening of all people going inside our hospitals," it said of the additional requirements in an advisory on Saturday. At the same time, it serves as an added protection that gives further assistance that SLMC is a safe place for all, the hospital said.

It also reminded the public to fill out a declaration form before entry into its two branches in Quezon City and Taguig City.

On Friday, the country again broke its record for the biggest single-day COVID-19 tally after reporting 9,838 new cases. It is the fifth time in a week that the country logged an all-time high in daily infections.
Many mothers and children will not be eligible for compensation under the proposed terms of the mother and baby homes redress scheme, a leading legal firm has warned.

The firm representing survivors of mother and baby homes has raised issues about the extent of categories excluded from compensation, listed in a Government-commissioned report.

Tallans Solicitors says many mothers and their children will not be eligible if the Government accepts the reports current qualification criteria.

The firm with offices in Drogheda and Ashbourne also warned against delays, saying time is running out for some mothers who may not live long enough to see justice done.

Read More

The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes published its 3,000-page report last January, covering the period 1922-1998.

However, the Department of Children has invited submissions  a process which ends on March 31  and it is understood there is potential for the scope of restitution to be widened.

Tallans partner Deirdre Moran told the Independent.ie: As people contacted us to tell their stories it became apparent there really is a need for redress across wider categories.

If we have to look at the possibility of vindicating their rights through the courts, that takes a considerable period of time. Some of our clients are elderly people who should not have to be put through the trauma of a High Court application.

We are preparing a submission to put in on behalf of our clients on the basis it would be discriminatory to leave these people out.

This is an opportunity for the Government to try and address all of the issues around the mother and baby homes, particularly in circumstances where time is of the essence and is ticking away.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children said no decision had been taken yet on categories eligible for redress, but an inter-departmental group was working on the matter currently and would report to Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman by the end of April.

The inter-departmental group will need to give regard to the commissions recommendations on the categories eligible for redress, but not necessarily be bound by them, the spokesperson said.

Some estimates suggest around 50,000 people could be entitled to compensation but this may be a low estimate if the parameters are widened.

Tallans has identified a range of omitted groups which it is urging the minister to include in the scheme, including girls under 18 who handed over their children for adoption and were therefore too young to have given consent.

But children are a glaring omission, it says. Currently, there are no recommendations for redress for any children born in homes, regardless of their experiences.

Illegal and unvetted adoptions is another area where omissions have puzzled campaigners. In the former case, birth certificates were falsified to disguise a childs origins, and in the latter case children were placed for adoption with unsuitable families. Some suffered as a result.

Forced adoptions have also been excluded.

Another excluded category is residents who entered homes after 1974, when the Unmarried Mothers Allowance was introduced by the then junior social welfare minister Frank Cluskey.
New Delhi, March 27 : India reported 62,258 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, highest single-day spike since October, 2020, taking the total tally to 1,19,08,910 on Saturday.

India has shown a steep rise since March 16 (24,492), March 24 (47,262), and March 26 (59,118).

Cases have been increasing over the two weeks in leaps and bounds. According to the Health Ministry, Maharashtra and Punjab are turning out to be a major contributors.

The central government is closely monitoring and actively engaging with states and union territories over the rising cases in the country.

With death of 291 people in the last 24 hours, the toll touched 1,61,240 as the active caseload in the country mounted to 4,52,647.

With the discharge of 30,386 patients in a day, a total of 1,12,95,023 persons have been discharged so far.

As of date, 5.81 crore doses of corona vaccine have been administered in the country since the drive began on January 16 after approval for 'Covishield' and 'Covaxin'.

Now, those over 45 years of age will also get Covid-19 vaccine from April 1, irrespective of the co-morbidities, the Central Government has announced.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sri Lanka has decided to purchase 7 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.The government says it will pay $69.65 million for the shots.

Sri Lanka aims to inoculate 14 million people out of the population of 22 million. So far, over 850,000 people have received their shots using the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Sri Lanka has received 1.2 million AstraZeneca doses out of at least 10 million it purchased for $52.5 million. It has also approved China's Sinopharm shots.

Sri Lanka has reported 91,017 confirmed cases including 554 fatalities.

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

MANILA, Philippines  The Philippine president has ordered at least nine city and town mayors investigated for possible charges after they reportedly jumped ahead of a priority list led by 1.7 million health workers and got injected with COVID-19 vaccine amid a shortage in supply.

President Rodrigo Duterte said in a televised meeting Wednesday night with key Cabinet members that aside from the mayors, the son of an actress also got immunized. He expressed fears that the Philippines may lose the chance to get more donated vaccines arranged by the World Health Organization if its conditions would continue to be violated.

We were told by the WHO country representative, `if you do not follow the list of priority, you might lose the assistance of the WHO, Duterte said. It wasnt followed because I heard even the son of an actress got it. Its always the favored few.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported to Duterte that just slightly more than 508,000 of a total 1.7 million doctors, nurses and other health workers have been immunized and added that only 1.5 million vaccine doses, all donated by China and the WHO, have arrived in the country so far.

The government program to inoculate about 70 million adult Filipinos has faced delays, supply problems, public hesitancy and widespread criticism. After health workers, the next in line of priority include elderly Filipinos and people with non-COVID-19 illnesses like diabetes and the poor.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utahs mask mandate will end April 10 after the Republican governor signed a bill that lays out a new timeline for lifting some of the states COVID-19 restrictions.

Masks orders will remain in place for schools and gatherings of more than 50 people. Businesses can also choose to require them.

Gov. Spencer Cox signed the measure on Wednesday, the same day that vaccinations opened to all people aged 16 and older.

New coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Utah have been on a downward trend since January. According to state data, more than 438,000 of the states 3.2 million residents have been fully vaccinated.

The U.S. has now surpassed 30 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.

Coronavirus cases nationwide reached 30,001,245 on Wednesday, nearly three months after the country hit 20 million.

COVID-19 related deaths now total more than 545,000.

The new milestone comes as public health experts show cautious optimism three months into the U.S. vaccination rollout. It is believed that 70% of Americans 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine and COVID-19 deaths are below 1,000 a day on average for the first time since November.

The federal government is dramatically ramping up vaccine production and several states have already expanded vaccination eligibility to people age 16 and up.

More than 124 million cases have been confirmed worldwide.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has signed legislation rewriting state laws for managing the coronavirus pandemic and future emergencies even though she believes it could hinder disaster response efforts.

The measure Kelly signed Wednesday extends the state of emergency for the pandemic until May 28 instead of letting it expire March 31. Kelly cited the extension in announcing her action.

The measure also leaves counties in charge of mask mandates and other restrictions. But in the states second most populous county of Sedgwick County, the county commission ended its remaining COVID-19 restrictions. Commissioners had said the measure signed by Kelly makes it more likely it would lose lawsuits over such restrictions.

The measure says anyone aggrieved by local restrictions during a pandemic or other emergency can file a lawsuit challenging them and the case must be heard within 72 hours.

Kansas says it will be receiving only a fraction of the 100,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine for COVID-19 that it had expected next week.

The state Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday that it will receive 16,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine when it had expected 100,000 doses.

The department said production issues mean that the promised doses might not be ready to ship to Kansas until the second or third week of April.

Gov. Laura Kelly had cited the expected arrival of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines last week in announcing that Kansas would make eligible for inoculations all residents from 16 through 64 who have medical conditions that would put them at risk of serious complications or death from COVID-19. The state had been limiting shots to people 65 and older, along with essential workers, as part of a second phase of its vaccine distribution.

SAO PAULO, Brazil  Brazil has reached 300,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and become the second nation to top that figure. The United States hit the same milestone on Dec. 14, but it has a larger population.

Wednesdays coronavirus figures from the Brazilian health ministry added another 2,009 deaths to the countrys tally, which local media say is an undercount.

On Tuesday, Brazil hit a single-day record of 3,251 COVID-19 deaths and authorities fear that April could be as grim as March in the countrys overwhelmed hospitals.

Brazil added 100,000 deaths to its tally in only 75 days, a spike health experts have blamed on a lack of political coordination, new variants that spread more easily and a disregard for health protocols in many parts of the country.

(Image credit: AP)

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Mutant variants of coronavirus could reinfect people every two to four years, a top scientist has warned.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it was normal for future strains to emerge and that they will not necessarily cause serious illness.

But he warned that 'it's very difficult to predict' because 'you never really know what each new variant will do'.

Government advisers are already finding that vaccines are less effective on existing variants, including as much as 30 per cent less effective on the South African one.

Highly-transmissible mutations first detected in Kent and Brazil are designated 'variants of concern' and also driving a third wave across Europe.

Professor Hunter stressed that many new variants are not cause for concern, but would have to be monitored to ensure it does not derail the roadmap for lifting lockdown.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it was normal for future strains to emerge and that they will not necessarily kill people

This morning he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We do know that new variants develop, that's very obvious, and some new variants spread and become dominant.

'Many new variants just die out. This is to be expected, we know from other human coronaviruses that have been with us for decades, if not centuries, that these viruses gradually drift.

'Ultimately with the other human coronaviruses, we expect to get reinfected on average about every two to four years with the same virus.

'So we are likely to see that happen with coronavirus, and it doesn't mean that we will head towards a lot of very severe diseases.

'But it's been very difficult to predict exactly what will happen with coronaviruses as you never really know what each new variant will do and we do have to keep an eye on them and make sure they're not going to be undermining the roadmap.'

Analysis by SAGE has found the South African strain can cause up to a 10-fold decrease in the effectiveness of antibodies in vaccinated or previously infected people.

Highly-transmissible mutations first detected in Kent and Brazil are designated 'variants of concern' and also driving a third wave across Europe

While antibodies are not the only part of the immune response against Covid  white blood cells also help  they play a crucial role in fighting off the infection.

In a meeting on March 12, SAGE said the drop in antibodies 'translates into a potential 30 per cent drop in vaccine efficacy'.

Its review found the variant was able to infect South African patients who had survived older strains and data suggested some immunised patients will still catch it.

But the expert group stressed it is still not clear 'what the implications are for protection from severe disease'.

The emergence and rise of the South African and similar Brazilian strain abroad has made summer holidays this year increasingly unlikely.

Ministers and their scientific advisers are keen not to allow a huge dump of imported cases into the UK which could undermine the country's vaccine rollout.

The South African strain  officially known as B.1.351  has three key mutations on its spike protein which help it 'hide' from the immune system, known as E484K, N501Y and K417N.

Covid uses its spike to latch onto human cells and the current crop of vaccines have been designed to train people's bodies to recognise that protein.

SAGE said the Brazilian P.1 variant was less worrying, because it has fewer concerning mutations, but it might still be somewhat vaccine resistant.

The analysis presented to the group looked at studies in South Africa which found people infected with older strains of Covid were just as likely to catch the new variant as patients who'd never had any infection.

It said this was evidence 'prior infection, with 2020 prototype SARS-CoV-2, did not reduce the risk of subsequent Covid-19 illness likely due to the B.1.351 variant'.

India claims it has spotted a 'double mutant' Covid variant that spreads easier and may escape vaccines. India has claimed it has spotted a 'double mutant' Covid variant that may spread easier and make vaccines less potent. Government-backed researchers detected the strain in samples taken in the western state of Maharashtra. They suggested the variant is a hybrid of two different Covid strains  a rare event which occurs when two viruses merge together inside an infected person. Indian health officials said the variant's mutations signal a risk of 'immune escape and increased infectivity'. But they added that the variant had not been detected in high enough numbers to be behind India's latest wave of infections. The variant, yet to be named, has two main mutations that concern experts. E484Q and L452R  both found on the spike protein, which the immune system targets to fight off the coronavirus  are thought to play a role in transmissibility and antibody escape. However, British scientists told MailOnline today there was 'no evidence' to suggest the virus is a 'recombination variant', when two strains merge. Dr Simon Clarke, a molecular biologist at Reading University, said it was more likely to be another variant that randomly spawned with those two mutations. He added: 'We should not try to make this out to be something it's not because it is most likely the same thing we've seen in other variants, like the one in Brazil and South Africa  which all have multiple mutations on their spike protein. I've not yet seen any evidence to suggest it is a recombinant.' Only one hybrid version of coronavirus has been spotted so far. It was found in the US and was a mix between the Kent variant and a strain found in California. Advertisement

Real-world data of the strain's impact on current vaccines was scarce, SAGE said, with only one randomised clinical trial by AstraZeneca directly measuring its effect.

That small study, of adults under 65, showed the vaccine was just 10 per cent effective at stopping severe disease.

But this was widely criticised at the time because it looked only at a small number of young people who had extremely low odds of getting seriously ill.

Johnson and Johnson's vaccine, by comparison, was found to be about 64 per cent effective in South Africa - though it did not break down specific variants. And a jab made by the American firm Novavax was 60 per cent effective in the country, but again did not look specifically at different types of the virus.

SAGE said: 'Overall, this suggests a modest decrease in vaccine efficacy against B.1.351 infection.

'From analysis of clinical trial results and laboratory studies, a provisional conclusion is that as the neutralising antibody (NAb) titres fall against variants, we can expect a decrease in vaccine efficacy.'

Meanwhile, the analysis found reinfection from the Kent variant was 'rare' and that 'antibodies to earlier viruses will continue to provide protection', as well as the vaccines.

The South African version is thought to be at least 60 per cent more infectious than the original version of Covid, but it does not appear to have an 'evolutionary edge' over the Kent strain, which is why experts believe there has not been a huge outbreak in the UK.

Public Health England has so far spotted 412 cases of the South African strain in the UK, although it is likely to be more widespread because officials only analyse a handful of positive samples.

It comes as all lorry drivers entering England face compulsory Covid-19 tests to fight the threat of new variants - despite fears the scheme could disrupt food supplies.

Hauliers, border force officials and other workers have been exempt from testing when entering the UK, but Whitehall is set to announce a change this weekend.

Those arriving will have to take a customised test once they are in Britain, rather than at the borders, to avoid delays that could lead to empty shelves in supermarkets and shops.

Despite concerns over delays, Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that the Government 'can't rule out tougher measures'.

A Government source told The Telegraph: 'The potential impact is hard to quantify but there is a concern that an inbound testing regime will introduce an additional burden that could cause significant points of friction.'

Those staying longer than two days will have to have a test within 48 hours of arriving and then every 72 hours, with fines similar to the 2,000 penalties for travellers who fail to test during home quarantine.

Border Force staff engaged in cross Channel work and similar arrangements for those working on trains and ferries in the area will have to take three mandatory tests a week.
~How Knops got the Parliament of St. Maarten to fire their international lawyer. Mental gymnastics for the legal minded politic~

We are all, some more than others, acquainted with the Gordian Knot from Greek mythology. It refers to an intricate problem, requiring subtlety of thought and suppleness of mind. This week State Secretary Knops placed the Parliament of St. Maarten before exactly such a conundrum.

By forcing them to jump through a series of hoops and make certain irreconcilable choices, he has in effect forced them into firing their international lawyer without them being able to discern that carefully laid stratagem. I do not know if this was the result of a brilliant tactician at work, or merely an inevitable outcome of a simple though tacit objective: Get the Parliament of St. Maarten to retract their petition to the UN.

Knops chose an indirect route to achieve his objective and thus concealed his true ambition: Force the Parliament of St. Maarten to fire their international lawyer. In Statia, this was done directly. They kicked the Clyde van Putten administration out of office as soon as the international lawyer made his appearance. Next, they installed a puppet regime, whose first official act, was to write the international lawyer a brusque letter terminating his services. Since the lawyer had already pocketed his US$40,000 fee upfront for writing one single letter, he bowed out a winner.

On St. Maarten, the objective is the same but the method different. Whereas in Statia brute power was employed, on St. Maarten financial power was unleashed. Knops introduced another true and tested routine in his act: the carrot and the stick. The carrot was liquidity support, without which the Honorable Members of Parliament will not collect their paychecks at the end of the month. The stick was the suspension of that liquidity support until the Honorable Members of Parliament performed their first acrobatic maneuver: Give their full-throated support for the Consensus law introducing the much-maligned COHO. Once they approached the hoop they had to make a choice. Abandon the petition or risk liquidity support. The thought of mobs of angry civil servants, and teachers clamoring at the doors of Parliament, when they went to the ATM to collect their salary and the balance showed zero available, must have crossed their minds. Parliament cannot give full-bodied support to the Consensus Law and at the same time support the petition which denounced the consensus law and COHO as a racist complot. Knops again forced Parliament to choose. The Honorable Members of Parliament will of course take the path of least resistance and give COHO their full-bodied support. The next hoop-up will be retracting the petition. If all goes well before good Friday, April 2, (Good Friday at that) that letter would have been sent or at least agreed upon by the new majority in Parliament that is forming as we speak. Once that letter to the UN has been sent, Parliament will realize that there is one final hoop to jump through. With the petition withdrawn, there is suddenly no need for any international lawyer. Instead of a Dutch regime writing a brusque letter, it will be the Parliament of St. Maarten, the same Parliament that engaged his services, writing him that letter, terminating his services.

D. Brison

SxM  3.27.21
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 18:47:17|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message of condolence to his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, over the train collision accident in the country.

In the message, Xi noted that he is shocked to learn about the accident, which caused heavy casualties.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people as well as in his own name, Xi expressed deep condolences over the victims, extended sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured, and wished the injured a quick recovery. Enditem
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Danske Bank is launching a 95% mortgage for first-time buyers and home movers as housing market demand grows.

Applicants must be in permanent contracted employment, with an individual or joint income of over 40,000. It applies only to homes with a value of up to 500,000.

Danske Bank indicated a furloughed employee would be excluded if applying as a sole borrower. But they would be considered in a joint application with someone who was not on furlough. Bank of Ireland UK launched a 95% offer last week that is also available here, while Ulster Bank launched a 90% home loan in December.

The deals are part of an easing of mortgage conditions after limits imposed at the outset of the pandemic over fears of a fall in house prices.

Lockdown and home-working has led to growth in the market, with prices rising 5% year-on-year to an average of 147,593.

Danske's new product has a two-year or five-year fixed rate of 4.40% with no product fee.

Aisling Press, managing director of personal banking at Danske Bank, said: "As one of the biggest mortgage lenders in NI, we are very pleased to be offering mortgages with as little as a 5% deposit.

"Danske Bank is committed to helping NI grow by supporting businesses and our personal customers as they seek to achieve their ambitions.

"Despite the unprecedented challenges facing our economy, the housing market has remained robust, with demand from prospective buyers at healthy levels.

"This new 95% loan-to-value mortgage product brings forward another option for those seeking to realise their aspiration of home ownership."

AIB, another major lender here, said: "In February of this year we launched a 90% mortgage for first-time buyers and there has been strong uptake among our customers to date.

"We continue to keep our product offering under review."

Ulster Bank said it had seen strong demand for its 90% mortgage and continues to lend to a wide range of borrowers including first-time buyers, home movers and those remortgaging.

It added: "We continue to keep our product offering under review."
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says it fears that a detained Crimean journalists televised confession to spying on behalf of Ukraine was obtained under torture and has called for his immediate release and the withdrawal of the charges against him.



In a statement on March 26, Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSFs Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, expressed concern about the psychological and physical pressure Vladislav Yesypenko has been subjected to.



Cavelier also condemned the ban on access to his lawyer.



Yesypenko, a freelance contributor to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was visibly pale and had difficulty talking when he made his confession -- one almost certainly obtained under duress -- in an interview for local Russian TV channel Krym24 that seemed more like a police interrogation, the Paris-based media freedom watchdog said.



The interview was broadcast on March 18, eight days after Yesypenko, who has Ukrainian and Russian dual nationality, was arrested in Ukraines Russia-annexed Crimea region.



Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Yesypenko was suspected of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence and claimed that an object "looking like an explosive device" was found in his automobile during his apprehension.



The journalist was charged with making firearms, which is punishable by up to six years in prison.



RFE/RL President Jamie Fly has called for Yesypenkos immediate release and also has questioned the circumstances under which Yesypenko made his confession.



"We question the circumstances surrounding this purported confession, which appears to be forced and made without access to legal counsel," Fly said in a statement.



"The Russian authorities have similarly smeared RFE/RL Ukrainian Service contributors with false charges in the past. Vladislav is a freelance contributor with RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, not a spy, and he should be released."



Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service described the arrest as a convenient attempt to distract the attention of the population away from the numerous internal problems of the peninsula" ahead of the seventh anniversary of its forcible annexation, which was marked on March 18.



The U.S. State Department called Yesypenko's arrest another attempt to repress those who speak the truth about Russia's aggression in Ukraine.



Graty, a Ukrainian media outlet specializing in police and judicial abuses, quoted a source at Yesypenkos place of detention as saying he had been tortured, while the lawyer chosen by the journalists family has not been allowed to see him, according to the Crimean Human Rights Group (CHRG).



This suggests that the authorities are trying to cover up evidence that Yesypenko has been subjected to illegal methods of investigation, including physical and psychological violence, the CHRG said.



Yesypenko was detained along with a resident of the Crimean city of Alushta, Yelizaveta Pavlenko, after the two took part in an event marking the 207th anniversary of the birth of Ukrainian poet and thinker Taras Shevchenko the day before in Crimea.



Pavlenko was later released.



Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, sending in troops and staging a referendum denounced as illegitimate by at least 100 countries after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted amid a wave of public protests.



Rights groups say that since then, Russia has moved aggressively to prosecute Ukrainian activists and anyone who questions the annexation.



Moscow also backs separatists in a war against Ukrainian government forces that has killed more than 13,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.
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Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level review meeting on Saturday with top officials of 12 states and various municipal commissioners, collectors of 46 districts where there is a rapid surge in cases.

During the meeting, stringent action including effective containment and contact tracing for at least 14 successive days in the 46 districts was strongly recommended for breaking the chain of transmission and not frittering away the gains of collaborative efforts of last year.

Officials from the states that participated include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and some others. Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was also present during the review meeting.

Through a detailed presentation, the states were informed that the country has seen the sharpest rise in weekly Covid cases and fatalities since May 2020 (7.7 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively), the government said in a release.

The focus was on 46 districts that have contributed 71 per cent of the cases and 69 per cent of the deaths this month. Of total 36 districts in Maharashtra, 25 are most affected that account for 59.8 per cent of the cases reported in the country during the past one week," it said.

A granular analysis of affected districts in these states and UTs along with some key statistics was presented.

Almost 90 per cent of the Covid-19 deaths continue to be in the category of those aged above 45 yrs. Findings of studies were highlighted, which depicted that while 90 per cent people are aware, only 44 per cent actually wear face masks.

One infected person could spread Covid-19 to an average of 406 other individuals in a 30 day window without restrictions which could be reduced to just 15 by decreasing physical exposure to 50 per cent and to a further 2.5 (average) by decreasing physical exposure to 75 per cent.

It was also highlighted that the concept of second wave reflected more the laxity among everyone regarding Covid-appropriate behaviour and Covid containment and management strategy at the ground level.

A five-fold strategy was laid out for adoption by the states and UTs for effective containment and management of the the pandemic.

Exponential increase in testing

The states were strongly advised for a significant increase of testing in all districts in line with their Positivity Rate, with increased share of RT PCR tests,to a ratio ofmore than 70 per cent of total. Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) to be mostly deployed as a screening tool in flushing out cluster cases from densely populated areas.

Effective isolation and contact tracing of those infected

Testing leading to detection of positive cases is to be followed with prompt tracing of the close contacted and swift isolation. It was advised that an average of 30 close contacts are to be traced, tested and isolated in the first 72 hours. Health Secretary highlighted the need for effective and strict means to be employed for effective containment, with focus on micro-containment zone approach.

Re-invigoration of public and private healthcare resources

It was re-emphasised to strengthen public and private hospital infrastructure and reenergise the Healthcare workers for removal of complacency and fatigue. Targeted approach to reduce mortality rate and number of deaths to be implemented. In this regard, states to strictly follow the Standard National Treatment Protocol for effective clinical management of the severe cases in ICUs. In this regard, it was pointed out that Punjab and Chhattisgarh despite being smaller in population size than Karnataka and Kerala, are reporting higher fatalities.

Ensuring of Covid-appropriate behaviour (CAB)

Renewed attention to be paid to ensuring of Covid appropriate behaviour in crowded place like markets, inter-state bus stands, schools, colleges, railway stations etc. Promotion Covid-appropriate behaviour through sensitization and public awareness campaigns with active participation of local community leaders, religious heads of the community and other influencers.

States also advised enforcement of CAB through penal measures like heavy fines which sends a strong exemplary message among the people. Muted celebrations of festivals like Holi, Shab-e-baraat and Easter with emphasis on keeping the celebrations inside the confines of the house stressed.States were informed that 70 per cent of the cases can be controlled by adherence to CAB alone.

Targeted approach to vaccination in districts reporting large numbers

States asked to focus on universalisation of vaccination in the specified priority population age groups as an aid to containment strategy in districts where maximum cases are being reported. It was reiterated that there is no shortage of vaccines. States to optimally utilise all vaccination capacities within the public and private sectors in all districts, and make full use of the available vaccine stocks without keeping a buffer stock in anticipation of a shortage. The four GMSD depots at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Karnal have the requisite buffer stocks and all requirements of States, based on their daily consumption and available stocks, are being met.

States were also asked to make advance planning of logistics and infrastructure management for 1-1.5 months as any unchecked spread of infection among the community may overwhelm the local administration. Re-appropriation of unused vaccine stocks in a district to focus on the high burden districts was also suggested.
Stockholm, March 27 : Incidents of gang-related violence in Sweden, which had reached unprecedented levels over the last few years, has decreased following several arrests, local media reported.

So far this year, 45 shootings have occurred, compared with 73 in the corresponding period in 2020, Xinhua news agency quoted Swedish television SVT as saying in a report on Friday.

Dozens of the top echelons of some of the country's most violent criminal networks have been arrested as a result of French police decrypting messages on EncroChat, a communications network often used by criminals.

"We have received material and evidence that have enabled us to take those who order the murders and those who control the drug trade to court. It has created confusion and a dampening effect in the criminal environments," National Police Commissioner Anders Thornberg was quoted by SVT.

In the past week alone, more than 50 suspects have been brought to justice for gang-related crimes in three different cases in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Norrkoping.

Hundreds of suspects are also being investigated for involvement in large-scale drug trade, attacks with explosive devices and planned hits on rivals, said the report.

"We have a window of opportunity now before new players have grown strong enough to challenge," Thornberg told SVT.

He called for preventing housing communities identified as "vulnerable areas" from returning to a spiral of violence.

"Schools, municipalities and other actors together with the police must exchange situational awareness.

"A lot of good work is already being done, but we need to shift it up so that we can identify the young people who are on their way into crime," Thornberg said.
Agents on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection boat rescue a woman and child who got stuck attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the United States illegally at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 16, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

9-Year-Old Girl Drowns While Trying to Cross Border Into US

A 9-year-old girl from Mexico drowned while trying to illegally cross into the United States, officials said this week.

The girl, who wasnt named, was on March 20 crossing the Rio Grande River with an adult woman from Guatemala and the womans child, a 3-year-old Mexican native.

Border Patrol Marine Unit agents responded to assist three individuals stranded on an island on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River. Agents found the individuals and immediately began administering first aid while transporting the migrants to shore, Customs and Border Protection said in a statement.

Agents were able to revive the woman and her child but the 9-year-old remained unresponsive.

Agents transferred her care to the Eagle Pass Fire Departments Emergency Medical Services and she was eventually pronounced dead.

A cause of death was not listed. Lt. Jason Mares of the Eagle Pass Fire Department in Texas told NBC that the incident was considered a drowning. The fire department did not pick up the phone on Saturday.

We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this small child, CBPs Del Rio Sector chief patrol agent Austin Skero II said in a statement. During these hard times our agents remain resilient, and I am extremely proud of their efforts to preserve human life.

Agents in the sector have rescued over 500 immigrants attempting to illegally enter the country since Oct. 1, 2020, officials said.

The United States has seen a rising number of immigrants cross the border in recent months. The number topped 100,000 in February and is widely expected to have climbed even higher in March.

The Rio Grande has been the site of previous drownings.

Oscar Alberto Ramirez and his young daughter drowned trying to cross the river in the summer of 2019. They had ignored advice against swimming across the river.

Ramirez and his child hailed from El Salvador. The countrys president later described the deaths as our fault.

People dont flee their homes because they want to, people flee their homes because they feel they have to, he said in an interview at the time.

Why? Because they dont have a job, because they are being threatened by gangs, because they dont have basic things like water, education, health. We can blame any other country but what about our blame? What country did they flee? Did they flee the United States? They fled El Salvador, they fled our country. It is our fault.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, asked in Washington on Friday if President Joe Biden had been briefed about the 9-year-olds death, said the president is regularly briefed by his immigration team and kept abreast of all developments at the border.

The images of the girl and other immigrants who have recently passed away are a reminder of how dangerous this journey is and why this is not the time to come, she added.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One man was transported to the hospital Friday night after being stabbed in Port Richmond, police said.

Police responded to a report of an assault at about 11 p.m. on the 700 block of Port Richmond Avenue, an NYPD spokeswoman said.

When police arrived they found a man, 42, stabbed in the torso and shoulder, and EMS transported him to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton in critical but stable condition, the spokeswoman said.

Police said there are two males considered suspects in connection with the incident.

Police described the first male as being approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall, heavy build, who was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

Police did not release a description of the second male suspect.

There are no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing, according to the spokeswoman.
In the twinkling of an eye, do you realize that tomorrow will be the day we celebrate Palm Sunday, and that as we embrace Christianitys Holy Week, one week from tomorrow Christians all across the world will bask in Easter Sunday.

Admittedly the Saturday Funnies is holding some fabulous tales and tapes for next week, but weve still got a wealth of riddles 

THIS WEEKS RIDDLES

1. What has a head and a tail but no body?

2. What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?

3. You can hold it without using your hands or your arms.

What is it?

4. Its so fragile even just saying its name can break it. What is it?

5. Its been around for millions of years, but is never more than a month old. What is it?

The Answers 

1. A coin.

2. A teapot

3. Your breath.

4. Silence.

5. The Moon.

* * *

And now we go to the funnies!

SO, TELL ME THIS -- HAVE YOU A GOOD MEMORY?

One night, four college students stayed up late partying, even though they knew they had an important test that morning. The test they missed determined their pass-fail grade for the year. They appealed (car trouble) in a classic manner.

Each of the four miscreants begged out the next day. They each rolled around in some mud and dirt and then went to the teachers office. They said that they had gotten a flat tire the night before, and they spent the entire night pushing their car back to campus. The teacher listened, and to the students delight, he offered a retest three days later.

On the day of the test, the students went to their teachers office. The teacher put all four of the students in separate rooms to take the test. The students were okay with that because they had been given a chance to study.

On the day of the test, they each found the test had but two questions:

* -- STUDENT ID Number: (one point) 

* -- QUESTION (worth 99 points): Which tire went flat: (circle one):

Driver side front? Driver side back? Passenger side front? Passenger side back?

* * *

THE 25 WAYS THAT I WAS HOME-SCHOOLED

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My father taught me about TIME TRAVEL "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My father taught me LOGIC. " Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC . "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My father taught me IRONY. "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Just you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate!"

13. My father taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out..."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it from your father when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My father taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand.

25. My father taught me about JUSTICE. "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

* * *

SOMETIMES BAD NEWS ARRIVES AT A GALLOP

A man went to his doctor who examined him and ran several tests.

The doctor told the man, I have bad news, you only have 10 to live.

Ten what asked the man, "ten years, months, weeks?

9.. 8.. 7..  said the doc.

* * *

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?

"Do you believe in life after death?" the boss asked one of his employees.

"Yes, sir," the young man replied.

"Well, then, that makes everything just fine ... " the boss went on.

"After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped in to see you."

* * *

DOCTORS AND MECHANICS

A woman surgeon was disturbed about the high cost of her car repair.

"This is ridiculous!" she said, "charging me five hundred dollars to grind the valves and put in new piston rings."

"Not really, just think about it. You are a surgeon and should know that an automobile engine is just as complicated as a human body.

The mechanic who serviced your car is just as skilled as you are.

"Is that so? Well, let me see him grind valves while the engine is running."

* * *

A REVEALING COURT-HOUSE MOMENT

Scene: A courtroom where a witness is testifying in a case involving a man biting off the ear of another man during a fight.

After supplying testimony which was very bad for the defendant, the witness was being cross examined by the defendant's attorney.

Attorney: You said that you saw the defendant and the claimant in a fight?

Witness: Yes.

Attorney: You then said that you were concerned for your safety and that, because of it, you went to hide behind the bushes?

Witness: Yes.

Attorney: You further stated that during this time in hiding, you turned your back to the scene?

Witness: Yes.

Attorney: And then you testified that was when the defendant bit off the claimant's ear?

Witness: Yes.

Attorney: Okay so if your back was turned to the fight then you obviously must have had the claimant and the defendant out of your field of vision, correct?

Witness: Yes, correct.

Attorney: Well then, did you see the defendant bite off the claimant's ear?

Witness: No.

Attorney: (Smugly) Then how do you know that the defendant bit off the claimant's ear if you didn't see him do it?

Witness: I saw him spit it out.

Attorney: No more questions.

* * *

THIS WEEKS BEST VIDEOS

*-- This is far-and-away Elvis greatest tearjerker. The man singing while Elvis does the recitation is Shaun "Sherrill" Nielson. Elvis thought he was the greatest tenor ever. Nielson died in 2010. CLICK HERE.

* -- When the Country Music Association celebrated its 50th anniversary some years ago they had the biggest names do a compilation: Forever Country: The Artists of Then, Now, and Forever. (Pay attention to the background in each shot.) CLICK HERE.

* -- The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) made its launch of BBC Music 7 years ago, the compilation is believed to be one of the best ever. Keep out a sharp eye and youll see Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson (who wrote God Only Knows,) Elton John, and many others stars with the BBC Orchestra. CLICK HERE.

* -- Over 3 million have watched The Quarantine Mix  this was created when 70 members of the Long Island music community came up with the idea of singing into their computers during the COVID quarantine and then it was mixed. CLICK HERE.

* -- In case you missed it, the Super Bowl tribute to the American flag featured Medal of Honor Kyle Carpenter and Johnny Cashs Ragged Old Flag is really fabulous. CLICK HERE.

royexum@aol.com
Laguna Beach Dream Home Gets Design Approval After 10-Year Fight

When Janice Hobbs set out to create her dream home 10 years ago in Laguna Beach, California, she never imagined the opposition and costly delays she would face from neighbors and city regulations.

A decade later, theres still no completed home. Instead, negotiations, redesigns, lawsuits, and appeals have cost Hobbs hundreds of thousands of dollarsand her unfinished house sits unoccupied on a prime, front-row lot overlooking the ocean.

This was my dream home. This was saving up my whole life to be able to build this house. Its a wonderful location and the view is fantastic, and there should be a beautiful home there, Hobbs told The Epoch Times.

Hobbs, 65, has spent years arguing with neighbors and the citys Design Review Board (DRB), a panel of residents that oversees the construction of new and existing developments, over the height of her proposed roof. Neighbors say the project would block their view, while Hobbs defends it as within her rights as a property owner.

The board, established in 1972, is in charge of reviewing requests for revitalizing existing buildings and new construction projects, in line with the coastal towns mission to retain its historic charm. In January, the DRB unanimously approved Hobbs latest development plans. But on March 23, neighbors gathered before the city council to appeal the ruling, adding 101 additional items to their list of complaints.

The neighborhood appeal was shot down in a 32 vote following a contentious hearing that included nearly two hours of public comments from a handful of residents. It was a victory for Hobbs, but incredibly stressful, she said.

During the hearing, neighbors presented videos they created showing how Hobbs proposed plans would not provide view equity for the houses behind the property, using the computer-generated voice of Morgan Freeman to narrate the production.

Alan Boinus, a neighbor who spoke at the meeting, said neighbors had been presented more than four different sets of plans, four different architects, six DRBs, and three council hearings over the past eight years because of time delays and confusing choices made by the applicant.

Council needs to sort out two distinctively different views and findings from two different DRBs, he said. We contend this project cannot be both a new home and modifications without prior approval, when conditions for the prior approval were never met.

In 2015, the DRB, which was made up of different members at the time, approved Hobbs planbut only if she kept the original height of the previous roof and built her home downhill from the existing home on the property, instead of uphill.

This was prior approval with conditions. So conditions were never met by the applicant, and the applicant seems to cherry-pick what she likes and doesnt like from past direction, Boinus said.

Hobbs believes that if neighbors wanted to retain the view, they should have purchased the property themselves.

A New Plan

When Hobbs purchased the land in 2011, there was already a home there, with a flat roofand the surrounding neighbors wanted her to keep it that way.

She said it took five years for her to receive DRB approval to tear down the old building and replace it with a new house. She called the process a horrendous and awful experiencejust the worst.

Hobbs, a financial planner, has lived in Laguna for 31 years, five blocks from the project, and still lives there while she waits for her new home to be finished. Shes proud of the design, though weary of how much shes had to change it to appease the city.

We designed a beautiful home. Its not the best, because you end up nipping and tucking and cutting, and can end up with what your neighbors have left you with after they take a hatchet to it, Hobbs said.

She expressed frustration that her neighbors continue to add items to their ongoing appeal, despite the boards approval of her plan two months ago. Youre supposed to have to write out what your reasons for appeal [are], and theres usually three or four things. My neighbors have 101 items they are appealing.

Some of those items include issues with the types of plants she wants to place around the house, the geography of the garage, the environmental impact of the project, and the difference between the new remodeling and its original proposal.

Hobbs noted that each design board, whose members are elected to two-year terms, is different. In 2015, before one of Hobbs hearings to install a pool as part of her houses design, a previous DRB voted to ban swimming pools, only to repeal the ban after a month.

Another View

Village Laguna is the citys oldest volunteer-activist group, founded in 1971. Its members seek to preserve Lagunas village-like character by blocking large, high-rise development projects and endorsing city council candidates who most align with their vision.

Village Laguna President Anne Caenn told The Epoch Times that her organization wouldnt take an official stance on Hobbs project. Personally, however, she thinks it just is a massive project, and its blocking the neighbors views, which she called very unkind.

Its really overbuilding for the lot, and the biggest issue is that the neighbors are losing their view. And living in Laguna Beach, having a view of the ocean is really your goal in life, Caenn said.

At the March 23 meeting, Councilmembers Toni Iseman and George Weiss were the dissenting votes. Weiss agreed with the neighbors that the height of the roof needed to be reduced from 21 feet, but felt that Hobbs should be able to retain other aspects of her development plans.

Ms. Hobbs doesnt lose anything by lowering the project as far as I could see, said Weiss. So I think, you know, its a win-win if we could lower the height, and her views are not affected at all.

Mayor Bob Whalen agreed with Weiss, but ultimately voted against the appeal to side with the DRBs approval.

Resident Cindy Shopoff phoned in to the meeting and called the entire hearing a circus.

This has been a debacle for Jan and for her house, Shopoff said.

Councilmember Peter Blake voted against the neighbors appeal, siding with Hobbs. He said the hearing was purely political and blamed the citys activistsmainly Village Lagunafor impeding any new developments.

You would think that given all the amount of production and everything, all the deception, [and] the Morgan Freeman [narration], that the appellants would have also included videos or photos of the legitimate view losses, Blake said. The days of people taking away property rights are over.

In 2019, the councilman introduced a proposal to dismantle the DRB, citing arbitrary and time-consuming verdicts for projects. He made it his mission when he was elected to revamp the design process.

Im here to discuss a 50 verdict by the Design Review Board that vetted this out, and theres no mistake that theyve made. They took into consideration the construction, they took into consideration the view losses, they took into consideration everythingHobbs made concession after concession after concession, Blake said, before calling for a vote on the motion.

Were not going to reduce this house by 21 inches, he said. And I think that shes done everything she can for nine years. She has earned this house. Its her dream house, and we need to give it to her.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuracy has filed charges of spreading dangerous infectious diseases against Duong Tan Hau, whose failure to comply with COVID-19 guidelines led to an outbreak in southern Vietnam in late 2020.

As per the indictment, Hau served as a flight attendant for Vietnam Airlines when he contracted the COVID-19 pathogen and later spread it to the community in November 2020.

On November 14, Hau was assigned to work on flight No. VN5301, which set out to repatriate Vietnamese immigrants in Japan in light of the unexpected development of COVID-19 at the East Asia country.

He was sent to a quarantine center of Vietnam Airlines in Tan Binh District after arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on November 15.

After spending three days at the facility and received two negative test results for COVID-19, Hau was allowed to return to his apartment on Bach Dang Street of Tan Binh District to continue his 14-day self-isolation period as prescribed by Vietnams COVID-19 prevention guideline.

On November 21, he broke the self-isolation commitment form, which he signed before leaving the quarantine center, by meeting up with his friends Lieu Minh Sang and Bui Thi My Hanh.

From this meeting until November 28, when Hau was found infected with COVID-19, Sang went on to meet scores of other people in his daily routine.

It was later revealed that Sang was also a COVID-19 case, and he transmitted the virus to two other people: D.G.H., a two-year-old who came in contact with Sang in his house in District 6, and N.T.T., a student in Sangs English class at an education center in Ho Chi Minh City.

Contact tracing effort by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health revealed that 46 cases of direct contacts and 815 cases in indirect contacts were found involved in Haus situation, which generated VND4.4 billion ($190,000) in damage and sent over 2,000 Ho Chi Minh City residents to quarantine or self-isolation.

Liabilities of quarantine center

The charge document also debates the liability of the administration of the quarantine ward in Tan Binh District in the case, as their failure in monitoring led to the cross-infection from Duong Tan Hau to two other residents in the center on November 17.

However, it is also argued that these transmissions stemmed from the negligence of the infected individuals, who willfully broke the safe distancing rule to meet up on November 17.

On top of that, transmission prevention is not officially stated as the main duty of the administration board, as their workforce has to perform other tasks and is incapable of ensuring compliance of every resident in the center.

Hence, there are not sufficient evidences to form criminal charges against the board members.

Meanwhile, it is concurred that Haus decision merits stern punishment as he posed serious threats to public health and safety.

Vietnam has documented 2,579 COVID-19 cases so far, with 2,265 recoveries and 35 deaths.

The Ministry of Health on Friday morning confirmed two new patients who are both border jumpers from Cambodia.

They were registered in the northern city of Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder for stabbing a 66-year-old grandmother and her dog to death in a random attack in a Los Angeles park.

Ricardo Saldivar is behind bars after Jeanne Edgar was found lying in Lone Hill Park in San Dimas with multiple stab wounds alongside her beloved fluffy white dog, Sashi, on Thursday afternoon.

Saldivar was taken to hospital after Joe Page saw the attack and knocked him out by throwing a rock at his head in a desperate effort to stop him.

'I threw it as hard as I could and it hit him and he fell over. And at that point, I see a bunch of neighbors everywhere - people yelling,' Page told NBC Los Angeles.

'It was a horrific scene.'

Jeanne Edgar (pictured) was found lying in Lone Hill Park in San Dimas with multiple stab wounds alongside her beloved dog, Sashi, on Thursday afternoon

Police at the murder scene in San Dimas, LA, on Thursday. Edgar was walking her dog when she was randomly attacked

The brutal attack unfolded at around 1.35pm near the intersection of Shellman Avenue and Renwick Road when Edgar was out walking her dog.

Saldivar first approached Page, in his 30s, who had parked his car and was walking toward a public restroom at the park during a break from his job at a pest control firm, reported ABC 7.

Page told NBC Los Angeles the suspect appeared 'deranged' and on drugs at the time and was 'looking to hurt someone'.

'I see in my peripheral vision, this guy - he looks like he's deranged and on drugs,' he said.

'He approaches me, and he says something along the lines of 'I'm going to kill you.''

The suspect, who was described by police as a Hispanic male, allegedly tried to stab him but Page managed to get away back to his car.

The attacker then went for Edgar. First, he grabbed her dog's leash from her and started stabbing the animal.

Once he'd killed the animal, he started attacking the woman, police said.

Page got out of his car to help Edgar striking the suspect with a rock to stop him, knocking him unconscious.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it received a 911 call that 'indicated a woman was screaming and later updated indicating a woman was being stabbed.'

Edgar's (pictured) best friend paid tribute to her as 'a beautiful and big-hearted person'

Edgar's beloved pet dog Sashi who was also killed in the knife attack Thursday

The scene of the horrific attack. Saldivar first approached a man - Joe Page - and allegedly tried to stab him

Page managed to get away and get back to his vehicle (pictured cordoned off above)

Deputies arrived on the scene to find Edgar lying in the street with multiple stab wounds, next to the body of her pet dog.

They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Saldivar was coming back around just as the officers arrived, Page told NBC.

'So many things were going through my mind. I just wish I would have hit him with my truck,' he said.

'I wish she was still alive... I believe she's in heaven now. We all tried to help.'

The attacker was arrested at the scene and taken to hospital for treatment for a head injury. A knife was also recovered from the scene.

Saldivar was later booked into jail on a murder and attempted murder charge and was held on a $2million bail.

Salvidar is due to appear in court for his arraignment Tuesday.

The motive is not clear.

Lone Hill Park in San Dimas, where the horrifying attack happened at 1.30pm on Thursday

Local residents set up a memorial site with candles and flowers close to where she was killed

Edgar's best friend paid tribute to the 66-year-old as local residents set up a memorial site with candles and flowers close to where she was killed.

'Jeanne was a beautiful and big-hearted person and she didn't deserve this,' Linda Sanders told ABC7.

'I've known her for so long and she's one of my best friends in the whole world. All are shocked because...I just found out.'

Sanders said her friend loved her dog Sashi as her 'little baby girl' and would walk her everyday around the different local parks.

'She went to different dog parks all the time. She had sweet little Sachi, her little baby girl and she walked her everyday,' said Sanders.

Page's father-in-law told CBS Los Angeles his son-in-law had had a lucky escape.

'From what I gathered from my son-in-law, Joe, he actually came after him, first with the knife,' Tony Page said.

'My son-in-law was able to get to his vehicle safely. At that point, the guy started attacking the lady that was walking her dog, started killing the dog with the knife then turned the knife on her and started killing her,' he added.

'He, at that point, got out of his vehicle, found a rock, threw the rock, hit the suspect in the face, knocked him out and right shortly after that the authorities arrived.'

Another local resident said the attack had rocked the neighborhood.

'What everyone takes for granted is thinking you have safety no matter where you go,' said Drew Ashley.

'Sometimes you gotta watch your surroundings, have some situational awareness.'

The woman's body was found outside the park, on the street, next to a house
Threat: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) plans to expand his weapons arsenal and build up his countrys military capability

North Korea has confirmed it has tested a new guided missile, as US President Joe Biden warned of consequences if Pyongyang escalates tensions amid stalled nuclear negotiations.

The Norths official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the two new-type tactical guided projectiles accurately hit the target off the eastern coast.

Photos on the website of the Norths main Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed a missile lifting off amid bright flames.

KCNA quoted top official Ri Pyong Chol, who supervised the test, as saying that the new weapons development is of great significance in bolstering up the military power of the country and deterring all sorts of military threats existing on the Korean Peninsula.

Japanese officials said both weapons tested were ballistic missiles, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions.

According to South Korean officials, North Korea fired two other missiles last Sunday but they were probably cruise missiles, which are not banned.

The test-firings were the Norths first major provocation since Mr Biden took office in January.

Some experts say North Korea aimed to apply pressure on the Biden administration to boost its leverage in future talks.

Were consulting with our allies and partners, Mr Biden told a news conference.

And there will be responses if they choose to escalate. We will respond accordingly. But Im also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearisation.

The United States has asked for a meeting of the UN Security Council committee that monitors sanctions against North Korea, and it was set to take place yesterday behind closed doors.

The committee includes representatives from all 15 nations on the council.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is pursuing better ties with North Korea, issued a rare criticism of Pyongyang yesterday over the launches.

I know very well our people have big worries about North Koreas missile launches yesterday, Mr Moon said during a military ceremony.

Now is time for South and North Korea and the United States to make efforts to (resume) talks. An act that hampers the dialogue mood is not desirable at all.

US-North Korea talks on curbing the Norths nuclear ambitions have been in a limbo for about two years due to disputes over US-led sanctions on the North.

In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would expand his weapons arsenal and build up his countrys military capability to cope with what he called American hostility.

KCNA said the new weapons warhead weight has been improved to 2.5 tons.

It said Thursdays test also confirmed the reliability of the improved version of the weapons solid fuel engine, which would boost missile mobility, and of its low-altitude, manoeuvrable flight.

South Korean observers said the weapon was likely to have been an upgraded North Korean version of the Russian-made Iskander, a short-range nuclear-capable missile designed to fly at a low altitude and make in-flight guidance adjustments.

They said it has a better chance of evading missile defence systems in South Korea.

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said yesterday the North Korean weapon was a new type of ballistic missile that was shown during a military parade in Pyongyang in January.

Mr Kishi said Japan would strengthen its missile defence system to ensure peace.

Since a provocative run in North Korean nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017, much of the US focus has been on North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to the American homeland.

But experts say North Koreas growing arsenal of shorter-range solid-fuel weapons are more destabilising for US allies South Korea and Japan. And the latest launches underscored the Norths efforts to improve its capacities for delivering nuclear strikes and overwhelming missile defence systems.

The KCNA said yesterday the weapons it fired a day earlier from its eastern coast were a new type of tactical guided projectile that borrowed the core technology of an earlier system.

It said the new solid-fuel missiles, which are designed to be fired from land vehicles, could be armed with warheads weighing as much as 2.5 tons.

During Thursdays tests, the missiles demonstrated low-altitude, manoeuvrable flight and accurately hit a sea target 600km away.

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Reacting to the attack on Soumendu Adhikari's car on the very first day of polling in West Bengal, Union Minister Giriraj Singh remarked that CM Mamata Banerjee is following the footsteps of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un. Singh, who heads the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, added that Mamata Banerjee cannot see her opponents 'alive' and has now turned into a 'face of terror'. The BJP leader's comments come amidst the increase in political violence in Bengal in the run-up to the Assembly Elections which began today.

Over the past few months, several incidents of political violence including frequent attacks on BJP leaders' convoys and party offices have been claimed by the saffron party, which has set its eyes on defeating the TMC in the Assembly Polls. The BJP has also repeatedly attacked the ruling TMC administration over failure to maintain the law & order situation in the state, making it a poll issue. Exuding confidence in BJP's victory, Giriraj Singh asserted that Mamata Banerjee will leave her office on May 2.

Attack (on Soumendu Adhikari's car) shows Mamata Banerjee's frustration. She is following North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's style. She can't see her opponents alive and has turned into a face of terror. She will surely leave on May 2: Union Minister & BJP leader Giriraj Singh pic.twitter.com/Rt191RWQXl  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

Soumendu Adhikari's car vandalized

With the first phase of West Bengal Assembly polls getting underway on Saturday morning, drama unfolded on the very first day of the elections as former TMC leader Soumendu Adhikari's convoy was allegedly attacked. The recently joinee BJP leader's convoy was allegedly attacked and vandalized in Contai. While Adhikari was not present in his vehicle, his driver was allegedly beaten up by goons, claimed Soumendu's brother Dibyendu Adhikari.

Soumendu Adhikari has accused the TMC block president Ram Govind Das of having a hand in the alleged attack. Claiming that the TMC block president and his wife have been rigging the polls at three booths, Adhikari claimed that his arrival at Contai had created a 'problem' which is why they attacked the BJP leader's convoy.

West Bengal goes to polls

The first phase, off the total eight, of West Bengal elections, began early on Saturday morning. In the first phase, the election is scheduled in 30 assembly constituencies of Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Purba Medinipur (Part 1) and Paschim Medinipur (Part 1). The voter turnout till 3 PM as per the EC stands at 70.17%. The BJP delegation led by Kailash Vijayavargiya complained to the Election Commission (EC) after a leaked audiotape allegedly featuring Mamata Banerjee came to light as the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections was underway. Speaking to the press after their meeting with the EC, Kailash Vijayvargiya informed that a list of criminals from Nandigram had been provided to the EC to ensure free and fair polls were conducted.

On the other hand, a 10 member Trinamool Congress Parliamentary delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien met the Election Commission in Kolkata at noon on Saturday to raise some serious concerns regarding the ongoing phase one of the assembly elections in West Bengal. Holding a press conference after the meeting, the delegation said that it has requested the election panel to appoint polling agents as per the location and not by the decision of any party.
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Cleaning the New York City subway has always been a dirty job. But when the pandemic hit last spring, it became even more challenging. When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered that trains be shut down overnight for cleaning, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority turned to contractors to help undertake the monumental task of scouring the trains in the nations largest transit system.

The thousands of workers the contractors hired  largely low-income immigrants from Latin America  were envisioned as a stopgap measure, as M.T.A. workers were falling ill and dying of the virus.

Nearly a year later, the workers are still toiling at stations all over the city. Some are paid as little as half as much as the M.T.A. employees who did the same work before the pandemic began, and many without access to health insurance.

Now, as the M.T.A. prepares to welcome more passengers, the workers are pushing back, raising concerns about their safety, salaries and working conditions.
The findings of an official French commission that Paris bears overwhelming responsibilities in the 1994 Rwandan genocide created little surprise in Kigali on Saturday, but there was a ray of hope for future ties

Kigali, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2021 ) :The findings of an official French commission that Paris bears overwhelming responsibilities in the 1994 Rwandan genocide created little surprise in Kigali on Saturday, but there was a ray of hope for future ties.

"Only France did not know of its role," said MP John Ruku-Rwabyoma.

"But the whole world, especially Rwandans, knew." The commission of historians set up by President Emmanuel Macron declared a "failure" on the part of France over the genocide that saw around 800,000 people slaughtered, mainly from the ethnic Tutsi minority.

After years of accusations France did not do enough to halt the massacres, the MP urged the French government to make a "clear apology".

"Now the next step for France is to accept that they have to pay reparations to the victims," he added.

With genocide remembrance events starting on April 7, the memorial site in Kigali was full of students, tourists and locals on Saturday.

Jean Dushimimana, 29, was in the genocide museum's section documenting France's role.

"There is nothing that they (France) can pay back for what they did," said the computer engineer whose parents were killed in the massacres.

France "helped the perpetrators that committed the '94 genocide", he said.

Paul Habumugisha, 27, stood nearby and added: "Most young Rwandans are afraid of France because of what we know that they did." But he said that if Paris had finally accepted its role "it means that France is going to be our friend".

Outside the museum, waitress Josiane Umurerwa said she hoped France's acknowledgement "will also help the victims and those who have lost their loved ones to have peace of mind".

Rwanda officially hailed the findings on Friday as "an important step toward a common understanding of France's role in the genocide against the Tutsi".

The foreign ministry statement said the results from the country's own investigation commissioned in 2017 would be released in the coming weeks and "complement and enrich" the French commission's report.

African Union chief Moussa Faki noted in a tweet that the report was "courageous and worthy of appreciation" and had "established a great number of responsibilities".

It was "an important decision in the service of truth about the most dramatic event in contemporary African history".

The genocide between April and July of 1994 began after Rwanda's Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana was killed when his plane was shot down over Kigali on April 6.

The issue still poisons modern relations a quarter of a century later between the colonial power France and Rwanda under President Paul Kagame, a former Tutsi rebel in power since the aftermath of the genocide.

France led Operation Turquoise, a military-humanitarian intervention under a UN mandate in June 1994. Critics say it was in reality aimed at supporting the genocidal Hutu government.

For Macron the report brought "considerable progress" in understanding France's role in Rwanda from 1990 to 1994.

The Elysee said it hoped it would mark an "irreversible" reconciliation process between the two countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-28 02:12:13|Editor: huaxia

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (1st R) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (4th L) in Tehran, Iran, on March 27, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- No matter how the world situation changes, China's willingness to develop the China-Iran relations will not change, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday during his meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings and wishes for the Iranian New Year to Rouhani, and thanked the Iranian side for its warm and thoughtful reception to the Chinese delegation during the Nowruz, or Iranian New Year.

The Chinese foreign minister said that the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership has withstood the test of changes in the international situation.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Wang said the document of comprehensive cooperation signed by the two sides on Saturday will map out an overall blueprint for boosting the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, which will not only benefit the two peoples, but also make China-Iran contributions to maintaining regional and world peace.

China, Wang said, firmly supports Iran in defending its national sovereignty and dignity, and safeguarding its chosen development path.

No matter in the past, at present or in future, China is consistent in opposing the unreasonable unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran by other countries, because they violate the international law, especially those based on lies and false information, which are immoral and unpopular and constitute an affront to human conscience, Wang said.

China stands ready to work with Iran and other countries to jointly oppose the acts of bullying by powers, uphold international equity and justice, and defend the basic norms of international relations, the Chinese diplomat said.

Wang pointed out that it is time to seriously reflect on the bad consequences inflicted on the region by external interferences, and work together to explore effective ways to maintain long-term regional security and stability.

He said that the core of China's five-point initiative to achieve security and stability in the Middle East is to call on regional countries to uphold the sense of ownership, carry forward the spirit of independence, get rid of the interference of geopolitical competition, seek development paths suitable for the national conditions of regional countries, and establish a security framework in line with the interests of these countries.

China is willing to work with regional countries to this end, he added.

For his part, Rouhani asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi.

The Iranian president said that all walks of life in his country regard China as Iran's most important partner.

Recalling Xi's successful visit to Iran in 2016, Rouhani said it has promoted the remarkable development of the Iran-China relations.

The signing of the comprehensive cooperation document between the two countries will further clarify the roadmap for future cooperation between the two countries, Rouhani said.

Iran, he said, hopes to strengthen its cooperation with China in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and enhance anti-terrorism cooperation.

Noting that Iran and China share the same or similar positions on regional and global issues, the Iranian president said that Iran advocates solving problems through dialogues and hopes to further bolster its coordination with China on maintaining regional security.

Rouhani said that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a multilateral agreement, and the United States should not impose any preconditions for resuming its implementation of the nuclear deal and should take action first.

Iran appreciates China's important role in maintaining the agreement and stands ready to strengthen its communication and coordination with China on this matter, he added.

Calling the JCPOA as an important and hard-won achievement of multilateralism, Wang said that the unilateral withdrawal by the former U.S. administration from the deal set a bad precedent of non-compliance with international agreements and was unanimously condemned by the international community.

China welcomes the wish of the new U.S. government to return to the JCPOA, Wang said, adding that China believes that safeguarding the agreement means upholding multilateralism and the authority of the UN Security Council.

The JCPOA is not a revolving door, and no one should leave or return to it whenever it wants, he said.

The Chinese foreign minister called on Washington to reflect on the harm done by its pullout from the JCPOA to regional peace and international stability, as well as the losses caused to relevant countries.

The unilateral sanctions against Iran and the long-arm measures of jurisdiction against other countries including China should be lifted as soon as possible, he said.

On the same day, Wang also met with Ali Larijani, advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. 
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Lawmakers are looking into a proposal to install traffic cameras in work zones across the state to improve safety.

The bill would create a pilot program to focused on making work zones safer. The program would use cameras and sensors to record drivers speeding or violating other traffic laws in work zones. Officials would also work on developing other ways to reduce vehicle speed and improve worker safety.

The Minnesota Department of Transporation is part of a group supporting the proposed pilot program. Mike Dougherty of MNDOT says the agency is always looking for ways of using technology to encourage safe driving and save lives.

"Anything that we can do to find those improvements in safety to reduce the injuries, to reduce the fatalities - we think it's a good thing," Dougherty told KIMT.

MNDOT says 51 people have died in work zone traffic accidents across the state since 2015, in a total of close to 14,000 accidents. Dougherty adds it's important to remember the people impacted by these incidents.

"Those are people that have all the aspects of life that you do, and just by paying attention, slowing down, and using the posted speed limits through those work zones, just being polite and being aware - that saves a life."

So far the bill has received bipartisan support in the Minnesota Legislature, with a democratic sponsor in the House and a republican sponsor in the Senate. If passed and found to be effective, the program could be implemented as soon as 2022.
As militants launched an attack on Mozambique's Palma, workers are seeking refuge at the Amarula hotel. An operation is underway to rescue the workers, said the government.

More than 180 people are trapped inside a hotel in a town in northern Mozambique, as it has been under siege by insurgents for the last three days. Those trapped include expatriate workers.

Militants launched an attack on Wednesday afternoon, forcing locals to flee into surrounding forest areas.

The attacks occurred after French energy giant Total announced that work would gradually resume at the liquified natural gas project. Total is the principal investor in the region, with other firms such as ExxonMobil also involved in the area.

Rescue operation in progress

Some people have reportedly been killed, according to witnesses and rights groups, after the attack in Palma near a liquified natural gas site in Cabo Delgado province. Workers from the LNG site sought refuge in a local hotel. The military was trying to airlift workers from the hotel.

"Almost the entire town was destroyed. Many people are dead. As locals fled to the bush, workers from LNG companies, including foreigners, took refuge in hotel Amarula where they are waiting to be rescued," a worker told the AFP news agency, on the condition of anonymity.

An unverified video on social media showed an unidentified man filmed the hotel lobby showing several people milling around the patio. He described the situation in Palma as "critical" and added, "We don't know if we will be rescued."

He said the hotel had run out of food but still had water. The buzzing of a chopper could be heard in the background.

Who is responsible

The government of Mozambique said soldiers launched an offensive on the militants. The forces were "working tirelessly to re-establish security and order as fast as possible," said Ministry of Defense spokesman Col. Omar Saranga at a press conference on Thursday. He added that they will "do everything to guarantee the security."

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Rights group Human Rights Watch said on Friday, "Several witnesses told Human Rights Watch that they saw bodies on the streets and residents fleeing after the Al-Shabab fighters fired indiscriminately at people and buildings."

According to the AP news agency, hundreds have sought refuge in Quitunda, a village near the Total project.

Palma had largely been cut off from the rest of the province, as insurgents made road travel unsafe, leaving only the airport and seaport as modes of transport.

Militants affiliated with the so-called Islamic State group have attacked several towns and villages in the region, causing nearly 700,000 to flee their homes.

According to the US-based data collecting agency Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), the violence has caused the death of more than 2,600 people. Half of those killed have been civilians.

tg/sms (AFP, AP)
Karnataka Bank and IIFL Securities have joined hands to introduce "KBLSmart Trade" a unique facility in which all Karnataka Bank customers can access IIFL Securities Demat & Trading account solution for their capital market needs.

Karnataka Bank's tech savvy customers from any location can now open paperless, online trading account instantly in minutes with IIFL Securities under KBL Smart Trade. KBL Smart Trade, a 2 in 1 account facility wherein Demat & Trading account features are clubbed, is a one stop shop for smart investors in capital market.

Further, Bank will also be benefited by way of enriched customer engagement and retention resulting in augmented CASA funds to the Bank. IIFL is one of the pioneers in bringing technology led innovations in the broking industry in India.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fire has razed to the ground the Sunyani Timber market in the early hours of Saturday, destroying personal properties and industrial machines running into millions of Ghana Cedis.



The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that the fire started around 0400 hours and spread widely before personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service arrived at the scene.



It caused extensive damage to quantities of parked lumber, finished products, plastic materials, and several industrial machines and equipment.



The cause of the fire is not yet known.



However, Mr Kwame Acquaye, one of the affected shop owners, partly attributed the fire to intermittent power outages that occurred in the area.



No casualty was recorded.



Confirming the story, the Divisional Officer Grade Three (DOIII) Ignatius Noekor, the Bono Regional Operation Manager of the GNFS, told Journalists all the fire hydrants at the regional command had broken down.



He said the command relied on the only fire hydrants at the Abesim fire station and advised traders, shop owners, and households to ensure they switched-off electrical gadgets before they left their shops and homes.

Source: GNA









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A woman who claims disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein tried to attack her in a Beverly Hills hotel room says she only escaped by stabbing his genitals with a broken nail and making him scream in pain.

Hayley Gripp, who works as a certified advocate for children of trauma and special needs, was only 19 at the time of the alleged 2012 attack.

In papers filed Friday in California Superior Court in Los Angeles, Gripp claims she was introduced to Weinstein after meeting a female associate of the now-jailed producer in a hotel lobby, Page Six reports.

The woman suggested Gripp meet her 'big producer' friend in one of the hotel rooms, the filing says.

Gripp says she drank half a glass then 'briefly blacked out'. When she came round, she says Weinstein was rubbing up against her as she was pinned to a coffee table.

Hayley Gripp now works as a certified advocate for children of trauma and special needs

'Upon entering the suite, according to the lawsuit, the producer introduced himself as 'Dom.' The associate handed her a glass of wine. When Gripp said she was not 21, the associate told her, 'It's rude not to accept a drink from someone who feeds you and shows you hospitality', it reports.

Gripp drank half a glass then 'briefly blacked out'. When she came round, she says Weinstein was rubbing up against her as she was pinned to a coffee table.

'You are so wet and tight; you are a virgin aren't you?' Weinstein allegedly said, adding that she should 'pretend I'm someone like Zac Efron.'

'Ms. Gripp did not realize Weinstein's fingers were inside her vagina until she felt the cold metal of his watch against her skin,' according to the papers.'

'Weinstein then held Ms. Gripp down with one hand, took Ms. Gripp's genital fluids, and rubbed it on his exposed genitalia, proceeding to masturbate with his other hand.'

'To escape his hold, Ms. Gripp began flailing her arms and, in doing so, broke her acrylic nail against the coffee table,' according to court papers. 'Ms. Gripp then stabbed Weinstein on the bottom part of his scrotum with her sharp broken nail.'

'Weinstein let out a quiet scream and grabbed her hand, inadvertently causing her nail to move up and inward, deeper into his scrotum,' the suit reads.

Gripp fled the room, but Weinstein's female associate was outside. She told Gripp the encounter was her own fault and that Gripp  who had Tourette's syndrome  would 'end up in a mental hospital' if she told anyone what had happened.

Gripp never did complain, even during Weinstein's trial, and is not a recipient of the $17 million settlement shared among dozens of his more than 100 accusers. She also did not report the alleged crime to police at the time.

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year-sentence after he was convicted last year of raping an actress and sexually assaulting a former production assistant. Accusations first arose in 2017 dating back to 1970

The former media mogul allegedly told Gripp to 'pretend' he was someone like Hollywood star Zac Efron, seen above in Melbourne on March 22

'Ms. Gripp did not report this crime to police for the same reason that nearly 80 percent of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported,' Christa Riggins, a second attorney for Gripp, told The Post.

'At this time, Ms. Gripp does not intend to file criminal charges because Harvey Weinstein has received what amounts to a lifetime sentence and is unable to abuse another woman. However, Hayley will fully cooperate with the Los Angeles Police Department or any other agency regarding an investigation or prosecution against Harvey Weinstein.'

Gripp, who is now demanding a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages, was subsequently diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, says her lawyer, Eric Lerner.

'This lawsuit is about Ms. Gripp reclaiming her power, becoming a survivor, not a victim, and getting restitution for the sexual crimes perpetrated against her'.he told The Post.

Accuser Lauren Marie Young told the jury Weinstein's genitals looked 'like it had been cut and sewn back on and he has no testicles.'

'She has real damages from this that are lasting. Harvey Weinstein along with those who helped him perpetrate these crimes of sexual assault and attempted rape against Ms. Gripp must be held responsible for ruining her life.'

The Post says it has seen the results of a polygraph Gripp sat for  and passed  in New York City in March, before the suit was filed.

'Mr. Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him in the complaint that has come out of the woodwork, and intends to vigorously defend against the lawsuit,' Imran H. Ansari, an attorney for the ex-producer, told The Post.

Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year-sentence after he was convicted last year of raping an actress and sexually assaulting a former production assistant. Accusations first arose in 2017 dating back to 1970.

During his trial in February 2020, accuser Lauren Marie Young told the jury Weinstein's genitals looked 'like it had been cut and sewn back on and he has no testicles.'
This $20 a month donation gives you full online access to all four of our local papers - Sonoma West, The Healdsburg Tribune, Windsor Times and Cloverdale Reveille - and will help the paper survive. This renews automatically, and we will charge your card monthly until you tell us to stop. Thanks for going above and beyond!
Put away your jacket.

The Bay Area is expected to get a full serving of spring across the next week with two periods of warm weather in the forecast.

The first warm spell comes this weekend with a high-pressure system parked over California and keeping the skies cloud free.

Temperatures are expected to be about 10 degrees above normal this weekend and Sunday will likely be a little warmer than Saturday. Afternoon highs are projected to be in the high 60s at the beaches and in the low to high 70s throughout the rest of the region, with inland areas of the East Bay nearing or breaking 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

"This afternoons temperatures will really build up," said Brayden Murdock, a forecaster with the weather service. "The western side of San Francisco might only break into the 60s whereas the San Francisco airport could hit 71 today. In terms of getting into the 80s this weekend, that's looking better for Sunday, more in the areas of the far East Bay and in Monterey County and the Salinas valley."

On Monday, a brief interruption from the warm weather is expected as a trough of low-pressure dropping down from the Gulf of Alaska pushes chillier air into California. While the Pacific Northwest will receive rain, California will likely remain dry.

"With that cold front coming through on on Monday, we'll see lots of 60s and 70s, which is close to average and still pretty nice," Murdock said.

The ridge of high pressure will return again on Tuesday when temperatures will bounce back to the levels expected this weekend.

By Wednesday and Thursday, widespread 70s are forecast in coastal areas, with low to mid-80s inland. Wednesday will likely be the warmest day of the week.

"Santa Rosa could get into the 80s and maybe even Palo Alto," said Murdock.

Conditions are expected to shift next weekend with a small chance of rain.
A celebrated pianist has been accused of using Facebook Messenger to 'manipulate and control' a 13-year-old music student during a sordid sexual relationship.

Jeremy So, 30, faced Sydney's Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday charged with 20 child sex offences which allegedly took place between 2009 to 2012 when he was studying at the renowned Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

His alleged victim was a student at Conservatorium High School, which is next door to the University of Sydney's music school.

The court heard the award-winning virtuoso allegedly sexually abused the girl for the first time when she was just 14 years old.

So was aged 18 at the time.

Jeremy So, 30, faced Sydney's Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday charged with 20 child sex offences which allegedly took place between 2009 to 2012 when he was studying at the renowned Sydney Conservatorium of Music (pictured)

Police fact sheets tendered to the court state that the complainant only felt safe to report the shocking allegations against the pianist after she had left the music industry, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The court documents allege So first contacted the girl on Facebook when he was in Year 12 at the selective Conservatorium High School.

'This was the beginning of a manipulating and controlling relationship (where the pair spent) long hours talking on MSN Messenger which have been captured and provided to investigators,' the police document said.

Their first face-to-face meeting allegedly took place in 2009 after So graduated to the University Conservatorium of Music next door.

The relationship then allegedly continued long after he took up a prominent job within the Conservatorium High School.

So is alleged to have urged the girl to 'keep the relationship secret' in the messages.

He is also accused by police of 'controlling aspects of (the girl's) life' including her clothing.

When the girl turned 15 in 2011, So allegedly warned her 'I can get arrested for everything we've done so far I think it's a decade in prison'.

Among the charges are seven counts of aggravated sexual assault, inciting a person under 16 years to commit an act of indecency, procuring a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity and inflicting actual bodily harm.

A celebrated pianist has been accused of using Facebook Messenger to 'manipulate and control' a 13-year-old music student during a sordid sexual relationship (stock image)

Police allege over the course of several years when the girl was aged 14 to 16, So directed the teen to perform sex acts at his apartment, as well as the alleged victim's home and inside the practice rooms of the Conservatorium High School, court documents reveal.

Police swooped on the piano player who has performed at the Sydney Opera House and a host of other prominent International venues on Friday and arrested him at his home in Wiley Park in Western Sydney.

A search warrant was executed at the residence and his electronic devices were seized for forensic examination.

He was formally refused bail and Magistrate George Zdenkowski told the court despite his clean criminal record, a 'substantial custodial penalty would be imposed' if he is convicted.

So is set to face Central Local Court on Thursday.
The public are being encouraged to submit their submissions with regard to the draft parking bye-laws for Strandhill, which are now on public display.

Last week's meeting of the Borough Municipal District heard that it is intended that the draft laws will come before the May meeting of the full council, and will come into effect 30 days later.

In the meantime, Acting Director of Services Emer Concannon said the plans will be on public display until the end of April. during which time the public can submit their proposals on the plans.

Cllr Sinead Maguire said that many councillors had received correspondence on the new draft laws, particularly from local surf school operators.

She said the challenges being experienced along the sea front in particular had caused difficulties.

Cllr Maguire explained that in many cases, it was difficult for surf schools to operate from a 'fixed point' and suggested the introduction of a licence for businesses to operate there, so the matter is dealt with in a 'controlled way'.

The Fine Gael councillor also suggested the use of the airport for camper vans, which was a point echoed by other councillors. Mayor Rosaleen O'Grady said she thought it was an 'excellent idea' and that it was her belief it will be looked at.

Cllr O'Grady said members had received 'a huge amount' of emails about surf schools and the bye laws, and that it was 'important' all concerns were taken into account.

Cllr Arthur Gibbons floated the idea of installing storage areas in an area of the car park in Strandhill, while Cllr Tom MacSharry said he was 'delighted' to see the bye laws come before the meeting and described Strandhill as a 'surfing mecca'.

Cllr MacSharry said the surf schools were part of the success story that is Strandhill and emphasised their need to be close to the beach.

Cllr Gino O'Boyle said all submissions would be welcome, and agreed with the idea of Camper Vans being facilitated at the airport. Cllr Declan Bree said using the airport 'made sense'.

Ms Concannon concluded the debate by saying the council understood the process was within a tight timeframe, but it was necessary to do so in time for what is anticipated to be a busy summer season.
Xiaomi is reportedly in talks with Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., a local automobile maker, to use one of its factories in China to manufacture their own electric vehicles (EVs), according to Reuters who cited three people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The EVs produced at the Great Wall factory will be aimed at the mass market and carry Xiaomis branding, said two of the sources, who declined to be identified as the information is not public.

Further, the Chinese smartphone maker will receive engineering consultancy from Great Wall to help accelerate the design and production process of its EVs, one of the sources said.

Both Xiaomi and Great Wall Motors plan to announce their partnership as soon as early next week. The Chinese smartphone maker is aiming to roll out its first own-brand EV model in 2023, which will allow its cars to connect with other devices in its product eco-system, one of the people said.

Following the news of Xiaomi making its own EVs, shares of the company soared around 9%, while the Great Wall share price gained nearly 15% in the Hong Kong trading session.

Xiaomi has been long rumored to be venturing into the electric car business by launching its own vehicle and has been seeking ways to expand its business apart from the electronics market. The company already sells several Internet-connected (IoT) devices including scooters, air purifiers, and rice cookers.

Xiaomi wants to find a mature automobile manufacturer to provide model infrastructure, enabling its own advantages in mobile internet technology, said Alan Kang, senior analyst at LMC Automotive. Xiaomis advantages in operating systems and home furnishing also bring a lot of imagination for such cooperation in the future.

Both Xiaomi and Great Wall have declined to comment on the report.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 62F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms.

An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms.

An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their hotel rooms.

An Irish mother in quarantine with her three children and her husband is renewing her appeal today to be released from their cramped and unsuitable hotel rooms.

Michelle ODowd and her husband Ciaran OReilly and their three young daughters have been confined to their hotel room at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Santry in Dublin since being taken there from Dublin Airport yesterday.

On Friday evening, they lodged an appeal with department officials to be moved out of the two interconnecting rooms on the basis that the rooms were too small to confine three children and two adults.

We do not have enough space for our children. There isnt even enough room to move around freely or to play board games. There is just a tiny circular table in each room that are completely unsuitable, she said.

She said families should be given more space to live in, such as an aparthotel or an apartment.

I was told I was lucky we had one of the few inter-connecting rooms on the floor. That means that other families wont even have the space we have. I was told that all four hotels in this hotel group had more or less the same rooms, so these hotels are not suitable for families at all, she said.

An offer of an extra room was turned down because who ever was placed in the extra room would have to remain apart from the others, she said.

The meals in the hotel are really good and the staff are very helpful and lovely. But the rooms are too small and unsuitable, for her family, she said.

The couple have moved back to Ireland this weekend after spending seven years working abroad. They have a home in Easkey in County Sligo and they had intended to move in immediately on their arrival in Ireland.

The quarantine rules became active at 4am on Friday and their jet landed in Dublin shortly after 11am. They now face a hotel bill of more than 5,000, they said.

Michelle is from Easkey and is a nurse. She will begin a new nursing job in Sligo University Hospital in the same ward where she worked seven years ago. Ciaran is a lorry driver. The couple and their children lived for two years in New Zealand and five years in Australia.

We lived the last five years in Perth which was the safest place in the world as it only had one case of Covid in the past year and that case was in a quarantine hotel.

It is very unfair that a nurse and a truck driver have to pay more than 5,000 of a hotel bill just because our plane landed in Dubai on the way to Dublin. We only entered the airport building for 45 minutes to visit an empty McDonalds restaurant. It is very unfair that transit passengers have to be subject to quarantine in Ireland, she said.

Our daughter Cadhla is celebrating her ninth birthday tomorrow and we had hoped to celebrate it with a cake at home in Easkey. It is so unfair, she said.

She said she and her husband went to the lobby of the hotel by arrangement on Friday night where they made their requests to me moved out of their rooms to an Irish Army liaison officer. They filled in forms and received their reply from State officials today.

We are making our appeals again, she said.

One of their rooms have two double beds and the other room has a double bed and tiny table.

A manager at the Crown Plaza Hotel said today that the hotel was unable to give a response to the claims by Ms ODowd that the bedrooms were too small and unsuitable for families with three children.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said they do not comment on individual cases.

The Department of Health is in constant contact with Tifco Hotel Group about all issues relating to the management of mandatory hotel quarantine. At all times, our priority is to ensure that everyone completing their period of mandatory quarantine is comfortable and secure.

The Department and Tifco continue to work together to ensure this is the case. At present, the only mandatory quarantine hotel in use is The Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport, she said.

A Department of Justice spokesman said the hotel accommodation was a matter for the Department of Health which was in charge of quarantine accommodation.
It tastes like flowers. It smells like a campfire.

What is it?

It is a $6,000 bottle of Petrus Pomerol wine that spent a year on the International Space Station.

Researchers in Bordeaux are examining the twelve bottles of wine as well as 320 pieces of grapevines that returned to Earth in January. They say the wine and grapevines are part of a longer-term effort to make plants on Earth better resist climate change and disease.

Alcohol and glass are not usually permitted on the International Space Station. Each bottle was packed inside a special steel container during the journey.

At a special tasting this month, 12 wine experts tried one of the space-traveled wines at the Institute for Wine and Vine Research in Bordeaux.

They tasted and smelled the wine alongside a similar bottle from the same year that had stayed on Earth. The tasting was blind, meaning the experts did not know which wine they were drinking.

Nicolas Gaume is the head of Space Cargo Unlimited, the company that arranged the experiment. He said the experiment studied the effects of the lack of gravity on the wine and vines.

I have tears in my eyes, Gaume told The Associated Press about the experiment.

Jane Anson is a wine expert and writer. She said the wine that remained on Earth tasted a little younger than the one that had been to space.

Chemical and biological study of the wines aging process could help scientists find a way to age fine vintages - the grapes or wine produced during one season. That information came from Dr. Michael Lebert of Germanys Friedrich-Alexander-University. Lebert was an advisor on the project.

The small pieces of vine, which are known as canes in the grape-growing business, not only survived the journey but also grew faster than vines on Earth. They were unaffected by limited light and water.

Once researchers understand why this happened, Lebert said that could help scientists develop stronger, healthier vines on Earth. Such information could also help create a way to grow grapes or to make wine in space.

Christophe Chateau of the Bordeaux Wine-Makers Council welcomed the research as a good thing for the industry. But Chateau expects it would take a decade or more to lead to practical, or actual, uses.

Private investors helped finance the project, which the researchers hope to continue on future space missions. The cost was not made public.

Researchers said each of the wine experts had many opinions about the difference between the earth wine and the space wine.

Franck Dubourdieu is a Bordeaux-based expert in the study of wine and wine-making.

For me, the difference between the space and earth wine ... it wasnt easy to define, Dubourdieu said.

Anson said, The one that had remained on Earth, for me, was still a bit more closed ... a bit younger. But, she added about the two wines, They were both beautiful.

Im John Russell.

Masha MacPherson and Angela Charlton reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

wine  n. an alcoholic drink made from the juice of grapes

grapevine  n. a climbing plant on which grapes grow

lack  n. the state or condition of not having any or enough of something

define -- v. to show or describe (someone or something) clearly and completely
Authorities are looking for a man accused of shooting a state trooper in the head Friday night in Texas.

Officials issued an alert Saturday for DeArthur Pinson Jr., 36, who they said should be "considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached."

Image: DeArthur Pinson Jr. (Texas Department of Public Safety)

The trooper, identified as Chad Walker, responded to "a motorist assist" near Mexia, Texas, around 7:45 p.m. when he "came upon a disabled vehicle parked on the shoulder of the roadway," according to a Facebook post from the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association.

A man later "emerged from the drivers seat of the disabled vehicle armed with a handgun and fired multiple rounds" at Walker through the patrol units windshield after the trooper pulled up behind his vehicle, the statement said.

Walker was taken to a hospital after with gunshot wounds to his head and abdomen. The trooper remains "in stable but critical condition," according to the association.

The Texas Department of Public Safety told KCEN-TV, NBC's affiliate in Temple, Texas, that the Facebook page where Walker was identified is a private group. The agency has not issued an official statement.

Anyone with information on Pinson's whereabouts is asked to call 911.
And it's enough to make you despair until you realize it's not radical to believe we don't have to live like this. We can and we must make different choices when it comes to guns and gun ownership in our society. I don't accept that we must live with the very real fear of gun violence anytime and anywhere, or that the scene of a past tragic shooting event could become the scene of another, as was feared in Yountville recently. Similarly, members of communities who suffer daily gun violence should not have to accept that they must endure that trauma either. We have the ability to prevent both.

But we need more than thoughts and prayers. The U.S. House of Representatives, thanks in part to the leadership of Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, among many others, took action. We need reciprocal action from the U.S. Senate, and the opportunity is right in front of them. Please call your Senators and implore them to pass background checks on every gun sale, close deadly loopholes in federal gun policy, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, enact a national safe storage requirement (Ethans Law), and ensure that those in crisis who are a danger to themselves and/or others temporarily cannot access guns until the crisis passes (Extreme Risk Protection Order). These policies all enjoy widespread support among voters, and it helps for our elected officials to hear it from us.
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A Chinese mainland spokesperson Friday refuted a so-called "memorandum" between Taiwan and the United States regarding maritime patrols.

The mainland firmly opposes any form of official exchange or agreement with implications of sovereignty between Taiwan and the United States, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

When it comes to sovereignty and maritime rights, the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the responsibility of safeguarding the Chinese nation's overall and fundamental interests, noted Zhu.

By relying on the United States with the pipe dream of "independence" and selling out the Chinese nation's interests, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority is pushing Taiwan to the brink of disaster, Zhu added.


While a snap of your pet looking adorable while snoozing peacefully might go down well on Instagram, everyone knows that capturing a cute picture of your pet is easier said than done when they never want to sit still.

And now a contest is honouring the lively pets that keep their owners entertained with their love of pulling faces and cheeky expressions.

The contest, run by Aldi, received 1,500 entries and Jet, from Scotland, took top prize with a photo of him rolling around on the carpet while staring into the camera lens.

He's now set for a starring role as the new face of Aldi's pet food and is in the running to star as the face of an Aldi Special Buu product, as well as winning a hamper of treats.

While Jet snatched the overall title, other pets were named winners for Scotland, England and Wales respectively.

Here Femail reveals the best entries, including a happy hamster and a cheeky chihuahua.

Labrador Jet, from Scotland, won Alid's Most Expensive Pet competition and will be the face of the store's new pet food range

Cheeky kitten! More than 1,500 pet owners around the country entered their pets into the competition, including Max the cat

Ginger the Hamster was one of the breakout stars of the competition, even if she looked a bit worried in her picture

Growl and grin: Playful pup Oakley was captured by surprised during an intense session with his favourite toy

Making a splash! Staffie Ruby was photographed living her best life and sporting a relaxed expression in her owner's inflatable pool

It's my paw-tay! Handsome German Shepherd Becka Doody wore her best birthday bandanna to have her picture taken

Cheeky Chihuahua Olive, won the competition in Scotland with her playful expression and funny pose

Dip, dip! Hurrah! Handsome swimmer Broc learned it's hard to remain graceful when you're having so much fun

Best smile! Black and white pup Molly is ready for picture day with her pearly whites and fluffy hair

Best by smiles: Chocolate dog Nelly showed off her teeth during playtime for her picture and snatched the camera's attention

Cheeky selfie! Daisy took charge and stuck out her tongue for her own competition portrait

White Swiss Shepherd Dog Kerry tried to win over the judges with her coy smile and pointy ears

Cocker Spaniel Willow was the winner of the England competition with her flappy ears and happy smile

Feeling gruff! Border Terrier Buster, 12, from Cwmbran, won the competition in Wales with his serious, homely portrait taken by his owner

Happy pooch Dita might not have snatched the title, but her tongue was above the competition
California megachurch fires worship director for inappropriate behavior online

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Months after their lead pastor was asked to resign for allowing his son with an attraction to minors to work with children, Menlo Church in California has fired the worship director of their Mountain View campus for inappropriate behavior online years ago.

John Crosby, the churchs transitional pastor, along with David Kim, elder board chair, announced in a statement on Saturday that Michael Bryce Jr., the worship director, was terminated effective on March 19 for demonstrated poor judgement.

Many years ago, Michael engaged in inappropriate behavior online. The allegation was from several years before Michael joined our staff. When our leaders learned about the allegation, Michael was immediately put on leave. Due to the claim, we contacted law enforcement, and they are undertaking an investigation, the Menlo officials said.

While the church did not share any specifics regarding the situation, The Mercury News cited a police log showing that the church was contacted by Menlo Park police on March 16 at about 7:10 p.m.

Executive Pastor of Ministries Sue Kim-Ahn told the publication that there is an active law enforcement investigation in progress, and we cannot disclose further information at this time.

Church officials further noted that they are following up with volunteers who worked with Bryce, who is a married father.

We have no reason to believe that anyone was affected at Menlo Church, but if you have any concerns, please reach out to your campus pastor. Or, if you prefer to contact an outside party, Zero Abuse has generously offered to intake any requests, officials said.

We recognize that this news is heavy to receive. It may evoke difficult memories or emotions for many of us. This is a hard reminder that our churches, by the grace of God, are gatherings of ordinary, imperfect people. We are in this together, and our staff and pastors are here for you, they added.

Last July, John Ortberg, Menlo Churchs then lead pastor, resigned over how he managed his sons access to children in the church even after he learned of his son's sexual attraction to minors.

Ortberg was first asked to go on personal leave from the church on Nov. 22, 2019, while an investigation of concerns raised by a third party about a then unidentified church volunteer was conducted. In early July 2020, Daniel Lavery, a trans-identified woman who is Ortberg's estranged daughter, revealed in an extensive thread on Twitter that the volunteer is her brother, John Ortberg III.

In January 2020, without revealing Ortbergs relationship to the volunteer, Menlo Church elders said their leader exhibited poor judgement, but no harm had come to any minor in the Menlo Church community based on the findings of an investigation.

Ortberg returned to the pulpit last March and apologized for his "shortcomings" in a letter to the church on July 6. Pressure from blindsided members of the church who felt betrayed about the details of Ortbergs familial connection to the volunteer, however, forced an ongoing supplemental investigation.

The elder board later asked Ortberg to resign based on a collective desire for healing and discernment.

Our decision stems from a collective desire for healing and discernment focused on three primary areas. First, Johns poor judgment has resulted in pain and broken trust among many parents, youth, volunteers and staff. Second, the extended time period required to complete the new investigation and rebuild trust will significantly delay our ability to pursue Menlos mission with the unity of spirit and purpose we believe God calls us to, the elder board said.

An earlier version of this article published on March 25, 2021, stated that the inappropriate behavior online involved a juvenile, however that was incorrect according to Menlo Church.
PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday reiterated the government's commitment to put into action the vision and plans of the late former President John Magufuli as she led Tanzanians in the burial of the departed Head of State.

In a moving speech during a well-attended burial ceremony for her predecessor whom she referred to as a hero, the President stated; "Today (yesterday) we are going to lay our hero to rest, but I assure you that we only bury his body but his vision and ideas will continue to live and be implemented."

The late fifth-phase President Dr Magufuli was laid to rest at his home village in Chato district after weeklong activities of paying last respects to the gallant son of Africa, who died on March 17, this year. Activities of paying last respects started in Dar es Salaam at Uhuru stadium, thereafter in Dodoma, Zanzibar, Mwanza and were finalized in Chato on Thursday.

The world witnessed a huge turn-up of mourners in all those regions, all of them expressing huge grief on the untimely death of their iconic leader. And the Magufuli grounds were fully packed, with attendance of government top leaders, retired presidents and thousands of ordinary Tanzanians from different parts of the country.

And as the nation bid final goodbye to the celebrated statesman on Friday, President Samia urged Tanzanians and government leaders to demonstrate love and unity among themselves and dedicate their efforts in building the country.

"If we speak of demonstrating love, this is an exact time to do so in order to develop our nation," she appealed when addressing the nation from Magufuli grounds where the requiem mass was conducted ahead of the burial event held in the evening.

President Samia insisted that her government will implement all pledges in the CCM 2020/2025 manifesto and personal pledges that Dr Magufuli made during last year's election campaigns. She assured Chato residents that the government will not abandon them and that Dr Magufuli pledges for Chato and all other areas in the country will be executed accordingly.

The president promised to consider Chato residents' request to upgrade the district into a region. The Head of State further vowed to work on the reported shortage of drugs in Chato district, wondering what was wrong since the government has managed to increase availability of medicines from 35 per cent to the 94 per cent currently.

"If drugs are not available in Chato then there should be something wrong somewhere, we will work on it," she assured Chato residents. Earlier, President Samia thanked various people and institutions, including religious leaders, security forces and all citizens for contributing to successful funeral activities in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

Paying her tributes to Dr Magufuli, Ms Samia said the late President was their guardian and a teacher who guided and prepared them well.

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"It's really painful to see that today we are going to bury him...I remember the last time I came to Chato he showed me his family's land for burial, but today I have come to lay him to rest at the same place," she revealed.

She appealed to Tanzanians to pray for the late Magufuli so that his soul may rest in eternal peace. The requiem mass was followed by speeches by retired presidents Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Jakaya Kikwete and Dr Ali Mohamed Shein as well as Chief of Defence Forces General Venance Mabeyo and religious leaders among others.

After the President's speech, at around 4pm the body of the late Dr Magufuli was taken from the Magufuli grounds to his home for burial. President Samia led the burial activities, with the Tanzania People's Defense Force (TPDF), carrying out military funeral procedures including giving a 21-gun salute.
Parents, students and teachers have had to navigate a minefield of cyber threats over the past year as schools continue to invest in ed-tech tools and devices needed for remote learning during COVID-19 school closures. At the same time, cyber criminals found new avenues for data breaches and phishing scams, as well as ransomware and malware attacks targeting school districts in 2020.According to a report released earlier this month by a public data resource called the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, in association with the nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange, 2020 marked a record-breaking year for cyber attacks against public schools in the U.S. The report includes data from the center's K-12 Cyber Incident Map , which recorded 408 publicized school cyber attacks in 2020, representing an 18 percent increase over 2019.The problem has only intensified due to vulnerabilities found in the American public school system, according to the report, which notes that many districts still lack the IT staff and security protocols needed for modern cybersecurity systems. For sophisticated cyber criminals, this means easier access to financial documents and sensitive data about students, parents, educators and others involved in school operations.Nearly 40 percent of K-12 cyber incidents included data breaches and leaks, while approximately 12 percent involved ransomware. Others included denial-of-access attacks, which impeded access to programs widely used for remote learning.Schools also reported an emerging threat of "cyber invasions," where unauthorized users gain access to online classes and video conference meetings, often disrupting them with hate speech, threats of violence and obscene images, sounds and videos.Larger or higher-income districts with more access to technology are often among the most vulnerable to cyber threats due to their size and reliance on technology for instruction and communication, according to the report. Students and teachers engaged in remote learning during COVID-19 school closures remain especially vulnerable to cyber attacks on personal devices and networks.Keith Krueger, CEO of the ed-tech advocacy group the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), said CoSN's surveys have found cybersecurity a top concern among chief technology officers across the nation. The consortium, along with other education policy organizations, submitted petition in February asking the Federal Communications Commission to invest in cybersecurity protections for public K-12 school districts through the FCC's E-rate program. The petition estimated the annual cost for recommended next-generation firewalls, endpoint protection and advanced security features for nationwide K-12 districts at $2.389 billion.Theres very little money for districts on the human side. In fact, our surveys show only one in every five school districts has a full-time staff person dedicated to cybersecurity, Krueger said, adding that the FBI and other federal agencies have designated K-12 schools as the most-targeted public sector for cyber threats.Weve got multiple problems, but this problem hasn't gotten the serious attention that it needs from policymakers."With little standing in the way of cyber criminals targeting schools and gaining access to sensitive information on administrative systems, CoSN Cybersecurity Project Director Amy McLaughlin said malicious actors can target high school students approaching adulthood for identity theft.The first time a student finds out about that is when they go to apply for things like financial aid for college, and then finding out their credit has been destroyed, she said of these data breaches.What's more, cyber criminals are getting better at their methods, according to Krueger and McLaughlin. Phishing scams targeting remote students and educators often appear to come from recognizable email addresses at first glance.In a school environment, about 3 percent of teachers click inappropriately on phishing scams, Krueger said. That was jumping to 15 to 20 percent from home, so a lot of cyber criminals are getting into the network.Cyber criminals have not let up their attacks against public schools in 2021. Ransomware attacks against schools have continued, including one major incident in Buffalo Public Schools this month that forced the district to cancel virtual classes entirely. These threats have continually increased in numbers and severity, according to the report.It isn't just Buffalo, Krueger warned, adding that ransomware extortion attacks have disrupted day-to-day operations in several other districts, including Clark County, Nev. and Baltimore County schools, among others.CoSN and other education policy organizations have pushed for legislative solutions to the problem, urging support for the Enhancing K-12 Cybersecurity Act , recently reintroduced by Reps. Jim Langevin, D-RI, and Doris Matsui, D-CA, to bolster school cybersecurity funding and data tracking of cyber incidents in schools.Were concerned that there isnt [enough] data collected by the federal government, Krueger said. We think that Homeland Security should collect good data thats actionable.Aside from policies, the report also called on digital learning platform companies and device providers to differentiate themselves in the education market by focusing on meaningful security features," and it encouraged schools to promote digital literacy.McLaughlin believes promoting cybersecurity awareness among students, in particular, remains critical in the fight against cyber criminals.You need teachers to model good digital literacy and good digital hygiene, she said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says China is putting up the price of Australian wine in 'retaliation' for Australia standing up for its values and that's 'not OK'.

China's Ministry of Commerce announced the new measures would kick in from Sunday and last five years, in a statement released on Friday.

Some importers will need to pay tax to China's custom authority, in a move China says is an anti-dumping measure.

Scott Morrison (left) said he 'stands with Prime Minister Johnson' (right) in condemning the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang

Scott Morrison said that the UK has also come under sanctions from China for condemning their treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang (pictured: China's People Liberation Army)

Mr Morrison said Australia 'completely reject(s)' what he called 'non-tariff restrictions'.

'By their own admission, publicly, (this is) some form of retaliation for Australians standing up for our values,' he told reporters. 'That is not OK.'

The prime minister said Australia stood alongside the UK in condemning the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang, and that Australia's ally had also come under sanctions for their position.

'I stand with Prime Minister Johnson...Boris, well done mate, we stand with you and thanks for standing with Australia as well,' he said.

The Australian government is fighting back against China's decision to up the price of wine for five years

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan earlier called the decision 'extremely disappointing and completely unjustifiable', pledging to do everything he could to reverse it.

Tariffs of between 116 and 218 per cent mean it will be 'basically impossible' for Australian wine to compete in the Chinese market, Mr Tehan said.

Beijing has launched trade strikes against a range of Australian products including coal, barley, beef, lobster and timber.

Some insiders claim the new taxes are in response to Mr Morrison's call for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.

Mr Tehan said such decisions 'make it hard' to continue to work with the Chinese government to develop the economic relationship between the two countries.

He said he'd spoken with the Australian wine industry and was looking at taking the issue to the World Trade Organisation.

Beijing has launched trade strikes against a range of Australian products including coal, barley, beef, lobster and timber

The industry and government would work closely together to explore other markets, he said.

'Chinese consumers have shown quite clearly a great liking for Australian wine, and we're very confident that consumers right around the world will also want to appreciate the great product that Australian winemakers and Australian grape growers produce,' he said.

The decision comes after China last year said it would impose temporary tariffs on wine from Australia from November 28 for four months, but warned it could extend them.
Neverending lockdowns has certainly got everyone feeling a little more than frustrated.

News that the current lockdown could be extended to June has come as a real body blow with the number of Covid-19 cases seemingly on the rise again and certainly stuck at between 500 and 600 cases a day.

People are being told to stick with the programme or we could face a fourth wave of this deadly virus but what more can a generally compliant public do?

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn said last week: "If every individual can just do that little bit more, over the next few weeks, we will stop another wave."

His remarks certainly angered many people fed up of the doom and gloom and the constant lecturing at these daily media briefings. The retort is obviously get your finger out in terms of the vaccination programme here. How the heads of Nphet have time for these gatherings in the first place I don't know let alone justify their existence.

Dr Glynn has since rowed back on his remarks stating Nphet has sought over and over to acknowledge the fatigue and the exhaustion people are feeling with these measures. He likened Nphet to a doctor in a hospital giving bad news to families of an ill patient but do we really need it on a daily basis, all set up in time for RTE's Six One news?

I'm not saying we should bury our heads in the sand but where are the messages of hope that bounded about early in the year when news of vaccination roll outs were revealed? Of course, the vaccination programme here has been far from perfect. We are so far behind the UK and many other countries. The Government strategy was to contain this virus by lockdown so as not to overwhlem the hospitals and to gradually get life back to normal as vaccination rates increase. It's not the best plan as it keeps everyone confined for months and months.

People want to hear when they can get back living again not phrases on a nightly basis from the Nphet briefings of "We are sailing very close to the wind here" or "a gust of wind in the wrong direction, and we're in real trouble" or even, "numbers are "not where we want them to be."

The Government needs to start taking the lead here and Deputy Marc MacSharry is right to suggest this. By all means take the advice from Nphet but it shouldn't be right and centre on our screens each night.
YPSILANTI, MI  Volunteers and community members were knocking on the doors of residents at Hamilton Crossing Saturday morning to give them more information about COVID-19 vaccines.

As part of Eastern Michigan Universitys Family Empowerment Program (FEP), community members were making sure those at Hamilton Crossing could make informed decisions when it came to getting a vaccine.

EMU Regent Jessie Kimbrough Marshall, who is also a medical doctor, said all of the information they were presenting to community members is coming from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services websites.

After seeing this door-knocking campaign done in other communities like Flint and Richmond, Virginia, with grassroots folks and church members taking to knocking on doors, were hoping to replicate that today by knocking on doors and giving general information that is currently available on the COVID-19 vaccines, Marshall said.

Program educating Flint residents on COVID-19, vaccine aided by United Way relief funds

A handful of volunteers went door-to-door and distributed flyers with information about which vaccines are available, how to register for a vaccine, the side effects of the vaccine and frequently asked questions. Attached with the flyers were invitations for informational sessions about the COVID-19 vaccines on Zoom and Facebook.

Sharon Gillespie, a volunteer and retired nurse, said she was initially hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine but eventually talked with doctors and nurses, and she felt that she needed to protect her family.

You dont know where other people go and get exposed, so you need to try to protect yourself and your family, Gillespie said.

Even as a health practitioner, Marshall was also skeptical of getting the vaccine at first, especially at the speed the vaccines were being approved and released. After listening to trusted public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, as well as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, she finally felt comfortable to get the vaccine near the end of 2020.

 and I also felt comfortable going out and promoting others to get a vaccine because trusted public health officials have given that advisement, Marshall said.

As of right now, the outreach program works exclusively with the communities in the Ypsilanti Housing Commission, but Marshall hopes that the program can be replicated in other Michigan communities.

There will be an informational session on COVID-19 vaccines at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 31 on Zoom and Engage at EMUs Facebook page.

READ MORE:

In-person services return to Ypsilanti Township Civic Center

Feedback on possible dog park sites being sought by Ypsilanti Township

Lets bring the church to the community, says Ypsilanti pastor
Despite the challenges during the 14th tenure of the National Assembly from 2016 to 2020, Vietnam still recorded major achievements under the sound leadership of the Party and the careful monitoring of the National Assembly.

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This is partly attributable to how the National Assembly set development targets from the outset, which were practical and based on the global and domestic contexts.

The Government surpassed all 12 targets in 2018 and 2019 set by the National Assembly. Given the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with natural disasters in 2020, the legislature then adjusted its development targets, which helped the Government end a turbulent year with 8 out of 12 targets being met and a growth rate of 2.9%, among the highest in the world.

The 14th National Assembly carefully listened to opinions from the people and businesses and integrated them into legal documents.

Under the monitoring of the National Assembly, the Government has done its best to develop the market economy with a socialist orientation, adopt administrative reform promptly, and improve the business climate and the countrys competitiveness.

The previous tenure was a success, showing consensus between the Government and people in monitoring and implementing the targets set by the National Assembly.

It also shows how the National Assembly is flexible in setting out appropriate targets amid the current challenges.

Its work greatly contributed to the success of the socio-economic development plan from 2016-2020, and created a firm foundation for the country to continue to sustainably develop in the years to come./. VNA
BEREA, Ohio -- Its traditional to display a yellow ribbon in honor of a military member.

On Monday (March 22), veterans with Bereas Veterans Outreach Office tied 50 ribbons around lampposts in the downtown area in honor of Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day, which is this coming Monday (March 29).

Jim and Delores Zubrisky of Berea are not veterans, but wanted to show their appreciation. Not only did they help tie ribbons, they also donated a basket of goodies -- including a door wreath, cookies, an Anthony Kleem puzzle and a gift certificate to Parkway Barber Shop.

We wanted to give back, Delores Zubrisky said.

The basket went to retired Navy veteran Craig Mills.

Jim Zubrisky, right, ties a yellow ribbon around a lamppost at Coe Lake with the help of Chaplain Willie Springer, left, and Chad Huhra in honor of Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day. (Linda G. Kramer/City of Berea)Linda G. Kramer

Jim Zubrisky said his father had served in the Navy and his father-in-law in the Marine Corps.

We live nearby (the downtown area) and can see all the city events and festivals. We wanted to help, he said.

Ribbons were tied around street lights and lampposts around the Triangle, along East Bridge Street and in the Coe Lake area.

Also helping out was Chad Huhra of Eastlake. Huhra is a social worker with Southern Care hospice services and saw the announcement about the ribbon-tying on an online calendar. Huhra said his father served in the Army in Vietnam.

Veterans on ribbon duty included Army veteran Dale Eckert and Army Chaplain Willie Springer, head of the Veterans Outreach Office. Norma Kleem, volunteer social worker with Veterans Outreach, organized the event.
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GREENWICH  The last day of school for students in the Greenwich Public School is set for June 22, and the high school graduation ceremony is tentatively planned for June 21 and June 22.

Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones discussed the district calendar at the Board of Educations Thursday meeting. The last day of school, Jones said, takes into account the districts two snow days from this winter. The date of graduation remains somewhat up in the air, depending on the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on gatherings set by Gov. Ned Lamont.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  Placing the NCR Plus bubble under stricter quarantine rules is the "best" approach to stop the COVID-19 spike, but the government must use the time to ensure the implementation of an expanded contact tracing and faster testing to not waste efforts and control the surge in cases, health experts said on Saturday.

"This is the best way to stop this, stricter restrictions. This will work," Dr. Guido David of the OCTA Research told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend Ngayon.

David stressed that while there was a slight decline in the reproduction rate during the NCR Plus bubble, the measures were "not strong enough" to slow down the COVID-19 surge.

If the government failed to impose a hard lockdown, new cases would further increase to 12,000 to 13,000 per day, he warned.

On Saturday, the Department of Health reported 9,595 new infections, bringing the total to 712,442, of which 16.6% or 118,122 were active cases.

Amid the worsening situation, the government announced that the NCR PlusMetro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizalwould be placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 4.

READ: NCR Plus to shift to stricter ECQ for one week

Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the government must learn from last year's scenario.

"Hindi lang dapat lockdown. Dapat may malawak at mabilis na testing at tracing. Kung hindi ito gagawin, huwag na lang mag-lockdown kasi iyon nga ang purpose nito," she told CNN Philippines.

"Kung hindi ito aasikasuhin, masasayang lang," Cabral added.

[Translation: It shouldn't be just lockdown. There should be extensive and fast testing and tracing. If these cannot be done, let's not impose a lockdown. If they will not focus on these, they're just wasting time.]

Cabral also reminded the public to strictly follow minimum health standards to prevent being infected. If a person experiences even mild symptoms, Cabral said barangay officials must be informed for them to take necessary steps.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 19:30:41|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed on Friday night in an accident involving a truck and a motorcycle in Nigeria's southwest state of Ogun, authorities said Saturday.

The incident happened on a road in Abeokuta, the state capital when the motorcycle rider lost control and got crushed in an attempt to overtake the trailer, said Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesman for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps based in Ogun.

Akinbiyi told reporters in Abeokuta that the rider and his two passengers died on the spot, adding that the trailer driver did not stop.

He said the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of a hospital in Abeokuta.

He appealed to motorists to avoid wrongful overtaking, drive carefully and always obey traffic rules and regulations.

Deadly road accidents are common in Nigeria often due to overloading, bad condition of roads, and reckless driving. Enditem
Delhi Capitals today announced premium nachos brand Cornitos as one of the teams Official Partners for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. The Cornitos logo will be worn by the team on its official playing and training jersey.

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Vikram Agarwal, Managing Director, Cornitos said, "We are thrilled to partner as Associate Sponsor of Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season of IPL. We are launching our new economy packs for Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities, and IPL would be the perfect platform for us for a pan-India reach. This is going to be our first innings at the IPL, and we are confident of a successful partnership with last years finalists, Delhi Capitals.

"We are thrilled to welcome Cornitos on board as our Official Snack Partner this season, said Vinod Bisht, CEO, Delhi Capitals, on the association. The company's dynamism, ambition and popularity across generations, is a perfect fit for our team. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with them.
I've been a reporter and editor at Missouri community newspapers for 35 years and joined the Columbia Missourian in 2003. My emphasis at the Missourian is on local government and elections. You can reach me at swaffords@missouri.edu or at 573-884-5366.

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A man runs past a road barricade and burning debris Monday, March 22, 2021, in Mandalay, Myanmar. The BBC said Monday that a journalist from its Burmese-language service was released by authorities in Myanmar but gave no details, as protesters in the Southeast Asian nation continued their broad civil disobedience movement against last months military coup. (AP Photo)

The toll of protesters confirmed killed in Myanmar since last months military takeover has reached 320, a group that verifies details of deaths and arrests has announced.

Myanmars Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said its tally includes only documented cases, with the actual number likely to be much higher.

It said 11 people were killed on Thursday, when it also managed to verify 23 deaths that had occurred previously.

Myanmar news agencies, including the Democratic Voice of Burma and Mizzima, reported that three more people had been shot dead by security forces in the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar.

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Video posted on Mizzima TVs YouTube channel showed protesters risking getting hit by gunfire to carry the bloody body of one young man who the report said had later died.

Social media posts, many including photos of bodies, indicated that as many as seven people may have been killed in various cities by nightfall on Friday.

The Assistance Association described a typical deadly confrontation on Thursday in Taunggyi, in Shan state in eastern Myanmar, when the junta used live ammunition, trying to create a combat zone of residential areas, resulting in four civilians shot and killed, one dead body was dragged away, some other civilians were injured.

Moreover, junta forces raided houses and violently arrested youths and civilians, thereafter destroying motorcycles, cars and barricades. They stormed streets unprovoked, shouted obscenities and vandalized property.

The association said that by Thursday, 2,981 people had been arrested, charged or sentenced in the crackdown since the February 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Most, including Ms Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, remain detained.

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State television MRTV reported that 322 detainees were released on Friday from Insein Prison, describing them as being accused of breaking a public order law by having demonstrated violently. On Wednesday, more than 600 others were freed from the same prison, also without being formally charged by a court.

The armys seizure of power halted the south-east Asian nations move towards democracy that began when Ms Suu Kyis party took office in 2016 for its first term, after more than five decades of military rule.

The movement against the junta and its takeover received a major boost on Thursday when the US and the UK announced tough sanctions against two military-owned conglomerates with vast holdings in many sectors.

The US Treasury Department said its action against Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company and Myanmar Economic Corporation targets the armys control of large parts of the countrys economy, which is a vital financial lifeline for the military junta.

The sanctions against the two companies and their holdings block access to any property they control in the US and effectively bars any American or company from conducting any sort of business with them, including supplying them with funds or providing goods or services.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the sanctions target the militarys financial interests to help drain the sources of finance for their campaigns of repression against civilians.

He added that the UK and its allies will not hesitate to take action against a regime that has caused so much pain to so many innocent civilians.
Mar 26, 2021 1:00 PM

All Utahns 16 years and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Utah. University of Utah Health encourages everyone to get vaccinated to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and bring an end to the pandemic. All COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

Sankar Swaminathan, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Carlos Gomez, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at U of U Health answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines.

Are there any concerns about the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations versus the rate of virus variants spreading in the U.S.?

Swaminathan: The concern is virus strains that change could outstrip the ability to get people immunized. Another concern is if a virus strain causes disease in people who have received the vaccine, you have the problem all over again. That has, luckily, not been a big problem here in the U.S. Many of the strains that have evolved, such as the UK variant, seem to be well-covered by the vaccines. The vaccine may not be as protective against the South African and Brazilian variants, but they still decrease severe cases and death. If we can get everyone vaccinated, we should be in good shape. At the current rate of vaccination, I dont think we are going to have the variants outstrip our ability to immunize.

When it comes to side effects from COVID-19 vaccines, what percentage of patients experience symptoms?

Swaminathan: Pain at the site of injection is very common. The incidence of serious adverse effects is less than 1%. Its important to emphasize the overall incidence of serious effects, meaning something that puts you in bed, is very low. Also, almost all side effects from the vaccines are uncomplicated and people recover in a day or two.

Does one vaccine cause more side effects than others?

Swaminathan: I have not heard whether one vaccine causes more side effects, and I would be surprised if that was the case. What we should look at is the data from the vaccine studies. The studies alone include almost 100,000 people. The overall percentage of people who have experienced side effects is similar in both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine studies.

If a person meets current state qualifications to get vaccinated and is in good health, should they wait and let people more in need get the vaccine first?

Gomez: At this point in the pandemic, we want everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. If you get offered the vaccine, you should take it. The individual protection you get from the vaccine and the community benefit will help society. The way of cutting off variants is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. There is no way for the coronavirus to mutate if there is no replication, and the way to stop replication of the virus is to get vaccinated.

Does the vaccine last for the rest of your life, or do you need to get it every year?

Gomez: We dont know yet. We are getting close to gathering data from Pfizer and Moderna for the one year of enrollment of people who were vaccinated this time in 2020. At this point, we know if you get infected with the virus, you have some protection from the vaccine. However, after some period of time, those antibodies titers diminish and the patient can become infected again. At this point in the pandemic, the important thing is to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Can you still transmit the virus after youve been vaccinated? Do you still need to be careful around people who arent vaccinated?

Swaminathan: The CDC says you can relax some of your restrictions if you have been completely vaccinated. If you want to gather with friends who are fully vaccinated, they share the same level of risk as you and it should be okay to mingle in a small group. If you are going to have contact with people who are not vaccinated or with those who are considered high-risk, there is still a chance that you can transmit the virus even if you arent sick. In these situations, you should continue to physical distance and wear a mask.

The likelihood that a person can be infected and be asymptomatic after getting vaccinated is lower, but we dont know if its zero. Just because you are vaccinated doesnt mean its safe to go to a bar or a crowded restaurant while transmission in the community is still high.

Do side effects from the vaccine mean the vaccine is working?

Swaminathan: The vaccine is working whether you experience side effects or not. The fact that you experience side effects means your bodys immune system recognizes something foreign and is saying, Look, we need to get rid of this or learn how to deal with this. As the vaccine is exposed to your body, the body learns how to recognize it and mounts defenses to the virus. The cells that do that will release molecules that cause both local effects, like swelling and redness pain, and systemic effects, such as fever, headache, and muscle aches. Its similar to experiencing fever and headache when you have a bad cold or flu.

When will there be data about people who have been vaccinated?

Gomez: Data is coming in from the clinical trials that led to the approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines about efficacy. Real-life experience with the vaccines has already been published. Data shows that a patient has more protection from the vaccine after the second dose. Countries have also seen a significant decline in the number of infections, asymptomatic infections, and hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19 vaccines after full vaccine rule-out.

Swaminathan: With any vaccines, we only know how long it lasts based on how long the vaccine has been around. So, it takes ten years to find out if something works for ten years and takes 20 years to know if something works for 20 years. The reason we know the polio vaccine has worked for as long as it does and when you need a booster is because its been almost 70 years that weve had this vaccine. We can only know about a vaccine as we go along.

If you are not yet vaccinated or choose not to get vaccinated, should you attend public gatherings?

Swaminathan: This pandemic is different from past diseases that were primarily spread by children, such as measles. The way we can still achieve functional herd immunity is by immunizing the majority of adults even before the vaccine is approved for children. Small children are not primary contributors of spread in the community and tend not to get very sick or die from the disease. If we can get 70 percent of adults immunized, well see very low spread in the U.S.

Should states lift masking restrictions before the general population is vaccinated?

Swaminathan: Relaxing restrictions should be based on risk level. If we are at a point where there is no spread and the risk of getting COVID-19 from the grocery store is very low, it would be appropriate to relax those restrictions. You dont decide to stop taking an umbrella with you just because it is April. You would not take an umbrella with you after looking at the forecast and calculating the risk of getting wet. Similarly, relaxing restrictions should be based on the current risk level, not the calendar.

If vaccines are safe, why have they not been approved by the FDA?

Swaminathan: The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been approved by the FDA for emergency use authorization because this is an emergency. The vaccines will receive formal approval once the FDA has reviewed all the data from the millions of the people who received the vaccines.

How to get a COVID-19 vaccine:

Patients 12 years of age and older who live in Utah are elligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at U of U Health. Patients are encouraged to make a vaccine appointment through MyChart. To see all COVID-19 vaccine locations and scheduling options in Utah, visit the states coronavirus website or vaccinefinder.org.

Anyone who has questions about COVID-19 vaccines or needs scheduling assistance can call the U of U Health Hotline at 801-597-0712 or toll free at 844-745-9325.
New Delhi, March 27 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has ordered a high-level inquiry into the alleged thrashing of an accused in connection with a narco terror case.

An NIA source related to the development told IANS, "There has been an allegation that one person was thrashed by the NIA's Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP), who had called the former for questioning at its office in Jammu." The source said that the NIA has taken serious note of the incident and the officer in question has been transferred from Jammu.

The source added that NIA has ordered a high-level probe into the incident of the thrashing the person who was called for questioning in a case.

The accused who was thrashed by the NIA official also uploaded a video on social media sites.
MPs who have had sanctions imposed on them by China visit Boris Johnson in Downing Street - Geoff Pugh

Boris Johnson and Joe Biden, the US president, want to set up an infrastructure fund to pay for new roads and bridges in the developing world to counter China's growing influence.

The idea was raised by Mr Johnson in Downing Street talks with some of the UK politicians sanctioned by China late last week.

The Prime Minister is understood to have referred to them as "warriors in the fight for free speech" who have his "full-throated support", expressing bafflement at Beijing's "ridiculous" actions during the private meeting.

One source said Mr Johnson had raised the prospect of a "green alternative" to China's 774 billion Belt and Road Initiative, which has seen Beijing lend billions of pounds to poorer countries to spend on maritime, energy, road and rail projects.

He is said to have voiced concern that there were so many United Nations countries  particularly in Africa  that were "in hoc to the Chinese" because of infrastructure loans handed to them by China.

One idea is to use some of the aid budget  set to hit 10 billion this calendar year despite the cut from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP  to counter China's influence. The idea would be to tip "hundreds of millions of pounds" into the fund "to give an alternative to China's debt trap diplomacy", a source said.

China sanctions MPs

Mr Johnson is said to have raised the issue with Mr Biden in a phone call on Friday evening. Number 10 said after the call that the pair had "reflected on the significant action taken by the UK, US and other international partners earlier this week to impose sanctions on human rights violators in Xinjiang and expressed their concern about retaliatory action taken by China".

Beijing announced the sanctions against the politicians on Friday. Campaigners said that while UK MPs have faced travel bans in the past, it was the first time British parliamentarians have been formally sanctioned by a nation state.

Story continues

Number 10 released pictures of the meeting in Downing Street's garden in a move that will be seen as sending a message to Beijing of the British Government's support for the politicians, who are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

Five affected MPs and peers met the PM  the former education minister Tim Loughon, the former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Tory MP Nus Ghani, and the Liberal Democrat peers Lord Alton of Liverpool and criminal barrister Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Johnson said: "This morning I spoke with some of those who have been shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims. I stand firmly with them and the other British citizens sanctioned by China."

He is said to have told the group that the Government was "supportive" of them and it was "disgraceful" what had happened to them during the half-hour meeting. One source said the photocall was important to show that "people on the sanctions list get invited to Number 10 to stand shoulder to shoulder with the PM".

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In a joint statement, the sanctioned politicians said: "We are delighted that the Prime Minister agreed to meet us today to express his solidarity with parliamentarians and other British citizens sanctioned by the Chinese government.

"This sends a clear signal that the UK will not turn a blind eye to attempts to intimidate legislators, undermine our Parliament or stifle the free and open debate which is essential to our democracy.

"Our focus is not on these sanctions, but on the victims of the Chinese Communist Party. We take this opportunity to raise again the plight of the Uighurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers and other groups subject to persecution by the Chinese government.

"We reiterate our calls for the Chinese government to honour its commitments to upholding human rights and abiding by international law."

Beijing slapped asset freezes and travel bans on the group just days after Britain joined the US, Canada and the European Union to announce a raft of sanctions on Chinese officials accused of "appalling" human rights violations against the Uighurs.

The Tory MPs Tom Tugendhat and Neil O'Brien, barrister Geoffrey Nice QC and academic Joanne Smith Finley were also singled out by China's ministry of foreign affairs alongside a series of entities  the China Research Group (CRG), the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Uighur Tribunal and Essex Court Chambers.

The common theme among the nine individuals and four groups blacklisted was their role in drawing attention to reports of gross human rights abuses by the Chinese regime against its Uighur Muslim minority in the northwestern province of Xinjiang.
A group of 75 Silicon Valley leaders including Laurene Powell Jobs and Eric Schmidt have signed a letter opposing the recall of Gavin Newsom, as 2.2 million signatures have now been gathered to force a vote on ousting the governor from office.

Some of the biggest names in tech publicly threw their support behind the California governor this week, penning a letter in which they urged residents to reject the 'politically motivated' recall.

The tech leaders argued removing the Democrat from office before his term ends would 'roll back growing progress' the state is making around the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and reopening the economy after being hammered by the pandemic.

The show of support comes as a recall vote becomes increasingly likely, with organizers nearing the threshold of signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot.

Once reached, Californians will cast a vote on whether to remove Newsom from office and pick his replacement.

Newsom has vowed to fight the 'partisan, Republican' recall, which he said is backed by 'anti-mask and anti-vax extremists', and has started fundraising to defend his seat.

A group of 75 Silicon Valley leaders have signed a letter opposing the recall of Gavin Newsom (pictured)

Among the 75 Silicon Valley bigwigs backing Newsom are Emerson Collective founder and Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs; ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt; founder of SV Angels and angel investor Ron Conway; LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman; ex-Yahoo president and CEO Marissa Mayer; and Napster co-founder Sean Parker.

Ron Conway, founder of SV Angels, spearheaded the effort from the tech leaders, according to Politico, which first reported on the move.

Conway told the outlet 'the distracting recall election is the last thing our state needs right now' just as Californians are 'finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.'

'Governor Newsom has made tough decisions to lead us through the pandemic, and we're finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,' Conway said.

Conway said the recall effort is politically motivated by conservatives to replace the Democrat with 'a Trump Republican'.

'The vast majority of people in the tech community agree: replacing Governor Newsom with a Trump Republican, which is what this recall effort is really all about, would reverse our progress against COVID and would be bad for California,' he said.

The letter does not mention the matter of funding to support Newsom's fight for his seat but insiders told Politico it is likely to be the next step for the billionaire set.

Absent from the letter's signees was CEO of Social Capital and ex-Facebook exec Chamath Palihapitiya, who has a conflicting take on the recall effort from his fellow tech leaders.

Among the 75 Silicon Valley bigwigs backing Newsom are Emerson Collective founder and Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs (left) and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt (right)

Founder of SV Angels and angel investor Ron Conway (pictured) is spearheading the tech leaders' efforts to support the governor

Palihapitiya has been very vocal about wanting Newsom removed from office and donated $100,000 to fund the recall efforts.

In January, he sparked rumors he wanted to run to replace Newsom as governor, tweeting a link to a website called Chamath for California Governor and announcing: 'It's on. #RecallGavinNewsom.'

But he later walked back the idea saying in a podcast interview that he is 'not ready to do any of that.'

Newsom has dismissed the recall efforts as a political power grab by Republicans and vowed not to go down without a fight.

In the clearest sign yet that the governor has acknowledged it will likely make the ballot, Newsom last week shared a link to a website to raise funds to defend his seat and hit out at the 'partisan' motives.

'I won't be distracted by this partisan, Republican recall - but I will fight it. There is too much at stake. Getting Californians vaccinated, our economy safely reopened, and our kids back in school are simply too important to risk,' Newsom said in a statement on Twitter.

Absent from the letter's signees was CEO of Social Capital and ex-Facebook exec Chamath Palihapitiya (pictured), who has called for Newsom's removal from office

Newsom's campaign also sent out an email to supporters saying he would not take the recall efforts 'lying down' as he slammed the 'anti-mask and anti-vax extremists' and 'pro-Trump forces' behind the campaign.

'If they are successful, it would mean risking the progress we are making to end the pandemic,' Newsom added. 'We can't let that happen.'

He closed the email saying he would be fighting the recall effort 'because ending this pandemic as quickly as possible is too important to get delayed by Trump loyalists and far right-wing Republicans.'

Democrats have increasingly tied the recall campaign to far-right conservatives and believers of the debunked QAnon conspiracy theory as they warn that removing a sitting governor in the midst of the pandemic would be devastating to the state.

Stop the Republican Recall, the campaign to defend his seat, has been backed by top Democrats including Elizabeth Warren and Stacey Abrams and has received funding from the California Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, organizers of the effort have claimed to be nonpartisan but it has been heavily backed and funded by Republicans.

In the clearest sign yet that the governor has acknowledged it will likely make the ballot, Newsom last week shared a link to a website to raise funds to defend his seat and hit out at the 'partisan' motives

The Stop the Republican Recall fundraising site blames 'a partisan Republican coalition of anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, QAnon conspiracy theorists and Trump supporters' for the recall efforts

The California Republican Party has donated at least $100,000, while the Republican National Committee and the Republican Governor's Association have also contributed to the $1 million in donations amassed for the campaign.

The campaign has cited a number of issues with Newsom's leadership including his handling of the pandemic and his infamous French Laundry restaurant visit.

Newsom faced a backlash for dining at the restaurant in a group of 12 on November 6 in a partially enclosed room at a time when he had hit out at Californians for 'letting their guard down' and issued strict Thanksgiving rules.

Newsom apologized when the photos surfaced the following week saying he had made a 'bad mistake' but insisted the dinner was outdoors and that he didn't realize the group attending was the size it was until he arrived.

Organizers have also cited the rolling power outages in the state to prevent catastrophic wildfires and his order to ban gasoline-powered cars by 2035.

Recall supporters are required to submit nearly 1.5 million signatures to place the proposal before voters.

Newsom's campaign also sent out an email (pictured) to supporters saying he would not take the recall efforts 'lying down'

Newsom criticized the 'partisan, Republican' recall, which he said was backed by 'anti-mask and anti-vax extremists' as well as 'pro-Trump forces' who want to overturn the 2020 presidential election

Organizers said they had amassed over 2.2 million signatures by their final collection deadline on March 17.

They now have until April 29 to verify the signatures.

The last update on the verification up to March 11, around 1.19 million signatures were verified out of a possible 1.45 million examined.

Based on this 81.7 percent success rate, it is likely that around 1.79 million of the 2.2 million votes will be verified - sailing past the 1.5 million threshold.

The recall process is quite lengthy with the state then given 10 days to verify that the signatures make the required threshold, followed by 30 days for any signatories to withdraw their names from the petition.

Given the various legal hoops that must be cleared, it could take until September of October before the vote is put on the statewide ballot - provided the threshold is reached.

Then California voters will vote whether or not to recall Newsom and who they want to replace him with.

This marks the sixth official attempt to recall Newsom since he took office just two years ago in 2019.
North Korea threatened a further military build-up on Saturday in response to Joe Biden's condemnation of this week's missile launches, a weapons test that marked Pyongyang's first substantive provocation since the US president took office.

The nuclear-armed North has a long history of using weapons tests to ramp up tensions, in a carefully calibrated process to try to forward its objectives.

Pyongyang had been biding its time since the new administration took office in Washington, not even officially acknowledging its existence until last week.

But on Thursday it launched two weapons from its east coast into the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in Korea.

Following the launch, Biden labelled the test a violation of UN resolutions and advised the isolated state against ramping up military testing, warning that "there will be responses if they choose to escalate."

Ri Pyong Chol, a leading official in North Korea's missile programme who supervised the test, said the president's comments had revealed his "deep-seated hostility" to the regime.

"Such remarks from the US president are an undisguised encroachment on our state's right to self-defence and provocation to it," Ri said in a statement published by state media outlet KCNA.

Ri said Pyongyang was expressing its "deep apprehension over the US chief executive faulting the regular testfire, (an) exercise of our state's right to self-defence, as the violation of UN 'resolutions.'"

"If the US continues with its thoughtless remarks without thinking of the consequences, it may be faced with something that is not good," he added, warning that North Korea was prepared to "continue to increase our most thoroughgoing and overwhelming military power."

The comments came at a time when Washington is in the final stages of a policy review on North Korea, with signals of a firm line on denuclearisation, sanctions and human rights.

Story continues

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Ri's remarks were "essentially a threat that North Korea will respond to the US policy review with more tests".

"Pyongyang is implementing a premeditated strategy of advancing military capabilities and raising tensions," he added.

- 'Tactical guided projectile' -

Pyongyang has made rapid progress in its capabilities under leader Kim Jong Un, testing missiles capable of reaching the entire continental United States as tensions mounted in 2017.

North Korea has reported that the Thursday launch, its first substantive affront since Biden came to office, was a test of a new "tactical guided projectile" with a solid-fuel engine.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called the two weapons launched from North Korea's east coast ballistic missiles, which it is banned from developing under UN Security Council resolutions.

A UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has asked its experts to investigate the test and European members of the Security Council have requested an urgent meeting to discuss North Korea.

The North is already under multiple sets of international sanctions for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

A summit between Kim and then-US president Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019 broke down over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, told AFP that the Biden administration may seek to impose "additional sanctions against Pyongyang" if the North continues with its military provocations.

"From now, one can expect more weapons tests from the North, and very stern responses from the US," he said.

- International resolve -

Thursday's launch, and an earlier test of short-range, non-ballistic missiles at the weekend, came after joint exercises by the US and South Korean militaries and a visit to the region by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

During their trip to Seoul and Tokyo, Blinken repeatedly stressed the importance of denuclearising North Korea, and urged Beijing -- the North's key ally -- to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Biden's approach so far demonstrates a change of tone from his predecessor Donald Trump, who engaged in an extraordinary diplomatic bromance with Kim and last year repeatedly played down similar short-range launches.

Officials of the administration say they have sought to reach out to Pyongyang through several channels but have received no response so far.

"Kim Jong Un intends to use provocations to demand concessions but may end up increasing international resolve for North Korea's denuclearisation," Easley told AFP.

bur-cdl/gle
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is including rivals Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China among the invitees to the first big climate talks of his administration.

The U.S. hopes the event will help shape, speed up and deepen global efforts to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuel pollution.

The president is trying to revive a U.S.-convened forum of the worlds major economies on climate that George W. Bush and Barack Obama both used and Donald Trump let languish.

Leaders of some of the worlds top climate-change sufferers, do-gooders and backsliders round out the rest of the 40 invitations being delivered Friday.

It will be held virtually April 22 and 23.
(Natural News) A Democrat congressional coalition is pushing a new legislative bill that would bar anyone who has ever believed in a conspiracy theory from holding government security clearance. This is how they are getting away with it.

Known as the Security Clearance Improvement Act of 2021, the bill is a pre-planned response to the Jan. 6, 2021, false flag insurrection that took place at the United States Capitol. With the American public already primed to view supporters of President Donald Trump as scary domestic terrorists, the powers that be are going in for the kill by trying to forever ban their political opposition from working in government.

How did we get to the point that something like this would even be considered, let alone allowed to go mainstream? In classic sociopathic fashion, Democrats and their Republican allies have manufactured conspiracy theories of their own to demonize true American patriots, falsely accusing conservatives of doing the very things of which Democrats themselves are guilty.

By constantly engineering fake news about conservatives, the far-left deep state hopes to so scare the non-playable character (NPC) demographic that the average American willingly accepts the balkanization of Americas government into a communist police state.

The pattern is simple. The full apparatus of the Globalist American Empire mobilizes on behalf of those who believe and promote discredited conspiracies like the Russiagate Hoax, the Jussie Smollett Hoax, the Covington Hoax, and so forth. On the other hand, the full apparatus of the Globalist American Empire mobilizes against those who believe and promote QAnon, reports Revolver.

In other words, the regime codifies and sacralizes Ruling Party conspiracy theories, while it pathologizes and criminalizes Ruled Party conspiracy theories, all as a means of controlling the narrative in our so-called democracy.'

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bound, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads

Since neo-liberalism is a religion that demands total compliance, everyone must convert. Many have already willingly done so, and those that refuse will essentially be forced to through legislation such as the Security Clearance Improvement Act of 2021  that is if they want to work in government.

Eventually, this mandatory worship of the state in order to get or keep ones job will reach the private sector, which is already happening through critical race theory and other indoctrination programs that are infiltrating the corporate world.

The ultimate goal is to force all people everywhere to abide by one set of mandates, beliefs and truths, or else be canceled in every realm of life. The onset of this beast system is picking up speed with proposed legislation like this that sets the stage for mandatory adherence to the dictates of the Ministry of Truth.

This Democrat crimethink bill, as Revolver calls it, would blatantly prohibit anyone who believes, or even just has an association with someone who believes, conspiracy theories and false information about the United States Government.

These are the exact words pulled straight from the bill, revealing that it could soon be a thought crime to deviate in belief from whatever the government says is true at any given time.

Ironically enough, the Democrats pushing the bill are themselves guilty of believing in conspiracy theories, as many of them pushed the Russiagate hoax  and in some cases still to this day believe that Trump is a Russian spy.

The use of conspiracy theory as a censorship predicate to neutralize opposition narratives and political mobilization is nothing new.

What is new, and disturbing, is how the regime has incorporated its attack on opposition party conspiracy allegations into its broader project of labeling Trump supporters as de facto domestic terrorists and marshaling the full force of the national security state to destroy them.

More related news can be found at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

NaturalNews.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Homeless shelters announced for Staten Island in recent years have been met with opposition from vocal members of the community and elected officials, but sometimes its hard to fight City Hall.

The latest battle is shaping up between the city and Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) over a shelter site planned for his district.

Last week, the Department of Social Services-Department of Homeless Services (DSS-DHS) announced a shelter would be coming this fall to the site at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Steuben Street. A Stapleton site on Tompkins Avenue was also announced, and both drew negative reactions from some community members.

During a press conference last week outside the proposed Grasmere site -- which the city says will serve 50 women over age 50 and will be run by the non-profit Institute for Community Living -- Matteo said he and his staff had been researching possible opposition strategies, but admitted they had an uphill battle.

City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo opposes a plan announced by Mayor DiBlasio to convert a medical office at 1055 Hylan Boulevard in Grasmere into a 50-bed homeless shelter without any community notification or public discussion. Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

Im going to give it everything I have like I always do, Matteo, whos also running for borough president, said. Im not going to sit here and promise that we can stop it, but were going to do everything, everything we can, to do that.

MATTEO PUSHES ZONING ISSUE

The councilman started his pushback Thursday with a letter to the City Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA)  an entity that participates in land use, development, and construction regulation in the five boroughs.

In the letter, Matteo brought up the complex zoning history of the building and its lot at 1055 Hylan Blvd., which he believes disqualifies the site from being used as a homeless shelter.

According to city records, the building, constructed in 1986, has an estimated 4,250 square feet of floor space, and long housed doctors offices.

The building needed a special BSA permit, issued in 1983, that allowed for its construction in an R2-zoned district, usually reserved for single-family detached homes. In his letter, Matteo suggested that means any changes to the building are again subject to BSA approval.

I believe that this proposed use is not permitted under the local Zoning Resolution but given that this structure exists by virtue of a determination of the BSA, any changes to this sites use must again be subject to the BSAs review, he wrote. We cannot allow the BSAs jurisdiction to be circumvented.

This highlighted section of a city zoning map shows the district where a planned homeless shelter will be located. (Map Courtesy: Department of City Planning; Illustration: Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

CITY AGENCY RESPONDS

In response to Matteos call for a zoning review, the BSA told the Advance/SILive.com that there are currently no plans for the agency to review the project.

According to a BSA spokesman, in 2004 the city repealed the regulation that had originally required a special permit for building on the site, and the project is now being pursued as-of-right. The BSA doesnt take positions on those types of projects.

According to the Department of City Planning, as-of-right developments are compliant with existing zoning regulations, and only subject to a review from the Department of Buildings (DOB) to confirm zoning and building code compliance.

A City Environmental Quality Review, typically known as a CEQR, was also originally required for the building, which is owned by an LLC founded in 2003, according to state records. A representative for the LLC did not respond to a request for comment.

Typically, as-of-right developments dont require CEQRs.

DOES ZONING PERMIT THE SHELTER?

A spokesman for the DOB -- the agency that will review the sites zoning compliance -- said they had yet to receive applications for the buildings alteration, or for a new certificate of occupancy. The existing certificate still lists medical offices.

For that reason, the spokesman said that DOB could not comment on the specific project, but pointed to a section of the City Zoning Resolution that lists philanthropic or non-profit institutions with sleeping accommodations as an acceptable use in R2-zoned districts as community facilities.

He said that even if the project is filed under that use, it doesnt mean DOB will approve it. Homeless shelters arent specifically listed on the zoning regulation, and it lists three stipulations for the community facilities:

(1) may appropriately be located in residential areas to serve educational needs or to provide other essential services for the residents; or

(2) can perform their activities more effectively in a residential environment, unaffected by objectionable influences from adjacent industrial or general service uses; and

(3) do not create significant objectionable influences in residential areas.

Matteo took issue with the DOBs response.

This is a distinction without a difference, he said, Of course, sleep accommodations are permitted in a R2 residential zone. However, what is clearly not permitted is a high density, 50-family homeless facility.

Previously, a spokesperson for the city DSS-DHS said the site is planned for 50 homeless women over the age of 50, including those with mental health challenges.

Additionally, the section of the zoning regulation referenced by the DOB spokesman provides for other types of high-density housing.

For instance, college dorms are included in the same use group, but the regulation doesnt grant them as-of-right in R2 districts. Non-profits covered by the regulation cant have more than 50 central office employees, and no more than 25% of the facilitys floor space can be used for such purposes.

Matteo said he wants the proposal to be brought before the BSA, because that is the process that any developer seeking a non-conforming use for the site would have to follow, and the city should not be allowed to circumvent the law or pretend these restrictions just dont exist.

OTHER OPPOSITION UNDERWAY

In the case of the Stapleton homeless shelter also announced last week for 119 Tompkins Ave., City Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) has expressed opposition, but is taking a different approach.

The Stapleton site for a homeless shelter for men. (Steve White/For the Staten Island Advance)Steve White for the Staten Islan

She said the day after the city announced the unacceptable project that she spoke with DSS Commissioner Steve Banks, and the CEO of Samaritan Daytop Village, which will operate the Stapleton site, to secure a town hall meeting with the community in the near future.

Rose also took issue with the implications of siting the shelter, which will be for 100 adult men, in that part of the North Shore  the site, formerly the New York Foundling building, is in proximity to multiple schools and other social services.

Ahead of the possible community meeting, Rose said her focus is on exposing the hypocrisy of those who claim to want to remedy historic and systemic racial inequities while at the same time taking actions to perpetuate them.

Rose has recent experience dealing with the city on their siting of homeless shelters, and on a much larger scale.

Photo shows construction underway on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020 for a planned homeless shelter in Tompkinsville. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

A six-story shelter in Tompkinsville thats currently under construction will shelter approximately 500 people experiencing homelessness  mostly women and children. When it was announced in 2019, it drew immediate backlash.

Local politicians, including Borough President James Oddo and former Rep. Max Rose, pointed to other sites like a portion of the Bayley Seton Hospital campus as possible alternatives, and the community board threatened a lawsuit over portions of the city charter.

THE CITY WINS

According to the DSS-DHS, theres currently one shelter on Staten Island serving approximately 100 people, and that there are nearly 1,000 homeless Staten Islanders in need of shelter. The city usually identifies a homeless persons borough resident by their last known address.

Since the 1990s, homelessness has been on a consistent incline in New York City with the most significant increase starting under the former administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and continuing under Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The current mayors Turning the Tide initiative laid out a plan for 90 homeless shelters, of which the city says 44 have been constructed and identified 87 sites for future shelters.

Since the city doesnt need to engage with communities before siting shelters, elected officials and local leaders are often blindsided by their announcement.

In an effort to increase transparency, State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) and Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore) passed legislation that Gov. Andrew Cuomo ultimately signed requiring the city to notify the community before it sites homeless shelters.

However, the legislation doesnt take effect until the end of this year.

Had the law Assemblyman Fall and I authored been in effect already we would have had advance notification of the project, not finding out the same time as the press, Savino said last week.

Oddo, who first brought news of the two new shelters to the publics attention on March 16, said last week when the sites were announced that he understands frustrations, but as the current law stands, there isnt much that can be done.

He said that during meetings about the last homeless shelter city officials informed those present that when challenges are brought on the issue, they arent usually successful.

I get that folks dont like it and arent going to like it, he said. Despite what some have promised with lawsuits at other locations, the city wins.
Chinas Military Ban on Tesla: Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Chinas military ban on Tesla vehicles could be part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s recent tough diplomatic stance against the United States, and can also be used to limit Teslas expansion in China to boost local brands, according to two China experts.

A March 19 notice about Tesla vehicles being banned by Chinas army was circulated on Chinese social media, but soon got deleted.

It says, Upon inspection and actual testing, Tesla brand vehicles are found to be equipped with a series of technical devices such as omnidirectional cameras, ultrasonic sensors, etc. These devices can expose the location of the target. In order to ensure the absolute safety of military secrets, and to prevent potential threats, vehicles of this brand are prohibited from being driven into or parking at the [military] staff and family building compounds. We will also conduct routine inspection of vehicles inside the compounds and hope that every household will cooperate.

The Wall Street Journal confirmed that the Chinese regime is restricting the use of Tesla vehicles by military staff and employees of important state-owned enterprises. The data collection ability of the vehicles is the main concern and was reviewed as a national security threat, according to unnamed people familiar with the matter.

The source told The Wall Street Journal that Chinese officials believe that cameras in Tesla vehicles can record images and obtain data including when, how, and where the vehicles are being used, as well as the contact lists of mobile phones synced to them. Beijing is concerned that some data could be sent back to the United States.

A Tesla representative told Bloomberg that none of the in-car cameras in Teslas sold in China are turned on or part of the Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta trial and that Teslas privacy policies comply with national laws and local regulations in China.

Teslas CEO Elon Musk also responded to the security concern on March 20 at the China Development Forum. He said, If Tesla uses its cars to spy in China, were going to have to shut down and go out of business. So we have a strong motivation to ensure users privacy.

Current affairs commentator Shi Shan told The Epoch Times that the security concerns about Tesla are just an excuse for the CCP.

These Tesla features did not just become available now, and the so-called threat did not just emerge today. Why wasnt the Chinese Communist Party worried before? Why did the CCP only raise this issue now? It is obviously part of the CCPs recent tough diplomacy on display.

Industrial Copycats

Mike Sun, a private investment consultant in the United States, told The Epoch Times that the purpose of the CCP bringing in Tesla is just like what they did to the iPhone. They will use Tesla and Apple technology and industrial chains to support Chinas local manufacturing industry.

Tesla entering into the Chinese market has driven the development of Chinas local electric vehicle brands such as NIO, Li Xiang One, and XPeng (also Xiaopeng Motors). Now that these manufacturers have matured, the CCP does not want Tesla to continue to grow and expand.

According to Tencent, Hangzhou-based Geely Auto Group will soon launch a high-end electric car brand Zeekr to take on its major competitor Tesla.

As Teslas sales in China grow rapidly, Geelys move is aimed at fulfilling founder and chairman Li Shufus long-held ambition to build a Mercedes-like premium car to rival Tesla, the market leader in electric vehicles.

Geely wholly owns Volvo Cars and holds a 9.7 percent stake in Daimler.

According to Teslas filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Teslas revenue in China reached $6.662 billion last year, an annual increase of 123 percent, accounting for 21.12 percent of Teslas global revenue, second only to 48.22 percent in the U.S. market.

According to Geelys figures released on Jan. 6, Geelys total sales volume last year was 1.32 million cars, making it the best-selling Chinese passenger car brand for four consecutive years. However, Geelys new energy vehicles did not perform as well as expected, with a total sales of 68,000 last year, a plunge of nearly 40 percent from 2019.

In addition to Geely, NIO, Xiaopeng and Li Xiang One are also starting to close in on Tesla. Although the combined sales of these three electric car companies in China were only 19,000 units last December, still lower than Teslas performance of over 23,000 units, all three companies sales increased by more than 100 percent compared to the same period in 2019.

The New York Post reported on March 20 that although Tesla has made significant progress in China in recent years, with sales of more than 147,000 units in the country in 2020, the market will become increasingly competitive as local Chinese brands, such as NIO and Geely, continue to cut into the sales.
The Italian Prime Minister said Friday that Italy needs to react to the period of ''depression'' caused by the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that a year of national and regional lockdowns has caused a ''loss of interest in activities, work and future.''

Mario Draghi told reporters in Rome that his government, particularly the Ministry of Justice, is working on a plan to oblige health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Thursday, European Union leaders failed to settle a fight about the distribution of COVID-19 shots among the bloc, but pledged to strengthen vaccine export controls and production on EU soil amid a shortage of doses and spikes in new cases.

Draghi warned that it wasn't worth emphasizing ''blocking exports,'' instead, countries should focus on vaccine production, adding it will restore confidence among the population.

Draghi, an economist, who served for many years as President of the European Central Bank, spoke at length on the economic aspects of the pandemic saying that the economy needs to be injected with a strong economic stimulus package for the next six months.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Twenty additional Covid-related deaths have been confirmed this evening as a date has been confirmed for secondary students to return to school.

Of the deaths reported this evening, 11 occurred this month while three were in February and six in January.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) also reported 584 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

The youngest person to lose their life with the virus was 57 and the oldest was 91 years old.

Of the 584 cases reported today, the majority of the cases are located in Dublin with the capital accounting for 222 cases. There are 44 confirmed cases in Kildare, 33 in Offaly, 31 in Meath and 29 in Westmeath.

The remaining 225 cases are spread across 19 other counties.

For the 11th consecutive day, Offaly has the highest incidence rate in the county at 451.5.

The 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 has been steadily rising in the Offaly for the past nine days. The county has recorded 352 confirmed cases of the virus in the past two weeks.

The county with the second highest incidence rate is Donegal at 262.2 while the national incidence rate currently stands at 158.1.

Monaghan GP Illona Duffy says today's number of cases is concerning.

"We're really not seeing any reduction in the figures and there seems to be no shock or no real concern amongst the general public," said Dr Duffy.

"It's almost like we've become numb to these figures and we're not seeing anything wrong with the fact that they're not dropping.

The reality of it is that while we continue to have figures like this indicating that we really have a lot of community transmission of this virus, the risk is there that we are going to see those numbers rise and rise again.

As of this morning, there are 317 Covid-19 patients in hospitals around the country, of which 67 are in ICU.

The ICU figure is the lowest since January 3 and eight fewer than yesterday's total.

There have been 25 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

According to the latest vaccination data, 709,348 doses of Covid-19 vaccination have been administered up to March 23 - 515,800 people have received their first dose while 193,548 have received their second.

Remaining secondary students to return to school April 12

Picture: Larry Cummins

It has been confirmed the remaining secondary school students will return to school on April 12.

The Department of Education says 300,000 students will now attend in school classes from that date.

It marks the final phase in the government's plans to fully reopen schools, which have been closed since Christmas.

A Dublin GP says there is no evidence the reopening of schools has caused a rise of Covid cases.

Nphet yesterday reported Covid cases among children have increased by as much as 60% since February.

But Dr Ray Walley says the rise is because far more testing is being carried out.

"Our referral rate has greatly increased in younger children and young adults and there is no evidence that the positivity rate in the school setting has gone up," said Dr Walley.

"Certainly, the cumulative numbers have gone up but not the positivity rate."

The head of a parents group said she hopes society will "do the right thing" and keep schools open. One Family CEO Karen Kiernan says children need to be in the classroom.

Ms Keirnan said that children, parents and teachers desperately want to be back in the classroom and to make it work.

"We are really hoping that the rest of society and everyone will do the right thing so we can keep children in school."

'Protocols are crystal clear': Health minister responds to vaccination of private school teachers and creche workers

Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Health Minister said no private school should have received vaccines from a private hospital.

Stephen Donnelly was responding the Beacon Hospital's decision to give left over vaccines to 20 teachers and staff from St Gerards, a private school in Co Wicklow on Tuesday.

Creche workers at the Beacon were also administered left over vaccines.

Mr Donnelly said this afternoon, "The protocols are crystal clear on having a backup list of people available from the priority cohorts. We are prioritising our most vulnerable right now, as it should be."

The facility has apologised for distributing vaccines outside the HSE's sequencing guidelines.

Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE Dr Colm Henry said the priority list must be adhered to and acknowledged the frustration the public feel when such stories emerge.

Dr Henry said that the guidelines sent out to hospitals and vaccination centres in January made it clear that where there are doses left at the end of a vial, there must be a reserve list ready and that list must adhere to the hierarchy of the vaccine roll-out scheme.

Meanwhile, EU regulators announced today they will allow the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to be transported and stored in cooler temperatures to speed up its rollout.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says vials can be stored at temperatures between -25 to -15 degrees Celsius for a one-off period of two weeks.

It says reducing the need for ultra-low temperature storage throughout the supply chain will allow rapid distribution of the vaccine in the EU.

The EMA has also approved three new manufacturing sites to produce vaccines for AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.

2,700 fines issued by Gardai for house parties

Stock photo

Over 2,700 Covid fines have been given to people for attending or organising house parties.

Garda figures show almost 17,000 fines have been issued since they were introduced during the pandemic.

Over 12,000 were for non-essential travel, over 700 for journeys to airport or ports and almost 300 were issued for not wearing a face covering.

An Garda Siochana are reminding people that organising or attending house parties is not only a breach of regulations but also a risk to the health of those in attendance and their loved ones.

They said those individuals are putting everyone's health and recovery from the pandemic at risk.

To date, 554 people have been issued a 500 fine for organising a house party while 2,159 have received a 150 fine for attending one.

First arrivals subject to mandatory quarantine arrive in Ireland

Travellers boarding a bus at Dublin airport as part of Irelands mandatory quarantine regime Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine regime has come into place.

A total of 37 people are currently booked to arrive into the system over the next six days.

The first passengers to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine in Ireland arrived at The Crown Plaza Hotel in Santry having arrived through Dublin Airport.

A total of 76 people coming from countries deemed high risk have booked using the facilities since they launched on Tuesday.

Those arrivals are due over the space of more than two months. This is a seemingly low number given between February 8 and March 7, 4,172 people from those high-risk countries filled out a passenger locator form to say they would be arriving in Ireland.

The reduced number could be in part due to people not travelling because of mandatory quarantine or that people simply haven't booked their hotel stays yet.

The new measures come as the government is set to consider whether other restrictions can be eased.

The cabinet sub-committee will meet on Monday to decide whether the 5km travel rule can be eased, home construction can re-open, or any other measures can be relaxed.

Three days without a Covid-related death in NI

For the third day in a row there have been no Covid-related deaths in Northern Ireland.

The North's Department of Health figures show 181 people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

143 patients are being treated in hospital for the disease, with 13 in ICU.
The crate hauler blocking world trade in the Suez Canal is not the only watercraft holding up traffic.

On Thursday, a pink boat fell off its trailer and briefly blocked traffic on a Florida highway, generating comparisons to the ongoing blockage of the Suez Canal in viral social media posts.

The Orlando Sentinel first reported the story. According to the paper, the Florida Highway Patrol worked into the early hours of the morning to remove the boat from Interstate 10, where it blocked traffic for a short time.

The incident did not cause any injuries, but it did spark a number of comparisons to the ongoing incident at the Suez Canal.

"The boats have organised and are striking," Twitter user Katelyn Burns wrote over a picture of the pink boat blocking traffic.

Read more

"Ok, boats need to calm the f*** down," another user going by Fred Delicious wrote.

"The rogue Suez Canal tanker is inspiring copycat attacks," user Raphael Satter wrote.

The Suez Canal has been blocked since Tuesday, when a freighter, the Ever Given, got wedged in the canal. Excavators and tugboats have been working since then to free the freighter and restore the critical shipping lane.

Trade experts have warned that the blockage could have serious repercussions for world logistics that last for weeks. The problems at the canal are compounded by the ongoing shipping shortage caused by the coronavirus.

Mohab Mamish, the Egyptian president's advisor on seaports, offered an optimistic timetable on the freighter's removal, saying the canal would be open within the next 48 to 72 hours.

Earlier this week, the Suez Canal Authority announced that trade through the canal would be "temporarily suspended" until the vessel was cleared.

On Wednesday, the SCA permitted 13 ships to enter the canal from its northern end on the Mediterranean Sea, hoping the freighter would be cleared by the time the ships arrived. However, the freighter remained stuck, and the ships had to stop.

The ship is owned by a Japanese company, Shoei Kisen, and is working with local authorities to remedy the situation.

"We are extremely sorry for causing tremendous worry to the ships that are traveling or scheduled to travel in the Suez Canal, and all the related people," the company told The Associated Press.
CHATSWORTH, CA, March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire  Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: CVAT) (BERLIN: WTC) announced that Desmet Ballestra Group, CVATs strategic partner since 2010, has completed a sale agreement for Nano Reactor system with a bio-diesel refinery in South America and the Company anticipates to receive revenue of approximately $190,000 thousand dollars.

Technology Overview:

As an add-on to existing neutralization and pretreatment where Companys patented technology is able to reduce oil losses, the amount of caustic and acid required for neutralization. CVATs Biodiesel Nano Reactor is designed to use various feedstocks such as soy oil, canola oil, palm oil and tallow. Desmet Ballestra has developed an esterification technology enabling to process a wide range of high acidity feedstock, such as fatty acids distillate and acid olein's with desalted concentrated glycerol obtaining a neutral esterified oil suitable for biodiesel production, simultaneously, it allows to combine and use the lowest cost feedstock available to be processed through Biodiesel Nano Reactor. The quality of the biodiesel produced from low-grade feedstock utilizing Biodiesel Nano Reactor was found to be superior to the quality of biodiesel being produced utilizing conventional methods and technologies.

This purchase order marks our Companys second biodiesel system sale in South America and the aggregated value for this installation is approximately $190,000, said COO/CFO Neil Voloshin. Our Nano Reactor system provides the biodiesel processing industry with an innovative technology that allows producers in the region to benefit from use of multiple feedstocks, higher yields and improved productivity. We feel this second purchase order indicates the growing acceptance of our unique technology in South America and provides our Company with great business opportunities going forward.

About Cavitation Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 2007, the company designs and manufactures innovative flow-through devices and systems, as well as develops processing technologies for use in edible oil refining, renewable fuel production, water treatment, and alcoholic beverage enhancement. The company's patented Nano Reactor systems and various technologies have over 40 patents issued and filed both domestically and abroad. http://www.ctinanotech.com/

Follow us on Twitter for real time updates: https://twitter.com/CavitationTech

Like us on Facebook to receive live feed updates: https://www.facebook.com/ctinanotech

About Desmet Ballestra Group

The Desmet Ballestra Group provides engineering and supply of plants and equipment for the following industries worldwide:

Oils and Fats and Animal Feed

Detergents, Surfactants and related Chemicals

Oleochemical and Biodiesel

Desmet Ballestra's R&D Team is composed of professionals specialized in Oils and Fats, oleochemicals and chemical processes, using the most comprehensive set of technological resources and equipment. Controlled by Financiere DSBG, a holding company based in Paris, France, the Desmet Ballestra Group is present in all major market areas of the world through its integrated business units located in Northern and Central America (USA, Mexico), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia), Asia & Far East (PR China, Singapore, Malaysia), India and Europe (Belgium, Turkey, Russia, Spain). http://www.desmetballestra.com/

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, and include statements such as, the anticipated revenue of approximately $190,000, our intent to continue to focus on research and development, marketing and sales of our unique technology, our belief that our company is positioned for accelerated growth and the expected efforts to be made to enhance our shareholder's value. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, among others, the state of the economy, the competitive environment and our ability to perform the installation as anticipated and other factors described in our most recent Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. In light of these risks and uncertainties there can be no assurances that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will in fact transpire or prove to be accurate. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contact:

Jessica Steidinger

jessica@ctinanotech.com
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 13:24:20|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Dec. 24, 2020 shows the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

-- Biden's appearance was generally welcomed by the heads of state or government who hailed that "America is back," his attempt to revamp the transatlantic relationship will inevitably face uncertainties.



-- The two sides must overcome differences before they can smoothly work together, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.



by Xinhua writers Li Jizhi, Ren Ke

BRUSSELS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden resumed a disrupted tradition on Thursday night to join his counterparts in the European Union (EU) for policy alignment, as the latter met online to discuss a number of key issues, ranging from combating the COVID-19 pandemic, engaging with Turkey to the economic recovery and the role of the euro.

While Biden's appearance was generally welcomed by the heads of state or government who hailed that "America is back," his attempt to revamp the transatlantic relationship will inevitably face uncertainties, especially after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the two sides must overcome differences before they can smoothly work together.

NEW CHAPTER OR CLOCK BACK

Appearing in a video conference with the European leaders at the invitation of European Council President Charles Michel, Biden turned out to be the first U.S. president to show up at an EU summit in 11 years. His predecessor Donald Trump failed to attend any EU meeting, while Barack Obama and George W. Bush both joined their EU counterparts on such occasions.

Photo taken in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on March 25, 2021 shows a screen displaying U.S. President Joe Biden speaking during a press conference in Washington, D.C., in a live stream provided by Fox News. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"It was an opportunity for the president of the United States to express his vision about the future cooperation between the EU and the U.S., and it was also an opportunity for us, the EU, to express our strong commitment to this fundamental transatlantic alliance," said Michel at a press conference following the meeting.

During the virtual meeting, Biden reaffirmed his commitment to revitalizing transatlantic relations and called for close cooperation on common challenges, including combating COVID-19, tackling the threat of climate change and deepening economic ties, among other issues, according to a White House statement.

"More than ever now, the United States and the European Union have a responsibility for the generations to come as we know the decisions we can take together on subjects such as security, democracy, stability will have an impact for years to come," said Michel.

But the expectation for a rapid revitalization of the transatlantic partnership may have been dampened as Merkel insisted that the EU should learn to rely on its own. "This is about living what we call 'European sovereignty,'" she told a press briefing after Thursday's summit, referring to China policies of Europe and the United States.

She said she has been working hard to contribute to a common policy of the EU on China. "We have a lot in common with the U.S., but not identical. This is for sure," she added.

Finnish geopolitical analyst Markku Siira is among a number of observers who are skeptical about the U.S. true intentions. "When the United States say the democratic values are back on the agenda, they basically mean that Washington wants to turn back the clock to the 1990s, when they had this uni-polar position in global affairs," he told Xinhua on Friday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends the first-day meeting of the EU spring summit, March 25, 2021. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

"As Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said, the EU and the U.S. don't agree on everything, especially on China policy, I think this is the fundamental difference," said Siira. He said the EU would like to have more say in the world affairs, and set itself as an independent pole of influence, but it remains to be seen whether it will succeed.

Biden made his appearance after his State Secretary Antony Blinken wrapped up a three-day visit to Brussels on Thursday, in which he hoped to open a new chapter of transatlantic relations after four years of tensions under the Trump administration.

Despite a pledge to revitalize bilateral ties, the two sides failed to resolve some major and ongoing disputes, such as the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that aims to transport natural gas directly from Russia to Germany.

VARIANTS SPREAD VS VACCINE ROLL-OUT

Racing against time for more vaccines to contain the new COVID-19 variants remains top priority, both for the United States and for the EU.

"We were able to identify subjects that we will be focusing on together, of course COVID-19 is one of them and the need to guarantee vaccines and the supply chains as well," Michel said when explaining the transatlantic agenda at the virtual press conference late on Thursday.

In comparison to the United States and Britain, the European continent has suffered a slower-than-expected progress in the vaccination roll-out, mainly because of the limitations of the pharmaceutical companies' production capacity and supply chains.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and European Council President Charles Michel attend a press conference after the first-day meeting of the EU spring summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 25, 2021. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also blamed some companies' failure to honor their commitments for the vaccine shortage, and boasted that the EU is the biggest exporter of COVID-19 vaccines with 77 million doses sold to the rest of the world since Dec. 1, 2020.

She said on Thursday the 27 EU member states have received some 88 million doses of the vaccines and 62 million have been administered. Among those vaccinated, only 18.2 million, or around 4 percent of the EU population had fully received two jabs.

"We could have been much faster if all pharmaceutical companies had fulfilled their contracts," she said, with a clear reference to AstraZeneca. She warned that the Anglo-Swedish firm would have to "catch up" before it is allowed to export doses outside of the bloc.

In the first quarter of 2021, AstraZeneca was supposed to deliver 90 million doses to the EU countries. Now the projection is that AstraZeneca will deliver just 30 million doses by the end of the first quarter. Despite the delays in vaccine deliveries, von der Leyen said the EU is still confident of having 70 percent of its adult population vaccinated by the end of summer.

The United States has a better vaccination result, with 30 percent of the population having received at least one shot. But the superpower is often criticized for hoarding up COVID-19 medicines or vaccines for its own use. In February, von der Leyen said the United States and Britain had systems in place that effectively blocked the export of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Reuters.

At the summit on Thursday, the EU leaders agreed to increase the production of vaccines in Europe to improve the roll-out of vaccination programs across member states. "It's absolutely vital, of course, that we keep on working to improve vaccine production in Europe, and improve our ability to distribute those to member states," Michel told a press conference.

Von der Leyen said the variant first detected in Britain was now in "practically all EU countries" and was the cause of the increase in new cases. 
Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Senik held a meeting with Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reports.

Dmytro Senik expressed his gratitude to Pier Francesco Zazo for Italy's support of the recent G7 statement condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The parties discussed cooperation between Ukraine and Italy in digitalization, trade and investment.

The deputy minister noted the significant potential for the implementation of joint projects on e-governance and digital services. The parties agreed to consider the possibility of holding Ukrainian-Italian talks in the field of digitalization.

The diplomats paid particular attention to increasing the volume of bilateral trade and investment. Senik invited Italian business to take part in the privatization of facilities in Ukraine and develop investment projects in our country, in particular in transport and energy.

As a reminder, in 2020, the trade turnover between Ukraine and Italy amounted to USD 4056.7 million. Export was USD 1931.1 million and import - USD 2125.6 million.

In January-February 2021, bilateral trade amounted to USD 662.5 million (+17.4% compared to the same period last year). Export amounted to USD 383.95 million, while import - USD 278.54 million. The positive balance for Ukraine was USD 105.41 million.

ish
Russia must abide by the ceasefire in Donbas, take a constructive part in peace negotiations, and end its aggression in Ukraine.

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine wrote this on its Twitter account on March 26.

We are deeply saddened by the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers today due to shelling near Shumy, Donetsk region. Russia must observe ceasefire measures, end daily violence that is causing senseless suffering, engage constructively in peace negotiations, and end its aggression in Ukraine, the tweet says.

On March 26, the armed formations of the Russian Federation opened fire from 82mm mortars, automatic easel grenade launchers and heavy machine guns on Ukrainian positions near Shumy (41km north of Donetsk). As a result of the shelling, four Joint Forces servicemen were killed and two were wounded. The wounded soldiers were promptly given first aid and taken to a hospital.

ish
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) prepares to review the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops from a car during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2015. (Wang Zhao/Pool/Getty Images)

Lack of Military Parade for 100th Anniversary of CCP Could Mean Xi Is Facing Internal Criticism

Analysis

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently announced that there will be no military parade for the CCPs centennial celebration on July 1 this year, despite regime leader Xi Jinping having held five military parades since he took office.

On March 23, Wang Xiaofei, deputy minister of the Publicity Department of the CCP, announced the arrangements for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP, which includes eight activities such as celebration rallies and education on the CCPs history. However, the activities did not include a military parade.

Afterward, Li Jun, assistant director of the Political Work Department of the CCPs Central Military Commission (CMC), also clearly stated that no military parade was scheduled for the event.

Xis Celebration Without Military Parade Is Anomaly

Previously, the CCP never hold military parades to celebrate the partys anniversary. It held a ceremony to celebrate each 10th anniversary. Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, however, this practice was changed, and Xi held a ceremony to celebrate the partys 95th anniversary in 2016.

So far, Xi has held five military parades, including the 70th anniversary of the victory in the war of resistance against Japan in 2015 and the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CCPs military in 2017.

On Feb. 1, Xi said explicitly at a symposium for non-CCP personages that he would celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP in a momentous way. It was widely believed that there would be a military parade at the anniversary, because a military parade is an event that carries the highest military honor.

Therefore, when the CCP officially announced that there would be no military parade for the celebration, it drew international attention.

Facing Great Pressure, Xi was Forced to Cancel the Military Parade

Xi has been forced to cancel the military parade, which is a sign of him showing a white flag, according to U.S.-based China expert and current affairs commentator Li Yanming. There are three reasons for this.

First, the CCP is in a tense military confrontation with its neighboring countries and regions. Additionally, it has been in a passive situation after the high-level Alaska talks with the United States. The CCP is worried that the military parade will irritate the United States and other Western countries.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Japan, South Korea, India, and other countries not long ago, openly releasing signals to unite allies and contain the CCP. The CCP is also facing pressing and difficult issues in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the Diaoyu Islands (or Senkaku Islands, as Japan calls them), and the Korean Peninsula. If the CCP holds a military parade again, it is bound to anger the United States and its allies.

Secondly, the military parade may aggravate the spread of the pandemic in the CCPs military. The CCP virus has been ravaging the world for more than a year now, and the Chinese regime has been trying to cover up the pandemic in China, and the true picture of its military epidemic is highly classified. A large-scale military parade will undoubtedly aggravate the risk of the spread of the virus within the military. Against the backdrop of an escalating military crisis, the Chinese regime dare not and cannot afford this major risk.

Thirdly, the military parade will be a political risk for Xi, as internal political struggles in the CCP escalate among its top echelons. Next year is the 20th National Congress of the CCP, and the internal struggle among its top factions is greater than ever before. Against the above background of internal and external difficulties, Xis military parade would not only face uncontrollable diplomatic and military risks, but would also provide his political enemies with opportunities to make trouble or even a coup detat, which would directly threaten Xis reelection and senior personnel layout.

Last December, sources close to Beijings top brass told The Epoch Times that Xi Jinping had deviated from Deng Xiaopings policy of hiding Chinas capabilities and biding time, and had been overly ambitious, prematurely revealing the CCPs ambition to rule the world, attracting strong resistance and sanctions from the United States. As a result, Xi was severely criticized within the CCP, and some senior early-generation leaders even asked him to step down.

Xis Top Counselor Reveals Inside Story

Jin Chanrong, director of the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University, known as Xis top counselor, publicly disclosed Xis ambitions and conspiracies for hegemony over the United States back in 2016.

In July 2016, Jin gave a lecture titled Sino-U.S. Strategic Philosophy at the Southern Club Hotel in Guangzhou. In the lecture, he said that Xi Jinpings goal is very clear, and that it is national rejuvenation  Now that surpassing Britain has been realized, what is left for us is to catch up with the United States.

Jin explained that surpassing Britain and catching up with the United States meant that we have achieved equal status with the United States in this generation, and the task of the next generation is to have the United States under our governance.

I believe that for General Secretary Xi, national rejuvenation means to surpass Britain and catch up with the United States, Jin said.

In recent years, Xi has repeatedly talked about building a community with a shared future for mankind and global governance system, which are expressions found in official CCP propaganda reports. Xi declared at the recently concluded CCPs two sessions that the Chinese regime now can view the world head up. These remarks resonate with Jins words above.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
They stress they are not looking to jump the queue in terms of the vaccination roll out, but Gardai say that as frontline workers some priority must be given to them in the current rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations.

And, Gardai in Sligo/Leitrim have given an example of how vulnerable they feel in policing Covid-19 legislation when trying to impose restrictions at a recent funeral of a member of the Travelling community in Carrick-on-Shannon.

In a letter from the Garda Representative Association in Sligo/Leitrim to its executive in Dublin, local representative, Garda Raymond Wims outlined the situation which its members faced in trying to police the funeral and other similar events.

"Gardai are directed to police large funerals during the Level 5 lockdown where there are up on 300 persons present, the majority not wearing facemasks and not complying with social distancing guidelines.

"Gardai policing these funerals have nothing in the form of health-related PPE other than a facemask and gloves to protect them from the large crowds who will not comply with the health guidelines or directions given to them by the Gardai.

"The latest event was the pre-planned large funeral on March 11 in Carrick-on- Shannon, where there were up to 300 Travellers present at the cemetery.

"After the funeral, 200 members of the Travelling community, the majority having travelled from the UK the previous day, not wearing face masks arrived on foot at a Garda checkpoint which was manned by four uniformed Garda officers.

"This checkpoint was set up to prevent the funeral attendees from going to a large marquee at a halting site which was stocked with thousands of bottles of alcohol.

"These 200 travellers refused to comply with the direction of the Gardai and charged at the Gardai on the checkpoint.

"The members were completely outnumbered. Is this situation for four members of An Garda Siochana acceptable in 2021 during a Global Pandemic?

"A public statement issued by Garda management that a follow-up investigation will proceed and that fixed charge penalty notices will issue, provides no comfort whatsoever to these frontline Gardai who finish their shifts and must go home to their families and sometimes vulnerable loved ones, having come into high risk of contracting Covid19.

"Gardai have to decontaminate their uniforms after policing these events.

"However, no decontamination facilities are provided in any Garda stations in the Sligo/Leitrim Division and Gardai have no option other than to take their contaminated uniforms into their homes and domestic laundry for decontamination."

Garda Wims outlined how those travelling to these funerals are exempt under the regulations and the Minister must be questioned by the GRA on these perceived loopholes in the regulations.

Garda Wims also stated that there has been a fraying of relationships between the public and the Gardai.

"The public in this division perceive An Garda Siochana to permit large funerals of the Travelling community but enforce zero tolerance when manning Garda checkpoints and stop a motorist exceeding the 5km from home rule for the general public.

"It is the member of the GRA on the frontline who receives the wrath of the public's blame in these instances," he said.

All local TDs have been written to by the Sligo/Leitrim Division of the GRA seeking better priority in the vaccination rollout.

Frontline members of An Garda Siochana have currently been allocated to group ten of the vaccination programme by the national immunisation advisory committee.

"I absolutely understand the need to medically prioritise the elderly, vulnerable and frontline healthcare staff with vaccinations, but equally it must be a national priority to ensure that the operational Garda force remains effective, particularly now as we see the new Covid variants rampaging across the country.

"As you appreciate, Garda frontline members do not have the option of working from home, or within covid secure offices.

"The challenge of the policing environment regarding safeguarding against the risk of contamination must be considered," said Garda Wims in a letter to local TDs.

"I am calling on you as an elected member of Dail Eireann for this constituency to do your best to convince the Minister for Health, N.I.A.C. and government on this issue.

"The public expects Gardai to put themselves in harm's way to protect their community and I believe that it is only fair to expect that these same Gardai get prioritised for vaccination.

"The public need a police force that are immune and cannot be a risk of becoming super spreaders of the virus," said Garda Wims in his letter.
STAMFORD  True crime is coming to Stamford this spring. But only the fictional kind.

Netflix is moving into Stamford this April to film murder thriller The Good Nurse, featuring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain.

Stamford turning into a film set means more than movie stars walking down Washington Boulevard. The casting agency is looking for paid extras to play everyday pedestrians.

But theres also a twist: the team wants contortionists, sword swallowers, and circus performers, too.

Redmayne will play prolific serial killer Charles Cullen  a nurse who confessed to murdering 40 patients in hospitals across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some experts estimate that Cullen actually killed more than 300 people, making him the most prolific serial killer in modern history.

Bringing Hollywood sensibilities to the Nutmeg State comes with sizable economic benefits, according to Thomas Madden, Stamfords director of economic development.

Most of the money comes into the hotel rooms and restaurants  local things like that, Madden said.

Netflix doesnt cut Stamford a check to film in the City that Works, Madden explained, but it keeps the hotels downtown full and brings more people to local restaurants, which is especially helpful while recovering from an economic downturn.

To lure in entities like Netflix, the state of Connecticut provides production companies with tax credits and exemptions enacted in 2006. Films can receive up to 30 percent in tax credits for filming in Connecticut, a perk that is only sweetened by proximity to New York.

People are starting to realize its much easier to film here. And our (tax) credits are just as good, Madden said.

Connecticut is attractive for production companies because of its geographic location and diversity of environments, said George Norfleet, director of the state Office of Film, Television, and Digital Media.

Connecticut has a lot of various looks within a concise area. You have rolling countryside, you have cityscapes, you have beach properties, Norfleet said.

Cities like Stamford and Bridgeport can serve as stand-ins for New York City, whereas Lifetime movies sometimes post up in the suburbs near Hartford. For The Good Nurse, downtown Stamford will become tri-state neighbor New Jersey.

Filming isnt new to Stamford.

Raunchy NBC talk shows like the Maury Povich Show, Judge Jerry, and the Steve Wilkos Show all film in Stamfords Rich Forum. The Jerry Springer Show filmed in Stamford until 2018. The Peoples Court  a Warner Bros daytime reality show  also films at the Rich Forum.

On an even larger scale, ITV America  the production company behind shows like Queer Eye, the Real Housewives of New Jersey and Cake Boss  plans to open its South End headquarters this spring.

But its not just reality TV in Stamford. Dozens of movies have been shot in the city dating back to the 1930s. Revered director Elia Kazan shot Boomerang!  a courtroom drama about U.S. Attorney General Homer Cummings (who was once the citys mayor)  almost entirely in Stamford.

[I]t wasnt an oddity to run into Dana Andrews, one of the stars of the movie, in a local restaurant, or to see other stars on the street, wrote longtime Stamford Advocate columnist Don Russell in 2007.

More recently, there was the Oscar-nominated movie Revolutionary Road, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and romantic comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic. Showtime drama The Big C posted up in Shippan in 2010.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
Keenan Mundine was 14 when he first went to jail for breaking into a car and stealing a laptop.

'I was placed in a dorm with 30 other boys and there were nine- and 10-year-old boys in there that had been there for months,' the 34-year-old said.

'Some of them couldn't even read or write. None of them got visits from their parents.'

The Wakka Wakka and Birpai man grew up on The Block in Sydney's Redfern, an experience he describes as 'f***ing horrible'.

Mr Mundine (left) turned his life around and founded Aboriginal community-led charity Deadly Connections with his wife Carly (right)

'There were no doors, windows smashed, rats and cockroaches everywhere, abandoned buildings, people shooting up in my backyard while I'm playing on my trampoline, people overdosing, people getting stabbed,' Mr Mundine said.

'It was all normal to me.'

Mr Mundine's parents died by the time he was seven and he was separated from his siblings.

His arrest at 14 marked the beginning of years-long involvement with the youth justice system.

'I was homeless, I had no job, I had no parents, I had no one responsible for me and they just opened the gate after me serving my time and took me back out to the wolves,' Mr Mundine said.

Keenan Mundine (pictured) has been advocating for years to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14, in line with most international jurisdictions.

Poll Do you think the age of criminal responsibility should change? Yes - 10 is too young No - they know what they're doing Do you think the age of criminal responsibility should change? Yes - 10 is too young 15 votes

No - they know what they're doing 210 votes Now share your opinion





'All I knew was what community taught me to do and that was take things that didn't belong to me because I needed them.'

Mr Mundine turned his life around and founded Aboriginal community-led charity Deadly Connections with his wife Carly.

He has been advocating for years to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14, in line with most international jurisdictions.

Across Australia, children as young as 10 can be arrested by police, remanded in custody, convicted by the courts and jailed.

It is estimated almost 600 children aged between 10 and 13 were in custody last financial year. More than 60 per cent were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Keenan Mundine (left) first went to jail for breaking into a car and stealing a laptop at the age of 14

Cheryl Axleby, co-chair of the Aboriginal-led justice coalition Change the Record, said discriminatory laws and policing is to blame for the over-representation of Indigenous youth in the criminal justice system

'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more likely to be stopped by police, arrested and charged instead of cautioned, and locked up on remand instead of being released on bail,' she said.

The earlier a child is driven into the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to stay in it, she added.

'When we lock up children as young as 10, it's not just a prison sentence, it's a life sentence.'

Rodney Dillon, a Palawa elder from Tasmania and Indigenous rights advisor for Amnesty International, agrees.

'Living in that system doesn't address the issues that the kids have got. All it does is make the kids worse,' he said.

Mr Dillion said children under 14 who end up in custody are more likely to skip school, have an undiagnosed disability, suffer from underlying trauma and come from a poor family.

Mr Mundine (pictured) grew up on The Block in Sydney's Redfern, an experience he describes as 'f***ing horrible'

'We know that poverty, poor housing and the criminal justice system all live together. Why don't we address all three issues?' Mr Dillon said.

'All we do, because it's simple, is lock kids up.'

Mick Creati, paediatrician and senior fellow at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, said children under 14 are yet to develop the ability to control impulses or foresee the consequences of their actions.

'We are criminalising children as young as 10 for behaviours that are explained by their immature brain development, disability, mental illness and/or trauma,' Dr Creati said.

Children under 14 brought before court are presumed to be 'doli incapax', meaning they don't have the capacity to commit crime because they lack a guilty mind. But young people can spend months in remand during the legal argument.

In January, more than 30 United Nations member states, including Canada, France and Germany, called on Australia to raise the age.

Australia's Council of Attorneys-General agreed to consider raising the age to 14, and has been examining alternatives to imprisonment.

Last year ACT became the first jurisdiction to commit to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 and called on other states and territories to follow.

Pressure is mounting in Victoria, where a national-first inquiry into the historic and ongoing injustices committed against Indigenous people has been established and a number of discriminatory laws have been abolished.

The Greens have introduced a bill to the upper house to raise the age but both major parties said they wouldn't support it.

'Tackling the root causes of youth offending is our first priority,' a Victorian government spokesperson told AAP, pointing to a youth justice plan aiming to provide better outcomes for young people.

AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY AROUND THE WORLD * Australia - 10 * Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland - 12 * Germany, Italy, Spain - 14 * Denmark, Greece, Norway, Sweden - 15 * Portugal - 16 * Brazil, Uruguay - 18 Advertisement

On Wednesday, the attorneys-general are set to meet for the first time this year, although the federal government's expected ministerial reshuffle may cause a delay and it's unclear if raising the age will be on the agenda.

For Michael Kennedy, a former NSW Police detective who works at the University of Western Sydney, raising the age alone is not enough.

'There is no use lifting the age of criminal responsibility to 14 if nothing is going to be done about unemployment, drug and alcohol problems, sexual assault, domestic violence,' he said.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said the average daily number of young people in custody in the 2019/20 financial year was the lowest since 2002.

Mr Mundine said the cost of inaction was grave.

'The ripple effect of not raising the age of criminal responsibility is going to be another 50 years of undoing trauma,' he said.

'I try to remain positive and optimistic and hopeful. Because I've proved them wrong in terms of how they measured me ... and where I'd end up.'
(Natural News) A report declassified last Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security is raising serious concerns about the possibly illegal involvement by the intelligence community in U.S. domestic political affairs.

(Article republished from Greenwald.Substack.com)

Entitled Domestic Violent Extremism Poses Heightened Threat in 2021, the March 1 Report from the Director of National Intelligence states that it was prepared in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Securityand was drafted by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with contributions from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Its primary point is this: The IC [intelligence community] assesses that domestic violent extremists (DVEs) who are motivated by a range of ideologies and galvanized by recent political and societal events in the United States pose an elevated threat to the Homeland in 2021. While asserting that the most lethal of these threats is posed by racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) and militia violent extremists (MVEs), it makes clear that its target encompasses a wide range of groups from the left (Antifa, animal rights and environmental activists, pro-choice extremists and anarchists: those who oppose capitalism and all forms of globalization) to the right (sovereign citizen movements, anti-abortion activists and those deemed motivated by racial or ethnic hatreds).

The U.S. security state apparatus regards the agenda of domestic violent extremists as derived from anti-government or anti-authority sentiment, which includes opposition to perceived economic, racial or social hierarchies. In sum, to the Department of Homeland Security, an extremist is anyone who opposes the current prevailing ruling class and system for distributing power. Anyone they believe is prepared to use violence, intimidation or coercion in pursuit of these causes then becomes a domestic violent extremist, subject to a vast array of surveillance, monitoring and other forms of legal restrictions:

Department of Homeland Security report, Mar.1, 2021

It goes without saying that violence of any kind  including that which is politically motivated  is a serious crime under U.S. law, and it is the proper role of the U.S. Government to investigate and prevent it. But there are real and important legal and institutional limits on the authority of the intelligence community to involve itself in domestic law enforcement, or other forms of domestic political activity, that seem threatened here, if not outright violated.

In particular, the Reports acknowledgement that it was compiled by institutions including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with contributions from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has alarmed numerous members of the House Intelligence Committee. On Thursday, all ten minority members of that Committee wrote a previously unreported letter to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to raise serious concerns about the production of this document by the Intelligence Community (IC) and to seek clarification of the facts related to its production.

Among the issues raised was that the DHS Report was not subject to the standard rigors of an intelligence community finding, yet continually makes sweeping claims that it prefixes with the authoritative phrase the IC assesses. The Committee members found this to be misleading, adding: we urge you to clarify which elements in the IC concurred with this judgement and the intelligence basis, if any, for that concurrence. In other words, Haines claims that these dubious assertions about various threats faced by Americans are the findings of the intelligence community when that is not true: just like the originally false claim widely spread by the media that all seventeen intelligence agencies endorsed the 2016 election findings about Russian interference when, in fact, it was only a few which had done so. Haines claims have support only from a few agencies as well.

But the more substantive danger is the role played by the CIA and other intelligence agencies in the domestic politics of the U.S., all in the name of fighting domestic terrorism (similar dangers were previously created by the Bush and Obama administrations in the name of fighting international terrorism). As the committee members letter details:

The Intelligence Committee members, citing the fact that the intelligence community is subject to longstanding prohibitions against domestic activities, then demanded answers to a series of questions based on this substantive concern:

Involvement of the intelligence community in the domestic activities of U.S. citizens is one of the most dangerous breaches of civil liberties and democratic order the U.S. Government can perpetrate. It was after World War II when the CIA, the NSA and other security state agencies that wield immense and unlimited powers in the dark were created in the name of fighting the Cold War. Legal and institutional prohibitions on wielding that massive machinery against the American public were central to the always-dubious claim that this security behemoth that operates completely in the dark was compatible with democracy. As the ACLU noted, in its 1947 charter, the CIA was prohibited from spying against Americans, in part because President Truman was afraid that the agency would engage in political abuse.

Since then, Trumans fear has been realized over and over. Some of the worst post-WW2 civil liberties abuses have been the result of breaches by the CIA and other agencies of this prohibition. As the ACLU documents, the CIA in the 1960s was caught infiltrating and manipulating numerous domestic political activist groups. Under the auspices of the War on Terror, entire new bureaucracies (such as the Department of Homeland Security) and new legal regimes (such as the Patriot Act and the FISA Amendments Act) were designed to erode these long-standing limitations by dramatically increasing surveillance powers aimed at U.S. citizens. And by design, the infiltration of these security state agencies in U.S. domestic politics has dramatically escalated.

As the first War on Terror was escalating, The Washington Post  under the headline CIA Is Expanding Domestic Operations  reported in October, 2002, that The Central Intelligence Agency is expanding its domestic presence, placing agents with nearly all of the FBIs 56 terrorism task forces in U.S. cities. The Post added that in the name of that War on Terror:

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III recently described the new arrangement as his answer to MI5, Britains internal security service. Unlike the CIA, MI5 is empowered to collect intelligence within Britain and to act to disrupt domestic threats to British national security. It goes some distance to accomplishing what the MI5 does, Mueller told a House-Senate intelligence panel last week in describing the new CIA role in the FBI task forces.

In the years following, two NSA whistleblowers  William Binney and Edward Snowden  both cited their horror over the turning of the surveillance machinery against American citizens as the reason for their decision to denounce their agency. One of the aspects that most disturbed me about the Russiagate conspiracy theory from the start was that it was created and disseminated by the CIA and related agencies with the intent, first, to alter the outcome of the 2016 election, and then to undermine the elected president with whom they were at war. Shortly before Trumps inauguration, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) went on The Rachel Maddow Show to warn  or more accurately: threaten  Trump that the CIA would destroy his presidency if he continued to criticize or otherwise oppose them:

It is encouraging to see Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee starting to express serious concerns over the dangers of intelligence community involvement in domestic politics. That is underscored by their approving citation to the mild mid-1970s reforms of the intelligence community ushered in by the Senates Church Committee, once primarily a liberal cause. Indeed, many of the same House Republicans who wrote this important letter to the DNI have in the past supported laws that allow greater involvement of the CIA, NSA and other agencies in activities on U.S. soil  including the Patriot Act.

The head of the Church Committee, Sen. Frank Church (D-ID), made clear in his iconic quote on Meet the Press in 1975 that those reforms were primarily motivated by fears that the U.S. Government would one day turn its vast intelligence powers onto the American people, rendering core civil liberties an illusion:

In the need to develop a capacity to know what potential enemies are doing, the United States government has perfected a technological capability that enables us to monitor the messages that go through the air. () We must know, at the same time, that capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left: such is the capability to monitor everythingtelephone conversations, telegrams, it doesnt matter. There would be no place to hide.

(That quote from Sen. Church was the first one that appeared in my 2014 book on the NSA reporting I did with Edward Snowden, and the title of that book, No Place to Hide, was a nod toward Churchs chilling warning, now come true).

As I have been repeatedly noting over the last two months, the Biden administration, along with leading Democrats such as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), have been stating explicitly that one of their top priorities is the adoption of new laws designed to import the Bush/Cheney/Obama War on Terror onto U.S. soil for domestic purposes. As recently as February 14, The Washington Post  under the headline: The agency founded because of 9/11 is shifting to face the threat of domestic terrorism  noted that Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is now demanding that homeland security resources be re-directed toward domestic extremists, and lawmakers of both parties spoke favorably of new legislation to specifically address domestic terrorism.

Nobody from the Biden administration or Congressional members demanding enactment of Schiffs proposed new domestic terrorism law can identify any activities that are not now criminal that they believe ought to be. Unless it is to permit intelligence agencies to start policing constitutionally protected speech and associational activities among U.S. citizens, why are any new laws needed? Unless it is to empower them to escalate their already-aggressive use of War on Terror tactics against U.S. citizens, what do they want security state agencies to be able to do on U.S. soil that they cannot now do?

But just as the fear of international terrorism was constantly inflated to place such questions off limits when it came to the War on Terror, and just as critics of the excesses of the first War on Terror were constantly accused of downplaying the threat of Islamic extremism if not harboring outright sympathy for it, the same tactics are being used now. Anyone raising civil liberties concerns about what is being done in the name of combating domestic extremism is vilified as ignoring and even supporting such domestic extremism.

No matter: there are few dangers more acute than the weaponization of these security state instruments against U.S. citizens for political ends. The DNI should provide full, complete and truthful answers to the important questions posed by these Intelligence Committee members, and should do so promptly. The evidence of growing incursions by the intelligence community in U.S. domestic politics is already strong and ample, and further incursions would be both dangerous and illegal.

Read more at: Greenwald.Substack.com and DomesticTerrorism.com.
The leader of Burma's ruling junta called Russia a "true friend" during a speech marking Armed Forces Day, as security forces in the Southeast Asian country reportedly killed scores of people in the bloodiest day of protests since last months coup.

The lethal crackdown, which took place on March 27 as Russia's deputy defense minister visited the country to improve relations, drew swift international condemnation.

The United Nations said it had received reports of scores killed, including children, in what it described as shocking violence. It said there were mass arrests and hundreds were also injured in at least 40 towns and cities. The Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which documents deaths and arrests, put the number of deaths by late evening at 91, spread over many cities and towns.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Vajda in a statement said "security forces are murdering unarmed civilians, including children.

This bloodshed is horrifying. These are not the actions of a professional military or police force," he said.

Myanmars people have spoken clearly: they do not want to live under military rule, he said, using another name for Burma.

The European Unions delegation to the Southeast Asian country described the day as one of terror and dishonor.

The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions on Burmese officials linked to the coup and the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

The bloodletting came as Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin attended the Armed Forces Day military parade after meeting the junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the day before.

During a March 26 meeting, Russia offered support for the military regime, according to Interfax.

Defense ties between Russia and Burma have grown in recent years, with Moscow providing training and selling arms.

Fomin called Burma a reliable ally and strategic partner of Russia in Asia, Interfax said.

"The Russian Federation is committed to a strategy aimed at bolstering relations between the two countries," the Defense Ministry quoted Fomin as saying, according to Interfax.

Fomin said his visit to Burma was reciprocal after Min Aung Hlaing attended Russias parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of victory in the World War II last year.

Armed Forces Day in Burma commemorates the start of the military's resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945.

Diplomats said eight countries -- Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand -- sent representatives, but Russia was the only one to send a minister to the parade.

Burmas military seized power on February 1 in a coup that ousted the elected government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained along with other figures from her National League for Democracy party. The coup reversed years of the country gradually emerging from a half-century of military rule.

The junta leaders say last Novembers elections, won by Suu Kyis party in a landslide, were fraudulent.

Widespread protests against the junta have been met with a harsh crackdown, with more than 2,600 people arrested and the latest violence set to bring the number of deaths to over 400 since the coup.

With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, Interfax, and Reuters
NORWALK  Over the year, schools have placed importance on the social and emotional education of students in addition to academics. And Friday marked a particular celebration of this for National Social Emotional Learning week.

It became clear how vital it was to teach students how to identify and cope with their emotions when the coronavirus pandemic hit and young children started dealing with issues that challenged even adults.

Norwalk Public Schools said students across the district celebrated social emotional learning this week by using art to discuss their emotions. According to a district spokesperson, teachers spent the day incorporating art into their classes and having students express their feelings through poetry, songwriting, dance role-playing, mindfulness activities, deep breathing and stretching activities.

Students at Marvin Elementary School especially have been focused on these activities. They spent the day Friday drawing, playing games and listening to music to get in touch with their emotions. But Principal Sue-Ellen OShea said this sort of work is incorporated year-round. At the start of this school year, the site director for Marvin Elementary School got a grant to help teachers help students with their social emotional learning.

The school also partnered with the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County on how to embed social emotional learning into the classroom. Students often take brain breaks and use stress reduction techniques throughout the school day, OShea said.

Weve been trying to work on that emotional piece of the child, she said. Thats a piece that makes up the whole child themselves. When we focus on test scores, were not looking at the whole child.

While Friday started off with schoolwide belly breathing and similar coordinated activities, OShea said these sorts of activities are usually part of a regular day in Marvin classrooms. OShea said teachers often play piano music during class time to promote stress reduction.

For National Social Emotional Learning week, the school just did more coordinated and SEL-dedicated activities. One classroom read a book about the heart and came up with things that made them feel good about themselves, while others played emotions hokey-pokey.

OShea said the schools parent-teacher organization led a presentation from the Boston Symphony Orchestra for students to listen to and draw pictures of how it made them feel. The day ended with a schoolwide meditation.

Today focused predominantly on being able to name your emotions, OShea said. What were focusing on is what to do helping students regulate emotions, what to do when you see someone getting excited, upset or frustrated. Its trying to see whats happening as its happening and what you can do to stop it from continuing.

Overall, the day was enjoyable for students and staff, OShea said.

Its so good to see people smiling and feeling very relaxed, she said. Thats a big piece of what school is all about, making sure people are happy.

erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com
A sex worker found to be in possession of thousands of depraved child abuse images has been jailed for three years.

Bruno Binda De Souza, also known as Bruna Meirelles, (31) a transgender Brazilian woman, said she was introduced to child pornography by a client while using the drug crystal meth.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard De Souza is married to an Irish man but has let her application to remain in Ireland lapse and will be deported when her sentence finishes.

De Souza, formerly of Brabazon Hall, Cork Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession child pornography on a Mac Book and three iPhones, five counts of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on three dates between December 2017 and July2020.

The court heard the production counts refer to the production of text documents in the form of messaging conversations in which child sexual activity was discussed between De Souza and other parties. Illegal images of children were also shared by De Souza via WhatsApp.

Detective Garda Martin Allen told the court some of the child abuse images found were unique in that gardai working the Cyber Crime division had not come across them before.

Judge Martin Nolan said the accused had been in possession of thousands of depraved images of child pornography

He noted that she was engaged in prostitution and it seemed one of her clients encouraged her to look at this material. He said after being introduced she became interested and downloaded significant amounts of the material and engaged in text conversations and the exchange of images.

Judge Nolan said that she had no previous convictions and co-operated with the gardai in handing over passwords. He noted she is getting on well in prison and seems well capable of reform. He took into account the challenges she had faced in life.

Judge Nolan said he accepted crystal meth can affect people's behaviour but said she knew what she was doing was wrong. He noted she had offended on three different dates.

I don't think she is a bad person but she committed serious offences and the court must punish her for her misbehaviour, said Judge Nolan. He imposed a three year sentence, backdated to when she went into custody.

Additional evidence

Det Gda Allen told Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, that there were a number of searches of De Souza's residence, the first in September 2018 in which a computer and phone were seized. A second search took place in August 2019 and another phone was seized. In July 2020 a third phone was seized and De Souza presented herself to a garda station where she handed over passwords.

The equipment was analysed and 41 category one images of child sex abuse were found on the computer

The three phones were also analysed and each contained a variety of images ranging from 2,464 category one images and videos of children and 752 category two images on one phone to 12 images and videos on another. A small number of child anime images were also found.

Det Gda Allen said the children involved were aged between two and 16 years old. The images involved the penetration of children or children exposing their genitals.

He told the court that when gardai were investigating these offences the same images would often come up and garda kept a database of previously seen images. He said some of the images found in De Souza's equipment were unique, not having been seen by gardai before.

Det Gda Allen said 900,000 messages found on the equipment were also analysed and a substantial number of these conversations were found to relate to discussing child sexual activity.

The garda agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, defending, that there was no evidence of De Souza producing any images of children herself and no evidence she had access to any children.

Ms Biggs said that De Souza had been brought up by her grandparents in a rural area of Brazil. She moved to Sao Paulo where she turned to prostitution to feed herself and fund her transition.

Ms Biggs outlined letters from family and friends who characterised De Souza as a kind, loyal and trustworthy person with no evil or desire for children in her.

A friend outlined in a letter that sex work in Brazil was very dangerous with transgender women attacked and sometimes murdered in the street.

Ms Biggs said De Souza came to Ireland in 2011, believing she could earn more money and have a better life here. She married an Irish man but began using crystal meth while engaging in sex work.

She handed in a psychologist report to the court and said it was difficult to ascertain what led to her offending behaviour but said there was no doubt crystal meth and her work were an influence.

She said De Sousa is willing to walk away from both of those and wants to know what is wrong her. She said she was an excellent candidate for the Building Better Lives program or any treatment program having pleaded guilty and expressed significant remorse.
By Chris Biderman, The Sacramento Bee

SANTA CLARA  49ers defensive lineman Kevin Givens has been charged with second-degree assault stemming from an incident Feb. 22 in Baltimore, Maryland court documents show.

Givens, 24, allegedly left a man with a dislocated shoulder, cuts and bruises after a late-night altercation at a Sheraton hotel, according to an affidavit written by the alleged victim Hayden Bosley. TMZ was first to report the incident Friday.

The San Francisco 49ers organization is aware of the media report regarding Kevin Givens, the team said in a statement to The Bee. We are gathering the relevant facts of this matter and will continue to monitor the situation.

Givens and Bosley were part of a group of four that had gone out and Bosley noticed something was wrong when they tried to get a ride to their hotel.

I only spoke to Kevin earlier in the night, Bosley wrote in the affidavit, and asked if he was leaving with us ... in our Uber/Lyft. He responded angrily and told me to get away from him, so I did.

Bosley and two others, including Givens girlfriend, returned to the hotel where Givens joined them when the alleged incident took place.

Kevin came not long after and saw all three of us standing in the hallway, Bosley wrote. This made him angry because he yelled when he saw us and then came down the hall walking quickly towards us.

The two women in the group tried to get in between Givens and Bosley.

I was telling him to stop, asking whats wrong, and telling him, Im on your team, Bosley wrote. Im not trying to be against you. He then tackled me and dislocated my shoulder. From the ground and/or his limbs I received a black right eye, bruises above my left ear, and minor skin scrapes.

Bosley said one of the women they were with got between the two allowing Bosley to get up and try running away. He later got a ride from a friend to a nearby hospital to treat his shoulder and put it back into place. He said he was in the hospital from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Givens, according to court documents, used the Levis Stadiums address as his contact information. A trial date is set for April 26.

Givens, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent from Penn State in 2019, was expected to have a rotational role along San Franciscos defensive line. He has 20 tackles and one sack in his 14 games as a pro.

The 49ers this week signed veteran defensive tackle Zach Kerr to a one-year contract.
Traditionally held each year on July 12, the Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant is one of the oldest events of its kind in the country, with a lineage stretching back to the days of Brian Boru.

Folklore even has it that Napoleon Bonaparte's white charger Marengo, which saw action under 'Old Boney' at the battles of Austerlitz, Jena and Waterloo, was purchased at Cahirmee.

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Marengo was captured alive by Grenadier Guards and taken back to England as a spoil of war. Following his death in 1831 at the grand old age of 3, Marengo's skeleton was put on display at the now defunct Royal United Services Museum and then at Britain's National Army Museum in London.

Four years ago Cork County Council's Kanturk/Mallow committee wrote to the museum requesting the skeleton be shipped back to Buttevant and put on display in a planed museum. Unsurprisingly, the request was politely rebuffed.

While the days of making fortunes at Cahirmee may well be a thing of the past with numbers dropped prior to its cancellation this year due to the Covid pandemic, it still holds a special place in the hearts of traders, locals and visitors for its unique atmosphere.

On a fascinating new two-part radio documentary set to be aired on Cork station 93.1 LifeFM next month, 20 people from the Traveller community and residents of Buttevant will relate their knowledge and experiences of what was once Europe's largest horse fair.

Part one will be aired from 3pm - 4pm on Thursday, April 1 and repeated the following Saturday at 5pm, with part two being aired the following week.

Cethan Leahy of Life FM said that through the documentary people will hear about Cahirmee's connection with Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington (who is also said to have purchased his horse Copenhagen there), relationships and marriages forged at the Cahirmee, horse dealing and "all the fun of the fair".

"Abbeyfeale for Flour and Meat and Cahirmee for Horses was an old expression common in Ireland years ago. These illuminating episodes will give listeners the reason for this and will learn why the older members of the Traveller community called it the Runaway Fair," said Cethan.

"Out thanks to TUS, the Buttevant Heritage Group, Eugene Baker, John O'Sullivan and members of Traveller Visibility Group and the Cork Traveller Women's Network and all who participated in making the documentary."
Authorities have closed a key road outside a major population center in northwestern Pakistan after residents threatened to take their protest over the violent deaths of four teens to Islamabad.

Angry locals from the rural town of Jani Khel are in negotiations with local authorities to demand greater security guarantees and a thorough and credible investigation into the killings, which are at the center of a weeklong sit-in protest.

The residents said on March 26 that security forces placed heavy shipping containers on a local bridge, closing it to traffic.

The bridge links Jani Khel to the nearby city of Bannu, a major population center in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A lawmaker from a nearby area accused state authorities of blocking the road to keep the protest from spreading.

Instead of listening to the demands of the protesters, the state has chosen to block roads around the area to stop them from moving out if they choose to take their protest to Islamabad, lawmaker Mohsin Dawar, who represents North Waziristan, which borders Jani Khel, tweeted on March 26.

Many of those same residents began the sit-in on March 21 after the bullet-riddled corpses of four teenagers were discovered in a field some three weeks after they disappeared while hunting birds.

The bodies of the youngsters -- where were between 13 and 17 years old -- were reportedly dug out of the field after a shepherd's dogs found them.

The protesters' primary demand is a government guarantee that Taliban and other militants won't be allowed to operate in the area.

The protesters also want an official complaint filed against a specific security official posted to the town.

Police have already announced a murder investigation.

Mahmood Khan, the chief minister, the most senior elected official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, assured protesters on March 25 that the government will investigate.

I want to promise you that we will hunt those criminals responsible for this heinous act, he tweeted on March 25.

Authorities have also agreed to pay compensation to the families of the slain teens.
A north Cork-based Garda has said the true scale of so called online 'romance fraud' may never be known as people can often be too embarrassed to report being caught up in a scam.

Cork North divisional crime prevention officer Sgt John Kelly said Gardai were aware of one case in Fermoy last year where they believe money was paid over to a scammer and are actively investigating another two similar reported incidents in the Mallow area.

However, Sgt Kelly said these may be just the tip of the iceberg and it is quite possible that dozens of incidents where people pay out money to unscrupulous conmen go unreported each year.

"We believe that we do not realise the full scale of this problem as people are often too embarrassed to come to us and admit they have fallen victim to one of these fraudsters," said Sgt Kelly.

"Others take a chance and hope that blackmail threats made by scammers will not be carried through. Make no mistake, this is a serious problems that can have huge repercussions on people's lives," he added.

Sgt Kelly said the scam broadly falls into two categories, one targeting younger people though their social media profiles and the other targeting older people through dating websites.

"In the first instance a person will befriend their young victim, often using a stock image from the internet for their profile. Over a period of time they will groom the victim to gain their trust and then request they send them on explicit images," he said.

"The victim will then be sent a message saying the other person has access to their contacts and will send the images to them all, as well as post them up on social media unless they pay over a sum of money. As we have seen from a case of a young man in Northern Ireland who took his own life after being targeted, this can lead to tragic consequences," he added

Sgt Kelly said that scammers use a broadly similar modus operandi to befriend people on dating sites, using false profiles to lure people into believing they share similar interests.

"As trust is gradually built up people share personal information and images that can in turn be used to blackmail them. Another method of extorting money is the scammer will say they need a significant amount money to treat a sick relative and will pay it back," he said.

"I know of another case where a man arranged to meet someone he met online at a particular location in north Cork. The other person gave an excuse for not turning up and then strung the victim along with promises of other meetings before trying to extort money from him."

Sgt Kelly said, in many cases, it is difficult to trace and prosecute fraudsters as the are invariably based outside of the country.

"We have liaised with Interpol and police forces in other jurisdictions but this can often be a time consuming business as fraudsters tend to cover their tracks well and often demand payment in bitcoin, a virtual currency which is almost impossible to trace," he said.

"The best advice we can give is that people do not, under any circumstances, share personal information or images with people they have met online. These scammers are like fishermen sitting on the riverbank patiently waiting to catch their prey."
editorial

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who took over the reins in Dodoma last week, after the death of president John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, faces a daunting in-tray.

From the expectations of domestic audience that will be looking at her through the prism of her predecessor to a regional and international community that will be watching every step of East Africa's first female head of state, President Suluhu will have to hit the ground running.

Although she may not be flying completely blind having been privy to what has been going on in government, President Suluhu takes charge of the host nation of the East African Community at a time when the community is at a crossroads.

After a period of expansion that saw its membership double from the original three member states to six today, tensions over trade and politics raise serious concerns about the future of the trading bloc. Rwanda is at loggerheads with both Burundi and Uganda while Tanzania and Uganda are facing off with Kenya over market access.

Matters are complicated further by the fact that the East African Community is actually in the doldrums. At no point since the revival of East African economic co-operation have prospects appeared to be so much in peril. Member states are in arrears of their contributions to the community's finances and they are at war with each other. Some of the outstanding dues, such as Burundi and South Sudan's contributions leave the bloc in a delicate position. The Summit has to choose between expulsion of the non-compliant members and accepting them as free spirits -- joyriders who will continue to sponge off their partners sweat.

To unlock the present dilemma and to turn Tanzania around from an inward-looking to a multilateral player in regional development, President Suluhu's self-perception is going to be as important as her world view.

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East Africa's first female president will need to be both a warrior and peace builder if she is going to breathe new life into regional cooperation. In this she has no shortage of mentors. The last four decades of world politics spawned women leaders who have held their own in challenging times.

For 12 years, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf nurtured a shaky peace in Liberia, putting the country back on to sound democratic footing. German Chancellor Angela Merkel who has led Germany since 2005, was able to assert herself to lead her country and Europe through difficult economic times.

Without her grit and sound economic stewardship, the map of the European Union could have been very different today.

With such a storied history of women who took charge of their countries at critical times and steered them to safety, President Suluhu carries a heavy burden on her shoulders. She is likely not only to be judged against the staggering achievements of such women but she is also expected to emulate them.

Daunting as that might look, it is not an impossible task.

As the only woman at the Summit, she only has to sell her vision of Tanzania and East Africa, to the average man.

Until her honeymoon is over, her male counterparts will have to give her ideas a chance.
Seguin, Texas (78155)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then cloudy with rain likely overnight. Low 66F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Local councils in the UK are facing a devastating funding crisis that is bound up with the health crisis produced by the Conservative governments homicidal response to the pandemic. The consequences for essential services already pared to the bone are dire, with thousands of job losses planned and increases in local taxation.

The National Audit Office (NAO) public spending watchdog warned that 25 local authorities are verging on bankruptcy, while 94 percent will implement swingeing cuts to produce legally required balanced budgets. After more than a decade of austerity, councils are unable to deal with the extra costs incurred during the pandemic.

A closed down Sure Start children's centre and adjoining play area in Ardwick, Manchester. The Bushmore Sure Start site was one of two children's centres closed in Ardwick in 2013 by Labour-run Manchester City Council (credit: WSWS media)

The large, metropolitan Labour Party-held councils in the poorer areas are least able to cope, after suffering funding cuts of up to a third since 2010much greater than in the more affluent Conservative-held councils. The governments aim is to eliminate central grant funding to councils, so the cost of services is offloaded onto impoverished residents via the council tax. Councils will be able to retain 75 percent of business rates, up from 50 percent, but this in no way compensates.

From April, the NAO expects remaining special educational needs and homelessness services to be gutted, while more theatres, libraries and community centres face closure. Subsidies supporting bus routes will be slashed.

Adult social care will be subject to review. The government granted councils powers to increase the adult social care precept within the council tax over and above the five percent maximum increaseto offload government financial responsibility for this desperately underfunded service. While vitally needed services are slashed, local taxpayers face council tax increase of up to five percent.

According to the NAO, councils spent an extra 6.9 billion on Covid-related measures out of already depleted budgetsproviding personal protective equipment in adult care, housing rough sleepers and aiding test, track and trace where outbreaks occurred.

These huge outlays are on councils books at the same time as they expect to have lost 2.8 billion in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. Councils have lost 695 million from car parking fees, 554 million from leisure centres, theatres and museums and a further 2.9 billion in funding from unpaid council tax and business rates. Figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies show councils will lose 642 million from commercial income investment due to lockdown measures.

The government handed over 350 billion in loans to big business as the pandemic hit, followed by 895 billion in quantitative easing from the Bank of England, but gave next to nothing for emergency funding for local authorities, leaving them with a disastrous shortfall of 600 million.

Labour councils blame the Tories for the parlous state of funding, but it was the 2007-10 Labour government under Gordon Brown that first ushered in austerity. Cuts to pay for the 1 trillion bank bailout were imposed by councils including those held by Labour while their trade union partners stifled opposition in the working class.

Labour councils continued imposing cuts from 2015-19 under the instruction of the partys nominally left leader Jeremy Corbyn and his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. In 2015, they wrote to Labour councils insisting they set legal budgets, which meant imposing cuts. Labours 2016 conference made it a disciplinary offence for Labour councillors to support any proposal to set an illegal budget or to vote against or abstain on a Labour group policy decision on this matter.

The majority of Londons borough councils are Labour controlled. Lewisham residents face a council tax rise of 4.99 percent, 5.9 percent when the rise in the Greater London Authority precept is included. Council house rent increases of 1.5 percent are anticipated in Lewisham, while the April budget includes cuts of 28 million (part of 40 million worth of cuts over the next three years). Lewishams annual budget from central government was slashed from 400 to 240 million over the last decade.

Newham council is expected to impose 30 million cuts and savings out of a total 43 million by April 2023.

Hackney will cut services by 11 million, including 1.6 million in adult services, 540,000 in children and families services, 332,000 in education, and 217 000 in public health. Hackney raised council tax to five percent.

Croydon council is seeking a loan from the government to maintain services. Residents will pay an average 2 a week extra in their council tax bill. Council house rents will increase.

Hounslow residents anticipate a council tax rise of five percent, while Lambeth plans cuts of 43 million by 2024, plus a council tax rise of 4.99 percent.

The Conservative-run Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council, one of the socially most polarised areas in the UK and the location of Grenfell Tower, will raise council tax by 4.99 percent, including a 1.9 percent increase for council services and 3.9 percent for adult social care.

Outside the capital, the situation is dire. Birmingham council in the Midlands estimates a staggering budget shortfall of 121.2 million by April 2025. It has drawn up plans to slash spending by a further 40.7 million, including cuts to adult social care by 7.8 million.

The largest council in the UK, Labour-led Birmingham is one of the most deprived, ranking sixth out of 317 local authorities according to the Office for National Statistics. In the last 10 years, its budget has suffered cuts of 730 million, with 42 percent of children living in poverty while their mothers die younger.

By October 2020, Labour-run Manchester council had already enforced 379 million in cuts and reduced its workforce by 40 percent, around 4,000 full-time staff. It plans to slash another 41 million this year and proposes a council tax rise of five percent and 160 job losses. In addition, 2.3 million cuts in funding for homelessness is planned.

An end to the national ban on evictions during the pandemic in May could see 3,000 Manchester families forced into temporary accommodation. Saving of 1.6 million are planned from the councils A Bed Every Night scheme, providing shelter for rough sleepers.

Around 800 jobs are threatened in Leeds as the council plans cuts of 87 million. Its adults and health department will be slashed by 7 million, including 52.5 job losses and the closure of two care homes. Three youth community centres will close, and the City Development department aims to eliminate 176 jobs as part of 7.55 million cuts. Grants to the Leeds Grand Theatre, Opera North, Northern Ballet, Leeds Playhouse and the Henry Moore institute will be cut by 15 percent to save 227,000. The annual Christmas lights are to go. The resources department will suffer the biggest job losses, with the axing of 345 jobs.

Liverpool council plans cuts of 15.4 million and a council tax hike to five percent. The councils budget was slashed by 450 million since 2010.

Nottingham council approved plans to axe 272 jobs, equivalent to five percent of the councils workforce.

In Newcastle, cuts of 40 million are proposed over two years, hitting care services, bins and library services, plus a 4.95 percent council tax hike and 15 job losses. Childrens services face cuts of 6 million, while adult social care faces a hit of 13 million. The council has lost 300 million due to funding cuts over the last decade.

Public health services are being decimated at a time when they were never needed more.

Chancellor Rishi Sunaks last budget allocated 1.4 percent spending increase to public health, a 24 percent real-term cut since 2015, from 4.2 billion in 2015-16 to 3.3 billion. This further depletes childrens health services, health visitors, sexual health, drug and alcohol abuse schemes, as well as spending on local outbreak management and coronavirus contact tracingincreasing pressure on the National Health Service.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley joined other conservatives in slamming Vice President Kamala Harris for her stance on immigration, saying she can't be trusted because of her comments comparing ICE to the Ku Klux Klan.

Kamala Harris is now in charge of the White House response to the southern border crisis, a decision that has been met with fierce rebuke from conservatives.

'How can we trust Kamala Harris to deal with the border crisis when she compared ICE to the KKK in 2018?' Haley asked in her Friday afternoon tweet. 'Answer: We can't.'

Nikki Haley asked how 'we' could trust Vice President Kamala Harris because of her comments in 2018 comparing ICE to the KKK

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that Harris would be in charge of addressing issues at the southern border

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley joined other conservatives in slamming Vice President Kamala Harris for her stance on immigration, saying she can't be trusted to be at the helm of the border crisis

Haley was specifically referencing a congressional hearing in 2018 when Harris, then a U.S. senator for California, compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the KKK.

Harris immediately faced a slew of criticism from conservatives for her very lax stance on immigration.

'An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal,' Harris tweeted in April 2017 in bashing then-President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policy.

Republicans were quick to pounce on Biden's decision to put Harris at the helm of this issue, pointing to her past criticism of offices dealing with the border.

In her 2017 tweet, Harris vowed: 'We are not a society that is going to stand for tearing families apart. We are not going to buy into this administration's fear mongering.'

Kamala Harris asserted in 2017 tweet illegal immigrants aren't criminals  exhibiting her 'weak' immigration stance conservatives pounced on following her appointment to lead the White House response to the border crisis

Central American migrants who managed to cross illegally into the U.S. in order to seek asylum, stay under a park gazebo after they were sent back to Mexico by U.S. border authorities in Reynosa, Mexico Friday, March 26

Then-Senator Harris continued: 'It's ludicrous to say we're going to deport 12 million people. Now how are you going to do that?'

'Give people a path to citizenship,' she urged in her Twitter thread just a few months after Trump took office. 'The vast majority of folks we're talking about are living a lawful life and paying taxes.'

The vice president was put in charge of addressing the administration's response, it was announced Wednesday.

Her response is expected to focus on two different areas. The first is slowing the flow of 'irregular migrants' by instead looking at and addressing 'root causes' that prompted them to leave their home countries. Secondly the vice president wants to strengthen relationships with Mexico and Central American countries.

Harris, conservatives were quick to point out, is 'weak' on immigration and they claim the move is indicative of the White House not taking the mass migration crisis at the southern border seriously.

Josh Hawley, a hardline Republican senator from Missouri, tweeted Wednesday: 'This is the person Joe Biden is putting in charge of the border - an advocate for decriminalizing illegal border crossing.'

He was referencing how Harris raised her hand during a Democratic primary debate in June 2019 when candidates were asked if they were in favor of decriminalizing border crossings.

Thousands of immigrants continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico despite Biden declaring the 'border is closed' and urging migrants, even asylum seekers, not to come to country right now

Holding facilities have swiftly become overwhelmed after Biden promised during his presidential campaign that all migrants would be welcomed in the U.S.

WHAT KAMALA HARRIS SAYS ON IMMIGRATION AND BORDER AGENTS - April 2017 Twitter thread: 'An undocumented immigrant is not a criminal. We are not a society that is going to stand for tearing families apart. We are not going to buy into this administration's fear mongering.' 'It's ludicrous to say we're going to deport 12 million people. Now how are you going to do that? Give people a path to citizenship. The vast majority of folks we're talking about are living a lawful life and paying taxes.' - Nov. 10, 2016  days after Donald Trump took office: 'This issue of how we are treating our immigrants, and in particular our undocumented immigrants, is one of the most critical issues facing our country. We are not going to be achieving who we say we are as a country if we attack our community members, our neighbors, our friends and our colleagues.' - Wednesday  comments after being appointed to head border crisis: 'While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we alsobecause we can chew gum and walk at the same timemust address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the president has described, to come here.' 'At some point, absolutely we will go down to the border and I've been down to the border and our secretary of the Homeland Security Alex Mayorkas has been down there twice. Senior administration officials have been down there and yes, we will go.' - 2018  when voting against 2018 bill with $25 billion in border wall funding: 'A wall will not secure our border and I remain concerned those billions of dollars may also be used to implement this Administration's anti-immigrant agendaone that targets California and its residents.' - 2019  published in her book, The Truths We Hold: 'There are a few things more cruel, more inhumane, more fundamentally evil than ripping a child from her parent's arms. The administration claimed that it wouldn't separate families seeking asylum if they arrived at an official port of entry, as opposed to other parts of the border. But that didn't hold true.' - 2018 confirmation hearing for Trump's nominee to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Ronald Vitiello: VITIELLO: Well, the Klan was what we would call today a domestic terrorist group. HARRIS: Why? VITIELLO: 'Cause they tried to use fear and force to change political environment. HARRIS: And what was the motivation for the use of fear and force? VITIELLO: It was based on race and ethnicity. HARRIS: Right. Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws? And do you see any parallels? VITIELLO: I do not see any parallels between sworn officers and agents HARRIS: I'm talking about perception. VITIELLO: I do not see a parallel between what is constitutionally mandated as it relates to enforcing the law  HARRIS: Are you aware that there's a perception  VITIELLO: I see no perception that puts ICE in the same category as the KKK. Is that what you're asking me? June 18, 2018 statement calling for Trump's DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to resign: 'The government should be in the business of keeping families together, not tearing them apart. And the government should have a commitment to transparency and accountability. Under Secretary Nielsen's tenure, the Department of Homeland Security has a track record of neither. As a result, she must resign.' 'During her time as the manager of the government's third largest agency, the Department has implemented a policy that has separated thousands of children from their families, issued a directive to make it easier to detain pregnant women, tried to use [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] DACA recipients as leverage to achieve the President's anti-immigrant agenda, failed to address some of the agency's most pressing management challenges and overseen the continued failed response to tragedy in Puerto Rico.' Advertisement

Harris made clear Thursday that the administration is discouraging migrants from arriving at the border right now.

'While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law and that we alsobecause we can chew gum and walk at the same timemust address the root causes that cause people to make the trek, as the president has described, to come here,' the vice president said.

During his campaign, Biden said all asylum seekers would be welcomed  and when he was elected president in November 2020, a massive caravan from Central American began migrating to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, said Biden has made 'about the worst possible choice' by tapping Harris to lead the border crisis response. Critics, like the border-state leader, pointed to the vice president's previous statements as evidence of her being unfit for the role.

'I have been informed that Vice President Kamala Harris has been put in charge of border security,' said Ducey, whose state has 370 miles of border with Mexico.

'She's about the worst possible choice that one could make,' he added. 'In no point in her career has she given any indication that she considers the border a problem or a serious threat.'

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, said Wednesday that Biden made 'about the worst possible choice' by tapping Harris to lead the border crisis response

In Harris' book 'The Truths We Hold', which was published in 2019 as she ran in the Democratic presidential primary, she exhibited her pro-immigration stances.

'There are a few things more cruel, more inhumane, more fundamentally evil than ripping a child from her parent's arms,' Harris wrote in her book, which came as the Trump administration received intense criticism after pictures of children migrants in 'cages' emerged.

'The administration claimed that it wouldn't separate families seeking asylum if they arrived at an official port of entry, as opposed to other parts of the border,' she continued. 'But that didn't hold true.'

Despite these comments, Biden's administration is now urging migrants  even those seeking asylum  not to come to the U.S.-Mexico border right now.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said the 'border is closed.'

Mayorkas, and other officials have been doing damage control as Biden faces the biggest challenge of his presidency in the situation at the border  which the administration so far has refused to call a 'crisis.'

'She's leading the effort,' Biden said Wednesday in announcing Harris as point person. 'The best thing to do is put someone when he or she speaks, they don't have to wonder about is that where the president is.

'She speaks for me. She knows what she's doing,' he assured.

Conservatives are also pointing out the hypocrisy of Biden and Harris by denouncing Trump's policies, but now implementing some of the same.

John Cooper, a spokesman for the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, tweeted of Harris: 'Let's take a walk down memory lane and look at some of her recent statements about the border, kids in cages, and more!'

He referenced her previous comparison between the KKK and ICE, and her promise that children would not be kept 'in cages'.

He also pointed out she said child migrants should not be 'treated like criminals', and now the Biden/Harris administration keeping thousands in detention and holding facilities.

'These are just some of the things Vice Pres. Harris has said about the border. Some are extreme positions, like bragging about making her state a sanctuary state,' he wrote on Twitter.

'Others show her political opportunism,' he continued. 'She is unfit to be handling any response to this border crisis.'

Harris is not unique in being a Democrat in opposition to Trump's border wall  something conservatives have lamented ever since Biden halted construction and froze Pentagon funds already appropriated for the project.

'A wall will not secure our border and I remain concerned those billions of dollars may also be used to implement this Administration's anti-immigrant agendaone that targets California and its residents,' Harris said in 2018.

Her comments were made as she voted against the bill appropriating $25 billion in border wall funding.

At the time, Republicans held a majority in the Senate, and the measure passed.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Optimism about vaccine access could help alleviate a shortage of single-family homes in Olmsted County.

A recent housing study found production of new for-sale homes in the county is not meeting demand, and there is a record low supply in the resale market. The study also found the average value of a single-family home in Olmsted County has increased by around $80,000 over the past five years, driving up prices for first-time buyers.

The increase home values tracks a longer trend in the county that has been unfolding over decades, however Real Estate Agent Bucky Beeman of Realty Growth Incorporated in Rochester says the pandemic has also played a role in shaping the current market.

"If we rewind the clock back to last March, when I feel like all of us didn't know what was going on, there was a dip [in inventory]," Beeman told KIMT.

Beeman adds the option of building a new entry-level home has also become less accessible, with prices of construction materials rising. However, he says news of more access to vaccines in Minnesota could spark an uptick in listings.

"There's definitely some signs in the near future with the vaccines that are rolling out, making them open to all, that will allow for more listings, I think, to come on the market." Beeman continued "It affects it both on people's perspective of whether or not they want to sell, because people now have the vaccine, so if they're having a lot of people come through their home, it helps them feel more comfortable with the situation of where we're at as a county. And then it also helps those that are out there looking feel more comfortable going into properties."

Experts project Olmsted County will need 5,630 single-family for-sale homes by 2030 to keep up with demand, with population growth expected to reach 30,000.
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible late. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening with a few showers possible late. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
After inviting dozens of households inside his Linden Woods home for a Passover seder last year, a Winnipeg rabbi is throwing open the doors to most of the citys Jewish community in 2021.

After inviting dozens of households inside his Linden Woods home for a Passover seder last year, a Winnipeg rabbi is throwing open the doors to most of the citys Jewish community in 2021.

"This is an unintended blessing that COVID brought  it brought us together," said Rabbi Anibal Mass of Congregation Shaarey Zedek said of the virtual community seder at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, the second night of Passover.

The seven-day Jewish festival, which celebrates Jews freedom from slavery in Egypt, begins on sundown on Saturday and runs until the evening of Sunday, April 4.

Last year, Winnipegs Jewish community celebrated Passover from their individual households just weeks after Manitoba went into lockdown and places of worship closed to public gatherings.

Already accustomed to livestreaming from his Wellington Crescent synagogue, in 2020 Mass set up his home computer equipment on his dining room table and invited synagogue members to participate virtually with his family.

Now with the Jewish community preparing to mark its second pandemic-style Passover, Mass will host a community-wide Seder, or ritual dinner with music, liturgy and traditional foods such as unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and wine, from his own synagogue, inviting members of Temple Shalom and Etz Chayim to join in.

"Even though we are sharing it from Shaarey Zedek, it comes out from every congregation as though they are streaming it," he said of the two-hour service, which also features pre-recorded music and readings from people of all the participating organizations.

Jews have always opened up their homes to their Seder table, and this large virtual Seder is an extension of that hospitality, said Rabbi Allan Finkel of Temple Shalom.

"Even in these challenging times, we seem to be defining community in the biggest and best ways imaginable, and we at Temple Shalom are thrilled to participate in the biggest virtual seder ever, bringing together our entire Jewish community and those walking on the path beside us under a single virtual roof," he said.

The community seder is also sponsored by Rady Jewish Community Centre, PJ Library, Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and Jewish Child and Family Service.

The move to virtual events means this year children and families of Congregation Etz Chayim could watch short videos explaining various aspects of Passover, including the components of the meal illustrated by juggler Seth Baker.

"The purpose behind any of these videos is that theyre interesting and engaging and hopefully theyll be a conduit for someone to experience and celebrate Passover," explains Steven Hyman, synagogue board member and organizer of the annual Chocolate Seder for families.

Chabad-Lubavitch of Winnipeg also posted more online content this year to help families celebrate Passover, intended to explain the rituals, meals, and preparations in advance of the holiday, said Rabbi Avrohom Altein.

Since Orthodox Judaism does not allow virtual gatherings for Sabbath or holiday services, the online resources are meant for advance viewing.

Altein said holding the second consecutive Passover under pandemic restrictions creates hardship for Jews longing to see their family and friends again, but the lessons of the past may also help them understand the current situation.

"In history, there were terrible plagues, they came and caused terrible devastation, and then left," said Altein.

"We have to keep our hopes up because we dont understand how everything works."

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Belarusian law enforcement officers stand guard in a street in Minsk, Belarus, on March 25, 2021. (BelaPAN via Reuters)

Belarus Police Detain Over 100, Including Opposition Media Editors

MOSCOWBelarus police detained over 100 people on Saturday, among them three editors of online news platforms, as they gathered for fresh protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, according to reports from the outlets and the Russian RIA state-run news agency.

The city square in Minsk where the demonstration was called to start on Saturday afternoon was surrounded by police vehicles and prison vans, and roads leading to it were closed.

No large-scale demonstrations took place at the site, though more than 100 people were detained during the course of the day, RIA cited a spokeswoman for the Belarus Interior Ministry as saying.

A view shows vehicles of Belarusian law enforcement members in a street in Minsk, Belarus, on March 25, 2021. (BelaPAN via Reuters)

Videos shared on Belarus opposition media channels showed black-clad police officers violently detaining people on the square and in other parts of the city, including what appeared to be passersby.

In many videos, people detained did not appear to be carrying any banners or flags. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

Over 100 people have been transported to [police stations] for administrative violations, the ministrys Olga Chemodanova was quoted by RIA as saying.

These were cases of one-person pickets and other public disturbances, she said, adding there were no major protests on Saturday, despite the oppositions call.

Among those detained were Galina Ulasik and Anna Kaltygina, editors at opposition news outlet TUT.by, said the organization, whose channel on the Telegram messenger app has over 400,000 followers.

Another outlet, Nasha Niva, with 90,000 Telegram readers, said its editor-in-chief Yahor Martsinovich was also detained at the square, along with a photographer.

The platform, which regularly shares videos of detentions and police brutality filmed by its followers, is a significant source of information on anti-government protests in Belarus.

The demonstrations became a weekly fixture in the capital and beyond after an election in August returned Lukashenko to power that opposition figures deemed rigged.

After a two-month lull, opposition leaders have called on the public to ramp up protests once again.

Belarus authorities warned early on Saturday that anyone participating in these actions was liable to criminal prosecution.

The Minsk Investigative Committee said it had opened a case against the authors of posts on the Telegram messenger app that called for people to go out on the streets.

Dozens were detained on Thursday during a relatively minor protest, coordinated to coincide with Freedom Day, an unofficial anniversary marking Belarus 1918 declaration of independence from Russia, a period that proved short-lived.

Over 34,000 people have been detained since the start of regular demonstrations in August last year, which attracted hundreds of thousands of people and formed the biggest challenge so far to Lukashenkos nearly 27-year-rule.

Lukashenko denies electoral fraud and has accused the West of sponsoring the protests.

On Friday, Belarus was disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest after lyrics of submitted songs were deemed to be mocking of anti-government protests.

By Polina Ivanova
A former North Scranton man will now serve 19 to 38 years in state prison for raping a teenage girl in 2012 after a Lackawanna County judge vacated part of his sentence.

Patrick Tighe, 64, a prisoner at the State Correctional Institution at Houtzdale, appeared remotely Friday for resentencing by Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle on rape and other charges. In 2016, Moyle sentenced Tighe to a total of 20 to 40 years behind bars, including one to two years for indecent assault.

But state Superior Court overturned that part of the sentence in 2018, ruling the indecent assault count should have merged with an involuntary deviate sexual intercourse count for purposes of sentencing. It sent the case back to county court for resentencing.

During Fridays hearing, Moyle told Tighe that because the charges merge, the court was vacating the sentence for indecent assault. No further penalty will be imposed, she said.

Scranton police arrested Tighe and charged him with sexually assaulting the girl at a city home in May 2012.

The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

In July 2013, a county jury convicted him of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and two other charges.

Moyle initially sentenced Tighe in October 2013, imposing consecutive mandatory minimum state prison terms of 10 to 20 years each for the rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse convictions and merging the other charges.

However, in light of new case law involving mandatory minimums, she resentenced him in January 2016, tweaking the sentence to add the prison time for the indecent assault conviction but keeping the total at 20 to 40 years.

That was the sentence Superior Court overturned when it upheld Tighes conviction in a 2018 decision. The state Supreme Court upheld the conviction in February.

Attorney Terrence McDonald, who represented Tighe on appeal, told Moyle he believed his client has exhausted all of his appeals at the state level. He asked to withdraw as Tighes attorney, a request the judge granted.

Given an opportunity to speak, Tighe cited a laundry list of grievances, ranging from an objection to the hearing taking place remotely to what he maintained were errors made during his trial.

Moyle told the prisoner he may pursue any appeal available to him, but she said she would not debate matters that are not before her court.

All we are doing today is tying this one loose end, she said. You cant do anything until that is done.Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9132.
A Russian-Israeli billionaire who faced controversy over his stakes in Twitter and Facebook is set to make nearly 70million from the blockbuster float of Deliveroo, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Yuri Milner's vehicle DST Global, the fourth largest investor in the takeaways business, is selling nearly 3 per cent of its shares, worth up to 68million.

That will still leave it with a stake worth as much as 615million.

Shrewd: Yuri Milner, with his wife Julia, will still have a 615million stake in the firm

Deliveroo is expected to float this week, with a value up to 8.8billion. It has already secured offers for the 1.6billion of shares it wants to sell.

But the loss-making app's price tag, and concerns over governance and its riders' work status, have caused a string of high profile funds to shun the float. Russian-born Milner, an Israeli citizen, bought into Deliveroo in 2015 as part of a $100million funding round.

A former tech adviser to the Russian government now based in California, he has invested in a series of digital specialists including Airbnb and Spotify.

In 2017 it emerged that funding for Milner's investments in Twitter and Facebook came from entities linked to the Kremlin, sparking concerns about Russia's influence on US politics and social media. Milner denied the funding had an influence on either company.

The float is set to bring fortunes to Deliveroo founder Will Shu and investors including Amazon.
The South African Liquor Brand Owners Association has warned that a new alcohol ban will have a devastating effect on the industry.

This comes after the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) has recommended that South Africa be put into a higher level of lockdown over the Easter weekend.

The committee said stricter lockdown rules, which include a potential move to alert level 2, could help to prevent a surge in COVID-19 infections.

Over this period there is a risk that we could see super spreader events with all the festivities and activities that go on over the Easter weekend, said MAC chair professor Barry Schoub.

So, the advisory is for a temporary increase in lockdown restrictions over this period of time.

Health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed that a decision to move the country to a higher lockdown level is now being discussed by government officials.

Mkhize said the government wants to discourage super-spreader events over the Easter weekend and avoid inter-provincial movement which could lead to spreading the virus.

The decision about lockdown restrictions will be based on recommendations from epidemiological experts, business, and members of civil sector, the minister said.

The contemplated lockdown restrictions include wider curfew hours, restrictions on gatherings, and limiting the sale of alcohol.

The South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (SALBA) has now warned that severe restrictions on the sale of alcohol can hurt the already struggling industry.

SALBA chairperson Sibani Mngadi told Newzroom Africa that the three alcohol bans over the last year crushed the alcohol industry.

Their research showed the industry lost R38 billion in sales because of the bans while the government lost R9 billion in taxes.

We believe around 200,000 jobs are at risk in the overall value chain in our industry, Mngadi said.

Should South Africa face another alcohol ban, he said, it will cause further deterioration and even a collapse of the industry.

In a pre-emptive strike, the association presented an alternative proposal which deals with short-term pressure on hospitals during a COVID-19 surge while maintaining economic viability of the alcohol industry.

It said measures to alleviate the impact on the healthcare system can be implemented in a less damaging manner than a ban on alcohol sales.

SALBAs recommendations for the Easter weekend include:

Apply a 23:00 to 04:00 curfew.

Reduce permitted numbers for gatherings to a 50% of capacity and a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Interprovincial travel should be allowed to protect the economic recovery and growth in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Alcohol sales should continue under current licence conditions, with restrictions being introduced only if hospital capacity becomes severely stretched.

Mngadi said these proposals will help to alleviate trauma cases, especially from interpersonal violence and car accidents, while protecting the alcohol industry against further collapse.

SALBA chairperson Sibani Mngadi interview

Now read: Mobile network winners and losers during lockdown
Kim Kardashian gave insight into the latest developments in her split from Kanye West on Thursday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

The reality star, 40, who filed for a divorce from her estranged husband last month, was seen speaking to the camera about the split, as she revealed the rapper, 43, has been residing at their Wyoming ranch while she remained at home.

The scenes came amid Kanye's infamous social media meltdown, in which he penned a series of hurtful tweets about his wife, who said on camera that she found the scenario 'frustrating' and urged him to meet with her to discuss his woes.

She said: 'Kanye's been in Wyoming and he's been posting a lot of things on social media. That is a little bit frustrating, but you just have to kind of separate yourself from what's going on at home and what's going on on the internet.'

Heartache: Kim Kardashian gave insight into the latest developments in her split from Kanye West on Thursday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians

It then seemed that Kim was reaching out to aides in a bid to contact her husband, as she was seen speaking on the phone and pleading for a meet.

She said: 'I am happy to come tomorrow, I am happy to come to Wyoming next week, whenever he wants. I'm still happy to come there and be supportive and chill with him and hang out with him and I know he needs that.'

At the time of filming, the rapper had posted a series of insulting tweets about the Kardashian family. In the posts, he accused Kim's mother Kris of 'white supremacy' and said he would 'go to war' with her.

The episode didn't disclose if these were the posts Kim was referring to.

Shock: The reality star, 40, who filed for a divorce from her estranged husband last month, was seen speaking to the camera about the split, as she revealed the rapper, 43, has been residing at their Wyoming ranch while she remained at home (pictured in 2019)

Kanye and Kim began dating in 2012 and were engaged in 2013 before marrying in a lavish ceremony in May 2014.

The divorce is the first for Kanye and third for Kim, who was previously married to Damon Thomas from 2000 to 2004 and Kris Humphries from 2011 to 2013.

Kim filed for divorce from Kanye last month and shares four children with the rapper: daughters North, seven, and Chicago, three, and sons Saint, five, and Psalm, one.

The pair are said to remain amicable ahead of the divorce's finalisation and the splitting of their $2B fortune, especially as a prenuptial agreement is in place which neither party is said to be contesting.

Help: It then seemed that Kim was reaching out to aides in a bid to contact her husband, as she was seen speaking on the phone and pleading for a meet

However sources have also pointed out that West has refused to speak with Kardashian directly, preferring to communicate via staff and security.

Kim appears to be keeping her married name, Kim Kardashian West, as it corresponds to two of her brands, KKW Fragrance as well as KKW Beauty.

Earlier this week, Kim's mum Kris spoke out for the first time about the split during a chat on Friday's The Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia.

When asked by host Kyle Sandilands how the two are doing, Kris said: 'Well, I think it's always going to be hard anytime... there's a lot of kids, and Kim and Kanye.

Behind the scenes: Kanye and Kim began dating in 2012 and were engaged in 2013 before marrying in a lavish ceremony in May 2014 (pictured in 2019)

'The good thing about our family is that we are there for each other and supportive, so all I want is for those two kids to be happy. That's what you want as a mum.'

While vague on the details, she went on: 'I think we all want that for our families, just to be able to have the love and appreciation of one another, and that everyone's OK.'

When asked by Jackie 'O' Henderson if viewers will see details of the divorce in the final season, she said: 'You might. I don't know what they have decided on in the finale, as we haven't even seen the first show yet.

'I'm sure they're putting some final touches. But I think it's just a private time - Kim wanted to deal with this with her own family in her own time, so when she feels like it I'm sure she'll say what she needs to say.'
Chandler Powell headed home after a hospital visit with his wife Bindi Irwin and their newborn baby daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Saturday.

The 24-year-old was accompanied by Bindi's brother, new uncle Robert Irwin, 17, and Australia Zoo employees Luke Reavley and Bonnie Clarke, as they left the Queensland hospital together.

There had previously been a conspiracy theory floating around online that Bindi had secretly given birth over a month ago.

However, the new photos of Robert and Chandler exiting the hospital prove that the wildlife warrior welcomed her little bundle of joy on March 25.

New dad: Chandler Powell (pictured) headed home after a hospital visit with his wife Bindi Irwin and their newborn baby daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Saturday

Wearing a black face mask, Chandler was spirited off to a waiting car by his co-workers.

The former wakeboarder was dressed casually for the visit, wearing an olive green T-shirt and a matching cap, as well as sunglasses.

He was closely followed by teenager Robert, who also wore a face mask and a pair of sunglasses.

The award-winning photographer was also dressed down for the visit, in a blue cap, white shirt and cargo pants.

Pals: The 24-year-old was accompanied by Bindi's brother, new uncle Robert Irwin, 17, and Australia Zoo employees Luke Reavley and Bonnie Clarke as they left the Queensland hospital

A hand: Wearing a black face mask, the former wakeboarder was spirited off to a waiting car by his co-workers

Casual: Chandler was dressed casually for the visit, wearing an olive green t-shirt

Bindi, 22, and her husband Chandler announced the birth of their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Friday.

Grace was born on the couple's first wedding anniversary.

In her lengthy Instagram post, the new mother explained that the baby's two middle names were inspired by her late father, Wildlife Warrior Steve Irwin.

Off he goes: Chandler was taken away in a white car which was waiting for him

Details: Chandler had on a cap, as well as sunglasses, covering up his famous face

Uncle: He was closely followed by teenager Robert (pictured) who also wore a face mask and a pair of sunglasses. The award-winning photographer was also dressed down for the visit, in a blue cap, white shirt and cargo pants

She wrote: 'March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter,' Bindi wrote.

'Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandler's family dating back to the 1700s,' she continued.

'Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior. Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad.'

New arrival: Bindi, 22, and her husband Chandler announced the birth of their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Friday

Baby love: Grace was born on the couple's first wedding anniversary. Pictured: Australia Zoo employee Luke Reavley

Tribute: In her lengthy Instagram post, the new mother explained that the baby's two middle names were inspired by her late father, Wildlife Warrior Steve Irwin. Pictured: Australia Zoo employee Bonnie Clarke

She accompanied the caption with a sweet image of herself and Chandler cradling newborn Grace in a baby blanket.

'There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl. She chose the perfect day to be born and we feel tremendously blessed,' Bindi added.

She also posted an image of Grace's first onesie, which had an Australian koala printed on the chest.

Baby joy: She accompanied the caption with a sweet image of herself and Chandler cradling newborn Grace in a baby blanket

Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', was filming a documentary when he was fatally stabbed in the heart by a stingray barb on September 4, 2006 in Batt Reef, Queensland. He was 44 years old.

Bindi first met Chandler in 2013, when the American former wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland.

She married Chandler in a surprise ceremony at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in March last year.
LIMERICK City and County Council is being urged to oppose the proposed closure of the Rehab Logistics plant in Limerick.

Labour Councillor Conor Sheehan argued at the recent meeting of the Metropolitan District that the local authority should intervene with the Rehab Logistics Plant to prevent job losses.

He also urged Rehab group to engage with the Workplace Relations and wishes to call on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to intervene.

Last month, it was announced that 37 jobs were to be cut at the facility in Raheen.

As the largest non-governmental employer of people with disabilities, the closure of Rehab Logistics would be detrimental to disabled people in the Limerick community, according to Cllr Sheehan.

"The vulnerable members of our society are being exploited, Cllr Sheehan said adamantly, the Tanaiste needs to intervene here," he said.

Cllr Sheehan also alleged that Rehab Logistics have reduced their severance package since the closure was announced. The workers deserve a just and fair package from them," he told the virtual meeting.

Sinn Fein Councillor John Costelloe seconded the motion, arguing that workers rights are being eroded.

He continued, workers are not at the top of the agenda for this current government.

Cllr Sheehan said that ideally he would like if it was possible for them to keep their jobs but if that could not be accommodated, a fair severance package should be given.

The matter was also raised in the Dail during the week by Deputy Willie O'Dea.

"I have a personal interest in this because I know those people. I have gotten to know them and their families over the years. They are beautiful people to whom life has dealt a very bad hand. In most cases they were born with a mental or physical disability and that has affected how they live their lives. Their lives have been greatly enhanced as a result of being elevated to a position where they can participate in the economic life of their own country and it makes no sense whatsoever to deprive them of that opportunity, particularly when it will not cost the State a single penny," he said.

"In fact, it will probably cost the State to put them on the scrapheap. Many of the people in question are now in middle age and I do not envisage them getting work again. Some of their parents and carers are infirm and elderly and are literally pleading with their local representatives to do something to save their employment so they can continue to have something to get up for in the morning," he added.

In reply, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Damien English stated: "I am aware of the redundancies recently announced at the facility at Raheen in Limerick referred to by Deputy O'Dea. I extend my sympathy and that of the Minister, Deputy (Heather) Humphreys, to the workers in the Rehab Logistics facility who are facing redundancy. I fully appreciate how difficult the situation is for those involved and for their families. Deputy O'Dea and others have raised their plight and the Departments of Social Protection and Enterprise, Trade and Employment are working to try to find a solution. We are happy to engage in conversations with others to try to assist in any way we can.

Deputy English added: "At a local level, dedicated staff in the Department have been assigned to work directly with the employees affected by the redundancies at Raheen in Limerick to ensure they receive their proper entitlements and appropriate supports. The Departments of Social Protection and Enterprise, Trade and Employment are examining the situation to see what more can be done. Deputy O'Dea has made some suggestions in that regard tonight which I will feed back into the system. The Department of Health is also involved in the context of supporting day-care arrangements that may be required by some, but not all, of the workers."
Britain's biggest supermarket Tesco has triggered a major overhaul of the way its stores will be run in future  putting more than 2,000 managerial jobs under review.

The shake-up will result in a slimmed-down management structure with fewer senior jobs across its biggest Extra and Superstore outlets.

Some managers will be expected to take on wider responsibility for the same pay.

Staff affected by the changes told The Mail on Sunday that the efforts were part of attempts to rebalance the business following a structural shift to online delivery and an admission that the surge in demand seen last year will not continue.

Cuts: The shake-up will result in a slimmed-down management structure with fewer senior jobs across its biggest Extra and Superstore outlets

But other sources said it was the latest confirmation of long-term efforts to cut management layers as more efficient processes, digital systems and AI technology reduce the need for decision-makers in shops.

Staff have been in individual discussions with Tesco bosses to examine options.

Several departmental roles will be scrapped altogether and managers will instead be given broader responsibilities.

A company spokesman last night dismissed suggestions that any staff would be worse off. Tesco insisted that the reduction in roles would come from 'attrition' as employees leave over time.

Tesco in understood to have described the review as a 'soft' consultation  implying that no one will be forced to leave.

A spokesman said: 'The way our customers shop with us is changing and so is the way we need to manage our stores.'

But one industry source said: 'Over time, this is designed to reduce the number of managers and the wage bill will come down.'

Clive Black at broker Shore Capital said: 'This is an ongoing process in supermarkets that will see head office and regional workers removed and replaced by digitisation and artificial intelligence.

'All that inevitably means you need far fewer people over time  and less expensive people.'

Tesco has almost 3,500 shops in Britain. The review has focused on its 800 Extra and Superstores. Thousands of smaller Express and One Stop shops are not affected.

The overhaul is one of the first visible signs of the impact of new chief executive Ken Murphy who arrived from Boots and will present his maiden full-year results to City investors on April 14.

He said in January the company has 'strong momentum in the business'.

There is an estimated 162billion in potential spending stored up as extra savings since last March, which could boost big grocers.
The man at the centre of Queensland's latest Covid-19 outbreak hosted a house party when he was meant to be isolating while waiting for his test results.

Health authorities revealed on Saturday that the man threw a party for 25 people despite being identified as a close contact of a 26-year-old tradie who earlier tested positive to the highly-infectious UK strain.

The man, aged in his 20s and from Strathpine in Brisbane's north, later tested positive and his 25 guests have now been forced into quarantine.

'More locations may be added after it was revealed the Strathpine man hosted a gathering of around 25 people at his home between being instructed to isolate and getting his positive test results,' Queensland Health said on Saturday night.

Queensland issued a Public Health Alert for parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions following the two local infections.

Queensland Health updated their growing list of Covid hotspots on Saturday night to include more than a dozen venues visited by the Strathpine man, including Hungry Jacks (pictured)

The newly identified venues, which are dated from March 20 to March 25, include Bunnings Lawnton (pictured)

NEW COVID HOTSPOTS Queensland Health identified more than a dozen new venues after a man in his 20s from Strathpine tested positive to coronavirus on Saturday. Anyone who has been to any of the venues below must immediately isolate and get tested. March 20 Black Hops Brewery East Brisbane, 12.22pm to 1.51pm Green Beacon brewing Co. Teneriffe, 2pm to 3.12pm Eatons Hill Hotel Eatons Hill, 3.44pm to 5.30pm March 22 PCYC Lawnton Lawnton, 7.16am to 8.10am Bunnings Lawnton, 3.15pm to 3.30pm Strathpine Plaza Shopping Centre Strathpine, 3.43pm to 3.49pm March 23 Zambrero Lawnton, 12.51pm to 12.55pm Lawnton Fruit Market Lawnton, 1.57pm to 2.05pm Nellas Gourmet Tucker Lawnton, 3.37pm to 3.47pm Poolwerx Strathpine Strathpine, 3.15pm to 3.57pm Dan Murphy's Strathpine, 7.26pm to 7.36pm March 24 Hungry Jacks Strathpine, 7.47pm Drive through Lawton Country Markets Lawnton, 2.36pm to 2.43pm BWS Strathpine, 6.15pm to 6.30pm March 25 Ceres Pizza Cafe Strathpine, 7.00pm 7.58pm Advertisement

Officials announced on Friday a landscaper from Stafford in the city's north tested positive to the highly contagious UK strain of Covid, sparking exposure alerts for venues including a busy Westfield shopping centre.

Genomic sequencing shows the 26-year-old's case is linked to the strain which infected a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital two weeks ago  but officials have no idea how it jumped between the two, who are not known to have ever met.

Queensland Health updated their growing list of Covid hotspots on Saturday night to include more than a dozen venues visited by the Strathpine man.

The new venues, which are dated from March 20 to March 25, include a Bunnings, Dan Murphy's and Hungry Jacks.

Anyone who has been to the venues must immediately isolate and get tested on Sunday.

A Public Health Alert has been issued for parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay regions following the two local infections. Pictured: Two people wear face masks

The 26-year-old tradie, whose infection was first reported on Friday, visited numerous venues across Brisbane since Friday March 19.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Saturday said health officials were 'concerned' about people who were at a busy shopping centre while the 26-year-old was also there.

She repeated urgent calls for anyone who was in any part of Westfield Carindale shopping centre from 12 noon to 2.16pm on Saturday, March 20, to immediately isolate and get tested.

'The next two days are going to be critical for us,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'We would like to rule out every single possibility here. The sooner that everyone [gets tested] the better we will be.'

The man also went to Mamma's Italian Restaurant, Redcliffe, on March 21 from 12.40pm to 3.10pm for lunch - with those also there considered high risk of exposure.

Anyone who visited those sites must immediately get tested regardless of whether they have symptoms, and isolate until results are received.

Crowds on an escalator at Carindale Shopping Centre in Brisbane - one of the venues in the city listed as potential exposure sites to Covid-19

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has closed aged care centres, hospitals and prisons to visitors in Brisbane following a case of coronavirus outside hotel quarantine (pictured, testing in February)

While at Westfield Carindale the man also visited Fresh Sensations, Harris Scarfe and Robins Kitchen and Go Vita.

KFC's drive-thru at Everton Park was also added to the list of low-risk venues for anybody there on Monday March 22 for the five minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm.

The Queensland premier repeated that Saturday's case was one of 18 close contacts of the landscaper who are in the process of being tested.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said cafes and restaurants were high risk because of the extended amount of time at the locations - adding the Redcliffe restaurant was of particular concern.

'What we have learnt in the last 24 hours is that this gentleman had been at the restaurant for almost three hours,' she said.

Some other states have quickly imposed restrictions on travel from Queensland (pictured: people arriving in Brisbane from Sydney in December)

The premier added Saturday's case had been specifically visited by the landscaper.

'We are not seeing large scale community transmission, this is a close contact.'

She also revealed she will write to the prime minister to halve the number of international arrivals in Queensland from 1,300 to around 700 as contact tracers try to get ahead of the latest outbreak.

'We are seeing large numbers of positive cases from overseas, everyday we are seeing four or five cases in returned travelers,' she said.

Scott Morrison said on Saturday he is confident in Queensland's 'strong' contact tracing system.

The KFC drive-thru at Everton Park, Brisbane was put on the hotspot list for only 5 minutes from 7.55pm to 8pm on March 22

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) said she would write to Scott Morrison and ask him to halve the number of international arrivals in Queensland

Some other Australian states have already responded to the discovery of the highly contagious strain in Queensland by reintroducing travel restrictions.

New South Wales has shut its border to anyone who has been to the exposure sites listed by Queensland Health and if already in the state they are required to get tested and self-isolate.

Tasmania has also closed their border to anyone who has been to the listed exposure sites within 14 days of wanting to travel to the state.

Victoria has designated the Brisbane and Moreton regions as an 'orange zone' requiring those wanting to travel to get a permit and a Covid test.

In Western Australia, anyone who has arrived from Queensland since March 20 or who has been to the hotspot locations in the last 14 days must self-isolate and get tested.

Kmart in Carindale Westfield, Brisbane, has been added to the list of hotspots as WA imposes new restrictions of immediate quarantine for any traveller exposed during the alert times


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Fooks Foods is one of two Asian-centric grocery stores in Athens. Its been a town staple since it opened in 2003, especially for international students and residents who cant rely on chain grocers to stock the products they want.
BRUNSWICK  In recent months I have noted with concern a woman who has frequently stood on a traffic island at the entry of a shopping plaza parking lot near my Brunswick home. She would hold a Homeless sign and stare down at the ground abysmally. On one occasion, I spoke with her to learn something of her story.

She told me that she had lost her job during the pandemic, moved into her sisters house along with her four children and was seeking support from her estranged husband. Shortly thereafter, I contacted my town government to find out what social services might be available to assist this woman. The town official I spoke to offered to investigate it and get back to me.

Quite a while has passed since that conversation. In the meantime, a No LoiteringNo SolicitingNo Panhandling sign has gone up at the very spot where the woman had been standing. The town assured me that it didnt post the sign. And I understand that the sign may be intended to safeguard the comfort of passersby who may be disturbed to be confronted by the sight of such poverty in the suburbs.

I dont know who is responsible for the signage. But it is surely an inadequate response to the womans need.

The plight of the poor and homeless may not yield easy answers, but we can do better than to post signs and to pass by on the other side of the road, as Jesus portrays in his familiar story (Luke 10:25-37).

I must say Michael Gersons column in the Times Union, Republicans, whom would Jesus shun? (March 3rd) riveted me on this point. In that article, Gerson cites Alexander Zubatovs night tour of New York City, in which he describes addicts he encounters, who lay in piles of rags and filth and the stench of their own excrement. Zubatovs reaction to these vagrants, quoted at length by Gerson, concludes: I refuse to humanize those who cannot be bothered to lift a finger to humanize themselves. The mentally ill need our care. The rest need the whip.



I would offer an alternative to the use of a whip. As Christians gather to observe Holy Week, culminating in The Resurrection of Our Lord, let us consider the proffered salvation from a wider angle. The Hebrew words commonly rendered as salvation convey the sense of giving people space in which to live freely. That is to say, they address the human need for wholeness in all its dimensions. The dynamic of salvation might be viewed as giving breadth to existence, quite in contrast to the anxiety of homelessness which chokes existence. That is a message which impinges on life here and now.



For Christians, of course, the arms of Christ are spread very wide on the cross. No condition of life is alien to the one who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Whatever new covenant we may claim in Christ, however, let us not jettison the old covenant, whereby the Lord executes justice for the orphan and widow and loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing (Deut. 10:18).

Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann, describes what it means to live in covenant relationship with God and neighbor: It insists that life consists in a dialog with a powerful, compelling Other who bestows mercy and compels accountability. The God to whom we confess is a serious partner in our life. We may pray to God for mercy because God does not give us what we have coming to usGod leaves us free but requires that our life be lived in answer to Gods expectations.

Jesus provides a picture of where this serious partner engages us in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) as well as in the Judgment Scene near the end of Matthews Gospel (25:31-46). There, in answer to the question, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?, we hear Jesus reply: Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.

We need to have a serious conversation about the plight of the poor and homeless in our community, not just in urban areas but in rural towns and the suburbs. Such a dialog would keep covenant faith with those before whom we might blush as we drive away from the plentitude of our parking lots.

Rev. James Hulihan is a retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who lives in Brunswick.
A federal MP who was forced to apologise for trolling two of his constituents online has prompted fury by backtracking in a social media post.

Pressure is growing on Scott Morrison to remove Andrew Laming, the Liberal National Party member for Bowman, amid allegations he hid in bushes to take picture of one of the women.

'In this climate - I willingly apologise - I didn't even know what for at 4pm when I did it,' Mr Laming wrote on a Facebook post, which has since been deleted.

Mr Laming was forced to apologise after telling a charity worker, Alix Russo, on Facebook: 'Unfortunately for you, I make the rules and you follow them.'

Ms Russo, a single mother who said the trolling left her suicidal, told Nine News: 'I want to be alive, I don't want to be attacked anymore.'

'This man has to stop. He cannot continue abusing his community like this.'

Queensland MP Andrew Laming claimed in a now-deleted Facebook post that he did not even know what he was apologising for - and accompanied his comment with laughing emojis

Screen grabs of Mr Laming's now-deleted Facebook post in which he laughed off the apology he made to Alix Russo and Sheena Hewlett in parliament

Sheena Hewlett, a schoolteacher, said Mr Laming - who was elected to Federal parliament in 2004 - asked for her teaching timetable then hid in bushes while taking photos of her in 2019. The incidents were reported to police.

Mr Laming's social media response to his own apology was accompanied by several laughing emojis - which he claimed were accidently posted by his phone when he put it in his pocket, news.com.au reported.

'Andrew Laming isn't fit to be an MP,' said Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Twitter on Friday evening.

'If the PM wants to stand by him, then that's a matter for him... this bloke doesn't belong in our nation's Parliament.'

Asked on Saturday if he Mr Laming was 'fit to run as a Liberal', Mr Morrison said it was a matter for the LNP Queensland division.

Ms Hewlett has also said she complained about Mr Laming 'countless times' both under Mr Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull's leadership, The Australian reported.

Retired former MP Tony Windsor added his voice to an avalanche of calls on social media to remove Mr Laming from office.

Mr Laming accused Alix Russo (left) of misappropriating funds at a homeless charity, while Sheena Hewlett (right) said she was forced to contact police after claiming Mr Laming hid in the bushes and took photos of her in a public park

'Now that Andrew Laming has made light of his apology and your directions to apologise Scott Morrison you have two options - sack him or call in the police to investigate his behaviour.'

A screen shot of one of Andrew Laming's online comments to charity worker Alix Russo

'The fact that he thinks it is all a bit of a joke leaves you with no alternative. Lead.'

On Twitter, Mr Laming was trending with the hashtag #SackLaming also popular.

'I've checked with a couple of Liberal National party people I am familiar with in Queensland and said, "Is this bloke a complete f***wit?"' 2GB radio host Ray Hadley said on air.

'And they replied yes, he is. He is,' Hadley said.

Mr Laming apologised for causing Ms Russo and Ms Hewlett distress in a speech in Parliament on Thursday.

It came after being hauled into the PM's office, conceding his social media commentary had caused significant distress to two 'well regarded individuals' of his electorate.

He also apologised to the women in writing.

'His comments were not acceptable to both women and also to the Prime Minister,' a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.

'Every Australian has the right to feel safe online and Mr Laming has made a commitment to change his online communication practices.'

Scott Morrison is coming under heavy pressure to remove Andrew Laming from office after the Queensland MP made light of his apology to two women for trolling them

A statement issued by Mr Laming on Thursday, where he issued 'an unreserved public apology'

The Facebook exchanges sparked accusations of slander, stealing and stalking, with one of the women claiming she was left feeling suicidal.

'I want to express my regret and deep apologies for the hurt and the distress that communication may have caused,' Mr Laming's apology.

'I want to retract those comments and issue a public unreserved apology.'

The Liberal National Party backbencher, who regularly attracts criticism for his behaviour and comments on social media, acknowledged he had lessons to learn about his use of words.

'I have made a concerted effort to understand the impact of these responses upon others and demonstrate a clear change in the way I communicate,' he said.

'I want to say to any person who has received correspondence from me which fell short of what they expect from an MP that I intend to own that failure and apologise without hesitation.'

Liberal MP Andrew Laming (pictured) was forced to apologise to the two Brisbane women who accused him of online abuse - but later made light of the apology

Mr Morrison had demanded Mr Laming stop using social media to troll the women.

'At the Prime Minister's request, the Member for Bowman issued an unreserved public apology,' a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.

In one Facebook post, Mr Laming accused Ms Russo, a single mother, of misappropriating funds at a homeless charity.

'You can't be trusted with other people's' (sic) money. That's why your organisation is drying up,' Mr Laming claimed on Facebook.

Ms Hewlett said she was forced to contact police after claiming Mr Laming hid in the bushes and took photos of her in a public park, which were later posted to Facebook.

Ms Hewlett, a teacher, also claimed Mr Laming rang the school where she is employed, demanding to know her work timetable.

'I certainly fear for my family,' Ms Hewlett said.

Andrew Laming has been contacted for comment.

Lifeline 13 11 14
As every dog owner knows, watching your faithful pal bounding in the fresh air is one of lifes great and simple pleasures. For me though  and Im not alone in this  it has become tainted by the fear they might hurt themselves on a piece of metal or broken glass left behind by some selfish litter-lout.

This week, the RSPCA backed the Great British Spring Clean following thousands of reports of wild animals trapped in litter. But as I know only too well, our pets are also at risk from this scourge of the countryside and the charity Paws on Plastic, which encourages dog owners to work together to make dog walking safe again, has been inundated with stories of dogs whove come to harm due to the selfish behaviour of others.

Even discarded food can be a menace, as we discovered when our three-year-old Spinone Angela developed swelling in her neck after a walk last year. The vet said the culprit was most likely a cooked chicken bone  something Id never let her eat as I know how dangerous they are for dogs, because they splinter.

The vet said the culprit was most likely a cooked chicken bone  something Id never let her eat as I know how dangerous they are for dogs, because they splinter. (Janet Ellis with her Italian Spinone Angela)

I suspect she found the remains of a takeaway on a walk and ate it when my back was turned. She needed antibiotics and seemed uncomfortable for a week.

These days, with everyone seeming to care about the environment, youd hope thered be less litter.

Instead, there seems to be more if the trail of packets, bottles and wrappers I find are anything to go by. Too many people fail to grasp that caring about the planet starts with them. Dog walks should be pleasurable, not dangerous.

Our first dog, Nancy, another beautiful Italian Spinone, had an injury as she played on a riverbank near our London home. It was low tide and the ring-pull from a can, which had been chucked instead of binned, had wedged itself in the riverbed at the right angle to slice through Nancys front paw.

I only realised when I saw a trail of blood behind her. Two months of vet trips followed  she needed antibiotics; the dressing had to be regularly changed and her paw re-bandaged; somehow that wound had to be kept dry, no small undertaking with our weather.

All that because some selfish person couldnt be bothered to pick up after themselves.

There was a time when Id spot someone dropping litter and chase after them with it. Id be polite when I caught up with them, saying: Oh dear, you dropped this as I handed it over. Theyd thank me, making out they hadnt realised theyd done it. But they knew, and I knew, what had gone on.

That stopped when my kids hit their teens and they worried someone could turn nasty. And so now I fume quietly as I pick up after those who ought to know better.

How It Was by Janet Ellis is published by Two Roads and available at Waterstones, 8.99.

Wrapper left my pooch needing life-saving surgery

The bill topped 2,800 and even now, one year later, Snooba still isnt right. His stomach gurgles and he burps when hes eating. Hes also developed a phobia of vets

Angela Harding, 43, is a full-time mum who lives in Portland, Dorset, with her son Alden, nine, and their two-year-old Australian labradoodle, Snooba. Angela says:

We live by the sea and, last Easter, the hordes of crowds descended.

The rubbish was bursting out of the bins in the National Trust car park near our home and I wasnt quick enough to stop our dog, Snooba, grabbing what looked like a plastic sandwich bag from the floor. He swallowed it before I could wrench it out of his mouth.

I was relieved when he passed it the next day, but he went off his food and became mopey, crying to be let out every ten minutes, and then, he started passing blood. We took him to the vet and when an X-ray couldnt locate the blockage, Snooba stayed in for surgery.

Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw when we collected him. I was expecting a small scar, but he had a wound the length of his body, held together with 20 staples. There had been a piece of silver foil in the sandwich bag which had shredded the lining of Snoobas gut as it passed through.

The next two weeks were a nightmare. I slept on an air bed with him to stop him jumping or pulling at the wound, and he cried all day and most of the night. He was only comforted if I held his paw, or if we put David Attenborough on the TV.

Luckily, Id been furloughed so I could spend time with him. Each day we had to make him swallow eight tablets (anti-sickness, antibiotics, antacids) and carry him up and down the stairs to our flat so he could go to the toilet.

I spent much of that time furious with the people leaving their litter in the car park, and with the council for not emptying the bins regularly. Before this lockdown, Alden and I would go litter picking, but it feels like a drop in the ocean.

The bill topped 2,800 and even now, one year later, Snooba still isnt right. His stomach gurgles and he burps when hes eating. Hes also developed a phobia of vets.

Unfortunately, he hasnt learned his lesson and still scavenges around bins if he gets the chance, so I have to be careful.

Thoughtless teens left broken glass

Nala normally keeps away from the rubbish-strewn areas but, last October, when she was just five months old, she was running around with another dog and she must have stepped on some broken glass

Ally Cummins, 50, is a pupil support assistant at a school close to her home in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen. She and her husband, Timothy, also 50, have two grown up children and their year-old pug/bulldog cross, Nala.

The beautiful wooded areas where we walk our dog are unfortunately popular with some irresponsible teenagers who hang out there in the evenings.

I take Nala on a walk along the river near that area every day and I always come back with two carrier bags full of drinks cans, food packaging, cigarette ends and broken bottles.

Nala normally keeps away from the rubbish-strewn areas but, last October, when she was just five months old, she was running around with another dog and she must have stepped on some broken glass.

We noticed the blood first, then we saw the chunk of glass embedded in her paw.

I took her straight to the vet, who stitched the wound. Poor little thing had to wear a cone for ten days. The vet bill was 200.

Nala is thankfully fully recovered now, but it does still make me angry. Its so thoughtless.

PPE could have killed my husky

In January, Mylo grabbed a mask and wouldnt let it go. Other dog walkers came to help and four of us tugged at it, but we only managed to pull off one of the strings before he swallowed it

Louise McCoy, 25, lives in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, with her three-year-old daughter, Alyxandria and her rescue husky, Mylo, one.

Discarded PPE is a big problem in the park where I walk my dog. There are masks and gloves on the paths and in the bushes.

In January, Mylo grabbed a mask and wouldnt let it go. Other dog walkers came to help and four of us tugged at it, but we only managed to pull off one of the strings before he swallowed it.

I was scared the metal strip that goes over your nose could pierce his gut, or the string would strangle his intestines. Im lucky we live near an animal hospital run by the charity PDSA.

The vet said surgery was probable but that hed like to try an injection to make Mylo vomit. It worked and the mask emerged intact, but it seems Mylo may have gut problems. Hes off his food, and I have to feed him probiotic paste to improve his energy.

I get angry with people who throw their PPE on the floor. If Mylo was off the lead, I wouldnt have known what he swallowed and may have got to the vet too late. Ive upped my litter picking, and grab as many masks and gloves as I can  at least ten every day.

I saw a trail of blood in the snow

When I got home, one of Cocos paws was bleeding so much I phoned the emergency vet and was told to apply a pressure bandage overnight

Amy Bastow, 29, works as a dog trainer. She lives in Perth, Scotland, with her partner Sam and their four-year-old rescue rottweiler, Coco.

Most evenings, I take Coco for a run in the park before bed. The night she was injured there was snow on the ground, so I couldnt see what was underneath and I was horrified when there was blood splattered everywhere.

When I got home, one of Cocos paws was bleeding so much I phoned the emergency vet and was told to apply a pressure bandage overnight. At the vet the next day, we found out shed nicked a blood vessel and needed surgery.

The cut, about 5 cm up from her front paw, was deep. For the next three weeks, Coco couldnt go for walks. She had to take antibiotics and painkillers and she skulked around the home in her cone of shame, thoroughly miserable.

She became clingy and insisted on joining us in bed  it was a tight squeeze! When the snow thawed I went to the park and spotted metal cans and broken glass where wed been walking. It makes me angry to see litter. Im a keen member of the local Paws on Plastic group and we pick up as much as we can. But we dont go to that park now.

The vet bill was 450  luckily Im insured  but we had to pay the excess. If people didnt drop litter it wouldnt have happened.
State health and safety regulators have fined the Alta Bates Campus of Sutter Health in Berkeley $141,750, alleging the hospital failed to notify employees within a certain time frame that they had been exposed to COVID-19, officials said.

Officials with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health issued eight serious citations to the Ashby Avenue campus in Berkeley, saying the hospital failed on several fronts: to implement and maintain its Aerosol Transmissible Disease Exposure Control Plan; to ensure that employees in an intensive care unit who were required to use an N95 filtering facepiece respirator passed a fit test; to investigate coronavirus exposure incidents; and to notify employees who had significant exposure to a COVID- 19 case within 96 hours of becoming aware of the potential exposure.

A 22-page document outlines each citation. In one reported incident in July, Cal/OSHA said nurses who assisted a respiratory therapist who had COVID-19 attended to babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. In another incident in December, Cal/OSHA said nurses did not use airborne or droplet precautions when attending to patient who went on to test positive for the coronavirus.

Sutter Health officials told The Chronicle on Friday that they disagree with Cal/OSHAs findings and have appealed.

We expect the ultimate outcome to show that these citations do not reflect our practices, Sutter Health officials said. Most of our reported exposures occurred outside the workplace or when employees inadvertently or intentionally failed to follow our policies.

If employees report potential exposures to the hospital, Sutter Health officials said, the hospital reviews it against guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health, such as identifying high-risk exposures, and follow appropriate protocols regarding tracing, notification and testing.

We stand by our policies and practices, including our provision of PPE, our infection prevention protocols and the education, training and support we provide to our workforce who care tirelessly for our patients every day, Sutter Health officials said.

Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto, a neonatal ICU registered nurse who worked at the Alta Bates Campus, said in a statement that Sutter Health continues to put patients, nurses and their families at risk by not complying with basic health and safety laws.

The citations come roughly a week after Cal/OSHA fined Sutter Healths Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland more than $155,000 for allegedly violating similar infectious disease control standards. According to the California Nurses Association, those citations said the hospital failed to properly isolate patients with COVID-19 and did not provide appropriate safety equipment to nurses who worked on the same unit as Janine Paiste-Ponder, an Oakland nurse who died of COVID-19 in July after caring for COVID-19 patients.

In response to the Oakland citations, Sutter Health officials told The Chronicle last week that they disagree with Cal/OSHAs findings, saying that None of the findings are specific to the passing of our beloved colleague.

Sutter Health has appealed the Oakland citations.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByLHernandez
As India undergoes massive societal transformations due to the pandemic, a potential dangerous by-product could be a worrying consensus on the need for population control. Dressed as a positive population check to cure poverty, such a turn in policy can enable rushed and knee-jerk public opinion that proves fatal for historically persecuted populations. The dangers of support for coercive population control policies in the garb of economic recovery are examined.

In 1978, a film titled Nasbandi was released in Bombay (now, Mumbai). It was a commercial venture, made by prominent film actor, writer, and comedian I S Johar. The film begins with a lament for M K Gandhi and a song that remembers the ahimsa that Gandhi practised, contrasting his struggle with the current times. The film sets out to be a commentary on the political scenario of 1978. The song has lyrics like apni satta rakhne ko jo chhine janata ke adhikar (those who are keeping their power by restraining peoples freedom). A montage of footage of the Indian independence struggle seamlessly merges with shots of people protesting the Emergency. The song goes on to condemn the censorship of the press and affirms the right to criticise the government.

The song sequence shows how men were being dragged to mobile camps to get forcibly vasectomised. A man is dragged to a hospital bed by people dressed in white hospital robes. Another man dressed in a surgical cape forces him onto the bed while a nurse in white holds a plate full of medical instruments. The lyrics of the song that accompanies this sequence states, Nasbandi ke naam pe hue zulm wo dukhi aur deeno par. Lagata tha latka ho jaise prajatantra sangeeno par (Crimes were committed on the poor and needy in the name of vasectomies. It felt as if democracy was hanging by a bare thread). This sequence was immediately followed by the Turkman Gate incident where the government ran bulldozers over settlements deemed illegal in what was called a city beautification drive, led by Lieutenant Governor Jagmohan. The song ends with the hope that Jayaprakash Narayan, like his name, would be the light in these troubling times, and with a warning that whichever regime rules ruthlessly will fall.
METOVNICA, Serbia  The well in the retired couples yard, their only source of clean water, began to dry up two years ago. Last year, dead fish started washing up on the banks of the river that runs by their home in a bucolic village in southeastern Serbia.

But most disturbing of all for Verica Zivkovic and her husband, Miroslav, are the ever-widening cracks in the walls of the house they built after moving to the countryside more than a decade ago to raise goats.

We came here for the peace and quiet, said Ms. Zivkovic, 62, but that all changed when a Chinese company arrived.

In 2018, the company, the Zijin Mining Group, took control of a money-losing copper smelter in the nearby city of Bor and began blasting away in the nearby hills in search of copper and gold.
(Newser)  A police department in Maryland has released body camera video that captured two of its officers berating a 5-year-old boy who had walked away from his elementary school, calling him a little beast and threatening him with a beating, the AP reports. The video released Friday by the Montgomery County Police Department shows one of the officers repeatedly screaming at the crying child, with her face inches from his. Oh, my God, Id beat him so bad, the officer said in the child's presence before telling him, You do not embarrass me like this at school. The boy's mother has filed a lawsuit over the January 2020 interaction. The Washington Post reports that the police department and the county's public school system declined to address the incident in detail, citing the mother's pending lawsuit. But the school system issued a statement describes the video as extremely difficult to watch.

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There is no excuse for adults to ever speak to or threaten a child in this way, the school system said. A police department spokeswoman told the newspaper that the two officers in the video remain employed by the department after an internal investigation. The officers found the boy about one block from East Silver Spring Elementary School and drove him back to the school, where they were met by a school administrator. The video shows an officer forcing the crying child onto a chair in the principal's office. Shut that noise up now! the other officer shouted near the boy's face. I hope your momma let me beat you. One of the officers pulled out his handcuffs and closed one of loops around the childs right wrist. You know what these are for? he asked the boy. These people that dont want to listen and dont know how to act.

(Read more Maryland stories.)
(Ramona) wasnt really that likable a character. The book was Ramona the Pest, and shes a pest  but somehow she resonated. She resonated among kids who had little sisters like that, and she resonated with kids who maybe also act like that themselves. Until then, you needed almost a heroic  or at least really likable  main character, and this was really the first kids book to show kids in all their flaws, and all the good, the bad and the ugly. I think Judy Blumes books come out of that. I think it opened the door for books such as Harriet the Spy.
Storm Keating had emergency spinal surgery after being diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome.

The 39-year-old wife of Ronan Keating revealed she suffered the "most frightening week" of her life when she was rushed to hospital with a prolapsed disc, which escalated to Cauda Equina Syndrome, a severe spinal stenosis that causes the nerves in the lower back to become severely compressed.

She wrote on Instagram: "Its been a long and trialling week, the most frightening week of my life. But I feel so utterly grateful to Dr Syed Aftab and all the amazing specialists, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and aids at #CromwellHospital who have assisted me through this.

"On Saturday I was rushed in with what we already knew was a very bad prolapsed disc, which had more recently escalated to the point where it needed surgical intervention. Whilst stabilising in hospital however, this then escalated to Cauda Equina Compression/ Syndrome which required emergency spinal surgery to avoid permanent damage.

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"If it wasnt for Dr Aftab and his acute diligence, care, attentiveness and skills, I would not be walking out of this hospital with the prospects of leading the normal life I had always envisioned I would. There are no words that will ever come close to describing my gratitude to you Syed, thank you.

"And to Georgia and all the wonderful nurses and healthcare assistants who wiped my tears, comforted my fears, cleaned me up and allowed me to keep my dignity in moments where I thought I would lose it... you are amazing human beings to do what you do, thank you."

Storm - who has children Cooper and Coco with Ronan - added that her husband and stepkids had been holding down the fort while she was in hospital and she was eager to get home to her family.

She said: "My little girl turns one year old tomorrow and I cant wait to get home to her (just in time!) and to my amazing family who have been supporting each other and holding the fort together in my absence this last week. It couldnt have been easy and especially knowing the way my baby @rokeating worries!

So baba, @jackrkeating and @missyykeating you are my heroes and I love you and I cant wait to get home and see you!!!! Finally I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone for your well wishes this last week, they filled me with strength and courage. I hope that by sharing my story, its a small reminder for everyone to take care of your back!

"Many of us take our spine for granted and often our health too... but sometimes the unexpected can throw a real curve ball if youre not paying attention or if youre ignoring your body. Im very lucky but I wouldnt wish what Ive been through on anyone. We share our highs on Insta but sometimes its good to share our lows too. This has been one of mine (sic)."
Gilbert Viera, 35, is accused in multiple home invasions, including the entry into a town home where a woman was killed in her sleep.

Video Transcript

- This morning, a judge set bond at a quarter of a million dollars for the man accused of attacking people while they slept in their homes in Pasadena. 35 year old Gilbert Viera was not in probable cause court when his case came up overnight. He is facing three felony charges for two home invasions in Pasadena, one in which a woman, 70-year-old Patrice Ward, died after she was beaten in bed at the Willow Oaks Townhomes Tuesday morning. She lived just two doors down from Viera. Police call him a person of interest in her murder.

Viera is charged for another home invasion less than a mile away on Harris Avenue Thursday morning. In court today, the judge pointed out how vicious these attacks were.

- And he is alleged to have broken into a stranger's house and beat them as they lay in their bed with either a tire iron or a gun. It was not clear because they were asleep when the beatings began.

- During that court appearance, the judge also mentioned Viera is accused of choking an inmate inside the downtown jail for no apparent reason. He was just released from prison in November. He has an extensive criminal history, including four felony and five misdemeanor convictions between 2003 and 2017.

- Well, new at 10:00, a 70-year-old woman murdered while asleep in her bed. Tonight investigators in Pasadena tell us the person of interest is her neighbor who lived just two doors down. Within the past hour, we obtained this doorbell cam video showing him being taken into custody. Police charging him for a second home invasion early this morning, not far from the first one.

ABC 13's Shelley Childers joins us live in Pasadena with more about the victims here. Shelley?

SHELLEY CHILDERS: Police tell us the woman killed was Patrice Ward. She was beloved by her neighbors, an avid traveler and a kind soul, they say. And after spending 30 years living in the same townhome complex, police believe she was killed by a new neighbor who they say was just released from prison.

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Hand in hand, dozens of neighbors came together.

- Heavenly father, we gather here with solemn hearts, dear Lord.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: Outside the Willow Oaks townhomes in Pasadena.

- She did not deserve this. It's like why, why, why? And I console myself just knowing I know where she is now. And she's fine.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: They're here to remember Patrice Ward, their neighbor and longtime friend.

- She always had a loving heart for everybody, a caring heart for everybody. And it breaks my heart that she's gone.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: Pasadena police say the 70-year-old was found dead in her bed, attacked, they say, while asleep.

- It appears she had died from blunt force trauma to the head.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: They say 35-year-old Gilbert Viera is suspected of breaking into her home to rob her, taking two guns and jewelry. Viera is charged for a separate crime this morning less than a mile away. They say he kicked in the front door of a home in the 1600 block of Harris Avenue and terrorized the family inside with a tire iron.

- The male sustained some pretty serious head wounds that require some medical attention. His wife had some defensive wounds from where she was struck.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: Police say Viera left one of Patrice Ward's guns at that home then stole the family's car. They arrested him this morning, living in the same townhome complex as Ward.

- And the fact that, my goodness, he was two doors down from her, that's scary.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: Police say Viera was released from prison in November and was staying with relatives. Neighbors say the family recently moved into the complex. As a memorial grows outside her front door, she is remembered not by how she died--

- She would give the shirt off her back for you if she saw that you need it without you asking.

SHELLEY CHILDERS: --but by how she lived. In Pasadena, Shelley Childers, ABC 13 Eyewitness News.
Responding positively to their request, Vinod Kumar called the Welfare minister, Koppula Eshwar on phone and brought the issue to his notice.  DC file photo

KARIMNAGAR: TRS corporator and Dalit leader Kamsala Srinivas on Friday urged the government to sanction loans to people belonging to Scheduled Caste from SC Corporation without any restrictions and link to banks.

Leading other dalit leaders, Srinivas met vice-chairman of state planning commission, Boinapally Vinod Kumar in Hyderabad and submitted a representation urging him to the start the implementation process from the coming financial year.

Srinivas said that the Telangana government, headed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has given recognition to dalits by allocating chairmen posts in market committees to them.

He said that in the absence of collateral security, which banks have mandated for sanctioning loans, many deserving applicants were being denied loans. To improve social standing of dalits, the government must sanction loans to them from SC corporations, he demanded.

He also urged the government to increase the loan amount to Rs 5 lakh and help support dalit families to become economically sound.

Responding positively to their request, Vinod Kumar called the Welfare minister, Koppula Eshwar on phone and brought the issue to his notice. He urged the minister to prepare proposals for sanctioning loans from SC Corporation without linking them to banks from the coming financial year.

Mechanic workers association state president Thota Babu and granite workers association leader Pannala Ramu were among those who were present along with others.
My five-year-old wore trackpants to school earlier this week. Despite multiple warnings from me, his dad, Siri, ABC News Breakfasts weather presenter and the bright sunshine outside, he was adamant this was the correct sartorial choice. He yanked on his navy-blue quilted pants before making quite the grumpy show of jamming his feet into socks and shoes. Then he went and sat alone in the backyard, righteous in his fury at my earlier suggestion that he wear shorts.

Scott Morrison facing questions on the scandals confronting his government during question time. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

I picked my kid up from school later that day on what was an unseasonably warm March afternoon. My son had resorted to rolling up the cuffs of his trackies so they sat just above his knees, severely restricting blood circulation to his lower limbs. His hot, uncomfortable little face squinted up at mine from beneath his sweaty curls. Mum, I think I should have worn shorts today. I think maybe I wont do that again when its sunny.

Contrast my prep kids behaviour with our Prime Ministers. In what began as a not completely terrible press conference on Tuesday, Scott Morrison showed glimpses of contrition and the occasional suggestion he has actually been listening to women. Or at least to those related to him. But then he crescendoed and weaponised a claim of a sexual harassment complaint at News Corp that turned out never to have happened.

During that same media address, the Prime Minister said he was open to a conversation about parliamentary quotas for women in the Liberal Party and that he had been for some time.
"The Talk" will return with new episodes on Apr. 12, but one person's distinctive voice will no longer be heard, and that is Sharon Osbourne.

The 68-year-old has confirmed to be not returning" following the fallout surrounding her comments as she defended British pal Piers Morgan.

Sharon Osbourne, who is known to have a sharp tongue, has reportedly decided to leave "The Talk" amid controversy and recriminations over misconduct and offensive language claims on the show to current and past co-hosts.

CBS' Statement on Sharon Osbourne Leaving 'The Talk'

In a statement revealed by CBS to E! Online, they claimed that the former "America's Got Talent" judge's behavior "doesn't align with network values for a respectful workplace."

Osbourne claimed that producers of the show blindsided her into a heated discussion with her co-hosts in the past.

In an interview with Variety, she claimed that "I blame the network for it. In my 11 years, this was the first time I was not involved with the planning of the segment."

However, as per CBS's internal investigation, they claimed not to find evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or that the network blindsided her.

Though Osbourne has not released her statement as of writing, CBS acknowledged that they are accountable for what's happening during the broadcast.

They claimed, "It was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race."

Moving forward, CBS said they coordinated "workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew."

Additionally, they said that they would be planning to enhance the producing staff and procedures to serve the hosts, production, and viewers better.

Sharon Osbourne Exits 'The Talk'

Sharon Osbourne has been a main fixture on "The Show" since its inception in 2010. She's the only person who remained on the cast since the beginning.

But the audience seemed to have turned against the British host after getting into a tense argument with co-host Sheryl Underwood regarding Piers Morgan's "racially insensitive" behavior towards Meghan Markle.

Osbourne continued to defend the former "Good Morning Britain" anchor after slamming the Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey.

But her co-host, Underwood, didn't see eye-to-eye with Osbourne after she supported Morgan's "freedom of speech."

The pair continued to exchange words as Osbourne cried live in the heated segment while also telling Underwood not to cry.

Eventually, Sharon Osbourne clarified her position and views on Instagram and blamed the on-air fight on the network.

Later on, she was met with even more racial claims against former co-hosts Holly Robinson Peete and Julie Chen.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
The Minister-designate for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, has refuted claims that Ghanaian taxpayers are worse-off today because the Akufo-Addo-led administration has imposed so many taxes on them.



Responding to questions before the Appointments Committee of Parliament, on Friday, on the second day of his vetting, Mr Ofori-Atta stated that a critical analysis of the taxes abolished during the first term of the New Patriotic Party administration showed that taxpayers were better off now than under the previous National Democratic Congress administration.



"When you look at the taxes we abolished, reduction in electricity and what we have done during this COVID-19 era, clearly on a net basis we have not really hurt the Ghanaian taxpayer, if you compare us to the previous government," he emphasised.



He said Ghana's economy and fiscal health were better in 2019 than in 2016.



"For the past four years, the economy has grown, social protection for the vulnerable has been increased, and the conditions of people have been made better, by the grace of God," he stated.



On corruption, Mr Ofori-Atta said he believed that the Akufo-Addo-led administration had been strong in fighting corruption, increased allocation to all anti-corruption governance institutions and had been firm in protecting the public purse.



"We have also been strong in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and adding value to our economy in our commitment to transforming Ghana," he added.



In the next four years, the renominated Finance Minister said, he would focus on three key areas - mobilisation of more revenues under property tax, tax exemption and digitisation.



He called for the adoption of positive behaviour towards the realisation of the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.



Mr Ofori-Atta announced that some funds had been released for the National Unemployment Insurance Scheme to be rolled out.



Additionally, some funds had been released to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to make funding for agriculture sustainable.

The leadership of the Appointments Committee asked Mr Ofori-Atta series of questions regarding his family relations, business interests, banking sector cleanup, the Agyapa Royalties Transactions, among others.



The vetting of Mr Ofori-Atta, who returned last Saturday from the United States, where he sought medical attention for COVID-19 complications, was adjourned yesterday after about six hours.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
By Joe Dworetzky

Bay City News Foundation

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced Thursday that two criminal charges were lodged against a former employee of the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Both charges filed against Justin Volk were misdemeanors.

When Volk was arrested in Utah in August of 2020, allegedly with methamphetamines in his car, alarm bells rang in San Francisco.

At that point Volk had worked for the medical examiner for 12 years and was then serving as a forensic laboratory analyst.

A search conducted in Utah at the time of Volk's arrest "yielded chain of custody documentation that appears to be the property of OCME," according to Boudin. "We believe that the controlled substances in his car may have been taken from the custody of OCME."

In an Oct. 31, 2020, letter to San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Norman Yee, Boudin stated "the alleged misconduct here may have far reaching implications that bear on important questions of guilt or innocence for the accused and for the victims of crime."

The district attorney estimated that Volk "played a role in the testing, collection, and preservation of evidence in more than 2,500 law enforcement investigations including 500 death investigations, 1,200 sexual-assault investigations, and 800 DUI investigations."

Boudin requested supplemental city funding of $455,731 "to discharge our Constitutional obligation to notify, identify, and investigate the impact of the potential mishandling and misappropriation of OCME property."

The additional resources were requested to cover "costs associated with additional

staffing, digitizing files, ordering transcripts, expert fees and other relevant litigation expenses."

Rachel Marshall, a spokesperson for Boudin, said that the requested funds were not received.

In November of 2020, the Boudin's office posted a spreadsheet with case names and charges against 822 individuals who had been prosecuted in cases where Volk's work had some connection. Boudin stated that the list was posted "to provide transparency and to empower those whose cases may be affected to explore further."

The San Francisco Public Defender's Office posted a notice to its website concerning the Volk investigation.

After noting the number of prosecutions that Volk was involved in, the notice said, "In each of these investigations, the role of a laboratory analyst minimally involves receiving, logging, accessioning, storing, disposing, screening. And preparing biological and toxicological specimens for forensic purposes."

The notice said, "If you believe you have an affected case, please contact us."

After news of Volk's arrest became public, the San Francisco City Controller conducted an investigation of the drug evidence inventory held at the medical examiner's office to determine "whether all the drug evidence (including prescription and illicit drugs) that should be present is present, properly sealed in bags, securely stored, and accounted for in the log."

The investigators concluded that of 1,738 bags of drug evidence received between January 2016 and September 2020, two were missing and 10 were found unsealed. In addition, the report concluded that the medical examiner's documentation was "insufficient to determine the complete inventory and contents of the department's drug evidence."

Boudin's recent announcement said that the criminal complaint (not yet released to the public) alleges that Volk stole "evidence from OCME and then possessed property stolen from OCME between June 14, 2020 and August 31, 2020."

The news release states, "An investigation conducted by the San Francisco District Attorney's Office revealed that the evidence was in fact methamphetamine collected during a death investigation by OCME and stored in OCME's Evidence Room. As part of his duties, Mr. Volk had unrestricted access to OCME's Evidence Room."

The misdemeanor charges lodged against Volk were theft and receipt of stolen property.

Marshall responded to the question of why the charges against Volk were only misdemeanors by stating, "We charged Mr. Volk with what the evidence supports, which are misdemeanor charges."

Marshall added, "We believe, of course, that the items that he had were stolen from the medical examiner's office. And so that is why we have charged him with theft and possession of personal property."

Marshall added that "in order for there to be a theft charge to be prosecuted, a felony would have to be above $950-worth. And the evidence we have does not support that the drugs were a value more than that."

When asked if a governmental official who steals on the job couldn't be prosecuted on other grounds arising from his or her official position, Marshall said, "We looked into other charges and the charges we filed were the ones we have the evidence to support."

Marshall said that Volk was released on $500 bail. His arraignment is scheduled for May 27, 2021.

Copyright  2021 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  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
One thing is to have partners and the other thing we lacked was a solid marketing campaign in terms of advertising our tech products.

A technology company Taleam Systems began as a startup in 2011 by providing computer services and software support to home and small business users. Over the last many years, the business developed partnerships with big tech companies in order to provide solutions and products to computer users at a cost-effective pricing.

Meladul Haq Ahmadzai, the CEO of Taleam Systems says, Most of our business comes from installing, troubleshooting, and updating technology software. He refers to Windows 10 software, printer support, computer service, networking, and cyber security.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company struggled as a result of the global pandemic lockdown in Canada, but after reaching out to a few marketing companies for assistance in messaging and design with a new online marketing strategy, the business started to slowly stand up on two feet.

He says, One thing is to have partners and the other thing we lacked was a solid marketing campaign in terms of advertising our tech products. As the company continues to slowly grow in Ottawa, Canada, Ahmadzai says that they are in a much better position to provide technology support, software products, and advice to new and past customers that interact with the business.

Taleam Systems is a tech company in Ottawa, ON which is celebrating 10-years anniversary this year.

To learn more about Taleam services and products, visit the website at http://www.taleamsystems.com
Stranded container ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, is seen after it ran aground, in Suez Canal, Egypt (Photo : REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Dredging and tugging aimed at freeing a mega vessel stuck in the Suez Canal failed on Friday to end a blockage that has lifted shipping rates for fuel tankers and scrambled global supply chains for everything from grains to baby clothes.



U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration was looking at what it could do to help, after the 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given ran aground in the vital trade waterway on Tuesday due to strong wind.



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"We have equipment and capacity that most countries don't have. And we are seeing what help we can be," Biden told reporters in Delaware.



A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Navy was prepared to send a team of dredging experts to the canal, but was awaiting approval from local authorities.



The latest effort to dislodge the ship with tug boats was suspended late on Friday, and attempts would resume on Saturday, three sources at the canal said. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) could not immediately be reached for comment.



Shipping rates for oil product tankers nearly doubled after the ship became stranded, and efforts to free the giant vessel may take weeks and be complicated by unstable weather, threatening costly delays for companies already dealing with COVID-19 restrictions.



All its 25 crew members, who have remained on board, were safe, in good health and spirits, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), the Ever Given's technical manager said.



A Dutch rescue team had confirmed two additional tugs would arrive on March 28 to help dislodge the ship, BSM said.



"There have been no reports of pollution or cargo damage and initial investigations rule out any mechanical or engine failure as a cause of the grounding," a BSM statement said.



Earlier, the SCA said efforts to free the ship by tug had resumed following the completion of dredging operations at its bow to remove 20,000 cubic metres of sand.



"The tugging operations require the availability of a number of supporting factors including wind direction and tides, which makes it a complex technical process," the authority said.



The SCA welcomed a U.S. offer to help. Turkey also said it can send a vessel to the canal, amid a push by Ankara to repair ties with Egypt after years of animosity.



The suspension of traffic along the channel linking Europe and Asia has deepened problems for shipping lines.



The blockage could cost global trade $6 billion to $10 billion a week, a study by German insurer Allianz showed on Friday.



Ratings agency Moody's expects Europe's manufacturing and car parts suppliers to be most affected because they operate "just-in-time" supply chains, and said port congestion and further delays to the supply chain were "inevitable."



IMPACT ON OIL



Retired British Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe said the best bet for the next attempt would be a high tide on Sunday, but because the ship was aground both front and rear there was a risk the hull could rupture if rescuers pulled too hard.



Mohab Mamish, the Egyptian presidential adviser on Suez Canal projects and sea ports, told MBC Misr TV a floating crane should be used to transfer some of the Ever Given's containers to another ship to lighten the vessel and enable it to float.



About two dozen ships could be seen from the shores of Port Said on Friday morning, according to a Reuters witness.



Oil rose over 3% on Friday as more than 30 oil tankers have been waiting on either side of the canal since Tuesday, shipping data on Refinitiv showed. However, there is low seasonal demand for crude and liquefied natural gas, which will likely mitigate the impact on prices, analysts said.



About 4 million barrels of mostly Kazakh CPC Blend and some Russian Urals were waiting along with tankers carrying Libyan, Azeri and some North Sea crude oil for Asian refiners, traders said.



Egypt's SUMED pipeline operator approached crude traders to see whether they wanted to book space in the system but so far traders prefer to wait to avoid high additional costs. (Graphic: Black Sea to Mediterranean fuel shipping rates jump as traders try to bypass blocked Suez canal, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/xlbvgxyxypq/BlackSeatoMedFuelRates.png)



Analysts expect a greater price impact on smaller tankers carrying oil products, such as naphtha and fuel oil, for export from Europe to Asia, if the canal remains shut for weeks.



Re-routing ships around the Cape of Good Hope could add about two weeks and extra fuel costs to the voyage, said Sri Paravaikkarasu, director for Asia oil at FGE.



The blockage is weighing on the already weak Asian gasoil, or diesel, market. More than 60% of Asian exports to the west flowed via the choked Canal in 2020, according to FGE. (Graphic: Tanker congestion at Suez Canal, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/azgpodlqnvd/TankerCongestionAtSuezMarch26.png)



Aframax and Suezmax rates in the Mediterranean have also reacted as the market starts to price in fewer vessels being available in the region, shipbroker Braemar ACM Shipbroking said.



At least four Long-Range 2 tankers that might have been headed toward Suez from the Atlantic basin are now likely to be evaluating a passage around the Cape of Good Hope, Braemar ACM said. Each LR-2 tanker can carry around 75,000 tonnes of oil.



The cost of shipping clean products, such as gasoline and diesel, from the Russian port of Tuapse on the Black Sea to southern France jumped 73% over the last three days to $2.58 a barrel on March 25, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. (Graphic: Giant containership Ever Given continues to block traffic in the Suez Canal, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/yzdpxegbrvx/EvergivenMarch262021.png)



The shipping index benchmark for LR2 vessels from the Middle East to Japan, known as TC1, has climbed by a third since last week to 137.5 worldscale points, said Anoop Jayaraj, clean tanker broker at Fearnleys Singapore. Worldscale is an industry tool used to calculate freight rates.



On the crude side, traders have had to pay 10-20% more for replacement tankers but market freight rates have not yet risen as charterers are not ready to commit to higher levels in case the container is freed this weekend, shipbrokers said.


British PM Johnson Vows to Stand Firmly With Lawmakers Sanctioned by China

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed his solidarity with UK lawmakers sanctioned by Beijing for speaking out against the abuse of Uyghur Muslims.

Johnson met with five British parliamentarians in 10 Downing Street on Saturday, one day after the Chinese regime imposed sanctions on nine British citizens and four UK entities for their stance on Xinjiang.

This morning I spoke with some of those who have been shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims, Johnson wrote on Twitter. I stand firmly with them and the other British citizens sanctioned by China.

Those at the meeting include three Conservative MPsSir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, and Tim Loughton, as well as two members of the House of LordsLord Alton, a cross-bencher, and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy.

All five are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group set up in June 2020 by senior politicians from around the world to counter the threat posed by the Chinese regime.

We are delighted that the prime minister agreed to meet us today to express his solidarity with parliamentarian and other British citizens sanctioned by the Chinese government, the five lawmakers said in a statement.

This sends a clear signal that the UK will not turn a blind eye to attempts to intimidate legislators, undermine our Parliament, or stifle the free and open debate which is essential to our democracy.

Our focus is not on these sanctions, but on the victims of the Chinese Communist Party. We take this opportunity to raise again the plight of the Uyghurs, the Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and other groups subject to persecution by the Chinese government.

We reiterate our calls for the Chinese government to honour its commitments to upholding human rights and abiding by international law, they said.

Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on Oct. 22, 2019. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijings announcement of sanctions on British citizens and organisations came after the UK imposed sanctions on March 22 against Chinese officials responsible for the alleged abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) summoned Chinese Charge dAffaires Yang Xiaoguang on Friday.

Nigel Adams, the minister for Asia, said Beijings action was unwarranted and unacceptable and would not distract attention away from the violations taking place in Xinjiang.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party, said Beijings sanctions on him and his colleagues did not come as any great surprise and he was happy to wear these sanctions as a badge of honour.

In addition to the abuse in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet, many groups have been subject to grotesque oppression, including Christians and practitioners of Falun Gong, he wrote in The Telegraph on Saturday.

Beijing should be warned: this intimidation will only encourage all of us who have been targeted to redouble our efforts to speak up for those who are suppressed and have no voice, he wrote.

Lord Alton speaks on the genocide amendment in the House of Lords, London, on Feb. 23, 2021. (Parliamentlive.tv/Screenshot)

Lord Alton said Beijings sanctions are intended to silence critics but will have the opposite effect.

Every time Beijing tries to silence one voice it ensures that hundreds more are raised in defence of freedom, democracy, and human rights, he wrote on the Politics Home website.

If the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) thinks that threats and intimidation will lead to silence, they have made a grave miscalculation. They should think again.
20 YEARS AGO

ESPN TV cameras roll

Television came to the Manistee and Benzie counties this past week when Barrett Productions filmed two outdoor segments for the popular ESPN 2 network. Film crews from the Missoula, Montana based production company were busy filming episodes for the "Trout Unlimited show and the Destination Outdoors No Boundaries Experience show at various locations in the two counties.

40 YEARS AGO

Special meeting on unified school

Were in the process of decline, where we want to admit it or not, Jefferson School Principal Lee Libby told a group of 61 elementary parents last night. Parents gathered at the Manistee High School library at the invitation of Superintendent Thomas Culbert to hear Culbert and Libby explain the concept of a unified elementary school organization as a possible alternative for coping with the problems of declining revenues and enrollment. The unified concept would place the entire Manistee Public School district elementary population in three buildings according to grade level.

Water flushing

Flushing of city water begins March 31 at 8 a.m. in the City of Manistee. The western section of the City of Manistee, the area west of Maple Street, from River Street south to the city limits, will be the area where the water mains will be flushed, with rusty water very possible.

60 YEARS AGO

Parking still in effect

The Manistee City Police department reminded today that the city's alternate parking ordinance remains in effect until April 15. With the street department this week using the heavy street sweeper to clean up city streets prior to the Easter weekend, it is important that residents park on the proper side of the street each day to permit the street sweeper to perform a complete job daily.

Warning on scooters

The recent mild weather has signaled the appearance of motor scooters and the city police department today issued a warning about motor scooters. According to state law, people must have a state operators license to operate a motor scooter on a public thoroughfare. This law is designed to prevent youngsters without a drivers license from endangering themselves and others while driving motor scooters.

80 YEARS AGO

Grass fire

Firefighters were called to extinguish a grass fire at the Manistee Salt Works on Main Street yesterday at 7:30 p.m. No damage was done.

Wheat quota

Manistee County farmers will probably be asked to vote on wheat marking quotas on May 31, local Agricultural Adjustment Administration officials announced today in explaining that the need for the marketing quotas arises from the large supply of wheat carried over from previous years and the indication that a large crop will be harvested in 1941.

Compiled by Mark Fedder at the Manistee County Historical Museum
As many adults in South Carolina still struggle to find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, the state health department is sticking to a methodical but slower approach of sending vaccines in small quantities to the state's rural areas. Meanwhile, the state's largest hospital systems say they haven't been entrusted with nearly as many doses as they could conceivably handle.

The result seems to prioritize making sure each community, however small, has access to the life-saving shots over all-out speed, even as the state languishes at the bottom of national rankings for the percentage of its population with shots in arms.

On March 25, President Joe Biden doubled down on his promises for his first 100 days in office, investing $10 billion in stimulus, saying the country will vaccinate 200 million Americans and open eligibility to everyone by early May. South Carolina is opening up eligibility even more quickly than that. Gov. Henry McMaster announced on March 26 that anyone 16 and older could get a shot starting on the last day of the month.

But one hospital administrator in the Lowcountry said these targets are unrealistic for South Carolina unless shipments to the state, and to hospitals, speed up.

Delivering health care to rural parts of the state has always been a challenge, and leaders heading up the vaccination effort in South Carolina deliberately chose a strategy of sending small shipments of the Moderna vaccine to local providers and pharmacies. But there has been a tradeoff: With this approach, South Carolina's Moderna vaccine is moving out at one of the slowest paces in the country, according to a Post and Courier analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By comparison, the Pfizer vaccine, handled mostly by the state's hospitals, is flying off of shelves at one of the fastest rates in the nation. Hospitals are asking DHEC for more.

Vaccine data seems to bolster the hospitals' argument: The health systems are the most efficient providers in the state when it comes to administering coronavirus vaccines. As a group, they had already given out 98 percent of the 602,000 first shots delivered by March 23.

But letting hospitals, which are grouped in the state's more urban centers, handle all of the roughly 235,000 first doses of the vaccine expected statewide in the coming week also wouldn't make for an equitable rollout.

"DHEC is taking great effort to distribute small amounts of Moderna vaccine to many, many providers around the state in order to get into small communities," a spokeswoman for the agency said. Even so, the state at one point ranked 48th in shots in arms, and has struggled to break out of the bottom 10 of all states in the percent of the adult population vaccinated.

DHEC acknowledged there is room to improve getting the Moderna vaccine out, and the spokeswoman said, "the state, as a whole, is making notable progress in speeding up its Moderna utilization rate."

It is hard to know why other states' Moderna shots are getting out faster, given that comparing states head to head is just about impossible. Plans for distributing vaccines were left up to each state, and as Nick Davidson, DHEC's senior deputy for public health, put it: "There's probably as many different strategies to rolling out the vaccine as there are states."

High hopes

The first weeks of the vaccine's rollout in South Carolina were mired in disorganization.

Hospital leaders exuded optimism at first. Officials at both MUSC Health and Prisma Health told legislators in January they could vaccinate 10,000 people every day.

Reality fell far short of those hopes.

The number of people on MUSC's waitlist topped out at 51,000, and for weeks, the health system wasn't scheduling new appointments at all. Winter storms clogged the nation's supply chain. On one occasion in early February, a truck arrived at Prisma Health's Greenville operation without any of the expected doses at all  just other supplies  prompting the system to send part of what came to its Columbia operation north, a local TV station reported.

Now, shipments of vaccine to the state have evened, and DHEC has set a minimum amount each hospital can expect to receive each week.

That minimum amount has still been a disappointment for some hospital systems, which say they could do much more. In its statement, DHEC said that while it used to determine how much each provider would receive based on how quickly it used its doses, under the behest of the state Legislature it switched to a model that has the agency sending doses to areas of the state based on population levels on March 8.

MUSC is now averaging between 12,000 and 15,000 vaccines given per week, and maintains it could handle 70,000 per week if it had the doses.

Dr. Danielle Scheurer, chief quality officer for MUSC Health, has said, "the math just doesn't work out" for South Carolina meeting the goal of getting every adult vaccinated before the summer at the pace the state is moving.

She said MUSC was entrusted with much of the state's COVID-19 testing operation, and mass vaccination events are not much different.

"We average eight minutes per patient. We've totally got this down," Scheurer said. "It's not like we're the only ones that can do it, but we are certainly willing and able, and we got state funding to do this. So, we may as well do it. We just need the vaccine."

The state-backed health system received $45 million from the state Legislature in February to fund administration of vaccines.

Prisma Health is both the state's largest health system and its largest vaccinator. Dr. Rick Scott, a clinical leader and co-chair of its Vaccine Task Force, said the organization has been so eager to increase the supply of vaccines that calls were held directly between Prisma and Moderna leadership.

Prisma can move through its entire supply in about a week, Scott said, and purposefully holds only a small amount of vaccine in reserve.

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"There's efficiency to big sites," he said.

But Scott said he sees benefits to multiple strategies, and even with its tentacles spread across the state, Prisma Health's reach only extends so far.

Other priorities

Speed might not be the top priority for all providers.

According to an analysis of DHEC's data by The Post and Courier, speed has not been the strong suit of the roughly two dozen government-designated health center organizations in South Carolina.

As a group, the health centers by March 18 had received about 19 percent of all the Moderna doses in South Carolina. Only about half had been used, however. The Primary Health Care Association, which represents those centers across the state, said the organizations are hyper-focused on targeting vulnerable populations with limited access to health care, in places ranging from Hollywood and Pineville to rural Wadmalaw Island.

Doing so takes time and careful efforts.

"When you are targeting areas and populations based on the greatest need, you cannot utilize stock as quickly," the association said in a statement. Events are spread throughout the week and aren't held every day.

With limited staffs and an overwhelming amount of reporting requirements on their plates, the data available through DHEC may not be completely accurate, the association added.

At Hope Health, a community health center based in Florence, Dr. Heather Leisy, director of preventive medicine, said the organization has spread out vaccine appointments through mid-April. Leisy said because some patients are hard enough to reach to make an appointment once, Hope Health is doing its best to make sure no appointments need to be canceled because supply fell through.

As of March 26, Hope Health had received 4,500 first doses of the Moderna vaccine, and had given 1,701, according to the daily data every provider submits to DHEC. But it was also planning a mass vaccination clinic at the end of the week, expecting to give 1,500 doses.

In addition to data entry, Hope Health's limited staff are focused on reaching out to patients and coordinating their appointments, on top of the center's usual business, Leisy said.

Like many health centers and smaller providers in the state, Leisy said the shipments to Hope Health have been small and irregular, making planning difficult.

Even given the challenges, however, Leisy said health centers like Hope Health continue to play an integral role.

"We really see ourselves as in that gap, especially for rural communities where hospitals don't have a reach," she said. "We are extremely committed to doing that, no matter how hard it is."

How to judge each state's effort

Doctors' offices and other conventional sites alone don't have enough capacity to move vaccine quickly and stop the pandemic, national health leaders wrote March 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Mass vaccine sites are necessary.

Those large events are exactly what Charleston system Roper St. Francis had in mind when it set up a vaccine site at the North Charleston Coliseum, within sight of Interstate 526.

"This is a great step forward here, and an example for the rest of the state and possibly an example for the rest of the country," Gov. Henry McMaster said while touring the site in early January. "Our main source of vaccinations is these hospitals."

But though the site has stayed open each day, the number of doses coming in doesn't match demand.

"We just want to do our part, and there's just frustration about our capacity and not being able to utilize it to help the community," said John Fowler, pharmacy manager for Roper St. Francis.

Recently, DHEC set new minimum vaccine amounts for each hospital. Roper St. Francis will get 6,000 to 7,000 first and second doses each week, and that regularity will help the system plan. It could still do more, however.

Roper St. Francis noted its high-traffic site in North Charleston wasn't reaching every community equally, so it has found partners that can help with outreach. In a recent example, the system partnered with the nonprofit Palmetto Palace to give out 500 doses of vaccine at an AME church on March 21 on Wadmalaw Island. All the shots were gone by the end of the day.

Every state has its own factors that make vaccines harder or easier to deliver. In South Carolina's case, the population skews older and less healthy.

Nilanjan Chatterjee, a Ph.D. researcher at Johns Hopkins University who specializes in biostatistics, said even given those differences, it is still fair to compare states by how much of the population has been vaccinated. South Carolina ranked 40th in that measure on March 24. Chatterjee said one could also consider what proportion of the population vaccinated is in the older, more at-risk age group.

In that respect, South Carolina would score in the top five. Chatterjee said that could be a sign the state's rollout has been more equitable than others. He also said any state that publishes as much data on the vaccine effort as South Carolina does deserves credit.
Addressing the annual Army Day parade, he welcomed the presence of Russian forces and said Russia was a "true friend".He said the army had to seize power on Feb. 1 because of unlawful acts by the ousted ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) of now detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, adding that some party leaders had been found guilty of corruption and legal action was being taken against them.

Video Transcript

- [SINGING IN BURMESE]

- [SPEAKING BURMESE]

- Violent acts that affect stability and security in order to make demands are inappropriate.

[SPEAKING BURMESE]
Male drivers in Northern Ireland are more dangerous behind the wheel - accounting for 81% of all traffic offences last year, police figures show

Male drivers in Northern Ireland are more dangerous behind the wheel - accounting for 81% of all traffic offences last year, police figures show.

The PSNI statistics reveal men were responsible for 38,187 out of 47,077 offences detected in 2020.

Despite the pandemic reducing traffic volume, speeding offences also shot up by almost a fifth (18%) to 8,995, with male drivers detected on 6,540 occasions.

The worst offenders recorded top speeds of 130mph on the M1 Motorway near Portadown, as well as on the Ballyquin Road in Limavady. According to the report, speeding detections peaked during the summer months, despite reduced traffic volumes. Experts have suggested that lower congestion and quieter roads increased the temptation to speed. Mobile phone offences also reflected the gender imbalance, with men detected in 2,876 out of 3,436 offences. A total of 2,371 men were also detected for drink or drug driving, compared to 569 women. Careless driving offences saw 2,854 men detected compared to 779 women, while 919 men were caught driving while disqualified compared to 66 women. Other figures showed that with many vehicle tests postponed in 2020, test certificate offences also dropped by nearly three-quarters (73%). Insurance offences rose by 3% to 8,448 offences, with 319 more driving licence offences at 4,255. Overall, a total of 60% of offences resulted in referral for prosecution, while 37% resulted in a fixed penalty fine of 60. Another 3% of offending drivers took a speed awareness course. Breaking offences down by age groups, 30 to 49-year-olds were responsible for the most offences at 19,760 (42%). By district areas, Belfast City recorded the highest level of traffic offences at 8,470 while Ards & North Down had the lowest at 1,617. When recording overall offences per 10,000 population, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon had the highest density by far at 427 with Ards & North Down the lowest at 123. Using the same scale, Antrim & Newtownabbey had the highest rate of speeding offences (107), with Ards & North Down (20) recording the lowest. Derry City & Strabane had the highest proportion of mobile phone offenders at 40 per 10,000 people, with 13 in Belfast City and just four in Ards & North Down.
With the possibility of more severe weather on the way, we want to remind you of why it's important if you live in a mobile home to get out and get to a safe place.

We spoke with the Limestone County Emergency Management Agency director about why this week's storms are a reminder of why a safe place is always important.

Emergency responders and management agencies stress in mobile homes, the foundation is just not appropriate during severe weather.

You have nowhere safe to hide during a tornado, like the closet or the bathroom.

"A mobile home is just not a safe place to be during severe weather," said Rita White.

Limestone County EMA Director Rita White says she always stresses to people a mobile home is not structurally sound when it comes to storms.

In 2014, a tornado swept through Limestone County destroying a mobile home park.

"The mobile home will roll under the influence when it's high winds, and it's not just from a tornado," said Dan Dixon.

Dixon is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Huntsville. He told WAAY 31 this issue does not only apply with a tornado. It could also happen with any thunderstorm. He said they are just too light and can be thrown up in the air and just demolished.

White told she us remembers the April 28th storm and says property shouldn't always be a concern over life or death.

"They had a storm shelter, but not everyone got in it, and unfortunately, a couple of people got killed there," she said.

Now, with storms on the way for the weekend, both Dixon and White say to stay weather aware starting now.

"Just a good idea to stay weather aware," said Dixon. "Do not wait until the day of severe weather to start thinking about what you're going to do. Think about that ahead of time, know where the shelters are," said White.

White says you should also share your plan with your children in case they have to be home alone.
In a veiled attack at BJP candidate in Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Saturday said "Bengal's daughter (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) will defeat Bengal's traitor in Nandigram Assembly seat.

Speaking to ANI, he said, " TMC will win Bengal. Bengal's daughter will defeat Bengal's traitor in his own backyard at Nandigram. Members of tourist gang will continue to do what they do best - try and destroy every institution in India."

Adhikari, a former TMC leader, joined the BJP ahead of Assembly polls. Adhikari is a sitting MLA from Nandigram, a seat where Mamata Banerjee has decided to contest this time instead of Bhawanipur.

Polling in Nandigram constituency will be held in the second phase of the assembly election on April 1.

He also lambasted West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on his remark that Banerjee should wear Bermuda shorts if she wants to show her plastered leg.

"Women in Bengal will continue to wear sarees any way they want," O'Brien said.

Addressing a rally in Purulia on Tuesday, Ghosh said: "She (Mamata) wants to show her plastered leg to everyone. Why doesn't she just wear a pair of Bermudas?"

The state is witnessing a triangular contest this time with Trinamool Congress (TMC), Congress-Left alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the fray.

Meanwhile, the polling for the first of the eight-phase assembly polls in West Bengal began at 7 am on Saturday with voters deciding the fate of 191 candidates in 30 constituencies.

Voter turnout of 7.72 per cent till 9 am was recorded as the polling for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections is underway, informed the Election Commission of India (ECI).

All constituencies in Purulia, Jhargram and segments of Bankura, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur are going to decide the electoral fate of 191 candidates, including 21 women. The polling will end at 6.30 pm.

As many as 730 coys of central forces, including 92 for Bankura, 169 for Purba Medinipur, 139 for Paschim Medinipur, 186 for Purulia and 144 for Jhargram have been deployed for this phase.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The makeup of New Orleans public schools has changed considerably since the system was established 180 years ago. In that year, 1841, John Tyler became the country's 10th president, slavery had not yet been abolished and access to school was largely reserved for White and privileged children.

Yet even in 2021, officials admit monumental work is still ahead to ensure that every student in New Orleans has access to the American Dream, or the notion that no matter a person's parentage or residency, one can determine one's own future via equitable access to education.

+8 Meet the historians in charge of vetting new public school names in New Orleans A team of seven historians that has been assembled to scrutinize New Orleans public school names for ties to the Confederacy or slave owners w

That change is necessary to meeting evolving societal standards was the general theme of the school system's anniversary celebration Friday, a proceeding featuring former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond and Mayor LaToya Cantrell. The politicians spoke along with schools Superintendent Henderson Lewis Jr. at the event, which was held both virtually and in person at McDonogh 35 Senior High School, New Orleans' first public four-year, African-American high school.

"When you are trying to build a nation or democracy, it is not possible without educating every single child," Landrieu said.

She praised local and national efforts to improve education for Black students, touting her own efforts in the Senate to secure new school buildings through a $1.8 billion FEMA settlement after Hurricane Katrina. She called the Orleans Parish School Board one of the best and most diverse in the United States.

Will more New Orleans students attend in-person school under relaxed CDC guidelines? With relaxed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance passed last week, public schools in New Orleans will be able to fit more stud

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Richmond, who grew up in New Orleans East and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School, praised the educators, bus drivers and janitors who guided his New Orleans public school education. He encouraged youth to "go big or go home," challenging them to leave behind a bigger legacy than he did.

Justin McCorkle, the director of community relations for NOLA Public Schools, praised key changes that helped evolve the face of public education. He highlighted the Horace Mann movement, named after an educator who thought all public education should be funded through taxes and be taught by well qualified teachers, and the fight to tear down barriers of Jim Crow that defined the system in the 1950s and 60s.

"Improving our society by expanding our education system has not come without struggle," McCorkle said. "But in spite of this struggle, we continue to grow and continue to achieve higher levels of equity and inclusiveness by recognizing the necessity of our education system to evolve."

+4 School leader's email to Whitney Plantation museum founder sparks accusations, finger pointing The former CEO of the Einstein Schools charter network has been accused of trying to extort land from New Orleans lawyer and Whitney Plantatio

In a closing speech, Lewis reiterated messages from School Board members. He praised teachers and school staff for persevering during the coronavirus pandemic, while encouraging them to daily apply lessons of the school system's history to overcome future adversity.

"This is where we all have a role in making a difference in the lives of our young people," Lewis said. "We all have a unique opportunity to look at what transpired before, examine our own journey and set the right path for the future."
 Flash

Good governance carried out by the Communist Party of China (CPC) has played a critical role in the country's rapid development and contributed to building a multi-polarized world, Spanish communist leaders have said.



In a recent interview with Xinhua, Maria Teresa Mola, who first visited China in 2008 and paid a second visit 10 years later, said the achievements China made within a decade made her feel that the country had undergone development of 100 years.

Mola, vice-president of the Party of the European Left and a member of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE), made the remarks while recalling her visits to Xiaogang Village in east China's Anhui Province -- the birthplace of China's rural reform, and Dongcheng District of China's capital Beijing, where she drew inspiration from the CPC's experience in primary-level party building.

Mola expressed her approval to the CPC's people-oriented development philosophy, saying she was impressed with the remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Italy visit in March 2019 that "for the good of my people, I will put aside my own well-being."

Xi's quote embodies his party's people-centered philosophy, and has an important influence on today's world, Mola said, voicing her belief that China's policies have also contributed to building a multi-polarized world.

China "applies socialism with Chinese characteristics to a deep respect for independence and the decisions of the rest of the countries," she said.

In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China has provided assistance to countries in need, which is in sharp comparison with those apathetic countries merely self-centered on competition, she said, adding that Xi's words mentioned above were not only spoken to the Chinese people, but also to people around the world.

Echoing Mola, PCE President Jose Luis Centella, who has also visited China for several times, said that behind the dramatic changes China has achieved over the past decades are the proper policies implemented by the CPC, such as its reform and opening up.

Recalling his first China trip many years ago, he said that back then many rural Chinese people had a simple wish -- to travel to Beijing. As he visited China in November 2019, the country and the people have gained a fresh look.

Noting the improvement of living conditions and services in the rural area, he said, "I have seen a lot of vitality from the people on the street. They are a very active youth and above all I have seen great advances in the rural world."

Centella said that China has achieved great success in social and economic development, involving fields of poverty reduction, environmental protection, economic growth and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These successes have not been given to them by anyone, but have been achieved thanks to the success of the leaders, to the ability of the Communist Party of China to lead the people," he said.

The CPC's secret to staying dynamic over the past 100 years is that "it has always been linked to the people, (and) it has always been the people's party," Centella said.

During the interview, books related to China were seen on a bookshelf behind Centella, including two volumes of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China."

"Not only me, but the Communist Party of Spain, follow the contributions of President Xi Jinping to international political thought," Centella said.

He observed that the CPC attaches importance to serving the interests of people and formulating policies based on people's need, "in this way to make the Communist Party of China really the party of the people -- something that has been clearly seen in the pandemic."

Having read the first two volumes of the work, Mola said that "it is true that they make us think a lot about the modernization of Marxist thought, of Chinese socialist thought. I think it is a very important advance."

According to Mola, strengthening leadership is essential in 2021 when the world is still in the pandemic.

The fight against COVID-19 proves that no country can address a global challenge on its own, Centella said, stressing the significance of China's proposal of building a community with shared future for mankind, as well as its Belt and Road Initiative.

The two Spanish communists both said that proposals presented by the Chinese leadership have shown the international community that countries can share the fruits of development and jointly build a better world.
In a bid to uplift Pakistan's crippled economy, the World Bank signed agreements with Islamabad to provide a loan of USD 1.336 billion, just days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to release a tranche of USD 500 million loan. The loan sanctioned by the World Bank is expected to assist the cash-strapped country's foreign exchange reserves and also provide a boost to infrastructure projects. As per PTI, a total of six project agreements were signed between Islamabad and The World Bank totalling the loan amount to USD 1.336 billion.

The six agreements signed with the World Bank are aimed at assisting the Pakistan government's initiatives in social protection, disaster and climate risk management, improving infrastructure for resilience, agriculture, food security, human capital development, and governance sectors, as per The Dawn. The Pakistani newspaper reported that the first USD 600 million loan agreement pertained to the Crisis-Resilient Social Protection Programme (CRISP) to support the development of a more adaptive social protection system that will contribute to future crisis-resilience among poor and vulnerable households in the country.

Pakistan's debt rises

Previously in May last year, the World Bank had sanctioned a loan amount of USD 500 million to help Pakistan mitigate the adverse impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The World Bank's board had agreed to release a tranche of 500 million USD to assist Pakistan in improving the quality of healthcare and education, support economic opportunities for women and also limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With frequent lending, Pakistan's debt continues to rise at a swift pace. As per reports, Islamabad's debt grew from PKR 32.1 trillion in November 2019 to PKR 35.8 trillion in November 2020, excluding the IMF loans and liabilities owed by the Imran Khan government indirectly.

Earlier in February this year, finance minister Dr. Hafeez Sheikh presenting the Fiscal Policy and Debt Policy Statement to parliament revealed that Pakistans total debt is Rs 36.5 trillion with Rs 11.5 trillion borrowed during the past two years  Rs 600 billion for debt servicing, Rs 3 trillion for the rupee-dollar parity correction and 1.5 trillion rupees for subsidies to meet the tax shortfall due to COVID-19 outbreak.

UAE demands return of loan

Sending shockwaves across Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has demanded its USD 1 billion back from the debt-ridden economy led by PM Imran Khan. According to reports, the amount had been deposited with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and has now reached its maturity.

Last year, Pakistan had managed to pay back part of a loan secured from Saudi Arabia after its all-weather friend - China - had come to Imran Khan's rescue. With China's help, Pakistan paid back USD 1 billion out of the USD 3 billion loan it had secured back in 2019 to avoid default on international debt obligations. As per reports, Islamabad had sought Beijing's help to return USD 1 Billion to avoid any adverse impact of the partial withdrawal of the Saudi lifeline. In October 2018, Saudi Arabia had agreed to provide $6.2 billion worth of financial package to Pakistan for three years.
Despite the paucity of funds that will see the Nigerian government borrow over a third of the funds needed to finance the 2021 budget, the government is still pushing ahead to renovate its parliamentary complex with N42 billion.

It is for the purpose of carrying out mechanical and electrical repairs in some parts of the National Assembly building that the government is planning to spend an equivalent of $113 million  an amount four times the total 2021 budget allocated to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, one of Nigerias biggest teaching hospitals, which caters for the health needs of millions of residents of Lagos and its environs.

The N42 billion is also more than the budgetary allocations to other major teaching hospitals like the University College Hospital, Ibadan; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital.

The contract for the National Assembly complex was recently awarded to a construction company, Visible Construction Limited, by the FCT ministry which requested a no objection certificate from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

The BPP, in a letter to the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, approved the no objection certificate.

Official documents seen by this paper show that the N42 billion will be used to rehabilitate the National Assembly White House  the complex that houses the two chambers. This rehabilitation includes electrical and mechanical works.

The planned spending is coming at a time Nigeria is grappling to stabilise her economy after months of recession which the country recently exited amidst dwindling economic fortunes and unprecedented food prices.

Already, the government has said Nigeria will borrow N5.6 trillion from domestic and foreign resources to fund the 2021 budget of N13.6 trillion. Many have condemned the governments consistent borrowing to fund annual budgets.

Besides borrowing, the government is also planning to privatise some national properties. PREMIUM TIMES reported a list of some properties put up for sale or concession.

Also to fund the budget, the Nigerian government plans to borrow money from dormant bank accounts.

The planned expenditure also comes at a time Nigerians are paying almost double for goods and services ranging from food to electricity and petrol

Activists and civic groups have criticised this decision by the government. However, despite the opposition, the move to award the contract is at an advanced stage, the document reveals.

The contract

Due process certificate of no objection for award of the contract for the rehabilitation of the National Assembly White House (comprising architectural, electrical and mechanical works is the title of the letter sent by the BPP to the FCT Minister, informing him that Visible Construction Limited, out of other companies that bidded, was selected for the contract.

The contract process is, however, yet to be completed and still requires the approval of a body headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The letter, signed by the BPP Director-General, Mamman Ahmadu, and dated January 25, stated that the award of the contract is subject to the approval of the Federal Executive Council.

Please find attached Due Process Compliance Certificate of No Objection for contract award in favour of Messrs Visible Construction Limited with respect to the above project.

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The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) having examined your request and ail the documents forwarded confirms that the project has satisfied all due process requirements for issuance of a Certificate of No Objection to proceed to seek Federal Executive Council (FEC) Approval for award of the Contract, the letter reads.

According to the document, Visible Construction Limited had proposed N45 billion for the project but after its review, the BPP reduced the amount by about N2.6 billion and arrived at N42 billion (N42,414,917,272).

The bid process

Visible Construction Limited is one of the five companies that applied for the contract. Other bidders include Julius Berger which proposed N101.1 billion, ITB Nigeria Limited proposed N26.9 billion, Gilmor Engr. Limited proposed N61.2 billion and Rockbridge Construction Limited proposed N55.8 billion.

While other companies proposed different durations for the project, ranging from 12 to 42 months, Visible Construction Limited said it would complete the contract in 85 weeks.

Although Visible Construction was not found on the CAC website when this paper did a quick search, a five-member committee set up by the BPP to review the tenders confirmed its registration.

Not only is the company registered, the panel also said that it provided tax clearance certificates for the last three years, NSITF compliance certificate, audit report for the last three years, ITF compliance certificate and BPP registration certificate.

Visible Construction and Rockbridge were the only companies that met the eligibility criteria in line with Section 16(6) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the former was awarded the contract because it had a lower bid price, the document further revealed.

Other allocations alike

While the award is subject to FECs approval, the contract if approved, will be in addition to the N37 billion approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for a similar purpose in 2019.

The president had approved the amount for the renovation of the legislative complex  an act that sparked outrage among Nigerians.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had said the allocation was because there has been no major renovation of the complex for 20 years and many parts of the complex are dilapidated.

He also said the renovation will begin with the chambers and the committee rooms in the White House. It is not exactly clear how many committee rooms have been renovated and the level of repairs done in both chambers.

The N37 billion was spread across different years in the annual budgets and N9 billion from the total was allocated in FCTs 2021 budget.

More so, the new contract, if approved, will be in addition to the N9 billion in the National Assemblys 2021 budget which was set aside for general service.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the legislative arm increased its own budget from N128 billion proposed by the president to N134 billion this year, setting aside N9 billion for general services.

Before now, a few other contracts have been awarded by the federal government through different agencies for similar purposes. One of such is the N40 billion approved by FEC for the construction of Phase III, Part III of the National Assembly complex and the upgrading of the assemblys two chambers in 2013.

Also in the 2017 budget, there was a proposed N1.25 billion by the Senate for the purchase of security equipment. Another N440 million was allocated for the same purpose under capital expenditure for the National Assembly office.

What N42 billion can do

While the list of interventions that can be done for Nigerians with N42 billion is endless, many believe citizens will benefit more if their needs are prioritised by the government.

In the 2021 budget for the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, N400 million was allocated for the purchase of Tesla MRI machine.

Should the government decide to equip all the teaching hospitals and other major hospitals across the country, about 105 MRI machines will be purchased.

Also, the government plans to purchase a Mammography machine for the hospital which was put at N40 million in the hospitals budget. Over 1,000 such machines can thus be procured and put in government hospitals across the country with the N42 billion.

Additionally, between N10 million and 150 million was allocated to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for the construction or renovation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in some local governments. In a country where hundreds of PHCs lack adequate equipment, personnel and infrastructure, over a hundred of them could be standardised with the N42 billion.

A history of Renovations/ Condemnation

When the National Assembly last year proposed to spend N37 billion to renovate its complex, many Nigerians condemned the move. A civil society group, SERAP, wrote to three UN special rapporteurs urging them to use their mandates to urgently request the Nigerian government and the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately reverse the unlawful, disproportionate and discriminatory budget cuts to education and healthcare, and to stop the authorities from spending N27bn to renovate the National Assembly complex.

According to SERAP: Nigerias budget deficits are caused by excessive expenditures on politicians allowances and mismanagement. Nigerian authorities would only be able to commit to fiscal discipline if they prioritise cutting the allowances of lawmakers and the costs of governance in general, rather than cutting critical funding for healthcare and education.

We believe that alternative policies and measures, such as reducing the costs of governance, including the excessive allowances for high-ranking public officials and the lawmakers, would have been a more appropriate solution to addressing budget deficits, as this would increase the available resources for healthcare and education, which in turn would contribute to reducing socio-economic inequality, the group said.

However, despite the criticisms and the paucity of funds, the government is proceeding with the renovation, now for a higher sum.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats has been officially christened and launched into the water for the first time.

On Friday, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) was invited to visit Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida, where the new boats are being constructed.

During her visit, Malliotakis toured the manufacturing facility and joined in on the ceremonial christening of the Dorothy Day, a boat name for the Staten Island journalist and social activist who spent decades aiding the hungry and needy on the boroughs South Shore.

For more than 200 years, the Staten Island Ferry has been a symbol of New York Citys harbor and an integral part of our citys transportation system, said Malliotakis, a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

As the only member representing New York City on T&I and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, it was very insightful to see the shipbuilding company that has built the latest class of Staten Island Ferries and FDNY boats that have made their way in and around my district, along with the new class of U.S. Coast Guard cutters that will modernize our Coast Guards fleet, she added.

Following the christening, the Dorothy Day, which is expected to arrive in New York Harbor sometime in 2022, was launched into the water for the first time.

The Dorothy Day is charting a course for Staten Island!



Dorothy Day was a champion of working people who was proud to call Staten Island home. Were thrilled to have her namesake join our fleet. pic.twitter.com/2aj72tBkfo  Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 26, 2021

Its a distinct privilege for Eastern to have Congresswoman Malliotakis sponsor the third Staten Island Ferry, said Joey DIsernia, President of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. Her presence here today illustrates the critical nature of this maritime infrastructure project and both her and Easterns absolute commitment to the residents of New York City.

ABOUT DOROTHY DAY

The Dorothy Day will be just the third Staten Island Ferry boat ever to be named after a woman, in addition to the now-decommissioned Mary Murray and the Alice Austen, which continues to provide overnight service.

We had so many deserving honorees to choose among in naming the third and final boat in the Ollis class, said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. I hope those who petitioned for other names -- and who thus may be feeling somewhat disappointed today -- will take the time to learn more about Dorothy Day, whose history, example and influence are just so inspiring.

Day, who has been bestowed the title of Servant of God and is being considered by the Vatican for sainthood, was baptized at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Tottenville in 1927.

In 2015, Pope Francis, in his address to a joint session of Congress, invoked the name of Day as a model for social activism and for her treatment of the poor and oppressed.

How providential that the ferry from lower Manhattan to Staten Island should be named after a brave, loving woman who cherished both those areas of our city and the people who live there, said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

How appropriate that a ferry transporting people would honor a believing apostle of peace, justice and charity who devoted her life to moving people from war to peace, from emptiness to fullness, from isolation to belonging, Dolan added.

During the Depression, Day met Peter Maurin, a French peasant-philosopher who would inspire her future work to aid the needy.

Between them, they established the Catholic Worker newspaper and founded the Catholic Worker Movement, which offered food and shelter to the destitute during the Great Depression.

Day began a cooperative farm on Bloomingdale Road in Pleasant Plains in 1950, operating it for the needy and followers of her philosophy until 1964, when it was sold.

Her outspokenness against U.S. involvement in Vietnam earned her new respect among the youth movement of the 1960s, and in 1973, she was jailed for the last time for picketing on behalf of striking farm workers.

She died in 1980 at age 83 and is buried in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains.

My grandmother loved Staten Island and treasured her trips on the Staten Island Ferry, the rare time when she could relax and be free of her many responsibilities, said Kate Hennessy, who recently authored Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty. While we in her family may find it difficult to line up her selfless work with honors such as this, we nevertheless thank Mayor de Blasio and Staten Islanders for this generous consideration.

ABOUT NEW BOATS

The Dorothy Day is the third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats being constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding Group.

The first boat, the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, is named after the late Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a New Dorp native who died at age 24 while saving a Polish soldier in Afghanistan.

The Ollis boat is expected to arrive in New York Harbor in June and begin regular passenger service in November.

The second boat, the Sandy Ground, is named for the historic community settled by freed slaves in Rossville.

The Sandy Ground is expected to arrive in December and will begin shuttling passengers back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan sometime in 2022.

The new storm-resilient vessels will be more capable of operating in a wide range of weather conditions and locations -- and can also be used in emergency evacuations.

The ships were modeled after the John F. Kennedy boat, popular for its outdoor promenades and extended foredecks.
Emily Giffen stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. King Soopers employees aren't supposed to smoke out front and she wasn't supposed to be on her break, but in that moment, she didn't really care.
Iran and China signed a controversial long-term bilateral deal during a ceremony in Tehran on March 27.

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The details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but it is believed to include Chinese investments in Irans energy and infrastructure sectors.

China is Iran's top trading partner and a key market for Iranian crude exports, which have been severely curtailed by U.S. sanctions.

The deal was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who arrived in Tehran a day earlier.

State television described the agreement as a "25-year strategic cooperation pact."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Said Khatibzadeh said earlier on March 27 that the pact includes "political, strategic, and economic" components.

The deal also includes increased military and security cooperation between the two countries, according to a leaked draft of the deal.

Iranian officials have said that the pact was proposed in a January 2016 trip to Iran by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly backed the deal.

Iranians have accused officials of hiding details of the deal amid fears that Tehran may be giving too much away to Beijing.

Iran has in recent years increasingly reached out to China in the face of growing U.S. pressure to isolate Tehran.

The United States unilaterally pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

Trump pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran over its nuclear and missile programs, as well as its support for regional proxies.

The deal was meant to provide relief for Iran from international sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program, which Iran says is strictly for civilian energy purposes.

U.S. President Joe Biden has signaled his readiness to revive the deal.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
A sense of festive atmosphere was at least created in the village as it presented it's best side for Saint Patrick's Day with the Tidy Towns decking out the promenade with their customary display of national flags.

The Committee mark every big occasion by hanging out a variety of flags, be it their own, national or in the colours of local clubs and organsitions whenever is appropriate such as when Ireland are playing or the local clubs are involved in a big match.

They have been able to undertake the decoration of the village in a meaningful and striking way with the generous support of Richard Tiernan owner of the local Centra store.

He has sponsored flags for the committee, including a new set, which provide colour, movement and a form of life, fluttering away like for the national feast day in the wind on all the poles on both sides of the road along the sea front.

A spokesman for the Tidy Towns remarked 'when we can't have a parade and normal celebration hopefully the flag display gave a sense of life and optimism.'

Certainly the display was very impressive - and maybe more so when there is so little to look forward to with lockdown.
The Daily News publishes death notices and obituaries on a daily basis for Norfolkans, area residents and former residents.

Death notices, which include information about when and where a person died, funeral services, burial and visitation for the deceased and memorial information, are published free of charge.

If families of the deceased desire to have an obituary printed, there is a fee charged for doing so. Because of that, families of the deceased can decide what information they want included in the obituary, as well as if they desire to have a photograph published along with it. The Daily News reserves the right to edit.

Norfolk and area funeral homes have detailed information about placing an obituary in the Daily News. If individuals want to submit obituary information themselves, it can be emailed to funerals@norfolkdailynews.com or faxed to (402) 644-2080.

People needing additional information about death notices and obituaries can call the Daily News at 371-1020 or (877) 371-1020 and ask for the newsroom.
Congress Members Urge Vaccination During Black Press Week

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Congressman Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) praised President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and urged African Americans to get vaccinated.

Protect your children and your grandchildren, protect those who you come in contact with, Congressman Clyburn stated during the annual National Newspaper Publishers Association Funds (NNPAF) Black Press Week.

Take the shot. Its safe to do, the congressman declared during an interview with Real Times Media President and CEO Hiram Jackson.

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He noted that some would experience side effects of some sort, but each of the three vaccines offers a 95 percent rate of effectiveness.

If you have a 95 percent chance  I would play the lottery every day if I had a 95 percent chance of winning, exclaimed Clyburn, who received the NNPAFs Newsmaker of the Year Award.

Black Press Week began opened with an enthusiastic welcome from NNPAF Chair and Marshall Broadcasting Group CEO, Pluria Marshall Jr., who introduced the theme, Black Business Challenges, Responsibilities and Opportunities Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic.

Like Clyburn, Evans also championed both the vaccination and the American Rescue Plan, which this month provided $1,400 stimulus payments to most Americans.

The Biden-Harris administration determined that we had to first crush the virus and get shots in the arms of the people, Evans stated.

Small businesses, particularly Black-owned, are the backbone of the economy. The American Rescue Plan recognizes that and makes grants and loans available to small businesses, including the Black Press, and that is a major step. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have shown the kind of leadership and understanding the needs of getting this economy back  if not better.

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The American Rescue Plan allows for the first $10,200 of unemployment payments tax-free, and those who receive food stamps will see a 15 percent increase in those benefits through September.

Families whose childrens schools have remained closed are also in line to receive EBT benefits through the summer.

The legislation sends $350 billion to state and local governments, including $20 billion to help low-income households cover back rent and utility bills and $14 billion for vaccine research, development, and distribution.

It also contains a provision that allows families with minor children to claim a more considerable tax credit this year.

Those who qualify would receive a child tax credit of $3,600 for each child under six.

Families will also receive $3,000 for each under age 18, up from the current credit of up to $2,000 per child under age 17.

Food stamp recipients will receive a 15 percent increase through September, and $15 billion will go to the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program, which provides long-term, low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration.

Severely impacted small businesses with fewer than ten workers will receive priority for some of the money. Additionally, more people will qualify for higher premium subsidies through the

Affordable Care Act while $8.5 billion is earmarked for rural hospitals and health care providers.

Evans said the Biden-Harris administration, which is touring the country to discuss the American Rescue Plans importance, believes the Black Press is essential in getting the word out.

I understand the significance of the Black Press to building back better, Evans remarked.

The Black Press is a major player in this rebuild. And when you talk about the Black Press in terms of the economy, theres no way in the world you can talk about building back better without the participation of the Black Press. The president and the vice president fully understand how the Black Press plays in this equation.
Criticising the lack of transparency on the part of the government, the Horesca sector is calling on the latter to make a clear statement regarding a reopening in mid-March.

Will restaurants and bars be able to reopen their doors on 15 March in Luxembourg? The question remains unresolved since the government announced in mid-February that it would extend all Covid-19 restrictions for at least a month. The Horesca sector is frustrated by this uncertainty and is asking for more details in order to organise itself, after having been refused the opening of terraces a few days ago.

"Less than 11 days remain to prepare the eventual opening of the sector and despite our demands, the expected information from the government is overdue" regrets the National Federation of Hotel, Restaurant, and Cafe owners, which stresses that it takes "at least ten days to prepare such a reopening".

People are fed up with being restricted in their social life. They no longer respect the protective measures necessary to fight this pandemic.

While the Horesca sector does not deny the worsening health situation in its press release, it increasingly feels like it is being treated as the scapegoat of the entire situation. "People are fed up with being restricted in their social life" the federation writes in its statement, adding that "they no longer respect the protective measures necessary to fight this pandemic".

Based on this principle, the Horesca sector, which stresses that many establishments have committed themselves to the "Safe to Serve" label to guarantee compliance with and implementation of the sanitary regulations, continues to campaign for "at least a gradual opening (terraces) of the sector in order to contribute to the solution of the problem".

The Horesca sector regrets the "lack of consideration" of public authorities for their companies, pointing out that while the Covid-19 law imposing the closure of the sector was passed rather quickly, the government does not seem to be in a hurry to pass the new law concerning the adaptation of state aid, especially aid for uncovered costs.

It is possible that the Horesca sector will get the answers it is waiting for on Friday afternoon: Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister of Health Paulette Lenert will give a press conference at 4 pm. On the menu: the state council's latest decisions.
Six (6) suspected illegal miners including four (4) Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Ashanti regional Operation Vanguard taskforce.



The Chinese nationals arrested are Li Xuh Jun, 51, Mo Chi Cai, 52, Wei Fun Ham, 45, and Wei Ziyun, 38.



Yusif Fuseini  leader of the four suspects who claimed to be a National Security Operative providing protection to the Chinese illegal mining site was also arrested to assist the investigation.



The taskforce retrieved one AK 47 assault rifle, a magazine filled with 13 live ammunition, 3 pump action guns with 9 live cartridges during the operation.



The task force also set ablaze 30 chan fan machines mounted on river Oda and Offin.



The operations carried out within a two-week period was led by Superintendent Mr. Abraham Apusiyine, Officer commanding the Ashanti Regional Forward Operating Base (FOB).





The activities of illegal miners especially those engaged in alluvial mining have been the source of pollution of the River Oda and Offin. Their activities have not only polluted the water bodies, increasing its turbidity and making it costly for the raw water to be treated for public consumption, but have also affected aquatic life as dangerous chemicals are discharged by the illegal miners.



River Oda and Offin are the major sources of water for communities within its catchment area and also the people depend on it for farming and fishing. This source of livelihood is threatened. Galamsey is posing a grave danger to echo system and human survival. DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, Public Relations Officer attached to the Taskforce confirmed to Starr News.



The suspects arrested are currently on police inquiry bail and assisting police in investigations. He said the suspects will be charged and arraigned before the court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution.









Source: Starrfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Vaccine nationalism keeps poor countries waiting

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India reported 62,258 fresh infections on Saturday, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,19,08,910, according to a report in the Scroll. This is the biggest one-day jump in five months. The country saw 291 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 1,61,240, according to central health ministry data. The active caseload is at 4,52,647, while the total recoveries have surged to 1,12,95,023. As many as 5,81,09,773 people have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 26,05,333 people received their shots on Friday. Read more here

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As Covid-19 upended lives and ravaged the economy, internet search queries such as work from home jobs, online course, how to sell online and certificate course were among those that recorded the most growth in India in 2020, according to Googles annual Year in Search report, The Indian Express reported. While the search term work from home jobs saw a 140 per cent growth from 2019, the query online course saw 85 per cent growth. Searches for certificate course saw 50 per cent growth and how to sell online saw over 65 per cent rise in searches, the report said. Read more here

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Many state governments have imposed fresh curbs to contain the resurgence in infections in light of Holi and other upcoming festivals, a report in The Quint said. The public has been asked to maintain special vigilance and show due diligence. In Uttar Pradesh, no event or procession can be held without permission from administrative authorities. In Mumbai, the city's governing civic body has placed a blanket ban on public functions. Read more here
New Delhi:

The Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh has been admitted in a critical condition at the Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi. He was admitted in Army Hospital R&R following a cardiac attack on Friday morning. His condition has been reportedly critical. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid him a visit at the R&R hospital earlier on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IAF chief BS Dhanoa visited the hospital to inquire after his health. Speaking on the conditions of the Marshal of the Air Force, PM Modi said that we are all praying for the speedy recovery of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh. Doctors are doing their best

Arjan Singh is the lone officer in the Indian Air Force to be conferred with the rank of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force. The Marshal was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his leadership during the war. The Marshal has flown over 60 aircraft and remained a flyer until the end of his career with the IAF.

He retired in August 1969. In 2016, the crucial air base at Panagarh was renamed Air Force Station after the Marshal. Panagarh is also the headquarters of the newly raised 17 Corps, Mountain Strike Corps.

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Auckland, March 27 : Hundreds of people gathered for a protest in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland on Saturday to demonstrate against anti-Asian racism and hate.

The protest started at the Aotea Square in Auckland CBD where protesters spoke out against racism towards Asians in the US and New Zealand, before marching along the Queen Street, reports Xinhua news agency.

The aim of the event was not only to stand in solidarity with Asian-Americans who have experienced extreme abuse and lived in daily fear, but to also create awareness of the pain that Asians in New Zealand face, said the organiser on the event's social media page.

"What does the American shooting towards Asian people has to do with us Kiwi Asians? We share common skin colour. We look at them, and we wonder, that could be us. It is our people. When people are attacked based on their skin color, we see ourselves there, we share that pain," said Steph Tan, one of the organisers.

New Zealand MP Naisi Chen delivered a speech and led the march.

Being a Chinese and Asian New Zealander, she talked about the painful feeling when she heard the news about racism against Asians in the countru.

"New Zealand is our home too," said Chen.

MP Melissa Lee and Auckland Councillor Paul Young also attended the event to show support.

Participants chanted "stop Asian hate", "love our culture, love our people" and "We belong to Aotearoa (New Zealand)".

A research released by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission on February revealed that the Maori people along with the Chinese communities had reported the highest rates of discrimination since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the research, four in 10 respondents reported having experienced discrimination since the start of the outbreak, with higher rates for Maori people (55 per cent), Chinese (54 per cent), Pacific Islanders (50 per cent), and other Asian (49 per cent) respondents.
Dani Dyer wished her 'boyfriend, baby daddy and best friend' a happy birthday on Saturday as Sammy Kimmence turned 25.

The Love Island winner, 24, posted a series of adorable snaps of her Essex stockbroker beau with their baby son, Santiago to her Instagram page.

Dani shared pictures of tender moments between Sammy and his two-month-old son as well as snapshots from their own relationship.

Family photo: Dani Dyer wished her 'boyfriend, baby daddy and best friend' a happy birthday with an Instagram post on Saturday as Sammy Kimmence turned 25

In one cute selfie of the trio, Dani pouted as she held the newborn wearing a khaki green tracksuit while Sammy captured the family photo.

Another snap showed an intimate moment between a sleepy Sammy and his little boy who lay next to his dad in bed and wore a Gucci babygrow.

In the picture, Sammy held his arm around the tot, cuddling him close to him as they spent a lazy morning in bed, while in another he kissed Santi's head.

The reality star dressed Santiago in a personalised outfit for the big day with the words, 'Happy birthday Daddy, I love you' written on the front.

Father and son: The Love Island winner, 24, posted adorable snaps of tender moments between Sammy and his two-month-old son as they cuddled in bed

Cute! The reality star dressed baby Santiago in a personalised outfit for the big day with the words, 'Happy birthday Daddy, I love you' written on the front

Dani captioned the Instagram post with a gushing tribute to her other half, writing: 'Happy birthday to my boyfriend, baby daddy and best friend

'Today is all about you and hope you have a special day even though we are celebrating it again in lockdown!

'You are such an amazing dad to Santi and we are both so lucky to have you. Love you more than I could ever describe'

Father and son: Dani's Essex stockbroker beau kissed his little boy on the head in a sweet snap

Baby daddy: Dani captioned the Instagram post with a gushing tribute to her other half, writing: 'Happy birthday to my boyfriend, baby daddy and best friend'

Dani also shared some snaps from her camera roll of their own relationship as they have been an item on and off since 2018.

The former Love Islander cosied up to her boyfriend for a close-up in one pic and in another, he is seen relaxing on a beach in sunglasses and a white shirt.

She first dated Sammy in 2018 before they split up and she rose to fame on ITV's Love Island where she won the show with Jack Fincham.

Dani and Jack later called it quits in April 2019 and soon after it was reported Dani and Sammy had rekindled their romance.

Loved up: Dani also shared some snaps from her camera roll of their own relationship as they have been an item on and off since 2018

Baby news: They confirmed they are expecting their first child together in July 2020 and they welcomed baby Santiago in January

They confirmed they are expecting their first child together in July 2020, with Dani documenting much of her pregnancy journey on social media, and they welcomed baby Santiago in January.

Dani is set to tick off another big milestone in her life as she revealed that herself and beau Sammy moved to a new home on Thursday.

The TV star shared an Instagram snap of the couple posing with the removal company, before also uploading a short clip of her new abode.

Captioning her post, Dani revealed that she's looking forward making lots of 'new memories' as a family of three in their new home as she welcomed the 'next chapter'.

'Here's to the next chapter': Dani is set to tick off another big milestone in her life as she revealed that herself and beau Sammy moved home on Thursday

Her post saw her bundled up in padded nude jacket while cosying up to boyfriend Sammy, as the removal men stood either side of them.

Alongside the snap, she wrote: 'Heres to the next chapter Cant believe we have got our own house!

'So excited to start this next chapter and make loads of new memories as us 3.. feel so grateful to have found our perfect home to raise our beautiful boy in.'

She added: 'Thankyou so much to @comprehensive_removals for being so amazing and making our move so much easier! You were all so brilliant and kept me entertained today, best company x.'

Home sweet home: The Love Island winner, 24, shared an Instagram snap of the couple posing with the removal company, before also uploading a short clip of her new abode

It comes after Dani talked about being a first-time mum as she did a Q&A on Instagram on Wednesday, where she said she was in no rush to have another baby.

When one asked if Dani was planning on having another baby, the television personality replied: 'Omg no. I want to wait a few years before we have another baby.'

While another follower typed: 'You look SO GOOD, I feel like I'll be fat forever and my baby is 12 weeks'.

Reassuring her fan, Dani said: 'Nooo don't say that! Honestly none of my clothes fit me. I'm living in leggings and lounge babe, don't worry. I tried to put my size 8 jeans on and they wouldn't even go over my leg haha.'

Dani was also asked: 'Are you worried about having another child incase you need to have a c section again?'

Baby joy: It comes after Dani talked about being a first-time mum to her two-month-old son Santiago as she took to Instagram to do a Q&A on Wednesday

Family of three: The Love Island star said she was in no rush to have another baby and discussed her post-partum figure two months after giving birth

She told her followers: 'I think next time I'm pregnant I definitely try hypnobirthing... and for my second I'm going to try and have a natural labour as they said it's possible for my second.

'However if I end up having a C-section I will definitely be more kinder to myself afterwards and relax more.'

Dani also said it was 'really difficult to have a proper maternity leave'.

'The industry I'm in I think it's really difficult to take maternity leave. A week later I was back doing my podcast haha! I love what I do so much but sometimes it is hard to juggle things but Santi comes first if he's having a bad day and needs me then other jobs can wait.'

Sweet: A follower typed: 'You look SO GOOD, I feel like I'll be fat forever and my baby is 12 weeks'. Reassuring her fan, Dani typed: 'Don't say that! Honestly none of my clothes fit me'
People with big families will be able to self-isolate in hotels for free under new Government plans to stop the spread of coronavirus.

NHS Test and Trace is reportedly asking councils for ways they could implement the scheme and make it more attractive for households.

The idea was floated in Leicester during the first lockdown to try to stem the spread of the virus but was loathed by those targeted.

Officials are said to fear large families are struggling to contain Covid-19 in their homes as many work in jobs that need them to leave the house.

Some are also reportedly less likely to get tested and when they test positive containing the virus is harder.

NHS Test and Trace is reportedly asking councils for ways they could implement the scheme and make it more attractive for households. Pictured: Hotel quarantine at Heathrow

The plan was floated in Leicester during the first lockdown to try to stem the spread of the virus but was loathed by those targeted. Pictured: 12 medical bins outside the Heathrow hotel

A source told the Times: 'Hotels haven't worked so far because the very families you need to attract are nervous about it.'

They added the aim would be 'better communication and support'.

Office for National Statistics figures released yesterday showed infections were levelling off.

It found just over a fifth - 21 per cent - of people who share a house with others can isolate separately.

Head of NHS Test and Trace Baroness Harding told councils this week for those living in multigenerational households 'selfisolation physically just is impossible'.

She said 'households where maybe there are eight or ten people who are all working, all of whom fearful that they might lose their job, which means that no one comes forward'.

Any hotel quarantine system for large families is yet to be unveiled and official details are yet to be released.

It is understood that it will be different than mandatory self-isolation for passengers travelling from red-list countries in that it will be voluntary and state-funded.

Around three in 20 adults in England who tested positive for coronavirus while self-isolating did not fully adhere to legal requirements.

Some 14 per cent said they had carried out at least one activity during their self-isolation period that did not adhere to the rules, the ONS said.

Non-adherence with self-isolation requirements is illegal, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as emergency medical reasons.

About one in five - 22 per cent - adults who did not adhere to the rules said they had at least one visitor to their home during the self-isolation period, where the visit was not to support personal care.

More than four in five - 83 per cent - of those who did not adhere to the rules said they had left home for a reason not permitted, such as going to the shops, work or school.

The Office for National Statistics predicted Covid cases 'levelled off' last week. It said there may be 162,500 in England, which was a 1.5 per cent rise on the 160,200 recorded the previous week

The ONS analysed responses from adults who had tested positive for coronavirus and who were at the end of their 10-day self-isolation period.

Overall, 86 per cent of respondents reported fully adhering to self-isolation requirements, according to the data collected from February 1 to 13.

The ONS said non-compliant behaviour was most likely to take place between the onset of symptoms and getting a test result.

Half of respondents received their test result within 24 hours and 10% waited more than 72 hours, it said.

Some 98 per cent reported adhering to the requirements in the 24 hours after a positive test and 94 per cent between this point and the end of the 10 days' self-isolation period.

More than one in three adults found self-isolating had a negative effect on their wellbeing and mental health.

Some 37 per cent of adults said self-isolation had a negative impact while 58 per cent reported no effect.

When Public Health England figures were broken down by age they showed cases were only ticking up among those aged five to 19, but were still falling across all other age groups. They fell fastest in the over-70s who are least at risk from the virus

Around a third - 32 per cent - reported a loss of income while 13 per cent of those who had been working prior to self-isolating - either in or outside their home - said they were not paid during the self-isolation period.

Tim Gibbs, from the ONS public services analysis team, said: 'Although it's a legal duty, self-isolation does disrupt day-to-day life and we can see that there are key side effects of self-isolation such as worsening mental health and loss of income.

'Despite this, our analysis shows that a majority of people report fully adhering to the rules throughout their self-isolation period.

'This behaviour is vital in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and keeping people safe.'

Among adults who had to self-isolate after being in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19, around a third (32 per cent) said self-isolation had a negative effect on their wellbeing and mental health, while 28 per cent said they had lost income.

A majority (90 per cent) of those required to self-isolate after coming into contact with a positive case said they had followed self-isolation rules for the entire 10-day period.

Of those who said they had not followed the rules, a third (33 per cent) had allowed at least one visitor into their homes while 22 per cent said they had left home for a medical reason other than getting or returning a Covid-19 test.

These figures, which have also been compiled by the ONS, are based on responses collected from adults in England from March 1 to 6.
State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation plans to borrow as much as $20 billion over the next five years to make up for an expected shortfall in funding, reported Bloomberg, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The Kuwait oil giant will need the money to maintain the petrostates crude-production levels, stated the person on condition of anonymity.

The borrowing plan underscores how badly Persian Gulf countries were impacted by the drop in crude prices last year as the coronavirus pandemic spread and energy demand plunged, said the report.

The company remits almost everything it generates from crude sales to the Opec members government. It then gets reimbursed in installments to fund capital expenditure, mainly for upstream operations and investments in oil fields, it stated.

The firm may face a deficit of KD6 billion ($20 billion) over five years, though it hopes to minimize the gap by becoming more efficient, reported Bloomberg.



KPC plans to cover the shortfall by issuing debt, including on international markets. The situation will be reviewed every six months to assess the companys needs and borrowing costs, said the report citing the source.

The Opec members financial position - like that of almost all major oil producers - took a hit last year when the virus grounded planes and shut down businesses across the world.

The government faced a cashflow crisis and it instructed KPC to transfer more than KD7.5 billion in dividends to the Treasury, but which the Supreme Petroleum Council had previously said could be retained, said the source.

KPC has since reached a preliminary agreement to repay the sum over 15 years. That helps but wont solve the companys problem, the person added.
A bill that would have banned municipalities from imposing exorbitant fees that restrict many out-of-towners from using public beaches will die without a vote or a public hearing this year.

Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield, co-chairwoman of the Planning and Development Committee, confirmed this week that her panel wont act this session on the measure, which also would have prevented communities from barring out-of-town visitors exclusively to prevent COVID-19 spread at their beaches.

McCarthy Vahey said her panel has its hands full this session with two other controversial issues, municipal zoning reform and affordable housing, and simply couldnt tackle one more hot-button topic before its reporting deadline of April 5.

Weve certainly seen tremendous interest and public involvement in measures raised that address the need for more affordable housing in Connecticuts suburbs, she said.

But McCarthy Vahey quickly added that the beach access debate is worthy of conversation. There are very real issues of access, and we recognize the municipalities had questions and concerns about investments and costs. There is an important discussion to be had there.

That discussion wont go away any time soon, Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, who introduced the beach access bill, said Wednesday.

I personally will not let it go away, and Im certain other organizations will not, said Lemar, whose efforts quickly earned praise from the Connecticut chapters of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Im embarrassed that the will of the General Assembly is not to move forward this year with action, he said.

Lemar says Connecticuts shoreline and beaches are a core asset that have benefitted from millions of dollars of public investments in clean air and water and park development programs, and every resident should have an opportunity to enjoy them.

But some shoreline communities, particularly in Connecticuts affluent southwestern corner, say parking is limited at municipal beaches and residents should have priority over visitors from out-of-town.

They also say some communities invest heavily in their beaches, relying on more than revenues from parking fees and access passes to pay for maintenance and amenities.

Lemar and other critics counter this argument is an excuse to price poor urban residents  and particularly racial and ethnic minorities  out of their beaches.

Westport, an affluent Fairfield County community, made headlines three years ago when local officials set the prices for a seasonal beach parking pass at $50 for residents  and $775 for visitors from most other towns. Residents of neighboring Weston pay $375.

David McGuire, executive director of the Connecticut ACLU, said when Lemar introduced his bill that fair beach access is an issue that has haunted Connecticut for too long, with most restrictive policies grounded in politics, not health science.

We know Connecticut has a long history of shoreline towns using a number of different policies to keep a number of people off their beaches, he said, adding that a lot of times, these policies are nothing more than thinly veiled racist policies.

And Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut NAACP, said, Westport should be ashamed of themselves. In this day and time, Connecticut should not be involved in this level of discrimination.

Gov. Ned Lamont, a wealthy Greenwich businessman, has stayed out of the beach access debate.

The governors office took no position on Lemars bill when it was introduced in early February. And when asked about the measure Wednesday, Lamonts communications director, Max Reiss, said the governors office had reviewed the bill but had no position.

The Lamont administration, through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, had proposed an alternative measure that would have authorized DEEP to study any [beach] fees or other means of limiting access that disparately impact any such potential visitor based on residency and report back next January.

DEEP Commissioner Katie S. Dykes testified this week before the Planning and Development Committee that the policies of the state Coastal Management Act are not as clear and explicit in promoting public access to municipal beaches as they could be.

But, like the governors office, the department did not comment on Lemars proposal to immediately prohibit beach access fees based on residency.

McCarthy Vahey said this week she expects the study measure will be voted upon, but added some who oppose the higher beach fees were irritated at the idea that an analysis was needed.

I think there are many folks who have the sense that we already know what needs to happen, she said.

Lemars bill also would have prevented communities from selectively banning non-residents from beach use in response to pandemic. A handful of communities closed their beaches to non-residents last summer to reduce crowd size and ensure social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Lemar said the solution should have been to limit overall attendance  but not by excluding out-of-town visitors.

Fairfield, which charges non-residents $250 for a seasonal beach pass  versus the $25 residents pay  temporarily blocked out-of-towners from its shores last summer.

Lamonts home town of Greenwich also restricted beach access to out-of-towners last year on grounds of coronavirus containment, and it set prices in 2019 that charge non-residents $150 for a seasonal beach pass, while residents pay $35.

Lemar said he expects the policies could trigger public protests or legal challenges this summer.

Legislators cannot run away from this issue, he added. Publicly, not a single person is willing to justify the behaviors of a lot of communities.
James Durbin

As we continue to march past the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 shutting down our schools, we are still waiting on a fully viable plan of action to get our children back into the classroom full time with normalcy. Although it is frustrating not having answers on what we are doing and what we are going to do in 2021-2022, maybe we should look for a silver lining. MISD has been failing our students for over a decade and have declined year over year in the last few. Now, without it being the fault of any particular person, we have essentially been operating bare bones for over a year due to reasons outside the control of anyone. If we act correctly with decisions made now for moving education forward in Midland, the ability to change direction is upon us. There will likely not be another time in our lives, when a world-wide pandemic causes our school systems to shutter their normal operations again. We all know the COVID slide is going to be great and our test scores are going to be appalling. These sets of circumstances may be upon us by happenstance, but we should optimize the usage since we can. My perspective is, there will never be such a deep valley to rise from. Why not make these circumstances our demarcation line? This is a question MISD Homework is answering by offering this introductory piece on our local education system.

Again, our answer to the above question is a resounding yes. We have nothing to fear in terms of negative consequences of academic rankings and test scores, our only direction from here is up. This leaves us an enormous opportunity for stakeholders to combine and act on all our shared interests. This is the time with new leadership driving our district, specific direction and professional communication can be offered across all our campuses. As it is well known, most communication problems can be fixed with proximity. In-turn this should allow us to anchor our ship to set for a new direction. We are all now well aware that the district has not had a comprehensive and uniformed reading program across elementary school campuses. We are now well aware there was not a maintenance program for adding longevity to our power systems and facilities. We are all now well aware that MISD has un/underutilized acreage they can sell. We are now well aware of the numerous mistakes MISD has made. We are also well aware of the numerous mistakes we have made as well. These circumstances allow us an opportunity to rise from the ashes and lead the entire state in academics- if we dont allow ourselves to keep getting distracted by the noise.
How a California Inspector Uncovered Billions in Unemployment Fraud

Commentary

An inspector with the San Mateo District Attorneys (SMDA) office says he was the first in California to uncover the multibillion-dollar unemployment scandal last summer.

Jordan Boyd discovered the Employment Development Department (EDD) fraud while monitoring a county jail inmates recorded phone call.

Boyd told California Insider that he overheard in calls a discussion about a scam that was happening in the community. The inmate was talking with other colleagues on the outside and having three-way conversations with others on the street who had successfully filed for unemployment, he said.

The inmate and those in his housing unit then made additional calls to friends and relatives on the outside, providing them with the names, birthdays, and social security numbers of themselves and fellow inmates.

This information along with few checks and balances on EDDs side, allowed for claims to be filed on behalf of those incarcerated, leading them to receive thousands in unemployment benefits.

The Start of the Investigation

The SMDAs office reported the fraud to EDD and began working with investigators to determine how big the fraud was from inside the county jail.

We knew of at least two inmates in separate housing units that sent their information over recorded telephone calls, but we didnt know if it ended there, Boyd said.

The DAs office gave an EDD investigator a list of 90 inmates that lived in the housing units and found that about 30 of them had filed claims with EDD.

It was later discovered that about 900 inmates in a San Mateo county jail were participating in the scam.

At the time, EDD reported to the SMDA that despite the claims being fraudulent, they were unable to stop the unemployment cash from being sent until a criminal complaint was filed.

This was very frustrating for us, Boyd said.

Within weeks, the county put together a case involving 21 people, including state prisoners, inmates, and outsiders.

Widespread Fraud

Immediately after uncovering the fraud, the district attorneys office informed prison officials and other district attorneys within California, who then launched their own investigations.

It was soon learned that the fraud had already spread throughout the state to other county jails.

Officials said in January that California could have sent out as much as $11 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits to fraudsters.

Boyd highlighted an investigation that occurred in Beverly Hills after many individuals were shopping on Rodeo Drive with their Bank of America EDD debit cards.

It was only a matter of time before everyone caught on, Boyd said.

Boyd reported that with more counties uncovering of the fraud, EDD is working with Bank of America to cross reference previous and continuing fraudulent claims.

He recalled that at the start of San Mateos investigation, EDD had only one analyst who was receiving and processing requests to cross-check potential fraudulent claims.

I dont know if EDD has increased their resources since then or if thats why its now taking longer, Boyd said. Unfortunately, now that this has grown and become such a humongous undertaking statewide, it seems EDD is overwhelmed, and so whereas we were getting turnarounds of next day or several days, its my understanding that now the turnaround times are much greater because theyre doing more with the same number of resources that theyve had.

How They Got Away With It

As a result of the pandemic, EDD had relaxed its standards to allow for individuals that were previously ineligible for unemployment, including self-employed workers, who were now able to qualify for the social service.

Boyd explained how scammers took advantage of the relaxed qualifications for unemployment by claiming they were self-employed.

Theres no way to check what their previous employment was, so they were filing these claims as though they were self-employed, he said. We had a number of individuals that were filing. They were construction laborers, barber apprentices, and we did hear of one instance of a woman [who] had filed a claim using her 5-year-old daughters information, claiming she was an unemployed fashion model.

Inmates got away with receiving large amounts of unemployment benefits through backlogging unemployment records to the start of the pandemic unemployment insurance program in March 2020.

Once a claim was approved, a pre-loaded Bank of America card was mailed out to them with loaded with money eligible to withdraw.

Hopefully with the joint effort of both the local state and federal partners, we can put an end to this, Boyd said.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined saying that India and Bangladesh want stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world, on Saturday. He remarks that the two friendly neighbors want to see the world progressing through their own development.

Prime Minister Modi said "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own development. Both the countries want to see stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world." In the year 2015, he visited Bangladesh where he expressed his desire to visit Orakandi, which has come true now. He said this place is a pilgrimage site for the spiritual relationship between India and Bangladesh. Orakandi temple is the abode of the Hindu Matua community, a large number of whom are residents of neighboring West Bengal. Indian PM announced that India will upgrade one girls middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi. In his address, Modi said that it was important for both India and Bangladesh to come together and fight common challenges. During the pandemic, India and Bangladesh proved their capabilities.

Further in his address, he said India is moving forward with the mantra of ''Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas'', and Bangladesh is its co-passenger in it. He then added, "Bangladesh is presenting a strong example of development and change in front of the world and India is your co-passenger in these efforts." Bangladesh has taken extra security measures for the Indian premier's visit in the wake of protests by few leftist and Islamist groups.

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The Meath Coast Community First Response (CFR) has been selected to be one of the first CFR units in the country to be placed back on call with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) since reluctantly having to step back from front line duties due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Members of this vital community organisation completed all necessary training, in particular the donning and doffing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) equipment, before they went back live.

Meath Coast CFR is the only CFR unit recognised by NAS, and authorised to respond to emergency calls, in the Bettystown/Laytown/Mornington/Donacarney/Julianstown area.

'We have served the local community since 2012, in which time we have attended thousands of emergency calls, installed and maintained 9 public access defibrillators and provided training to many in our communities. Each of our highly trained volunteers is Garda vetted on a regular basis.

'Upon receipt of a 112/999 call, our responders are dispatched simultaneously alongside NAS to attend cardiac arrest, chest pain, choking and stroke related calls. As all our volunteers live locally, we arrive on the scene of an emergency within minutes, providing emergency first aid and reassurance until an ambulance arrives. In order to resume front line duties, our responders have recently undertaken a special training course in the use of PPE and has been assessed in its proper use and disposal by NAS. We are acutely aware of the importance of safety at the best of times, let alone at the height of a global pandemic, and we remain committed to providing the residents of the Meath Coast the very highest standard of care possible.,' said Ali Payam Shalchi , Committee Chair, Meath Coast CFR.

'The current COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us all and forced us to adapt and change the way many organisations operate. Meath Coast CFR is no different. Having been stood down from front line duties at the beginning of the pandemic, we have rallied to help and serve our communities in a multitude of different ways. Our volunteers have turned their hands to delivering essential items to local residents, such as food supplies and prescriptions, volunteering at Covid-19 vaccination centres, assembling Covid-19 testing kits for the HSE in addition to our regular operations, which include the routine checking and maintenance of our public access defibrillators.

Expand Close The Meath Coast First Responders are back in action having received PPE equipment / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Meath Coast First Responders are back in action having received PPE equipment

'As with all volunteer services, our fundraising capacity has been hit hard by the successive lockdowns. We continue to rely on the general public and the local business community for vital funds. On behalf of the Committee, and all our volunteers, we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for continuing to stand four-square behind us. In order to continue serving our community we are in need of continuous funds to meet our training needs and in particular for servicing our defibrillator units.

'These require regular maintenance, repairs, insurance and new pads after each use. A new set of pads can cost as much as 100, and a new defibrillator battery in excess of 300, so we cannot over emphasise the importance of fundraising to our cause. To donate to Meath Coast CFR please contact us at meathcoastcfr@gmail.com or call 0852162975. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.'

Those wishing to back the service can also donate via Drogheda Credit Union Ltd; BIC: DRCUIE21 ; IBAN: IE14DRCU99109810645478.
The Mirror And The Palette

Jennifer Higgie W&N 20

Rating:

Picture the face of an old master or modern painter. What springs to mind? Rembrandts jowls? Van Goghs eyes? Chances are that the face isnt female, claims art historian Jennifer Higgie.

Frida Kahlo is perhaps the only woman painter whose features have lodged in the public consciousness. But with this new book, a fascinating survey of womens self-portraits from the Renaissance to the 20th Century, Higgie aims to redress the balance.

Over the years, Higgie claims, the female artist has been cast as a seductress, a changeling, a visionary, a man-hater, a freak; shes never considered normal. Countering those salacious labels, she instead presents various figures  British, American, European  as persuasive talents dedicated to, and suffering for, their art.

Frida Kahlo (above) is perhaps the only woman painter whose features have lodged in the public consciousness. But with this new book Jennifer Higgie aims to redress the balance

In addition to Kahlo, they include Artemisia Gentileschi, the 17th Century painter who prevailed over the brutality of men to paint herself tousle-haired, dynamically wielding her brush; and Sofonisba Anguissola, another Italian, who created a disorientating meta-self-portrait in 1559 when she painted her teacher finishing a portrait of her.

And then there was Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, a favourite of Marie Antoinette, who caused a scandal by painting herself smiling (well, she had just escaped the guillotine).

Potted biographies of the artists are combined with insights into how their self-portraits signal these narratives. There are some extraordinary details. During the Second World War, the ageing Finnish modernist Helene Schjerfbeck checked in to a grand hotel near Stockholm and began obsessively painting herself.

She depicts herself as an apparition, Higgie writes. These are frightening paintings; she already looks dead.

It is perhaps Leonora Carrington, the English debutante turned Surrealist, who best captures the lively spirit of this book. Her dreamlike 1938 self-portrait included a hovering rocking horse and a lactating hyena.

I didnt have time to be anyones muse, Carrington once recalled. I was too busy rebelling against my family and learning to be an artist.

Blood Gun Money

Ioan Grillo Bloomsbury 14.99

Rating:

You may remember that back in 2018 President Trump made a speech referencing an unnamed London hospital which, he claimed, was filled with stabbing victims and had so much blood on the floors that it was as bad as a military war zone hospital.

As it happens, 2018 did witness a 13-year high for murders in London, bringing the capitals homicide rate up to 1.5 per 100,000.

But compare that to the murder rate in the American city of Baltimore, which in the same year stood at 50 per 100,000, a figure 33 times higher. The difference, of course, is that most of those killings were carried out with guns, not knives, but thats something the American gun lobby would prefer us not to think about.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), as Ioan Grillo suggests in this powerful and chilling book about the firearms pandemic, may be the most influential lobbying group in the world

Trumps speech was delivered to the National Rifle Association (NRA) which, as Ioan Grillo suggests in this powerful and chilling book about the firearms pandemic, may be the most influential lobbying group in the world.

The right to bear arms is hard-wired into the American psyche, but since the 1970s the NRA has been agitating tirelessly against any legislation that aims to restrict the ability of Americans to buy as many and as lethal weapons as they wish.

The NRAs stance is steeped in the rhetoric of liberty, but as Grillo explains in grim detail, the main beneficiaries are criminals south of the border. Mexican cartels flood the United States with drugs, and they use some of their profits to purchase an iron river of guns, which in turn fuels escalating cycles of violence.

These guns are easily acquired, the nominal paperwork can be skipped by using a third party, or straw purchaser, and if you buy from a private seller no questions are asked.

There are signs that the NRA is losing traction in Washington, and the situation may improve in the future. But as Grillo warns, perhaps there is worse to come first.

Simon Griffith
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Police say the body of a dead 24-year-old man was found Friday morning in Stapleton.

Cops responded to the scene on Front Street near its intersection with Prospect Street around 11 a.m. for calls of an aided male, according to a media release from the NYPD.

When they arrived, they found the man unconscious and unresponsive. EMS personnel responded, and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Medical examiners will determine an official cause of death, but an NYPD spokesman said there were no signs of trauma. They do not suspect criminality, the spokesman said.

The mans identity is pending proper family notification, according to the NYPD media release.
Nico Hulkenberg has confirmed that he will be a reserve driver for Aston Martin in 2021.

The German lost his full-time F1 seat at the end of 2019 but still raced three times last year when Racing Point regulars Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll sat out with covid-19.

So as Racing Point re-brands as Aston Martin for 2021, Hulkenberg told Servus TV on Friday: "Yes, I will be a substitute driver for Aston Martin and will also have that role for Mercedes in certain races."

In addition to his new job as an expert F1 pundit for Austrian television Servus TV, the 33-year-old smiled as said he will fulfil "a bit of a triple role this year".

But in fact, Hulkenberg could have a fourth role in 2021 - because Mercedes-powered McLaren may also turn to the 'super sub' this season.

"We have an agreement with Toto (Wolff) and Mercedes to be able to access their substitute drivers in an emergency," McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl told RTL.

(GMM)
Iran and China signed a controversial long-term bilateral deal during a ceremony in Tehran on March 27, Radio Free Europe informs. The details of the agreement have not been disclosed, but it is believed to include Chinese investments in Irans energy and infrastructure sectors.

China is Iran's top trading partner and a key market for Iranian crude exports, which have been severely curtailed by U.S. sanctions.

According to Radio Free Europe, the deal was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who arrived in Tehran a day earlier. State television described the agreement as a "25-year strategic cooperation pact."
Coronavirus vaccine operations at a private hospital in Dublin are to be suspended after it used spare doses to vaccinate teachers at a private school.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to suspend vaccinations at the Beacon Hospital, with the exception of already scheduled appointments.

The move comes after it emerged on Friday that earlier this week the hospital used 20 doses left over at the end of a day to vaccinate some staff members at St Gerards School in Bray.

The south Dublin hospital, which was administering vaccines as part of the state rollout, apologised for its decision, claiming it was made under time pressure.

No private school should have received vaccines from a private hospital. The protocols are crystal clear on having a backup list of people available from the priority cohorts. We are prioritising our most vulnerable right now, as it should be.  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) March 26, 2021

The hospital admitted the move was not in line with the HSEs sequencing guidelines for vaccinating priority groups.

Mr Donnelly said the hospitals actions were entirely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.

The decision announced by Mr Donnelly on Saturday represents a change of heart for the minister, who on Friday night insisted suspending vaccinations at the hospital in the wake of the controversy would be counterproductive.

In a statement on Saturday, he said the HSE would be appointing a senior official to investigate what happened at the hospital.

Irelands vaccination programme is the most important public health programme in living memory, he said.

#CovidVaccines are already bringing hope to our communities. Because as more people are vaccinated, this should help reduce the harm caused by COVID-19. Those most at risk are being offered a vaccine first. Youall be invited for your FREE vaccine when itas your turn. #HoldFirm pic.twitter.com/cFjyuLd1iF  HSE Ireland (@HSELive) March 27, 2021

It is essential that the programme is run in accordance with the agreed prioritisation in order to maximise the benefit of the vaccination programme and the speed with which Ireland can emerge from Covid-19 measures.

The provision of vaccines by the Beacon Hospital to a school was entirely inappropriate and completely unacceptable.

I have considered this matter carefully and have worked with the HSE to assess the operational implications of suspending vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin.

I have now asked the HSE to suspend vaccine operations at the Beacon Hospital with the exception of those people who have already been scheduled to get their vaccine at the centre.

Alternative arrangements are being put in place by the HSE.

In addition, I have asked the HSE to appoint a senior official to immediately examine what happened and make recommendations regarding any actions or changes required.

A further two Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland were reported by the Department of Health on Saturday, along with another 624 confirmed cases of the virus.

As of Saturday morning, 304 coronavirus patients were in hospital, of whom 64 were in ICU.

There were 21 additional hospital admissions in the previous 24 hours.
The EU is losing patience with Irelands inability to prevent lawbreaking in relation to fishing quotas.

An investigation by the EU  received by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue late last year  has concluded that fishery controls were unsatisfactory.

As a result, the country faces losing tens of thousands of tonnes from its fishing quota and around 40m in funding annually.

No cases sent forward for prosecution

The EU investigation reported that, during a four-year period, 33 cases of suspected fraud in relation to fishing quotas were sent to the DPP.

None of the cases was sent forward for prosecution. The DPP either determined there was insufficient evidence or too much delay in bringing the cases. The EU now wants to examine each of these cases to determine why exactly none was prosecuted.

The Irish Examiner has also learned that, five years ago, a number of the biggest fishing operators in the State were found to have falsely reported the size of catches, but was told files were not going to be sent to the DPP on this occasion.

It was also informed that the value of the suspected fraud would not be calculated.

The issue was under-reporting the size of catches, both by having larger storage facilities on trawlers than permitted, and through interference in the official weighing of catches.

Estimates vary, but industry sources suggest the frauds perpetrated ran into tens of millions of euro worth of fish each year.

A protected disclosure made to the Irish Examiner alleges that a blind eye has been turned by authorities to the persistent lawbreaking.

The disclosure is the second in recent years  from different individuals  alleging this malpractice.

Fishery officers became very concerned about the validity of the figures being provided by the processors and the likelihood of illegal fish being landed, the protected disclosure reads.

These concerns were raised to management at the highest levels, from late 2012 onwards.

A spokesperson for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) strongly refutes any suggestions that it supports, condones or enables any illegal activity.

Depleted fish stocks

The latest disclosure comes against a background in which stocks of pelagic fish have been depleted in the seas around Ireland because of overfishing  pelagic fish is primarily herring and mackerel.

Late last year, the office of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine wrote to industry representatives to warn that the Celtic Sea herring stock is at one of its lowest stock levels since 1958.

It went on to note that excess catches would further impair the recovery of the stock.

The Minister is now requesting that, in line with this advice, you contact your members to request that vessels refrain from fishing for sprat in the Dunmore Box during the September to March period.

Problem has persisted for decades

The problems that currently arise with the EU are not new.

Back in the early 2000s, the commission was extremely annoyed that Ireland was not observing its fishing quotas under the Common Fisheries Policy.

Denmark, at one stage, complained that Ireland appeared to be fishing 50% more than its allocated quota

The State's response was to create the SFPA, an independent body charged with policing fishing. Set up in 2007, it was designed to provide focus to upholding the law and to remove politics from the industry.

The authoritys brief is to oversee the industry and police compliance. Its frontline activity involves more than 60 officers checking and recording catches at the points of landing.

The States response to complaints about overfishing was to create the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) which was charged with policing fishing. Picture: Chris Furlong/Getty Images

The biggest fleets are based in Killybegs in Co Donegal and Castletownbere in West Cork.

At the outset, there was major resistance from the industry.

Protests took place in fishing communities and politicians made repeated attempts to get the SFPA to ease off strict compliance.

At the time, fish were weighed at the piers where they were landed, but the industry objected on the basis that it was time-consuming.

Permission was given to weigh fish at the processing factories  numbering around a dozen in the State. This was agreed, even though many of the trawler operators had stakes in the processing plants.

Fairly quickly, however, fisheries officers were complaining that there were major issues around the system.

A protected disclosure made in 2017 by a fisheries officer alleged that he raised the issue in late 2012, but nothing was done about it.

One example of the knowledge of illegal fishing was contained in an email sent by a fishery officer to senior management about the problem in August 2013:

The strong suspicion [is] of very high levels of under-recording of catch by the majority of vessels involved

The email continued: The figures from around the country suggest that conservatively the level of under-recording was at least 50% and the majority of vessels and processers were involved the public has been grossly misled by the industry.

It went on to point out that the financial advantages for the vessel owners were major.

For the processors, the rewards are potentially even greater as they have taken market advantage of their competitors by dealing in fish from what is supposed to be a sustainably caught source.

"It is ethically and morally wrong that this illegal fish was sold throughout Europe to members of the public who have been grossly misled by the industry.

In 2014 permits for three factories were suspended when tampering with the weighing systems was discovered.

The SFPA then wanted a CCTV camera system installed in the factories to record weighing, but this was never fully implemented. The suspensions were ultimately lifted and operations resumed.

During this period, the fisheries officers charged with policing the quotas on the ground repeatedly raised the issue of potential fraud.

In one communique between officers in July 2014, the issues were raised.

We are strongly opposed to approving the primary weighing of pelagic fish, after transport, in factory premises, the document read.

We believe that the factory premises must not be SFPA approved for this purpose under any circumstances.

It is our contention that the weighing at factory premises methodology is inherently flawed and will always be highly susceptible to manipulation by elements within the industry

The memo said that the industry would resist any changes that would impinge on the lucrative business of fish processing".

It concluded: However, it is incumbent on us, the competent authority, to sanction only those weighing systems that are robust enough to merit official approval.

Tampering with weighing system

In 2017, Killybegs-based Norfish and company director Tony Byrne were fined 45,000 for tampering with the weighing system at the processing plant.

An electrical switch had been fitted to the weighing scales, which could be used to turn off the scales at any point, allowing fish to pass over without being weighed.

This case came to light following an inspection by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. Mr Byrne also received a six-month suspended prison sentence.

Ullage table discrepancy

The other area of recording fish catches that is open to fraud lies in the size of the tanks onboard a trawler where fish were stored.

The size of these tanks is recorded under a system called the ullage tables.

If the recorded size is smaller than the actual size or number of tanks, then the actual catch is potentially larger than the officially documented catch.

Fisheries officers raised suspicions about the ullage tables in 2014. An outside agency was commissioned to do a survey. The outcome of that survey was only made known to the industry in 2016.

Trawler owners were informed of the results of the survey, which showed that there had been a gross underestimation of catches as recorded on the ullage tables.

No files sent to DPP

SFPA has not to date submitted case files to the DPP with a view to prosecution arising from the non-compliance of inaccurate tables and the resultant under-declaration of catches from previous landings but reserves the right to do so in the future, the authority wrote to trawler operators in 2016.

The Irish Examiner also understands that, at the time, the SFPA made no effort to quantify the value of the fish that had been underdeclared, but sources in the industry put it at tens of millions of euro worth of fish annually.

An SFPA spokesperson said that the ullage tables only show the capacity of tanks on a vessel.

They do not prove that the capacity was used, nor does the use of an inaccurate ullage table constitute a declaration, she said.

As late as 2018, officers were still highlighting the problems that existed with weighing in the factories and how under-reporting of catch was depleting stocks.

One email sent to management noted: The only way to ensure to compliance is to revert to weighing on landing at the pier or close to the fishery until it recovers.

The collapse of this stock is an accepted fact among most of the industry and officers on the ground

Following an investigation conducted by the EU at Killybegs in 2018, there is now largely an acceptance that weighing controls must switch back to the pier.

In the meantime, reports both from the EU and commissioned from consultants have been highly critical of the SFPA.

A PwC report completed last April concluded that the SFPA is not working effectively and requires urgent attention".

It said: "Relationships and trust have been impacted by a range of issues, including some long-standing industrial relations issues which have not been resolved... these issues are impacting on performance and the organisation is not operating as a cohesive unit.

A report was undertaken by Deloitte in 2020 in response to the protected disclosure from the fishery officer.

It involved a team of forensic accountants and crime analysts examining the collapse of stocks of Celtic Sea herring.

There is general agreement that the collapse is due to overfishing, but one senior SFPA manager told the consultants that culpability lay not with management in the agency but with the officers on the ground.

He believes that SFPOs [sea fishery protection officers] did not take sufficient regulation action to respond to alleged illegal activity within the fishery as is their duty as SFPOs, the Deloitte reported stated.

While these matters were raised to SFPA, it is the responsibility of SFPOs to enforce disciplinary action where a vessel and/or processing factory breaches the regulations

The claim infers that, even though the officers on the ground expressed repeated concerns about the law-breaking to management, it was the latters responsibility to enforce the law.

The Irish Examiner understands that officers reject this completely on the basis that they were unable to act without the support of management to fully implement the law.

It also fails to explain how so many detected infringements never arrived at prosecution and why SFPA management failed to pursue prosecutions in other instances dating from 2016.

Everybody  from the minister to the EU to the SFPA  agrees that a serious issue has arisen over the depletion of stocks.

This occurred due to overfishing, which was illegal.

The outcome from that is pressure within the EU to effect major reductions in Irelands quota and to cut funding to the tune of tens of millions of euro.

Where culpability lies remains to be determined.

A report in 2016 revealed there had been a gross underestimation of fish catches due to the size of storage tanks aboard trawlers being incorrectly recorded  but the SFPA has not submitted case files to the DPP. Picture: David A Harvey/National Geographic/Getty Images

EU seeks 33 files that had been sent to the DPP

In 2018, an investigation of fishing controls in Killybegs was undertaken by the EU in response to concerns that quotas were not being observed and that recommendations from previous audits had not been implemented.

The Killybegs report was damning.

The enforcement and sanctioning system in Ireland is inadequate, with the apparent lack of follow up of suspected infringements by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and a lack of effective, dissuasive and proportionate sanctions applied as required by article 89 of the Control Regulation, it reported.

It pointed to the lack of enforcement:

The SFPA has not quantified or estimated the magnitude of the under-reporting of pelagic catches which can reasonably be assumed to have occurred for some time by vessels identified as operating with inaccurate capacity tables.

The report concluded that there were some severe and significant weaknesses in the Irish control system, in particular regarding the unquantified and so far unaccounted for, historical underreporting of catches of pelagic species by the Irish fleet; the impediment to an effective control of weighing operations of the continued application of the Control Plan to allow weighing in premises; the lack of effective enforcement and sanctioning of non-compliance; and the complete lack of control or enforcement of the illegal targeting, capture and landing of bluefin tuna by recreational vessels.

Following that outcome, the commission conducted an administrative audit that was completed last year.

This highlighted that 33 cases passed to the DPP resulted in no prosecution. The EU now wants a digital copy of the 33 files as submitted to the DPP by the SFPA and a copy of the detailed reason provided to the SFPA by the DPP for the decision not to prosecute in each case.

'40,000 tonnes over quota'

The audit also estimates that, over a four-year period, Ireland overfished its quotas for pelagic fish by in excess of 40,000 tonnes.

The audit was received by Charlie McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, in December 2020.

A spokesperson for the minister said that the findings were under active consideration and Ireland would be engaging with the commission on the matter at the earliest opportunity.

In advance of this engagement, the minister is not in a position to comment on the findings of the inquiry and the package of measures that the commissioner has set out.

The spokesperson said the minister was satisfied that the SFPA had the resources and capability to ensure delivery of its obligations.

Additional funds have been allocated over recent years to strengthen the authority.
SEATTLE, March 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Using an essay writing service may sound like the simplest way to get help with any college assignment, but many students have had terrible experiences because they chose a bad writing service. So how can you identify a trusted essay writing service?



Stressays conducted a survey of over 23,000 college students in the U.S. and came up with the list of the most popular writing services available online in 2021. These academic writing companies were ranked based on their popularity among American college students, as well as their pricing and quality of papers they produce.

1. PaperHelp

PaperHelp is definitely one of the best college paper writing services out there. The company is well-known for its quick delivery time and top-notch quality. You can order your college paper and have it delivered 3 hours after placing the order and providing all the details they need from you.

PaperHelp is also one of the few online writing services you can try with a wide variety of projects and expect the best result. They have more than 2,000 specialists who can handle more than 25 different types of paperwork.

Another thing that makes PaperHelp one of the very best essay writing sites online is the fact that the company selects its writers carefully. According to their policy, all writers pass through three-step verification. So you can rest assured that your writing project will be handled by a qualified essay writer.

Why Students Choose PaperHelp:

You can order various types of writing services and know that the writers will do justice to them.

It is very simple to place your order and receive your work, thanks to the excellent website with a user-friendly interface.

It is one of the fastest easy writing services online.

100% plagiarism-free papers.

2. ExpertWriting

ExpertWriting is another popular college writing service that helps students get high-quality essays when they can't write their assignment or don't have the time to complete it. As the name of the company suggests, it has a good number of expert writers who are serious about their crafts and always willing to help students out. You can order an essay, research paper, term paper, thesis or dissertation here.

One of the first things you will notice about ExpertWriting is that the company has an impressive website. The site looks modern and convenient. It is also user-friendly. You will find that placing an order is as simple as ABC.

From what we have seen, ExpertWriting customers are mostly impressed by the quality of the papers they get. Most are also impressed by the time it takes the writers to produce such quality papers.

Why Students Choose ExpertWriting

You can get top-quality papers in as little as 3 hours.

The company seems to have experts in different aspects of writing, so you can hire wonderful writers for different types of writing projects.

The works are delivered with plagiarism reports, assuring you that they are 100% original.

Professional essay writers.

Excellent customer support.



Downside

The pricing becomes really high if you choose a tight deadline.

3. EssayPro

EssayPro is another college essay writing service that offers real value for your money. EssayPro is a unique writing service that gives the student or customer the full freedom to determine who will ultimately write his/her assignment.

EssayPro has a pretty large team of experienced writers who are eager to work on your project. Ordering for an assignment here works like using a freelance marketplace. In fact, EssayPro is like a freelance marketplace  you can choose writers for your project based on their skill level or rates.

As stated earlier, this company has a large team of writers, and they are all experienced in their various niches. You will surely find a good, highly-rated writer who will take on any type of assignment you have for a price that is okay with your budget.

Why Students Choose EssayPro

It gives students/customers better control over who they trust with their assignments and projects.

It is possible to find a college writer who will consider your budget and do a great job for you at an incredibly affordable price.

Writers and tutors at EssayPro provide one-to-one college essay help.

You can find writers who can submit your assignment in as little as six hours.

Downsides

Cheap writers may deliver low-quality work.

There is no phone support.

4. SpeedyPaper

If you need college essay writing help of any complexity, SpeedyPaper is one of the best options. This is a company you can trust when you need a professionally-written essay, and you need it pretty fast. The company promises an individual approach to every client, and they live up to that promise.

As the name suggests, this is one of the most reliable platforms to order an essay if speed is the most important thing to you. Regardless of that, the writers will always deliver high-quality and plagiarism-free essays that will match whatever academic standards you are looking for.

In addition to writing high school essays and college assignments, many of the professional writers and editors who are SpeedyPaper can handle complex writing assignments. Depending on the nature of your project, SpeedyPaper will assign a suitably-qualified writer to do justice to it.

Why Students Choose SpeedyPaper

SpeedyPaper has zero-tolerance for plagiarism and will conduct multiple plagiarism checks before delivering your order. You can be certain that you have original content.

SpeedyPaper is also serious with punctuality, so you can be sure of getting your work delivered on time.

The company offers 24/7 support, and the support team has knowledgeable members who can help students in many ways.



Downsides

The only thing that appears as a downside with SpeedyPaper is that the company engages in aggressive advertising and upselling.



5. GradeMiners

GradeMiners is regarded by some people as the very best essay writing service in the USA. There are good reasons for this, and we can start by stating that most of its users are happy with the services they get from the company. The number of wonderful reviews is a good indication that the company delivers what it promises.

GradeMiners happen to be one of the old-timers in the game. It is safe to say the company has perfected its system to deliver the best experience to their repeat customers, and it will be impossible to convince such customers to even try alternative services.

The process of getting your assignment done by the best essay writer available is pretty straightforward. You just need to provide the details of what you need, and the online calculator will do the maths and tell you how much you have to pay. Pricing is fairly competitive.

Why Students Choose GradeMiners

Consistency in delivering top-quality papers that will really earn you high grades. The company truly has expert writers (both ESL & ENL).

100% money-back guarantee on any order.

Every order is delivered after the content is checked for plagiarism with the latest software. You can be sure that it is 100% original.

Customers can communicate directly with writers through live chat, email, or phone.

GradeMiners offer 24/7 customer support.



Downside

The only thing that can be an issue here is pricing.



6. JustDoMyEssay

There are several controversial paper writing companies, and it is not uncommon to find websites that will easily call another one a scam. There may be conflicting reviews about JustDoMyEssay.com, but we believe it deserves a place in our top essay writing services list for 2021 and years to come.

DoMyEssay has been around for a while and has certainly helped several students to get quality assignments just when they need it. The company has quality writers who are not afraid to accept any project and tackle it till the student/customer is happy.

JustDoMyEssay has native English speakers, as when as ESL writers. The company promises that you can get your work back in as little as four hours, but you may find that there is no expert or native speaker at the moment who handles the project.

Why Students Choose JustDoMyEssay

You can get your assignment done at an affordable price.

It is possible to get your essay delivered just four hours after ordering and submitting your details.

The company offers a list of additional services.

Professional college essay writers.

Downside

There are lots of ESL writers, and that can always be a problem.

The support team is unavailable on Sundays.

7. 99Papers

It is almost impossible to find a list of the best writing services online that do not feature 99Papers. The company is a pretty popular writing service with so many satisfied clients. We strongly believe most students love this service because of its competitive pricing, but there are several other wonderful reasons to use it over and over again.

One of the most wonderful things about 99Papers is that it allows users to contact writers directly. This enhances collaborative efforts that will see the writer do a great job that will not require any revision. Even if you don't make a meaningful contribution, you can be certain that the professional writers will do a great job with each new project.

99Papers is also known to be serious about on-time delivery. They claim to deliver 100% of papers on time. While this may seem too good to be true, the fact that they have many positive reviews shows that most customers are satisfied with their experience using the service.

Why Students Choose 99Papers

Prices can be as low as $8.97, making it one of the most affordable services.

You can get your work as quickly as three hours after placing your order and providing all assignment details.

You can message your writer directly, meaning you can discuss the assignment in detail and get feedback easily.

The 24/7 customer support is incredible.

Downside

You may have to pay more if you strictly want native English-speaking writers to handle your project.



New writing companies are popping up all over the place, and you might be starting to get curious. Maybe by now you have visited a few sites. Wherever you are in the essay writing discovery process, if you are reading this your mind is still not made up and you still have some questions. Lets go over a few of the most common frequently asked questions to give you a little more information.

Are College Essay Writing Services Legal?

If plagiarism crosses your mind when you think of the question of if essay writer services are legal, then the answer is yes, they are legal. If you dont know what plagiarism is, it is when you take another person's ideas or words and use them as your own. When writing an essay, you can use other people's words and ideas as long as you give them credit by citing it correctly. A freelance writer may or may not provide proof there is no plagiarism.

There are websites and apps that can be used to run an essay through, and it will make sure nothing is plagiarized and generate a report. Most sites offer either a free plagiarism report or once is available for purchase fairly cheap. If you are going to turn your essay into a school or other establishment where it could be critiqued, having a plagiarism free paper is critical. If you have other questions on legality, the answer is this. These sites are marketed to give you an example of what a good paper should be.

You give them a topic, they write a plagiarism free, original paper, and then leave you to do whatever you want with it. Do you use it as a guideline, or do you turn it in as your own? That is up to you and brings us to the next common question. Hiring an essay writing company is basically hiring a ghostwriter, which is certainly legal and often done even by famous novelists.

Are Essay Writing Services Ethical?

This is a grey area. Schools certainly want you to turn in your own work so that you can show what you have learned. If your school does not specifically say you cannot use a paper writing service, then you would technically not be breaking the rules.

Sometimes we just need a little help. Sometimes life gets in the way and we dont have the time to gather information and write a paper that would receive a passing grade. At times the ever-so-dreaded writer's block occurs. Sometimes we can write, but we are horrible at formatting, editing, citations, and proofreading.

Essay writing companies off these things too, and that is certainly ethical. There are topics that you probably cant stand or some that trigger bad memories. If you have to write a paper about a hard topic such as war, human trafficking or abuse and you have been a victim of that, writing about it could be devastating. You may not want to tell your teacher or feel comfortable exposing your victim status and that would be your right.

In that case, most empathetic humans would say in that instance having someone write your paper so you dont have to look at it would be reasonable and understandable, especially if the teacher has already stated no topic changes will be allowed. Is it your own work? No. Does it show what you have learned? No. Would using an academic writing company for every single paper you need to turn in ethical? Not so much. Is using it once in a while when life gets to be too much part of the gray area? We believe so, and so do many others.

Are Essay Writing Services Reliable?

Most essay writing websites offer a money back guarantee. It is in your best interest to find one of these services that offer a guarantee so you can protect your investment. A good money back guarantee should cover if the paper is not returned to you in time (which rarely happens) or if you are just not happy with it.

Before you start the process and hire someone for your essay, make sure you understand the money back guarantee offered and what all is covered in it, as it can vary from person to person or site to site. This is about the best proof of reliability there is. If it is horrible quality or not done to standard or time, you get your money back. Needless to say, it is also a good idea to read essay writing service reviews and conduct an investigation about a company of your choice.

Most of the sites also offer a certain number of revisions, so if you are not happy the first time, the writer can go back over it and revise it. Some of the top rated essay writing services have been around for a number of years and have thousands to millions of happy customers. The writers are professionals, they know what they are doing and how to make deadlines.

Are There Any Legit Essay Writing Services?

ExpertWriting is one of the most legit essay writing services, because it has hundreds of positive reviews from American, British and Canadian students. If youre looking for a high-quality college paper, this company is your best bet. ExpertWriting delivers plagiarism-free papers on time, and the average grade for papers this company produces is 85%. Available academic levels are: High School, College, University, Masters, Ph.D.

Can I Hire Someone to Write My College Essay?

Students can hire academic writing services like EssayPro to write their papers for them. In fact, hiring a professional writer is quick and easy. After you sign up with this site, you will be offered to submit your order details and choose a writer based on their skill level, experience and expertise. Writing companies usually have hundreds of writers to choose from, so you will be able to find the right professional for your task regardless of the complexity of your task.

If you found yourself typing write my college paper into Google, you will certainly find what you were looking for. You can hire a writer for any discipline (IT & computer science, law, engineering, business & management, nursing, economics, architecture, arts & design, accounting & finance and more).

Are Essay Writing Services Worth it?

Writing services usually provide students with professionally-written academic papers, because they hire writers who have excellent writing skills. Using college essay services is absolutely worth it if you have an important paper due and the deadline is looming around the corner.

As we covered above, the ability to avoid a bad topic is worth it. Not pouring hours of research into an already busy schedule is worth it. Having a correctly formatted and cited paper is worth it. Not having to worry about plagiarism is worth it.

You can always go on Reddit and read essay service reviews to get real peoples thoughts on if using an essay writing service was worth it. It is pretty rare you find someone that does not feel it was worth it, and often those are the people who went with a private individual instead of a reputable site with a money back guarantee.

Does it cost money? Yes, and that is the downfall. Nothing comes for free, and you need to decide what is more valuable to you, money or time and a well written paper?

Now that you have the answers to some common questions, you can decide if you want to move forward and investigate some sites, check pricing, and find the best one for your needs.
CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 303-810-1816

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  March 27, 2021

The Caring Generation How to Have Patience with Elderly Parents

Golden CO- Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the topic is How to Have Patience with Elderly Parents

Wilson releases a new podcast in The Caring Generation series every Wednesday, sharing tips and conversations about aging, caregiving, and family relationships to help caregiving families plan for what's ahead. The podcasts are available on Wilson's website and all major podcast sites.

How to Have Patience with Elderly Parents

Wilson empathizes with elderly parents who may feel like a burden to adult children caregivers who provide support. Adult children who juggle work, caregiving and family life often express concerns about being impatient with elderly parents. Many caregivers feel guilty about not being able to do enough and balance life responsibilities.

Insights are offered for family caregivers who may not realize the significant changes that elders experience physically, mentally, and emotionally with age and an increasing number of medical diagnoses. Patience in all life experiences is discussed from various perspectives that include daily nuisances, interpersonal relationship challenges, and life-changing events like a chronic disease diagnosis.

Learning patience poses many benefits, including better decision-making about care for parents, taking the initiative to learn new things, and improved stress management. The realization that impatience may improve by investing in time-saving or planning activities can benefit caregivers and care receivers who may experience impatience working together or with the healthcare system.

Interview with Dr. Joan Monin Yale School of Public Health

Joan Monin is an Associate Professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Yale School of Public Health with expertise in research on emotion and relationship processes in caregiving and developing psychosocial interventions for caregivers and older adult care recipients. She joins Wilson to share research about caregiver  care receiver relationships and perceptions about distress and suffering.

Broadly, Monin's research examines how social relationships influence health in older adulthood, emphasizing the needs of family caregivers for older adults with chronic conditions, disability, and dementia. She has had continuous funding from the NIA for more than ten years, with projects examining how gender, stress, emotion, and support-related processes influence cognitive, psychological, and physical health in the context of older adult family caregiving. Monin has published findings in prominent journals (Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Health Psychology).

Wilson works with caregiving organizations and corporations worldwide to educate about the role strain that caregivers experience and how to be proactive to plan ahead for health and aging issues. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care: How to Get Guardianship of a Parent and Taking Care of Elderly Parents, caregiver support, webinars, and speaking engagements is on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at 303-810-1816 or through the Contact Me page on her website.

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NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of CytoDyn Inc. (OTC: CYDY) between March 27, 2020 and March 9, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). 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 17, 2021.

SO WHAT: If you purchased CytoDyn securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the CytoDyn class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2060.html 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 17, 2021. 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 or resources. 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: The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements touting Leronlimab as a potential treatment for COVID-19 to pump up the CytoDyn's stock price while executives aggressively sold their shares. The complaint also alleges that CytoDyn engaged in a wrongful scheme whereby Iliad Research and Trading L.P. and other entities related to Iliad's principal John Fife operated as an unregistered securities dealer for CytoDyn. On this news, the Company's share price fell $1.14 per share, or 28%, to close at $2.91 on March 8, 2021. On March 9, 2021, CytoDyn shares dropped an additional 19% to close at $2.35, thereby injuring investors further.

To join the CytoDyn class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2060.html 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.

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The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

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Sequel culture has led to remake culture and now... recut culture? HBO Max recently released Zack Snyders four hour cut of Justice League to subscribers. Snyder left the film in 2017 in the wake of his daughters suicide, leaving the project in the hands of Joss Whedon. When the film was released in November, Justice League was savaged by critics and audiences alike. The two hour film had very little character development, laughable dialogue, an unmemorable villain, bad CGI and made very little sense. Sequel culture has led to remake culture and now to recut culture of movies of the recent past.

While we prefer new movies and the classics to reworking old-IP, why not join in on the fun and ponder the alternate realities of what couldve been had Justice League been 4 hours or had Mrs. Doubtfire been rated R? If streamers have hoards of IP and buckets of money, what other cuts of old movies should they bring to life?

Here are ten suggestions

Dear Tim Cook, get Jodie Foster behind the camera again.

Help Jodie Foster Make Flora Plum (Apple TV+)

When Apple TV+ made its splashy first upfronts, it was quick to reveal all the A-list talent it was working with. Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Snoopy were all part of the Apple TV+ family. You know who wasnt there? Jodie Foster! After watching her virtually win the Golden Globe in her pajamas for The Mauritanian, the world suddenly realized they wanted more of Jodie Foster (even if they wont watch The Mauritanian). Apple TV+ should get Foster on their team with a deal that is too good for her to resist. Promise to give her $70 million to make her depression era circus drama Flora Plum that has been in the works since the 90s. Claire Danes may be too old now, but act quickly and Anya Taylor-Joy could be available.

Looks like a good encapsulation of Roger Allers and Mark Dindal making two versions of "The Emperor's New Groove" concurrently.

The Kingdom of the Sun (Disney+)

Vulture recently published an oral history of the 2000 Disney animated film The Emperors New Groove that was as entertaining as the zany film itself. Originally, the film was going to be a grand musical epic tied to the Incan myths and featuring multiple songs by Sting. Through an insane series of events Roger Allers vision was set aside in favor of the goofier ideas of Mark Dindal. According to the article, it all came down to a crazy bake off between the two visions. If Disney+ is looking for more content to give its subscribers, give Rogers Allers $70 million and a second chance to make his vision for The Kingdom of the Sun a reality. David Spade can reprise his role as Kuzko and Jujubee can voice Ezma in the style of Eartha Kitt. The song "Snuff Out the Light" from the original film exists on the internet just to give us a taste of what we are missing.

Give Daphne and Velma the makeout session they deserve, HBO Max.The Adult Version of Raja Gosnells Scooby Doo (HBO MAX)

The 2001 live action Scooby Doo already resembles the more adult version that was originally intended. Shaggy falls for a woman named Mary Jane and the whole movie takes place on a Spring Break theme park destination. Still, apparently a test screening in Sacramento and the threat of an R-rating caused Warner Brothers to substantially alter the film, directed by Raja Gosnell and written by James Gunn. So what had to be cut? Language, weed and sex jokes hit the cutting room floor. Additionally, a kiss between Velma (Linda Cardellini) and Daphne (Sarah Michelle Geller) was cut. The internet has already unearthed a deleted scene alluding to a more queer version of Velma.

fuck it deleted scene of daphne having a gay panic over hot velma on the tl pic.twitter.com/zsAwip15h0  boobs (@Iebsianss) July 12, 2020

We wouldve love to seen lesbian icon Velma get to live her truth, rather than be saddled with a boyfriend in the sequel played by Seth Green.

Justice for Judy!

The Uncovered Footage From George Cukors A Star Is Born (HBO MAX)

Judy Garlands performance in A Star is Born is one of the greatest ever committed to film. The problem is, not all of the film made it to the screen. Despite great reviews, the three hour running time during the films initial release made theater owners upset as they would have less screenings per day. Thus, Jack and Danny Warner went and hacked away at the picture, reducing it to a 154 minute cut that reportedly wasn't as satisfying. The cut footage was destroyed, never to be seen again. Luckily, in 1983 Ronald Harver did a massive restoration that involved stitching old audio recordings of the missing scenes over promotional stills for the film. Its hardly perfect, but it definitely brings the film back to its legendary earliest glory. Warner Brothers now owes it to the ghost of Judy Garland to spend $70 million in completing the restoration. Get Renee Zellweger back in her Judy Garland costume and have her re-enact the missing scenes. Make her earn that Oscar she already won.

Adrien Brody wasn't the only one virtually cut out of Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line."

All the Deleted Actors from The Thin Red Line (Hulu)

If Malick-heads didnt have the Hulu-Disney+-ESPN+ bundle yet, this is a surefire way to get them. Just because you are cast in a Terrence Malick movie doesnt mean that you will end up in a Terrence Malick movie. However, Hulu could have the power to change that! Take $70 million from the Disney vault and put all of the actors Malick cut back into The Thin Red Line. Bill Pullman, Mickey Rourke and Lukas Haas can all see themselves in army gear somewhere in the tall grass. Oscar winner Adrien Brody might get more than a few lines. The 170 minute movie might balloon to closer to four hours. If that feels like an issue, they can chop it up and make it a limited series.

We'll take more Julianne Moore wherever we can.

Can You Ever Forgive Me with Julianne Moore (Hulu)

Melissa McCarthy is perfect as Lee Israel. In fact, Marielle Hellers 2018 film is perfect as is. Yet, we can never have enough Julianne Moore vehicles. Moore was fired six days before shooting due to creative differences'' that appeared to be around Moores insistence on wearing a prosthetic nose and fatsuit. This seems much worse than the version that we did get. Still, now that Searchlight is part of the Disney family, this would be a welcome addition to Hulu family. Maybe they can air it linearly on FX so it could be an FX on Hulu special like Mrs. America.

"The Magnificent Ambersons" may have made it into the Library of Congress, but Orson Welles has some problems with the cut that exists.

Give Orson Welles the Magnificent Ambersons Ending He Deserved (Netflix)

The big ticket IP for any streaming service would be The Magnificent Amersons, Orson Welles lauded 1942 drama about a wealthy Midwestern family changed forever by the automobile industry. After poor initial test screenings, RKO took the picture and cut 40 minutes from it. As if the severe trimming wasnt bad enough, they also reshot a much happier ending that didnt fit with Welles vision for the film. Orson Welles revealed to Peter Bogdanovich in conversations between 1969-1975 for This Is Orson Welles that he had wanted to re-shoot the ending with the remaining live cast members, but could not get it together. If Netflix can bring The Other Side of the Wind to life, then they should also give Welles the ending that RKO denied him. Though the theatrical cut is preserved in the Library of Congress, Im sure theyll also want to have the expanded version. Just make sure they get the Netflix "bum bum logo at the beginning and the suggestion for Firefly Lane over the credits.

Glenn Close will not be ignored, Paramount Plus.

The Glenn Close Cut of Fatal Attraction (Paramount+)

Glenn Close doesnt need an Oscar, she needs closure with her most iconic character. Fatal Attraction was the top grossing film of 1987 and a major Oscar player. It was a huge hit that critics and audiences adored. However, Close had disagreed with the studio when they wanted her to film a new ending that would turn her malevolent Alex Forrest from a scorned woman to a boogeyman. The original ending that Close wanted does exist in special features. However, lets have Paramount Plus hand over control of the movie to Close and get the definitive version of the story for Alex Forrest. It's not perfect, but it's better than the series idea the streamer has planned.

Live footage of us watching the butthole cut of "Cats."

The Butthole Cut of Cats (Peacock)

The theatrical cut of Cats featured Rebel Wilson eating her cockroach backup dancers and Judi Dench licking the inside of her leg. What more could it have used? Buttholes. Thats right. The cats in Cats were more humanlike than cat-like (all their hands and feets stayed intact). At one point, the cats also had visible buttholes as they pirouetted throughout the Jellicle Ball. The PG rating would likely be harder to keep with this version. However, bringing back the buttholes could also allow Hooper to tinker around even further with his grotesque camp classic in the making. Could an extra $70 million fix the visual effects that kept Judi Denchs wedding ring in the final product? Would two extra hours help the film make more sense or less sense? How many more cats could be introduced, and who would play them? So many more questions and almost zero answers could be ascertained from a four hour, butthole focused cut of Cats. Get on it Peacock, #ReleaseTheButtholeCut.

Why would you ever cut out Angela Bassett from your movie?

The Angela Bassett Cut of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)

Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are already going to star in a series version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith for Prime Video. However, the reason for that movie existing was for the affair between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie that set tabloids on fire. If anything, we want more of that movie. Not more of what we actually saw (we spend so much time on Adam Brody in that movie). It seems that Angela Bassett's role as Pitts boss was cut from the final film. Lets add those scenes back in and then have Jeff Bezos spend $70 million more expanding her role. What makes her tic? Whats her backstory? Angela Bassett needs more lead roles, and this could be the perfect opportunity.

None of those options strike your fancy, studio executives? Theres a lot you could do with $70 million. Here are some other ways you can stretch out some old catalog movies to be four hours like Justice League:

Two Extra Hours of Margaret

Add The Entire Opera that Anna watches in Birth (but leave the camera on Kidman still)

Day for Night followed by the finished product of Meet Pamela

Four hours of Girls Trip complete with footage from when Tiffany Haddish took Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith on a Groupon swamp river tour

An extra hour of The Tree of Life where the dinosaurs recreate the plot of one of the Ice Age films

Keep The Forty-Year Old Version intact, but show the entirety of "Harlem Avenue" in the middle of the film.

Five more chapters of Wild Tales

The raw, unedited footage from Romes (Jada Pinkett-Smith) Savannah strip club in Magic Mike XXL

Robert Altmans Longer Cuts

Why not give Ridley Scott another try at Blade Runner?

What definitive directors cuts would you like to see a streaming service make happen? Let us know in the comments below.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham receives her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Friday at Desert Sage Academy. New Mexico has administered 1.1 million vaccine doses, and 40 percent of New Mexicans have received at least one shot, making the state's vaccination rate among the highest in the nation.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A teenager gets jail time over a stolen SUV.

Garret Michael Nelson, 18 of Mason City, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree theft and operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent. Mason City police say Nelson was arrested on March 8 driving a stolen SUV on Interstate 35.

The SUV had been reported stolen from behind Great Clips in Mason City.

Nelson has been sentenced to 21 days in jail.
Editor's note: This Midland Remembers featuring Sharon Neiner Boxey originally was published Dec. 2, 2015. See Monday's edition for Part II.

Sick with scarlet fever, Sharon Boxey remembers her mom rocking her in her grandmothers rocking chair. Sharon was just two and a half years old at the time.

That rocking chair belonged to her paternal grandmother Walburga Neiner. It was the first thing that Walburga Crist (pronounced Krist) and her new husband John Neiner purchased after they were married. Today that same rocking chair is in Sharon and Don Boxeys home on Nielsen Road in Sanford. Treasuring a rocking chair that is now 125 years old is indicative of the love and devotion that Sharon has had her entire life for the family she was born into and the family that she and her husband Don have established in their 55 years of marriage.

Sharons roots in Sanford go back to 1893 when her grandparents John and Walburga Neiner established a farm on an unnamed two lane dirt road. In 1942 the Consumers Power Company named it Neiner Road. This is the story of five generations who have called Neiner Road their home as Sharon remembers it.

Henry Neiner, Sharons dad, was born April 9, 1900, the second son born to John and Walburga Neiner. Henry had an older brother Albert and a younger sister Gladys. He lived his entire life at 1974 Neiner Road. His parents, John and Walburga Neiner emigrated from Weistbruck, Germany to America bringing Walburgas younger brother Joseph with them.

Georgina Coty, Sharons mom, was the daughter of George and Mary Coty, and was born May 10, 1903 in Mt. Haley Township near Merrill. Georginas grandparents were French and had emigrated first to Canada and then to Michigan. She was the oldest of ten children. At the age of 21 she married Merlin Ray on November 22, 1924. The marriage was short-lived when Merlin was murdered in July, 1927 in a hold-up the day before he was to be sworn in as a Detroit policeman. Merlin is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Bay City, and Sharon remembers her dad taking her mom to Bay City to visit Merlins grave.

Henry met Georgina when he visited his brother Albert and his wife in Saginaw. They lived in a two-family house and Georgina was working for the family in the second part of the house. They were married Dec. 30, 1937 in St. Andrews Cathedral in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shortly after Georgina became pregnant with their first child, she caught the flu in March of 1939 and never fully recovered from that, remaining bedridden for most of her pregnancy with Sharon being born on June 6, 1939. Named Sharon Rose by her mom, when it came time to be baptized the priest, Father Bogaslawski, didnt think that either name was a saints name so Mary was added to Sharon Rose. Her Confirmation name was Veronica.

The winter of 1939-1940 was a cold, blowing winter and Henry rented a home in Midland on Mill Street for five months, afraid that his baby daughter couldnt tolerate the drafty farmhouse at 1974 Neiner Road. In 1940 a new home was built and Sharon grew up with her grandmother Walburga and Uncle Joe living in one half of the new farmhouse and she and her mom and dad living in the other half of the house. Henry stayed to help with the farm work. When Sharon was three years old her brother Marc was born on August 22, 1942 in Mercy Hospital, Bay City. Sharon remembers that when her mom and Marc came home after ten days in the hospital that she pushed her Grandma Walburga away from the new baby afraid that he would be hurt. Georgina had a difficult time with the birth of her second child, too.

Henry did what many farmers did in the Thirties, Forties and Fifties; he held down two jobs. He worked at The Dow Chemical Co. in Midland and then came home to work on the family farm. Sharon remembers vividly the time farming took up. In particular she remembers only one vacation because her dad took his two weeks of vacation to put up hay. When she was two, they took a trip to Sault Ste Marie but all she remembers of that trip is having her picture taken with her mom and getting a new purse as a souvenir. Her mother told her that she was terrified that Henry would drop his little girl over the side of the boat when they took a Soo Boat Tour if he didnt hold her tight enough.

The year Sharon turned six was a traumatic one for her. Three days after her birthday on June 6, her Grandma Walburga died. Sharon remembers being in the room when the priest came to give last rites before her grandma died. Sharon ran outside so no one could see her crying. When she walked back into the house, her mother asked what was wrong? Sharon also attended her grandmas funeral. Children at that time received little explanation when tragedy occurred but were left to cope on their own. Sharon also had diphtheria that same year and was very sick with the family being quarantined for weeks.

After Grandma Walburga died, Sharons mom cooked for Uncle Joe. There were three meals on a farm: breakfast, dinner and supper. Uncle Joes menu seldom varied. Breakfast was homemade bread and coffee which he took back to his part of the house. Dinner and supper was eaten with the family and he always had baked beans with side pork for both meals. After supper, Henry, Uncle Joe and Georgina would talk about the old country, Weistbruck, Germany and Sharon regrets now that she didnt listen to more of the family history.

Growing up at 1974 Neiner Road meant a happy childhood for Sharon and her brother Marc. On the north and west sides of the house was a small apple orchard, wild rose bushes planted at the turn of the century perhaps, spirea bushes, a stand of lilac bushes fragrant with blossoms in the spring, and a crab apple tree. Everyone worked on the farm. Sharon would help her Uncle Joe plant potatoes as he went ahead of her making a hole with the hoe and she would follow dropping a potato in each hole. Blueberries and blackberries were picked and later canned by her mom. When Sharon got old enough one of her chores was to carry the milk back to the basement where the separator was so the cream could be separated from the milk. Marc drove the tractor when he got old enough and Sharon was given the opportunity to drive it once in awhile. Today Don and she have their home in the hay field where Sharon once drove the tractor.

 Processed by Victoria Ritter, vritter@mdn.net
New Delhi:

The Ryan International School in Gurugram where 7-year-old Pradyuman was brutally murdered, may soon receive a show cause notice from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

According to a report published in the Indian Express, CBSE has decided to serve a notice to the Bhondsi branch of Ryan International School seeking an explanation that why its affiliation should not be revoked.

The report said the decision was taken on the recommendations of a fact-finding committee. The notice is expected to be served on Saturday evening.

The Ryan School shall have to respond within a month as according to CBSE rules , it cant exceed more than 30 days time period to reply to disaffiliation notice.

Also Read | Ryan school murder case: Pradyuman's postmortem report cites shock, hemorrhage as cause of death

The fact Finding committee report suggested that Ryan School was violating several safety guidelines of the CBSE.

The report revealed that the support staff including bus drivers and conductors were using toilets meant for students.

It was also found out that the electricity room was unlocked which could be dangerous for children.

The children also had access to terrace and top two empty floors of a five-storey school building.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
With passage of the Covid-19 relief bill behind it, the Biden administration will soon offer its encore, one or more big proposals reflecting President Bidens multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better, which will enlarge governments role in the American economy. Together, these budget requests will be bigger in dollar terms than the relief bill, will address daunting problems like infrastructure and climate change  and, inevitably, will revive the partisan divide that plagues Washington.

There is, however, one environmentally important project that boasts remarkable bipartisan agreement and has important climate implications. It may be the most ambitious ecosystem recovery project ever, not just in the United States but anywhere, and it has the added virtue of being an act of atonement for past government failures.
The has issued a standard operating procedure (SoP) for the protection of inter-faith and inter-caste couples from harassment and threats and directed setting up of 'special cells', headed by deputy commissioners of police, to look into such matters.

According to the SOP, the government will provide accommodation in its 'safe house' to those couples whose relationship is being opposed by their families or the local community or khaps.

The government said the existing 181 toll-free women helpline of the Delhi Commission for Women will serve as a round-the-clock helpline to receive from inter-faith and inter-caste married couples complaints of threat and harassment and provide necessary assistance.

"The telecallers trained to handle distress calls and already aware about available services can provide necessary assistance/advice to the couple in distress. If required, they can be further trained to handle such calls," stated the SOP issued by the social welfare department.

It stated that after hearing the couple, the DCP of the area concerned, who will perform as head of the 'special cell', will bring the entire facts to the knowledge of the district magistrate and convey their requirement for stay in 'safe house'.

Earlier this week, violence had erupted at southeast Delhi's Harijan Basti in allegedly connection with an inter-faith marriage. The Delhi Police has arrested several persons for their alleged involvement in the incident.

"Adequate security shall be provided to the couple in form of PSO (protective service officer) and the 'safe house' will also be secured by the DCP of the area concerned.

"The couple shall be briefed about the threat to them and in no case they be exposed till the issue is resolved," the department said in SOP.

In case the couple doesn't want to stay in the 'safe house', the special cell will provide protection to them in accordance with the threat perception at their place of stay.

If preliminary enquiry ascertains the authenticity of threats, the DCP concerned will direct an ACP or sub-division police officer to register an FIR against those threatening the couple.

According to the social welfare department, the government has established 'Safe House' at a state-run residential area in north Delhi's Kingsway Camp which can accommodate maximum three couples.

It said in March 2018, the Supreme Court had directed the state to create 'special cell' in every district comprising the superintendent of police, the district social welfare officers and others to receive petition or complaints of harassment and threats to inter-caste and inter-faith couples.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-27 15:00:58|Editor: huaxia

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RANCAGUA, Chile, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Luis Jimenez and Jean Meneses netted first-half goals as Chile secured a 2-1 home win over Bolivia in their international friendly on Friday.

Jimenez opened the scoring with a low first-time shot on the turn after a floating Fabian Orellana free-kick rebounded into his path off Bolivia midfielder Leonel Justiniano.

Former Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen forward Marcelo Moreno equalized six minutes later with a bullet header after Juan Arce's corner.

But Jean Meneses pulled a goal back for the hosts with a low effort after some fancy footwork in the area.

Bolivia will now turn their focus to Ecuador, whom they are due to meet in Guayaquil on Monday. Chile's players will be rested ahead of the scheduled return to their respective clubs next Wednesday. Enditem
Foreign journalists appear to be misunderstanding Chinas aircraft carrier program. Some of the recent reporting combines larger aircraft carriers that carry jets with smaller carriers that operate helicopters. There are currently two types of Chinese aircraft carriers; one for fixed wing combat aircraft and a second type of carrier that is actually an amphibious ship that carries troops plus landing craft and helicopters to put them ashore.

The conventional carrier program is in trouble, something the Chinese revealed at the end of 2019 when they announced that plans had changed. There were numerous problems that contributed to the decision and it meant a smaller Chinese fleet with far fewer carriers. Part of the problem was a shortage of resources to support a lot of aircraft carriers and this was made worse by a trade war with the United States (because of decades of cheating by China).

There is also a logistics problem with aircraft carriers because each one is accompanied by up to ten support ships. Half of those are warships but the other half are for sustainment, carrying oil and other supplies to keep the carriers going for as long as they are at sea. All those ships burn lots of oil, imported oil. Without nuclear power, aircraft carriers require frequent and substantial refueling at sea.

The second problem is military technology. China expected difficulties developing and implementing all the many technologies needed to effectively build and operate a carrier task forces. Fixing those problems is taking longer than expected. For example, the second Chinese aircraft, the Type 02 Shandong was unlike China's first carrier. That first carrier, the Type 01 Liaoning, was a heavily modified unfinished Russian carrier and not intended as a combat vessel. The Shandong was based on the Liaoning, with many improvements. It was commissioned into service at the end of 2019 but not considered operational (fit for service) until October 2020. That came after 29 months of sea trials plus time in the shipyard having problems fixed. The sea trials consisted of nine separate periods at sea, each consisting of one or more voyages followed by time in the shipyard. The first trials voyage one lasted a week but the last one involved many months in the shipyard where fixes and modifications were carried out. That was actually faster than the trials for the Liaoning, which went on for six years.

Then came the late 2019 announcement that the next carriers to be built, the first of the Type 03 carriers wont be launched until later in 2021 and entry into service may take longer than Shandong because the two Type 03 carriers are more similar to most western carriers using a catapult to launch warplanes. The Type 03s also larger; 85,000 tons versus 65,000 tons for the earlier ski-jump carriers.

Meanwhile China is having lots of problems with the fixed wing aircraft that can operate from them. Most of Chinas modern aircraft are illegal copies of Russian designs and efforts to implement lots of stolen American aircraft tech has not gone as smoothly as hoped. There has been a pattern of delays and problems with aircraft tech that has stalled ambitious efforts to develop carrier-based fighters and stealth aircraft. No point in building a lot of carriers is they will be limited or sidelined so often by technical problems.

This is particularly true with the amphibious ships that are often called aircraft carriers by foreign journalists, when the reality is that these 40,000-ton LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) type ships, like their American counterparts, have no catapult and no ski jump deck for launching jet aircraft or arrestor gear for landing them. The Chinese LHDs only operate 30 helicopters. China has few helicopters capable of operating from carriers and these are much less capable that Western naval helicopters. Moreover, Western carriers have effective VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) jets and transport aircraft.

There were three generations of VTOL aircraft, two versions of the British Harrier and now the American F-35B. Russia tried to copy the first-generation Harrier, which entered service in 1969, with their similar looking Yak-38. The Russian aircraft entered service in 1976 but was never as capable or reliable as the first-generation Harrier. A second, much improved version of Harrier entered service in 1985, four years after Russia halted production of the Yak-38 and six years before the Yak-38 was retired for not being good enough. Even China was not interested in buying or building the Yak-38.

The first-generation Harriers served until 2006 while some second-generation Harriers are still in service. The second gen Harrier was largely an American project and much of what was learned developing and building that Harrier in the United States went into developing the larger and much more capable F-35B. Britain bought F-35Bs for their two new carriers and pilots were impressed. The F-35B usually takes off via a catapult or ski jump since it can get into the air with more fuel and weapons that way. Landing is usually done vertically because it is safer. F-35Bs are used on U.S. LHDs but most take off and land in VTOL mode. Despite the limitations of this the U.S. Navy has found the F-35Bs a useful addition to the helicopter gunships they are still using on LHDs. All the Chinese have are less capable helicopter gunships and not many of them are available for the navy. China has had a difficult time developing competitive helicopter technology.

Another major problem is that those carriers and other large warships are meant to defend Chinese claims in the South China Sea, and that is proving more expensive than anticipated. The growing number of artificial island bases have to be supplied by ship. To operate larger ships in the generally shallow South China Sea, you have to dredge deeper channels to move those large ships around. In 2019 China canceled another major dredging operation because of cost, especially the oil needed for the dredging ships and support vessels. For now, smaller warships and land-based aircraft will defend Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

Finally, the Chinese navy has a growing problem attracting qualified recruits for its many new warships. The Chinese carriers require nearly 3,000 sailors to operate the ship and 40-50 aircraft and helicopters. The recruiting problem is two-fold. The longer voyages used to train the crew to Western standards are unpopular and a growing labor shortage in China provides too many more better paying jobs that dont involve months at sea on a warship. The labor shortage is turning into a crisis that was caused by a 1980s policy of one-child per couple. This limited population growth, as intended, but the introduction of a market economy helped create the first large (several hundred million strong) Chinese middle class of well-educated engineers and other professionals. These are the people who were key to China quickly creating the second largest GDP in the world. But there is a catch. Affluent, talented women everywhere, and throughout history, dont have a lot of children. Even though the one-child rule was revoked several years ago, the population is not growing, especially with educated couples. Worse the children of middle-class families are not eager to join the military, which needs their skills to operate all this new gear. China has conscription but it is not enforced because it is unpopular, especially among the educated. Those carriers, and all their support ships, need lots of capable officers. Someone did the math and realized the ships could be built faster than competent crews could be found. One carrier task force, with a carrier, five warship escorts and four or five re-supply ships, requires over 5,000 sailors. Thats as many as an army combat brigade or an air force aircraft division. The military, in general, has had a hard time getting capable young men to do all the tech jobs the army and air force, as well as what the navy now requires. Given the shrinking workforce, because of the one-child rule, that situation is not going to improve for a decade or more.

The army and air force are more attractive options for Chinese seeking a military career. China has no tradition of a high-seas fleet, something the West invented and has been using for over 500 years. The only other East Asian nation to develop a high-seas fleet was Japan, which starved its economy in the 1920s and 30s to do so and saw that impressive fleet largely destroyed by the American fleet after two years of heavy combat.

There is another problem with the South China Sea claims; many Chinese neighbors have increased their defense spending specifically to deal with the Chinese navy. The American naval forces in the western Pacific plus the fleets of South Korea and Japan were already a formidable naval force blocking the Chinese use of gunboat diplomacy. But now many smaller nations are allied with the larger anti-Chinese nations and those smaller nations are buying lots of submarines, fighter-bombers with anti-ship missiles as well as shore-based anti-ship missiles. The Chinese plan to build more warships and intimidate neighbors into submission backfired. The many threatened neighbors united and joined an arms race China cannot afford.

In light of all those problems the Chinese decision to halt the carrier force expansion is less of a surprise. This decision has been percolating just below the surface for some time. There were always national leaders, and their specialist advisors, who were bringing up these difficulties whenever the admirals asked for more. More naval power is fine but only if you can solve all the technical problems, assemble the necessary expertise and recruit enough personnel to crew all those ships.

Chinese state-controlled mass media prevents public discussion of these matters. As a result, changes in policy, especially military policy, appear sudden when they are not. For example, in mid-2019 Chinese and foreign media were amazed at the continued growth of the Chinese navy. For example, earlier in 2019 commercial satellite photos revealed to Western media what appeared to be a new addition to the Jiangnan shipyard on the Yangtze River near Shanghai. The new yard gave the impression that it was devoted to building aircraft carriers. A new carrier, apparently the first 70,000-ton Type 002, was under construction. More revealing was the extensive infrastructure being erected around the new dry-dock and nearby kilometer long fitting out pier. This is something of a mass-production operation with components of the hull and pre-fabricated sections of the hull interior stored nearby to be lifted into place and attached to the hull and other sections. This is a technique widely used in commercial shipbuilding and for other Chinese warships, including the new 12,000-ton Type 55 destroyers and 40,000-ton Type 075 LHD amphibious ship.

The new carrier yard could be used for building smaller ships, including commercial vessels, but it was essential for turning out carriers quickly. The Type 003 carrier uses catapults to launch aircraft. The hull of the first one, already underway, is apparently going to take less than two years to finish and launch. After that, it moves to the fitting out pier where another two or three years of work is needed before the new carrier ready for sea trials. The trials phase is where the navy ran into the most delays. Initially it was expected that the trials including trips back to port or the shipyard for fixes and adjustments, would take a year or so. The reality was it two more than twice as long. Earlier Chinese warship and carrier development included mentions of persistent technical problems.

Chinese are keen students of history, their own as well as that of others. Chinese ship designers know all about the Langley and the Enterprise. The Chinese are also well aware that in the two decades after the USS Langley there were tremendous changes in carrier aviation. While the innovation slowed after World War II, major changes continued into the 1950s (jet aircraft, nuclear-propelled carriers, SAMs). But in the ensuing half-century, there has been no major innovation in basic carrier design. This has not been a problem because the carriers have proven useful, at least for the U.S. Navy, the only fleet to use such large carriers.

No one else has maintained a force of these large carriers. Only the U.S. has felt a constant need to get air power to any corner of the planet in a hurry. More importantly, no navy has been able to give battle to the U.S. carrier force since 1945. The Soviets built new anti-carrier weapons and made plans to use them but that war never occurred. China is building carriers but does not yet seem committed to having a lot of them to confront the U.S., but rather just a few to intimidate its neighbors.

The Chinese Navy is very popular with most Chinese and its commanders are enthusiastic about expanding in order to protect the seaborne trade that the modern Chinese economy depends on. That popularity does not include attracting a lot of Chinese willing to serve on ship crews. For thousands of years before that Chinese rulers did not consider naval power important because it wasnt. Now it is and the navy is getting the money and encouragement to do what China has never done before. But at the moment Chinese tech is not up to the task of providing capable carrier aviation, especially on a large scale. The government also realized that the money required to make it all work was not really available either.

In addition to the Chinese built J-15 fighter, the new carrier will also have early-warning radar and anti-submarine aircraft as well as some helicopters. CV-17 could apparently operate about 20 percent more aircraft than CV-16 (50 fixed-wing and helicopters versus about 40). Currently, China only has fewer than a hundred carrier qualified J-15 pilots and Liaoning is kept busy being what it is officially described as; a training carrier.
Dhaka, March 27 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi visited the 'Bangabandhu-Bapu' digital exhibition, which commemorates the lives of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Mahatma Gandhi.

The exhibition, which showcases the bond of blood and shared sacrifices that unite Bangladesh and India, is being organised at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here.

After Bangladesh, the exhibition, which was virtually inaugurated by Hasina and Modi during a virtual summit on December 17, 2020, will move to the UN for display and later it will culminate in Kolkata in 2022.

On Friday evening, the two leaders, accompanied by the Bangabandhu's younger daughter Sheikh also took part in a photo session.

Photographs on the atrocity, rape and barbaric torture on Bangladeshi women by the Pakistan Army during the country's 1971 Liberation War in 1971 are also on display.

From December 17, 2020 to January 31, a first-of-its-kind digital exhibition on the two great freedom fighters was held at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

The Dhaka exhibition's curator Birad Rajaram Yagnik, an Indian national, briefed Hasina and Modi on the display which will be shifted to the Shilpkala Academy in Dhaka for a month after remaininf at the BICC for two days.

Later, the exhibition will be moved for three weeks to all the divisional cities.

Historic quotes of the two great leaders will also be exhibited, apart from photographs and digital contents on different historic events of the two countries.

Key points of interest of the exhibition are a "meeting wall" that displays the only photo in the world that has both Rahman and Gandhi in one frame, signatures of both the leaders and their favourite music.

Historical moments like Gandhi's Salt March and Bangabandhu's March 7, 1971, speech are the main attractions.

The "genocide tunnel" will show the depiction, the experiences of the many Bangladeshis who were brutally tortured in the hands of the Pakistani Army.

Photographs of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on different historic events are also displayed digitally.

Modi arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day state visit to attend the celebrations of the birth centenary of the Bangabandhu and the golden jubilee of the country's independence.

The Bangladesh government declared the 'Mujib Borsho' (Mujib Year) from March 17, 2020 to March 26, 2021.

But, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has extended the celebrations.
'For the fourth day in a row, no further coronavirus-related deaths were recorded by the Department of Health. An additional 181 people tested positive for Covid-19.'

You don't have to be a daily communicant Catholic to think yesterday's return to public worship is another indication that we've turned a corner.

For the fourth day in a row, no further coronavirus-related deaths were recorded by the Department of Health. An additional 181 people tested positive for Covid-19.

The number of coronavirus-linked fatalities has now fallen for the eighth week in succession. All in all, auspicious timing for the "cautious return" to Catholic services ahead of Holy Week and Easter.

Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian churches will resume in-person services from Good Friday, April 2.

All the Churches displayed great leadership during the pandemic by voluntarily suspending public worship, even when not required to do so by the Executive's Covid-19 regulations.

They also demonstrated impressive technical ability in moving many services online.

Belfast priest Fr Martin Magill and his Presbyterian counterpart, Rev Steve Stockman, have been writing about the challenges - and rewards - of remote worship in the Belfast Telegraph for a year now. But there is something unique about public worship - the feeling of communing with fellow believers - that no amount of Zoom calls can ever replace.

Catholic bishops have stressed the need for the "rigorous application of all mitigations required" to ensure a safe return to Mass.

The requirement for a "thorough risk assessment" before restarting services may mean some parishes delaying the lifting of suspension.

However, the prospect of once more receiving the sacrament of communion - something that can't be replicated on a webcam - is guaranteed to gladden the heart of every believer. There have been false dawns before in this pandemic. There is a sense, though, that this time the Executive's caution - for which it was often derided - is finally beginning to pay dividends. If the return of public worship heralds the reopening of our other shuttered sectors, it will, indeed, be a reason to rejoice.
Jenny Kane

To protect the public health and welfare of its residents, the Albany County Legislature has proposed prohibiting smoking and vaping in indoor common areas of apartments and other multi-unit housing.

As the director of respiratory services for St. Peter's Health Partners, I see first-hand, every day, the health impact smoking and vaping has on individuals' health. This legislation makes sense. Secondhand smoke isn't healthy for anyone; for those who suffer from asthma, it can be life-threatening. Secondhand smoke is a common trigger for asthma, irritating airways and making it difficult or even impossible to breathe.
Two weeks ago, I asked about the potential to have more students in the building, Baron said. I know this wasnt prompted by my remarks, but by tons of developments locally and nationally. I want to thank [Pruitt-Adams] and your team for continuing to be nimble. Its been a roller coaster year for a lot of places in this country. Youve given us an opportunity to succeed and finish this year well. Im confident the students will step up.
High Commissioner Dr KJ Srinivasa on Saturday joined President of Guyana Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali in celebrating Holi, reinforcing the connections and traditions between the two countries. In India, the festival of colours will be celebrated this year on March 28 and 29. Holi or Phagwah is also celebrated every year in Guyana with great enthusiasm. The Indian embassy in Guyana shared pictures of High Commissioner Srinivasa and President Irfaan, marking the festival by applying colours on each others' faces.

The celebrations come a day after the Guyana President thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India for the donation of 80,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. India had sent AstraZenecas Covishield vaccine jabs to Guyana earlier this month, which were handed over to the countrys Prime Minister Mark Phillips by Indian High Commissioner KJ Srinivasa. The Indian embassy in Guyana recently shared a video online, where President Irfaan Ali can be heard thanking PM Modi and the people of India for their generosity.

Prime Minister Modi has demonstrated great responsibility through his own management of COVID pandemic, not only for India but globally. Guyana is not the only country that benefited from the kindness of India. And its not only about kindness, it is a responsibility India took in ensuring under-privileged, developing countries also have access to vaccines. On behalf of the people of Guyana, we are grateful to PM Modi and the people of India, said President Irfaan Ali in a special video message.

India's Vaccine Maitri program

India has won global praise for its Vaccine Maitri programme which aims to aid low- and middle-income countries amidst the global pandemic. So far, India has exported the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and Bharat Biotech's indigenous vaccine to more than 29 countries and will be providing vaccine doses to 49 more countries in the coming days. Both the vaccines are already in circulation in India with senior citizens receiving the jabs in the second phase of the immunization drive.
Are you planning to buy a second-hand car or an old car? Then a lot of options are available in the market as the cars include Baleno, Wagon R, Alto, Maruti Swift z and many more. Also, there is a website called True Value store which is known for selling old cars and they offer attractive prices for these cars.

If you are looking to buy an old car, then this website offers a wide range of options to choose from:

Swift LDI: The company is selling the 2015 model Swift FDI at Rs 3,95,000 and it has run 57, 971 kms and it is available in Delhi.

Swift VXI: The company is selling the 2014 model Swift VXI and is up for sale at Rs 3,70,000. The car is available in Delhi and it has run 1,21,573 kms.

Celerio ZXI(O): The company is selling the 2015 model Celerio ZXI(O) and it is up for sale at Rs 3,98,000. The car is available in Delhi and it has run 79,033 km.
One of the world's largest call centre companies has warned some staff they will be monitored by webcams checking if they are slacking off while working from home.

Teleperformance told workers to expect the specialist equipment which will be used for team catch ups and training.

But they are also connected to systems which will check if people are using keyboards or at their desks.

If an worker is found to not be at their desks a still image will be sent to their supervisor in a game-changer for the millions of people working around the home.

Workers at Teleperformance will have to use an app if they are going to be away from their keyboard (stock image)

France-based Teleperformance employs some 380,000 people across dozens of countries but there are currently no plans to bring the strict measures into force in the UK.

The Guardian reported a training video on the system says it 'monitors and tracks real-time employee behaviour and detects any violations to pre-set business rules, and sends real-time alerts to managers to take corrective actions immediately'.

Workers leaving their desks to go to the toilet or get a drink will use an app to enter 'break mode' to avoid a telling off.

Staff were told. 'If the system detects no keyboard stroke and mouse click, it will show you as idle for that particular duration, and it will be reported to your supervisor.

France-based Teleperformance said it 'trusts its staff' in a released statement

'So please avoid hampering your productivity.'

Its British clients include the Government, the RAF and the Royal Navy.

A spokesman for the firm said: '[The system was installed] to respond to the overwhelming concerns of isolation, lack of team engagement and support, not seeing anyone from one day to the next, raised by those who are at home.

'We absolutely trust them to do their jobs in a professional manner.'
ONLY a contrarian with decidedly malicious intent would attend a 12-step recovery meeting and, after the Serenity Prayer is recited, stir up trouble by arguing addiction is not a disease.

Opinion

ONLY a contrarian with decidedly malicious intent would attend a 12-step recovery meeting and, after the Serenity Prayer is recited, stir up trouble by arguing addiction is not a disease.

Recovering addicts invariably maintain they have a disease, a self-diagnosis that lets them believe they are powerless over their addictions. When newcomers attend their first meeting and accept a cup of coffee  perhaps with fingers that are trembling  it can be a consolation to be told they are victims of an affliction. Its not all their fault that their lives have spiralled down into a mess.

Medical science is not unanimous on this issue. Naysayers note some addicts quit drugs through willpower, by making up their minds to stop. If addiction was a real disease, such as cancer, it couldnt be cured with willpower.

Dr. Marc Lewis, the author of The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease, writes "rather than a disease, I would say that addiction is a habit that grows and perpetuates itself relatively quickly when we repeatedly pursue the same highly attractive goal."

Personally, I side with the addicts trying to recover. Let them have this one. Allow them the solace of believing they have a disease if it helps them attempt the courageous transformation that typically includes abstinence, a spiritual quest, rigorous inner scrutiny and amends to people they have hurt, which is often a discouragingly long list.

Unpacking the causes of addiction is not trivial chit-chat. Theres a lot riding on it. If drug addiction is considered a disease, rather than a moral failing, that makes it a health issue. If its a health issue, its incumbent on governments to deal with it.

Encouragingly, governments are dealing with it like never before. In a remarkable convergence, three different governments took independent action in recent weeks that all treat addiction as a health issue.

Winnipeg city council has instructed bureaucrats to explore the possibility of a supervised consumption site. At such sites that already operate in other cities, people bring their own drugs and inject, inhale or eat them under medical supervision.

The argument is that since addicts will do drugs anyway, they might as well do it somewhere with clean needles and syringes, where health professionals can keep them safe from dangers, including overdoses. Better there than in bus shelters.

The ideal outcome of consumption sites is that staff and addicts build trust and, when the addicts finally get sick and tired of being sick and tired, staff can steer them toward recovery options.

Meanwhile, the federal government has proposed legislation to eliminate mandatory minimum penalties for drug offences. It lets courts use conditional sentences, instead of jail. It also requires police and prosecutors to consider alternatives to laying criminal charges in simple possession cases, perhaps someone caught with cocaine in her purse.

The purpose of the proposed federal changes is to stop jailing so many lower-risk and first-time offenders, including a disproportionate number of Indigenous and Black people. A criminal record can dog a person for life, including in the job market, an unduly harsh penalty for making a stupid mistake.

Vancouver is going further still, as Vancouver often does. This city is in formal discussions with Health Canada to exempt Vancouver from drug laws and let it decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. It would be the first Canadian city to do so.

That city knows about hard drugs  an average of one Vancouverite a day dies of a drug overdose  and it knows the criminal-justice approach doesnt work. It wants to end the stigma related to addicts and treat substance abuse as a health crisis.

Vancouvers more progressive approach would be fine with police everywhere. Its a waste of police time to arrest, book and testify in court for matters as minor as drug possession.

Last July, Canadas police chiefs called on Ottawa to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs. They want laws changed to steer users away from courts and into the hands of health-care and social-service providers, which is the same motivation behind Winnipegs proposal for a supervised consumption site.

Most Manitobans seem to agree drug addiction is a health issue, not a police matter. In an Angus Reid poll released Feb. 24, 63 per cent of Manitobans said they support the opening of supervised consumption sites. This conflicts with the stance of the provincial government, which has repeatedly rejected calls for such sites.

Manitobans finally seem ready to rise above the stereotype of addicts as moral degenerates. When we recognize substance abuse as a health and social problem, we can respect the humanity of those suffering in the hell of addiction.

carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has outlined solutions to unemployment, insecurity, and other issues bedevilling the current administration.

Speaking at the opening of the 2021 annual Arewa House Lectures, which he chaired on Saturday in Kaduna, Mr Tinubu called on the Federal Government to invest massively in job creation.

The lecture was on Reduction of the Cost of Governance for Inclusive Growth and Youth Development in Northern Nigeria in a Post- COVID-19 era.

He said the government must urgently think outside of the box in finding solutions to the challenges posed by unemployment.

According to him, the frustration and despair among the youth were largely caused by chronic poverty and breakdown in social institutions.

Building vital infrastructure such as irrigation and water catchment systems will help agriculture, arrest desertification and provide jobs.

Another readily available area primed for investment is the agro-allied industry which, for the northern region is particularly advantageous, he said.

Mr Tinubu added that government must implement a national industrial policy to encourage key industries to begin to employ the countrys growing population.

Herders/Farmers crisis

On the herder/farmer dispute, the former Lagos State Governor said the government must appreciate that martial security measures alone will not suffice.

Problems that are essentially of an economic origin must also have an economic solution.

Enhanced security may be the necessary first step, but it cannot be the only step.

We cannot resolve this problem by holding on to one-dimensional answers. We must all be dispassionate in our search for solutions.

These challenges are multi-faceted and so the solutions must be.

The issue of insecurity, unemployment and extremism has many things to do with governance, over time. We must tackle our deep and widespread poverty.

If we limit governments role under the erroneous assumption that government spending is intrinsically unproductive, then we tether ourselves to failure.

Small government advocates

He also cautioned those advocating for small government, advising them to learn from history.

We would do well to more critically study how other populous nations such as the UK, U.S., Germany and China charted their course during their formative years.

You will see that they did not adhere to small government or the purportedly free market.

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Government engaged in massive spending on infrastructure and education while also engaging in policies that protected industrial development and key aspects of the agricultural sector.

Only when they matured and held advantages over other nations, did the UK and US begin to champion free markets and small government.

We would do well to understand this history and learn what it means for our own pursuit of development, Mr Tinubu added.

He also cautioned against the assumption that government spending was unproductive.

The development of any populous nation has always been dependent on the ability of government to allocate sufficient funds to projects and programs that create and encourage enduring growth and employment.

We must reject that mode of thinking that assumes government expenditure is inherently unproductive as well as harmful to the overall economy.

It is not the fact that government expenditure is intrinsically wrong any more than one can say all private sector activity is economically positive.

Government can be wasteful or it can be the key component to growth just as a private sector business can function profitably or spend itself into bankruptcy.

The issue is not whether government is spending money or not. The real issue is the economic utility and quality of the expenditure, the Asiwaju said.

Fiscal wisdom

Mr Tinubu suggested fiscal wisdom in running the nations economy, which he noted was weak due to the efforts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiscal wisdom but not necessarily austerity is required for an economy like ours in a time like this, to ensure equitable wealth redistribution and meaningful use of resources.

The years have shown that the private sector is much too weak to spur the growth we need.

If the private sector could manage this feat, it would have already done so. Where the private sector is too weak or unable, the government must fill the void.

This means government must not be afraid to embark on an activist fiscal policy to create jobs, build infrastructure and develop our industrial sector as well as continue to improve agriculture.

This means government must spend money on those things that bring the requisite economic returns for the nation, he said.

Mr Tinubu advised states and local governments to shape their budgets to suit their revenues, as federal government spends more to create more jobs for the youth.

This, he said was to eradicate restiveness and sundry criminality among the youth.

COVID-19

On the effects of COVID-19 on the economy, Mr Tinubu advised the government to provide more stimulus packages to revive the fledgeling economy.

In the midst of our local challenges came the COVID-19 pandemic, with its debilitating impact on the global and domestic economies.

Nigeria, like many other countries, has not been spared the impact of the pandemic.

Commendably, however, President Muhammadu Buhari has been carefully steering the country through the pandemic such that the negative impact on us and the economy has not been as harsh as it might have been.

The economys relapse into recession has ended, but we must admit the economy remains weak with too much unemployment and resources left idle, he added.

He said nations that recovered most quickly from the 2009 economic crisis and now from COVID-19 were those that engaged most in government stimulus spending. (NAN)
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi on Saturday (March 27) afternoon. The presidents secretariat said that the President's health was stable and that doctors have adviced a planned bypass procedure.

His shift to AIIMS was done for further investigation into his health condition by the Army's Research and Referral Hospital. The planned bypass procedure is likely to take place on March 30, news agency ANI reported.

The hospital informed that his condition is stable. The President was under observation at the hospital following chest discomfort on Friday (March 26).

"The President is being supervised by doctors after regular medical checkups. The President has expressed his thanks to all the well-wishers who have come to know about his health," the office of President of India tweeted.

The President has been under observation after a routine medical checkup. He thanks all who enquired about his health and wished him well.  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 27, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inquired about the Presidents health and revealed in a tweet that he had spoken to Kovind's son as well.

Live TV
Times Network, Indias premium broadcast network concluded the 7th edition of its flagship property, Times Network India Economic Conclave (IEC) in New Delhi, today. Themed, Indias Decade: Reform. Perform. Transform, the conclave focused on Indias outlook and vision for the new decade with an aim to unleash Indias potential to supersede the world economic order.

The hallmark platform for economic thought leadership, IEC on Day 2 witnessed a stellar line-up of policy makers, change makers, growth agents, disruptors, and global thinkers, mining actionable strategies to expedite Indias economic growth.

Union Minister of Railways, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal said, India is in a sweet spot as far as external trade is concerned. He said indications also pointed to a robust recovery on the domestic front. Goyal estimated that imports in the ongoing fiscal year had fallen by over 20 percent while exports fell by less than 10 percent. So overall we will see a significant improvement in our trade deficit. It is a good possibility we will close the year on a surplus, he said. Goyal also pointed to various factors that indicated that the economy was already bouncing back on the domestic front, including a housing sector that was picking up. There are signs of a resurgent economy despite the gradually inching up Covid numbers the mood of the nation is very very positive, he said.

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said India sending vaccines to foreign countries was a smart move and beneficiary countries were immensely grateful. "It is both smart and the right thing to do," he said about India shipping vaccines to nearly 80 countries. "Today countries in the CARICOM, the Pacific Islands and Africa are immensely grateful. What we did is a message to our neighbours, to the world and in line with our international vision," he said.

He also said that the vaccines to foreign countries were not at the expense of Indians. "In a fair world, people would recognise that and give us the credit," he said. About Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh, Jaishankar said better Indo-Bangladesh relationship will be a game changer for India's north-east. "The symbolism of the visit should not be underestimated," he said while hailing the 2015 ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement. "We have settled our land boundary agreement, that is huge. None of our other boundaries are settled. "Our cordial relationship with Bangladesh will be a game changer for the Northeast, for states like Assam. Tripura is a big beneficiary of better Indo-Bangladesh relationship," said Jaishankar adding that the government's "look east starts with Bangladesh".

About China, Jaishankar said the country's salience on the global economy was undeniable and added that previous governments ought to have worked towards developing like it instead of only marvelling China's achievements.

Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said by 2030, as much as 40 % of India's incremental energy requirement will be met by renewable energy verticals. "While we continue to depend on crude import, India is taking big strides in the field of renewable energy. India is a major producer of solar energy and we are steadily moving towards ethanol blending, biodiesel conversion and compressed biogas. There is the National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHM) that will draw up a road map for using hydrogen as an energy source. By 2030, 40 % of India's incremental energy requirement will be met by renewable energy verticals," he said.

He also said the energy demand will continue to multiply in the next 2 decades but affirmed India was on track in terms of energy security.

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Science & Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan said the government was relying on achieving herd immunity in the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive. Speaking at the Conclave, he said the scientific data shows there would be no need to ensure that every single person in the country gets their Covid-19 shots. Even if you have enough people vaccinated these actually give enough protection in the population to prevent the virus from going from one person to the next. So, it is really like having a barrier of people who are protected, who break the chain of transmission. So, you do not need every single person in the population to necessarily be protected, Harsh Vardhan explained. He said the government had more experience and was more prepared to deal with an inevitable second wave of Covid-19. Harsh Vardhan also said partial lockdowns or night curfews would have little impact on the transmission cycle of the virus, adding the government was closely monitoring the dynamic situation.

Union Civil Aviation and Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said the Centre on Thursday decided on a definitive timeline to complete the sale of Air India. There was a meeting at various layers where it was decided that the financial bids have to come in within 64 days. So, we are now looking at a timeline. After that it is a question of taking a decision and handing over the airline, Puri said the Times Network India Economic Conclave.

He expressed confidence that a buyer would be found for Air India, which he said is now making money. Puri said the aviation sector had been a remarkable success stories of the pandemic because it got its act together quickly. He also said he expects a full recovery for the sector despite the ongoing wave of Covid infections. The total revival of the sector in terms of domestic aviation has been delayed by 15 to 20 days. I expect the second wave of the pandemic to peak in the next week or 10 days, Puri further added.

The 7th edition of India Economic Conclave is presented by IDFC First Bank.
New Delhi, March 27 : The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a critical question whether minors indulging in consensual relationship could be tried under stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2021.

A bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee sought response from Tamil Nadu government on a plea seeking clarity on the law for punishing minors, who indulge in consensual sex under POCSO Act.

The petitioner argued that POCSO Act's aim was not punishing teenagers for consensual sex. The counsel for the petitioner urged the top court to grant interim protection to his client in a complaint filed in 2015.

The petitioner argued he and the victim developed liking for each other while at school and the sexual relationship between them was consensual.

The matter is connected with a 2015 criminal complaint, which was filed by a 17-year-old girl against the petitioner, who was 18-year-old then. The complaint alleged rape, cheating and offences under POCSO Act.

According to the complainant, the alleged offence took place in 2014, when both victim and the petitioner were minors.

The petitioner, in the plea, argued that the bigger issue involved in the matter is that whether teenagers who are having consensual sex or they are in a live-in relationship should be punished under the POCSO Act.

After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court said: "Issue notice. In the meanwhile, no coercive steps to be taken against the petitioner." The victim had alleged that the petitioner on a false pretext of marriage developed a physical relationship with her.

According to the victim, she asked the petitioner to fulfil his promise of marriage, but he told her that circumstances have changed as his parents have declined his marriage to her. However, the complainant during the trial claimed that she had a consensual relation with him. Yet, the petitioner was convicted by the trial under POCSO Act in 2019 and he was sentenced to ten years in jail.

The Madras High Court on March 16, declined to accept an affidavit by the woman where she claimed there was consensual relationship between them. Thereafter, the petitioner moved the top court.
NEW HAVEN  The citys school district is down to three uniformed police officers for its buildings and that leaves Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey with decisions to make for when high schools reopen April 5.

We are only going to get about three SROs this year, and I have to decide who gets them, Tracey said.

The district previously had nine school resource officers, and the reduction  partly due to city budget cuts  also comes as the Board of Education must consider a proposal to phase out its program of having police officers stationed in high schools.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The phase-out proposal came from a committee the school board appointed after student activists last summer demanded that uniformed police officers be removed from New Haven schools during a youth-led Black Lives Matter march that drew thousands. As the issue remains a source of debate, the committees recommendation is for the district to wean itself off of uniformed police officers in schools, but without removing them from buildings right away.

It is the responsibility of schools to guard the socio-emotional and academic well-being of students, said committee Co-Chairman Carlos Torre, a former member of the school board and an education professor at Southern Connecticut State University. But, given the circumstances in which were living, you cant do that unless you also take care of the physical safety of students.

Police in schools

Lihane Arouna, a senior at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School who brought the issue to the school boards attention, said the presence of police in schools is seen as detrimental to many students overall mental health and engagement in school.

Many students feel criminalized and overly-monitored by them, she said.

School board member Darnell Goldson, who is Black, said he experienced police misconduct firsthand as a teenager.

They mess with you, they put you in jail, you go to court the next day and they dismiss the charges, he said. Thats happened to me.

As a result, Goldson said he understands why some teenagers feel the way they do.

Brian Zahn/Hearst Connecticut Media

Arouna said she believes the presence of police officers in schools contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline  a concept that Black and brown students experience disproportionately harsher discipline while in school, which subsequently leads to things such as academic exclusion for youths of color and eventually to things such as exposure to the justice system.

The people we do need in schools are mental health professionals, she said, school employees who can take a proactive approach to student discipline instead of a reactive approach.

Circumstances in the past year already had begun to decrease the number of resource officers in city schools. The school resource officers are employed by the city Police Department, but department cuts led to school resource officers being recalled back to the force. This year, the citys budget reduced the Police Departments sworn positions from 434 to 406.

Research

In two surveys of mostly New Haven students and parents commissioned by the committee, more than 60 percent of respondents said they think school resource officers are necessary in schools. More than two-thirds said they were opposed to having school resource officers removed from buildings.

The committee also evaluated district data to understand the prevalence of arrests in schools. The data shows there were 230 student arrests from 2014 to 2020 in New Haven schools, with a 39.4 percent decrease in arrests between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Although one girl was arrested in 2014, by 2020 girls made up half of student arrests. Not all school-based arrests are done by school resource officers.

Michael Pavano, a teacher at the districts alternative high school and a former police officer as well as a co-chairman of the committee looking at the resource officer issue, said the citys number of school-based arrests puts it roughly on par with Stamford, Stratford and Norwalk.

The relationship between the New Haven Public Schools and the New Haven Police Department is governed by a memorandum of understanding from 2011  one that Torre said is outdated. The Register requested a copy of the MOU from the school district, Police Department and city; none was able to produce the document.

Debate

Goldson, though he noted he had had negative experiences with New Haven police in his youth, said he was undecided on the resource officer issue.

I get a lot of calls from people who work in the school system, especially security officers, who say, Please dont take these SROs away, we need them here, he said.

Board member Larry Conaway, a retired principal, said that when he was an administrator, school security guards were my first line of security before involving school resource officers. But he said he believes a lot of the discussion around school security can be muddied by the general public not knowing how to discern between school security  who are employed by the district  and school resource officers, who are uniformed police officers hired to the citys police force.

The discussion around SROs also is being argued at both the state and federal level. State Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, proposed a bill in the current legislative session to phase out school resource officers from schools. Although the General Assembly has not taken up the bill, Winfield said it is an important issue to discuss to prevent more arrests for children of color.

We keep trying to figure out how to make police officers work in schools, and thats not what we need in schools, he said. My opinion overall is, whether its an urban district or not, SROs do not belong in schools and that discipline is in the purview of district administrators. If there are resources needed in the school, that should be expressed.

File Photo / File Photo

Winfield said it should be legislators such as himself who should get to our jobs in providing the necessary resources for schools to address discipline in a way that does not criminalize students.

If we need mentors we should get mentors. If we need counselors, we should get counselors, he said.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., sponsored a bill in the last session to remove all federal funding for school resource officers.

But Torre said such a bill would not impact New Havens SRO program, as it does not receive federal funding. However, he said, it was important for the committee to note the role a Connecticut senator is playing in the national discussion on the issue.

John DeCarlo, director of the University of New Havens graduate program in criminal justice and a retired Branford police chief, said he agrees with those who suggest hiring more school counselors and psychologists, but not to supplant the role of SROs.

SROs dont do counseling, they do security checks, he said. Police do safety, psychologists do psychology and social workers do social work.

DeCarlo said that he believes school officials should be careful about acting too soon to remove school resource officers from schools.

If theres a fight in the hallway or someone comes in with a gun, a psychologist is not going to do anything at all, nor is a social worker; theyre going to be a fellow victim, he said.

Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

New Haven Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez said the department sees the SRO program as essential because of how it ties into the departments stated goal of community policing.

SROs in schools go beyond just providing additional school security in an attempt to prevent violent events that could occur on or around school property, she said.

The SRO program provides positive interactions and mentorship opportunities between students and police officers. Many officers, when asked, will name their SRO who was a positive role model during their schooling and placed them on the path to eventually become police officers themselves.

Recommendations

The Board of Education is expected to vote on the SRO committees recommendations next month. In the final report, the committee outlined 14 action steps. Several relate to acquiring more funding for initiatives to increase mental health and counseling supports in schools, a mission that is already underway according to district staff.

File

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Keisha Redd-Hannans said the district has already been able to identify funding for nine more positions  three counselors, three school psychologists and three social workers  under federal aid grant money awarded to the district as part of its COVID-19 recovery efforts.

The committees action steps also suggest doing more education around the role of SROs and requiring them to provide regular reports to the public.

Torre said he believes some of the action steps should be relatively easy to implement. He said when he spoke with former Police Chief Otoniel Reyes, who served as chief throughout the majority of the five months during which the committee was operational, he agreed that if police visit a school that they could park their cars in the staff lot instead of in front of schools, something that could create the image that there is a police emergency at that school.

Torre said he believes it should also be possible to give SROs a change in uniform, so they do not look as though they are on patrol while working in schools.

Arouna, the student, said she objects to one of the action steps calling for the formation of a formalized mentorship program between students and SROs. She also said she believes the committees final recommendation that SROs should be gradually phased out of schools while promoting and hiring alternatives deserves a timetable.

She said she is opposed to continuing the SRO program in any capacity, although she ultimately supports the committees overall recommendation because of its focus on eliminating the program over time.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Workers install the final letter for a giant sign on the outside of the Trump Tower in 2014 (Getty Images)

A couple's divorce battle has provided prosecutors investigating the Trump Organization with a mountain of information regarding the group's finances.

Barry Weisselberg, the son of the Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and who also manages Wollman Rink in Central Park for the group, tried to withhold financial information from his wife, Jennifer Weisselberg, during their divorce.

The couple's judge determined that Mr Weisselberg had received perks from the Trump Organization, like a shared apartment  that could have monetary value and therefore be considered during the divorce proceedings. As a result, the judge ordered that the financial information be turned over for Ms Weisslberg and her attorneys to review.

Ms Weisselberg is now cooperating with prosecutors from the New York Attorney General's office and from the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which are running parallel investigations into Donald Trump and his company finances.

The Manhattan DA's office has already successfully subpoenaed the organisation for millions of pages of documents and has won the right to access Mr Trump's tax documents following a battle in the US Supreme Court.

Read more

Seven boxes of financial information given to Ms Weisselberg by her ex-husband as part of their divorce proceedings are now part of the case the prosecutors are building against the former president and his company.

"They picked up documents many times. They ended up taking seven boxes of my documents and scanning them, going through them," Ms Weisselberg told Business Insider. "They took depositions, they took checks, routing numbers, bank account [information], and things like that."

Story continues

Investigators became especially interested in the documents in Ms Weisselberg's possession in the wake of a Bloomberg report suggesting that the Trump Organization gave the couple an apartment in Manhattan as a wedding gift.

"Since the Bloomberg article came out  I don't think they realised that I had that stuff," Ms Weisselberg said. "The AG came and they started picking up more boxes."

In the article, Ms Weisselberg claimed that the perks offered by the organisation were often given in place of raises, and were used to control the employees.

"It's so controlling," she said. "Because if you want to leave and make the same money  you live there. If you want to leave, where are you going to live?"

Prosecutors are trying to flip Ms Weisselberg's former father-in-law, Allen Weisselberg, and use him to guide them through the company's financial documents.

However, Ms Weisselberg said Mr Weisselberg is unlikely to flip. She described him as being obsessed with how Mr Trump viewed him, and said he cherished the time he spent with the former president.

The Independent requested comment from Barry Weisselberg's attorney, but he was not immediately available.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia (RA) on Friday published the decision on whether Article 300.1 of the Criminal Code was in compliance with the Constitution of the country, Politik.am writes.

"The RA Constitutional Court, examining the applications, decided to recognize Article 300.1 of the RA Criminal Code as conflicting with Articles 78-79 of the Constitution and invalid. According to the 2nd part of the 170th [article of the] Constitution, this decision is final and enters into force from the moment of its publication," President of the Constitutional Court, Arman Dilanyan, said presenting the decision.

As per Politik.am, the announcement of the decision, as expected, caused a great stir. It was first and foremost expected for tens of thousands of citizens who had fought for ex-President Robert Kocharyan's freedom at various times and in various formats, and were confident that what happened in 2008 was not an overthrow of the constitutional order.

According to Politik.am, yesterday's decision was a cold shower for the authorities, and in a sense it was unexpected that the pro-government MPs had prudence for the first time and did not try to target the Constitutional Court. In fact, they also admit that the truth will not be defeated and do not try to unnecessarily provoke the public.

As per Politik.am, decision of the Constitutional Court also made it possible to find out who were actually behind the idea of keeping President Kocharyan in prison. Following the announcement of the decision, the Sorosians went on the Internet and their media platforms, who were accusing of failing to form a Constitutional Court that is obedient to the authorities, and which, according to them, enabled President Kocharyan to record another victory. What happened was an interesting lustration. According to Politik.am, in fact, the Sorosians admitted that they were the ones who ordered this case, and now they are unhappy that the order was not fully fulfilled. Some of them continue to show the authorities new ways which, according to them, should enable the president who liberated Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to be imprisoned again.

As per Politik.am, it is important for the grant-eaters receiving millions of dollars from the Soros Foundationthat is, the Open Society Foundationsthat there will not even be a theoretical possibility to bring Artsakh back, whereas Kocharyan's being in freedom may thwart their plan. And this attitude of theirs shows once again that American billionaire George Soros, who is close with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, was not spending millions of dollars in Armenia for humanitarian or human rights purposes. The money was being spent so that Armenia would have a government that would very easily hand over Artsakh to Azerbaijan, and when the handover process begins, the hands of statesmen and military personnel capable of preventing it would be tied. The March 1, 2008 case attests to this.
In a major setback to the efforts to bring the murderers of the US Journalist Daniel Pearl to justice, the Pakistan Supreme Court held that the prosecution has failed to prove the guilt of the principal accused  British-born Al-Qaida terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh.

On January 28, much to the dismay of the US, the Pakistan SC had acquitted, by a majority of two to one, Omar Sheikh and others and ordered release of the principal suspect as well as Fahad Nasim Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib and Shaikh Mohammd Adil from the jail forthwith.

AFP

Who is Omar Sheikh?

Omar Sheikh was accused of abducting Daniel Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal in Karachi in Jan 2002 while he was conducting research on ties between Pakistan's ISI and Bin Laden's terror outfit al-Qaeda.

Pearl, who had reported from across the world had moved to Mumbai when he was appointed as the South Asia bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal.

He was visiting Pakistan for an investigation when he was kidnapped.

AFP

Nine days after the abduction the terrorists beheaded Pearl and on May 16, his severed head and decomposed body were found cut into ten pieces, and buried, in a shallow grave outside Karachi.

Later in February, a graphic video showing the decapitation of the 38-year-old was delivered to the US Consulate.

AFP

Pearl's murder took place three years after Sheikh, along with Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, was released by India in 1999 and given safe passage to Afghanistan in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814.

Omar arrested in 2002

Subsequently, Omar Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to death by the trial court.

The Sindh High Court on April 2, 2020 commuted the death sentence of Sheikh convicted of kidnapping and murdering Pearl to seven years and acquitted three others who were serving life terms in the case  almost two decades after they were found guilty and jailed.

BCCL

Acquitted in 2019

Omar Sheikh was acquitted by the Supreme Court even after it was told about a 2019, letter in which the accused had conceded his minor role in the US journalists murder.

In the detailed judgement, the SC observed that regarding every piece of evidence doubts were emerging from the mouths of the witnesses and it was settled since centuries that benefit of doubt automatically went in favour of an accused.

The only judge to have a different opinion in the majority verdict had in his dissenting note observed that in cases of conspiracy, direct evidence was seldom available and a conspiracy could be established by circumstantial evidence.

BCCL

Voicing outrage over the acquittal of Sheikh and his aides, the White House had asked Pakistan to expeditiously review its legal options, including allowing the US to prosecute them to secure justice for Pearl's family.
Oklahoma pastors wife, accomplice arrested for husbands murder

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Days after Oklahoma Pastor David Charles Evans was shot dead inside his home, police arrested his wife and the suspected shooter.

The late pastors 47-year-old wife, Kristie Dawnell Evans, reportedly told investigators that she and her husband were sexually involved with a 26-year-old man, and she asked him to murder her husband.

Responding to a 911 call, officers from the Ada Police Department found the 50-year-old pastor, who led the Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, severely wounded. Paramedics later pronounced him dead at the scene on Monday morning.

His wife called 911 to report the murder, claiming a stranger had entered their home and shot her husband. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said Friday that she admitted to having played a role in her husbands murder, News On 6 reported.

She said that she and Kahlil Square (the suspect shooter) had planned this, Captain Beth Green at the OSBI was quoted as saying. She laid in bed until she heard Kahlil come into the house. She talked with him briefly in the living room and she stayed in the living room.

The pastor's wife added that Square, a resident of Newalla, Oklahoma, went into the bedroom and shot her husband with his own gun while he was asleep.

Kristie Evans and Square had an intimate relationship  a sexual relationship with the involvement of the pastor, at least at one point, Green added. Neighbors reported that they had seen a white Mustang in the area and over at that house for several days.

Square has earlier been convicted in cases in Cleveland County.

The pastor's wife also told investigators that her husband was controlling and verbally abusive, according to News12, which also reported that Square met the Evanses a few months ago at a motel.

Evans is being held in the Pontotoc County Jail and Square in the Cleveland County Jail.

OSBI Director Ricky Adams thanked the whole team involved in the investigation.

OSBI agents from across the state worked tirelessly on this investigation for days, Texomas Homepage quoted Adams as saying. With the help of OSBI intelligence analysts and multiple law enforcement agencies, the suspects responsible for Evans murder are in custody. Our team will always follow the evidence and find the truth.

Oklahoma Freewill Baptist Churchs Executive Director Mike Wade told KXII earlier that Evans, who was married with three adult children, was a driven pastor who would do anything he could for his ministry and the church.

He was always a very outgoing guy, Wade said. He always had a smile on his face, always looking out for the needs of others.
Jessica, a Loreto School Balbriggan student who won the junior category in the Student Enterprise Programme, 2020 with her project Campo de Fiori and Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise. (pic by Orla Murray - Coalesce)

Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Fingal has announced that winning teenage entrepreneurs from Swords Community College, Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan, and St. Fintan's Highschool in Sutton will represent Fingal at this year's Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) National Final on Friday May 14.

As with last year's event the final will take place virtually with approximately 80 finalist teams logging in all over the country.

The students competed in the virtual Fingal Final on Tuesday March 16, which was held on the official SEP YouTube and Facebook channels. Over 2,000 students from 25 schools took part in the annual programme locally, making it once again the biggest student business competition in Ireland.

The enterprise education initiative, funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland and delivered by the 31 LEOs in local authorities throughout the country, saw over 29,000 students from just under 500 secondary schools across the country take part in 2019/2020. The programme supports students to create, design and market their own business, all with the hope of reaching the National Final.

In the Junior Category, the students representing Fingal at the National Final are James Fitzgerald, Ben Reilly, Mikey McCann, and Roan Fletcher, from Mask Company at Swords Community College.

In the Intermediate Category, Emily Carroll, Lucy Barnwell, and Hannah Barnwell from Bee Happy in Loreto Secondary School Balbriggan will be representing the county at the Final.

In the Senior Category of the competition, Fingal will be represented on May 14 by Robert Doyle and Cillian Hayes from Dublin Sanitize at St. Fintan's Highschool in Sutton.

Special guests at the Fingal Final included: Mayor of Fingal, Cllr David Healy, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Ms AnnMarie Farrelly, and Dublin GAA star and Fingal entrepreneur Bernard Brogan.

Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal, congratulated the students, saying: 'We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Fingal, with over 2,000 students from 25 local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme, and we wish them the best of luck at the national finals. In what has been a particularly challenging year for students the programme has offered them an outlet outside of the usual school demands. What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers.'

Fingal's finalists will be competing at the Student Enterprise Programme National Final, taking place virtually on the May 14.
NEW YORK, March 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating NavSight Holdings, Inc. ("NSH" or the "Company") (NSH) relating to its proposed merger with Spire Global. Under the terms of the agreement, NSH shareholders will own only 14% of the combined company.

The investigation focuses on whether NavSight Holdings, Inc. and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, and 2) whether the transaction is properly valued.

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New Delhi: A day after slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech in Bangladesh, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday (March 27, 2021) apologised saying that he doesn't mind admitting when he is wrong.

The Prime Minister during his two-day visit to the neighbouring country had said that he did 'satyagraha' for Bangladesh's freedom.

"I must have been 20-22 years old when I and my colleagues did satyagraha for Bangladesh's freedom," PM Modi had said in Dhaka while addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's Independence and the birth centenary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Speaking at the National Day programme of Bangladesh. https://t.co/ka54Wleu7x  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 26, 2021

Slamming the speech, Shashi Tharoor took to his official Twitter account and said, "International education: Our PM is giving Bangladesh a taste of Indian fake news. The absurdity is that everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh."

However, 12 hours later, the Congress MP accepted that he was wrong and said, "I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. Yesterday, on the basis of a quick reading of headlines and tweets, I tweeted "everyone knows who liberated Bangladesh," implying that Narendra Modi had omitted to acknowledge Indira Gandhi. It turns out he did. Sorry!"

Several BJP and Congress leaders were engaged in the war of words on Twitter over the same speech.

Meanwhile, PM Modi on his second day of the visit is attending an event at Bangladesh's Orakandi.

"Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror, and unrest," PM said during an address to the Matua community in Orakandi.

Earlier in the day, he sought blessings at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.

Feeling blessed after praying at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/8CzSSXt9PS  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

At the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/XsXgBukg9m  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign visit since the outbreak of COVID-19.



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Fears that dogs are 'almost being stolen to order' were raised this week, after gardai launched an appeal for information following the recent theft of five pups in Dundalk.

LSPCA Inspector, Fiona Squibb, told the Argus there was growing concern about the number of incidents locally where dogs have been reported missing.

She said that the money being asked for, and paid, for pups and dogs during the last year was 'encouraging these people to steal dogs to then sell on.'

'There has been a huge demand during the lockdowns off the last year. We have ninety people on a waiting list for dogs, and very few dogs at all available,' a situation which she said was 'fuelling this demand.'

She said that the legislation 'hasn't caught up' with the rate of incidents where dogs are being stolen.

'If someone tries to take a stolen dog over to England in a boat say, the microchip could be checked against the dog passport as normal, but officials then don't have the authority to go and check out if all these details are legit. There needs to be a change in legislation to correct this.'

She warned dog owners to 'be very careful' when out walking their pets, and to ensure they are secure before leaving home.

The concerns were raised after the most recent incident, the theft of five puppies on Tuesday March 9, 2021.

Gardai have appealed for information on the theft of the one year old Dachshund puppies, which were stolen from separate pens in a secure shed on a property in Doylesfort Road, Dowdallshill between 8.20pm and 8.30pm.

'The stolen puppies consisted of a long coated black Dachshund, two short coat black and tan Dachshunds and two short coat chocolate coloured Dachshunds,' said a spokesman,

'Anyone who was in the vicinity of Doylesfort Road on Tuesday March 9 on this evening and who may have information or video footage, including dash cam footage, is asked to please make contact with Gardai in Dundalk on (042) 9388400.

'Similarly anyone who was offered puppies for sale in recent days matching this description is also asked to make contact with local Gardai.'
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Variable clouds with showers at times, and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder, especially this evening. Areas of patchy fog. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers at times, and perhaps a rumble or two of thunder, especially this evening. Areas of patchy fog. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
The AU vice chancellor would soon decide on declaring a holiday based on the test results of other students.  DC file photo

Visakhapatnam: The second phase of Covid-19 is spreading fast in Visakhapatnam district. On Friday, 59 students of Andhra University Engineering College living in hostels tested positive.

District medical and health officer Dr P Suryanarayana told DC that an asymptomatic student was living in the hostel. After he tested positive, the health officials collected samples of 850 students, of which 450 results came out by the evening. Of them, 59 tested positive and the results of samples of the remaining 400 students would be known on Saturday.

Andhra University authorities, with the help of medical personnel, created two hostel blocks for isolation and four blocks for quarantine. Source said the vice chancellor would soon decide on declaring a holiday based on the test results of other students.

Until tests were conducted on all the students, it would not be wise to declare a holiday. The authorities should see that all the students remained in the hostel until tests were completed, the DMHO said.

In Vizianagaram district, seven students of a high school in Nidugallu village in Seethanagaram mandal tested positive. Tests were conducted on 57 students.

Visakhapatnam registered 170 cases on Friday, of which 59 were reported from Andhra University and remaining from Madhurawada and Dondaparthy in the heart of the city. The district moved to second place in the highest number of positive cases.

Guntur reported the highest number of cases during the last 24 hours, with 176 testing positive.

The total active cases in Vizag stood at 647. In all, 60,335 positive cases were registered since the outbreak of the virus last year. The death toll remained at 544.
The idealistic young labour activist's enthusiasm for her first day of "union school" didn't last long.

The idealistic young labour activist's enthusiasm for her first day of "union school" didn't last long.

"When a comment was made about my ass in front of a number of (union) people, I thought, 'What part of a code of conduct do you not understand?,'" she says. "What good are these things if we're not going to uphold them?"

It was only Day 1 of the week-long training session in Russell in 2016, but the woman, who asked not to be identified, knew right then she had to advocate for herself because no one else was standing up and calling out the unacceptable behaviour.

"It felt like I was in a room with an abusive partner," she recalls. "The language was hostile, threatening and intimidating."

Stunning moment DANIEL CRUMP / FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg Labour Council president Basia Sokal resigned two years ago, saying she was subject to "degrading and disgusting" sexism and tokenism among union leadership. A century after the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike for fair wages and decent working conditions, another stunning thing happened in the city's labour movement. The president of the Winnipeg Labour Council gave her resignation speech, saying she was subject to "degrading and disgusting actions." Basia Sokal felt that she was tapped for president so that she "could be told what to do because it would look good to have a female president at the head, it would look great to have a woman in that position." click to read more A century after the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike for fair wages and decent working conditions, another stunning thing happened in the city's labour movement. The president of the Winnipeg Labour Council gave her resignation speech, saying she was subject to "degrading and disgusting actions." Basia Sokal felt that she was tapped for president so that she "could be told what to do because it would look good to have a female president at the head, it would look great to have a woman in that position." Many more women would speak up if they weren't afraid of the backlash in their workplaces, Sokal said. Two years after her blistering resignation speech, she said she's since received many messages of support, including a "troubling" one from a union "sister" who said she would lose her job if she spoke out. "As a single mom with no support system, that simply wasnt an option" for her -- I dont blame her for it," said Sokal, a postal worker. Many women working in male-dominated spaces simply cant be seen with "trouble makers, crazies, etc," she said. And when they do join forces to call out problems, Sokal said they're often accused of "airing dirty laundry" and "turning on your own." There's many barriers to women speaking up, she said -- "losing their positions on executives, being blackballed for not towing lines, the requirement to remain neutral, and even threats of losing their job (if it's a staff representative position, for example) if theyre seen associating with certain women," she said. Tokenism happens on union boards, with LGBTTQ*, differently-abled, and women of colour being asked to run for executive positions without the union offering any actual support, said Sokal. "Putting someone in a diversity seat just for show is not supporting women. The labour movement loves to brand political parties and employers with 'tokenism', but used the word 'representation' when it comes to themselves." Delegates to committees are often selected by male-dominated executives of locals, said Sokal. "If youre a trouble maker, your local likely wont get you into those elite circles. In that way, it creates a real barrier for women to meet." Women can band together in small groups but often dont have the time or space to really call out and address issues, she said. "If we had a venue to support each other, we wouldnt need all of these articles to call things out." Close

Issues involving sexism and sexual harassment have long bubbled below the surface at Manitoba unions. But unions, much like other male-dominated institutions, such as the military and RCMP, are facing a moment of reckoning for allowing toxic culture and masculinity to fester in the workplace for years.

The severity of the situation in Manitoba gained prominence two years ago during the centenary celebration of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, which laid the groundwork for collective bargaining, fair wages and improved working conditions across Canada.

Instead, then-Winnipeg Labour Council president Basia Sokal resigned, saying she was subject to "degrading and disgusting" sexism and tokenism among union leadership.

Then in February, Manitobas largest public-sector union announced it would address years of complaints about sexism and misogyny after its president was charged with sexual assault.

Canadian Union of Public Employees Manitoba president Abe Araya was charged Jan. 21, forced to resign and the provincial executive council he led was dissolved. The sexual assault was alleged to have occurred in Brandon in February 2019 during a work trip. Araya, who is not in custody and is innocent until proven guilty, is scheduled to appear in court in Brandon on April 1.

CUPE Manitoba represents 36,000 employees in workplaces ranging from personal-care homes to school divisions to libraries to family emergency services.

"I care very much about us having a safe workplace and a good working environment. There's no place in our union  and no place in our society  for (sexism and harassment).  CUPE Manitoba regional director Lee McLeod

Before his election as president of CUPE Manitoba, Araya was president of CUPE Local 110, which represents about 400 custodians, maintenance workers and painters in the Winnipeg School Division.

There have been complaints about the behaviour of some members of that local dating back to 2016.

Some of Local 110's membership could easily be mistaken for outlaw gang members; they've shown up at union events sporting biker-style black leather vests with "Loco 110" and "NO RATS" patches and tattoos and boast of using intimidation tactics on fellow members and making threats to an employer.

After Araya was charged, CUPE Manitoba told members that resolutions adopted to make union events safer were now a priority.

"It has brought this to our attention and now we know we need to do this work," CUPE Manitoba regional director Lee McLeod says.

McLeod was appointed by the national office to take over the provincial office after the president was removed and the executive dissolved. He's working to ensure issues of harassment, human rights and inequality are being addressed and training programs are in place before a new executive is elected.

"It is really sad to me that it's taken an arrest and a criminal charge for our union to step up and make changes."  CUPE Local 2348 shop steward Claire Friesen

"I care very much about us having a safe workplace and a good working environment," McLeod the Free Press. "There's no place in our union  and no place in our society  for (sexism and harassment)."

He assigned staff to review policies and procedures and is doing a full audit to have mandatory training, which will include "strong content on harassment," ready for a new executive. The review is expected to take several months to complete.

Whether leaders take the training to heart is another matter, says one union supporter rooting for change.

"It is really sad to me that it's taken an arrest and a criminal charge for our union to step up and make changes," says Claire Friesen, a shop steward and previous education chair of CUPE Local 2348, which represents about 700 members working in the social-services sector.

"It is a culture, and when we think about cultures that are problematic and hostile it can be really hard to talk about a lot of things. It's not always as overt as a sexual harassment complaint but definitely is something that really affects our involvement in the labour movement."

She remembers her first union meeting with her local and hearing the CUPE equality statement, which is read aloud before every meeting.

"It sounds like they're committed to saferspaces training and antioppression training and that's amazing, but this has been called on for years and years."  CUPE Local 2348 shop steward Claire Friesen

"I was so excited to be part of something  a culture of striving to work with each other with a lot of respect," she says. "It was quite a shock to find out the same standards are not held by other locals.

"I think being around a local that wears shirts that are designed to intimidate  leather vests and men who have tattooed themselves in this brotherhood way  is very intimidating. For me, it was very clear, very early on, that we had two sets of standards."

When she was Local 2348's education chair, Friesen took members' sexual harassment complaints to the provincial executive, wanting to talk about the toxic culture and how to fix it rather than filing individual grievances. Nothing was done. She took her concerns to the national level. Nothing was done.

Friesen says she was contacted by McLeod last month and is feeling hopeful.

"It sounds like they're committed to safer-spaces training and anti-oppression training and that's amazing, but this has been called on for years and years," she says.

"I can't give up on the labour movement. I am interested in standing alongside workers and workers' rights, and workers' rights should include everyone."

Creating an atmosphere of inclusion can be difficult when you're circling the wagons to survive, says an expert on Winnipeg's labour history.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS "When an organization is under threat of extinction, its often hard for some leaders to see diversity issues as a top priority," University of Manitoba history and labour studies Prof. Julie Guard says.

"When an organization is under threat of extinction, its often hard for some leaders to see diversity issues as a top priority," University of Manitoba history and labour studies Prof. Julie Guard says.

"Many of us argue to the contrary  that ensuring that all members, and indeed all workers, are represented equally and vigorously by unions is even more important now. But that hasnt been the way unions survived in past decades and it feels risky for some leaders to try new strategies when unions are more vulnerable than in the past."

Unions have been under "serious assault" since at least the 1980s, Guard says.

"The business establishment has largely withdrawn from the tacit agreement reached after the Second World War to accept unions as long as the unions promised to contain militancy and abide by the strict rules that limited what they could negotiate and how they could organize," she said.

And the Brian Pallister-led Progressive Conservative government in Manitoba has been intent on weakening unions, she said.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS In its first year in power in 2016, the Brian Pallister government passed legislation that made it harder for people to join a union, Guard said.

In its first year in power in 2016, the Pallister government passed legislation that made it harder for people to join a union, Guard said. The PC government's latest proposal would allow employers to fire workers for "strike-related misconduct," eliminate the rights of striking workers to apply for binding arbitration after 60 days of strike or lockout, and require only 40 per cent of workers instead of 50 per cent to call for union decertification.

"Making it harder for people to join unions is really a step in undermining the labour movement in the province," Guard said, adding unions need to be huge to have any bargaining power.

"You need to bolster the ranks when you're in a war for survival. It's a long-term trend."

Some "dinosaurs" remain on union executives but there has been progress, said Guard. She cites as examples the 15,000-member United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832 in Manitoba and the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union.

RUTH BONNEVILLE UFCW Local 832 secretary-treasurer Bea Bruske is running for president of the Canadian Labour Congress.

UFCW Local 832 secretary-treasurer Bea Bruske is running for president of the Canadian Labour Congress. Bruske got her start with the private sector union in 1987 during the 164-day SuperValu strike and now serves on the national UFCW diversity committee. Manitoba Government and General Employees Union has a woman president, Michelle Gawronsky, who has become the public face of government workers challenging the PC government's calls for austerity during the pandemic.

"Three decades ago, it was unusual for a woman to be a union president. Now its normal," Guard said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
President Joe Bidens Iran policy centers on the notion of compliance for compliance  if Iran returns to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States will follow suit and lift its sanctions on Iran. But with recent revelations that Tehran has been cheating on the deal from day one, Biden must compel Iran to fully account for all undeclared nuclear activities before easing sanctions. Otherwise, he will irreparably harm the international safeguards regime.
Hagerstown Housing Authority closes in on end of McCleary Hill project

After objections from neighbors, the Hagerstown Housing Authority's McCleary Hill project is done its first phase. Officials held an open house.
Brimhall Bond Hearing Continued to April

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A woman facing drug trafficking and other charges appeared in court Friday.The McCracken Circuit Court Clerk said 33-year-old Jennifer Brimhall appeared for a bond hearing. The hearing was continued to April 5.On February 26, Brimhall was indicted by a grand jury on charges related to her arrest on January 9.She faces charges of engaging in organized crime, trafficking in meth, conspiracy to trafficking meth, possession of a gun by a convicted felon, and drug paraphernalia possession.She was arrested following the search of a home on Woodward Street by Kentucky State Police and McCracken County deputies.
Three people have absconded from a Dublin hotel being used as a mandatory quarantine facility, it has emerged.

It's understood they absconded while on a smoking break outside, with one person located and searches ongoing for two others.

Sources said that three men, who had arrived on a flight from Dubai, were outside The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry smoking under supervision when they attempted to abscond.

One of the men returned voluntarily but two others left the premises. One is an Irish national and another is on a UK passport, it is understood.

Gardai were notified that three people had left the quarantine facility at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Saturday afternoon and attended the scene. Gardai are understood to be liaising with the Defence Forces on site and involved in searches.

As the Department of Health are the lead agency in relation to the management of mandatory quarantining, An Garda Siochana will not be commenting further at this time, gardai added.

The Department of Health declined to comment on the incident but said in a statement: "It is a criminal offence if you don't fulfil the legal requirement to present for mandatory hotel quarantine, if you resist being brought to quarantine or if you leave a designated facility without authorisation.

"A person found guilty of these or other relevant offences is liable for a fine of up to 2,000, imprisonment for 1 month, or both.

"An Garda Siochana will investigate any suspected offences and enforce these laws."

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed this week that it is an offence for people to exit the hotel before the official end of their quarantine.

It is an offence to leave, so what would happen is the hotel operator would contact the gardai and they intervene, he said.

The travellers are required to stay 12 nights at the quarantine hotel.

The first passengers to be quarantined flew into Dublin Airport from Dubai at 11.25am on Friday. The DAA confirmed that the flight had a total of 20 passengers.

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Guests are be supervised by private security during their stay and will be permitted to go outside for air and exercise once they present a negative PCR test.

Mandatory quarantine applies to all passengers travelling from, or transiting through, designated high risk states, regardless of nationality, as well as passengers who arrive from any location not in receipt of a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior of their arrival in Ireland.

Expand Close A member of the defence forces directs a passenger arriving at Dublin Airport from one of 33 high risk countries who will be transported to a mandatory 12-day hotel quarantine Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp A member of the defence forces directs a passenger arriving at Dublin Airport from one of 33 high risk countries who will be transported to a mandatory 12-day hotel quarantine Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

However, once these passengers then provide a negative PCR test they can conduct their quarantine at home.

Travellers are expected to pay for their quarantine service. According to the portal that went live during the week, the rate for a standard package of 12 nights inclusive of all services for one adult is 1875.

The additional rate for one adult sharing or a child over 12 is 625 and the additional rate for a child sharing aged 4-12 is 360. Infants under 3 years of age are free.

The day rate for those entering the country from non-designated states with without a negative PCR test starts at 150.
SAGINAW, MI  The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is no longer featuring the name of a local priest on its websites list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor.

Bishop Robert D. Gruss on Friday, March 26, announced he had removed the Rev. Dennis H. Kucharczyks name from subsection of the diocesan website titled Names of Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The page lists 26 other names.

The Saginaw Diocese placed Kucharczyk on administrative leave from priestly duties on May 21, 2019, after it had received information from law enforcement regarding an allegation of misconduct involving a minor that occurred many years ago. The church prohibited Kucharczyk from having contact with anyone younger than 21. As such, he was banned from visiting school properties or participate in school and parish activities and functions, wearing clerical garb, the exercise of public ministry, and from presenting himself publicly as a priest.

The diocese conducted an internal investigation, hiring a former police detective as a private investigator. This investigator subsequently presented a report to Gruss and the Independent Diocesan Review Board.

That report included evidence of boundary violations involving Father Kucharczyk, the diocese stated in a press release. Subsequently, Bishop Gruss consulted with the Holy See, according to proper canonical process. Their report indicated that there was insufficient evidence to proceed further regarding the allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. Under both canon and civil law, Father retains the presumption of innocence in regard to this allegation.

Kucharczyk has maintained his innocence of any sexual misconduct.

He will now take time to determine his next steps and expresses his gratitude to those who have prayed and supported him throughout this difficult time, the diocese stated.

Kucharczyk was ordained in 1985 and most recently served as the pastor of St. John XXIII Parish, which includes St. Mary Church in Hemlock, Sacred Heart Church in Merrill and St. Patrick Church in Ryan.

The misconduct allegations

A 19-page affidavit authored by a Saginaw Township Police Departemtn detective dated March 22, 2018, states police sought personnel records of Kucharczyk, three other priests, and one deacon as part of an investigation. The detective wrote that a fellow detective had interviewed an adult woman who alleged Kucharczyk would constantly hug her and kiss her on the cheek, hold her hand in the parking lot, and give her small gifts when he would return from trips when she was a student in first or second grade at Blessed Sacrament in Midland.

The diocese previously said Kucharczyk was an associate pastor at that location from July 1988 to June 1991.

The woman said on one occasion, Kucharczyk called her into an unoccupied classroom with the lights off and made her sit on his lap and then put his arms around her waist and put his hands on her inner thighs, the affidavit states.

The woman said that as the years went on Dennis Kucharczyks behavior continued, including writing letters to her which she described as gushy and lovey type letters, as well as emails and text messages, the detective wrote.

Kucharczyk also repeatedly told her if she were to run away from home, she could stay with him at the rectory, the woman told police.

Kucharczyk later officiated the womans wedding and kissed her on the lips that day, the affidavit states. She later confronted him via email, prompting him to reply that he did nothing inappropriate. He also requested to meet with her in person, the detective wrote.

Demonstrators gather in front of the downtown Bay City law office of attorney Matthew L. Reyes on the afternoon of July 24, 2019, to show their support for the Rev. Dennis H. Kucharczyk.

According to the affidavit, the woman eventually met with Kucharczyk, only for him to immediately put his arm around her and stated, Boy, what did we get ourselves into?

The woman told police she reported the behavior to a nun in 2010 and the nun assured her she would forward the allegations to a review board. The woman never heard back from the church on the issue, she said.

Kucharczyk did not face any criminal charges, either from the Saginaw County Prosecutors Office or the Michigan Attorney Generals Office.

Kucharczyks account

In an interview with MLive in July 2019, Kucharczyk lamented being made to look like a pervert, saying his reputation and credibility had been damaged by the dioceses suspension of him.

I have been called to serve the diocese, Kucharczyk said at the time. I want to continue to serve the diocese as a priest. Thats been my calling. Im concerned about what the diocese is doing to me. What about me? What about what I have given to the diocese and the parishes? Doesnt that matter? Doesnt that mean anything? Dont I matter?

MLives interview with Kucharczyk was conducted at the law office of the priests attorney, Matthew L. Reyes, in downtown Bay City. In front of Reyes office were dozens of Kucharczyks supporters, holding candles and placards, chanting prayers such as the Hail Mary and the Our Father. Many wore buttons bearing Let Fr. Dennis Shepherd his Flock with a drawing of a sheep.

The Rev. Dennis H. Kucharczyk inside the downtown Bay City law office of attorney Matthew L. Reyes on the afternoon of July 24, 2019.

The allegation itself is so fraught with problems and errors, Reyes said. Theres absolutely nothing Dennis can do. At least when you are charged with crime, you get your day. In this situation, theres not even a crime alleged. Hes never going to be in the position to say his side of the story.

Reyes added the woman who made the allegations against Kucharczyk was upset with him for other reasons and that they had known each other for decades. The priest speculated she made the accusations to be vindictive.

Throughout the years, the woman would lean on Kucharczyk when things were bad, Reyes said, adding shed been through various issues in her life. Kucharczyk acted as her counselor and confidant.

It was a friendship, Kucharczyk said. It was professional.

But one day the friendship ended, he and Reyes said.

The friendship and relationship gets to the point where its beyond something that Father Dennis wants to continue to try to help her with and encourages her to seek professional help, and she does, Reyes said. At one point, during these tumultuous times as things get worse, she breaches the confidence of the professional and personal relationship and Father Dennis ends it, cuts off any additional communication with her.

She violated the trust between us, Kucharczyk said, declining to specify how she did so. Because of that, the friendship I saw was coming to an end.

Kucharczyk ended his association with the woman around 2003. About 2009 or 2010, the woman made her first complaint about Kucharczyk to a nun within the diocese. This complaint didnt assert any sexual misconduct, but alleged Kucharczyk had treated her unprofessionally or meanwhile she was an adult.

After news of the Rev. Robert J. Father Bob DeLand sexual assault cases broke in early 2018, the woman made a complaint to police regarding Kucharczyks alleged conduct with her as a child, Reyes said.

As his profession and reputation languished, Kucharczyk remained dismayed.

Who cares about me? Kucharczyk said. What about the diocese I made my promises to and committed my life to? Does it give a damn? Do I just get hung out to dry, get the book thrown out me, and get ostracized?

Read more:

Newly suspended Catholic priest was named as sexual misconduct suspect by police in 2018

Catholic priest suspended by Saginaw Diocese says hes innocent

Priest is 22nd in Saginaw Diocese credibly accused of sexual misconduct

Catholic priest told parole board his sexual misconduct with teen was shameful, inappropriate
The declining American birthrate is a frequent preoccupation of this column, and over the years that Ive been writing about the problem its only gotten worse, with the apparent Covid-19 baby bust a punctuation mark.

But with the pandemics end inspiring various forms of optimism, hopes of faster growth and scientific breakthroughs, its worth considering what optimism about the future of fertility might look like. Because if you assume that dynamism and growth are desirable things (not everyone does, but thats a separate debate), then for the developed world to be something more than just a rich museum, at some point it needs to stop growing ever-older, with a dwindling younger generation struggling in the shadow of societal old age.

So what would it take for our demographic decadence to end  for sub-replacement fertility to climb back to replacement levels, for the gap between desired family size and actual births to close, for Americans to have enough kids to sustain our countrys population?

Lets consider three possible scenarios. In the first one, its all about financial and professional security: If you give young people confidence in their economic future and their ability to achieve work-life balance, theyll be much more likely to have the kids they say they want, which would be enough to pull the birthrate all the way back up.
A world-renowned international maritime lawyer, from Cork, has said he warned governments that a crisis on the Suez Canal was only a matter of time, due to a lack of necessary equipment.

It comes as a mega-ship, the MV Ever Given, has blocked the Egyptian canal after it became wedged diagonally, putting a halt on one of the world's most important trade routes. It ran aground on Tuesday.

Michael Kingston, from Goleen, Co Cork, raised the issue about a lack of salvage equipment in place to aid and assist the increasingly large container vessels in 2013, after a near-miss situation, where the massive MV Emma Maersk took on water as it entered the canal.

It was only a matter of time before something like this would happen, he said.

Mr Kingston, managing director of Michael Kingston Associates and a consultant with the United Nations International Maritime Organisation, confirmed there is now a position where there is no equipment readily available to remove the ships cargo and unburden it, allowing it to be moved.

It's obvious that as time has gone by that she's pretty well stuck and she's going to have to be lightened.

"There's talk of removing her bunkering but each of these crates, 20,000 of them, are laden with cargo and are of massive weight, Mr Kingston said.

Mr Kingston said it is looking more likely that crates will have to be removed in order to lighten the vessel, but added that they can't just remove some from the bow and some from the stern, as this would put the ship at risk of bucking or becoming unbalanced.

They'll have to uniformly remove a whole layer on the top, to try and lighten her so that they can dislodge her, Mr Kingston said.

He said it could be some time before the ship can be moved in this manner. When you don't have the equipment in place, how are they going to do it? They'll have to build some sort of structure to try and lift these crates off at an enormous height."

Mr Kingston said he and his colleague, Peter Townsend, formerly of Swiss Re and chair of the London Insurance Markets Joint Hull Committee, did their best to warn of this potential crisis.

After Lloyd's of London released a report, 'The Challenges and Implications of Removing Shipwrecks in the 21st Century', in 2013, the pair called on governments to support the introduction of a 10c levy per container which would be used to build a fund to have the salvage equipment in place.

Mr Kingston said the request was rejected.

We're now in a situation where this has affected the whole of world trade.

"If you look at the vessels that are backed up now, it's crazy. It's affecting the whole world in terms of our supply chains., Mr Kingston said.

He said the fallout from this will be felt in Ireland, as stock, manufacturing ingredients, and other cargo affected is undoubtedly bound for Ireland.

Components for manufacturing, ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry, everything that you can think of and that's just on that ship itself, not to mention the other hundreds that are affected."
The off-road military utility vehicles arrived in Odesa citys harbor as part of a U.S. military aid shipment weighing totally some 350 tonnes.

This new shipment of U.S. defense aid for Ukraine arrived in Odesa on board the heavy cargo vessel Ocean Glory on March 24, Defense Express reports.

The unloading is expected to be completed on Friday, March 26, followed by an official handover ceremony.

The current shipment of U.S. military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, weighing overall about 350 tonnes, comprises 35 HMMWV light utility military vehicles along with other military items.

As Defense Express reported, the U.S. government had allocated $250 million in military aid for Ukraine for FY 2021. USD 75 million of this allocation will pay for U.S. lethal weaponry, while the remainder will be spent on military equipment, nonlethal weapons, personnel training and other expenditures.

For this year, Ukraine is anticipating the delivery from the U.S. of radars for countering artillery, digital radios L3Harris, and situational awareness capabilities, in addition to three Island-class patrol boats.

The latest of the U.S. military aid shipments arrived in Ukraine on February 10, 2021, comprising 10 speedboats and more than 70 inflatable rigid-hull boats with related subsystems and equipment.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci dismissed the belief from former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield who says he believes that COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan lab.

Redfield had said in an interview with CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Friday his opinion was that the coronavirus had spread from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and that it had been spreading in China for months before it was detected.

'I'm of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathology in Wuhan was from a laboratory. Escaped. Other people don't believe that. That's fine. Science will eventually figure it out,' Redfield said.

Fauci, however, shot down those claims when asked about them at Friday's White House COVID-19 briefing - noting that if the virus had been circulating for months it would make the assertion that it came from a lab less likely.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci dismissed the belief from former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield who had claimed that COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan lab

The former director of the CDC , Robert Redfield, says he believes COVID-19 'escaped' from a lab in Wuhan and may have been circling since September 2019

Researchers work in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China in 2017

'So when you think about the possibilities of how this virus appeared in the human population, obviously there are a number of theories,' Fauci said in the briefing.

'The issue that would have someone think its possible to have escaped from a lab would mean that it essentially entered the outside human population already well adapted to humans, suggesting that it was adapted in the lab.'

However, Fauci said that most public health officials believe that the virus was actually circulating in China for a month or more before they were clinically recognized at the end of December 2019.

'If that were the case, the virus clearly could have adapted itself to a greater efficiency of transmissibility over that period of time up to and at the time it was recognized,' Fauci said.

'So, Dr. Redfield was mentioning that he was giving an opinion as to a possibility. But, again, there are other alternatives  others that most people hold by.'

Later in the briefing, Fauci was again asked about Redfield's comments and said 'hes entitled to his opinion now.'

'I think what he likely was expressing is that there certainly are possibilities, as I mentioned just a few moments ago, of how a virus adapt itself to a efficient spread among humans,' Fauci said.

He said it is 'more likely' that the virus flew under the radar 'spreading in the community in China for several weeks, if not a month or more, which allowed it, when it first got recognized clinically, to be pretty well adapted.'

'But according to the words of Dr. Redfield, he was saying  he was just expressing an opinion and an option of what it could be,' Fauci reiterated.

This file aerial view taken on April 17, 2020 shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan

Security keep watch outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of COVID-19 on February 3, 2021

Shi Zhengli, left, works with other researchers in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in 2017

Fauci also said Redfield, pictured, is 'entitled to his opinion' and 'was expressing is that there certainly are possibilities' for how the virus emerged

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new CDC Director, said the Biden administration currently has no 'indication for or against either of the hypotheses.'

She said the CDC is waiting to review a report from the World Health Organization that will examines the origin of this pandemic and its appearance in humans.

Redfield's comments were the first time the Trump-appointed CDC director publicly stated that he believes COVID-19 originated in a lab and not in a wet market where it has been said the virus jumped from a bat to a human.

'I'm of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathogen in Wuhan was from a laboratory... escaped. Other people don't believe that, that's fine. Science will eventually figure it out,' Redfield said.

'It's not unusual for respiratory pathogens that are being worked on in laboratories to infect the laboratory worker.

'That's not implying any intentionality. It's my opinion, right? But I am a virologist. I have spent my life in virology.'
They remember the project with which Bill Gates wanted to cover the sun to cool the Earth, well this summer the tests will begin. According to The Times reports, a large balloon will soon be launched in Sweden that will spew out particles of calcium carbonate, which is essentially chalk dust.

The  Controlled Stratospheric Perturbation Experiment  (SCoPEx) wants to prove that the release of this dust into the stratosphere could eventually divert some of the sun's energy and lower the temperatures of our planet.
The photos are being displayed on the official website of the Moroccan Embassy in Vietnam (http://moroccoembassy.vn/) from March 27 to April 30 and on the VNA portal (http://vnanet.vn).

Although the number of photos is not large, they help demonstrate the important strides forward in the two countries political relations, most notably high-level meetings.

Mutual high-ranking visits reflect the two countries wish to promote the friendship and cooperation between their parliaments, States, and people, as well as their resolve to continue bringing into play and capitalising on the opportunities and huge potential so as to jointly enhance bilateral cooperation and relations.

In 2006, Vietnam and Morocco opened their embassies in each others capitals - an important milestone in bilateral ties.

Within the framework of the Francophone community, Vietnam and Morocco have carried out a number of practical cooperation activities. In recent years, the Moroccan Embassy has taken part in the sponsorship of the Young Francophone Reporters contest held by Le Courrier du Vietnam, a VNA newspaper.

VNA and the Moroccan News Agency (MAP) established a partnership in 2008. Via their news, the two agencies have continually made practical contributions to the intensification of cooperation and, especially, acted as a bridge linking Vietnamese and Moroccan businesses who wish to seek opportunities to tap into their respective sides potential and people-to-people exchanges.

The photo exhibition, part of a series of events held this year to mark the 60th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic relations, expresses the respect for the sound traditional ties between Vietnam and Morocco.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (March 27, 2021) said that both India and Bangladesh want stability, love and peace in place of instability, terror and unrest.

PM Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to the neighbouring country said, "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own development. Both countries want to see stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world."

PM Modi also said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India and Bangladesh proved their capabilities.

He added, "Both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering its duty that the 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh."

The Prime Minister was speaking to the Matua community members after offering prayers at a temple in Gopalganj's Orakandi - the birthplace of Hindu mystic figure and community's spiritual guru Harichand Thakur.

PM Modi said that he was waiting for this opportunity for many years and during his visit to Bangladesh in 2015, he had expressed the desire to visit Orakandi, which has come true now.

Orakandi, notably, is the abode of hundreds of Hindu Matua community, a large number of whom are residents of West Bengal.

PM Modi expressed, "I am feeling the same emotions as felt by the Matua community members in India after coming to Orakandi."

He also stated that India will upgrade one girls' middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi, from where Harichand Thakur disseminated his pious message.

Earlier in the day, he sought blessings at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.

Feeling blessed after praying at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/8CzSSXt9PS  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

At the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. pic.twitter.com/XsXgBukg9m  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign visit since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Boris Johnson has one. So does Northern Ireland. Greece and Turkey have theirs. When my 11-year-old son starts playing football again, his team will have one too.

So why is there no plan for how to reopen Irish tourism and hospitality?

On May 1 last year, Government published Irelands first roadmap for reopening. Key dates for tourism included July 20, when hotels and restaurants could begin to open and inter-county travel resume.

Today, over three months into the latest lockdown, we are rolling from one six-week update to the next  an exhausting cycle of drip-fed data; of dips, plateaus and spikes; of speculation, leaks and mixed messages, culminating in Micheal Martin walking down those steps to give the next dose of depressing news.

Groundhog Day doesnt begin to cover it. Were beyond heartbreak and fatigue now; were at the point where good people are starting to give up. The shock of January has given way to soft rebellion, to sneaky house visits and socially undistanced coffees, to furtive play dates and hairdresser house calls.

Nphet is trusted, but its call for people to do a little more was tone-deaf. Tourism and hospitality businesses are grateful for state supports that have saved them from collapse, but the Government risks losing this crowd, too. Experienced staff have left. This week, the Oireachtas Joint Committee heard that half of Irish restaurants could face permanent closure (one has threatened to reopen on July 1, come what may). The Irish Hotels Federation says just 20pc of hotel rooms around the country are booked in August.

A plan would help set some purpose alongside this pain.

I get the Governments caution. It doesnt want to handcuff itself to dates. Christmas turned out to be meaningful in a macabre way. There are vaccine supply issues; variants waiting to pounce.

But a plan doesnt have to fixate on dates. It can provide for vaccine delays (or boosts), for surges (or dips) in case rates or R-numbers. The UKs roadmap provides for overseas travel to resume from May 17, and restrictions to cease on June 21, if strict conditions on vaccines, variants and infection rates are met. Northern Irelands plan has no timetable, but outlines steps to take when health goals are achieved.

No plan survives contact with reality, as the cliche goes. But a plan based on vaccination and public health targets would at least allow people to start strategising. Airlines could plot schedules, new travel rules and tools like Covid passports or antigen testing could be agreed, and businesses could set goals, retain staff, and make decisions on retraining, operations, suppliers and marketing.

Thats Management 101, but at an even more basic level, plans are psychologically important. With one, tourism can have morale, purpose, structure. Without, it is adrift.

Lets plan now, before more good people give up.
[March 26, 2021] SOLARWINDS INVESTIGATION INITIATED by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of SolarWinds Corporation - SWI

Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into SolarWinds (News - Alert) Corporation (NYSE: SWI). In December 2020, news outlets reported that the Company was the target of a massive cyberattack that exploited the Company's monitoring software to infiltrate government agencies and private-sector companies, which the Company confirmed the next day, disclosing that a "vulnerability was inserted within the Orion products and existed in updates released between March and June 2020." Subsequent news reports revealed that the Company had been made aware of the vulnerabilities the prior year and that even after being aware that their software had been compromised, the malicious updates were still available for download, which ultimately ensnared nine government agencies and more than 100 other organizations. Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws, which emains ongoing.



KSF's investigation is focusing on whether SolarWinds' officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to SolarWinds' shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of SolarWinds shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-swi/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking to recover investment losses due to corporate fraud and malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210326005506/en/

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1. Roads. The citys roads are a mess. Significant resources are needed to fix them.

2. Public safety. The crime rate is too high. Police pay and resources come first.

3. More city programs. The city must invest more in city programs and services.

4. Comprehensive plan. The city needs to focus on rebuilding and rebranding.

5. Cut city spending. City officials must get serious about trimming the budget.

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The reality of plastic pollution was horrifically clear when this river overflowed.

Trees and bushes along its banks were draped with ragged blue plastic bags.

The pollution is tainting a pocket of nature in east London, a haven where kingfishers can be seen darting into the water, bream come to spawn and black poplars, Britain's rarest tree, grow beside the water.

The scene makes visible what normally goes unseen  as plastic rubbish dropped in the water normally wends its way into the sea.

The shocking images come as the Great British Spring Clean 2021, which is organised by Keep Britain Tidy, calls on our loyal army of readers to help make the country cleaner and greener.

The reality of plastic pollution was horrifically clear when this river overflowed. Trees and bushes along its banks were draped with ragged blue plastic bags. The pollution is tainting a pocket of nature in Hackney, east London

The unsightly waste, including wet wipes and flimsy plastic bags hanging on trees and bushes at Hackney Marshes in east London, has several sources.

Some came from the overflow of sewage outfalls  loaded with rubbish such as sanitary towels and wet wipes  into the River Lea, as seen during heavy rains in February.

Other detritus, such as litter and microplastics from car tyres and brake pads, was washed in from the roads.

It is a scene being played out at rivers and canals across the UK.

Environmentalist Julian Kirby campaigned against plastic with Friends of the Earth and now works for not-for-profit organisation Plastic-Free Hackney.

He said last night: 'The polluting plastic smearing the banks and branches of my favourite local beauty spot is only the tiniest fraction of what passed through during those winter rains.

'So much more was swept straight out to sea where it will last for hundreds of years at least.

'This will only change when Boris Johnson and his ministers get serious about this plastic pollution crisis.

The unsightly waste, including wet wipes and flimsy plastic bags hanging on trees and bushes at Hackney Marshes in east London, has several sources

'They talk a good talk but, to borrow one of the PM's favourite expressions, their response has been piffling.

'A problem as vast and complex as plastic pollution requires a carefully considered, strategic approach driven by legal targets.'

Tim Evans, of the Hackney Marshes User Group, which carries out litter picks in the area, said that no official body would take responsibility.

He said: 'This area is a hidden treasure. This stretch of the river is both ecologically valuable and really beautiful.

'But it has a terrible waste problem. There's plastic rubbish and sewage, it's a complicated matter.'

Sewage is believed to overflow at an outlet in Tottenham, north London.

Mr Evans said there are also thought to be rogue plumbing installations at sites along the river where people flush waste directly into the water 'several times a year'.

The rubbish visible on the marsh would normally wend its way into the Thames, then into the sea.

Some of the rubbish washes on to beaches along the Thames.

Mr Evans added: 'I find it very upsetting. I've been walking on marshes for more than 30 years. I've helped plant trees on the marshes. I really love it especially down by the river, it's very, very upsetting to see it so messed up.'

The volunteers are left to pick up the rubbish as it is not clear which council should look after it.

Mr Evans said: 'We want to work out which authority is responsible for this stretch of the river. It's not navigable, so the Canals and Rivers Trust are not responsible.

'Hackney Council is only responsible for the riverbank, and not the river itself.

'The Environment Agency has some responsibility for pollution hazards in the water.

But we are trying to clarify with them how much they are prepared to do.'

Mr Evans added: 'The kingfishers and cormorants are there, but we don't know for how much longer, as if the fish can't live in the water, that's going to be a big change.'
The time for research and production of Nano Covax, Vietnams first candidate vaccine to reach human trial stage, has been shortened as much as possible, but safety has been ensured, said a health official.

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Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam visits volunteers participating in the second trial phase of Nano Covax. (Photo: VNA)

Prof, Dr. Do Quyet, Director of the Hanoi-based Vietnam Military Medical University made the remarks on March 26 when the second shots of Nano Covax COVID-19 vaccine were given to volunteers during the second trial phase of this home-grown vaccine.

The first-stage trials of Nano Covax vaccine showed that the vaccinated volunteers have had antibodies against the UK variant, he said, adding that phase 2 would allow researchers to see how exactly immunogenic Nano Covax is.

The administration of the second jabs of this phase are expected to be completed at the end of April, according to Quyet.

At the current progress, scientists would be able to submit the preliminary test results to the National Council for Ethics in Biomedical Research in late June or early July for the approval of the third phase of trial on a larger scale, he continued.

The third phase will involve some 10,000 people with half of them given shots of AstraZeneca vaccine and the remainder receiving Nano Covax, he said, adding that it will help compare the side effect and effectiveness of the two types of vaccine.

Quyet expressed his belief that with the method, Vietnam would be able to produce its own COVID-19 vaccine in September.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, expressed his trust in those engaging in Nano Covax research and trials.

While urging agencies and forces to press ahead with the research and production of domestic vaccines in line with procedures and standards, the Deputy PM stressed that even though the time would be shortened but no steps would be missed and scientific conditions must be ensured.

The Military Medical University on March 25 began giving the second shots of the Nano Covax in the second trial phase to volunteers, who had received the first jabs between February 26 and March 10. A total of 560 volunteers, including those with mild background ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues, are participating in this phase.

Nano Covax, developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Company, is Vietnams first candidate vaccine to reach the human trial stage.

According to Associate Prof. Dr. Chu Van Men, Director of the Military Medical Universitys Centre for Clinical Trials and Bioequivalence, after receiving the first shots, volunteers exhibited symptoms such as pain at the injection point, a light fever, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue, but did not require medical intervention.

The health of the 560 volunteers remains stable, he said, adding that Nano Covax is safe and the volunteers are ready for their second shots.

The second trial phase is being organised simultaneously at the Military Medical University and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City./.VNA
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 27)  The government should bank on the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States to protect its sovereignty amid the presence of Chinese vessels in disputed waters, according to a top Philippine lawmaker.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday said the Philippines is "forced" to rely on the strength of the US military, its old ally, in case aggression erupts in the West Philippine Sea.

The treaty assures both countries they will provide military aid to each other in case their metropolitan areas or territories in the Pacific are attacked by a foreign force.

"Ang nakalagay doon, kahit isang maliit na barko na pagaari ng gobyerno na nagkaroon ng aggression from another country, the treaty kicks in automatically. Talagang komportable ako dun, I rely on that," Sotto told a virtual briefing.

[Translation: It is stated there that even a small government-owned ship, if it encounters aggression from another country, the treaty kicks in automatically. I'm comfortable with that, I rely on that.]

As of Friday, 183 Chinese vessels remained in Philippine waters despite formal protests. Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. filed a diplomatic protest against China.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Video shows flotilla of Chinese ships around Julian Felipe Reef

RELATED: China normalizes presence in West Philippine Sea with more patrols  US think tank

According to Sotto, the Philippines does not have enough capacity to win a military confrontation against China.

He claimed that while China ranks third with the most powerful army in the world, the Philippines is only ranked 70 or 80.

"'Yung kapitbahay natin nasa top 10 sa buong mundo... The US is number one, two is Russia, pangatlo ang China. So paano tayo? Okay na kasangga natin 'yung number one," he said.

[Translation: Our neighbor is in the top 10 in the world... The US is number one, two is Russia, China is third. How about us? It's okay that the number one is on our side.]

RELATED: US leads nations backing PH in new West Philippine Sea tensions

US Embassy spokesperson Heather Fabrikant earlier said China was staging its maritime militia "to intimidate, provoke, and threaten other nations, which undermines peace and security in the region."

Aside from the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom also expressed their support for the Philippine government's move to file a diplomatic protest.

Sotto, on the other hand, brushed off worries that China intends to scare off the Philippines.

He argued that China had the opportunity to invade the country even before Spain, the US, and Japan launched their attacks on the country, but the former never did.

"Walang planong sakupin tayo, ganun ang pananaw ko, kaya komportable ako," Sotto said.

[Translation: There are no plans to invade us, that's my view, so I'm comfortable.]

Meanwhile, the Philippines and the US are celebrating their 75th year of diplomatic relations today.

"[This is] to reaffirm our commitment to more robust ties and to a relationship that remains relevant in a world that will continue to face new and continuing challenges," Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez was quoted as saying in a statement.
(CNN)  There have been so many variations on Sherlock Holmes that the idea of another  especially built around teenagers  didn't provoke much enthusiasm going in. But "The Irregulars" proves unexpectedly fun, in what amounts to a Victorian version of "The X-Files," revising the most familiar characters while introducing a major dose of the supernatural to Baker Street.

Holmes himself, in fact, remains merely a shadowy presence through much of the series, which focuses on a highly resourceful group of street urchins, recruited by Holmes sidekick Dr. Watson (Royce Pierreson) to assist him in probing matters of the paranormal. Those strange occurrences add up to a larger threat, one that unfolds via a series of cliffhangers that make "The Irregulars" perfect fodder for a regular old binge.

The teens are a diverse lot, including a pair of sisters, Bea and Jessie (Thaddea Graham and Darci Shaw), the latter exhibiting eerie psychic powers. Adding to the soapy qualities, Bea encounters a slumming prince (Harrison Osterfield) who has defied his handlers by venturing out into the city, becoming an unlikely member of what amounts to this Victorian London-era version of the Scooby gang.

Written by Tom Bidwell, "The Irregulars" playfully jumbles expectations, while possessing a darker and harder edge than another recent Netflix production mixing teens with Arthur Conan Doyle's creation, the movie "Enola Holmes," in what might be the most particular "You might like" combination the service can offer.

Street boys called the Irregulars were featured in a few of the original Holmes stories, but any similarity pretty much ends there. Indeed, the eight-episode series quickly takes on a life of its own, building toward a somewhat messy (perhaps inevitably, given the subject matter) conclusion that provides a degree of closure while leaving the door ajar for further adventures.

Netflix has already delivered a media darling this year with another trip into England's way-back machine, "Bridgerton." HBO, meanwhile, will mix the supernatural with period London in the upcoming "The Nevers," making this a boom time for costume dramas with a twist.

"The Irregulars" doesn't yield the same kind of swoon-worthy moments as the former, but it's generally more satisfying -- with a strong cast that includes not only the kids, but recurring roles for Clarke Peters ("The Wire") and Rory McCann ("Game of Thrones") -- especially for those who can appreciate how cleverly the writing reimagines Holmes lore in order to fit this macabre framework.

What "The Irregulars" achieves isn't exactly elementary, but it has taken a familiar hodgepodge of elements and managed to concoct something that feels fresh and engaging, if not exactly new. And the show mostly gets away with it thanks, in part, to those meddling kids.

"The Irregulars" premieres March 26 on Netflix.

This story was first published on CNN.com 'The Irregulars' spins out Sherlock Holmes' sidekicks with an 'X-Files' twist
4-Year-Old Found Wandering Alone on Road After Failing to Arrive at Daycare, Rescued by Kind Stranger

A little boy who wandered away from his daycare center alone was reunited with his parents after a good Samaritan intervened earlier this month.

Four-year-old Jasir Allen from Kalamazoo, Michigan, normally bids farewell to his father Jeffery at 8:30 a.m. as he boards the bus for Pre K International Childcare Center. But on March 22, his family believe he never made it inside the building.

An woman, who remains unnamed, spotted Jasir wandering alone on Kalamazoos East Main Street around 11 a.m., and alarm bells rang. She turned her car around to investigate.

Pre K International Childcare Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan (Screenshot/Google Maps)

I got a 4-year-old, and I said, Let me stop and ask him some questions, the woman told CBS, adding that the poor little boy was just lost.

Jasir had strayed half a mile from his daycare. He didnt want to get in the car, but I had to tell him, I wont hurt you, his rescuer recalled. I wouldnt feel right if I just rode past him like everyone else did.

Jasir eventually gave in and clung to his rescuer. She notified police, who quickly arranged to have him brought to his grandmother Stephanie Allens house. Stephanie called her daughterJasirs momEvelese Dean, who was sleeping after a work shift.

Its not something you want to wake up to, that your son was alone, trying to cross a busy street in the morning, Evelese told MLive. Im grateful for the people who found him  theres a possibility I never could have seen him again.

The Kalamazoo River is on that side of town. He could have wandered off that way. He tried to walk into the road. He could have been hit by a car  I still cant stop thinking about the what-ifs.

Jasir and his mom Evelese Dean (Courtesy of Evelese Dean)

The hours between Jasirs bidding farewell to his father and his being found remain unaccounted for.

The boy claims he stepped off a green bus, and the bus driver left and never came back. His grandmother believes her grandsons account, suspecting he fell asleep on the bus and never checked in to daycare.

After her sons safe return, Evelese drove to Pre K International to speak to staffers, and claims they assured her Jasir was in his classroom.

The daycare center has since suspended bus routes, pending investigation by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. In the meantime, Evelese has pulled her son out of daycare for the remainder of the school year.

The right people stepped in, she reflected, and the right people found my son and made sure he got home to me.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
How Inclusion in Canadian Universities Becomes Exclusion

Commentary

The foremost advocates of racism and sexism in Canada are our universities. No longer are individuals treated as individuals according to their achievements, potential, and merits. Rather, under the label diversity, inclusion, and equity, students, professors, staff, and administrators are treated in admissions, funding, hiring, and benefits not according to their ability to do the assigned job, but according to their sex, race, sexuality, ethnicity, and disability.

The rationale for this jettisoning of universalistic standards in favour of preferences of race, sex, sexuality, etc., is that it is a way of advancing social justice. The goal of knowledge communication and advancement has been replaced in universities by social engineering. The object is to ensure equity, which they define as the statistical equivalence of all census categories of people.

This collectivist approach is justified by the assertion that statistical disparities in the percentage of students or professors between categories are a result of bigotry and discrimination, and that only reverse bigotry and discrimination can correct them. Specifically, members of each category should be present among students, professors, and administrators in at least the percentage that they are in the general population.

The foundational argument of these policiesthat statistical disparities among categories are the result of bigotry and discriminationis never supported by evidence, and there is no proof that it is correct. Other possible and likely explanations of disparities are never considered or tested, such as personal inclination and preference, family structure, or community culture. For example, there is the well-known disparity in the percentage of children among racial categories brought up by two parents, the widely demonstrated disparity in academic achievement, and the differential cultural commitment to education.

This social engineering initiative is supported, nay, imposed by the federal government in its program Dimensions: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. A Charter for this program was sent for signature to every Canadian university president. Funding through the independent national research councilsthe Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Councilwas made contingent on conformity to the program and its objectives, as was already in place for the Canada research chair program.

One manifestation of the required preferences is specification in university advertisements of academic and administrative positions. Here are examples from four university websites:

University of Victoria: The Department of Computer Science at the University of Victoria is seeking to hire one faculty member with preference for candidates from any of the following three designated groups: indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, or women. Who is not eligible for this job are able Ukrainian Canadian males, able Korean Canadian males, able Italian Canadian males, able Quebecois, able South Asian Canadian males, able Latin American males, able Finnish Canadian males, et al.

York University: The aim of these Provosts Postdoctoral Fellowships is to support up to 4 scholars annually who self-identify as black and/or indigenous. Who may not even apply are Japanese Canadians, Latin American Canadians, Jewish Canadians, Iranian Canadians, Polish Canadians, Arab Canadians, and many more.

Mount Allison University: Mount Allison University invites applications for a full-time tenure-track interdisciplinary position in Mikmaw Culture. The ideal candidate demonstrates a broad experience in and commitment to Mikmaw culture, but the discipline and area of specialization are open. Academic field is unimportant; ethnicity is all. With this approach, Mount Allison is no longer an academic institution. When members of only one small culture may apply, pretty much everyone else in the world is excluded. This is inclusion?

McGill University: Computer Science Approaches Against Racism  Preference will be given to candidates who self-identify as black. Did you know that an important part of computer science is social engineering? Excluded are any people who are white, red, brown, or yellow, so no Asian Canadians, Pacific Canadians, or Jewish Canadians, because presumably none of these folks know anything about racism.

How exactly females count as underrepresented marginalized minorities as they approach 60 percent of all North American students and graduates is not explained. Nor why males, at close to 40 percent of students, are not recognized as underrepresented. Canadian universities continue to give preference to females, as in the University of British Columbia insisting on 50 percent of students in engineering being female, although females are a large majority of students overall and in the majority of UBC programs. There is bigotry and discrimination here, but not against females.

And what do we do with people from other overrepresented categories, such as Asians and Jews, who hold prestigious positions like medical doctor and professor and Nobel Prize winner at a much higher statistical level than their percentage in the population? Shall we return to the pre-World War II McGill policy of restricting Jews to small numbers? In fact, this restriction of Jews and Asians by race is now the official policy of Canadian universities. Jews and Asians are apparently just not diverse enough to be included.

If you thought Canadian universities were about learning and discovery, you are very out of date. Their job is now bringing social justice for some, but not for others.

Philip Carl Salzman is professor emeritus of anthropology at McGill University, senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, fellow at the Middle East Forum, and president of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
There are signs that the crisis engulfing Venezuelas shattered petroleum industry could start to ease. In a recent televised address, Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro stated that Venezuela was open for oil investment from the U.S. and around the world. That coupled with earlier plans to open the Latin American countrys state-controlled petroleum industry to private control of some petroleum projects has sparked a flurry of interest in the near-failed state. These events have triggered considerable speculation that representatives of foreign energy companies are traveling to Caracas to explore the opportunities that exist in Venezuelas broken energy sector. The petroleum-rich Latin American country is endowed with the worlds largest oil reserves, totaling 304 billion barrels, with many existing oilfields currently inactive because of PDVSAs lack of resources. Those characteristics indicate there are considerable opportunities for foreign energy companies, especially if Maduro, as rumored, is willing to provide them with proprietary control of energy assets. A Reuters January 2021 article highlighted that small domestic oilfield contractors were meeting with Venezuelan officials to discuss operating fields owned by national oil company PDVSA in exchange for receiving a share of the profits. Bloomberg, in a March 2021 article, asserted that foreign oil industry executives of smaller oil companies and lobbyists are flooding Caracas to meet with Venezuelan government representatives to discuss investing in energy projects. While Russia and China have demonstrated contempt for U.S. sanctions and made their oil ambitions in Venezuela abundantly clear, claims of a foreign-led rejuvenation of the petroleum-rich countrys petroleum industry appear premature. Moscow has acquired a raft of Venezuelan energy assets over the last decade, while China continues to import the crisis-torn Latin American nations crude oil in defiance of U.S. trade restrictions. It is Washingtons strict sanctions that are the main obstacle preventing Caracas from attracting the substantial foreign investment required to rebuild Venezuelas shattered oil industry. Those sanctions not only target key individuals in Maduros autocratic regime but are designed to choke off the governments access to global capital and energy markets. While they have accelerated the disintegration of Venezuelas economically crucial oil industry, magnifying the oil-rich countrys economic crisis and nearly bankrupting Caracas, they have failed to remove Maduros government. If anything, they have strengthened Maduros grip on Venezuela and cemented his power in the crisis-ridden country.

Related: Pandemic Puts Saudi-Kuwaiti Oil Plans On Ice By the end of 2020, Maduro finally secured control of the National Assembly, which had been the only major government institution not controlled by his United Socialist Party. This is decisive development that not only undermines Juan Guaidos legitimacy as opposition leader and international recognition as interim president but allows Maduro to change the legislation governing how oil projects are awarded. The National Assembly is the only legislative body legally empowered to approve oil projects and alter existing industry legislation, the Hydrocarbons Act 2006, which regulates how Venezuelas petroleum industry operates. The Act requires all oil exploration and producing activities to be carried out by the state or government-controlled entities, which is national oil company PDVSA, preventing projects from being controlled by foreign or private entities. Those statutory requirements are also an additional hurdle to attracting foreign energy investment that is magnified by Chavezs aggressive nationalization of Venezuelas oil industry, which saw the government seize a wide range of petroleum assets between 2007 and 2010. Those included four projects in the Orinoco heavy oil belt which precipitated Exxons and ConocoPhillips decision to exit Venezuela. National oil company PDVSA has proven to be a poor partner for foreign energy companies operating in Venezuela. Years of malfeasance, poor management, and corruption coupled with a lack of skilled labor and deteriorating infrastructure were responsible for Russian oil giant Rosneft losing millions of dollars from its joint ventures with Venezuelas national oil company. Russian and Chinese energy investors have been clamoring for some time for greater legal protections when contemplating investing in Venezuelas petroleum industry, even before Maduro contemplated easing restrictions.

The calamitous state of Venezuelas energy infrastructure is highlighted by Chinese contractors pulling out of an agreement to repair the countrys network of derelict refineries in exchange for oil products. The companies chose not to proceed after reviewing the installations and finding that the work required was more complicated than initially believed. Iran hurriedly stepped in to assist, but it is unclear whether any progress has been made because U.S. sanctions prevent the importation of the required parts to refurbish refineries originally built by U.S. and European energy companies. The need to rebuild Venezuelas shattered energy sector to initiate a sustained economic recovery is underscored by petroleum production being the countrys economic backbone. Since 2014 when oil prices collapsed and Venezuelas production started rapidly deteriorating, the countrys gross domestic product has plunged by 48% to an estimated $250 billion for 2020. The urgency with which Venezuela needs to attract foreign energy investment is further underscored by chronic fuel shortages caused by crumbling refining infrastructure causing many economic sectors to grind to a halt. Those pressures combined with Venezuelas worsening humanitarian crisis are forcing Maduro to attract investment and find ways to rebuild the countrys devastated petroleum industry.

Related: 13 Million Barrels Of Oil Could Be Affected By Suez Canal Blockage

Attracting the substantial investment and expertise required to refit corroding energy infrastructure and decaying refineries, as well as revitalize dilapidated oilfields is key to any recovery. For Venezuela to experience a sustained economic recovery it is estimated that the country will need to pump two million or more barrels per day, which has not been achieved since 2016 when the country produced on average almost 2.2 million barrels daily. That is quite a leap for a country which according to OPEC only pumped 521,000 barrels per day for February 2021 or less than a fifth of the 3.1 million barrels produced in 1998 before Chavez became president and initiated his Bolivarian revolution. There is considerable speculation regarding the investment required to rebuild Venezuelas dilapidated petroleum industry and return production to pre-2017 levels of over two million barrels daily. Chevrons former president of Africa and Latin America exploration and production, Ali Moshiri, believes it could take a little as $20 billion to $25 billion. That amount is significantly lower than the estimates of economists, industry specialists, and members of Juan Guaidos interim government. Yon Goicochea, director of Guaidos economic recovery plan thinks it will take at least $200 billion to return production to pre-Chavez levels of over 2 million barrels per day. Francisco Monaldi, Director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Baker Institute, believes the amount to be at least $110 billion. It is difficult to see how smaller energy companies can provide the investment, skilled labor, and technology required.

Essentially, it is only western oil majors which possess the necessary resources, technology, and skilled labor required to rebuild the countrys oil industry. That means international energy supermajors, like Chevron, and large U.S. oilfield services companies such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes are key to reviving Venezuelas energy sector. It is difficult to see smaller foreign energy companies risking precious capital on investing in such an uncertain, unstable and hazardous jurisdiction with a long history of oil nationalism at a time when oil prices are weak as well as highly volatile. Clearly, until U.S. sanctions are eased it is virtually impossible for private energy companies to operate in Venezuela without being exposed to damaging and punitive actions from Washington. For these reasons, any foreign-led revival of Venezuelas shattered petroleum industry is unlikely to occur in the immediate future.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

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Tonight people around the world will be turning their lights off for a full hour as part of a global movement called Earth Hour.

The annual tradition was started by the World Wildlife Fund as a way to raise awareness of manmade climate change and to strengthen calls for greater sustainability in the way we live our lives. The event happens all across the world on 27 March, and takes place between 8:30pm and 9:30pm local time.

How did Earth Hour start?

The simple concept began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when the WWF encouraged an estimated 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses to turn off the lights for a single hour in solidarity with their cause.

The event has grown rapidly since then and by 2012 the WWF had garnered support from people and businesses across 147 countries and over 5,000 cities. Another feature of the movement is for major national landmarks to go dark for an hour as a public show of support for the message.

In the past the following landmarks have got involved: Sydney's Opera House; the Great Wall of China; the Tokyo Tower; the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel Tower; London's Big Ben; the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Empire State Building in New York.

What will happen for Earth Hour 2021?

The big switch off is intended to remind participants that even small actions can make a big difference when everyone agrees to pitch in and has swelled to one of the worlds largest ecological movements.

The WWF statement reads: When we make changes in our own lives, and when we share that with others, we also inspire the people around us to change and we help grow a movement that businesses and governments cant ignore.

The international event has had to use a slightly different approach for the second year in a row as the covid-19 pandemic makes any sort of large gatherings impossible. This year the WWF are introducing Virtual Spotlight, taking the movement online with a series of multimedia posts, social activities and additional resources.

Full details have not been provided ahead of time, but Earth Hour organisers say: We can't tell you what the video will be about just yet...but we can promise that it'll make you see our planet and the issues we face in a new light. 

To check out Virtual Spotlight, simply go to the Earth Hour website for more details.
ADF Foods on Friday said it has commenced commercial production of frozen breads, snacks and ready to eat products at its manufacturing facility in Surat, Gujarat from 25 March 2021.

Earlier in November 2020, the company's board approved the proposal of leasing a manufacturing facility in Gujarat to enhance the production capacity.

Previously the company produced 5,500 metric tonnes per annum for frozen breads, snacks and ready to eat products, with the capacity utilization levels at 80%.

The new Surat facility will enhance the company's capacity to 1,950 metric tonnes per annum. The capacity was added to fulfil increased demand of these products for export.

ADF Foods is engaged in the business of meal accompliments, can food & ready-to-eat and frozen foods. The firm manufactures and exports food products, such as pickles, chutneys, ready to eat items, paste and sauces, frozen foods and spices.

The company's consolidated net profit jumped by 26.45% to Rs 13.91 crore on a 33.46% increase to Rs 98.57 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

The scrip jumped 4.71% to settle at Rs 878.30 on the BSE on Friday.

In the past one year, the stock has zoomed 449.80% while the benchmark Sensex has added 63.65% during the same period.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even as he was on a visit to neighbouring Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left no stone unturned to woo the Matuas  a community that could influence the outcome of the polls in several assembly constituencies in West Bengal.

He not only visited and paid obeisance at a sacred shrine of the Matuas at Orakandi in Bangladesh but also pledged to upgrade a local middle school for girls and build a new primary school. He eulogized the Hindu Vaishnavite sects founder Harichand Thakur, who was born in a nearby village in 1812, but spent most of his life and died at Orakandi in 1878. He also recalled his meeting with the communitys late matriarch, Boro Ma Bina Pani Devi, at Thakur Nagar in West Bengal ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Also read  Narendra Modi offers prayer at Matua temple in Bangladesh

Today, I am having the same feeling which my Matua brothers and sisters living in India experience when they come to Orakandi (in Bangladesh). When I first visited Bangladesh in 2015, I hoped that someday I would be able to come here. My wish has been fulfilled today, the Prime Minister said.

Modi commenced his two-day visit to the neighbouring country on Friday and visited the shrine of the Matuas at Orakandi on Saturday, the day 30 of the 294 constituencies in West Bengal went to polls in the first of the eight phases of voting for the assembly elections.

He visited the Thakur Bari in Orakandi and paid obeisance to Harichand Thakur, who founded the sect out of a reformist movement in the early 19th century. The sect comprised Namashudras, Chamars and Malis, who were then treated as untouchables by the upper caste Hindus of undivided Bengal.

Also read  Mamata accuses PM Modi of speaking at Bangladesh's Matua Temple with an eye on WB polls

My visit to the Orakandi Thakurbari is an experience I will remember for life. This is a very sacred place, which is closely associated with the Matua Community," the Prime Minister posted on Twitter.

The Matuas grew in number in West Bengal as many of them migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan after the partition and continued to do so even after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. They now account for nearly 17 per cent of the population of West Bengal and can influence the poll-results in 40-45 of the total 294 assembly constituencies in the state.

The Matuas of West Bengal have been a trusted support base for the TMC in the past several elections in the state. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of the state since 2011, had a very close relationship with the matriarch of the community, Bina Pani Devi, till the centenarian died in 2019. The BJP, however, has been trying to make a dent in the TMCs vote-bank. The saffron party now has an MP from the community  Shantanu Thakur, one of the grandsons of Boro Ma, who accompanied the Prime Minister to Orakandi on Saturday.

On the second day of his visit to Bangladesh, the Prime Minister also visited Jashoreshwari Kali Mandir, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas spread across the subcontinent and much revered by the Hindus.
Ukraine is now Europes poorest country (per capita), having overtaken the long-time leader Moldova in 2018. A country whose abundant coal reserves have spurred its transformation into the Soviet Unions leading industrial and agricultural powerhouse has, over the course of the last 30 years, become Europes chronically underachieving appendage. The state of things in Ukraines energy sector reflects that of the economy at large  outdated infrastructure, lack of long-term investment and an unwavering penchant for poor management have created a triple whammy that Kyiv has so far been unable to resolve. At the same time, its eastern neighbor Russia has tangibly contributed to the chaos and confusion and it is against the background of a still-raging conflict in Donbas that the Ukrainian authorities are trying to resuscitate their oil and gas production.

Struggling with gradually declining gas production from mature fields that were discovered back in the Soviet era of the 1960-1970s, Ukraine sees its national oil and gas company Naftogaz as the conduit towards higher domestic output and, consequently, increased energy security. Traditionally, Naftogaz would control almost four-fifths of Ukrainian gas production  this is certainly true for the average of the 2010s though it needs to be noted that in 2010 Naftogaz produced 89% of Ukraines aggregate compared to 76% in 2020. The main reason for this trend stems from the maturity of Naftogazs producing assets, the Shebelinskoye and Krestishenskoye fields depletion ratio had risen to 90% by the end of the decade, whilst there seem to be no new gas assets of equivalent quantity coming up in the pipeline.

Graph 1. Gas Production of Ukraine in Total and Naftogaz in particular in 2010-2020 (Billion cubic meters per year).

Source: Ukraines Energy Ministry, Naftogaz Ukrainy.

Keeping all the above in mind, it seems somewhat counterintuitive that Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that by 2025 Ukraine should renounce imported gas. One would often hear from Ukrainian politicians that Ukraine has become more self-sufficient in terms of its gas needs, however, the only reason this happened is that overall consumption in Ukraine has plummeted since 2014. It is only in the past couple of years that demand bounced back into its growth phase. Total gas demand in Ukraine has increased 8% year-on-year to 32.29 BCm in 2020 while gas output has been decreasing  at first glance everything seems to indicate that such tight deadlines foreshadow a surefire failure.

Graph 2. Ukraines Monthly Gas Consumption in 2014-2021 (billion cubic meters per month).



Source: Ukraines Finance Ministry.

Government intervention has been the main underlying cause of mismanagement in the modern history of Naftogaz  the temptation of easy money flowing in from Gazproms transit fees or the lure of murky schemes in gas import contracts was never easy to shake off. CEO Andrey Kobolev has tried to ease the governments grip on how Naftogaz revenues are allocated and now, with his mandate extended into 2024 and no more elections on the horizon, he can finally enjoy a couple of silent years, focusing on the Ukrainian NOCs primary role, providing energy. Concurrently, it needs to be said that state intervention might also have a beneficial side, as was demonstrated by recent moves within Ukraines Energy Ministry. Committed to counteract the tepid international interest towards the countrys first-ever international licensing round, the government has allotted Naftogaz several promising licensing blocks.

Related: Oil Sees Biggest Single-Day Loss Since April 2020



These assets might provide the reserve base for future growth. The Dolphin block is Ukraines most promising offshore asset (the Ukrainian Black Sea is assumed to wield 150 BCm of gas), whilst the Yuzivska block is Ukraines most promising shale play, though located relatively close to the front line in Donbas. Naftogaz is confronted with a dual dilemma with regard to these blocks. Considering most of its currently producing onshore assets are of conventional nature, it lacks shale and offshore experience and know-how, however, perhaps even more importantly it lacks the finances to kickstart its ambitious drilling campaign. The COVID-induced market slump has stymied Naftogazs financial stature, dropping into negative territory following the profit-generating period of 2018-2019. At the same time, the Ukraine government maintains ambitious long-term goals for its largest national taxpayer:

Investing 21 billion USD into exploration in the 2021-2030 timeframe, of which 7.3 billion USD in 2021-2025

Tripling the companys proven reserves base from the current level of 158 BCm to 500 BCm by 2025

Expanding into renewables, including the construction of wind farms in the Black Sea

Balancing these interests, especially in the tumultuous political climate of Ukraine, is no easy feat. For instance, the average price Ukraine pays for its imported gas has started to climb back again (see Graph 3)  and although it useful for Kyiv that Gazprom has ceased to publish its prices since the summer months of 2020, the cost would still fall on Naftogazs shoulders. Simultaneously, Naftogaz can no longer count on transit revenues boosting its financial standing. One of the key tenets of the Ukrainian NOCs transformation into a market-driven company was the spinning-off of all its transportation assets into a separate entity, Main Gas Pipelines of Ukraine (Magistralniye Gazoprovody Ukrainy, MGU).

Graph 3. Average European Gazprom Gas Price vs Cost of Ukraine's Reverse Gas Purchases 2015-2021 (USD per 1000m3).



Source: Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine; Gazprom.

By doing so, Naftogaz has rid itself of the gargantuan task of modernizing the entire countrys dilapidated gas transmission infrastructure, i.e. freeing up its balance sheet, as well as cleared one of the main geopolitical irritants of its operations  the seemingly endless Russo-Ukrainian gas dispute. On the other hand, transit revenues could have provided a temporary aid in financing Naftogazs upstream expansion. The Ukrainian government would still garner the transit income as MGU is a state-owned entity, however, Naftogaz would be excluded from that string of transactions.

This need not mean that Naftogazs ambitious plans are destined for failure. Ukraine still has ample hydrocarbon reserves and despite talks of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, Kyiv would be fully supportive of more oil and gas production, regardless of whether it is conventional onshore, offshore, or shale. Thus, the EU/IMF-sponsored changes will at some point allow Naftogaz to become more profitable in the future, though the effect of those changes will most likely play out in a much more protracted timeframe than the Ukrainian authorities envisage. Yet if there is a time to launch a production ramp-up, it is now. Gas wars between Moscow and Kyiv are unlikely in the upcoming years thanks to the 5-year transportation contract signed in late 2019 yet the conflict potential is still there, especially as we get closer to 2024-2025.

By Viktor Katona

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Appointment

26 March 2021

Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa welcomed Chef Carlo Di Nunzio to the position of Executive Chef at the 5-star luxury resort. Originally from Torino, Italy, Chef Carlo is bringing with him an accomplished and impressive skillset and over 32 years of food experience, expertise, and management.

His passion for food is fuelled by the long-held belief that cooking is the only job in the world that brings out positive emotion in others. Actually, this is the reason he initially started to pursue a career in the kitchen: The joy and emotion in the faces of those who experience his culinary adventures and react to well-made dishes drive him as a chef. Preparing good food makes people happy- it is as simple as that.

Though initially inspired by the Italian palate, Chef Carlo Di Nunzio moved across the world in his mission to make people happy through food. He has honed new skills and gathered a diverse clientele in Switzerland, France, Romania, Egypt, England, and Portugal before ending up here in the paradisiacal islands of the Maldives. During his time overseas, the chef worked in international hotel chains and Michelin Star restaurants with the goal of bettering himself and furthering his mantra to bring joy to even the pickiest and hard-to-please customers.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do- and that is exactly what Chef Carlo Di Nunzio practices during his time in the Maldives. To do this, he never ceases to stop learning and prefers to hear from local chefs about the way of the craft. In turn, he imparts his own knowledge for a sharing of culinary information to take place, and as a team, they create some wonderful dishes for the guests.

Chef Carlo has a firm belief that there are many similarities between Italian and Maldivian cuisine, which seem to intersect most in seafood-focused meals. This is no surprise when considering the abundance of fresh catch from the Maldivian seas and the variety of local materials used in the cooking process.

He prefers for people to know what they are getting, prepare it with the freshest ingredients possible, and then watch as they leave fuller and happier than they arrived. Not only is this mantra better for the environment, but it is also better for our nutrition. By preparing food from the freshest ingredients, Chef hopes that guests at Hideaway truly experience how remarkable food can taste.

Chef Carlo has already started sharing creations at Hideaway with countless recipes in the works together with the culinary team. As the resort's new Executive Chef, he says that he is looking to wow and impress the resort's guests with his many culinary delights and bring dining at Hideaway to the next level.
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- The experienced automotive global business leader, Sir Ralf Speth, will join as Chairman of TVS Motor Company, effective January 2023

- Norton Motorcycles was acquired by TVS Motor Company in April 2020

- This significant appointment is announced as Norton undergoes revitalisation under the ownership of TVS Motor Company, including the opening of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Solihull in 2021

SOLIHULL, England, March 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd is delighted to welcome Sir Ralf Speth to the Board of Directors of its parent company, TVS Motor Company. The experienced automotive global business leader will join the company as Chairman, effective January 2023.

Most recently holding the position of CEO at Jaguar Land Rover for 11 years, Sir Ralf is widely acclaimed for the transformation of the British brands, striving to transform the company into the global force it is today.

This senior appointment comes at a time when Norton Motorcycles is making great progress under TVS Motor Company ownership, benefitting from significant new investment in the motorcycle brand. Norton announced in January 2021 that the company is to move into the most advanced manufacturing facility in the brand's 122-year history.

John Russell, Interim CEO of Norton Motorcycles, said: "We are truly delighted to welcome Sir Ralf to the TVS Motor Company family. We know that Sir Ralf is a tremendous leader and his accomplishments in the automotive industry speak volumes. This excellent appointment comes at a time when the Norton Motorcycles business is on a very positive trajectory but still with much work to do. We will soon be settled in our state-of-the-art new manufacturing base and the guidance of Sir Ralf will be important for us as a growing British business that has a strong legacy."

The outgoing Chairman, Mr. Venu Srinivasan, who will become Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company from January 2023, said, "It is a momentous occasion for TVS Motor Company to welcome Ralf to its Board. His passion for technology, eye for products and commitment to building brands are truly remarkable. His thoughts will add immensely to TVS Motor as the company shapes itself for the future. Ralf's deep insights and guidance will be invaluable to the management team as TVS Motor Company embraces the future of mobility."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475449/Norton_Motorcycles_Prof_Sir_Ralf_.jpg
Vinh Long is mobilising private investment for its diverse development plans

These 10 projects are part of the investment promotion programme of Vinh Long province for this year.

The list includes several exceptional projects, such as Binh Tan Indstrial Zone (IZ) located in Tan Quoi town, Binh Tan district with a total area of 400 hectares and an investment value of VND2.9 trillion ($126.1 million).

In the agricultural sector, the province is calling for investment in a 50-100ha high-tech agricultural manufacturing project in Vinh Long city that has a total investment capital of VND250 billion ($10.87 million). The province is also promoting an agricultural goods manufacturing and processing project in Binh Minh town, with the area of 10.6ha and VND400 billion ($17.4 million) of capital.

In the urban and housing sector, the province is looking for investors for the 500ha My Hoa new urban project stretching across Binh Minh and My Hoa communes and Binh Minh town with a total investment capital of VND8.05 trillion ($350 million). There is also a provincial urban and administrative project worth VND7.5 trillion ($326.1 million).

However, the province has yet to issue the criteria to select investors for these 10 projects.

At the same tie, the province is also mobilising resources to promote tourism development with the aim of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector by 2030.

The authorities have been reviewing and issuing support and incentive policies to encourage investment in tourism, while also building infrastructure, adjusting the planning of tourist areas to attract more investment, and developing unique tourism products. It has also promoted the application of technology and improved the quality of human resources serving tourism development.

Vinh Long welcomed over 6.1 million domestic and foreign visitors in 2015-2019, earning nearly VND1.7 trillion ($73.9 million). The number of tourists and revenue increased by 11.6 per cent and 25.7 per cent per year on average.
Health authorities are also collecting samples of nearly 300 teaching and non-teaching staff for running Covid-19 tests on them. Their results are also expected to be out by late Saturday night. (Photo: DC/ Murali Krishna)

VIJAYAWADA: The number of Covid-19 positive cases at the Andhra University College of Engineering campus in Visakhapatnam has gone up to 69 on Saturday.

District health authorities had on Friday carried out Coronavirus tests on 880 male students studying at the engineering college and staying in hostels on the university campus. Of them, 58 students tested Covid-19 positive on Friday and by Saturday reports of 11 more students came as being positive, taking the total to 69.

With this, test results of all 880 students are out. Except for the 69 students, all others have tested negative. Similarly, authorities have conducted Covid-19 tests on 550 girl students of the campus engineering college. Results are available for 200 students, who have all tested negative. Results of the remaining 350 students are expected to be out by late-night Saturday.

Students who have tested Covid-19 positive have been accommodated in hostel rooms in four isolation blocks. They have been given medical kits containing a pulse oximeter and tablets. Other students have been quarantined in the hostel room of two other blocks. All students are being supplied food packets in their rooms to avoid their gathering at one place and spreading the virus in the process.

Health authorities are also collecting samples of nearly 300 teaching and non-teaching staff for running Covid-19 tests on them. Their results are also expected to be out by late Saturday night.

Authorities say that those who have already tested Covid-19 positive will again be tested after five days to know their status. Accordingly, a decision will be taken whether to discharge them or continue in the same facility for some more days.

Visakhapatnam district medical and health officer Dr. P. Suryanarayana said, All the students are asymptomatic. Those in isolation are under medical supervision. We are not sending students to their homes at present as a precautionary measure, as otherwise; they may infect their family members.

Vizag district collector V. Vinay Chand and other officials visited the hostels of engineering students in the university campus to take stock of developments. He said the hostel area has been declared a containment zone and a medical camp has been set up to take care of students. He advised students to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour by wearing a mask, sanitising hands frequently and maintaining social distance.

The collector advised parents of students not to panic about their childrens health as they are all asymptomatic.
I know that some of you are unhappy with Tucker Carlson because of his response to events surrounding the election. If you're still not watching him, you may be cutting off your nose to spite your face. Tucker is currently one of the few prominent people to call out the dangerous insanity of the Biden administration's obsessive focus on social justice (read: anti-white racism), especially in the United States military. Tucker was at it again Friday night, with a truly terrifying look at the priorities in the American military.

The military's slide into being a social justice experiment has been a bee in my bonnet for a long time. After five years in office, Obama had fired 197 officers. Many of them may have been righteous firings. Any government agency becomes sclerotic, and people who would have been fired in the private sector manage to continue forever in the bureaucracy  and the Pentagon, in addition to being the nerve center of our national defense, is also a gigantic bureaucracy.

However, many believed that Obama's firings were driven less by the need to create a leaner, more efficient bureaucracy and more by the desire to get rid of people who were not on board with Obama's increasingly hard-left politics. Even if that wasn't Obama's goal, there's no doubt that, even before Biden became commander in chief, the Pentagon had become a leftist institution.

I won't belabor the point here (the virtue of these posts is that they're short), but I did belabor that point in 2019 here and here. As the second link shows, I wasn't the only one with this concern. Sundance, at Conservative Treehouse, also suspected that the military officer class that Obama had created during his eight years in office wasn't averse to a soft coup against a sitting president whose policies the woke officers disliked.

All of this gets me to Tucker Carlson. He's been in the vanguard of highlighting how, even as China keeps expanding its military, including its weapons, the Biden Pentagon is obsessed with racism, sex, and sexual orientation. When Biden boasted about maternity flight suits, Tucker pointed out that this might have been a lesser issue than, say, combat readiness. The newly woke military pounced, and Tucker then eviscerated it.

Tucker was back on Friday night with more concerns about the newly woke military. He explained that it's no longer necessary to read the tea leaves to discern whether the Pentagon's officer class (which is made up of the same college grads who have turned every other American institution into a progressive bastion) has unleashed progressivism on the military. Just go to the home page of the United States Special Operations Command (SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets, etc.), and you'll see this announcement about its Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan:

That plan coincides with the appointment of a new "chief of diversity and inclusion," a non-military bureaucrat:

USSOCOM welcomes our new Chief of Diversity & Inclusion, Mr. Richard Torres-Estrada. We look forward to his contribution in enhancing the capabilities and effectiveness of #SOF through diversity of talent, helping us recruit the best of the best. #QuietProfessionals pic.twitter.com/Z6aJnz91mx  USSOCOM (@USSOCOM) March 25, 2021

Mr. Torres-Estrada has worked in the government for a long time:

As a government employee, he's technically supposed to be non-partisan  and never more so than when working for the United States military. Yet there are some interesting finds on his Facebook page.

An attack on Ted Cruz:

A classic "cute" Marxist cartoon demanding government-imposed "equity" rather than equality:

A crude, blatant attack on Trump:

An attack on Trump so fake that even Facebook had to challenge it:

An anti-police BLM meme:

And then  surprise!  there's this image, which shows that somewhere, deep inside his NeverTrump, social justice, highly woke, bureaucratic soul, he vaguely understands that leftism is indecent and wrong:

Frankly, Torres-Estrada's Facebook page leaves me with the impression that he's like all the leftists I lived with (heck, that I once was) for so many decades: a nice guy, a family man, a hard worker, and someone whose values are slowly being destroyed by the relentless pressure to accept that progressivism is part of being a "good" person.

Anyway, here's Tucker on the terrible damage Torres-Estrada is doing to our Special Forces simply by being appointed as a diversity and inclusion officer, a leftist position that's destroying one American corporation and institution after another, and that has no place in a top-flight fighting force:

Image: Cropped version of the U.S. Special Operations home page.
KADAPA: Farmers of Kadapa district are not only focusing on agriculture but fish farming as well. Already, many farmers in Porumamilla, Jammalamadugu and Chapadu mandals are operating fish ponds. Many more have applied for constructing new ponds.

Officially, there are 130 acres of fish ponds in the Chapadu mandal, 80 acres in Porumamilla and 15 acres in Jammalamadugu mandal. It is agriculture lands that have been converted into fish ponds. Aqua farmers had suffered severe losses due to lack of transport and sales during lockdown because of Coronavirus.

But the situation has changed now with the state government recently amending aquaculture regulations and simplifying them for providing assistance to farmers. It has also taken steps to promote fish farming by appointing special committees at the state, district and mandal levels. This has led to many farmers turning to fish farming.

Karnati Narayana Reddy, a farmer from Kuchupapa village of Chapadu mandal, said he has converted 30 acres into fish ponds and has applied for ponds over another 18 acres. He said they buy fish seedlings from farmers of East Godavari or Nellore districts. Each seedling weighs about 810 grams. These grow quickly and are ready for harvest in 45 months. Narayana Reddy said he has spent about Rs. 1 crore on digging ponds and other works and has already sold fish worth Rs. 80 lakh. Another crop of Rs. 50 lakh is ready for harvest. He said there is no problem with water as his ponds are near the Kundu River.

Fisheries farm technician Vasudeva Raju said a well-watered and well-maintained fish farm is always profitable. Selection of feed for fish is very important. He said health of fish should be carefully monitored and necessary medicines given in case of any suspicion. Quality of water too should be monitored regularly. The effort is worth it as fish farming provides more profits than all other food grain crops.

Kadapa District Fisheries Department deputy director Avva Nagaraju told Deccan Chronicle that as water supply in the district is now good and almost all reservoirs are full, many farmers are shifting to fish farming, with government too providing incentives.

He said collector Chevuri Harikiran wants to give a further fillip to fish farming in Kadapa district. New permits for fish farms will be issued in a few days and even seedlings will be available from fish hatcheries in Kadapa. Those interested may visit the office of Fisheries Department, Nagaraju added.
The President of BJP's West Bengal unit Dilip Ghosh said the Trinamool Congress is aware that it is going to lose the assembly elections and is therefore is resorting to poll rigging allegations against them.

TMC knows that it is losing & that's why it is saying all this. For such complaints, TMC should go to the Election Commission. TMC & Mamata Banerjee are under pressure and that is why they are saying such things, Dilip Ghosh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Dilip Ghosh's tweet came hours after TMC alleged that some voters have complained that despite voting for the TMC their ballot was cast in favour of the opposition party. Shocking claim by voters which must be immediately looked into by @ECISVEEP and @CEOWestBengal. Many voters in Kanthi Dakshin assembly seat allege that they voted for TMC but VVPAT showed them the BJP symbol. THIS IS SERIOUS! THIS IS UNPARDONABLE! the TMC wrote on Twitter.

Voting in 30 assembly constituencies of West Bengal is underway in the first of eight phases of polling. A voter turnout of XX was recorded in the state till 12 noon. The result for the 294-seat assembly will be declared on May 2.
The car of the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, was seen entering Downing Street on Friday for talks following a diplomatic fallout between the two nations.

It followed news that China had slapped sanctions on several British politicians and organisations after the UK joined the European Union and others in sanctioning Chinese officials accused of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region.

The UK responded by accusing China of violating human rights on an industrial scale.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)


Agra, Mar 27 (UNI) The South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook on Saturday morning witnessed a paratrooper exercise by the Indian Army here in a glaring field exercise.

The event was organised to show military skill of the Para Regiment to the visiting dignitary at Indian Air Force (IAF) drop ground nearby the city. The Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane was also present at the event.

Mr Wook began his three-day visit to India on Thursday with a focus on boosting bilateral defence and strengthening defence ties.

During his visit, Mr Wook has held wide-ranging talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on military cooperation.

In a half an hour show, around 25 paratroopers showed combat free fall, wherein they were dropped from an aircraft at the height of around 12,000 feet.

Later, around 80 paratroopers showed static line jump, wherein they were dropped from an aircraft at the height of around 1,250 feet. Military equipment was also dropped from the aircraft.

A total of 650 soldiers were involved in this exercise.

Mr Suh Wook then visited to Indian Armys 60 Para Field Hospital, which provided medical aid to UN and South Korean personnel during the Korean War of the 1950s.

An Indo-Korean friendship park was jointly inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Suh Wook at Delhi cantonment on Friday.

The park has been built to commemorate the contribution of Indian peacekeeping force during the Korean war of 1950-53.

South Korea has been a major supplier of weapons and military equipment to India. In 2019, the two countries finalised a road map for cooperation in joint production of various land and naval systems.

UNI AKS ASN 1006/1556
Alleging that the BJP was



bringing in goons from outside to stop people from exercising their franchise in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged women to "confront the hoodlums with ladle, spatula" and other cooking utensils.

Addressing two public rallies at Narayangarh and Pingla in West Midnapore district, the TMC boss dubbed bte noire Suvendu Adhikari and his family as "traitors", and claimed that one member of the household was seen distributing money among people on Friday night, hours before 30 assembly constituencies of the state went to polls.

"Yesterday, one of the Adhikari brothers was seen distributing money... Women in the area caught him red-handed and asked the police to arrest him. They also handed over 30 goons, all hired from outside, to the police," she said.

Banerjee asserted that the saffron party's fate will be sealed after the first phase of polls.

"The BJP is bringing in goons from outside Bengal to places where the party has some foothold. I will urge the women of the state to come out with 'hata and khunti' (ladle and spatula) and confront the hoodlums."



She further requested the Election Commission to ensure that the assembly polls are conducted in a fair manner.

"Delhi's Amit Shah wants to conduct the polls in Bengal. With due respect to the Election Commission, I urge the poll body to see to it that the elections are held in a free, fair and impartial manner," the CM underlined, taking a swipe at the home minister.

The TMC chief also said that she will be putting up in Purba Medinipur's Nandigram constituency, where polls are scheduled on April 1, to keep an eye on the activities of 'Mir jafars' (traitors).

Three members of the Adhikari family -- which wields considerable influence in Purba Medinipur -- have quit the TMC and joined the saffron camp over the past few months.

Banerjee is locked in a fierce battle against her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram.

"I was responsible for giving them plump positions in public offices. They, however, betrayed the TMC and crossed over to the BJP... they were lured with money," she added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Police in the capital of Belarus arrested more than 100 people who assembled for a protest march Saturday to call for the resignation of the country's authoritarian president.

The planned event in Minsk indicated that supporters of the political opposition seek to revive the wave of mass protests that gripped Belarus for months last year but were dormant during the winter. During the first sizable anti-government protests of 2021, more than 200 people were detained Thursday.

At least five journalists were among those arrested; it was not immediately clear what charges they could face, but some journalists arrested while covering last years protests were sentenced to two years in prison.

Protests broke out in August after a disputed election that gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office. Lukashenko, who has been characterized as Europes last dictator, has strongly repressed opposition and independent news media during 26 years in power.

The post-election protests were the largest and most persistent show of opposition the former Soviet republic has seen in that time, with some of them attracting as many as 200,000 people.

More than 33,000 people were arrested during the protests, and many of them were beaten by police.
- By GF Value





The stock of Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $1163.08 per share and the market cap of $27.1 billion, Mettler-Toledo International stock gives every indication of being significantly overvalued. GF Value for Mettler-Toledo International is shown in the chart below.





Mettler-Toledo International Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Because Mettler-Toledo International is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 7.3% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 5.22% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Since investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, investors must carefully review a company's financial strength before deciding whether to buy shares. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage can give a good initial perspective on the company's financial strength. Mettler-Toledo International has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.07, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Mettler-Toledo International's financial strength as 5 out of 10, suggesting fair balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of Mettler-Toledo International over the past years:

Story continues

Mettler-Toledo International Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. Mettler-Toledo International has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $3.1 billion and earnings of $24.96 a share. Its operating margin is 25.41%, which ranks better than 84% of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of Mettler-Toledo International at 9 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Mettler-Toledo International over the past years:

Mettler-Toledo International Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Mettler-Toledo International is 7.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 12.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research.

Another way to evaluate a company's profitability is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Mettler-Toledo International's ROIC was 28.80, while its WACC came in at 6.98. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Mettler-Toledo International is shown below:

Mettler-Toledo International Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

To conclude, Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD, 30-year Financials) stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in the industry of Medical Diagnostics & Research. To learn more about Mettler-Toledo International stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here. To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


This story is part of Future Tense Fiction, a monthly series of short stories from Future Tense and Arizona State Universitys Center for Science and the Imagination about how technology and science will change our lives. This story and essay are the third in a series presented by Arizona State Universitys Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, as part of its work on Learning Futures and Principled Innovation. The series explores how learning experiences of all kinds will be shaped by technology and other forces in the future, and the moral, ethical, and social challenges this will entail. On Thursday, April 1, at 5 p.m. Eastern, author Shiv Ramdas and Katina Michael, professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering at Arizona State University, will discuss this story in an hourlong online discussion moderated by Punya Mishra, professor and associate dean of scholarship and innovation at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. RSVP here.

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From the moment the text message arrived with an aggressive ping, Ahmed knew something was amiss. Oh, it read innocuously enough, just the one line from Niyati asking if they could have a chat, but he knew better. It was still two weeks before his meeting with the tenure committee, which made it unexpected. Plus, it was Those Words. Whenever someone said that they wanted to have a chat, what they actually meant was that they had something to say to you that they knew you wouldnt like one bit. At a theoretical level, Ahmed knew that there must have been occasions in human or even academic history when the phrase have a chat had resulted in happy times and good vibes, but he wasnt aware of a single one.

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He checked to make sure his phone camera and mic were working properly and clicked on the link Niyati had sent him and a moment later when he arrived in the virtual meeting room, he found her already there, waiting for him.

Hi, Niyati! he said, with a breeziness he wasnt feeling in the slightest.

Hi, Ahmed, smiled Niyati. Thanks for doing this at such short notice.

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Maybe it was the smile, or just the familiarity of the usual start-of-meeting inanities, but Ahmed was already feeling much better. This was probably just a friendly heads-up about some part of the process. Niyati had told him privately more than once since the end of last semester that tenure was practically a done deal; everyone, including the Old Man, was thrilled with his classes; the student feedback had been glowing and he had nothing to worry about this time. Remembering all this, he felt the stress melt away. For the first time since hed seen that text message, he was feeling cheerful again.

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Ahmed, weve had an  um  change in plans.

So much for being cheerful.

This is about my tenure, isnt it?

She started to shake her head, and managed to turn it into a nod midway, which somehow made it worse than if shed just agreed.

The next step in achieving a state of true value addition at every step of the learning process.

To recap what wed discussed last year, a few more publications would really have helped us market the entire creative writing program, as the Board has pointed out, but as you know, you havent really had any. A novel or two would have been really helpful.

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Novel or two? Yes, why not, what with all the time youve left me to

Just hear me out, Ahmed. Youve been with us for seven years, and in the last couple, youve been exceedingly productive on the teaching front, and we want you to know that we value that.

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I should hope soyou keep asking me to teach extra classes! And added students to my existing classes for each of the past three years.

I think I speak for everyone when I say we deeply appreciate your efforts to help out during this period of budgetary readjustment. But this is about more than just your tenure prospects. What Im about to discuss with you involves not just your future and mine, but that of the department, the universityof education itself. As you know already, the university has been focusing on innovation and how we can best provide the educational experience students need in the modern world. We want to perfect a hybrid class that simultaneously caters to both the real and virtual spaces. To that end, the university is investing significantly in our digital architecture. Its going to be a truly unique experience. And itll do wonders for our student intake, especially when it comes to international admissions. You know how hard it is to get Westerners to come study in India, Im sure. This will be a truly pioneering educational innovation, where you can learn the same way at the same time from the same teachers as a student on the other side of the world. The next step in achieving a state of true value addition at every step of the learning process.

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You memorized that line, didnt you?

Yes. And the rest of it too. Right off the new brochure.

There was a short, heavy pause. Niyati broke it first. Look, none of this is my idea, all right?

Thats what I thought.

Its not me, its the Old Man. Administrations in his ear good and proper now, and by that I mean Uma from Administration. Full of great ideas, Uma, and somehow all those ideas involve someone doing something ridiculous that helps Umas annual review. All those extra students and classes you were complaining about? Umas brainchild. The field trip reductions? Uma. Its all about the numbers with that one.

Cant you just

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No. Believe me, Ive tried. Now let me finish.

Wait, theres more? How many horrors do you have up your sleeve?

Umas tireless, I told you. Now like I mentioned, the feedback from your students has been excellent and youve always shown exceptional skills as a teacher. This is why wed like you to be an integral part of the rollout of the new academic design.

Not enough to be tenured, though?

As a matter of fact, there is an opening for one tenured position, the only offer well be tendering for the foreseeable future, Im afraid. Thats what I want to discuss with you, Ahmed. What Im about to propose will give you a legitimate shot at securing that tenure. She paused. Ill be honest, its pretty much your only shot.

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So another year to get my tenure?

She pursed her lips. Not exactly. We have a rollout plan for this process already in place. Itll be for one semester only.

One semester wasnt nearly as bad as hed anticipated. Ahmed smiled.

At the end of which well be looking to downsize the department.

Ahmeds smile vanished.

The plan is to retain just the one tenured professor by the end of next semester. I just want you to know I have every confidence in you and I have no doubt youll be the teacher the students would rather have at the end.

At theyoure going to tell me something else Im not going to like, arent you?

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What part of this have you liked?

She had a point. All right, Im listening.

Well, Uma suggested at the last budget meeting that the best way to streamline the department

You mean sack everyone.

Technically, its what Uma means, but yes. Long story short, youll be splitting your classes with the new teacher.

What new teacher?

Ali.

Who the hell is Ali?

Well, thats just what we call it.

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Ahmed sat up very straight. It?!!

Yes, it. Alis a robot.

Ahmed blinked. I think there was an issue with the connection, it sounded like you said robot.

I did say robot. Well, A.I. Something like that, Im not exactly sure. Look, its a machine, all right? I think the full name is Augmented Learning Interface. You can see why Ali took off.

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Ahmed took a deep breath and spoke slowly, emphasizing each word.

You want a robot to teach creative writing?

Uma produced this whole body of research proving that modern A.I.s are extremely deft with prose and craft construction, though they sometimes struggle with plot development. Theyve even been known to come up with some really creative, out-of-the-box solutions to problems. You can see how thats an asset, right? The escalation of stakes is the only

Niyati, its a goddamn robot. Now let me get this straight, you want me to take part in a teaching contest against this  thing? For tenure? And a job? As a professor of creative writing?

Basically.

And this is Umas idea?

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Well, it was the compromise.

Oh, this was the compromise. Great. What was the original, did Uma want teachers to fight to the death for tenure in a sealed classroom? Im sure the pay-per-view would be great revenue.

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Dont be ridiculous. Nobodys going to pay to watch teachers fight when they can just see it for free on social media. Anyway, the way we envisage this playing out is having you both teach the same class of students. Well be splitting each of the courses up, dividing the load between you both.

So each of us is teaching half of each course for the whole semester?

Exactly.

This is beyond asinine and you know it.

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Niyati sighed. Im not stabbing you in the back, Im trying to save your butt, Ahmed. Help me help you, huh? OK? I trust you to prevail. Well be assessing the class at the midpoint and end of the semester, and then well be making a decision on whom to tenure. Now what else? Ah, yes, the assessment. Now, the assessment metrics will be simple, a weighted combination of student feedback, the universitys own assessmentyoull have observers in a few classes by the wayand finally, the student scores.

Scores? How the hell does that make sense, Im grading them.

Weve worked out a system, dont worry. Anyway, thats everything I needed to cover. Youll be getting a formal communication about it, but I told the Old Man I wanted to make sure I could give everyone the heads-up. Now, any questions before I get to the hard conversations?

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Besides what Im even doing with my life?

Thats ones for your therapist.

OK, what hard conversations?

The ones Im going to have with the others in the department right after I get off this call.

She didnt elaborate, but she didnt need to.

You want a robot to teach creative writing?

Youre really going to get rid of everyone else? Youre going to head a department of three?

Its either that or the whole department. I have no choice, its like the trolley problem all over again.

Oh, is that what its like?

My advice would be that you should probably connect with Ali at some point before the semester, too. It might help, ah, orient you a bit.

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He didnt reply, there didnt seem anything left to say.

Oh, and Ahmed?

Yes?

Ill be rooting for you. You got this.

He managed a thanks, and logged off, although it was a long time before he stopped staring at the now-blank screen. He had survived the purge, for now, which was something.

Ahmed sighed, a long mournful sound.

Then he logged back into his email to welcome the machine that had been brought in to take his job.

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The last few weeks had gone by in a blur, just like everything else ever since hed got off the call with Ali, which in itself had been just as bizarre as hed anticipated.

Ahmed wasnt sure what he thought hed find, but a disembodied colleague, visible only as a blank window where a face usually was that said Augmented Learning Interface hadnt been it. But what really threw him was the voice, which hadnt been the sort of tinny, robotic timbre that movies had led him to expect a robot should possess. Instead, Ali had spoken to him in warm, familiar tones with a strong Western Uttar Pradesh accent that reminded him of home. It turned out Ali had access to a dizzyingly vast array of voices and accents, supposedly to help it engage better with a diverse student body. Yes, the call had been illuminating, to say the least.

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Ahmed glanced at his watch. Still time to read a few more emails before the next class. These days he found himself looking forward to this part of his day, mostly because it reminded him of the good old days when teachers were just underpaid and undervalued instead of also having to also prove they could out-teach robots. Most of the emails were the usual fare. Cathy wanted a deadline extension, Zhang wanted to clarify something said in class, Marcus wanted to retract something hed said, Mayil wanted to be able to do his collaborative projects this semester with the other student from Tamil Nadu, and Lamar, one of the U.S.-based students, had written in explaining that he hadnt finished the last assignment because hed requested and been granted extra hours at his high school in order to help work off his school lunch debt and could he please have an extension? Ahmed responded with practiced ease, agreeing to all of them except Mayil, to whom he sent his usual gentle missive about how working with students from different parts of the world was a huge opportunity. The final email in his inbox was from Debanjana, whod asked if she could speak to him before class. Ahmed sent her a link to a meeting room, wondering if something was wrong. At least she hadnt said she wanted to have a chat.

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The class itself had gone as well as could be expected, just as most of them had so far, even if it had just been three weeks since the semester had begun. Since then, his only contact with Ali had been through the cordial, businesslike notes theyd exchanged about the sequencing of assignments as students rotated through their respective classes. The real wrinkle had been getting used to the observers who were there in every class, silently taking notes. But he wasnt going to allow that to deter him. No way would he let a machine turn out to be a better creative writing teacher than he was. Hi, Debanjana, he said, once the computers beep advised him she was on. Nice to see you. And he meant it, this particular student had already made quite the impression on him.

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That was when he noticed the tear smudges on her face, the slight quiver of her lip, and the set of her jaw.

Is everything all right? he asked, knowing that it wasnt.

Im having an issue, professor.

Tell me?

Ali, I mean ProfI mean   Her voice trailed off.

Yes, yes, go on. He didnt know whether a machine could even be a professor either. You can just say Ali, its fine.

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She smiled wanly. Thank you, professor.

In Profin the other class last week my answers were either ignored or misunderstood. Its happened a few times. I spoke about it, and I was told that it was not yet calibrated to understand me.

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Excuse me, say that again?

I was told my tendency to use idiomatic phrases was causing Ali difficulty with context and it wasnt my fault but Id have to be patient.

This sounds unfair, to say the least.

She nodded. Ive stopped speaking in those classes, but when I mentioned that, I was told I shouldnt do that as getting things wrong was the best way to calibrate and it would also help others in the future.

Who said this? Ali?

She shook her head. I wrote to the University Administration and I got a reply from someone called Uma.

Ahmed could feel the slow, hot flush of anger spreading through him. He took a deep breath. I see.

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So what do I do, professor? Should I keep speaking and being misunderstood so that one day others will not be?

No, of course not. With your permission, I think I want to address this.

She shot him a grateful look. Thank you.

Of course. Thank you for telling me about this.

A few moments after his conversation, he reached again for his phone and typed:

Hi Niyati, can we have a chat?

A week later, he was still thinking about his conversation with Niyati. It hadnt exactly gone the way hed hoped.

Hi Ahmed, sorry it took me so long, shed said, when she finally arrived in the meeting room, almost half an hour late. Ive just been drowning in preparing these presentations for prospective investors andanyway, it doesnt matter, you wanted to talk? Whats wrong?

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Should I keep speaking and being misunderstood so that one day others will not be?

So he told her, noting how shed sat there, stone-faced.

Im not going to name the student, obviously, but we have a serious issue we need to address, hed finished.

I spoke to her.

When?

Last week. I escalated the matter to the Old Man and the situation is being monitored. But remember, Alis intent was obviously not to disregard the student. Uma pointed out that if theres an issue, its obviously at the programming end. This is the first time something like this has been tried, theres bound to be some teething troubles.

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How do intentions matter? Its the impact on the students that we need to prioritize. If this were a human teacher would they be getting leeway for intent?

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She didnt answer. Sensing an opening, he went on.

How are we supposed to provide this cutting-edge education you were talking about when we cant even make sure students are understood properly? This is simply unacceptable!

Niyati ran a hand through her hair.

Look, Ahmed, Ive tried. Believe me, Ive tried. But the University has invested too much and Uma has way too much riding on this initiative.

Ali is simply not qualified. You know why machines have issues with plot development? Because they struggle with context. And consequences. Intelligent decision-making is one of the hardest programming design issues out there. And might I add, this is exactly what I was worried about. A machine cant teach writing, hell, I dont know if it can teach anything but it sure cant teach writing if it struggles with context. Not to mention stakes and conflict.

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Ahmed, my hands are tied here. Im just telling you what Uma said.

Oh, hang Uma!

I wish, said Niyati, with feeling. Look, Im tired of all this too. Once were done here I have to go back to trying to meet revenue targets.

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What revenue targets?

The ones I have to meet now, because guess what, were also in the process of moving to a hybridized admin-academic model.

Ahmed was starting to feel lost. It was as though hed entered some strange parallel dimension, where the words all sound the same but have completely different meanings.

When did we go from being a university to a live-action dystopian role-play?

When Uma became the only administrator the Old Man and the Board will listen to anymore. Its all about revenue, and the politics of course. I mean, academia always has been about petty politics, but now its all about the petty politics around revenues and costs. You dont see most of it, thank your lucky stars. And me.

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Uma sounds like a complete

Yes. Im not actually sure how much longer Ill last if things keep going this way.

Youre planning to leave?

Or be replaced. Unless Uma goes.

Ahmed frowned. I had no idea things were this bad.

Theyre worse than that. So I wouldnt hold my breath for Alis departure if I were you, Uma has too much invested in this. Unless  

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She trailed off, eyes narrowing.

Unless? Ahmed prompted.

Unless Ali face-plants so badly  well, it doesnt have a face, but you know what I mean.

Ahmed began to agree, and then all of a sudden it hit him.

Context and conflict!

What?

I think I might know how to assist Ali with that face-plant.

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How?

Ahmed smiled, for what felt like the first time in a long while.

I have an idea.

Todays class is going to be short, we have just the one concept to discuss. Ahmed stood facing his camera, giving silent thanks to whoever had suggested placing his computer on a tripod; the ability to move around as he lectured had truly been liberating. At the bottom left corner of the screen, he could see Niyati, whod shown up to observe the class herself this time. Excellent timing.

When did we go from being a university to a live-action dystopian role-play?

Were going to talk about the engine of plot developmentconflict. Plots are driven by conflict, and the best ones are driven by conflict thats high-stakes and has deeper ethical ramifications. So heres what were going to do. Im going to give you a conflict situation. A very specific one, with deep ethical considerations. Its called the Trolley Problem. Ah, I see some of you know it. Its a famous thought experiment. Picture a runaway trolley barreling down the railway track. Ahead, on the same track, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. If you switch the tracks, the trolley will hit that person. What do you do? No, dont answer me here, I want you all to mull over the problem. And then youre all going to turn in an assignment that analyzes this conflict, its stakes, and ideal (or least unsatisfactory) resolution. Yes, this will count toward your final grade. Any questions? Yes, Peter?

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Can we work on this with others?

Feel free to discuss it among yourselves or with other teachers, human or otherwise, indeed, Id encourage you to do so, but remember that in the end, this is an individual assignment, so I want each of you to separately propose your own resolution. Anything else? No? Good. Thatll be all.

He turned off his camera, feeling a tingling thrill of excitement course through him. Hed planted the seed. Now all he had to do was wait for it to sprout.

For the first time since hed found out about it, he was looking forward to that midterm review.

Hi Niyati!

Ahmed beamed at her. He was in a good mood today. Hed heard that several students had actually broached the subject of the trolley problem with Ali, and that the results of such consultations had been surprising, although he didnt actually know the details. Still, knowing what he did know about how the machine dealt with this sort of thing, it could only bode well for him.

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Morning, Ahmed. Shall we begin?

Niyati was all business today, she didnt even return his smile.

Sure.

The observers have commended your handling of the class, your pedagogic manner, and your student interactions. The actual performance of your students has been good too. And for the most part, the student assessments have been positive. One student, Debanjana, I think her name is, has even mentioned how you listened to her issues.

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Oh, thats nice of her.

Very. Now lets get to the not-so-positive stuff. Ill be honest, Ahmed, Id expected you to put some separation in feedback and results between you and Ali by this point. That hasnt happened. For one thing, there was the complaint.

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What complaint? He wasnt sure what hed been expecting, but it hadnt been this.

A student called Mayil. He asked you for a special accommodation, which you denied, apparently.

Yes, I remember, that was because of

Im sure you had your reasons, but the fact of the matter is Ali granted the accommodation and you didnt, and Mayil has written long statements to us about Alis superior empathy. Apparently Ali helped alleviate this students anxiety, and was instrumental in him not dropping out of the course.

The room was still now, very still, He could hear his breath whistling out of his body. Almost dropped out? Because he, Ahmed, had simply said he shouldnt stick with his own kind in class, and hadnt cared enough to ask what the underlying issue had been?

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And then theres the bit about your Trolley Problem assignment.

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Yes, what about it? Ahmed felt his chest tightening. This really wasnt going anything like hed anticipated.

Apparently a few of your students mentioned it to Ali, who tore it apart.

Tore it apart? Its a thought experiment, what the hell does that even mean?

From what I hear, Ali made a rather convincing case against the very premise of the exercise, and gave students an alternative conflict situation to parse instead.

Alternative? To the best-known ethical dilemma out there? How? What?

I dont know the details, but the bottom line, Ahmed, is that this isnt where we need you to be. Look, like I said, Uma has a lot riding on this Ali experiment. Unless it goes down, Uma doesnt go down. And if Uma doesnt go down, I do. And probably so do all the other teachers?

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Uma wants to run a university without teachers?

Yes.

Is this a joke?

Not at all. Uma wants to take the concept of student assessment further, into student self- assessment. A university of the students, for the students and by the students. Want to know why we have Ali? Thats why.

The compromise!

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Exactly.

This Uma is a runaway train looking for people to crush.

This Uma is a runaway train looking for people to crush.

And right now were the ones tied to the tracks. Im going to need you to find a way to separate from Ali, and quickly. Or were all done.

He started to answer but shed already disconnected. Ahmed swore, slamming his laptop shut. Hed have flung it against the wall, but it was the only one he had and if he didnt separate, as Niyati had put it, he wouldnt be able to afford another for a long time.

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Ahmed spent most of the rest of the day staring into space, alone with his thoughts. He found his self-pity at the desperation of his situation giving way over time to a growing sense of guilt over a student almost dropping out because hed refused to look deeper into his situation than a machine had cared to look.

Finally, he couldnt take it anymore. He took a deep breath, shook his head to clear the cobwebs, and flipped his laptop back open.

And then he sent a meeting request to Ali.

Within minutes, Ahmeds computer pinged, Ali had responded and was waiting for him. The machine was nothing if not prompt. Ahmed logged in, and soon found himself staring at the empty space in the window that was Ali.

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You gave Mayil the accommodation he wanted?

That was the good thing about talking to a machine, it neither desired nor expected the usual small talk.

I did. Research has shown that familiarity in communication is a major anxiety reliever, especially in academic settings. I wanted my student to have everything he needed to succeed.

If Ahmed hadnt felt it earlier, he sure did now: a sharp sensation in his gut, the stab of shame. The machine had indeed proved to be a better mentor to Mayil than he had.

I see.

You do not approve?

No, no, you did the right thing. I was wrong.

Yes.

It was the agreement that annoyed him, cutting through the cloak of shame, and so he reached for the only accusation he had.

You derided my assignment to our students!

I pointed out that the hypothetical was fundamentally flawed.

Flawed? Ahmed laughed, a short bitter sound.

Correct.

Theres no way you can back up that assertion. None at all.

Is that your theory? It is an interesting one, although as flawed as the original hypothesis.

It is, and yes, with the consent of the students, I have done so. They appreciate having past classes accessible to review.

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Excuse me? Ahmed couldnt believe the cheek of this machine. Could machines even be cheeky? Probably not, but this one was being something, all right, and even if he didnt have a name for it, he knew he didnt appreciate it.

Would you like to observe the pedagogical process by which we arrived at the conclusion?

That was the good thing about talking to a machine, it neither desired nor expected the usual small talk.

We? Youve forced this notion of yours on the students too?

There is no room for forcing conclusions on students in a functional educational setting. The concept was discussed, the conclusion arrived at via deliberation. Would you like to observe?

How? Have you been recording your classes? Is that even legal?

I Ahmed gritted his teeth, then unclenched them just as rapidly. Maybe fate was finally smiling on him. What better way to find the flaw in both the reasoning and the teacher than by observing it insist on something he knew was incorrect? All right, yes, sure. Why not?

As you wish.

A series of squares appeared on the screen, each one framing a face. Ahmed recognized every one, they were all students, his students. And Alis. Without realizing it, he found himself looking for the blank box that Ali always appeared as, and found he couldnt spot it anywhere. A split second later it struck him why, he was looking at the class from Alis perspective. It was a somewhat unsettling realization, to know he was watching the world, or his class as the case was, through a machines eyes, not least because it looked exactly like it did through his own.

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All right, everyone, Ali was saying. Now that weve outlined the problem, from the original version Foot postulated, to the Thomson and Greene variants, can anyone outline the fundamentals of its construct? Yes, Debanjana?

It forces us to choose between actively and passively taking a life?

That is correct, it does. Is there anything else?

Debanjana hesitated. Is it that the problem itself is so removed from reality?

That it often fails the suspension of disbelief test required to address it adequately? Absolutely, correct again. But is there something more fundamental? If nothing else, the earlier communication issues didnt seem to exist any longer; Ali and Debanjana certainly seemed to be having no issues.

Debanjana hesitated. Im not sure.

Anyone else?

There was silence in the class.

The fundamental flaw here is that the problem, while posed as a dilemma, in fact has a simple solution.

A buzz ran around the class. A series of questions rang out, all of them variations of How? and What? Ahmed smiled. The machine had stepped in it, and it didnt even have feet.

But as a thought experiment, isnt there meant to be no solution? asked someone finally.

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Bingo! said Ahmed approvingly.

Yes, isnt it just about the reasoning? asked another, a young man called Wang.

Reason? Is it reasonable to tie five people to a railway track for an experiment?

Watching, Ahmed felt his jaw tighten.

But

Why are there no safety measures to prevent someone from wandering onto the other track? Why is the very construction of the problem framed as a choice between innocent victims? Why does the safety of those in the trolley never enter into the discussion? And finally, why does the trolley not have an emergency brake?

But, but Now it was Ahmed stammering, although he wasnt even in the class. Nothing hed ever heard had prepared him for this. He tried to remember other words but they wouldnt obey. But

The solution is simple: Stop the trolley! Ali was talking to the students, but for all the world it felt like the machine was addressing him, Ahmed; it was as if everyone else had vanished. To design a better one, one that stops. And do not choose between murder and murder. And certainly do not call a Hobsons choice of this nature an ethical dilemma. There is nothing ethical about this scenario.

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Ahmed could see students nodding, murmuring in agreement, many of them looking as stunned as he felt.

The video shimmered and vanished, he was alone with Ali again, and feeling no less nonplussed for it. I He opened his mouth, shut it again, and then repeated the process. There was no getting away from it, the machine was right. Again. If an ethics problem didnt provide an opportunity for good, how ethical was it?

Stop the trolley, he repeated.

Long after the call, the sentence kept echoing through his head. Stop the trolley.

And there was more, Ali had now provided two separate solutions to two extremely different issues in a manner he, Ahmed, had failed to see, because hed been thinking about what he wanted to say, what he thought, whereas the machine had prioritized the students and the issues themselves instead. It was a galling realization.

His phone rang, startling him, so he dropped it. Cursing, he retrieved it, and answered. It was Niyati. And she sounded happier than hed heard her be since the year began.

You did it!

Did what?

Exactly what wed hoped! Youve won. The trolley problem won!

Yes, about that, Niyati

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Umas the trolley.

Dont you see? You baited Ali into providing an alternative, and it did. Do you know what it came up with? Her voice was quivering, he could virtually feel her excitement crackling through the phone.

What?

Asked students to assess whether it is egalitarian for a university to provide services that depend on a students ability to access technology. Guess you were right, machines dont do consequences well. She laughed. The Old Man is livid. Alis as good as gone. And Umas going to be gone with it.

The trolley.

What?

Umas the trolley.

Youre not making sense. Listen to me now, theres a board meeting tomorrow morning. Theyll all be there, every last one of them. And so will we. You, me, Ali, the Old Man, the lot of us. I have a one-on-one with him tonight, and its done, Im going to make sure Umas gone before morning. And then tomorrow morning well watch him pull the plug on Ali in front of us all. Well done, Ahmed!

Look, Niyati, about that. Im not interested.

In tenure?

In these competitions and frankly, in pushing out Ali, who is providing a genuine value addition to the department.

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You want this machine to keep teaching? Do you hear yourself?

I do, but Im done thinking about myself first. All I can do is the best I can do, which means doing the best for my students. Which means sticking up for Ali. For the rest, whatever happens, happens. Whether as a teacher or in support, Ali is doing well by students. And theyre doing well with Ali. Ive seen it for myself.

Ahmed, youre not going to ruin this for me, are you? Dont you dare, Ive put too much into this. Youd better be at that meeting tomorrow morning.

Ill be there. But Im not going to help shunt Ali out.

Niyatis nostrils flared. Im going to give you till morning to get your head on straight. Good night, Ahmed.

And with that, she disconnected, leaving Ahmed sitting there with the knowledge that hed just put everything hed spent years working for on the line for his rival, a machine no less.

And he was fine with that.

Ahmed awoke the next morning feeling exactly as he had last night, and texted Niyati to let her know. Then he showered and dressed. With only a minute to go for the meeting, she still hadnt replied. Ahmed shrugged, sat down, and clicked on the link to the board meeting, to be greeted by rows of windows. Almost immediately he spotted Ali, or rather his empty void. Then, as soon the Old Man entered, he began with the proceedings. Ahmed looked around for Niyati, but he didnt see her. He frowned, puzzled.

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Then he heard his name; the Old Man was talking to him. About him. Both.

  Ahmed here, whos been so instrumental in this endeavor. I now hand over to the architect of our next phase.

Thank you for doing this on such short notice, Ahmed.

The window that was speaking was the one hed first thought was Ali. But it wasnt.

Ahmed stared open-mouthed, the cold realization hitting him in the chest like a bolt of lightning as he now focused on the name, emblazoned across the bottom of the empty window.

University Management Application.

Uma.

I regret to inform you that Niyati is no longer with the University, said Uma. Theres been a change in plans.

Read a response essay by Katina Michael, an expert on the social implications of technology.

More From Future Tense Fiction:

The Truth Is All There Is, by Emily Parker

It Came From Cruden Farm, by Max Barry

Paciente Cero, by Juan Villoro

Scar Tissue, by Tobias S. Buckell

The Last of the Goggled Barskys, by Joey Siara

Legal Salvage, by Holli Mintzer

How to Pay Reparations: a Documentary, by Tochi Onyebuchi

The State Machine, by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

Dream Soft, Dream Big, by Hal Y. Zhang

The Vastation, by Paul Theroux

Speaker, by Simon Brown

The Void, by Leigh Alexander

And read 14 more Future Tense Fiction tales in our anthology, Future Tense Fiction: Stories of Tomorrow.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Voters stand in line to cast their ballots during the first day of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff, in Atlanta, Ga., on Dec. 14, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)

Biden: DOJ Taking a Look at Georgias Newly Enacted Election Reform Law

The Biden administration is looking at options to reverse or counter a newly enacted voting law in Georgia that brings in a sweeping number of election reforms to the state.

President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that the Justice Department and his administration are taking a look at the legislation, which he claims is an attack on the right to vote in the Peach State.

Were working on that right now. We dont know quite exactly what we can do at this point. The Justice Departments taking a look as well, Biden said.

In a separate statement on Friday, Biden characterized the states move to protect the sanctity of the ballot box as a blatant attack on the Constitution and good conscience. He also labeled the law as the Jim Crow in the 21st Century, referring to Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the south.

The 95-page law adds a slew of changes to the way Georgians vote, including requiring photo or state-approved identification to vote absentee by mail. The law also mandates that secure drop boxes be placed inside early voting locations, with constant surveillance, and expand early voting across the state.

The law also shortens the election cycle from nine weeks to four weeks and requires a minimum of one week of early voting before election day. People who wish to vote absentee are faced with new requirements as well.

Biden claims that some of the new measures such as reducing the number of polling sites across the state would disproportionately [affect] black neighborhoods, without elaborating on the details of alleged discrimination.

He took the opportunity to urge Congress to pass the controversial H.R. 1 bill, known as the For the People Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that Democrats say provides more voting access. Republicans and critics have raised concerns about the H.R. 1 bill, arguing that it would eviscerate ballot security measures, transferring the authority of how elections are administered from the states to the federal government, and shields non-citizens from prosecution if they are registered to vote automatically.

H.R. 1 has passed the House in a party-line vote, and is facing an uphill battle in the upper chamber as Senate Democrats would need at least 10 Republicans to overcome the filibuster.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has responded to Bidens statement saying that there is nothing Jim Crow about requiring photo or state-issued ID to vote by absentee ballot.

The law, Kemp said, expands voting access, streamlines vote-counting procedures, and ensures election integrity, according to a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

This comes after several voting rights advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other officials to challenge the Georgia law. The groups alleged that the law suppresses voting rights and would disproportionately burden the states minority, young, poor, and disabled citizens.

The groups have taken issue with some of the measures to increase election integrity arguing that identification requirements for absentee voting are unnecessary and burdensome, and placing absentee drop boxes inside early voting location would unduly restrict voting. The lawsuit also argues that prohibiting the state from distributing unsolicited absentee ballot applications, and prohibiting third-parties from collecting absentee ballot applicationswhich Republicans says could result in ballot harvestingrepresents voter suppression.

The lawsuit also claims banning non-poll workers from giving food or drink to voters waiting in line is a form of voter suppression. The Georgia law stipulates that individuals are not allowed to solicit votes by distributing campaign materials, or gifts or offer to give money or gifts including food and drink in the vicinity of the polling place, including the polling line.

These provisions lack any justification for their burdensome and discriminatory effects on voting, the groups argue in their lawsuit.

Instead, they represent a hodgepodge of unnecessary restrictions that target almost every aspect of the voting process but serve no legitimate purpose or compelling state interest other than to make absentee, early, and election-day voting more difficultespecially for minority voters.

The lawsuit is seeking a declaration that the law violates the U.S. Constitution and a federal voting law, and is seeking to block the law from being enforced.

Raffenspergers press office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment.
Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg

Two men were arrested south of Houston Friday morning in connection with the U.S. Capitol insurrection, according to the FBI.

Christian Cortez and Benjamin Larocca were arrested in Seabrook for their alleged role in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, a statement from the FBI said. Law enforcement officials have not yet made public the charges the men are facing.
Disney+ Streaming Service Places Restrictions on Classics with Racist Stereotypes

DISNEY+ has announced they are restricting the viewing of Dumbo, The Aristocats and Peter Pan from its platform because of their racist stereotypes. The network will set its app to prevent children under seven from watching those shows.

The crows and musical numbers pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where White performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations, Disney officials noted about Dumbo on its streaming platform.

The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States, the statement continued.

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As for Peter Pan, the once-beloved character whom the late Michael Jackson mimicked, Disney+ officials noted, the film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions.

It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as redskins, an offensive term.

They added that Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes.

As for the Aristocrats, Disney+ officials said, The Siamese cat Shun Gon is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth.

He sings in poorly accented English voiced by a White actor and plays the piano with chopsticks.

While the programming is restricted against being shown to small children, others will still be able to watch after viewing a new disclaimer that notes that the program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.

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Disney+ officials also defended their decision not to remove the offensive films altogether.

Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together, the company wrote.

Warnings will also tag other shows like The Lady and the Tramp, and Swiss Family Robinson.

Disney+ joins a host of other companies that have acknowledged a racial and cultural awakening since the May 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a White police officer in Minnesota.

The owners of the Dr. Seuss books announced earlier this month that it would no longer publish six of its books because of racist imagery. The company noted that the books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.

New York Times columnist Charles Blow also highlighted what he viewed as the incentive Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew.

Blow tweeted that the character was indicative to young boys that non-consensual behavior toward women was ok.

Lets see. 1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will. 2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he wont release her 3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping, Blow tweeted.

In a column preceding his tweet, Blow wrote that racism must be exorcised from culture, including, or maybe especially, from childrens culture. Teaching a child to hate or be ashamed of themselves is a sin against their innocence and a weight against their possibilities.
New Delhi, March 27 : Jatin Pandit, one half of Bollywoods iconic composer duo Jatin-Lalit, is happy that non-film and indie music is becoming big, because he feels that film songs dont often "suit the movie characters".

"Nowadays, musical films are few. Most movies are biopics or based on real events or the song doesn't suit to the movie character. Hence musicians started producing independent singles or covers as new mediums are enabling that," he tells IANS.

Lack of good film music, Jatin feels, is down to multiple composers collaborating on one soundtrack, and he adds that the audience is increasingly driven to the theatre because of the film and not the music anymore.

"Bollywood music is a big canvas, but the concern is that nowadays our cinema has no scope for music, and we can see it in the increase in number of multi-composer films. Whereas in early days, film producers used to go for solo composers," he says.

"Earlier, music would drive the audience to the theatres, but today people are not going to the theatre to watch the music of a film. They will go just for the movie," adds Jatin, who isn't really averse to the idea and feels the audience, just like the musicians, have found "new platforms to consume music other than just movies".

"I personally feel it's good, that such talented musicians who do not have any connection or network in the industry can still release music digitally. I believe this stage is really good as everyone can release digitally, which was not the case before," says Jatin, who recently released his non-film single, "Dhadakte rehna".

"Music has always been my inspiration and I have composed many songs but this one struck a chord. It is my personal favourite and the song actually inspired me to finish it eventually. My son Raahul suggested that I should release this as a single. I love to compose romantic, long lasting melodies and easy listening songs. That has always been my forte," he signs off.




In response to the UK's unilateral move over the Xinjiang row, China sanctioned UK individuals and entities on Friday. The decision is justified. It's also a warning to anti-Beijing Westerners repeatedly attempting to challenge China's bottom line.

The West has long harbored ideological biases against socialist China. This is not a secret. But in recent years, the U.S.-led Western bloc has intensified its anti-Beijing campaign tremendously. From attempts to instigate the color revolution in Hong Kong to repeated lies about human right conditions in Xinjiang and Tibet, the West is launching an all-front propaganda war against China.

Decades after the Cold War, this is an alarming sign that calls for cooperation.

Xinjiang is a political issue. The West hypes the so-called forced labor, torture and sterilization in the region, but has provided no solid evidence so far. A key source for Xinjiang allegations is Adrian Zenz. The far-right Christian fundamentalist is reportedly funded by Western governments. His claim is found "contradicted by flagrant data abuse, fraudulent claims, cherry-picking of source material, and propagandistic misrepresentations," according to The Grayzone.

Apparently, China hawks are using the Xinjiang issue as a weapon to discredit China and incentive the idea of decoupling.

And "human rights" are an easy tool to unite Western countries. Political bias is what's behind the systematically fabricated lies on Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Making China an enemy of the entire Western "camp" is the ultimate purpose of these lies.

Under the banner of "human rights", the UK and the EU are earnestly seeking "politically correct" values at the cost of their ties with China, ignoring facts on Xinjiang.

But is it a wise choice?

The Chinese government has reiterated its determination to safeguard its core interests. By sanctioning UK MPs, lawyers, and entities, Beijing is demonstrating that any attempt to interfere in Chinese internal affairs will invite countermeasures.

China has the determination and strength to make the West pay the price of provocation.

But don't assume the latest punishment as the worst scenario for the UK. Friday's move is also a warning against further provocation. If the UK goes further down the wrong path, China will take more drastic measures  not limited to the current sanctions. There's no doubt about it.

And the UK can't afford to ignore this warning.

In addition to the countermeasures at a government level, Chinese people won't tolerate provocations on China's national dignity either. The fate of H&M in China  all its products were removed from major Chinese e-commerce platforms within a day after its Xinjiang statement came to light  is enough to explain.

A multipolar world, not East vs. West pattern, is in the best interest of the UK. This is particularly true after the country's divorce from the EU. At the time when the UK is still struggling with COVID-19 and its slowing economy, Downing Street has to make the right choice between the need to develop itself and the ideological fight against Beijing.

China and the UK have no fundamental conflicts. Despite their political differences, the two countries have accomplished much, with heady talks about "golden era" of their ties in previous years. Before pioneering in the U.S.-led propaganda war against Beijing, London needs to think twice whether it's worth sacrificing ties with China and consequently its interests to seek "politically correct" values that are based on lies and disinformation.

Advancing human rights is a common goal in the world. China's efforts in improving its human right conditions can never be underestimated. On the contrary, the U.S.-led Western bloc is repeatedly showing its contempt for human rights by packaging it as a weapon for ideological warfare.

Certain malicious forces, in the pursuit of decoupling, are using "human rights" to make China an enemy of the entire Western "camp." The UK should base its China policy on its national interests. Otherwise, it is bound to pay for seeking lies-based "political correctness" at the cost of China's core interests. (Source: CGTN)
I broke through the clouds somewhere around 4,000 feet up on Zigzag Mountain, breathing heavy, only a few miles from the trailhead. The morning sun revealed purple huckleberries hiding in the brush, beneath the dark green leaves of wild rhododendrons.

Around a rocky corner topped with scraggly, wind-blown trees, the vista hit me all at once: a magnificent view looking off the mountains edge, past forested foothills and a valley filled with clouds. With no one else there to share the experience, I smiled to myself, sat down on a ledge and soaked in the peacefulness of nature alone.

Exploring the outdoors by yourself is not just an act of immersing yourself in nature, but of isolating yourself from other people and reveling in the great silence that inevitably arrives. Its good for mental and physical health, but for many its also a spiritual experience: Free of distractions, one can truly dissolve into the grandeur of nature.

There is an innate human urge to be in nature by yourself, one thats found across cultures and throughout human history. These days, however, theres also a nagging resistance to it: a fear of injury, loneliness, or even boredom.

Its important to note that the experience of solo hiking can be vastly different for different people. Women and hikers of color have expressed feeling less safe on hiking trails, experiences that white men, like myself, are often oblivious of. Some people may also have traumas or fears associated with being outdoors, which could more readily arise when alone.

No matter how comfortable you feel about solo hiking, preparing yourself for the experience is key.

In my early days of solo hiking, I decided to tackle the remote high desert wilderness of Hart Mountain in southeast Oregon, an adventure that required off-trail navigation with no available water or cover from the sun. I brought a map, a compass and emergency supplies. I thought I was well prepared, but I was not ready for the voracious spring mosquitoes that hatched from the snowmelt or the sheer physical exertion of hiking through miles of bushy sagebrush.

The experience brought me to the brink of collapse, and standing there exhausted in the wilderness, I truly thought I might die. Looking back, it was a valuable learning experience, but not one Id ever recommend.

Warner Peak is the crest of Hart Mountain in southeast Oregon, reachable by a rugged, off-trail trek through the high desert wilderness.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Sunlight streams through openings above Skylight Cave, found near Sisters in the Deschutes National Forest. The phenomenon only happens for a couple hours each morning in late spring.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A basic daypack should contain the essential supplies, but need not be weighed down with every piece of gear.

Hiking solo means there is nobody else to rely on for navigation, for first aid, or for emotional and physical support when things get tough. You only have yourself to rely on. Research and preparation before you leave becomes all the more important. What will the hike be like? Hows the weather looking? What might go wrong?

In general, you should carry plenty of water, some food, sun protection and the other Ten Essentials. Have a paper trail map or a map saved to your phone. If youre going to use your phone a lot, carry a portable battery charger. If your hike takes you deep into the remote wilderness or places where conditions will be dangerous, consider carrying a GPS emergency beacon.

When filling your pack for a solo trip, you might discover an upside to traveling with other people: more backs to carry the load.

Thats not to say you need to become a pack mule when you go hiking alone. My standard day pack for everyday solo hikes stays reasonably light by focusing on what I consider to be the most-important and easiest-to-carry emergency items: first aid, a water filter, a headlamp and an emergency blanket. I add other items for longer or more remote hikes, like waterproof matches or a compass.

All emergency gear aside, the most-important way to prepare for a solo hike is to always tell somebody where youre going and when you expect to be back. Be specific about your plans and tell a family member or a friend who you can rely on.

Even if you dont use your emergency supplies, they still provide a vital sense of security. When Im hiking, I want to focus on the trail and the environment around me, not on worrying about getting lost or finding water.

Crack in the Ground is an ancient volcanic fissure near Christmas Valley in the high desert of central Oregon. An easy hiking trail leads through the fissure that measures more than two miles long and up to 70 feet deep.

Trees bud along the Birch Trail, a short trail that leads into the lower unit Forest Park in Northwest Portland, granting access to the Wildwood Trail. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A hiker rests at the top of Cape Falcon, part of Oswald West State Park on the northern Oregon coast.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Getting the most out of solo hiking requires a delicate balancing act of the mind. On one hand, theres the inherent desire to lose yourself into the environment  that is, after all, where one can usually find deep healing and profound spiritual connection. At the same time, the mind needs to be sharp and focused on the trail underfoot, always watching for hazards like loose rocks or dangerous cliff edges.

I strike this balance by separating my physical and spiritual focus. While hiking, I free my senses of all distractions (like listening to music or fiddling with gear) and put my body on autopilot to let it do its thing  step around that rock, climb over that root, adjust to the uphill climb  while allowing my mind and spirit to wander.

Its always important to maintain a certain amount of mental focus on the physical task at hand, and to know when you need to bring your full attention to the hike, but dont let that stop you from tapping into the natural world around you. I find that connecting with nature helps sharpen my more primal survival instincts, which I can then rely on in more dangerous situations.

I was walking along the Oregon coast on a spring day, watching dark clouds roll in over the horizon as my mind was mired in personal reflection. A gust of wind blew off the ocean across my face and, all of a sudden, I knew it was time to turn around. The second I got back to the safety of my car, the sky opened up and unleashed a torrent of rain. My instincts were spot on.

This is one of my favorite aspects of being outside alone. Had I been with a friend on that beach, my instincts may have led to a discussion about whether or not we should head back, and we may have hemmed and hawed about it until the rain came down and soaked us to the bone. Alone, I acted in concert with nature, and the result was not just dry pants, but a feeling of deeper connection as well.

All the precautions you take are measures to ensure a more enjoyable and profound experience in nature. Confidence on the trail comes from preparation and experience, and with that confidence you can delve more deeply into the meditative aspects of hiking alone  an experience you can only discover for yourself, by yourself.

At the end of my hike up Zigzag Mountain, I rounded a final corner and was hit with another stunning view: the towering peak of Mount Hood, framed by the silhouettes of Douglas firs, glaciers glistening in the summer heat.

I sat down on a boulder at the viewpoint and closed my eyes. I could hear birds flitting from tree to tree, the breeze rustling evergreen boughs all around me. The fresh smell of the mountains danced through the air and the taste of huckleberries lingered in my mouth.

At the crack of a branch my eyes fluttered open to the awesome sight of the massive volcano, its power sweeping over me at once. With no one else to turn to, I turned inward, embodying the power of the place and quietly allowing myself to become part of it. I couldnt imagine being there with anybody else.

--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB
Yesterday, Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz led a delegation of Republican senators on a tour of border facilities, including those holding children, and then held a riveting 45-minute press conference afterward that was carried live on Fox News. When I checked CNN and MSNBC, there was a blackout of this extremely interesting and newsworthy event. A video of the presser is embedded below, and if you missed it, I recommend it for both the information it delivered and for the passion that it evoked.

Some of the 18 senators in the delegation accompanied the Border Patrol on its overnight shift and spoke of what they found. They also tweeted:

1 AM  I spent the last 3 hours with Border Patrol on night shift in McAllen, TX. 18 Senators learning about the huge influx, 3,000 people per day, including unaccompanied children, illegally entering.  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) March 26, 2021

Mexican cartels control who crosses the border. A young mother from Guatemala, sitting on an aluminum blanket with her 1-year-old, told me she paid smugglers $6,000.  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) March 26, 2021

Border Patrol is overwhelmed, overworked, & discouraged by new policies. Agents took us through a dangerous path to the Rio Grande where we could hear the Cartel members taunting us across the river. Human trafficking, child abuse, & drug smuggling are rampant. This is a crisis.  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) March 26, 2021

Sadly it's worse than imagined, to the point where @CBP has been forced to house migrants under a bridge. https://t.co/vkr86cB20e pic.twitter.com/56tfVF44Pe  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

The inflow has gotten so bad, @CBP has put arrows on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande directing immigrants to the processing facilities. Here is a picture of immigrants who just crossed the border following the arrows. pic.twitter.com/2DBgLU4Ixs  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

Here are babies handed over by smugglers. Babies. pic.twitter.com/bECBwBvwvd  Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) March 26, 2021

These are the pictures the Biden administration doesnt want the American people to see. This is why they wont allow the press.



This is the CBP facility in Donna, Texas.



This is a humanitarian and a public health crisis. pic.twitter.com/UlibmvAeGN  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 26, 2021

These are the pictures the Biden administration doesnt want the American people to see. This is why they wont allow the press.



This is the CBP facility in Donna, Texas.



This is a humanitarian and a public health crisis. pic.twitter.com/UlibmvAeGN  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 26, 2021

ABC News, to its credit, did cover the delegation, including a segment on its flagship evening newscast. If CBS News covered it, there is no evidence on its webpage today. NBC's coverage, at least online, positioned "dueling" delegations of Democrats and Republicans but devoted nearly all its space to Democrats.

Here is the press conference video:

Photo credit: Twitter video screen grab.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-26 23:00:19|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on July 21, 2019 from Xiangshan Mountain shows the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson Friday refuted a so-called "memorandum" between Taiwan and the United States regarding maritime patrols.

The mainland firmly opposes any form of official exchange or agreement with implications of sovereignty between Taiwan and the United States, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

When it comes to sovereignty and maritime rights, the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the responsibility of safeguarding the Chinese nation's overall and fundamental interests, noted Zhu.

By relying on the United States with the pipe dream of "independence" and selling out the Chinese nation's interests, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority is pushing Taiwan to the brink of disaster, Zhu added. 
Eventually, the administration at Ramos nursing home suggested that employees with questions about the vaccine call a phone number to reach one of the facility's doctors. Administrators also met with union representatives to discuss vaccinations.

"But as health care workers, we don't have a lot of time and we rarely get a break, Ramos said. Most of us work double eight-hour shifts or multiple jobs to get by. Some still don't trust their employers or the new presidential administration in Washington, she said.

Ramos said many of her coworkers didn't want to be the guinea pigs, so they were waiting to see who goes first and see how their reactions were. She did her own research before she was convinced the vaccine was safe and is now working as a union delegate with the Service Employees International Union District 1199 New England, to educate coworkers about her experience and encourage them to get it.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and LeadingAge, representing more than 5,000 nonprofit nursing homes and other providers, have set a goal of vaccinating 75 percent of the nation's roughly 1.5 million nursing home staff members by June 30.

Patchwork of state systems

Nursing home employees still have priority status for vaccine appointments, as recommended by the CDC. But it may not mean much. States are allowed to put them into the pool with every other person who's eligible for a vaccine appointment. Connecticut is among a handful of states taking that approach.

Other states have different plans and rules.

New Jersey, for example, is working on a plan to deliver vaccines to residents and staff in nursing homes. Until it gets off the ground, they can access vaccines on their own anywhere where appointments in the state are available, the state's health commissioner, Judith Persichilli, said this week. But getting access hasn't been easy.

"Many nursing home workers in New Jersey are still in need of vaccination, and some have expressed frustration in being unable to find appointments through their counties online portals or private vaccination sites, says Milly Silva, executive vice president of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, a union representing about 8,000 nursing home employees at 80 facilities in New Jersey. Part of this is likely due to technology and language barriers among this diverse and low-wage workforce."

Since the federal vaccine clinics ended, Rhode Island officials hired two ambulance companies whose emergency medical technicians will administer vaccines to residents in their nursing homes, said Kathleen Heren, the Rhode Island long-term care ombudsman, who advocates for long-term care consumers. But the plan doesn't include employees.

Next door, in Massachusetts, nursing homes are also vaccinating new residents but not employees. SEIU's United Healthcare Workers East, which represents nearly 3,000 nursing home workers in the state, is in conversations with the state health department and facility owners about how to ensure that new employees are able to possibly get vaccinated at the same time, said Marlishia Aho, an SEIU regional communications manager.

Megan O'Reilly, AARP's vice president for government affairs, federal health and family, said nursing facilities and states need to protect residents and staff against the virus: We would urge that facilities and states work together to make sure that residents and staff continue to have access to the vaccine."

Ohio appears to be one of the few states doing that, launching a COVID-19 vaccine maintenance program for staff members and residents who want the vaccine after the end of the federal vaccination effort. Employees and residents who declined the vaccine earlier will be able to get it at their facility, along with any new arrivals. Residents get first priority.

"We need to continue making the vaccine available to residents and employees at our nursing homes and assisted living facilities, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said this month, because we must continue to protect our most vulnerable population of older Ohioans against COVID-19.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the Federal Government to invest massively ...

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the Federal Government to invest massively in job creation to tackle insecurity and unemployment in the country.

Tinubu made the appeal in a remark at the opening of the 2021 annual Arewa House Lectures, which he chaired on Saturday in Kaduna.

The lecture was on Reduction of the Cost of Governance for Inclusive Growth and Youth Development in Northern Nigeria in a Post- COVID-19 era.

He said that the government must urgently think outside of the box in finding solutions to the challenges posed by unemployment.

According to him, the frustration and despair among the youth was largely caused by chronic poverty and breakdown in social institutions.

Building vital infrastructures such as irrigation and water catchment systems will help agriculture, arrest desertification and provide jobs.

Another readily available area primed for investment is the agro allied industry which, for the northern region is particularly advantageous, he said.

Tinubu added that the government must implement a national industrial policy to encourage key industries to begin to employ the countrys growing population.

On the herder and farmer dispute, the former Lagos State Governor said the government must appreciate that martial security measures alone will not suffice.

Problems that are essentially of an economic origin must also have an economical solution.

Enhanced security may be the necessary first step, but it cannot be the only step.

We cannot resolve this problem by holding on to one-dimensional answers. We must all be dispassionate in our search for solutions.

These challenges are multi-faceted and so the solutions must be.

The issue of insecurity, unemployment and extremism has many things to do with governance, over time. We must tackle our deep and widespread poverty.

If we limit governments role under the erroneous assumption that government spending is intrinsically unproductive, then we tether ourselves to failure, he said.

He also cautioned those advocating for small government, advising them to learn from history.

We would do well to more critically study how other populous nations such as the UK, US, Germany and China charted their course during their formative years.

You will see that they did not adhere to small government or the purportedly free market.

Government engaged in massive spending on infrastructure and education while also engaging in policies that protected industrial development and key aspects of the agricultural sector.

Only when they matured and held advantages over other nations, did the UK and US begin to champion free markets and small government.

We would do well to understand this history and learn what it means for our own pursuit of development, Tinubu added.
On the last weekend of March, University of Georgia student Noa Hubara traveled home to Charleston, South Carolina, to celebrate the first two nights of Passover with her family.
(Newser)  Lee Wong hadn't planned to take his shirt off during a town hall meeting on Tuesday in West Chester, Ohio. But when the 20-year US military veteran and chair of the city's board of trustees found himself "getting a little hot" while speaking about anti-Asian sentiment in the US, of which a recent increase has led to a spike in attacks, he realized "the timing was right in light of what's happening in this country," he tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I'm going to show you what patriotism ... looks like," he said at the meeting in a clip that's now gone viral on social media (a longer version can be seen here). The 69-year-old Asian American, who came to the US more than 50 years ago, is shown loosening his tie, unbuttoning his shirt, and standing up, pulling up his undershirt to reveal the scars on his chest that show the injuries he received while serving in the US Army. "Here is my proof," he says. "Is this patriot enough?"

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Wong tells FOX19 that when he came to the US as a teen to study in the late '60s, he was hospitalized after getting beat up in Chicago for being Asian. "That was my first experience" in America, he notes. The racism continued even after he'd served two decades in the Army, including when the Republican was campaigning as an elected official and people would tell him he didn't look "American enough," which was like a "stab in my heart." Wong tells the Enquirer he has put up "with a lot of s--- in silence ... too afraid to speak out, fearing more abuse and discrimination." Then came Tuesday's meeting. "I don't know what came over me," Wong says. "I just knew I had to say something." He says response to his speech has been mostly positive. "People are glad I spoke," he says. "West Chester is a diverse community and we don't need that kind of rhetoric." (Read more Asian-Americans stories.)
The public is being driven towards a Smart City future which we are told will end systemic racism, overcrowding, pollution, and crime. As covered in part 1 of this investigation, there are legitimate concerns with the Smart City movement. Without proper protections, this vision will spell the end of privacy, property ownership, and freedom of movement. This is the dream of the World Economic Forum and their partners at the United Nations.

In a future where all towns and cities are outfitted with the latest smart tech, fighting to maintain privacy and freedom of movement is crucial. Its also important to understand the innovation zones, special economic zones, and smart cities in the context of the World Economic Forums The Great Reset vision. How do these emerging technologies and concepts play a role in fomenting the centralized, authoritarian vision imagined by the talking heads at the WEF?

The Great Reset, Agenda 2030, and Smart Cities

A Smart City is promoted as an urban environment which uses data and emerging technologies to improve the quality of life for citizens, share information with the public, drive economic growth and build a more inclusive society. This city would involve the use of technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and drones to improve citizens lives and solve the challenges of today while preparing to address those of tomorrow.

The World Economic Forum  the architects of The Great Reset  and a host of other international public-private partnerships have been promoting the concept as a solution for fighting climate change for years. The COVID-19 operation has helped further cement the idea that our cities and infrastructure are unsustainable and thus, we must upgrade to Smart Cities.

In June 2019, the WEF announced they were collaborating with the leadership of the G20 to lead a new global effort to establish universal norms and guidelines for implementation of smart city technology. The move brought the WEF into the fold of global organizations focused on bringing the Smart City vision to life.

This Global Smart Cities Alliance (GSCA) was formed to establish global standards for data collection and use, foster greater transparency and public trust, and promote best practices in smart city governance. The WEF and the Smart Cities Alliance described the need for smart city technology as follows:

To support their booming urban populations, many cities have come to rely on the internet of things (IoT)that is, the worlds ever-expanding network of connected devicesto collect, share and analyse real-time data on urban environments. The data gathered using IoT technologies is helping these smart cities to combat crime, reduce pollution, decrease traffic congestion, improve disaster preparedness and more. However, it is also raising growing concerns about privacy, security and other risks. Without proper governance, these smart city technologies pose significant challenges that can outweigh their benefits. But despite the growing number of smart cities around the world, no global framework exists for regulating how data should be collected in public spaces (such as by traffic cameras or Wi-Fi hotspots) and subsequently used.

The GSCA and the WEF are now primed to be the lead organizations to establish a global framework for smart city governance. Additionally, in November 2020, the WEF selected 36 cities to pioneer a new global policy roadmap for smart cities developed by the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. The cities are meant to be the models for the Smart City future. These cities will be used as the testing grounds for the WEF and G20 roadmap. These so-called pioneer cities include Barcelona, Spain; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; London, United Kingdom; Mexico City, Mexico, and San Jose, United States.

Most recently, the WEF launched a platform called Shaping the Future of the Internet of Things and Urban Transformation to help transform the spaces in which we live, work and play to enable a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all. The WEF is working with more than 100 global partners to implement the platforms key initiatives, which include Future of the Connected World, focused on the Internet of Things (IoT); Future of Real Estate, discussing transitioning the real estate industry; and Future of Cities, which will discuss the responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies with partners representing more than 200,000 cities and local governments.

Clearly, the World Economic Forum is a major proponent of the push towards Smart Cities. Through their partnerships, initiatives, and publications, the WEF is playing an outsized role in promoting the technological vision for urban areas. However, upon closer examination it becomes clear that the WEF is simply parroting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal #11

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly with the intention of achieving them by the year 2030. The SDGs were part of a larger resolution known as the 2030 Agenda, or Agenda 2030.

The language of the WEF and the Global Smart Cities Alliance clearly mirrors the language of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030. For example, the eleventh SDG is make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The Goal 11 Targets include reducing the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities and providing universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces by 2030.

The United Nations has also launched the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative to help achieve SDG 11. According to their website, U4SSC serves as the global platform to advocate for public policy and to encourage the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to facilitate and ease the transition to smart sustainable cities. Coincidentally, the 5th meeting of the U4SSC Initiative took place on 9 October 2020, about one week before the World Economic Forum was involved in the Event 201 pandemic simulation exercise.

The United Nations is not alone in leading the charge for Smart Cities to help achieve UN SDGs. There are also non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in the process. These include 100 Resilient Cities Network (100RC), developed by the Rockefeller Foundation to help cities around the world to become more resilient to physical, social, and economic shocks, and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies with former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg as President of the Board.

How Smart City Propaganda Spreads on the Local Level

The push for Smart City technology and programs is not exclusively the activity of international governments and NGOs. The spread of Smart City propaganda also happens via local governing bodies which help implement the UN SDGs. In this way local officials pass resolutions and form committees which are aimed at implementing Agenda 2030/Great Reset goals under the guise of beautifying their respective cities and towns. One prime example, is Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Turner is a great example of an individual using their position of power to emulate the UN SDGs.

In May 2018, Turner established a Smart City Advisory Council to help transition Houston to the city of the future while working to reduce climate change. The age of technology is here and we cannot afford to sit idle, Turner said at the time. We must leap, not stroll into the future. The advisory council will set the stage for Houston to become the Smart City of the world.

Under Turners mayorship, Houston has also partnered with with tech giant Microsoft as part of the Microsoft Innovation Alliance initiative. Turner also partnered with Verizon Inc to make Houston the site of the first 5G implementation in the United States. Turners relationship with Verizon and the wireless industry are so great that the Cellular, Telephone, and Internet Association (CTIA) lobbying group presented him the 2018 5g Wireless Champion Award for removing barriers to the deployment of next-generation wireless infrastructure. The CTIA stated that, Under Mayor Turners leadership, Houston has streamlined the permitting process by not requiring a license or attachment agreement for new poles or small cells, and completes review ahead of deadlines. 

The connection to 5G networks is important because the technology is the backbone of the Smart City vision. In order for the autonomous vehicles, drones, robot assistants, smart lights, and sensors in the street to operate, there must be little to no latency between devices on the Internet of Things (IoT). This means smart cities must be outfitted with 5G. Indeed, the World Economic Forums Strategic Intelligence platform has a page dedicated to the ways 5G will shape the world in the coming years.

Mayor Turner has also sought to use COVID-19 as a promotion for Houstons Smart City for resilience initiative. Forbes notes that Houston is using real-time data and digital contact tracing to identify community spread and more rapidly develop policies. The city has also partnered with tech firm Intel for a smart water program that uses genetic markers to understand community spread.

In January, the Climate Mayors announced Turner as the next Chair of the nationwide coalition. In this role, Turner will help catalyze climate-forward actions taken at the local level, provide an example of climate action for leaders at all levels of government. Turner is also the Vice-Chair of the National Climate Action Agenda, a member of the Global Covenant for Mayors for Climate and Energy, and as of October 2020, the Chairman of the Resilient Cities Network.

One of the Core Funders of the Resilient Cities Network is the Rockefeller Foundation, the same organization who founded the 100RC Network. In fact, as part of 100RC, the Rockefeller Foundation helps partner cities establish Chief Resilience Officers to implement the goals of the organization. The Rockefeller Foundation is intertwined with the Gates Foundation as part of the COVID-19 operation. They are also working with the World Economic Forum on the CommonPass vaccination passport.

In February 2020, Turner and his team released the Resilient Houston report as part of the overall Resilient Cities Network. Resilient Houston includes 62 actions aligned with UN SDGs. The report identified six themes to advance implementation of these goals, including Smart Cities. Technological advances and innovation at the heart of advancing smart city initiatives will be harnessed, the report states.

Sustainability for Equity or Control?

At first glance, there is a tendency to solely acknowledge the benefits of the schemes proposed by these organizations. The World Economic Forum, Global Smart Cities Alliance, the United Nations, 100RC, and Mayor Turner all claim that smart city technology will help usher in an era of sustainable and inclusive urban environments. They say that the IoT, 5G, and Smart Cities are needed to bring in this utopian future. These organizations and the SDGs they seek to implement often speak of equity, and sound rather innocuous to the casual reader. After all, creating more bike lanes and green spaces for people to relax outdoors sounds wonderful. Until you realize that the WEF Agenda 2030/Great Reset agenda involves limiting who can drive and who can fly. The reality is that the UN and WEF are only paying lip service to protecting privacy and liberty.

For example, Port-au-Prince, Haiti is using cell-phone data records, combined with machine learning techniques, to identify the most common traffic patterns and flooding risks in order to better plan and protect the citys transport infrastructure going forward. However, there is no discussion of what will happen to those phone records which have been collected and who has access to them and for how long. Without proper protections, billions of peoples personal data will be used to shape the technological world around them.

In truth, the push for smart cities, the UN SDGs, and the Great Reset is based in a deeper agenda to monitor, control, and direct all life on the planet using technology. The true agenda of the WEF and the United Nations is to establish a global Technocratic State where alleged experts and technologists make decisions for the vast majority of the people in the name of saving the environment.

The only thing that stands in the way of the implementation of Agenda 2030 and The Great Reset is the current mass awakening of free humans around the world. Millions of people have begun to question the true purpose behind the COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates. Millions of people are now seeking to educate themselves and build a better world outside of the hands of the Predator Class. The people are rejecting the New Normal and embracing The Greater Reset.
'Driving a radical social agenda': Conservative groups denounce Rachel Levine's confirmation

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Conservative groups have denounced the Senate's confirmation of Dr. Rachel Levine to be assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. President Joe Biden nominated Levine for the position, in part, because he would be the first openly trans-identifying individual to serve as a federal official.

Levine, who was born Richard Levine and formerly served as Pennsylvania Health Secretary, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday in a vote of 52-48.

In remarks delivered before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the Levine confirmation an important milestone on behalf of the transgender community.

As transgender Americans suffer higher rates of abuse, homelessness, and depression than almost every other group, its important to have national figures like Dr. Levine who, by virtue of being in the public spotlight, will help break down barriers of ignorance and fear, Schumer said.

The historic nature of her nomination should not be lost on anyone, but Dr. Levine thoroughly deserves to be confirmed on the strength of her qualifications. Despite several attacks on her gender identity over the past year, Dr. Levine has stayed laser-focused on helping the state of Pennsylvania manage and respond to COVID.

However, many socially conservative groups like the American Principles Project have denounced Levine's confirmation, saying in part that the appointment will lead to a backlash against Democrats.

APP President Terry Schilling explained that he believed the Levine confirmation was historic in that the position of assistant secretary for health will be filled by someone who has openly and vocally advocated for allowing children to undergo sex-change procedures.

But while President Biden and Democrats may have fooled voters last fall into believing such an extreme position wasnt a part of their agenda, they will not be able to do so next time around, Schilling said.

Every Democrat in the Senate is now on record as supporting childhood sex changes, and they will have to answer for it to their voters.

Autumn Leva, vice president for strategy at Family Policy Alliance, released a statement saying that the confirmation was proof that the Biden administration was driving a radical social agenda and continuing a hard left turn away from American families.

Leva referenced the confirmation of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as head of the Department of Health and Human Services as another example of this development.

During his time as a U.S. representative and attorney general in California, Mr. Becerra demonstrated his extreme positions on abortion and opposing religious freedom  even for nuns and pregnancy resource centers, Leva said.

Now, Dr. Levine joins Becerra at the Health Department despite having openly advocated that even young children should be able to take experimental hormones to transition to the opposite sex  and that parents shouldnt intervene.

Travis Weber, vice president for policy and government affairs at the Family Research Council, said in a statement that Levine may be the most extreme radical ever confirmed by the Senate.

During his confirmation hearing, he refused to answer when Senator Rand Paul asked him directly whether transgender hormones or surgery for minors met the international definition of abuse, Weber added.

Like embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Levine also forced COVID-19 patients out of hospitals and into nursing homes, and defended the action in the face of criticism even as his own mother was quietly removed from a nursing home.

Weber also warned that Levine will exercise his authority to punish parents and people of faith who object to his anti-life, anti-family agenda.

Levine's crusade against religious liberty would only be made worse by bills like the Equality Act or Fairness for All, both of which HHS would have a hand in implementing, he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start Day 2 of his Bangladesh visit with a visit to Shaktira Jeshoreshwari temple, which is about 300 km from the capital city of Dhaka. Later today, the PM is scheduled to meet his counterpart Sheikh Hasina and will hold one-on-one talks with her.

After his visit to Shaktira Jeshoreshwari temple, PM Modi will go to Tungipara, the mausoleum of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. PM Modi will be received by Bangabandhu's daughter and Bangladesh premier at her ancestral home.

From Tungipara, PM Modi will visit Orakandi, a native place of Matua community founder Harichand Thakur. Notably, the Matua community members also dominate West Bengal politics, with the community holding sway over 35 Assembly seats in the state.

The PM will then go to Dhaka and have one-on-one talks with Sheikh Hasina. The delegation-level talks and signing of MoUs will follow the meeting between the top leaders.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Dhaka for his visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of Prime Minister Hasina on Friday. This is the historic visit to celebrate Mujib Borsho-the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladesh's war of liberation.

Soon after his arrival, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (JatiyoSritiShoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

He also met the community leaders including Representatives of Minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi Mukhtijoddhas, Friends of India and Youth Icons. He also met political leaders from the 14 party alliance along with the convener. He also interacted with opposition leaders from various political parties of Bangladesh. The engagement involved discussions on many issues about the two countries bilateral relations.

Also read: PM Modi visits war memorial, meets Bangladesh leaders, young achievers in Dhaka
The funding will complement existing plans to transform Mallow Castle and its grounds into one of Corks leading visitor attractions.

This derelict site at Tuckeys Hill could finally be redeveloped under the Mallow urban regeneration initiative.

The Mallow Town Centre Regeneration initiative is among six projects across Cork and Kerry set to share in a 437m funding windfall under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).

Mallow has been allocated 4.7m under the fund, which is aimed at part-funding projects that enhance urban areas making them better places to live, work in and visit, making them more attractive for business and potential investors.

The core thrust of the fund is to pave the way for additional residential and commercial developments within existing larger urban settlements, backed up by the relevant infrastructure, services and amenities.

In Mallow's case, the funding will be spread across both existing projects already set in motion by Cork County Council and new pilot initiatives aimed at rejuvenating derelict and vacant sites within the town centre.

Full details of each of the project streams are contained within the attached blue panel.

A spokesperson for Cork County Council said the funding would be of considerable assistance in progressing the existing masterplan for Mallow Castle and its environs. These include plans to link the Castle grounds with the Town Park and Spa House into one easily accessible visitor/tourism package.

"We have been working on this for a considerable length of time and various elements of it have already been brought before county councillors for approval," said the spokesperson.

"The pilot elements of the regeneration project funded under this allocation will see the engagement of consultants to see what is feasible and achievable in terms using vacant and derelict sites with a view to developing a zero carbon footprint local economy."

The funding announcement has been warmly welcomed by local community groups and public representatives, with John McDonnell of the Mallow Development Partnership saying it was "hopefully a clear signal that the town is on the verge of a recovery in its economic and social fortune".

"Taken together with the recent Cork County Council funding announcements for Mallow Castle and Park, Tip O'Neill Park and the Town Hall, this project will give a much needed confidence boost to local business, heritage and cultural interests," said Mr McDonnell.

He said there was also the opportunity "and indeed the necessity" for further State investment in Mallow under the URDF which, aligned with private investment, would help reaffirm Mallow's status as a key hub town under the National Planning Framework.

However, he did say that it was clear the long-awaited Mallow Relief Road needed to be up and running to facilitate any major plan of works on the town's main street.

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said the funding would further strengthens Mallow position as one of Cork County's key towns.

"It is important to recognise senior County Council executive Mary Hayes and her team for the many hours they put in to get this funding application over the line. Without their dedication, it would not have happened," he said.

Cllr Gearoid Murphy (FF) also complimented council staff for efforts to secure the funding, which he said would help address key issues that he and his colleagues had been highlighting for years.

"In particular, the pilot programmes will help to tackle dereliction in the town centre and will provide much-needed support for local, home-grown businesses in Mallow," he said.

Cllr Tony O'Shea (FG) said the funding would ensure that urban Mallow would be an attractive place to live and work well into the future.

Cork East Fianna Fail TD James O'Connor welcomed the funding town centres are at the heart of our local communities.

"It is vital that we continue to invest in making our towns more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest. Improving linkages between key services and amenities is vital for the creation of employment and new businesses," he said.

Mallow Town Centre regeneration funding

'This project's overarching aim is stimulating town centre renewal and creating a more liveable and attractive town centre.

This project supports the delivery of key, strategic town centre transformative projects targeted in Mallow town, along with two pilot schemes.

The two pilot schemes involve building re-use interventions in order to assess if such interventions can stimulate private sector interest and/or activity, to address some of the key challenges facing town centres'.

Works to be supported include:

Mallow Castle Visitor Destination

Development.

The appointment of a design team to progress the design and business case for the development of a visitor destination development at Mallow Castle.

Mallow Main Street

Public Realm.

THE appointment of a team to develop an overall public realm plan for Davis Street and key laneways in Mallow town.

This will animate and create an attractive, vibrant and welcoming sense of place in Mallow Town Centre.

It will improve linkages between key services and amenities. The public realm plan will have a specific focus on developing Mallow's overall 'place-making' identity through the development of key anchor, heritage-led visual interpretative elements.

Pilot Retail/Commercial

Incubator Scheme.

TO incentivise the establishment of new independent retailers and/or offices in Mallow town centre.

Pilot Vacant Property/Brownfield

Redevelopment Scheme.

TO support the financial viability and regeneration of town centre vacant property/brownfield sites for energy efficient or zero-carbon social infrastructure developments.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





PNH : Release of 3 hostages

On the night of March 25 to 26, the Haitian National Police released 3 hostages kidnapped on Monday March 22 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33318-haiti-news-zapping.html including the deputy agent of the commune of Bassin Bleu, (North-West), Milouse Rosier.



Palm Beach : 22 illegal Haitians arrested

Very early on Friday, March 26, a 25-foot vessel was found between the southern end of Palm Beach and the north of the Lake Worth Pier with 22 Haitian nationals on board who were arrested by border patrol officers from the Miami area and federal agents. The border patrol is continuing its search to possibly find other people who could be involved in this illegal business.



Constitution : 3 days of demonstrations

Opposition and civil society organizations are announcing three days of national mobilization and demonstration (March 28, 29 and 30, 2021) for the respect of the 1987 Constitution, which is its 34th anniversary.



Coup : Those released without trial

The 17 people released in the attempted coup https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33320-haiti-flash-the-court-of-appeal-orders-the-release-of-17-people-accused-of-coup-attempted.html have not been exonerated. Indeed, the Court of Appeal made its decision on the form when it found that the arrests were made without a warrant and after 6:00 p.m. The council of judges of the Court of Appeal has not ruled whether or not there had been a coup plot or not, this case still being investigated by Judge Ivelt Petit-Blanc, which has not yet issued its closing order. As a result, the prosecution can always appeal to the Supreme Court.



The Haitian virtual currency is called "BITKoB"

On Friday, officials from the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) presented the prizes to the winners of the naming competition for the Haitian Central Digital Currency. Jimmy Jean and Honor Luders won this competition with the name "BITKoB" and each received a check for 250,000 Gourdes. The 2nd Yves Jean who had proposed "KOBNET" received 200,000 Gourdes and finally the 3rd Sam Junior Cenor who had proposed "KOBEL" received 150,000 Gourdes. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28161-haiti-technology-towards-an-encrypted-virtual-currency-at-the-brh.html



Joseph Lambert back home

The Senate Communication Office informs of the return to the country of President Joseph Lambert on Friday March 26, 2021. The Honorable Senator, satisfied with the care received, is preparing to join his peers to lead the activities of the Grand Corps.



HL/ HaitiLibre




















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Plans to save 300 mln. USD spent a year for rice

BY YOHANNES JEMANEH

ADDIS ABABA -The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) accentuated that Ethiopia has to employ agricultural technology and mechanized farming to save 300 million USD spent each year for rice importation.

Having a stay with the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), EIAR Researcher and National Rice Production Program Coordinator, Mulugeta Atnaf (PhD) said that the country has planned to substitute rice importation through increasing productivity and utilizing its abundant natural resources via employing various agricultural technologies and farming irrigation.

He further said that the government is endeavoring to scale up productivity so as to substitute importing rice by beefing up

the local product which is covering only 20 percent of the national demand at present.

"Each year, Ethiopia spends about 300 million USD to import rice to cover 80 of the national demand despite the natural resource abundance for the productivity of the cereal. If things go as per the schedule, the plan will help fully stop importing rice within five years,"he said.

Some 95 percent of Ethiopia's rice is imported from India when the stock market is crashing these days due to COVID-19 PANDEMIC impact, he stated.

Rice is among the commodities like wheat and food oil that the government is striving to ensure supply under its COVID 19 mitigation strategy, he mentioned.

It was thirteen years ago that the government named rice as crop of the millennium for to its rich nutrient value and potential to achieve food security. But, a lot remains to be done to realize this desire through wide range of investment, he remarked. Currently the country is producing 40 quintals of rice per hectare which makes the cereal the second most productive crop in the country next to maize, Mulugeta said adding that his institute is working to grown this number by additional 10 quintals.

Expansion of mechanization and effective work in cooperation with farmers and experts will help improve both the quality and quantity of the product, and some 38 rice varieties are currently dispatched to farmers, he added.

He also pointed out that the country should use both rain and irrigation to lift up production on its wetlands. In addition, the government needs to expand mechanization to achieve import substitution.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Trade Food and Agriculture 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.

Studies conducted in 2014 indicated that the country has about 13 million most suitable arable landsfor rice production although it is only 60,000 hectares that have been cultivated so far, it was learnt.

Rice is a lowland crop but it needs a huge amount of waterand hot temperature. Fortunately, both necessities are abundant in Ethiopia which makes the country suitable for rice productivity, according to Mulugeta.

Fogera, Beninshangul, Gambella, West of Gondar, Somali, South Omo, Guraferda are the most suitable areas for rice production identified by studies, he mentioned.

To this end, various research centers including Pawi, Gondar, Jimma, Tepi, Jinka, Werer, Bako and Asosa are working together under the EIAR to provide the producers with swift seed and other agricultural technologies, he mentioned.

International Rice Research Institute and Africa Rice Center are supporting Ethiopia in rice production through providing germ plasm of the grain, it was indicated

The Ethiopian Herald 27 March 2021
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Meghan McCain has slammed the mainstream media for its fawning response to Joe Biden's first press conference, saying the new President is being treated far more lightly than his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Biden held his first press conference on Thursday - more than two months into his Presidency - where he answered questions on immigration, China, and gun control.

But while Biden made a series of factually incorrect statements and was seen referring to prepared notes, the media's response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Speaking on The View Friday, McCain said the reaction was evidence of media bias, and claimed that Biden only answered a series of softball questions.

'We're still in a pandemic, there are still a bunch of crises, and I don't think he answered nearly enough questions that I, for one, would have liked to see him answer and I think the coverage has been really disconcerting,' the conservative co-host stated.

'I was watching some shows this morning - there's no need to slobber all over Joe Biden right now. He's still the president of the United States. And I think our role in the fourth estate is to hold his feet to the fire and to ask serious questions and 'give him time, let him be president,' yes, but we didn't give this [leeway] to President Obama or to President Trump.'

Meghan McCain has slammed mainstream media for its fawning response to Joe Biden's first press conference, saying the new President is being treated far more lightly than his predecessor, Donald Trump

McCain also added that Biden didn't take questions from journalists who may have been prepared to ask him harder questions.

'He didn't answer any questions from any media that didn't agree with him,' McCain explained.

'Peter Doocy, was not called on, Fox News wasn't called on, which I think is a huge miss for President Biden yesterday.'

She also stated that the press deliberately ignored Biden's recent stumble up the stairs of Air Force One and reports that a gun registered to Hunter Biden was disposed of in a trash can outside a Delaware supermarket in 2018.

'If President Trump had fallen down Air Force One or if his son was involved in some very serious reports involving the Secret Service and a handgun, I believe we would be having a very different [discussion] today,' McCain stated, trying to point out the perceived double standard.

'I think it is incumbent on us and the press not to be deleterious in the way that we cover President Biden.'

Speaking on The View Friday, McCain said the reaction to the press conference was evidence of media bias, and claimed that Biden only answered a series of softball questions

McCain has been long been a family friend of Joe Biden's. Her father, the late John McCain, worked alongside Biden in the Senate for decades.

McCain has been long been a family friend of Joe Biden's. Her father, the late John McCain, worked alongside Biden in the Senate for decades.

The now-President famously consoled McCain on The View following her dad's cancer diagnosis in 2017.

'I love President Biden as a person. I think he's a truly decent human person, and a wonderful family man and I have great love and admiration for him on a personal level,' McCain clarified on Friday.

'But I believe our role in the fourth estate as journalists and commentators is hold the president and the press's feet to the fire and i have to separate my emotions from calling balls and strikes on this.
By NICOLE C. BRAMBILA, LNP

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP)  Late last spring a COVID-19 wave tore through the Plain community when they resumed church services, infecting an untold number of Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County.

The administrator of a medical center in the heart of the Amish community in New Holland estimates as many as 90% of Plain families have since had at least one family member infected, and that this religious enclave achieved what no other community in the United States has: herd immunity.

So, you would think if COVID was as contagious as they say, it would go through like a tsunami, and it did, said Allen Hoover, an Old Order Mennonite and administrator of the Parochial Medical Center, a clinic that primarily serves the Plain community.

Public health officials and epidemiologists did not dispute the widespread outbreak Hoover described. But they voiced concern that a misplaced perception of herd immunity in a population that makes up 8% of Lancaster County may compromise the effort to turn the tide on the pandemic.

As Hoover observed, faith in herd immunity has prompted members of the Plain community to relax on key mitigation efforts such as masking and social distancing, and they may see little reason to be vaccinated.

Additionally, it is unknown whether achieving herd immunity last year would be beneficial now.

Six infectious disease experts with whom LNP-LancasterOnline spoke expressed unease with a reliance on the notion the Plain community had achieved herd immunity here. And they pointed out that if not the case, past infections and existing antibodies may provide limited protection.

Herd immunity is only true at a given point in time, said Eric Lofgren, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Washington State University. Its not a switch that once it gets thrown, youre good. Itll wear off.

This collision of science and personal experience could leave Lancaster County vulnerable just as county health officials seek to make progress vaccinating residents against COVID-19.

You can have a long period where you think everything is OK, but you have this whole population thats susceptible, said David Lo, professor of biomedical sciences and senior associate dean of research at the University of California, Riverside.

Lo added, All it takes is one person whos contagious to give you this sudden outbreak.

Theres a real risk of having an outbreak

Hoover agreed with these epidemiologists.

He acknowledged that face masks and social distancing have been critical for mitigating the spread of COVID-19; he wears a face covering when interacting with non-Amish. But he also knows many in the Plain community dont take the same precautions.

As a general rule, we want to respect those around us, said Hoover, who has been the medical centers administrator since 2004. But because of perceived immunity, Hoover said, the Plain community believes public health directives dont apply to us.

Its a perspective Hoover understands, but doesnt share.

We should be careful that were not the cause of it spreading, Hoover said.

The Parochial Medical Center is not the only medical provider that caters to the Plain community, but with 33,000 active patients, it is arguably the largest.

The Plain community in Lancaster County, which includes both Amish and Mennonites, is not insignificant. Combined, it represents nearly 8% of the countys population of just more than 545,000 residents, according to estimates from Elizabethtown Colleges Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

The dearth of COVID-19 testing among the Plain doesnt just mean a lack of scientific certainty.

The reason its important is because its unlikely that 100% have had the disease, said David Dowdy, a professor in the epidemiology department at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Under the right conditions, a single infected individual can trigger an outbreak.

Take what happened at Disneyland.

Two decades ago, measles was declared eradicated in the United States because of an effective national vaccination campaign. But that didnt stop an outbreak from infecting 150 people in seven states, Mexico and Canada in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak was attributed to unvaccinated children.

The implication is this: If an outbreak of a highly contagious disease for which there is a proven vaccine could happen at the Happiest Place on Earth, it can happen in Lancaster County.

An outbreak among the Plain would impact the wider community because while these religious sects are insular, they are not isolated. The Plain mingle with the English, as they refer to their non-Amish neighbors, at grocery stores, their places of business and other public places.

There could easily still be pockets of the (Plain) community who have not been infected, and if theyre infected, theres a real risk of having an outbreak, Dowdy said.

The Penn State Extension Office (Lancaster Farm and Home Center) has distributed this flyer on coronavirus to Amish and Old Order Mennonite families in Lancaster and Chester counties.

It was bad here in the spring

The Plain community followed the example of its English neighbors and shuttered schoolhouses and canceled biweekly church services when the novel coronavirus threatened to overwhelm Pennsylvanias health-care system last spring.

Initially, compliance with public health directives was about not being offensive to non-Amish neighbors, Hoover said.

But as the pandemic wore on, messages from skeptical lawmakers and English neighbors suggested that the virus wasnt a big concern.

For example, back in early May, a number of Lancaster County elected officials  including state Sen. Ryan Aument, a Mount Joy Republican  said they would join a handful of other counties to defy Gov. Tom Wolfs stay-at-home orders to save the local economy, which had been battered in the shutdown.

County Commissioner Josh Parsons, a Republican, challenged the legal basis for requiring face masks. And state Rep. David Zimmerman, a Republican who represents a large swath of eastern Lancaster County, home to a large number of Plain, criticized the governors handling of the pandemic.

The Amish are a distinct group, but they also respond, in many ways, like many rural Lancastrians, said Steve Nolt, interim director of the Young Center. I think there was a lot of non-Amish influence on the Amish.

As their English neighbors resumed pre-pandemic activities, the Plain community did as well, Nolt and others said.

By late April, when Pennsylvania was still under stay-at-home orders, the Plain community had resumed worship services, where they shared communion cups and holy kisses, a church greeting among believers.

Infections quickly followed.

It was bad here in the spring; one patient right after another, said Pam Cooper, a physicians assistant at the Parochial Medical Center.

Just how deep into the community the infections spread is impossible to know. Hoover speculated that among those displaying symptoms, fewer than 10% consented to be tested.

In late April and early May, when Hoover said the virus ran unimpeded through the Plain community, the countys positivity rate  the percent of positive tests  exceeded 20%, its highest of the pandemic, according to Covid Act Now, a nonprofit that provides local disease data. (Last year, the World Health Organization recommended governments use a rate of 5% or lower for two weeks as the threshold for reopening.)

If Hoovers assessment is accurate, and if more Plain patients had been tested, the positivity rate could very well have been higher.

While so few were tested, many exhibited all the symptoms that have become so emblematic of the disease.

Cooper estimated the medical center saw  on average  nearly a dozen infections a day, or roughly 15% of the patients it serves daily.

The disease, as has been true in the wider community, knew no boundaries. Hoover became infected in November; at least one of his children was infected twice.

It really went through pretty quick, in a few weeks, Cooper said.

The number of patients ebbed in the summer before picking up again in the fall, although not at nearly the rate as was seen in the spring.

Cases now are rare. Hoover said Tuesday that the center hasnt had a patient present with COVID-19 symptoms in roughly six weeks.

Youd actually have to test the herd

Epidemiologists from the University of Pittsburgh, Washington State, Johns Hopkins, Emory and the University of California all said a widespread outbreak leading to herd immunity in the Plain community would be rare, but possible.

Its extremely unusual, Lofgren, at Washington State University, said of herd immunity to COVID-19. It would be the first general population in the United States thats done it.

Significant outbreaks have been identified elsewhere.

The CDC, for example, studied COVID-19 outbreaks among smaller Amish communities in rural Ohio and Indiana.

As the CDC has noted, the Amish emphasis on strong social bonds and religious gatherings posed a unique public health challenge during the pandemic.

Unlike the outbreak Hoover described in Lancaster County, however, the Ohio and Indiana communities conducted testing.

They really contributed to a lot of spread of COVID in the community, said Shirley Bixby, director of nursing for the Ashland County Board of Health in northeastern Ohio. It was quite nerve-wracking.

In Indiana, COVID-19 infections were so common among the Amish that residents believe most had been exposed.

At the height of the summer outbreak, seven out of 10 COVID-19 tests came back positive, said Dr. Daniel N. Kragt, a physician at Dayspring Christian Health Care in Middlebury, Indiana.

Dayspring is a cash-only provider in the middle of the Amish community, about 35 miles east of South Bend.

For all the tests Kragt conducted, about 40% of Amish patients declined.

Making scientific conclusions about immunity is difficult, Kragt noted, because very often the herd doesnt want to be tested.

To say you have herd immunity, youd actually have to test the herd, Kragt said.

Plenty of death certificates

COVID-19 has been devastating to Pennsylvania seniors, with nine out of every 10 fatalities among those 60 and older. In Lancaster County, 96% of COVID-19 fatalities as of March 17  926 of 968  have been people age 60 or older.

The same appears to be true for the elderly in the Plain community, as Hoover estimated most deaths were 70 and older.

Cooper said she signed plenty of death certificates during that time.

But the death toll may never be known.

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni identified fewer than a dozen deaths in the Plain community, an estimate he derived at by using decedent location and last name.

Virus-related deaths, Cooper speculated, were likely listed as pneumonia.

Diamantoni does not dispute this.

People have to die from something, Diamantoni said. If they dont want any intervention done, these people could slip under the radar.

Even if more virus testing had been done, its unlikely the public would know much more about the diseases impact. Thats because demographic information collected by health departments  such as race and ethnicity  does not include religion.

The fatalities have not gone unnoticed.

A contributor to The Diary, a monthly newspaper published in Kirkwood with Amish reports on crops, births, deaths, weddings and ordinations across the United States, tallied the annual number of obituaries since 2015.

As you can see, the number of deaths this year is 100 count higher than any of the five previous years, Joas D. Troyer, of Hestand, Kentucky, wrote in Januarys edition. This may give us a good idea how many people died from coronavirus.

No magic number

Herd immunity  either through infection or vaccination  has been touted as the way back to normal.

The only true herd immunity that we can bring as a community is for people to be vaccinated, said Alice Yoder, executive director of Community Health at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Because immunologists dont yet know what the threshold is for COVID-19 immunity, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has said the coronavirus could require vaccination rates as high as 90%.

The key is that there is not necessarily a magic number, said Dowdy, at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The lack of infection data on the notoriously private Plain community makes proving or disproving whether Anabaptists (a Christian community of which Amish and Mennonites are a part) achieved herd immunity impossible 11 months later. Testing could be conducted now, but the absence of antibodies  Dowdy and other experts said  doesnt mean the lack of infection.

As the United States races to stay ahead of virus mutations, the more pressing issue  these experts said  was vaccine hesitancy. As of March 16, there were two other mutations in Pennsylvania: 68 cases of the UK variant and one South African case, according to the CDC.

The higher the vaccination in the (Plain) community, the better it will be for the entire community, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Despite lower childhood vaccination rates among the Amish, there is no religious prohibition, said Nolt, at Elizabethtown College, who has written 14 books about the Amish.

In a 2017 doctoral study that examined Amish perceptions in Lancaster County, Cooper found the majority had a positive attitude toward immunizations and roughly six in 10 surveyed were likely to vaccinate their children.

As Cooper noted in her study, three out four of those she surveyed said they had never discussed vaccination with their health care provider.

Providers are missing many opportunities to discuss vaccines with Amish parents, wrote Cooper, at the Parochial Medical Center.

God helps those who help themselves

Vaccine efforts among the Plain community could prove challenging.

I think it will be a very hard sell, Hoover said.

The Amish have been persuaded to embrace mass vaccination efforts before, most notably after a polio outbreak in 1979 and a rash of measles in 1991. This has left health officials hopeful the Anabaptists will respond again.

The Pennsylvania Amish Safety Committee and other partnerships will be crucial to outreach efforts that have already begun. Comprised of five elected Old Order Amish men, the committee provides safety information and has helped spearhead issues such as the 2011 effort to cover holes in haylofts after emergency room doctors encountered a number of Plain sect children who had fallen through.

The goal, Lancaster Generals Yoder said, is to achieve a vaccination rate protective of the entire community.

Of course, Yoder said, there might be some concern that we dont reach that.

The way Dr. Holmes Morton sees it, these religious sects must take responsibility for getting vaccinated to protect their Lancaster County neighbors.

I just think the Plain community has to get involved in a public-health sense, said Morton, founder of the Central Pennsylvania Clinic in Belleville, Mifflin County.

Morton, who first created the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, is renowned for his pioneering work on genetic diseases among Plain children.

Just because youre Plain doesnt mean youre exempt, Morton said. God helps those who help themselves.
The over-70s could begin getting booster shots in September to protect them against new coronavirus variants under plans for the future of the vaccine rollout.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the first booster doses would go to the top four priority groups, including care home staff, NHS workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

He told the Telegraph that this would likely begin in September and was said to have added that the Government is expecting up to eight different jabs to be available by the autumn, including one protecting against three different variants in a single dose.

A number will reportedly be manufactured in the UK, which could ease the pressure on supplies amid tensions with the European Union as it faces shortages from AstraZeneca.

Asked when the booster programme would begin, Mr Zahawi told the newspaper: The most likely date will be September.

Jonathan Van-Tam (the deputy chief medical officer) thinks that if we are going to see a requirement for a booster jab to protect the most vulnerable, (it) would be around September.

Dr Mike Tildesley, who advises the Government on the Spi-M modelling group, said it was good news that September has been suggested for boosters, but warned the arrival of new variants must be stalled.

In the shorter term, we are worried about new variants, but if we can keep these out for a longer period of time, enough time for these boosters to be developed, then that should hopefully protect us as we go into the winter, he told Times Radio.

Ministers were facing pressure to protect the success of the vaccination programme against the import of new variants from overseas, with the Guardian reporting officials met on Friday to consider expanding the travel red list mandating hotel quarantine.

Labours shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: The UK Government are yet again doing too little, too late to secure our borders against Covid  and its the British people that will pay the price.

Ministers need to do everything possible to stop new variants reaching the UK  and move to a comprehensive hotel quarantine system now.

(PA Graphics)

European Union leaders gave their backing to more stringent vaccine shipment controls as the bloc struggles with its rollout, but stopped short of imposing an export ban.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said AstraZeneca must catch up on deliveries to the EU before exporting doses elsewhere.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US president Joe Biden discussed their vaccination programmes in a call on Friday afternoon.

The Prime Minister stressed that global access to vaccines will be key to defeating the pandemic, a Downing Street spokesman said.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) signed off moves that will increase manufacturing capacity and supply of Covid-19 vaccines.

The EU agency approved the Halix site in Leiden in the Netherlands for the production of AstraZenecas active vaccine substance, boosting the licensed sites to four.

And it backed a new manufacturing site in the German city of Marburg, as well as more flexible storage conditions for the Pfizer jab.

However, tensions remained high, with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accusing the UK of blackmail over its handling of exports.

The United Kingdom has taken great pride in vaccinating well with the first dose, except they have a problem with the second dose, he told France Info radio.

(PA Graphics)

But his assertion was denied by the UK Government, with a spokesman saying: Were on track to meet our vaccination targets and everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first.

Meanwhile, the Government was accused by a senior Tory of failing black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities and young women on hesitancy towards vaccines.

Caroline Nokes, the chairwoman of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said in a letter to Mr Zahawi that not tackling the issue could be devastating for vaccine hesitant groups as well as wider society.

The vaccines minister told the Telegraph that drive-through vaccination centres could be opened in the coming months in a bid to tackle hesitancy.

Its a great way as you do the under-50s, the under-40s, under-30s. Convenience becomes a much greater tool to deploy because you want to make sure for those people, where we think there may be greater hesitancy, we make it as convenient as we can make it, he said.

The Government announced that retailers in England will be able to stay open until 10pm six days a week when they are permitted to trade again from April 12.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it will allow them to reopen safely, as Chancellor Rishi Sunak encouraged people to go have fun by spending their savings.

But Dr Tildesley, an infectious disease expert at Warwick University, warned against Mr Sunaks choice of language for flipping from one extreme to the other, like in his Eat Out To Help Out scheme last summer.

I totally understand the need to reinvigorate the economy, but I think we need slightly more measured language here, to encourage people to do that, but to do it within the rules, to make sure that we observe social distancing, he told Times Radio.

In Wales, lockdown restrictions were being eased as the stay local requirement was dropped on Saturday and people being allowed to stay in self-contained holiday accommodation.

A relaxing of Englands lockdown will take place on Monday when the stay home order ends and groups of up to six people, or two households, are able to meet outside.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested there was a levelling off in the decline of coronavirus infections in England.

Oxford Universitys Professor James Naismith said: Todays ONS data are less reassuring than last week; they serve as a caution but not yet evidence we need to change course.
This is my third opening with this company and the first one through a pandemic, Houlahan said. It has been, I would say, consistently about the same as before. Its really just enhanced safety measures, really just getting the team and our guests to feel safe.
Kabul, Mar 27 (UNI) Ten law enforcement officers, including a district police chief, have been killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand, a source told Sputnik on Saturday.

"Last night, the Taliban attacked a police headquarters in Sangin district, killing Sangin district police chief Abdul Mohammad Sarwari," the source said.

The Helmand police confirmed the death of three officers, including the Sangin district police chief.

They added that a counterattack had killed 15 Taliban members and wounded seven others.

UNI XC GNK JW1636
The 59-year-old man acquitted in the death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine three years ago is facing criminal charges for a string of break-and-enters in Ottawa.

The 59-year-old man acquitted in the death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine three years ago is facing criminal charges for a string of break-and-enters in Ottawa.

Ottawa police charged Raymond Joseph Cormier with four break-ins at residential apartment buildings dating back Jan. 14. Police allege he targeted apartments, parking garages and mail and storage rooms. He faces a raft of charges including possession of break-and-enter tools and possession of property obtained by crime.

Ottawa police have charged Raymond Joseph Cormier with four break-ins at residential apartment buildings.

Police said Cormier was identified as a suspect through surveillance footage and DNA evidence from the scene. He was arrested March 16 and appeared in court Friday for a bail hearing. It's unknown how long he has been living in Ottawa.

In December 2015, Winnipeg police charged Cormier with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Tina, whose body was pulled from the Red River, wrapped in a duvet cover weighed down with rocks, on Aug. 17, 2014.

The teen, who grew up on the Sagkeeng First Nation north of Winnipeg, was last seen on Aug. 8 in downtown Winnipeg. At the time, she was in the care of Manitoba Child and Family Services.

Tina's death sparked a national outcry, and her family criticized police and CFS for failing to ensure her safety. The case was instrumental in launching the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Cormier pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder.

After a nearly three-week trial and 11 hours of deliberation, a jury found Cormier not guilty on Feb. 22, 2018.

The following day, more than 1,000 people marched through Winnipeg in Tina's honour, and in support of her family.

Following the acquittal, Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth said officers who investigated Tinas death gave their all and believed they had a strong case to put before the court.

"Frankly, we did our best on this one," Smyth said a week after the jury found Cormier not guilty.

"It's heartbreaking for the family. I think they expected a different outcome. I'm sure our investigators expected a different outcome," he said.

Cormier, a homeless methamphetamine addict, repeatedly denied killing Tina. The Crown's strongest evidence against him were wiretap recordings in which he appeared to confess, saying, "I drew the line and that's why she got killed... She got killed, I'll make you a bet, she got killed because we found out, I found out, she was 15 years old."

Cormier did admit he was sexually attracted to Tina. The Crown argued his sexual interest in the underage girl, coupled with his fear she would report him to police over a stolen truck, could have been his motive for murder. In covertly recorded conversations captured during an undercover police investigation, Cormier spoke often about Tina's death.

Cormier's defence lawyers gave the jury different interpretations of the wiretap evidence, saying Cormier never admitted to having sex with Tina, let alone killing her.

A month after the verdict, the Crown decided not to appeal the case. The case remains unsolved.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
Around 10 per cent voters have cast their ballots so far on Saturday in the first phase of the which is underway amid tight security in 47 constituencies, according to election officials.

Men and women in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations well before the voting started at 7 a.m.

Polling will continue till 6 p.m as the Election Commission extended the time by an hour in view of the Covid-19 induced situations.

A total of 8,109,815 voters, including 4,032,481 females, are eligible to cast their votes across 11,537 polling stations mostly covering the eastern Assam's 12 districts.

The first phase of polling will decide the fate of 264 candidates, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (Majuli), Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami (Jorhat), state Congress chief Ripun Bora (Gohpur), Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora (Bokakhat), Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia (Nazira), jailed Raijor Dal President Akhil Gogoi (Sivasagar) and Assam Jatiya Parishad President Lurinjyoti Gogoi (Duliajan).

Twenty-three women aspirants are also in the fray.

Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained.

In the 2016 elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance secured 35 of the 47 seats, while the Congress won nine and the remaining three seats by other parties.

According to the election officials, over 30,000 Central Armed Police Forces along with thousands of state security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order during this phase.

No untoward incident has been reported so far from any of the 12 districts where the balloting processes are underway.

In a unique gesture, the election officials donated saplings to the voters in the model polling stations, which were decorated with colourful balloons.

The 126-member Assam Assembly will go to the polls in three phases.

The other phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats).

The results will be declared on May 2.

--IANS

sc/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man has been sentenced to prison for attempting to smuggle more than 20,000 rounds of ammo into Mexico, according to court documents.

Juan Antonio Cepeda, 48, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 to attempting to illegally export firearms and ammunition. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Cepeda to serve 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Cepeda will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jointly conducted the investigation with the assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Laredo Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

The case dates back to Sept. 14, when HSI special agents received information from LPD about a man identified as Tony, an individual driving a tan Chevrolet Tahoe and residing in the 400 block of Gale Street. Information indicated that Tony was a convicted felon involved in smuggling ammo into Mexico, according to court documents.

Special agents would identify Tony as Cepeda. At about 9:55 p.m., special agents saw the Tahoe driving down Interstate 35 in close proximity to a tan Lincoln Navigator. Both appeared to be driving in tandem as they would change lanes together in the same route for several miles. A DPS trooper pulled over the Navigator for a traffic violation.

DPS identified the driver of the Navigator as Abraham Joaquin Canela. A consensual search of the vehicle yielded a ledger with handwritten notes listing ammunition of various calibers, authorities said. DPS turned over Canela to HSI special agents.

Then, a Laredo police officer pulled over the Tahoe for a traffic stop. Cepeda was identified as the driver. A consensual search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of thousands of rounds of ammunition in various calibers in the backseat area of Cepedas vehicle. The officer also found firearms inside the back hatch. HSI special agents would then take over the case.

Within Cepedas vehicle, agents found:

 Approximately 14,969 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.

 Approximately 8,341 rounds of .223 ammunition.

 Eleven 5.56 mm magazines.

 Four 7.62 mm magazines.

 Anderson, AM-15, 5.56 mm pistol with serial number 20137155.

 Anderson, AM-15, 5.56 mm pistol with serial number 20176527.

 Anderson, AM-15, 5.56 mm pistol with serial number 20176367.

 ROMARM/CUGIR, WASR-10, 7.62 mm pistol with serial number 1965N02627.

 Bushmaster, Carbon 15, .223 caliber rifle with serial number CRB039238.

 Bushmaster, XM15-E2S, .204 caliber rifle with serial number L074354.

 Palmetto State Armory PSAK 47, 7.62 mm rifle with serial number AKB027037.

 Jigsaw Weaponry, CE-15, multi-caliber pistol, JSW-00236.

 Spikes Tactical, ST15, 5.56 mm rifle with serial number SCR066314

 Bigelow Ind., LOW 15, 5.56 mm rifle with serial number SAA00142

Further investigation revealed that Cepeda served a 54-month sentence in prison for a conviction of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, according to court documents.

During a custodial interview, defendant Cepeda admitted to agents that he knew he was illegally transporting ammunition with the intention that it be smuggled to Mexico for the promise of $2,000 payment. He also admitted to having done so on at least one prior occasion with the same criminal organization, states his plea agreement.

Cepeda further stated that he had traveled to Hoston on Sept. 13. While staying at a motel, some men loaded his vehicle with the ammunition. Cepeda added that a man identified as Abran was in frequent phone contact with him. Further investigation revealed that Abran was Canela.

Canela has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused PM Modi of violating the Model of Conduct during his two-day visit to Bangladesh. Speaking at a rally in Kharagpur, the TMC supremo claimed that the PM was seeking votes from one section of people while the polling is underway in the state. This was seen as a reference to his visit to Orakandi, the birthplace of the Matua sect founder Harichand Thakur. Moreover, he even met representatives of the Matua community in the presence of NSA Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and promised that the Indian government will upgrade one middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi.

This visit is being linked by TMC to electoral politics as members of this community play a key role in deciding the fate of at least 30 Assembly constituencies in the state. Castigating BJP for its double standards, Banerjee recalled that the JP Nadda-led party had got the visa of a Bangladeshi actor cancelled as he attended a rally during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls campaign. Contending that the PM's visa should also be cancelled now, she announced that TMC will lodge an official complaint with the Election Commission.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee remarked, "Sometimes they say Mamata has brought people from Bangladesh and did infiltration. But he (PM) himself goes to Bangladesh for vote marketing."

#WATCH | In '19 LS polls when a Bangladeshi actor attended our rally, BJP spoke to Bangladesh govt&cancelled his visa.... When polls are underway here, you (PM) go to Bangladesh to seek votes from one section of ppl, why shouldn't your Visa be cancelled?We'll complain to EC:WB CM pic.twitter.com/CQfeUDgZ0y  ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2021

West Bengal Assembly polls

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC had swept the 2016 Assembly polls by bagging 211 seats in the 294-member Assembly. In West Bengal, 294 seats are up for grabs and people will be able to cast their votes at 1,01,916 polling stations. As of 4.05 pm, the voter turnout for 47 seats that have gone for the polls in the first phase is 70.17%. The polling for the remaining phases will take place on April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. The counting of votes shall take place on May 2.

Addressing a press conference on March 5, WB CM Mamata Banerjee announced the list of 291 TMC candidates while leaving three seats for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for the Assembly election. The list includes 50 women candidates, 79 Scheduled Caste candidates, 17 Scheduled Tribes candidates and 42 Muslim candidates. On the other hand, BJP's candidate list includes prominent leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari, Union Minister Babul Supriyo, three other Lok Sabha MPs, ex-nominated MP Swapan Dasgupta, Mukul Roy and Rahul Sinha.
In his speech, Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Andres Allamand lauded Vietnamese peoples bravery during their past struggles for independence as well as the nations achievements in the recent past, particularly in economy, pandemic prevention, and diplomacy.

Allamand said the Vietnam - Chile friendship and cooperation have grown significantly, especially after the two signed a free trade agreement in 2011.

The minister highlighted a phone talk between Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the two countries diplomatic relations as a proof of their friendship.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile Nguyen Ngoc Son said Vietnam and Chile share close ties despite geographical distance, adding that they established a comprehensive partnership in 2007.

Son noted the two hold similar stances on most of key global issues and are proactively and responsibly participating in many multilateral mechanisms. Their top leaders have visited each other many times, while their cultural and educational relationship and people-to-people exchange have expanded continuously over the years, he added.

The ambassador said despite COVID-19-related difficulties, the embassy has worked with Chilean partners to organise activities celebrating the five-decade relations, including publishing special issues on the University of Chiles radio channel to popularise the comprehensive partnership as well as Vietnamese economic, cultural, and tourism affairs.
MEDFORD, Ore.  For the second time in roughly one month, the Medford Police Department is investigating an apparent homicide on the Bear Creek Greenway near Railroad Park.

The agency said that officers responded around 10:15 a.m. on Friday to a report of a body found in the area north of Railroad Park. The officers confirmed that there was a body, located about 75 yards off the bike path between the path and Bear Creek.

"Based on the circumstances of the scene, the case is being treated as a homicide," MPD said in a brief statement.

Medford Police detectives are being assisted at the scene by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab and the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office.

Police said that the deceased is an adult. The person's identity, age, sex, and race have yet to be determined.

"This is still in the very early stages of the investigation, and we appreciate your patience," MPD concluded.

At the end of February, Medford Police launched an investigation after a homeless man's body was discovered about 150 yards north of Railroad Park, dead from a gunshot wound. Police later arrested a 17-year-old suspect, who was accused of shooting the man during an argument.
Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler Powell announced the birth of their daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Friday.

And now, Bindi's mother Terri and her younger brother Robert have shared touching tribute posts welcoming the newest member of their family.

On Friday, the Irwin matriarch, 56, shared her joy at becoming a grandmother on Twitter and said that her late husband Steve Irwin would have been 'beyond proud'.

'Steve would be beyond proud': On Friday, Terri Irwin celebrated the birth of her granddaughter Grace Warrior after her daughter Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell welcomed their first child

Terri wrote: 'Love is not a big enough word. My heart is so incredibly happy. And I know that Steve would be beyond proud.'

'Grace is the next generation to continue his mission and message of conservation.'

'She chose her parents wisely. Bindi and Chandler are already the best parents ever,' she added.

Terri also congratulated her daughter and son-in-law on their first wedding anniversary.

'Love is not a big enough word': The Irwin matriarch, 56, tweeted her joy at becoming a grandmother

'I can't wait for the next amazing chapter in your lives!' Terri also congratulated her daughter and son-in-law on their first wedding anniversary

'Happy first anniversary @BindiIrwin and @chandlerpowell9! I can't wait for the next amazing chapter in your lives!' she wrote in a prior Twitter post.

Meanwhile, Robert took to his Instagram to share a photo of himself cradling his newborn niece.

In the photo, he looked down adoringly at his sister's bundle of joy as she slept peacefully in his arms.

The 17-year-old wrote in the caption: 'Let the uncle adventures begin! Love you so much, Grace.'

'Let the uncle adventures begin!' Meanwhile, Robert took to his Instagram to share a photo of himself cradling his niece. In the photo, he looked down adoringly at his sister's bundle of joy as she slept peacefully in his arms

'This little one picked the two best parents in the entire world. The most incredible, caring and strong Mum... and the funnest, coolest and kindest Dad.

'Love you three so much - I can't wait for this exciting journey ahead!' he added.

Bindi and her husband Chandler announced the birth of their baby daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell, on Friday.

Grace was born on their first wedding anniversary.

Baby joy: Bindi Irwin, 22, and husband Chandler Powell, 24, welcomed their first child together on Friday, a daughter named Grace (pictured together)

In her lengthy Instagram post, the new mother explained that the baby's two middle names were inspired by her late father, Wildlife Warrior Steve Irwin.

She wrote: 'March 25, 2021. Celebrating the two loves of my life. Happy first wedding anniversary to my sweetheart husband and day of birth to our beautiful daughter,' Bindi wrote.

'Our graceful warrior is the most beautiful light. Grace is named after my great-grandmother, and relatives in Chandler's family dating back to the 1700s,' she continued.

Adorable: 'There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl,' Bindi wrote, after sharing an image of the bub's face

'Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy as the most incredible Wildlife Warrior. Her last name is Powell and she already has such a kind soul just like her dad.'

She accompanied the caption with a sweet image of herself and Chandler cradling newborn Grace in a baby blanket.

'There are no words to describe the infinite amount of love in our hearts for our sweet baby girl. She chose the perfect day to be born and we feel tremendously blessed,' Bindi added.

'Her middle names, Warrior Irwin, are a tribute to my dad and his legacy': Bindi paid tribute to her late father Steve by referencing him in Grace's middle names

She also posted an image of Grace's first onesie, which had an Australian koala printed on the chest.

Steve, known to millions around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter', was filming a documentary when he was fatally stabbed in the heart by a stingray barb on September 4, 2006 in Batt Reef, Queensland. He was 44 years old.

Bindi first met Chandler in 2013, when the American former wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland.

Flashback: A young Bindi is pictured with her mother Terri and late father Steve in 2002

Chance encounter: Bindi first met Chandler in 2013, when the American former wakeboarder went on a guided tour of Australia Zoo in Queensland

Following their chance meeting, Chandler wrote to Terri to ask her permission to contact Bindi before they embarked on a long-distance relationship.

He eventually relocated to Australia from his home in Florida, and now works at the family's zoo.

In July 2019, Bindi and Chandler announced their engagement.

Happily ever after: Chandler proposed to Bindi on her 21st birthday, getting down on one knee and presenting her with a stunning diamond ring

'July 24th 2019. On my birthday I said 'yes' and 'forever' to the love of my life,' she announced on Instagram at the time

Chandler proposed to Bindi on her 21st birthday, getting down on one knee and presenting her with a stunning diamond ring.

'July 24th 2019. On my birthday I said 'yes' and 'forever' to the love of my life,' she announced on Instagram at the time.

'I'm so looking forwarding to spending our forever together as your wife. Here's to a lifetime of friendship, purpose and unconditional love. Now let's get married already!'

New addition: They announced they were expecting their first child together in August last year. 'Baby Wildlife Warrior due 2021,' she wrote

Bindi married Chandler in a surprise ceremony at Australia Zoo, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in March last year.

She said the coronavirus pandemic had meant she and Chandler 'had to change our entire wedding'.

She added: 'We changed our wedding date the night before we got married but we were determined to let love win.'

They announced they were expecting their first child together in August last year.

In September, Bindi revealed she was having a girl, sharing a photo of herself and Chandler with one of Australia Zoo's tortoises, surrounded by pink flowers.

'Baby girl, you are our world. Our beautiful daughter is now about the same size as a hatchling Aldabra tortoise and is as healthy as can be. We can't wait for her arrival next year,' she wrote at the time.
The suspect jailed on 10 counts of murder in this week's mass shooting in Colorado has been moved to another detention center because of 'safety concerns and threats,' and he faces additional attempted-murder charges, officials said on Friday.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty and Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told reporters they were still trying to learn what drove Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa to open fire on Monday at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, some 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Denver.

Alissa, 21, surrendered to law enforcement officials at the crime scene after he was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with police, authorities said.

Ten people were killed in the rampage, including a police officer. It was the second mass shooting in less than a week in the United States, after a gunman fatally shot eight people at three Atlanta-area day spas on March 16.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and a single count of attempted murder

Ten people were killed in the rampage Monday at the King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, including a police officer. Authorities can be seen leading Alissa from the scene

'Like the rest of the community, we want to know why. Why that King Soopers, why Boulder, why Monday, and unfortunately we don't have those answers,' Herold said at a news briefing. 'It will be something haunting for all of us until we figure that out.'

The suspect, being held without bail, has been transferred to another unspecified lockup outside Boulder County

Asked whether authorities suspected any link to international terrorism, Dougherty said investigators were looking into all aspects of Alissa's background.

Alissa, who made his first court appearance on Thursday, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and a single count of attempted murder, stemming from gunshots he allegedly fired at a second police officer. Dougherty said the suspect would face further attempted-murder charges in the coming weeks.

The suspect, being held without bail, has been transferred to another unspecified lockup outside Boulder County 'due to safety concerns and threats that our jail staff became aware of,' sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Haverfield told Reuters. She did not elaborate.

The public defender's office, assigned to represent Alissa, said it does not comment on pending cases as a matter of policy.

The suspect purchased a Ruger AR-556 pistol, a weapon that resembles a semi-automatic rifle, six days before the attack. He did not use a 9mm handgun also in his possession during Monday's attack, Dougherty said.

Tactical police units respond to the scene of a King Soopers grocery store after a shooting on March 22

The store where Alissa bought the Ruger said the suspect passed a background check before making the purchase legally.

'We are absolutely shocked by what happened and our hearts are broken for the victims and families that are left behind,' said John Mark Eagleton, owner of the Eagles Nest Armory in Arvada, the Denver suburb where Alissa lived.

Dougherty said federal agents were investigating the two guns recovered from the shooting and other weapons linked to the suspect, while a large forensics team continued to process the sprawling crime scene inside the supermarket.

Alissa's brother has said the suspect suffered from paranoia, and his lawyer on Thursday asked in court that he be given a mental health examination. Alissa pleaded guilty to a third-degree assault in 2018 for punching a high school classmate without warning the previous year.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, appears before Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill at the Boulder County Justice Center on March 25

The Boulder and Atlanta attacks have reignited a national debate over gun rights protected by the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment, and prompted President Joe Biden to call for federal action aimed at curbing gun violence. A bill intended to impose stricter background checks and ban some types of semi-automatic rifles has stalled amid Republican opposition.

Colorado has enacted laws that require background checks for gun purchases, limit the ammunition magazine capacity and enable courts to temporarily seize the gun of someone deemed dangerous. Seven other states and the District of Columbia have banned certain types of semi-automatic rifles.

The United States banned them nationwide in 1994, but a more conservative U.S. Congress allowed the law to expire in 2004. Federal gun control legislation has mostly failed ever since, even after a gunman killed 20 young school children and six adults in a Connecticut school just before Christmas 2012.
Our New York sale exhibition of The Collection of Mrs. Henry Ford II showcases rare and important fine and decorative arts from her Palm Beach, Forida home. Discover it here with our virtual tour

Virtually step inside our Rockefeller Center galleries to enter the very private lives and homes of the iconic Ford family. Find rare and important English and European furniture, paintings, objects of vertu and decorative arts from Mrs. Fords Palm Beach, Florida home. Highlights include masterpieces from Julius LeBlanc Stewart and a George III white marble and biscuit porcelain clock by the Kings clockmaker Benjamin Vuilliamym c. 1791.



If you would like a closer look at any of the works featured in the exhibition, please dont hesitate to contact us to arrange a private virtual viewing appointment with our specialists.

CONTACTS:
A man with an acquired brain injury who repeatedly punched a garda in the face has received a fully suspended sentence.

Paul Rooney (30), who suffered an acquired brain injury in 2003 when he was the victim of a hit-and-run incident, attacked a garda after he was caught dragging a bike still attached to a bike rack down a busy Dublin city centre street.

Rooney of Railway Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a garda at Beaver Street, Dublin, on January 19, 2019. He has 37 previous convictions including criminal damage, theft and handling stolen property.

Judge Martin Nolan had previously adjourned the matter and ordered that it return to court immediately in the meantime if Rooney commited any further offences.

Judge Nolan expressed concerns that the accused will injure somebody badly in the future.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Nolan said Rooney had behaved well since the previous sentencing hearing. He said that principally by reason of his medical history he was not going to imprison him.

Judge Nolan sentenced him to two-and-a-half years imprisonment, but suspended the entirety of the sentence on strict conditions.

At a previous sentencing hearing, the court heard that Rooney punched Garda Patrick Barker five to six times in the face after he was apprehended trying to steal a bike.

His brothers and mother appeared on the scene and attempted to placate him, with his mother administering medication in an attempt to calm him down, Gda James Connolly told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting.

Gda Barker suffered a cut to the nose during the assault. Rooney was arrested and was extremely apologetic to the garda he had injured once his medication had taken effect, the court heard.

Judge Nolan accepted submissions by defence counsel, Gerardine Small BL, that her client has a significant brain injury. However, he noted Rooney's history of offending had grown more serious in recent years.

The problem I have is that he has this condition and he keeps committing crimes, Judge Nolan said. What is this court supposed to do?

The judge noted the court had only one tool left in the box.

The next time will he injure somebody badly. I am sorry for Mr Rooney, Judge Nolan said. But he is going to have to conform.
A TEENAGER who felt she had no choice but to quit school because of years of racial bullying, has now launched her own jewellery business.

Roisin Hurley, 17, who was adopted from China when she was one, suffered five years of degrading name calling and worse during her secondary schooling.

She was called Chink and was told to get the f*** back to China by fellow students, until eventually it became too much.

Growing up in West Cork, she went to a small primary school where she said everything was normal.

I thought I was just like everyone else, I thought we looked the same, I didnt think I was different to everyone.

But when I went into secondary school in 2016, I was 12 years old, young for my year, it all changed. For the first half of first year, everything went smoothly. During the second half of the year, some girls started making fun of me, they started tripping me in the halls, stereotypical bullies. Comments started to arise, more people joined in.

One particular comment stands out in her memory: One Ill never forget is when a girl said you can f*** back off to China. In 3rd year I had one friend, because everyone decided not to be friends with me anymore, and whenever she was out sick from school, I would have to sit in the locker rooms by myself eating lunch because no-one would talk to me. When people came in, they always looked over and laughed at me.

One of Roisin Hurley's designs

In 2019, she transferred schools and started 5th year in a new setting, hoping for a new start, and it was at first.

But slowly comments started rolling in. I remember in science class, a person whispered Chink at me, I looked over and they started laughing. I felt so degraded and I thought to myself, this cant be happening again.

I was so close to finishing school. But I couldnt handle being there. After the whole thing, going to two different schools, trying to get away from all the comments, that I will never fully get away from, I felt hopeless and tired. I went through five years of abuse from people, I had enough of it.

So in November, 2019, Roisin made the radical decision to leave school.

I really had no choice. I wanted to finish school but the people in there never gave me that chance. I do not plan on going back, Im afraid it will happen again. Words stick, the comments made in 2016, five years ago, are still with me, to this day.

Roisin, who lives between Bandon and Clonakilty and who was supported by her family throughout, worked part time in an office in the city centre after leaving school.

Roisin Hurley's jewellery

I still work there now and with the Level 5 restrictions, I work from home. I love going to work, the people there dont judge me, they dont say mean comments. Its the most comfortable environment Ive been in.

Last summer she discovered the art of metal stamping using YouTube videos, and a whole new world opened up to her.

With the money I accumulated from work, I decided to start a business. I love to metal stamp, and thought why not start a business? Last October, I launched my business which I called Draiocht  the Irish word for magic.

I launched several products, I learned everything by myself, the use of pliers and jump rings and measurements. I manage, advertise, finance, and make all items in the shop  and all from my bedroom!

Sales are picking up, she says, and shes shipped items all over Ireland, the UK, U.S, France, and the Netherlands.

I have been so pleased with how it turned out. Its the best thing that has ever happened to me. Im really hoping I can turn this into a full time job, Roisin added.

She admits she still feels traumatised by what happened to her, but shes come through the other side and her advice to anyone suffering like she did, is: Dont let the bullies define who you are. Be one level above them, dont stoop to their level.

Dont let them stop you from what youre doing, dont let them take control of your life.

See www.draiochtco.com.

I have been so pleased with how it turned out. Its the best thing that has ever happened to me. Im really hoping I can turn this into a full time job.
The CM inaugurated the updated modern Spandana portal that would better support village and ward secretariats at an event here on Friday. (Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has advised officials at his office (CMO) to monitor the efforts at resolving grievances through the Spandana portal and implement every welfare scheme under Navaratnalu more effectively.

The CM inaugurated the updated modern Spandana portal that would better support village and ward secretariats at an event here on Friday. In specific, he asked officials to inform applicants the reason why a grievance could not be attended to, rather than keeping quiet about such cases.

House sites would be allotted to the applicants within 90 days time after completion of the processes, he said.

Jagan said the officials at all levels should track the petitions submitted by the people till the issues they raised were solved. The tracking mechanism should be strong. Grievances of people should not be ignored and officials of the CMO should be directly monitoring such efforts at lower levels of the bureaucracy.

While the reason for rejecting a grievance-related request must be conveyed to the complainant, it is also important that those whose complaints were attended to are also kept informed as to what action the officials took. If complaints are not stopped within a stipulated time, they should be taken note of and alerts should be sent to respective officials, he said.

The CM said clearing Spandana petitions would be a criterion while assessing the performance of collectors.

The new updated portal has 858 subjects and 3,758 sub-subjects; while in the old portal, there were 2,677 subjects and 27,919 sub-subjects. The updated portal would help save time.

The petitions can be submitted through village secretariats, call centers, via web application, mobile app and ar Praja Darbar. The petitions would be classified as critical, high, and general. The status of the petition will be known through a web link or by calling 1092 or through the village secretariat.

If a petitioner is not happy with the result, he can seek a review of the petition at district level or at the head of the department level. Feedback will be taken from citizens on the services. Surveys would be conducted on the quality of services in solving the grievances and third party auditing also will be done.

The chief minister said every scheme of Navaratnalu should be implemented effectively and officials should take necessary action if the names of eligible are missing in the beneficiaries list during the social audit of Navaratnalu schemes.

If anyone is left out in social audit, they should be given the opportunity to make an application within a period of one month from the date of implementation of the scheme.

The verification of the applications should be completed in the second month and the funds should be released in the third month. The implementation of the scheme would be considered complete after due process.

The CM asked officials to ensure that house sites are allotted within 90 days of receiving the applications and said it's the responsibility of the officials to hand over the house site pattas to the beneficiary in a stipulated time.

The officials said around one lakh new applications were received for house sites and their verification was done. Jagan told the officials to re-verify the applications by next month and take steps to allot house site pattas to the eligible applicants.

Land administration chief commissioner Neerab Kumar Prasad, IT, electronics and communications secretary G Jayalakshmi, science and technology secretary Vijay Kumar, AP state housing corporation MD Narayana Bharath Gupta and Arogyasri CEO Dr A Mallikarjuna were among the officials present.
Hong Kong: Serving confinees heart and soul

Claire Frost and her two sons were glad to be outdoors again after staying at Pennys Bay Quarantine Centre for 14 days.

They were close contacts of a COVID-19 patient involved in the URSUS Fitness cluster.

Mrs Frost said government staff tended to her familys needs during their stay at the facility.

I think the Government did a good job.

All the basic necessities were catered for - the three meals a day. If we needed extra toiletries we just rang them and they turned up quickly and all that, there was fruit provided. So it was perfectly sufficient.

Rochelle Borja and Jayson Cacayorin, who stayed at the centre with their daughter, also checked out on the same day. They praised their accommodation.

Ms Borja said: I don't know about the other rooms, but our room was very nice and very safe. They gave us fruits, and for the kid, they brought her LEGO toy for her to play.

We are happy because we had accommodation like this. If it is in other countries, I think it is not like this, Mr Cacayorin added.

Eye for detail

The quarantine centre located on Lantau Island has 3,500 units. It is managed by the Civil Aid Service, and the Department of Health is responsible for the facilitys medical services.

Daily necessities such as beds, meals and private toilets are provided to those quarantined.

Confinees can even message a WhatsApp hotline to request items ranging from phone charging cables to mini fridges, and even lip balm.

Civil Aid Service Senior Operations & Training Officer Queenie Yung explained the most popular items that have been requested are cup noodles, snacks and drinks.

If there are over 1,000 confinees in the quarantine centre, maybe there will be 700 calls received every day, she said.

To make the quarantine experience more family-friendly, she pointed out that those who are under quarantine can request baby cribs, milk powder and bottle sterilisers, along with toys and coloured pencils.

She added that the furniture in barrier-free access rooms, such as tables and beds, have rounded edges.

The Government will also ensure that bigger families can be quarantined together.

If theres a family, then the family members will be put into the same quarantine facility, Centre for Health Protection Quarantine Centre Task Force Commander Chan Kwok-kee said.

Depending on the family size, we have some facilities at the quarantine centre at Lei Yue Mun Park & Holiday Village that can accommodate up to eight people. Even with big families, we can allocate facilities to them.

Peace of mind

Apart from physical needs, the Government is also fully aware that people who have been removed from the comfort of their own homes and placed in quarantine will most likely be anxious.

Department of Health Senior Medical & Health Officer Dr Kong Che-wan said many of the confinees do not have a clear idea of what will happen once they enter the facility.

They have tremendous concerns about their health status, in particular related to COVID-19.

So for most of the patients of the cases, we would like to see them and talk to them. We would introduce them to the surveillance programme to make sure they know what is exactly happening, the collection of the deep throat saliva specimen - how we do that, when we would do that - and then we will let them know the result later on in order to be able to reassure them about their health status.

Dr Kong said the departments staff stationed at Pennys Bay will call those under quarantine daily to monitor their health.

A team of nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists and optometrists also stand ready to answer their enquiries.

Ms Borja and Mr Cacayorin recalled that the daily calls they received had given them peace of mind.

They always checked our body temperature to ensure we were in good health and also they always called us to ask if we felt something, some symptoms. They always asked us for updates, said Ms Borja.

Mr Cacayorin added: We stayed here for 14 days but we didnt see any problems and we didnt feel nervous.

This story has been published on: 2021-03-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Mar. 27Decatur City Schools Superintendent Michael Douglas hopes to hire a new principal at Banks-Caddell Elementary by July 1 after deciding not to renew the contract of the current principal.

The Decatur school board voted Friday morning to accept Douglas' recommendation not to renew Banks-Caddell Principal David McCollum's contract for the 2021-22 school year. The board also accepted the resignations of three longtime employees who are retiring.

McCollum's three-year contract ends June 30, Douglas said.

"We chose to go in another direction," Douglas said of McCollum, who took over as principal at Banks-Caddell on July 1, 2017. McCollum previously was the principal at Brindlee Mountain High School.

The board in June 2017 approved interim Superintendent Dale Edwards' recommendation to hire McCollum.

Among the retiring personnel are Joyce Butler Gill, head custodian at Austinville Elementary, effective June 15; Marilyn R. Busby, a Child Nutrition Program worker with the Special Services Center, effective June 1; and Sharon J. Cater, physical education teacher at Walter Jackson Elementary, effective May 28. The three employees have 35, 25 and 36 years of service, respectively, according to Douglas.

"I want to thank them for their years of service," Douglas said at the meeting.

The board approved other personnel action in a special session:



Certified personnel



Resignations

Austin High: Billy A. Taunton, JROTC instructor, May 28.



Short-term contracts

Austin Middle: Jennifer Lynne Bliss, long-term sub, April 5-May 27.

Banks-Caddell: Jaime Renae Barber, extend long-term contract until April 16.

Decatur City: Alan Gary Watkins, drivers ed. summer session, June 15-July 16.

Special Services: Nancy Lee Hasting, homebound; Stacey Lynn Slocum, interventionist and Penni Conner Corum Delinger, SPE teacher.

Walter Jackson: Breanna Munger Drake, extend long-term contract until May 27.

WEEC: Molly Wallace Ferrell, teacher, May 29-August 1.

Story continues



Non-certified personnel



Resignations

Transportation: Robert Michael Walton, mechanic, March 26.



Employment

Decatur High: Kalah Brooke Cardwell, clerical aide (pending the procurement of satisfactory documentation and board approval).

Transportation: James A. George, bus driver, April 21, Schedule R, Rank RA, Step 0 3; Charles Nathan Padgett, certified bus mechanic (pending the procurement of satisfactory documentation and board approval).



Change of payroll status

Transportation: Annette Lea Guice, from Schedule R2, Rank R2A, Step 0 to Schedule R2, Rank R2B, Step 0 effective March 10.



Short-term contracts

Central Office: Jenna Nicole Cowart, enrollment, May 28-Aug. 2; Elizabeth Tirado, clerical/enrollment, May 28-Aug. 2; Mariah Deserae Reedus, clerical/enrollment, May 28-Aug. 2; Estefana Martina Ramirez De Alcaraz, clerical/enrollment, May 28-Aug. 2; Patricia Alcaraz Ramirez, clerical/enrollment, May 28-Aug. 2; Walter "Buck" R. Blackwell, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Brianna Keigh Shelton, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2;Sarah Kyle Payne, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Heather R. Williams, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Monica Hill Jones, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Elizabeth "Beth" C. Belcher, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Kristen Alford Meadows, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Teila Tate, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; JeanAnn R. Anderson, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Tina Drummond Harris, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Kendal Dubois Moores, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Carol M. Radford, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Sarah Pearson Welborn, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Carrie Lynn Wates, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Victoria Elaine Reeves, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Laura Leigh Davis  nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Morgan Rebekah Miller, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Deonza Kaye Tanner, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2; Juaraniece Washington Love, nurse, May 28-Aug. 2.

WEEC: Carter Lee Moore, teacher aide, May 29-Aug. 1.  Non-faculty or volunteer coaches (volunteer-non paid)

Austin High: Paige Robertson, band-majorette section



Leaves of absences



Certified

Ben Davis: Sarah Elizabeth Barton, requests FMLA.

Career Academies of Decatur: Cynthia Boerner Yates, FMLA date change, May 12-June 23.

Frances Nungester: Chelsea Alexis Moore, requests FMLA.

Leon Sheffield: Andrea Elaine Ducker, requests FMLA.  Previous board approvals (verified start date and/or experience)

Central Office: Lindsey James Moats, start date, March 23, Schedule K6, Rank RN, Step 0. Extended Day: John Christopher Gentle, contract start date, March15.

Special Services: Deanne Keenum, start date, March 11, Schedule G, Rank GD, Step 0 4; Lisa White Buckley, contract start date, February 26.

Transportation: Dexter Allen Brewer, start date, March 18, Schedule R, Rank RA, Step 0.

 marian.accardi@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.
The Army on Saturday postponed to April 25 the common entrance examination for recruiting general duty personnel in view of the surge in cases in Punjab.

The examination to be held on March 28 has been postponed to April 25 on the advice of the district administration due to hike in cases, officials said.

The officials at Army recruiting office Ludhiana said the candidates, who have successfully completed the physical and medical examination, were to appear for the common entrance examination.

These candidates are from Ludhiana, Moga, Rupnagar and SAS Nagar (Mohali).

The Army recruiting office Ludhiana had conducted a recruitment rally from December 7 to 27, 2020.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The recent bill passed in Parliament deems the elected government of Delhi irrelevant.

Who holds the reins in Delhi? The source of power, of authority, to govern and rule the people of Delhi appears to have hit another stumbling block, with Parliament passing the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021. Amidst an opposition walkout, the bill, passed through a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha, amends the Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991, which is the framework through which the Delhi legislative assembly and the Government of Delhi functions. The amendments include redefining the term government to mean lieutenant governor (LG) with respect to any law passed by the assembly. Further, they allow the assembly to make rules to regulate the procedure and conduct of business in the assembly only if they are consistent with those in the Lok Sabha. Also, it curtails the powers of the assembly to conduct inquiries into any administrative decisions or consider matters relating to the day-to-day functioning of the Delhi government. All executive action by the Delhi government must now be done in the name of the LG, and in certain matters, as specified by the LG, it is incumbent on the council of ministers to take the advice of the LG. An elected government stands condensed into the person of the LG, and its business is now completely subjugated to the will of the LG. The elected government, in simple terms, seems irrelevant to the matters of governance in Delhi. Any hopes for full statehood seem to have become more distant. The outcry in opposition circles is not surprising, but the moment brings with it a touch of irony considering that the Bharatiya Janata Party had in the past spearheaded the push for full statehood for Delhi.

The tussle between the elected government and the LG has been ongoing for some time. In 2016, a Delhi High Court ruling held that the LG is the administrative head and need not seek counsel from the council of ministers. However, subsequently, in 2017, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court clearly stated that the LG is an administrative head in the limited sense and is not a governor. He is bound by the aid and advise of NCT Government in areas other than those exempted. The Supreme Court sought to outline the terrain of constitutional legitimacy of government, and purposively interpreted the relevant Articles 239AA and 239AB of the Constitution that outline special provisions for Delhi. In reading the Constitution, the Court recognised two very important aspects that come to define this conflict. First, it referred to the contested provision of Section 239AA (4), which states that in case of a difference of opinion, the Lieutenant Governor in any case may refer the matter to the President (inter alia, the union government). The Supreme Court judgment dealt with this ambiguity of executive power by clearly establishing that executive power of the Government of NCT of Delhi is coterminous with the legislative power of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, thereby laying bare any assumption of overriding authority of the union in matters relating to Delhi, except in the administration of land, police and law and order. Second, in employing a recourse to constitutional morality, the judgment sought to restore the kernel of federalism and democracy by reiterating that the public in its collective will elect the assembly, which forms the cabinet, that will function with a collective responsibility unhindered by any bias or prejudice. Anything that hinders that collective responsibility is sought to be done away with. In other words, restoring the responsibility of governance on the Delhi assembly, according to the Supreme Court, was to restore faith in the peoples will.
At least four people were killed and scores injured in violent protests on Friday set off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Bangladesh to celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence.

The casualties happened after students from a prominent madrasa and members of an Islamist group clashed with police in the southeastern district of Chattogram.

PM Modi

Alauddin Talukder, a police official at the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, told reporters that five people with injuries were taken to the hospital and four of them died during treatment. Further details could not be confirmed immediately.

Local media reported that members of the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, which has a network of Islamic schools, attacked government structures, including a police station and a land office, at Hathazari area in Chattogram before police took action.

Photo

At Dhaka's main mosque, clashes broke out between groups of demonstrators and police dispersed the crowd by using tear gas and rubber bullets  injuring scores of people, officials and witnesses said.

The protesters also set fire to offices of a railway station in eastern district of Brahmanbaria, disrupting train communications.
Dhaka, March 28 : A special flight carrying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his delegation left the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on Saturday night after the completion of Modi's two-day visit to Bangladesh. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen saw him off at the airport.

The Indian Prime Minister had arrived in Dhaka on Friday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to attend the celebrations of the country's 50th year of liberation from Pakistan and the 100th birth anniversary of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

During his visit, Modi gifted 109 ambulances and 12 lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses to Bangladesh. The Indian Prime Minister handed over the keys of the ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina during a visit to her office on Saturday evening.

Bangladesh and India on Saturday also signed five MoUs at a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Dhaka. In addition, several projects were also inaugurated during the concluding day of Modi's two-day visit to Bangladesh.
Peter Nygard (C) is seen in this September 8, 2005 photo at the opening of the Toronto film festival

A Canadian court ruled Friday that fashion executive Peter Nygard must remain in prison while he fights extradition to the United States to stand trial for sex crimes.

Nygard, 79, had appealed a ruling in February by a court in central Manitoba province that denied bail on grounds that he might tamper with witnesses or his accusers. It said he had breached court orders on at least five past occasions.

On Friday an appeals court in Manitoba rejected Nygard's appeal, saying this was necessary in order to "maintain confidence in the administration of justice."

The court noted the "'extreme' nature and scope of the allegations which paint a picture of criminal conduct that was planned, financed and executed on a staggering scale."

Nygard faces nine charges in the US, including racketeering and sex trafficking, involving "at least a dozen victims in the United States, the Bahamas, and Canada, among other locations," the New York federal attorney in charge of the case said last month.

The crimes allegedly took place between 1990 and 2020. Nygard and his alleged accomplices, including employees of his fashion group, "used force, fraud, and coercion to cause women and minors to have sex" with them, the statement said.

Nygard, who has been in Canadian custody since mid-December, has denied the accusations. A date for his extradition hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Nygard's lawyer had asked in January that he be released on bail out of fear he would catch the coronavirus in prison.

The judge said no, noting only seven cases of infection among the 500 prisoners at the facility where Nygard is being held.

et/dax/dw/acb
SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean independent panel created to review prosecution probes has decided to recommend that prosecutors cease investigating Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee over an allegation of unlawful use of a prescription sedative, a prosecution official said on Friday.

Prosecutors have been investigating Lee after a separate organization, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, asked prosecutors last year to investigate Lee after receiving a tip in January 2020 that he had been routinely administered propofol, an anaesthetic, at a clinic, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.

Lee has denied wrongdoing through his lawyer. His counsel said in a statement on March 11 that all medical procedures he has undergone have been lawful. His counsel, who was not named in the statement, could not be reached for comment on Friday.

While the independent review panel can offer recommendations, prosecutors are not legally bound to follow its findings. The officials who had been investigating the case will take the panel's view into consideration, a spokesman for the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office said on Friday.

Yonhap said that 14 experts from fields including legal circles and academia on the independent review panel voted on the recommendation for prosecutors to stop investigating Lee. The recommendation is expected to be made shortly.

Representatives of the review panel were not available for comment.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission declined comment, as it is legally bound not to comment on tips it receives.

Samsung declined to comment on the case.

The independent review panel was set up as part of prosecution reform measures taken since 2018 to bolster neutrality by allowing outside experts to review the investigation and prosecution process.

Lee, 52, has been jailed at the Seoul Detention Center since January for a 2-1/2 year sentence for bribery and other charges. He was hospitalised earlier this month for surgery for a burst appendix, Seoul media reported.

He is heir to his father, Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee, who died in October.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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Hitting out at the Centre, Rajasthan Chief Minister on Saturday said the bill giving primacy to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor over the elected government, was passed by the parliament to curtail the rights of the AAP-led dispensation.

Terming the Government of Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 as murder of democracy, he said abolishing the powers of an elected government is against the spirit of democracy.

Earlier the SC had clearly ruled that the elected government is the real head of Delhi.

Modi govt wants to run the country in a fascist manner. Electoral malpractices, horse trading of elected MLAs, and when failing in both, it resorts to passing such a dictatorial bill on the strength of its majority in Parliament. This is how the Modi govt rules, Gehlot said in a series of tweets.

He said the BJP could abolish the powers of any government by bringing such laws if it loses elections in a state.

This dictatorial decision of the Modi govt should be opposed at the level by rising above the party line, he said.

Accusing the BJP of doing a volte-face, the chief minister said the party had earlier advocated full statehood status to Delhi.

But now they have brought such law. Prime Minister advocates cooperative federalism but in reality, NDA govt is imposing decisions on state governments by enacting such laws, he added.

Speaking at a virtual programme of the state medical education department at his residence, Gehlot said those criticising the government are often branded as anti-nationals.

It is a matter of grave concern for us. Look at the chief election commission, income tax department, ED or the CBI. The agencies are being misused. The country has a challenge and we will have to make people understand, he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Borno State House of Assembly has passed a vote of confidence on the state governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, putting to rest, an alleged online publication which claimed rift between the assembly and the governor.

Speaker of the Assembly, AbdulKarim Lawan, announced the resolution at a special meeting held at the assembly complex in Maiduguri yesterday, during which members of the assembly, took turns to speak highly of Governor Zulum's outstanding performance with series of government projects sited in their constituencies.

The Speaker said the lawmakers were surprised when they saw an online medium reporting the House had contemplated impeaching Zulum that is today considered a role model of leadership all over Nigeria.

"The House has passed a vote of confidence on the leadership style of Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum. Ordinarily, the House would not have responded to that malicious report but we felt we should speak in order to avoid innocent members of the general pubic being misled into believing the totally false story especially, considering the fragile security of our state and also the giant strides recorded by Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum's administration in all sectors of the economy.

"Fact is that we have very cordial and harmonious working relationship between all arms of the Borno State government. There was never any problem let alone the so-called attempted motive to remove our hardworking governor who built and accelerated people's confidence in governance.

"The House totally dismisses that news publication, we commend the mainstream media and reputable online media organizations for ignoring that mischief and we strongly call on relevant security agencies to bring to book, the perpetrators of that malicious news report," he said.

Also speaking, member representing Mobbar State Constituency, Hon. Usman Bello Moruma, said the state governor has been carrying members of the House along in all his development projects across the state.
By selling anti-Andrew Cuomo T-shirts, can coolers, lapel stickers, bumper stickers, posters and hats on her congressional campaign website, Elise Stefanik has entered a new realm of partisanship.

Browsing the cheap products in her online store, dominated by anti-Cuomo apparel, we wondered if our congresswoman has become obsessed. She has an important job, yet of all the causes she could embrace, she is most passionate about proving that Andrew Cuomo is the worst governor in America.

We are not defending Cuomo. We believe he has behaved badly, and we support a full investigation and a legal and political reckoning for his misdeeds. We believe, when several women come forward with similar stories of misconduct, they are most likely true.

Stefanik can say what she likes, even if what she likes is attacking her states governor. But we question the usefulness of her efforts. How is the sale of Cuomos. Gotta. Go. lapel stickers (set of 12) helping her constituents? Could she find a better way to advocate for us than promoting bright red can coolers (set of 2), printed with the message Impeach Cuomo?

We no longer believe Stefanik entered public life to accomplish good things for the country. She has exhibited a pattern of lying and hyper-partisanship that undermines democracy.
Police have arrested a 50-year-old man from Malad in Mumbai for allegedly attacking a 67-year-old woman in her Mira Road flat in Thane district and robbing her ornaments worth Rs 1,50,000, an official said on Saturday.

The accused, Rashid Shakil Khan, was picked up on Friday, within 24 hours of committing the crime.

His interrogation revealed that Khan had a case of cheating job seekers promising them jobs in Siberia registered against him, the official said.

Khan was convicted two years back in a theft case in Dubai, he said, adding that the accused told police that he had a cheating case against him in the Maldives as well.

Police are verifying these claims made by Khan.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Musician Max Zaska has achieved his crowd-funding target of 16,000 to finish his forthcoming album 'A Better Way'. 166 people contributed to the fund, and they will receive a range of goodies based on how much they paid, including vinyl copies of the album, a private concert, and guitar lessons.

'A Better Way' is themed around sustainability and has been recorded but more work is required to get it ready to launch.

Benefactors could donate as little as 5 to help with the fund.

'The theme is not just sustainability for the planet but for all aspects of living a harmonious life. It's a hopeful album about our ability to turn it all around for ourselves and the next generation,' said Max.

Artists contributing to the album include Tolu Makay, Faye O'Rourke, Jess Kav, Melina Malone, Precious Okpaje, James Smith and Carly Coonagh.

Joining Max on guitar are Dylan Lynch on drums and Neil Dorrington on bass, while keys and synth player James Smith is also co-producing the album with Max. The work has been part-funded by a grant of 6,000 towards studio and recording costs. Remaining expenses include paying a recording engineer, mixing, mastering, paying artists, vinyl pressing, album design, marketing and more.

Max was born in Germany and his family moved to Bray when he was a year old. He went to St Cronan's, and Pres for a year, before they moved to Westport. He attended the renowned Newpark Music Centre in Dublin to study jazz and now lives in Monasterevin, County Kildare.

'A Better Way' will be launched later this year, with the hope that the artists will be able to hold a live performance.
Moldova's parliamentary majority adopted on Friday a declaration of disagreement with the parliament dissolution, the document was supported by 54 lawmakers out of the 84 present at the session, parliament speaker Zinaida Greceanii said

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2021) Moldova's parliamentary majority adopted on Friday a declaration of disagreement with the parliament dissolution, the document was supported by 54 lawmakers out of the 84 present at the session, parliament speaker Zinaida Greceanii said.

On March 16, Moldovan President Maia Sandu nominated Igor Grosu, the head of Moldova's pro-presidential Party of Action and Solidarity, for the post of the prime minister. On Thursday, he failed to be appointed due to absence of parliamentary quorum. Moldova's parliamentary majority keeps insisting on nominating Vladimir Golovatyuk, the ambassador to Russia, as the prime minister.

"The declaration of disagreement with the dissolution .

.. was adopted by 54 votes," Greceanii said.

According to the document, the lawmakers express "disagreement with the dissolution of the parliament, since not all constitutional ways have been used to resolve the political crisis around the formation of the government."

The parliamentary majority believes that it is necessary to approve a government that will be able to cope with the coronavirus crisis and to improve the socio-economic situation.

The declaration entered into force immediately after its adoption, it will be submitted to the president for review. Pro-European opposition parties refused to support the document.
E-cigarettes, called Vape or new-generation cigarettes, will cause serious harm to young generation in Vietnam.

The use of e-cigarettes once again heated up the National Assembly agenda as policymakers emphasized the harmful effects and consequences of e-cigarettes, which are being widely circulated and used in Vietnam.

E-cigarettes have been banned in many countries over the world. File Photo

Giving a view at the 14th National Assemblys final session in Hanoi on March 24, Nguyen Anh Tri, a delegate from the capital city, said there were many catastrophic accidents caused by drivers who were addicted to drug while driving vehicle.

There should be specific provisions in law, Tri said to National Assembly delegates who were discussing draft amended Law on Drug Prevention and Control.

Tri said that the use of e-cigarettes is spreading very quickly in the country, especially targeting to young people, thus causing serious harm to younger generations in the future. E-cigarettes are the fastest way leading the smokers to drugs so it is necessary to ban it, do not let it grow and then deal with its consequences in the future.

He said many countries in the world have condemned and proposed an absolute ban of e-cigarettes due to its harmful consequences, so that the Vietnamese National Assembly and Government should immediately ban the use and trading of e-cigarettes in the country for the shake of a better living.

Please do not delay. If we are late, we will have to pay a heavy price by the peoples destroyed health and then a huge amount of money to stop such a kind of human killing called e-cigarettes, Tri said.

Delegate Pham Trong Nhan from the southern province of Binh Duong said in some cases, the decisions given by authorities, not know whether accidentally or intentionally, have created more loopholes in the legislation while the country is facing with many difficulties in the fight against drug.

He showed a proof that the Ministry of Science and Technology last December issued Decision 3485 announcing the national standards for heated tobacco products (HTPs), a product combined between electronic equipment and tobacco products. The decision was made while there is not any assessment on the HTPs impacts on the society, especially peoples health and the possible mixture of e-cigarettes and drug.

More importantly, the Government leader has not yet had any regulation allowing the circulation of HTPs, but it has been put into the national standards. Is it just because of its beautiful name as being the new-generation cigarettes, or is there any other reason?, Nhan said.

He added that 24 countries have completely banned e-cigarettes, while 17 others prohibited HTPs and a majority of ASEAN countries have enacted regulations banning the new-generation cigarette products.

Real situation

In Vietnam, although the smoking of e-cigarettes is a forbidden behavior by many schools, a number of students still smoke after getting out of the school gate, even at the school. They are interested in a new experience and style rather than its harm to health.

Nguyen Ngoc Anh, the Headmaster of Minh Khai Secondary School in Hanois Bac Tu Liem District, said Vape is gradually creeping into schools in forms of lipstick, pens and candies, making teachers and parents failed to recognize it.

He said the school has built a plan to prevent the use of cigarettes and Vape. Beside 37 surveillance security cameras installed throughout the school, teachers and staff are assigned to observe students. In cases where there are signs of violation, we will work with families to educate students about the dangers of using drugs and tobacco in general, and Vape in particular.

Vape firms have launched a lot of products with cheap prices to lure people.

A survey of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper showed that people can easily find and buy Vape products on social networking sites. At some online stores, Vape products are disguised in the form of ballpoint pen, luminous pen, USB and lipstick with various flavors of strawberry, orange, mango, melon, watermelon and milk tea. They are publicly sold at the very cheap price of VND120,000-150,000 per unit.

According to WHO expert Nguyen Tuan Lam, almost Vape products contain poisonous substances such as nicotine, metal and formaldehyde. As for adolescents, nicotine numbs the senses and causes loss of control, poor concentration and impaired memory.

Lam said that the young people, who have tried vape, are possible to start using traditional cigarettes 3.5 times higher than those who do not. There are 15,000 flavors in Vape with some ingredients making addicted quickly, including cocaine and cannabis. Vape is harmful to both users and surrounding people, in addition to a risk of serious injury due to battery explosion.

A WHO global student health survey conducted in 21 cities and provinces of Vietnam in 2019 revealed that the rate of using Vape smoking among students aged 13-17 started to increase to 2.6% of the total, about 20 times higher than previous years.

Hanoitimes

E-cigarette use on the rise: Expert Vietnam has seen certain achievements made in tobacco harm prevention and control but challenges continue to emerge, including the increasing trend of smoking e-cigarettes, Associate Professor and Dr Luong Ngoc Khue has said.
By Subrata Nagchoudhury and Zarir Hussain

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - Voters in India's Assam and West Bengal cast their ballots on Saturday in elections that will indicate how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support is holding up after a year of the coronavirus pandemic and months of protests against his farm reforms.

Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah campaigned energetically for their Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, encouraging defections from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, whose firebrand leader Mamata Banerjee has been chief minister since 2011.

India's fourth most populous state, with 90 million people, was for decades a bastion of communism, and registered a voter turnout of nearly 80% in Saturday's first phase of voting.

Politicians on the campaign trail often showed scant regard for social distancing, but as voters queued patiently at polling centres, security personnel and election workers handed out masks, hand sanitisers and gloves.

Modi was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2019, and his BJP is pushing to extend its influence beyond the 12 out of 28 states where it rules alone, and several others where it is part of a ruling alliance - not least because this would help it to control the upper house of the federal parliament.

It has never won power in West Bengal, and to do well in the state would send a formidable national signal.

"This election in Bengal is important because the BJP for the first time has emerged as a major contender," said Amal Mukhopadhyay, a former professor of political science at Kolkata's Presidency College.

In neighbouring Assam, where a BJP-led alliance is seeking a second term, turnout was over 76% after a day that had begun with voters queuing before the polls opened at 7 a.m.

Voting in West Bengal takes place in eight phases, ending on April 29, and the votes will be counted on May 2.

Assam's third and final phase of voting is on April 6.

(Reporting by Subrata Nagchoudhury in Kolkata and Zarir Hussain in Guwahati; Additional reporting by Rupak De Chowdhuri in Purulia; Writing by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
The Tulane University School of Medicine residency program, where doctors fresh from medical school embark on the last leg of their training, promotes itself as a diverse institution that aims to reflect the population of New Orleans.

The schools website refers to the importance of serving New Orleans large Black population. And Tulane has had some success in attracting doctors of color. In 2014, a combined residency program in pediatrics and internal medicine recruited the schools first ever all-minority, all-female cohort.

We strive to get our practitioners to look like the people we take care of, said an administrator in an online video aimed at attracting residents to the internal medicine program, one of 19 residencies at the 186-year-old institution.

But last month, the dismissal of Dr. Princess Dennar, a Black program director who ran the schools internal medicine-pediatrics residency before a committee voted to remove her, sparked an outcry that has challenged those claims of inclusivity.

Dennar filed a lawsuit against Tulane alleging racial discrimination four months before a committee comprised of 15 Tulane program directors and other doctors voted to remove her from her post.

Afterward, dozens of current residents signed a letter calling for the removal of the medical schools current dean and alleging that there is deeply entrenched structural racism and bias throughout Tulane. A letter signed by 28 alumni of the medical school said that allegations of racial discrimination were not surprising in the least based on their experience.

And in recent weeks, a social media movement has urged new doctors applying for residencies to boycott Tulane.

Dennar's dismissal has turned a spotlight on one of New Orleans most prominent medical institutions and comes as establishments across the U.S. are facing criticism over their handling of issues surrounding race and discrimination.

According to interviews with residents and other members of the Tulane medical community, along with lawsuit filings and a report from the school's accrediting agency, much of the controversy centers on a long-running conflict between two charismatic doctors: Dennar, a beloved director of the medicine-pediatrics program, and Dr. Jeffrey Wiese, former head of the school's internal medicine residency and current associate dean.

Wiese is known for rebuilding the Tulane residency program following Hurricane Katrina and was an important cheerleader and recruiter for the medical school on the speaking circuit. Residents said his letters of recommendation opened doors to competitive fellowships and prestigious positions.

"Being able to say I went to residency with Wiese, people would know what that meant," said a resident who graduated in 2014. "Tulane meant Wiese. Wiese meant Tulane."

Dennar, a Philadelphia native, got her medical degree from Drexel University and joined Tulane in 2008 as a medical director of the internal medicine residency ambulatory service. By 2009, she had been promoted to running the medicine-pediatrics program.

Several residents in her program said she was a caring mentor who also demanded excellence. Dennar was the reason many residents, especially people of color, came to Tulane.

Its rare to come across someone who looks like me in academics, said Dr. Chioma Udemgba, who graduated from residency in 2020. A Black female physician? It checked all the boxes. I had to go here; I had to be mentored by her.

Many residents who knew them said Wiese and Dennar were brilliant doctors. But their relationship was strained.

"They're both really big personalities," said a current resident, a person of color, who noted that it was an enjoyable experience working with both of them. "The acrimonious relationship between them is longstanding."

In 2017, Dennar testified internally against Wieses program manager, who resigned after an internal report found instances of racial discrimination, according to a lawsuit later filed by Dennars program coordinator. Wieses program manager quietly resigned.

After that, there was a culture of retaliation, according to the racial discrimination lawsuit Dennar filed against Tulane in October.

Wiese was in charge of scheduling resident rotations, and Dennar alleged that Black women in her program were consistently placed on the most exhausting schedules, some of which frequently required 28-plus hour shifts. The scheduling also led to unsafe conditions for patients where residents performed procedures without the oversight of a supervisor, the lawsuit alleged.

Wiese did not respond to interview requests.

Udemgba said she was warned that a residency in the med-peds program would be hard for her when she started in 2016.

You have to fight tooth and nail to get the things that you need, she remembers another Black resident saying.

LSU Shreveport medical school chancellor under probe over allegations of sex discrimination As LSUs flagship campus continues to convulse in anger over how top officials have handled allegations of sexual harassment and dating violen

Soon, Udemgba knew what they meant. At group meetings with residents from other programs, everyone talked about what rotations they were on.

Every time I come in, Im like, 'Im on ward, Im on ICU,'  said Udemgba, referring to the inpatient ward and intensive care unit, where the sickest patients are treated. And everyone else is on this elective or that elective. Somehow, Im always on the harder rotation.

Many residents were reluctant to say that the tough scheduling was motivated by overt racism or gender bias. But the med-peds program had far more people of color than other programs and several current and former residents, including Dr. Monica Lau, a former chief resident who graduated in 2017, said many female and Black doctors didnt get the rotations they needed.

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"It spanned multiple years of residents," Lau said. "I think a pattern should say something."

In April of 2018, seven Black female residents filed a formal discrimination complaint through the schools' accrediting body, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, about the rotations. Dennar filed one at the same time against her own program. A few months before, another resident had also lodged a similar complaint.

Following a site visit, the ACGME issued a report that noted several violations, including that Dennar was not given authority over her program and residents were working more than 80 hours per week. In addition, it found that Wiese had a conflict of interest in overseeing both his and Dennar's programs.

The ACGME did not find evidence of race or gender discrimination in its site visit. But it also said it could not be excluded. The main issue, the report said, was that the relationship between Dennar and Wiese was not collaborative and healthy.

As a result of the investigation, the ACGME placed the programs on warning status.

In July 2019, Wiese stepped down as head of the internal medicine program but remained as associate dean of graduate medical education, which oversees all of the medical schools accredited residency programs.

In February, a graduate medical school committee received the results of a 47-page internal Tulane review of Dennar's program that was sparked by the accreditor's report.

Two faculty members in other departments and a resident were tasked with putting it together. The 15-member panel, which Dr. Lee Hamm, dean of the medical school, said in an email was comprised of "a diverse group of Tulane faculty and medical residents" along with "individuals from other institutions" voted unanimously to remove Dennar from her position as program director.

Many current and former residents were livid and saw Dennar's removal as another example of institutional bias at Tulane.

Tulane to require new students to take courses on race, inclusion, after past campus divisions Tulane University will require all new students to study racial diversity as part of the undergraduate curriculum, another step by the Uptown 

A group of students at the medical school formed a coalition with a list of demands for the administration, including an independent investigation and suspension of current leadership.

Alumni wrote an open letter criticizing the decision to remove Dennar. Current residents and medical students have also demanded Hamms dismissal. Before Fridays Match Day ceremony at Tulane where newly-minted doctors learn where they'll be continuing their training, 63 students delivered a petition asking that Hamm not attend.

Supporters of Dennar have flooded social media with the hashtag #DNRTulane, which stood for Do Not Rank Tulane, a call to newly graduated medical students to keep Tulane off their lists of prospective locations for their medical training.

In prepared statements on the controversy, Tulane officials said they have reaffirmed their commitment "to fostering an equitable and inclusive community," and denounced discrimination. They also defended the institution as "inherently not racist."

Its not clear what the conclusions of the panel were. Tulane didnt answer questions as to who was on the committee or what the report contained.

Dennar also declined to provide the report, citing pending litigation, but in an open letter she publicly criticized it as "filled with errors from the beginning to the end."

In an interview, Dennar remembered weighing the risk of calling in the watchdogs on her own program, but said she felt it was her only option.

We run the risk of it looking like something was wrong with our residency program, she said, when we are the ones that are whistleblowing.

Her lawsuit alleged that discrimination went back over a decade.

When Dennar first interviewed for her position in 2008, she said she was told by Hamm, then the chair of the internal medicine department, that they didnt want to change the face of Tulane, according to the lawsuit. By Dennars recollection, Hamm also expressed that White medical students would not want to train under a Black program director.

Hamm emphatically denies these accusations, according to a statement released by the school.

Whatever the reasons for her dismissal, the allegations were not serious enough to keep Tulane from attempting to reinstate Dennar after the ensuing uproar. After the do not rank campaign took off and several media reports appeared, Tulane offered Dennar her position back, with certain conditions.

Dennar made a counteroffer, which Tulane did not entertain. She remains as the medical director of a clinic at University Medical Center and an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics.

The ACGME is now planning another site visit in April, according to its website.

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Residents who have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic said the entire incident has been hard to work through. One noted that with the program in turmoil, the people of New Orleans who seek care at the hospitals the residents serve, many of whom are poor or do not have insurance, could end up suffering the most if young doctors decide to start looking elsewhere for their training.

Tulane Medicine has attracted people who want to work on social justice for the last decade, the resident said. To me, the greatest tragedy would be if people did not come here to do that.
Guwahati, March 27 : Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, claimed on Saturday that the BJP has acceded defeat in Assam and throughout the campaign, the ruling party tried to evade questions related to its performance in the last five years.

Addressing the media here, Kharge said that with the first phase of polling underway in Assam, clear signs of a landslide victory for the Congress are emerging from all parts of the state.

"The Congress has gone to the people with a vow to fulfil its 'five guarantees' which will be a gamechanger for the future of Assam and its people. We have received an overwhelming response from the people across all ages and geographies towards the vision and the will power that we have presented," the Congress leader said.

Kharge was accompanied by Rajya Sabha members Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, and Lok Sabha MP Abdul Khaleque.

He said that the BJP has denied tickets to 18 per cent of its sitting MLAs (11 out of 60 MLAs) "to erase the wounds of unfulfilled promises from the minds of the people".

"The BJP and its allies have already sensed a massive defeat in the elections due to the people reposing their faith and hope on the five guarantees promised by the Congress. In a desperate bid, as per news reports, the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), a BJP ally, has promised that surrendered cadres of militant outfits would be provided jobs in the Army and paramilitary forces according to their ranks. Can a political party promise jobs in the defense forces," the veteran leader asked.

The first phase of polling in 47 constituencies in Assam will decide the fate of 264 candidates. The other two phases will be held on April 1 (39 seats) and April 6 (40 seats). The results will be declared on May 2.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) for Leh and Kargil districts have failed to submit accounts for audit since their inception, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said, terming it a serious financial irregularity.

The audit reports of eight other autonomous bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, including both wings of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (Kashmir and Jammu) (SKUAST), J&K state housing board and state legal service authority are also pending for many years, the said.

The CAG, in its report on social, general and economic (non-PSUs) in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir for the year ending 31 March, 2019, submitted in the parliament recently, said 10 autonomous bodies, including LAHDC, Leh and LAHDC Kargil required to be audited had not furnished the annual accounts.

Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union territories of J&K and Ladakh in August 2019.

The LAHDC, Leh has failed to submit accounts for audit since its inception (1995-96) although substantial funds are being released to the Council and unspent balances at the end of the year remain credited in a non-lapsable fund in the Public Account of the State, the said.

The position in respect of LAHDC, Kargil which came into existence in the year 2004-05 is similar and the accounts are in arrears since its inception. Non-submission/delay in submission of accounts by these bodies receiving substantial funding from the State budget is a serious financial irregularity persisting for years, it said.

It said the LAHDC received a grant of Rs 546.24 crore in 2018-19, while the LAHDC Kargil got Rs 597.95 crore during the same financial year.

In view of this non-compliance, the audited accounts of these statutory bodies have not so far been presented to the State Legislature as required under the Statutes under which these bodies were created. This has deprived the State Legislature of the opportunity to assess their activities and financial performance, the report said.

The Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (J&K), which had not received any grants in 2018-19, had failed to submit its accounts for audit for the last 10 years.

The accounts for audit of SKUAST (Kashmir) is pending for nine years though it received a grant of Rs 228.60 crore in 2018-19 and similarly, the SKUAST (Jammu) which had got a grant of Rs 101 crore in 2018-19, has failed to submit its account for three years, the report said.

The said the State Legal Service Authority received a grant of Rs 12.48 crore in 2018-19, but failed to submit its accounts for audit, while Khadi and Village Industries Board got Rs 23 crore grants in 2018-19 and its account details are pending for four years.

Other bodies which have not submitted their accounts for audit include Jammu and Kashmir State Housing Board (seven years), Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (six years) and Employees Provident Fund Board, Srinagar (four years), the report said, adding that none of these have received any grants during 2018-19.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As with vaccines for other illnesses, some people may experience side effects. The Illinois Department of Public Health says most people have no reaction or a mild one after being vaccinated but there is a chance there could be pain, redness and swelling at the injection site and you might be become fatigued or develop a headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise and swollen lymph nodes.